Nokia is well known for their retail/distribution channels, but also notorious for their ability to bring phones and smartphones to incredibly low price points. Windows Phone, once only available in the upper price range is starting to come down in great part thanks to Nokia. The  release of Windows Phone Tango made it possible for cheaper devices like the Lumia 610 which come with just 256MB of RAM possible. The lower price range of these devices is attractive, but should you buy one? Here are a few things to consider when buying a lower-end Nokia Lumia devices and why maybe you should save up a bit and get a higher-end device like the Lumia 800 or 900.

One reason to stay away from a lower-end Windows Phone device, are the significant restrictions when it comes to features and performance. These limitations include:

• Windows Phone Marketplace app restrictions – Some more processor-intensive apps have memory requirements, and won’t work on phones with 256 MB of RAM.

• Podcast Subscriptions and Video Podcasts – Managing podcast subscriptions or watching video podcasts is not available if your phone has 256 MB of RAM.

• Local Scout – Bing Local Scout is also unavailable if your phone has only 256 MB of RAM.

• Fast app switching – This feature doesn’t work on phones with 256 MB of RAM.

• SkyDrive automatic photo upload – You can’t upload pictures automatically to SkyDrive if your handset has only 256 MB of RAM.

• HD video playback – Videos compressed with certain codecs won’t work on phones with 256 MB of RAM.
• Background agents – To free up RAM for the foreground on 256MB devices, generic background agents (PeriodicTasks/ResourceIntensiveTasks) are disabled.

Secondly Skype for Windows Phone has just come out BETA reaching v1.0, but won’t work on won’t work on 256MB devices such as the Lumia 610, as it requires to a minimum of 512MB of RAM. When Windows Phone Tango was released, Microsoft did say that about 5% of apps won’t work on these more affordable devices and it now seems that Skype is going to be one of them. This can go either one of two direction. Either Skype releases a “lite’ version specifically for these low-end devices lacking some features or these devices will remain without an official Skype App.

Lastly, the prices of the higher end Lumia devices are already pretty affordable. With the arrival of the Lumia 900, prices for the 800 are dropping with some pretty good deals to be fond online, enough to keep you away from the lower-end devices. As for the GSM versions of these devices, they can be had for free on contract and in the US, the Lumia 900 can be had for a pretty affordable $99, a pretty good deal for a high-end device.

Considering all of this and the dropping prices for the Lumia 800, I’d say go for at least the Lumia 800, unless you really have to get the 610.

Update:  Engadget is now reporting that the Lumia 610 WILL get skype. This does mean however that there are still a small percentage of CPU or RAM intensive apps still won’t work. The limitations mentioned in point 2 also still apply.

When it comes to public transport there is one important app here in The Netherlands: 9292 and it’s now available for Windows Phone.

This not only marks the arrival of an important application for the Dutch market, but also shows the state of the Windows Phone market. The number of apps available for Windows Phone is growing rapidly (currently at 70.000 apps), adding not only many of the required big names, but perhaps most importantly those important niche apps, such as the 9292 app.

Worth nothing is the awareness factor. Despite holding the top mobile OS position for years,  many simply weren’t aware of Symbian’s existence, especially in the US. Windows Phone, perhaps due to the entire Microsoft ecosystem and Nokia definitely is on people’s radar. The US market is arguably an important one when it comes to this awareness factor as it seems to almost dictate the success of products. The rule is simple: the more aware people are about a platform, the more likely it is able to attract the apps and judging by the recent spotlight on the Lumia devices, things are looking good for Windows Phone, even on the app front.

Before You Buy as part of the TWIT network took a look at the US version of the Lumia 900. (It starts at 26:45) and recommends it as a “Buy” which is the highest on the scale, above “Try” and “Don’t buy.”

As the pros they mentioned: it’s a beautiful phone, decent camera and affordable. On the negative side they mentioned: a “rattly” vibration function, the Chrome strip gets scratched and the touch buttons turn off.

I do agree with the chrome strip which is the same as with the 800. It does get scratched up quite easily which is a shame on such beautiful device. It’s also quite interesting that the capacitive buttons turn off which is something Nokia just fixed in a firmware update for the Lumia 800. I’m sure they’ll fix that with updates. They did talk about the lack of some app, but didn’t include that as a con. I tend to agree with the review, generally the biggest hardware con is the chrome strip, while apps is still a problem that gradually will get better.

