The 820 is a solidly built, mid-range Windows Phone that is let down by a disappointing screen and lack of storage space.
Pros:
Solidly built, interchangeable battery and case, good performance, reasonable camera
Cons:
Disappointing screen, only 8GB of in-built storage, poor battery life
Price: ££400
Manufacturer: Nokia
REVIEW :
The Lumia 820 is the second Windows Phone 8 device to be released by Nokia this year. Despite retailing for a hefty £400, the device is intended to be the affordable smartphone in Nokia's Windows Phone 8 arsenal.
This, combined with the fact it lacks a number of unique features seen on its big brother the Lumia 920, made us a little apprehensive when coming to review the device.
Luckily though with prolonged use, we've found there a few smart touches that help make the 820 a reasonably compelling device, even when compared to top end smartphones such as the Lumia 920, Galaxy S3 and iPhone 5.
Design and build
Though it carries the Lumia brand, the 820 looks very different to other recent Nokia devices.
Unlike other Lumias, the 820 has rounded corners and sides and a slightly rubberised outer case. Measuring in at 124x69x10mm, while this makes the phone feel slightly boxy when compared to the more sleek Lumia 920, it also makes it fairly comfortable in hand.
Like most of the recent Nokia devices we've seen, the Lumia 820 is very solidly built. Testing the Lumia 820 we were left with a reassuring feeling that the device could survive the odd bump and scrape unscathed.
Our confidence in the 820's durability is boosted because the device has interchangeable case options. This means that, as well as being able to customise your phone's appearance, should you damage the chassis, you can simply replace it.
The only problems we experienced with the 820's design are the fact that, like the 920, its heavier than the average smartphone, weighing 160g. While we didn't have too much of a problem with the weight, it could prove an issue for people used to lighter smartphones, like the 133g Galaxy S3 and 112g iPhone 5.
Screen
The Lumia 820's screen is one area we were a little disappointed by, with it packing a somewhat underwhelming 4.3in Amoled 800x480 pixels display.
This means that while perfectly legible and boasting good brightness levels, the display looks fuzzy when compared to other devices. We could forgive this were it not for the fact that for the exact same amount of money, you could pick up an HTC Windows Phone 8 X, that features a superior 4.3in 720x1280 S-LCD2 342 ppi display.
SoftwareThe Lumia 820 runs on Microsoft's latest Windows Phone 8 operating system. The OS features the same tiled user interface and People Hub social features as Windows Phone 7.
The People Hub lets users consolidate their social network accounts into one central information feed, meaning you can quickly see all your Facebook and Twitter activity on one screen.
In terms of changes, one of the most noticeable is that Microsoft's added the ability to resize tiles to one of three sizes. This means users can make dynamic tiles that offer push updates, like the People Hub or email app bigger, increasing the amount of information they display, while making static shortcut tiles smaller.
Less noticeable, but even more important, Microsoft has added a host of improvements to WP8 designed for business users. The chief addition is that of the non-ad supported mobile version of Microsoft Office. The app is pre-installed on all WP8 handsets and grants users access to Word, Excel, OneNote and PowerPoint - but unfortunately not Access.
This, together with SkyDrive cloud backup support, means users can move work back and forth between their PCs and phones, letting them edit and proof documents on the go.
Next: Software, Nokia apps and performance
0 comentarii:
Post a Comment