Customer Reviews

Nokia Lumia 520, 8Gb, Sim Free Windows Smartphone - Black

I've been using this device for a week. amazing smartphone!
here are all the pros:
- I love windows 8 os: smooth, brilliant, no lags at all, customizable. (I own an ipad 3 so i know what i'm talking about);
- app store: all the most important apps are there and run without problems. besides, lot of very usefull free apps. yes, it's true, there are not 700k apps like iphone but i found everything I need. maybe those people who play a lot on their smartphone will be a bit disappointed though.
- call quality: very clean sound
- screen: not a gorilla glass, but very good even under direct sun light (i compared it to a nexus 4 and my lumia won hands down)
- maps: u never get lost and very quick to find your location;
camera: 5mp (no flash nor front camera). good quality pics. maybe without the wow factor but, hey, u pay just over 100 quid for this!
- micro SD: up to 32gb;
- emails: way better than the iOS one: multi-selection available; u can also attach several pics just ticking them from your album instead of adding them one by one;
- size: 4" screen is the perfect size to me: handling it is very easy and u can reach every corner of the screen with 1 thumb;
- weight: just perfect!
- overall build quality: 9/10;

cons:
- battery: this is quite bad. as soon as u talk on skype or active gps, battery percentage drops! hope it gets better after a few charging cycles;
- heat: lumia 520 tends to get hot pretty easily when really under stress, especially during a long video skype call. during normal usage no problem at all though;

summary: for �120 you can't ask for anything else. at this price range there is no android which can compete. you've got everything you need: whatsapp, viber, fb, skype.. you name it, maps, build quality, responsive screen (very sensitive to your touch), and most of all.. amazing OS!!!

Definitely recommend it!! especially if you want to spare some money for your holiday or anything else (iPhone 5 16gb: �520 Vs lumia 520 �120).

Update about the battery: the battery is getting better day by day. with a 100% recharge in the morning, with a normal usage (emails, fb, whatsapp, calls, internet surfing)I can easily get until evening. now the lumia 520 should deserve 4.5 stars!

I bought one of these for my girlfriend as a present, but spent a few days using the phone because I actually like it quite a lot.
Being honest I'm not crazy about Windows 8, in fact for a desktop OS or non touch device it does nothing for me at all so I stick to Windows 7

I picked up the yellow back one on at a shop and the salesman tried to convince me not to buy a Windows 8 phone, and that I was better off with Android.
I've used quite a lot of Win 8 devices (including the surface tablets) and I've used Android quite a bit too.

Bottom line for me...I wanted a reasonable cost phone with no contract and which offered her the ability to do multiple tasks on the phone (ie facebook, check email, do some browsing, connect to the home wifi internet etc)
I did try the Sony Xperia E handset in the shop (around the same price) but the phone felt quite slow and laggy, and the screen was nowhere near the Lumia 520's quality, smaller and lower resolution.

This phone has surprised and surpassed my expectations for what you get, quite a lot at a very decent/modest price.

I'll list my good and bad points now.

Pros:
+ Stunning value. I couldn't find anything else on the market at this price from a "respectable maker" that compete with the Lumia 520 overall
+ Build is good, I have no complaints on this front
+ I find the screen very decent for a budget 4" smartphone, resolution isn't as good as some top end phones (obviously) but very clear and clean around 233 pixels per inch , good contrast and sharp. A sensor adjusts for low/bright light too
+ Call quality is excellent, and the built in speaker is surprisingly loud no problems with using the phone as a speakerphone or listening to music
+ Windows 8 actually works really well for a touch phone, the tiles can be customised in size and location, it is intuitive and responsive
+ Dual processors feel quite speedy and fast with no issues on video playback (smooth with no dropped frames)
+ Apps: There are not as many "apps" for Win 8 on the phone, but there are a lot more than they used to have. I would say most people will find what they want here all the usual ones covered (facebook, quite a lot of games, weather, email, Netflix, Skype etc) This has improved quite a lot over the months. Not up to ISO or Android, but probably enough for most..and getting better
+ Screen is responsive, and the touch works well (even with gloves as advertised! yes it works not just hype!)
+ Built in maps/Here Drive app from Nokia, and you can download areas if you wish, excellent for offline navigation and GPS tracking
+ It has a shutter button, which is useful for quick access to the camera (surprisingly many don't have this)
+ 3.5mm headphone jack as standard, good audio quality (through my pair of Yamaha HPH-200's)

Cons:
- Hard to comment on the battery as you use a new phone a lot, so far I think it's par for the course you are looking at 2-3 days at most with moderate use. I do know smart phone users who charge every day with heavy use. It seems acceptable and ok for a phone like this. Just don't expect 2 weeks as you get with the cheap, but huge battery life Samsung's (I have one myself) Battery life takes quite a hit with video playback (take note)
- The camera is "ok" but nothing special, certainly not up to the higher end phones it's a 5mp camera, but details are only ok and you might need to adjust some settings. Don't expect big print quality from this, but you'll pull a few smaller prints ok with the camera, or as I suspect many will use it for facebook or web postings. Video is 720p @30fps again not bad at all, but quite a bit of processing here I think acceptable for the price. Lens speed isn't that fast so for low light even at ISO 800 isn't enough and no flash built in either.
- No front facing camera, a shame as you can install Skype (even a basic one would be useful)

Note: This takes a micro sim card not a standard one!