As you know, Nokia’s Lumia line has a few customization on top of the standard Windows Phone package such as Nokia Drive and Music. After using the Lumia 800 for some time now, here are a few features Nokia (and Microsoft) should include as updates.

1.Screen Capture Tool: Among the various Nokia devices I have, I also use Android. One of those is the Galaxy Note. The Note has a handy screen capture feature that makes it easy to simply capture what’s on screen and share it with others. Even in the old Symbian days it was also a matter of quickly installing an app and you’d be ready to capture what’s on screen. Ask any mobile enthusiasts and they tell you that a screen capture tool is one of the first app they install. Currently there is no app and no other way of doing this other than having a developer unlocked Windows Phone. I really don’t think it should be that difficult for such a simple tool and definitely it shouldn’t require unlocking your phone. It’s not only handy for reviewers and bloggers, but also for the regular Windows Phone users that needs a quick reminder or simply share something they saw while browsing. If there was one feature Windows Phone needed, this would be it.

2.Pedestrian turn-by-turn voice-guided navigation: One of the ways Nokia differentiates from other Windows Phone devices is Nokia drive. Nokia Maps and Drive are probably one of the best mapping/navigation apps in the business, but it doesn’t have pedestrian turn-by-turn voice-guided navigation. This is one feature that Nokia Map/Drive’s biggest lack, while their biggest competitor, Google Maps, does include this feature. Nokia Maps does include pedestrian directions, but sometimes it sure is handy to have turn-by-turn navigation, especially when on vacation.

3.Sort Apps by Grids/Pages: Windows Phone currently uses a list-view for the app drawer. Nothing wrong with this, but I do wish there was a way to view apps in grids or pages. Many of us that for many years have used Symbian devices are accustomed to the old page view, so getting used to this list view can be a bit difficult. It also seems to me that with list view, there’s a lot of unnecessary scrolling while with a page view, you can see many icon in one single view. Don’t get me wrong, I still would like to see the current list view, but the more options, the better.

4.WiFi tethering: Nokia is aware that people want WiFi tethering and they are working on it. But there is no word when this will be available for the Lumia 800. I’m mentioning this in the case you’re planning on getting the Lumia right now, you’d still need to wait a while before you can get this feature.  Nokia need to have this feature out asap as I know many consider this a very important feature. I wonder why this is taking so long. At least we have confirmation that it is coming.

5.Manually kill apps in multitasking window:

Based on my Tip-of-the-day, by now you should know that the “back” activates multi-tasking and fully closes an app. When activating multitasking you can select the apps, but there’s no way to actually close them from this view. To do this you’ll need to go back into the app, press the back button once and then holding the back button to go back to multitasking. Why not swipe an app out to close it or add Windows-inspired close button to manually kill the app?

Just got word from Nokia here in The Netherlands that the update version 1600.2487.8107.12070 for the Lumia 800 should start rolling out right about…Now! It is a gradual roll out which means that not all countries and product codes will receive it immediately. Nokia have confirmed that The Netherlands is one of the first countries that should start receiving the update in the this first roll out, which started yesterday on the 28th of March. Other countries should follow according to Nokia during the next wave of updates in about 4 weeks on April the 4th, 11th en the 18th.

This is already the 3rd update in 4 months, showing how serious Nokia is about the Lumia line, which something I simply love. Nokia have been very active lately when it comes to the Lumia line gradually fixing bugs and making it an even sweeter package. Best of all, this update brings some important fixes based on user feedback, which shows that they are committed and listening.

The new Lumia 800 update brings the following enhancements:

• Enhanced battery standby and talk-time performance
• Fix for non-responsive screen when ending a call
• Improved  bass in audio performance
• Soft keys illumination available for all screen brightness levels
• Fix for rebooting in certain network conditions

By now you know the drill, you’ll need Zune software on Windows or Windows Phone 7 Connector for Mac OS.

Which brings me to the question, when will they add Firmware-Over-The Air support?

Lastly, there’s also this handy online tool, that allows you to check and see if the update is available for your country.

