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Welcome to the 2013 Nokia Lumia 520 review. The 520 is the latest Windows OS based phones designed to complete with the low end of the mobile phone market. The Recommend retail price of the Lumia 520 is $229 but you can easily find it priced under $200 and as low as $169 as part of a pre-paid package. At this of price in 2013 there are no other phones that approach it in terms of functionality and options - read on for the reasons why!
In terms of construction the 520 is very well made despite being made of plastic. I think its the matt and soft touch surface that lifts the quality feel of the phone. You can also change the color of the entire rear panel! The 520 feel better in the hand than any other phone in this price range - easily.
In terms of hardware specifications the main thing missing from the Lumia 520 is a camera flash but it does come with a specific camera button on the side. The screen size and quality is excellent for a phone in this price range. The CPU is a dual core 1 Ghz but since Windows doesn't use much power AKA like the iPhone it is more than adequate. All the usual senors are present along with a slot for microSD card and standard battery life.
In terms of use the Windows interface can be described as boring but it is very smooth, responsive and does everything you could reasonably want. It is certainly as good as Android phones and more responsive than even the iphone. All the functions are easy to find and quick to access including one of the best GPS navigation software on any platform, Xbox, Music subscription services and MS Office - Word, Excel and Powerpoint editing capability. The Web browser is also one of the quickest on a phone. However as with all Windows phones at the moment there are a relatively small number of 3rd party Apps to choose from.
If you don't mind using Windows 8 for mobile phones you'll be very happy with the Lumia 520. There's nothing else like with the same functionality for the under $200 price, which can only drop. Only the characteristics of Windows 8 for phones will annoy but we're sure Microsoft will fix them over time. In the end we highly recommend the Lumia 520 it is a very good phone on a budget.
Specifications
- Nokia Lumina 520
- Network
Quad-band GSM 850/900/1800/1900 (Dependent on network)
Penta or Tri-band 3G 850/900/1900/2100 (Dependent on network)
HSDPA 7.2 Mbps data speed (download)
HSUPA 5.7 Mbps (upload)
- Design
Touch screen
- L119.9 x W64 x D9.9 mm
- Weight 124 grams
- Display/s
4 inch External 480 x 800
- Camera
5MP
- Video Camera
720 HD pixel main video camera
- Connectivity
Wi-Fi
Bluetooth V2.1
- CPU
1.4 Ghz
- Memory
Up to 8 Gig on board
Up to 32GB MicroSD
- Ring tones
MIDI, MP3, Video, vibration and others
- Features
Micro-SIM
MS-Word, Excel and Powerpoint
A-GPS
Accelerometer, Proximity, Ambient Light
Windows Mobile Store for Apps
Music and Media player
Organiser/Calender
SMS, MMS, IM, Email
FM radio with RDS
Speaker Phone/Hands free
Li-Po 13000mAh battery
Up to 360 hours Standby
Up to 14.8 hours Talk Time
- Price history
Approx $200 AUS 2013 (Outright)
