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Nokia’s Lumia range of Windows Phones has seen a host of new additions over the past year, with different models now catering for a host of different needs — and, crucially, budgets.
With so many options available though, it might be difficult to figure out exactly which of the colourful chaps is for you. To help you out, and to highlight some really great bargains, I’ve put together this quick guide on all the Lumias you can snag here in good old Blighty.
Nokia Lumia 520
The Lumia 520 sits at the bottom of the range and so comes with the cheapest price tag — a mere £90 on pay as you go. This cheap and cheerful phone sports a 4-inch 480×800-pixel display that’s one of the best you’ll find for this price.
It doesn’t have the flashy 4G or super-charged chips of the top models, but it handles the basics well. If you’re after an easy-to-use phone for a cheap price, the 520 is a solid option.
Nokia Lumia 620
With its vivid screen, colourful, interchangeable cases, front and back cameras and host of included Nokia apps, the Lumia 620 is a brilliant all-round budget phone. It improves on the 520 with a front-facing camera for video calling and a compass — meaning you can make use of the fun augmented reality Nokia City Lens app — both of which are well worth the extra £25 over the 520.
You can pick the 620 up from £115 on pay as you go from Phones 4U.
Nokia Lumia 625
The 625 shares most of the same specs as the 620 but has a screen stretched out to a much larger 4.7 inches. On one hand, this gives you loads more room for watching videos or playing games. The downside however is that the screen’s clarity is lower than the 620 and it’s marginally more cumbersome to use.
If you’re a serial YouTube addict then the big screened 625 could be right up your street. It’s available for £140 on pay as you go.
Nokia Lumia 720
The Nokia Lumia 720 is a slim and attractive phone with a good 4.3-inch display. It’s a solid mid-range mobile, but it’s no longer readily available from the networks. You can however pick it up from Amazon for £200. If you’re after a sleek all-round Windows Phone and don’t want to empty your bank, the 720 is a good choice.
Keep in mind though that Mobile World Congress is just around the corner and I expect Nokia will have a couple of new additions to its range — the 720 and 820 are a bit long in the tooth now. Unless you’re desperate for a new phone, I’d suggest waiting to see what new kit arrives in February.
Nokia Lumia 820
Like the 720, the Lumia 820 isn’t widely offered by the networks as it’s behind the times now. If you shop around, you can pick this 4.3-inch, dual-core phone up SIM-free for roughly the same sort of money as the 720, but with new models likely to be appearing at MWC, I’d again recommend holding onto your money.
Nokia Lumia 920
The 920 sat for a while at the top of Nokia’s Lumia range, with a sky-high price to match. It’s now a much more affordable £300 on pay as you go or £270 SIM-free on Amazon. For that money you get a deliciously bold 4.5-inch display, a nippy dual-core processor and a camera that gives some of the best low-light results I’ve seen.
The Lumia 1020 is the daddy of the Lumias when it comes to imaging, but if your budget doesn’t quite stretch that far, the Lumia 920 is still a great option.
Nokia Lumia 925
The 925 stands out from the rest of the Lumias thanks to its use of metal edging and black and white colours. It looks like a much more sensible, business-focussed phone, which will immediately appeal to those of you wanting a Lumia for work use. It’s very attractive and has the same great display and high-performing camera as the Lumia 920, adding 4G connectivity for super-fast data speeds.
For some reason, it’s not widely available from the networks, but you can pick it up SIM-free from Amazon for £333.
Nokia Lumia 1020
The Lumia 1020 focuses on imaging. It stole headlines with its ludicrous 41-megapixel sensor that allows you to digitally zoom in on subjects without losing quality. It’s physically similar to the 920 — excluding the camera lump on the back — and internally, shares many specs.
I took the phone all over Italy and was extremely impressed at the camera’s skills and the ability to take manual control over settings. If you often find yourself taking your phone and a dedicated camera out and about, the Lumia 1020 is a brilliant way to combine the two and save on pocket space. It’s widely available for free on contracts starting at around £37.
Nokia Lumia 1320
The 1320 is one of two phones launched late last year sporting the brand new update to Windows Phone that allows for three columns of tiles to be displayed on the homescreen. To take advantage of this update, the 1320 has a huge 6-inch display with a 720p resolution. It sits next to the same-sized top end 1520, but has pared down internal specs to come with a more affordable price.
It’s not on sale here in the UK yet, so we’re still waiting for official prices. If you like the idea of a phone that’s big enough to really show off your movies on the go, it’s worth waiting to see how much the 1320 will set you back.
Nokia Lumia 1520
The 1520 is the undisputed daddy of the Lumia range. Not only is it enormous at 6 inches, it also packs a Full HD display and a searingly powerful quad-core processor — two things that were not previously supported on Windows Phone. On its back is a 20-megapixel camera that gave impressive results in my tests and it of course has 4G connectivity.
It’s an impressive flagship phone, but its sheer size means it won’t be to everyone’s tastes. Like the cheaper 1320, the 1520 will suit movie addicts, but the extra screen resolution and processing power on the top model makes it particularly suited to playing back high definition content and gaming. It’s available for free on contracts starting at £38.
