Nokia Lumia 520 Unboxing and Review

I used to be a Nokia user before, and after switching to another brand I told myself that I will never  switch back to Nokia again. After using this Nokia phone, it gave me second thoughts and finally realized that it’s time for me to give Nokia a shot. Here is a review of the Nokia Lumia 520.

The Lumia 520 is a mid-range smartphone running on Windows 8. At for its non-hefty price of Php7,990, the Lumia 520 has all the features that I need – calling, texting, gaming, surfing, etc. It doesn’t have impressive specifications, but this is the best Windows 8 device you could get with a very workable budget.

Unboxing

The Box contains the following:

• Nokia 520 Handset
• Charger
• Headset
• Micro USB Cable
• 2 Back Case
• 1430 mAh Battery
• User Manual

FRONT: Capacitive Buttons (Back, Home, Search)

BACK: Camera, Micro SD Slot, SIM Slot

TOP: 3.5mm Headset Port

BOTTOM: Micro USB Port

RIGHT SIDE: Volume Buttons, Power/Sleep Button, Camera Button

LEFT SIDE: Nothing on this side.

Full Specifications

• 4″ WVGA (480 x 800) IPS LCD, 233ppi
• Qualcomm MSM8227 Dual-core 1 GHz
• 512MB RAM
• 8GB internal storage expandable up to 64GB
• 5MP Rear Camera
• 720p video recording at 30fps
• HSDPA, 21.1 Mbps; HSUPA, 5.76 Mbps
• WiFi | Bluetooth 3.0 | GPS
• 1,430mAh battery
• Dimension of 119.9 x 64 x 9.9 mm
• Weight: 124g
• Operating System: Windows Phone 8

Build and Quality

The Lumia 520 has an eye-candy design, which employs the design philosophy of the Lumia line. It comfortably fits my hands, thanks to its semi rounded corners and matte-finish cover. The latter is removable so you can change the cover depending on your mood. This reminds me of the interchangeable covers of the old Nokia phone.  The back cover is built on polycarbonate, the same material used on hockey helmets.

With 1,430 mAh battery, it can go on standby up to 360 hours. It has a talk time of approximately 9 hours, or 2 1/2 days for continuous music playback. As for real life usage, at moderate usage without 3G on, the phone flatlined after 7 hours.

WiFi connection is impressive. I enjoyed watching YouTube videos and playing movies. The touchscreen is also sensitive and responsive, even when wearing gloves or my fingers are soaked.

Photo Gallery

Durability At Its Finest

Lumia 520 is built of strong material which I think is impressive. With the Lumia 520, you don’t have to worry of having it slipped from your hands accidentally. As mentioned above, it is built of hard plastic with the material used in hockey helmets.

The Most Affordable Lumia

Dubbed as the most affordable Lumia, the 520 opened the doors of Windows Phone 8 to Class C2 market in the Philippines. What’s even better is how Nokia maintained the Lumia line’s premium feel and luster despite its affordability.

Productivity and performance

I am a person who is always on the go so an all-in-one mobile phone is a must for me. A smartphone like the Lumia 520 gives me an access to all the things that I need. I can receive incoming email anytime, check on social networking accounts that I manage, view and edit office documents.

The Nokia Lumia 520, as previously mentioned, is one of the most affordable Windows 8 devices you can buy. It is overall, an impressive device; and a worthy upgrade from Lumia 510. However, its good price. performance, and impressive quality are marred by the lack of apps available at Windows Phone Store.

There is a glimmer of hope for Nokia and Microsoft because of products like the Lumia 520. Now that there are more affordable Lumia options, Nokia paved the way to bring Windows Phone 8 to a far more diverse market in the socio-economic chart.