Review: Nokia Lumia 520

The Nokia Lumia 520 is currently Nokia’s low-end device, designed for those on a budget, or looking to get their first smartphone. Ali has already shown you a few videos (here, here andhere) of the Lumia 520 – so I won’t really cover those areas.

The Nokia Lumia 520 may not be the best Nokia device out there (that would go to the 920/925 – or if you’re like me, the 820 [since it is just so versatile] ), but it certainly doesn’t disappoint either. We have a saying in Australia: “bang for your buck” – meaning you get a fair bit for what you pay. This is the most apt description of the Lumia 520.

The Lumia 520 carries the token Lumia design language: sleek lines, colourful and great build quality. With curved sides, the Lumia 520 fits amazingly in your hand. It also partly cuts away at the buttons, meaning they seem easier to press. While on the subject of buttons, thankfully, unlike the Lumia 820 & Lumia 920, the 520’s buttons don’t seem to feel loose/flimsy. As with the Lumia’s 620 & 820, the 520 has removable back shells and battery, as well as support for a MicroSD card.

Running on Windows Phone 8, the Lumia 520 offers a no-compromise experience. Sure, some apps may not run, but thats done in order to ensure the user has the best possible experience. This goes a long way in correcting Nokia’s old image of the cheaper devices being sluggish. From my usage, the only slow down I noticed was when texting, the keyboard wouldn’t keep up (but I guess I’m a speed demon texter).

Like the rest of the Lumia range, Nokia has great software exclusives on WP that definitely make your phone more awesome. My favourites being Nokia Music and HERE Maps.

Sadly, with a crazily cheap price, you need to sacrifice somewhere, and this comes in a few small elements, that are in no way deal breakers (let’s face it – if your interested in devices at this price, you don’t expect the best phone ever made).

• Capacative buttons (back, home, search) are not illuminated
• No Camera flash
• No front facing camera

While the camera may not have a flash, it is pretty impressive. Take a look at a few snaps I took around the house today. (Mixed between Auto and Macro modes – All other settings were default.)

So, wrapping it all up I’ll say this – the Lumia 520 is an extremely awesome device and at such a cheap price, it is definitely worth considering. While it may have very small downsides, they can be easily overlooked. If you’re looking to make the jump from feature phones to smartphones, or even wanting to see how Lumia is, compared to what you use, the Lumia 520 should be on your wish list.

Tags: featured

Category: Lumia, Nokia, Reviews