Update: My Dutch Lumia 800 (Sim unlocked) still hasn’t received the update. But this probably has to do with the fact that it doesn’t have a product code that has received the update. If you’re like me and haven’t received the update, there’s still 1 week left before wave 2 on April the 4th.

Connect to wireless connection

1.First step is to connect your Lumia to the same Wi-Fi network as your PC where you have the Zune software installed. Swipe left>Settings>System>Wi-Fi and connect to the network.

Connect to your PC

1.Connect your Lumia via USB Cable to your PC and fire up the Zune software. (While still connected to Wi-Fi)

2.In Zune go to “View Sync Options” and go to Wireless Sync

3.Choose “Setup Wireless Sync”

4.It will now show you the wireless network your Lumia is connected to, verify that it’s the same one as your PC and choose Next.

5.And your done! All you need to know is that it will sync once your Lumia is connected to a power outlet and in range of your wireless network. Optionally you can manually start wireless syncing if your Lumia  isn’t charging.

Our friends at Nokia Connects have posted a very detailed Q&A session on the Lumia 900.

What I did find interesting is that compared to the Lumia 800, the 900  “incorporates camera optimisation for focus and colour balance” which mean in the camera department it should be slightly ahead, but that these are mostly software optimizations.

Another interesting bit are the improvements to “the audio tunings.” As you may recall, there have been many complaints on the audio quality of the Lumia 800, but through a software Nokia seemed to have tuned the output sort of how you would tune the audio through an equalizer to add more bass. This seems to suggest, that this tuning has been done on the Lumia 900, but hardware-wise we’re talking about the same speaker and probably same audio hardware (including DACs).

In a few days, I’ll take the Lumia 800 for a spin and review it’s audio capabilities and especially check the audio quality.

In Tekzilla Episode 299 they talk about the 808 Pureview calling it amazing, but find the decision to go with Symbian a “curious” one, especially considering Nokia’s push into Windows Phone.

Indeed coming with a device such as the 808 a year after Windows Phone announcement is strange. They should have just waited and push it to Windows Phone when done.

In a recent post on The Verge, Chris Ziegler shares his gadget lust for the  Lumia 900 and  I couldn’t agree more:

But that Lumia 800… my goodness. That design! I don’t think it’s a stretch to say that the N9 / Lumia 800 chassis could go down as most beautiful device Nokia has ever made. In fact, I think you could say that it — along with the iPhone 4 / 4S — is the best phone design in history. That’s not an exaggeration.

But then, Nokia… then you scale it up to a more reasonable and modern 4.3 inches, add a front-facing camera, and give it LTE. You offer it in your amazing shade of searing, unapologetic cyan, and you sell it in the US on AT&T. It’s like you’ve personally made a bespoke phone for me.

 

The Lumia 800 has one of the best designs EVER, now that it’s available with a larger screen in the form of the 900 and add the fact that Skype is now available for Windows Phone to make good use of that front facing camera and you have the makings of an amazing device. After being away for a while,  I’ve decided this is my next phone, especially in White. The 800 was good, but not quite there, but now Nokia has convinced me with the Lumia 900.

By now, most of you have heard of the 808 Pureview, Nokia’s latest super camera phone running on their Belle operating system. The 808 continuous an old Nokia tradition of having the best camera phones on the market, a tradition continued by earlier devices such as the N93, N8 and N86 8MP. The 808 is miles ahead of anything available on the market when it comes to its camera and probably will remain so until its own successor arrives. Despite having all this amazing technology and essentially being the best camera in a phone, I think you should skip it. Here on The Nokia Guide, I’m  usually telling you how amazing these Nokia devices are and why you should buy them. In  this post I’ll explain why you shouldn’t buy the 808 and I why I’ll definitely skip it myself and go directly to the Lumia 900.