Out of the 8Gb on-board you will have around 5Gb left after installing a few apps and updates. There is a micro SD slot which takes up to 64Gb, I would say a 16Gb should be enough for most if you put some music on the phone and videos.
Everyone in the house was keen to play with the phone, we all liked it very much, it was responsive and fast, and fun to use.
I installed some games and my Son was busy playing away on the phone, I tried a few and the Nokia coped well with driving and action games. Much better than I expected. Streaming Netflix was smooth and enjoyable, the wifi had no problems connecting in the house though I'm not sure the speeds are as fast as they might be off a laptop or other device.

I was sceptical at first, a phone this cheap surely has some corners cut. The only reservations I have are users who demand a better quality camera in that case you might want to look at a higher end model (it's perfectly ok for general use though) Or the lack of front facing camera for skype (a shame but at this price I can live without it)

For the modest outlay I'm impressed and quite stunned, a fantastic scree a responsive and intuitive interface and design.
I would encourage users to put aside any of their Windows 8 reservations (it works very well on this device) Nokia might be seen as a has been player, but they've outdone themselves on the Lumia 520.

But here both Microsoft and Nokia have managed to pull it off, a very good phone, slick OS, and amazing value for money.
A smart-phone is more than just a phone, you have a pocket computer that can make calls too. This is basically unbeatable at this price point, with only some budget Android lower grade makers competing in this segment. I looked at those offerings and took a chance on this, it's paid off as she's very happy with the phone.

The problem is now my Son wants one, and well I have to admit I'm actually so impressed I'll probably buy one myself, and everyone who's used the phone loves it. It's no iphone but it does 95% of what most people want at a fraction of the price (it's far from shabby with a good screen, processor and fast). I personally would not tie myself into a contract or pay the super high price premium for an Apple phone (used a few they are excellent but just too expensive- not to mention scary if you break one!)

A real hit for Nokia, the bang per buck you've just found the smart phone you've been looking for at the right price.

Update Feb 2014:
Been using the phone (on and off it's a gift!) for a few months now and have to say I'm still very pleased with the purchase. Nokia are updating their software fairly frequently, the apps store is growing too. Battery life, is as expected greatly dependend on use (ie playing games or connecting to wifi/streaming) on average it's getting a charge every other day. This seems about in line with other smart phones I've used, heavy users might need a daily charge. There might be some room for a higher capacity battery with future models. Even so she's very pleased with the phone, and I'm happy to recommend it at this price point.

I wanted to hate this product. I really did.

I hate Microstoft with a passion, and hate Nokia ever since I spent �600 on an N97 in 2008.

However, my iPhone 4s screen broke for the past 2 years, and I bought this phone to last a week while my screen was being replaced.

I was expecting to tolerate this crap phone, and have to comprimise on buying a bottom of the barrel phone. Imagine my surprsie then, despite the learning curve, within a day I actually started preferring it to iphone! It just felt more....natural... Like moving from motoralla or old nokia to iphone.

This �100 phone is to Apple, what a �1000 iPhone was to Nokia in 2007.

I had iphone 4 before that, an iPad, and a Mac enjoying the benefits of facetime, I thought I was an APple convert.

Im a techhie so it was easy to setup multiple inboxes, configure my start screen, sync all my google contacts within minutes. It can take a few days to get used to (tips back moves back, even between apps. Hold down back to switch apps, hold down an app to bring up a menu, move it around pin to taskbar etc, hold down the windows button for voice recognition).

Within minutes I downloaded gmaps (google maps), Spotify, Skype, viber, amazon, ebay, trainline, whats app etc. A couple of ommissions included citymapper, but that will come in time. It also doesnt have a front camera, as I can tell. But its lighter than an iphone 4 and faster than an iphone 5.

For an early implementation, this is incredible.

-Apple were the underdog in 2007. Today, thats Nokia.
-Apple had a limited market share and platform in 2007 Today, thats Nokia.
-In 2007 APples phones cost 3x the most expensive Nokias.

2 major advantages over iOS.
1. Office document editing
2. Free global maps, every state and country in the world,
3. In my personal opinion voice and data call qauality is miles ahead of the iphone 4s or 5s, but thats subjective.

Now, in the UK this phone costs �100, compared with �570 for an iPhone. Thats almost 6 times the price.

