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Lumia 520: A good buy if it's your first smart phone
Nokia, with the launch of the $99 phone, has made it clear how important the budget segment is for the company. Since they're betting big on the Lumia range of smartphones, budget options are available as well.
While the older Lumia 510 is now available for less than Rs 10,000 online, pay a little more and you can have the Lumia 520 - which runs the latest Windows Phone 8 OS.
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Lumia 520: A good buy if it's your first smart phone
Looks and feel
The first thing one notices on the Nokia Lumia 520 is its four-inch screen, which is possibly the biggest screen-size available in this range.
But for the screen, the rest of the phone is made of plastic, that makes tough enough to withstand rough handling. The shape, while not as attractive as the 620, provides a nice grip.
On one side is the volume rocker, the on/lock switch and the dedicated camera button, while the other side is sans buttons. At 124 g, the phone isn't cumbersome to carry.
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Lumia 520: A good buy if it's your first smart phone
Booting up
To insert the microSIM in the 520, one needs to take the back cover off - a task much easier to accomplish than it was on its older sibling, the 620. The microSD card, (supported up to 64 GB) to expand the phone's memory (it has 8 GB on board), goes in below the microSIM slot.
The back covers are interchangeable and come in a variety of colours. But sadly, Nokia doesn't offer the wireless charging option - available via a special back cover in more expensive Lumia handsets - for the 520.
After switching on and logging on to my Microsoft account, I was good to go.
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Lumia 520: A good buy if it's your first smart phone
Touch and see
Typing out texts and email was a pleasure with the 520 because of its responsive touch screen. I tried out typing while wearing gloves (in this summer heat; the things one has to do to review gadgets) and it worked.
Anyone who buys this phone will definitely use it to consume media, more specifically videos. We played some clips that we had also played on previous Lumia phones. The 520 comes a cropper.
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Lumia 520: A good buy if it's your first smart phone
While the clips play all right, the colours were richer and the videos sharper on its elder siblings. Also, the screen suffers in direct sunlight.
It becomes difficult to read the screen and images become faint thanks to the light being reflected from the screen.
But the 520 has something for the movie buffs. The Lumia 520 comes with a free three-month subscription to BIGFLIX, using which one can watch films across one's devices.
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Lumia 520: A good buy if it's your first smart phone
Hear it right
Calling with the 520 was satisfactory and the speakerphone also worked well. But the speaker isn't loud enough if you want to blast your music, which you will want to because of the Nokia Music Store.
The bundled earphones are just about nice but won't satisfy audiophiles. They're just right if you want to catch the chartbuster on your daily commute.
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Lumia 520: A good buy if it's your first smart phone
Camera matters
The 520 comes with a 5MP rear camera but no flash. In the time we had the review unit, outdoor shots were okay, some low-light shots were good while some others were dark.
However, the phone bundles in a lot of special lenses from Nokia, which makes taking pictures a joy with those effects.
The front camera, however, is missing, so you can kiss hopes of video calls/chats goodbye.
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Lumia 520: A good buy if it's your first smart phone
Software and stuff
The Windows Store and Nokia have quite a few apps on offer, and the phone seamlessly integrates with your Windows 8 desktop.
The number of apps is growing, but it's still a long way till they come anywhere near the number of apps on Android or iOS.
The low onboard RAM might throw a spanner in the works if you're planning to get this phone purely for gaming.
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Lumia 520: A good buy if it's your first smart phone
Battery life
After charging the phone fully, we were able to get through the day (about 10 hours) with moderate calling, heavy email , a little bit of browsing on 3G, some videos and some music. Gaming does reduces the battery life. The 520 heats up a bit while multi-tasking.
The missing bits
Since the 520 is an entry-level phone, Nokia has had to cut down on some bits to make it affordable. On the missing list are, besides the front camera and flash, is the digital compass (needed for Nokia's City Lens app).
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Lumia 520: A good buy if it's your first smart phone
One also doesn't get NFC, a pity since its available on the 620, which costs just a few thousand rupees more. Also missing is wireless charging, and the screen takes a hit as well.
Verdict
Arguably the most affordable Windows Phone 8 device in the country, the Lumia 520 scores on most points.
If you're looking for your first smartphone and won't be playing around too much (with apps or games) or aren't put off by the screen (likely to happen if you've experienced elder siblings of the 520) you won't go wrong with this handset.
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Lumia 520: A good buy if it's your first smart phone
Nokia Lumia 520 specifications:
Price: Rs 10,499
Screen: 4-inch 800x480 235ppi IPS
OS: Windows Phone 8
RAM: 512MB
Processor: 1 GHz dual core
Memory: 8GB internal, expandable via microSD (up to 64GB supported)
Camera (rear/front): 5MP autofocus without flash/NA
Battery: 1,430 mAh Li-Ion
