Nokia Lumia 625 Review

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Welcome to the 2013 Nokia Lumia 625 review. The Lumia 625 released in mid 2013 is the latest Windows OS based phones designed to complete with the low end of the mobile phone market. It also happens to be one of the last from Nokia, now that Microsoft have bought the company. The Recommend retail price of the Lumia 625 is $365 but you can easily find it priced nearer $300 and as low as $199 as part of a pre-paid package. At this of price in 2013 there are very few phones that approach it in terms of functionality and value for money!

In terms of construction the Lumia 625 has a soft tactile plastic changeable back and a gorilla glass screen. Thanks to the removable covers it means that you don’t really need to purchase a phone case for it. It is durable and dropping the phone is unlikely to damage it. It is solid to hold and not overly big or small. It’s actually quite classy compared to any Samsung model and easily more expensive looking and feeling the the iPhone 5c.

In terms of hardware specifications the Lumia 625 has a lot of up to date features but at this price point misses out on the best components. The 4.7 inch screen is large and very clear despite only having 480 x 800 pixels is genuinely a good thing, it is not the fuzzy experience you get on Android based phones of similar pricing. Sure the screen resolution be be better especially when you compare it side by side against the 925 series but that’s twice the price so for 2013 no complaints against the 625. Ignore the other reports that it is sub-par screen because clearly they haven’t used one. The camera, A-GPS, microSD memory slot, FM radio, camera are perfectly acceptable at this price point in 2013. The bonus of extra fast 4G or LTE download speed capability is also an amazing inclusion – at this price. Nokia truly knows its hardware and pricing – pity about the it’s previous corporate short sightedness.

In terms of use the Windows 8 based Lumia 625 is very slick. The menu navigation is smooth, the apps run pretty quickly in fact there is nothing to really complain about at this price point. It is better than virtually any Android based smart phone around this price. Any complaints can be solely leveled at the various issues with Windows 8 rather than Nokia’s implementation. Sure there needs to be more Apps but the competitors store didn’t get built in a day either!  Of note and as always is the free Nokia Drive and Maps which allows you to download maps and data for any country and use it as a without using data and as a stand alone navigator for free is a excellent incentive.

We liked the Lumia 625 and purchased one as a reference model. It’s a great package for the average user who wants an easy to use large screen phone for calls, emails, texts, Skype and the odd game of solitaire. By our own experiences the strangely popular jewel matching games that the vast majority play on the train to work really well on the large screen. Surprisingly, thanks to the smaller viewing angle keeps what we’re doing more private than any other mobile phone we’ve tried to date and yet offering very good image quality! The Lumia 625 is fast and has enough features for the majority of phone users and well worth a look if you want a new mobile phone purchased outright. It is also better than the smaller Lumia 520, one of favorite budget smart phones.

In the end the only thing annoying about the phone  was the side located power switch and the separate camera button. Both buttons are convenient but you end up pressing them accidently all the time which is annoying. So if you can live with that you have a truly great value mobile phone the Nokia 625 is the model to get.

Specifications

  • Nokia Lumia 625
  • Network
    Quad-band GSM 850/900/1800/1900 (Dependent on network)
    Tri-band 3G 850/900/2100 (Dependent on network)
    Dual Band LTE 800/1800/2600 (Dependent on network)
  • Design
    Touch screen
  • L133.3 x W72.3 x D9.2 mm
  • Weight 159 grams
  • Display/s
    4.7 inch External 480 x 800
  • Camera
    5MP
  • Video Camera
    720 HD pixel main video camera
  • Connectivity
    Wi-Fi
    Bluetooth V4
  • CPU
    1.2 Ghz
  • Memory
    Up to 8 Gig on board
    Up to 64GB 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 2000mAh battery
    Up to 550 hours Standby
    Up to 24 hours Talk Time
  • Price history
    Approx Less than $300 AUS November 2013 (Outright)