1.Symbian (Belle) is a dying ecosystem. The Nokia 808 PureView has a 41 megapixel sensor, Carl Zeiss optics, a new pixel oversampling tech, superior low-light performance, 1080p video recording, 4X lossless zoom in video and CD-quality recording. So what’s wrong with it? Basically, Nokia put all the right technologies in the wrong phone. Fact is that despite having a new name and new UI, Belle still is and will remain pretty much the same old Symbian operating system, a dying ecosystem that even Nokia has decided to drop in favor of Windows Phone. As always, Nokia will support their Symbian devices years after the launch with plenty of software updates.  However, fact is, I just can’t recommend this 450 Euro device, even with its amazing camera, knowing that in a few years this once thriving ecosystem will be gone. Knowing this fact, many developers are simply packing their bags and gravitating towards Windows Phone. This means that you’ll feel the results as soon as you start looking for apps on the 808. Many big name apps and brands simply skip Symbian, concentrating on the big three: Windows Phone, iOS and Android. Knowing that all their work will be useless in a few years if they make apps for Symbian, they simply move to other operating systems where continued profit is guaranteed. While Symbian has proven to be very profitable for devs, most developers will jump ship and go other operating system that at least promise to have a longer life.

This aspect should also be considered from the consumer’s perspective. Other than technology enthusiasts who change phones every few months, for most people getting a phone  doesn’t only mean investing in a device for the next 1 to 2 years, but it also means investing in an ecosystem of apps and services, but also their time, getting to know the different aspects and features of a device. When I invest my hard earned cash in apps, services and content I want the peace of mind that it can all be used on my future devices. Buying into a dying ecosystem means that I’ll need to start all over building a new collection of paid apps and getting to know an all new operating system. Buying a Lumia device now (or any other device from the big three) means having a head start and knowing that your investment is safe in the long run.

2.It’s not just about the camera. I consider a phone’s camera an important feature, but it’s not the only important feature and it’s definitely not the only feature people look at. Perhaps in the early years of the smartphone revolution the camera was considered as one of the go-to features for bragging rights, but now it clearly isn’t. When I buy a phone, I do look at the camera function, but fast operation, availability of all the apps I like, plenty of software updates and ease of use are just as important. The Lumia 800, iPhone 4s, the Galaxy S line are all devices with good cameras, obviously not as good as the 808 pureview, yet they are all very popular devices. Why? They are a combination of many good features and not just one extremely good feature. Smartphone nowadays aren’t just people’s camera, but their everything: social media hub, portable office, organizer and entertainment. The 808’s camera is extremely good, but in other aspects it will easily be surpassed by Nokia’s own Lumia line, since a product is as good as it’s weakest link. I consider an outdated UI, lack of popular name brand apps and a dying ecosystem a lot weak links.

Now consider how people use the cameras on their phone: taking snaps of random events throughout the day. In these cases most don’t need DSLR quality images, it just has to be good enough. Judging by the images uploaded by the various devices out there to different social communities, I’d say it’s all good enough and many would agree. Most uploaded images that end up on Twitter or Facebook don’t need to be larger than 800×600. Don’t get me wrong, I’m a tech enthusiast and I welcome any form of advancement in the tech world, but I just don’t think people are going to drop their current favorite devices just to get a good camera on a lackluster device. Why, because they have been doing quite well with the current crop of cameras, even if it isn’t close to the level of quality found on the 808.

3.Microsoft and Nokia blessings. If you do want a Nokia device, why not take a look at the Lumia line? Once I saw the Lumia 900, I was sold, I’m getting one. With the support of both Microsoft and Nokia, you’re certain that’s there going to be great support and features. It’s like not like they have any other option: Microsoft want Windows Phone to succeed and Nokia needs Windows Phone to succeed, since they’re not betting just the farm, but even the farmer’s daughter on Windows phone. Considering the integration with Windows 8 and Xbox, things are going to get interesting with Windows Phone.

4.Pureview coming to Windows Phone. The biggest reason why you shouldn’t get to the 808 is simply because the Pureview technology is coming to Windows Phone. By the time it does, there’s no doubt that we should see improvements that should make it even better. If you look at the 808, one of the first things you’ll notice is big camera module. I’m sure they could have put all of this in the Lumia 900, but that would mean taking away from the beautiful design, which is probably why they decided to use test the technology out in the ugly duckling, untill they can miniaturize for use on the Lumia devices. Nokia mentioned, that one of the most asked question they got at MWC 2012 was: Why didn’t they put the Pureview tech in Windows Phone. This clearly shows that people ideally want Pureview in Windows Phone and not in Symbian.

Are you skipping the 808 Pureview?