Putting a 64gb microsd card (�25) results in 68GB, more than a �750 iPhone.

For a phone that costs 1/5th the price to beat an iphone is pretty insane. Well done Nokia!

First Smart phone I have had and so far am very pleased with it. Very easy to use and no problems so far.

brilliant phone thought yes il just put my sim card in, its a MICRO SIM guys so you cant just swap your sim over make sure you purchace a micro sim card to go with it

If you aren't too heavily invested in Android or iOS and are looking for a new smartphone on a budget then I would HIGHLY recommend the Nokia Lumia 520.

I tried the HTC Desire C which is �5 cheaper on amazon and seriously it is like the worst phone ever. It was soooooooooo slow I had to give it back. I thought about getting a Samsung Ace 2 because it has a faster processor but instead got the Nokia LUmia 520 and glad that i did.

For the price you will be hard pressed to get a better phone. It is fast, reasonably intuitive and very slick. The main interface is pretty easy to adjust and with some fiddling and playing you will quickly pick up how the Windows OS works.

The camera is alright at this price. Most of the key apps that I was used to on Android are available here - Whatsapp, Evernote, and obviously FB and so on.

I really like this phone and seriously at this price you wont find a faster, slicker smartphone. highly recommended.

Hope that helps.

Hey guys,

First and foremost? This phone is -perfect- for an entry level smartphone. People that are on a budget or those that just want a simple platform with WiFi that'll integrate with your home should look here first. The Lumia 520 is one of the absolute best phones I've owned, coming from someone that loves minimalism. The Windows Phone 8 experience is flawless - menus are smooth, responsive, and accurate. The same can be said for the touch phone experience. Accurate to the point.

The Windows Phone marketplace is quickly flooding with new applications that will end up being cross-platform between Windows 8.1 on your desktop, and Windows 8 Phone if you're looking for integration. Everything is done OTA (Over The Air), and you never have to plug in your phone to a computer if you don't need to sync data. Even then, there's Microsoft's Skydrive.

Now, the single negative. The battery cradle doesn't hold the battery firmly. Knocks, or even nudges can be enough to dislodge the battery from the pins, and shut off the phone. You can fix this issue in one of two ways.

1. The way I preferred - Slot some paper in the bottom of the cradle , then slide the battery in afterwards. This should lock the battery in snugly, then you simply just pull up the paper tab to remove the battery if required. Since then, I haven't had issues with the phone shutting off.

2. Bend the battery pins slightly. Highly discouraged, since this may void your warranty, and I'm not responsible for any damage caused to your phone. See #1 for the safer option.

It loses two stars for the battery issue, because let's be honest - it's a physical issue with the phone that should've been corrected in Q&A;, but not everything gets through.

Hope this helps.

As the titles says, there is absolutely nothing, and I say NOTHING, that beats the price/quality ratio of this phone.
The screen is absolutely brilliant, the phone is fast and responsive.

I was scared of the OS at the beginning but I quickly adopted it. After a lot of customization I just love it and I feel like it's really my phone.
The camera is amazing, only problem is the lack of flash to be able to take pics at night or in dark places.

Free integrated maps and GPS. I use it inside a waterproof mount on my motorcycle to travel!! This thing will never stop impressing me!

I bought this assuming it would work ok with my Windows 8.1 Laptop.
I was not disappointed - using it's Hotspot feature I can easily use my laptop for emails and minor internet access when away from home. Brilliant, well pleased.

This phone is basically a Microsoft device masquerading as a Nokia phone. Having read the majority of the reviews here, plus others online, I would agree with many of them. This device is basically good value for the money, and a fine introduction into Windows 8 smart phones. I have owned mine for just over a month now, and generally I am pleased with it. Battery life is not fantastic, but overall not bad, charging every three days with moderate usage. Maybe I am lucky though, as other persons seem to get less time. The screen is clear and the device has sufficient apps for me. I bought mine in black, but now replacement covers are available in the other colours, so I might treat myself and purchase a couple more in different shades. The device appears quite strong, without creaks or groans. However in my opinion a wi fi connection is essential, as there appear to be regular updates and all of which cost a horrendous amount if using the normal Internet connection. Since upgrading the phone I have noticed a few benefits in the camera and clarity of the screen. The cons, why no zoom on the camera? In addition, on my previous Nokia Asha phone it was possible to access the memory card without removing the back of the phone and the battery. Not so on this device! Why not? In our home we have three computers, Windows XP, Vista, and Windows 7. This device was not recognised by any of them, so it was necessary to remove the memory card when downloading music, photos, etc. In addition, do purchase a 32Gb or 64Gb memory card, as the 8Gb card I bought with mine was very soon full! I appreciate it is built to a price, but surely these two additions of camera and card removal could have been installed without raising the price too much! I understand that further upgrades are planned by Microsoft, so I will see what comes along in due course. I will update this review in a few months time.