The Nokia Lumia 620 is one of the few budget smartphones running Windows Phone 8. It is perfect for those who want to get to know this OS personally, although it is not without drawbacks caused by a rather low cost - approximately 7 thousand rubles The model was released in 2013.
Appearance
"Nokia Lumiya 620" received a bright and concise design, typical for many "Lumiya". The back covers come in 6 colors: white, yellow, hot pink, green, blue and black. All of them are not only very bright and saturated, but also easily removed. So you can buy caps in different colors and change them according to your mood.
But at the same time, Nokia 620 looks not only bright, but also a little bulky, which reduces the cost of appearance. Measuring 11.5 x 6.1 x 1.1 cm and weighing 113 g, the smartphone looks small and chubby.
The screen is quite small, 3.8-inch, with a resolution of 480 x 800. Of course, this is not the largest and brightest display, but for a budget model it is enough.
Above the screen is a speaker, to the left of it is the front camera, to the right- manufacturer's logo. At the top there is a headphone jack and a microphone, at the bottom there is a microphone and a MicroUSB connector, which is responsible for connecting the smartphone to a computer and charging the battery.
The back side, in addition to the bright acid color, boasts a camera with flash, the Nokia logo and a speaker.
The left end remained completely smooth, but all the necessary physical buttons are located on the right: volume, power / unlock and camera. The first 2 are very convenient to press with one hand, and the last, on the contrary, does not touch. But on the other hand, when switching to the shooting mode and the horizontal orientation of the smartphone, the camera button is just under the index finger.
The MicroSIM slot is located under the battery, and you don't have to turn off the power to change the MicroSD card: the slot is located just under the back cover.
"Stuffing" smartphone "Nokia 620"
The characteristics of the model correspond to its price category and even slightly surpass it. The Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 dual-core processor runs at 1GHz and the smartphone has 512GB of RAM. This is enough for stable and fast operation of Windows 8.
The internal memory of the smartphone is 8 GB. But we should not forget that about half of it is occupied by system files. So using MicroSD cards up to 64 GB is a necessary step for comfortable work.
Of course, the model supports Bluetooth 3.0, Wi-Fi, NFC, GPS, and 3G.
Interface andcustomized settings
"Nokia 620" is literally created for Windows 8, so the operation of the operating system will pleasantly surprise you.
When turned on or after unlocking the smartphone, the user is greeted by a screen with time, date, battery level and signal. All this - against the backdrop of wallpaper that you can change yourself. After scrolling up, the start screen will appear. Applications on it are presented in the form of tiles, the size of which can be changed (3 options). You can arrange them in a convenient order, while they optimally add up to the overall picture, regardless of the size of each individual icon. Some applications have "live" icons, for example, the photo gallery icon constantly shows different frames from there.
The color of the tiles mainly depends on the theme used and changes massively when it is changed. But the settings for the background itself for the tiles are small: you can only choose a brighter or darker option, you won’t be able to set the picture in its place.
Interestingly, all applications are arranged in a list that goes down, and not to the sides, as is customary for iOS or Android. Whether this is good or bad is a matter of taste, but it is definitely non-standard.
In addition to the standard settings, such as themes, connections, signals, and others, there is an interesting option "Children's Corner". It allows you to restrict access to the contents of the smartphone, i.e. a new user will be able to open only those applications, media files and games that have been included in the list of exceptions. In addition, the mode does not allowPay for purchases in games and the Windows Store.
Apps are quick and easy to install, either directly from your smartphone or as downloaded files received when connected to a computer. Therefore, setting up the Nokia 620 takes a minimum of time.
Photos & Videos
In this regard, the Nokia 620 phone is not much different from its competitors. Two cameras - the main 5 MP and the front 0.3 MP - allow you to take clear and beautiful shots on the go and video chat.
The photography app has a lot of settings for photography: exposure, white balance, ISO, autofocus. There is a flash, as well as several shooting scenarios, such as "Night" or "Macro". There is an option to scan QR codes.
The quality of the photos is satisfactory, of course, it is inferior to a digital camera, but for a budget smartphone it is quite decent.
There are much fewer video settings: white balance, quality level (maximum - 720 pixels for the main camera and 480 pixels for the front camera), focus on / off. No shooting modes.
Nokia 620 battery
The hero of our review has very good characteristics, despite the modest price, but still there was a place for a fly in the ointment. It was the smartphone battery. 1300 mAh is its nominal capacity, which in itself does not sound impressive. The manufacturer promises 14 hours 40 minutes of talk time, 331 hours of standby time or 61 hours of music listening.
In general, if you make a few calls a day and a littlelistening to music, the battery will be enough for a day, or even more. But if you actively use the Internet, play games, watch movies or do any other tasks related to the constant operation of the screen, then in the middle of the day the smartphone may run out of power.
But you can significantly delay this moment by reducing the brightness of the screen or turning on the power saving mode.
Customer opinions
What do users themselves say about Nokia Lumiya 620? Reviews about the smartphone are most often positive.
First of all, the build quality is commendable: a strong case and good glass made it possible to survive more than one fall of the device from its owners (but we do not recommend purposefully checking their durability).
The operating system, although different from the more popular Android and iOS, is not at all for the worse. Its design is clear, comfortable, aesthetic and highly customizable.
The operation of the software is perfectly coordinated with the technical capabilities of the smartphone, which ensures stable operation without freezing. In the rare case that they occur, it is easy to bring the smartphone back to life by pressing the unlock button. When turned on, the system reboots, leaving the previously launched applications open.
Simultaneous execution of several tasks is also not a problem for Nokia 620. For example, the Internet, maps, listening to music and WhatsApp do not slow it down at all.
The quality of the pictures is more than satisfied with buyers, the same goes forvideo.
Convenient free maps that can be downloaded in parts to use even when the smartphone is offline, many customers liked and came in handy.
Many reviews agree that this purchase exceeded expectations.
Main flaw
The most controversial issue - battery life - also surprisingly does not cause resentment of buyers.
The smartphone is so precisely designed that even such a small battery is enough for a full day of work. Of course, constantly playing videos or using 3G quickly drains the battery, but it's not every day that you watch movies for hours on the go, and 3G has a similar effect on all models so far.
The disadvantages of smartphones running Windows 8 often include a limited number of applications. But today, this item confuses users less and less. First, their number is growing rapidly. Secondly, they are of better quality and debugged than many analogues on Android. And thirdly, they completely close the main tasks, and it’s up to you to decide whether the applications of each store or site where you once were, which malfunction or cause the smartphone to freeze, are so necessary. The Microsoft team prioritizes quality over quantity of their software.
Summing up
"Nokia 620" - to some extent, the opening of the smartphone market. But not in terms of brilliant performance or huge displays. This is a model that clearly demonstrates thata budget smartphone does not have to be boring, ill-conceived design, with freezes, poor quality materials and an even worse camera. On the contrary, it has become a model of accessibility and quality. The only significant gripe is the battery, but whether it will cause inconvenience to the user depends solely on the goals that he sets when using a smartphone. If you are determined to watch videos and play games often and for a long time, then another model with a larger screen, battery and fast processor is better for you. If you need a beautiful and productive "workhorse" - "Nokia 620" is perfect for her role.
