Nokia's Lumia series has been setting a pretty high standard for
smartphones recently. The 520 is cheapest of the bunch, but it
still manages to pack in a lot for a budget smartphone, in part
thanks to the Windows Phone 8 operating system.
While those pricier Lumias are often available in different colours, the 520's removable back cover means you can change the colour with your mood for a lot less than it costs to change your phone -- you can choose between black, white, red, blue and yellow. And with the ability to change the colour scheme of the Windows Phone 8 operating system, you can switch that to match or clash with your cover too.
The four-inch screen is a little smaller than the one on the 720 but it offers the same resolution -- 800x480 pixels, which since it's a smaller screen actually offers a slightly higher resolution of 235 pixels per inch (the 720's 4.3-inch screen offers 217 ppi). You won't notice too much of a difference, but it's nice to know, and even if the screen isn't up there with the best, it's still gloriously bright, sharp and vibrant with rich colours and deep blacks -- certainly better than it has a right to be at this price. Also like those more expensive Lumias you can adjust the sensitivity of the touchscreen, so you can work it with a fingernail or while you're wearing gloves.
Features and performance
One of the standout points of the 520 is that it comes with the same dual-core 1GHz processor backed by 512MB as you'll find on both the more expensive 620 and 720 models. Admittedly, it doesn't have the same sort of oomph as the big quad-core powerhouses, but operation is smooth, with only a hint of delay when opening apps. Web pages display quickly without jerkiness and HD games like Asphalt 7 Heat work perfectly well too. It delivered an Antutu performance benchmark rating of 6,595, which puts it slightly behind some other dual-core Windows devices like the Lumia 720 and the HTC Windows 8S.
Windows Phone 8 is bedding in nicely as an operating system, and once you get used to its tile-based interface it's very easy to find your way around and to customise. You can now adjust the size of the tiles and some are dynamic, so the Weather tile will give you the basics without having to press it, and People shows a constantly shifting mosaic of your contacts' profile pictures. They're not as detailed as some of the Android widgets but then they show a lot more than Apple's icons -- it's a neat compromise between the two.
Apps and software
The Windows Marketplace is improving, even though it lags well behind its rivals in terms of sheer numbers. Still, you'll find many favourites there including Spotify, Netflix and Skype. However, downloading apps may not always be as easy as it is with more expensive handsets -- the Wi-Fi aerial is noticeably less powerful than the one on the Lumia 720 for instance.
Nokia has added much of its usual fleet of extras as standard, including HERE Maps with its range of views including standard, satellite, public transport and traffic maps. You can download maps for free and use them with HERE Drive turn-by-turn satnav, even when you don't have a Wi-Fi or network connection -- only for UK and Ireland though, you'll need to splash for a higher-up Lumia to get the international maps for free. There's no sign of the nifty City Lens app which shows local businesses and points of interest displayed on your camera's viewfinder -- you'll need the 620 or higher for that. Nokia Music is all here though, with free downloadable playlists of ad-free popular tunes (up to 14 hours) and the Microsoft Office suite lets you create and edit Word and Excel documents.
Camera quality
The five-megapixel camera is the same as the one on the 620, if a notch or two below the 6.7 megapixel number on the 720. It has autofocus, an LED flash and a large F2.4 aperture to let in more light but it does without the Carl Zeiss Tessar lens that appears on more expensive Lumias from the 720 up. You can however add any of the Lenses that Nokia makes available to beef-up its camera offering. These are downloadable pieces of software that add extra functionality such as Panorama for wide-view shots, Cinemagraph, which allows you to add moving elements to still pictures, and Bing Vision, which lets you scan barcodes and QR codes as well as books, CDs and DVDs.
Picture quality's pretty good considering the spec, and it's perfectly good enough for quick snaps when you're out and about. The video camera drops the resolution to 640x480 pixels but there's no front-facing camera, which could be a deal-breaker if you like to make video calls -- if that's what you're into you'll need to step up to the 620 or beyond.
There's 8GB of memory on board as standard, but you can add up to 64GB via microSD card if you feel the need.
The battery's not as powerful as the fixed models on the more expensive models and it won't provide the same length of performance. Still, you'll get at least a day's normal use out of it, which puts it on a par with plenty of more expensive handsets.
Conclusion
It has a fine screen, a fast processor and like other Lumias it's built to last. If you want to try Windows, but don't want to risk too much cash, the 520 will give you the flavour without the expense and deliver just as good a performance as some of its more expensive cousins. In fact, if you're not too fussed about the camera (which still isn't bad) or Skype video calls it's better value for money than either the 620 or the 720.
It's on sale now for around £100.
Design
The 520 looks similar to other Lumias with its gently curving sides and flat face covered entirely by a single sheet of scratch-resistant glass (not Corning Gorilla Glass on this budget model though). Unlike pricier Lumias like the 720 the polycarbonate cover isn't fixed and you can pull it off to change the battery and access microSIM and microSD memory cards.
