The
Nokia
Lumia 800 is both interesting and notable. Notable because it was the
first Nokia handset to use an updated version of Microsoft’s
Windows Phone 7
operating system - known as Windows Phone 7.5 or "Mango" - and
interesting because the Finnish company got a lot right from the get-go.
Well built with a distinctive design, the Lumia 800 is fun to
use, packs in some impressive features and makes a convincing case for
Windows Phone
as a viable alternative to Apple iOS or Android. It is, simply put, a
very good phone - one that we think deserves to be a success story for
Microsoft.
Build and appearance
"You can’t accuse the Lumia 800 of not standing out"
You
can’t accuse the Lumia 800 of not standing out. It sports a simple look
- a 3.7in screen is housed securely in a very solid, curved one-piece
chassis - and the effect is very striking. Although the Lumia 800
available in black, we think the blue and white models are the ones to
go for, as the bright screen nestled in a solid mass of colour gives the
handset an extremely distinctive appearance.
In short, we like
it. Having said that, it’s clear that the design isn’t for everyone.
Reaction to our Nokia blue model among family, friends and colleagues
was divided, ranging from “that’s very pretty”, to more derisive
suggestions that it “looks like a kid’s toy.”
One thing we can’t
see anyone disagreeing with is how nice the phone is to hold. Its curved
design means that it’s a particularly comfortable handset to use
one-handed, and the bevelled screen is enjoyable to use.
The
design’s not all good though. We hated the fact that the power socket is
hidden under a flap. Being forced to fiddle with the flap every time
you want to charge the phone is a faff, and quickly starts to irritate.
Interface
If
you’ve ever used a Windows Phone 7 device before, you’ll know what to
expect with the Nokia Lumia 800. Apps are displayed on the dashboard as a
vertically scrolling grid of chunky tiles. You can add new apps to the
list, and swipe to the right to see a full menu of everything on the
phone.
It’s a system that takes a bit of getting used to -
especially as tiles will flip to show information, such as the number of
unread emails you have - but when you understand it, it’s impressively
elegant. The large tiles mean it’s difficult to accidentally press the
wrong thing, but we do find ourselves wishing you could fit more on the
screen at once, as you can with
Apple iOS and Android’s smaller icons.
Even
so, there’s something to be said for an interface that’s willing to be
different. Of course, the danger of being different is that you end up
less popular than more conventional options.
And that’s the biggest problem with
Windows Phone 7
- the lack of support it has from the development community. While the
app store contains some useful stuff, there’s nowhere near the quantity
of software available to iOS and
Android
users. It’s rare that the latest apps come to Windows Phone early - in
many cases you’ll find yourself waiting months or years for apps to
cross over from other platforms to the Microsoft realm.
Still,
you’ll find most of the essential apps available now, so if having
access to the next big thing isn’t important to you, the Nokia Lumia 800
has a lot to offer.
Multimedia machine
"Playback is crisp and balanced"
Not
least of which are its decent multimedia capabilities. Video playback
is nothing special, but it’s smooth and looks good on the Lumia 800’s
screen.
Music fans are well-catered for, though. The Nokia phone
offers an impressive audio experience - provided you listen with
headphones. Without them, you’ll find the external speaker is too
muffled and tinny to enjoy a track.
But cram some decent
headphones into your ears and you’ll find playback is crisp and
balanced. Nokia has thrown in a number of features that enhance the
music experience. The Nokia Music app lets you browse and download
tracks, but the real draw is MixRadio, which allows you to stream music
for free, from a number of different channels. For example, the “New
Releases” channel plays the latest chart hits. You can also download
channels to listen offline.
Admittedly, MixRadio isn’t quite as
good as other services like Spotify and Grooveshark, and only being able
to skip six tracks an hour rankles, but it’s a nice freebie.
The
Lumia 800’s also pretty good for games. There’s a decent range of
titles available (although, again, nowhere near the number available on
Android or iOS), most with demos and Xbox Live integration - meaning
those who also have an Microsoft Xbox 360 can use the same profile on
phone and console.
Features
"Impressively easy-to-use navigation tool "
The
Nokia Lumia 800 has some other worthwhile apps too. Nokia Drive is an
impressively easy-to-use navigation tool easy-to-use navigation tool
that makes it easy to plan journeys. You also get access to Nokia Maps,
which is a decent map tool.
The mobile version of Microsoft
Office is available too, which lets you open, edit and create Word and
Excel files on the device and view PowerPoint presentations. If you use
Office at work or home, having access through the phone is convenient.
Less
convenient is Internet Explorer – the Lumia’s default web browser. We
found some pages wouldn’t load at all, and some that did work wouldn’t
display properly. The lack of Flash is also an irritation, albeit one
that’s not unique to Windows Phone.
Camera
"Showing off your snaps via social media is simple "
Another
annoyance is the lack of a front-facing camera for video calls. If you
want to be able to stare someone in the eye while you’re calling them,
then this isn’t the phone for you. It’s an odd omission considering
front cameras are seen by many as a bog-standard feature these days.
That
said, the rear-mounted eight megapixel camera is capable of taking some
great images, and showing off your snaps via email, text or social
media is simple thanks to some well-designed sharing features built into
the pictures app.
Verdict
The Nokia Lumia 800 has a distinctive look, feels well-built, and comes packed with genuinely interesting features. The
battery life is reasonable too. With moderate use, we were able to get the best part of a day before we had to put it back on charge.
All
said, there’s a lot to like about the handset – it is, to put it
simply, a very good phone. If you’re looking for something a bit
different to Apple iOS and the endless parade of Android phones, and
you’re willing to take the plunge on Microsoft’s oft-neglected mobile
operating system, you should be very happy with a Nokia Lumia 800.
Wednesday, September 12, 2012
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