The Nokia Lumia 830
A lot of Android and iOS fans greeted Microsoft’s new Nokia Lumia 830 with taunts and jeers. Among the criticisms hurled at the device included it being “too simple”, “not really affordable”, and the infamous “app ecosystem still sucks”. However if you take a very close look at all the details and the philosophy of the Nokia Lumia 830 you will actually see brilliant.
Simple is Good
If you take a look at the specifications of the Lumia 830 you’ll find that it has all the essentials you need in a flagship smartphone. It has all the connectivity options including LTE and NFC and it has the right kind of processor and graphics combination that will let you enjoy a flawlessly smooth Windows Phone experience (unlike Android Windows Phones don’t need octa-core processors to run well).
Nokia Lumia 830 Spec Sheet
- 1.2GHz quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 400 processor
- Adreno 305 GPU
- 1GB of RAM
- 5-inch, IPS ClearBlack display with Corning Gorilla Glass 3 protection, 720 x 1280 resolution
- 16GB of storage, expandable via microSD up to 128GB
- 10-megapixel rear camera with PureView technology, Carl Zeiss optics, OIS, AF and LED flash
- 0.9-megapixel front camera
- WiFi, Bluetooth, GPS, A-GPS, GLONASS, NFC
- 3G, LTE
- Microsoft Phone 8.1 with Lumia Denim update
- 2200mAh battery
The screen is also just right at 5.0-inches and those who’ve used Lumia devices before can attest to the awesome quality the IPS ClearBlack display delivers.
A good bonus here is the 10.0-megapixel shooter that’s on the back of the Lumia 830. If there’s anything that Nokia has proven in the past it’s that they know how to make the best smartphone cameras.
So yes it doesn’t have a fingerprint scanner, heart rate monitor, or some fancy useless feature that’s for marketing than actual use. Instead we get a phone that’s well-built, durable, and simply gorgeous. We get a variety of accessories that are useful as they are beautiful.
As for the price, some people feel that the 330 EUR (around Php 18,718) price tag is too steep. I beg to disagree. One of the smartphones that I’ve used the longest in my entire career here on Unbox was actually the Nokia Lumia 920 which I bought without any discounts. It served me for well over a year, something that a lot of close friends would consider a miracle given by capricious relationship with gadgets. At Php18,000 that’s still 40% less than what the Android and iOS flagships are being sold for. At a much lower price you get a high quality, full-featured, and premium camera totting smartphone with an outstanding design philosophy.
Personally I’m not asking you guys to buy the Lumia 830. I’m simply asking you to give it the respect it deserves. It’s a smartphone that offers no distractions, no fluff, and most importantly no crazy and useless gimmicks. In today’s market where all the Android manufacturers are taking “insane” to the next level with their useless but marketable features, the Lumia 830 stands out as a practical, novel, and fresh alternative.
So yes, I’m buying one as soon as it comes out.