The 520 looks similar to other Lumias with its gently curving sides and flat face covered entirely by a single sheet of scratch-resistant glass (not Corning Gorilla Glass on this budget model though). Unlike pricier Lumias like the 720 the polycarbonate cover isn't fixed and you can pull it off to change the battery and access microSIM and microSD memory cards.
While those pricier Lumias are often available in different colours, the 520's removable back cover means you can change the colour with your mood for a lot less than it costs to change your phone -- you can choose between black, white, red, blue and yellow. And with the ability to change the colour scheme of the Windows Phone 8 operating system, you can switch that to match or clash with your cover too.
The four-inch screen is a little smaller than the one on the 720 but it offers the same resolution -- 800x480 pixels, which since it's a smaller screen actually offers a slightly higher resolution of 235 pixels per inch (the 720's 4.3-inch screen offers 217 ppi). You won't notice too much of a difference, but it's nice to know, and even if the screen isn't up there with the best, it's still gloriously bright, sharp and vibrant with rich colours and deep blacks -- certainly better than it has a right to be at this price. Also like those more expensive Lumias you can adjust the sensitivity of the touchscreen, so you can work it with a fingernail or while you're wearing gloves.
Features and performance
One of the standout points of the 520 is that it comes with the same dual-core 1GHz processor backed by 512MB as you'll find on both the more expensive 620 and 720 models. Admittedly, it doesn't have the same sort of oomph as the big quad-core powerhouses, but operation is smooth, with only a hint of delay when opening apps. Web pages display quickly without jerkiness and HD games like Asphalt 7 Heat work perfectly well too. It delivered an Antutu performance benchmark rating of 6,595, which puts it slightly behind some other dual-core Windows devices like the Lumia 720 and the HTC Windows 8S.
Windows Phone 8 is bedding in nicely as an operating system, and once you get used to its tile-based interface it's very easy to find your way around and to customise. You can now adjust the size of the tiles and some are dynamic, so the Weather tile will give you the basics without having to press it, and People shows a constantly shifting mosaic of your contacts' profile pictures. They're not as detailed as some of the Android widgets but then they show a lot more than Apple's icons -- it's a neat compromise between the two.
Apps and software
The Windows Marketplace is improving, even though it lags well behind its rivals in terms of sheer numbers. Still, you'll find many favourites there including Spotify, Netflix and Skype. However, downloading apps may not always be as easy as it is with more expensive handsets -- the Wi-Fi aerial is noticeably less powerful than the one on the Lumia 720 for instance.
Nokia has added much of its usual fleet of extras as standard, including HERE Maps with its range of views including standard, satellite, public transport and traffic maps. You can download maps for free and use them with HERE Drive turn-by-turn satnav, even when you don't have a Wi-Fi or network connection -- only for UK and Ireland though, you'll need to splash for a higher-up Lumia to get the international maps for free. There's no sign of the nifty City Lens app which shows local businesses and points of interest displayed on your camera's viewfinder -- you'll need the 620 or higher for that. Nokia Music is all here though, with free downloadable playlists of ad-free popular tunes (up to 14 hours) and the Microsoft Office suite lets you create and edit Word and Excel documents.
Camera quality
The five-megapixel camera is the same as the one on the 620, if a notch or two below the 6.7 megapixel number on the 720. It has autofocus, an LED flash and a large F2.4 aperture to let in more light but it does without the Carl Zeiss Tessar lens that appears on more expensive Lumias from the 720 up. You can however add any of the Lenses that Nokia makes available to beef-up its camera offering. These are downloadable pieces of software that add extra functionality such as Panorama for wide-view shots, Cinemagraph, which allows you to add moving elements to still pictures, and Bing Vision, which lets you scan barcodes and QR codes as well as books, CDs and DVDs.
Picture quality's pretty good considering the spec, and it's perfectly good enough for quick snaps when you're out and about. The video camera drops the resolution to 640x480 pixels but there's no front-facing camera, which could be a deal-breaker if you like to make video calls -- if that's what you're into you'll need to step up to the 620 or beyond.
There's 8GB of memory on board as standard, but you can add up to 64GB via microSD card if you feel the need.
The battery's not as powerful as the fixed models on the more expensive models and it won't provide the same length of performance. Still, you'll get at least a day's normal use out of it, which puts it on a par with plenty of more expensive handsets.
Conclusion
It has a fine screen, a fast processor and like other Lumias it's built to last. If you want to try Windows, but don't want to risk too much cash, the 520 will give you the flavour without the expense and deliver just as good a performance as some of its more expensive cousins. In fact, if you're not too fussed about the camera (which still isn't bad) or Skype video calls it's better value for money than either the 620 or the 720.
