The Nokia Lumia 800 Review

Nokia has finally launched its much awaited Lumia 800 running Windows Mango mobile phone. Unique looks and decent features make it a great buy, though many are still quite curious as to what the ruckus is all about. Here is a quick review of the device:

Exteriors

The body of the phone is machined polycarbonate combined with Gorilla Glass which makes the phone quite resistant to scratches. The light sensors are strategically hidden behind the screen, which makes them pretty much invisible. Nokia has also done away with the notification LED. The sleek design coupled with the workmanship is certainly a treat for the eyes. However, the device is not exactly a pocket friendly phone given the sharp corners, whereas others like the Titan fit much more easily in the pocket due to the their rounded corners. The phone is also a little thick when compared to the HTC Titan. Comparisons aside, the Lumia has a refreshingly unique look, and one which will grab eyeballs no wonder where you go.

Performance and Battery

The Lumia 800 is powered by a single core Qualcomm MSM8255 processor with a clock speed of 1.4 GHz, a little less than the HTC Titan’s 1.5 GHz. The effect of difference in processor speed on performance is nearly negligible, though the occasional spike or lag with processor intensive apps is expected given. Even though the difference is minute, benchmarks like the WPbench(windows phone benchmark) gave the Titan a score of 96 in comparison to Lumia’s 86. The difference was mainly a result of the Lumia’s slow speed while shifting large data chunks between its memory. The Lumia also loses out on the webkit browser test, posting a score of 7200ms against Titan’s 6500ms.

The battery capacity is a decent 1450mAh, much less than the Titan’s 1750mAh. However, the display is smaller and more efficient, thus requiring lesser power which makes the battery perfectly adequate for getting through a day of use with ease. The phone lasts for two hours and 40 minutes when subjected to the WPbench battery test.

Display and Camera

Nokia has finally decided to use a Super AMOLED Plus in the Lumia 800. The AMOLED screen ensures that a certain level of contrast is maintained even if the brightness is increased, which results in deeper blacks and greater colour saturation. One disappointing aspect of the display was the use of PenTile Matrix, which results in a decidedly inferior experience as compared to the iPhone 4 and other flagship Android devices.

The phone is enabled with an 8MP camera with HD video up to 720p. The camera provides access to an array of options like ISO, metering mode, white balance saturation focus mode all at the click of a single ‘cog’ button.

The Verdict:

A good camera, sleek, unique and sophisticated design along with a smooth OS makes this phone a great buy. The design has to be seen to be believed! This phone definitely seems to have a bright future in the market, though whether it will help revive Nokia’s fortunes remains to be seen.