Nokia Corporation (NYSE:NOK) (BIT:NOK1V) (HEL:NOK1V)’s two low-cost Windows 8 smartphones were unveiled this week at the Mobile World Congress, and today we have more details about both of the new Nokia Lumias. The company’s CEO still hasn’t discounted rumors that the company may yet release a third phone, even less expensive than the Nokia Lumia 520, which will be priced around $181.
PC Pro reviewed the Nokia Lumia 520 and 720 in detail after checking them out at the convention this week. Reporter Jonathan Bray said the Nokia Lumia 520 certainly doesn’t seem like a low-cost phone. The phone has a thick rear panel which helps protect the phone and makes it feel very solid. It’s also quite small: 9.9 millimeters and a weight of just 124 grams.
The 520 has a 4-inch screen with a low resolution of 800 x 480, although the screen does work while the user is wearing gloves, just like on the higher-end Lumia handsets. The battery isn’t so great, and the phone lacks a flash.
Of course, all of Nokia Corporation (NYSE:NOK) (BIT:NOK1V) (HEL:NOK1V)’s apps are available on the 520, so the phone features many of the same services as the higher-end Lumia devices. The 520 also sports 8 gigs of internal flash memory and a microSD slot: in case you want to expand the device’s memory by up to 64 gigs.
The Nokia Lumia 720 is priced higher than the 520, and its features are pretty high-end compared to the device’s price point. It’s extremely light and slim, at only 9 millimeters and 128 grams in weight. That’s just slightly heavier than the iPhone 5, and it has a screen that’s much larger than that of the iPhone 5.
The screen is made of Gorilla Glass and features Nokia Corporation (NYSE:NOK) (BIT:NOK1V) (HEL:NOK1V)’s ClearBlack coating to reduce glare. The case is polycarbonate, so the phone feels more expensive than it is. Like the 520, there’s a microSD slot which enables the user to expand the device’s memory by up to 64 gigs.
The Nokia Lumia 720 still sports a dual-core processor rather than the brand new quad-core processes that are now available. Also, the device only supports 3G, and its PureView camera has been stripped down a bit. All in all, the 720 is still a very nice phone for its price.
