When we spoke with Juha Alakarhu, Head of Imaging, Nokia, at IFA Berlin a little over a month ago, he said that Nokia is proud to have brought down the form factor of the camera and retain the phones shape to the slimmest possible. He said that the 830 was their attempt at making smartphone imaging a more personalised experience. He also added that the focus was on creating a more ergonomic design – something the user could immediately get comfortable with.
We had a quick hands-on experience with the Lumia 830 at the Nokia press event in Berlin. And while we initially focused on the software (after all, the Lumia 830 also marked the advent of Microsoft’s latest Windows Phone 8.1 operating system) we have had the Lumia 830 with us for a while, and got a better understanding of this device .
Design and buildWith the Lumia 830, Nokia has struck a balance between freshness of design and maintaining a sense of familiarity. The rectangular slab design comes with an aluminium rim running all along the sides, a common trend with most mid-to-high-end smartphones. We loved the smooth edges of the display, and also the ergonomics of the design. The phone is quite handy, and since the focus is on imaging, a physical key for launching the camera and subsequently taking photos is placed on the side. This button is very easy to access, but it can also be pressed accidentally while pulling the phone out of your pocket.
What we did not like about the design is the plastic back. Nokia has made some great unibody designs with polycarbonate materials, so it was hard for us to fathom why the manufacturer would go to a back panel that feels quite flimsy. Yes, the whole customisable coloured back is Nokia’s thing, but the panel feels ridiculously cheap.
On the other hand, the PureView camera is encased in a very slim package. This, we were told, has been done by making the camera assembly slimmer than the previous generations of the PureView cameras.
Except for the plastic back, the phone looks like it can take a few bumps here and there, and the slim and functional profile of the Lumia 830 makes it feel great.
The Lumia 830 comes with a quad-core Snapdragon 400 chip clocking at 1.2 GHz and backed by 1GB of RAM. Specs and features
While the specs may sound modest as compared to the Android devices in this segment, Microsoft has actually woven the Windows Phone 8.1 operating system so efficiently that it doesn’t need number crunching specs to deliver the fluidic performance that it does. There’s Microsoft Office on-board – a lifesaver for those who like working on the move. The only dampener here is that Cortana, Microsoft’s version of Siri, isn’t available in India yet.
The interface is clean and functional, and transition between apps is seamless. We didn’t see the Lumia 830 struggle with multitasking at any point. The ClearBlack display also provides a great visual experience on the 5-inch display, which comes with a 720p resolution. At this price, however, we expected a 1080p display. That said, coupled with the Dolby Digital supporting speakers, the Lumia 830 becomes a good device for multimedia consumption.
But it is the camera that takes away the whole show. The 10MP rear-facing camera is absolutely brilliant – it is bright, produces vivid colours, but never so much as tries overcompensating the shades. There are a few nifty camera apps to play with too. However, because the PureView name gets us excited every time, we sort of expected better low-light photography from the Lumia 830. The front shooter too, though sporting a low pixel count, can produce good selfies to share on Instagram. Oh, wait, the Windows app store doesn’t have Instagram. Oops!
VerdictThe Windows Phone ecosystem has come a long way from its beginning, and we are glad to say that the operating system has evolved into very functional and handy software that one would want on their smartphones. With a good battery life of a full day and all the Microsoft Office goodies and a great camera, the Lumia 830 is definitely a good device. We had just a few complaints against the smartphone, most of them inconsequential if you’re a Nokia loyalist. In fact, even if you’re a die-hard Android user, the Lumia 830 deserves a place in your pocket, simply because it’s a well-balanced smartphone.
₹28,799
Love – Camera; Multimedia; Microsoft Office features
Hate – No Cortana for India; Flimsy plastic back panel