Reviewed: Nokia Lumia 930, 830, And 735
How do Nokia’s last smartphones perform against our tests?
The news last month that Nokia is finally stopping making smartphones sent shockwaves around the mobile industry, as one of the most iconic names in smartphone history was no more.
However, the company’s devices will live on, so what better time to take a look at some of Nokia’s last efforts at providing a smartphone legacy? TechWeekEurope got its hands on three of the last Nokia devices to be made, the Lumia 930, Lumia 830 and Lumia 735 – and here’s our verdict…
Top of the Line – Lumia 930
Top of the Line – Lumia 930The Lumia 930 first saw the light of day as the flagship offering in Microsoft’s launch of Windows Phone 8.1 devices, with a special gold edition also released back in January.
Also coming with wireless charging, NFC and LTE support, the device is powered by a 2.2 GHz quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 800 processor, 2GB of RAM, 2420mAh battery and 32GB of storage.
There is no MicroSD card slot however, although this omission is offset by the inclusion of 7GB of cloud storage on Microsoft OneDrive, but it does pack in a 20 megapixel PureView camera equipped with Zeiss optics and an advanced rich recording feature.
Make no mistake, however – this is a quality device, and is easily able to cope with a wide variety of use cases. We’ve seen many businesses adopt Windows Phone for corporate device use, due to their interoperability with Windows software, and the Lumia 930 is a great option for a business traveller on the go. Answering emails, viewing documents, and editing presentations are all easy to do on the bright and colourful 5in display.
Those looking for an all-singing gaming and entertainment machine might be a little disappointed by the options on offer due to the Windows Phone platform compared to the iPhone 6 or LG G4, but with a powerful camera and good battery life, the Lumia 930 is definitely an attractive proposition.
It is available at all major phone shops and on the Microsoft story – starting at just £23.50 a month contract (with Mobiles.co.uk) or from £285 SIM-free.
Mid-range – Lumia 830
Mid-range – Lumia 830Next we come to the middle brother – the Lumia 830. Originally launched at the IFA show last September, the Lumia 830 was touted by Microsoft as its ‘affordable’ flagship device.
Running Windows Phone 8.1 (meaning features like Cortana, Skype and OneDrive are all present) and powered by a 1.2GHz quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 400 processor, 1GB of RAM and 16GB of storage, the Lumia 830 boasts a 5in ClearBlack IPS LCD display with 1280 x 720p resolution and “2.25D” curved glass.
It also packs in a 10-megapixel PureView rear camera LTE, NFC, GPS, a 2,200mAh removable battery, Qi wireless charging, and 15GB of free One Drive cloud space.
Similar to the 930, the Lumia 830 is again an excellent option for business and work use, especially if you only use your work phone as an ancillary device. However this device obviously doesn’t pack in the same amount of power as its bigger brother, so don’t expect to get away with running high-powered games or watching lots of video content without the battery life rapidly diminishing.
The better news is that it’s available for free on a monthly contract with several retailers, or £204.99 SIM-free from the Microsoft online store.
Budget-friendly – Lumia 735
Budget-friendly – Lumia 735Also revealed at IFA 2014 was the Lumia 735, described by Microsoft as being “built for Skype and selfies,” thanks to its wide-angle, front-facing 5MP camera and a slim build that fits right in your pocket.
Inside, there’s also a 2220 mAh battery, 1.2GHz processor, 1GB of RAM, 8GB of internal storage (expandable up to 64GB via microSD) and 15 GB of free OneDrive storage.
This isn’t to say that the Lumia 735 is a cheap knockabout device, though. In fact, it more than holds its own against the 830 in terms of user experience and battery life.
And in terms of what the Lumia 735 can do – the answer is, well, pretty much everything else its bigger brothers can do, allowing for the slight reduction in power and screen size. The slim build is good to handle, though, and this never feels like a cheap or throwaway device.
Starting at just £15.99 a month contract or £159.99 SIM-free direct from Microsoft, the Lumia 735 is definitely a great budget smartphone for those who might want a secondary business device.
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