Fans of Microsoft’s Windows Phone mobile platform can be forgiven for feeling left out with the glut of new smartphone releases every fall. New iPhones, BlackBerries and Android phones are commonplace, but Windows? A little tougher to come by. However, Microsoft announced a new “affordable flagship” Lumia smartphone at IFA 2014 in September and the Nokia Lumia 830 is now finding its way into Canada. It sports the familiar colourful polycarbonate shell and a big 5-inch display at an affordable price point.
Nokia or Microsoft?
Yes, Microsoft bought Nokia’s smartphone business earlier this year, but the Lumia 830 still bears the Nokia name. Microsoft has begun to rebrand its Lumia smartphones —the Lumia 535 is the first to be released without the Nokia logo— but the 830 didn’t quite make the cut.
So consider the Lumia 830 as a Microsoft smartphone that still strongly shows its Nokia heritage. As one of the last such devices, perhaps it will be a collector’s item some day.
Upscale Without the Inflated Price
The Lumia 830 is firmly targeting people who want the look and feel of a big, flagship smartphone without paying the premium such devices command.
It has a big, 5-inch display and a metal band wraps around the trademark colourful polycarbonate shell. This smartphone looks the part.
In order to keep prices down, some compromises were made. Notably, the display has a resolution of 1280 x 720 pixels, the Snapdragon quad-core CPU is an older 400 series at 1.2GHz and the camera —always a strong suit for Lumia phones— is a 10 MP version.
None of these is a deal-killer. The display still manages a respectable 296 ppi, the CPU is more than snappy enough to run Windows Phone 8.1 and the camera’s PureView sensor, LED flash and optical image stabilization should still combine for high quality photos.
Nokia Lumia 830 Key Specs
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Lots of Premium Touches, Few Tradeoffs
The Nokia Lumia 830 is not aimed at someone who wants a powerhouse smartphone, with a Full HD or better display and a CPU that will chew through intensive tasks like editing video or playing hardcore games loaded with graphics effects.
However, it does offer the look and feel of a flagship smartphone, has the ability to run Windows 8.1 smoothly and offers enough horsepower to tackle the everyday tasks most people use their smartphone for. Its camera may not be the 41MP monster on the Lumia 1020, but it should cover the needs of most users quite nicely. And unlike many much more expensive smartphones, the Lumia 830 offers some nice options like Q1 wireless charging support, a user-swappable battery and the ability to upgrade storage on the cheap using microSD cards.
Looking for a flagship smartphone without paying the flagship premium? The Nokia Lumia 830 is worth checking out.
