What's the best nokia lumia model to get at this time?

[Windows Central Question]

Basically, the most reliable lumia that will last me the longest. I'm not looking for the best resolution or the biggest selection of features. Basically all I need is 4G, microsd capable, quad-core, no phablets, good maps/navigation app/system. I'm upgrading from a blackberry bold so I don't need the most geared up smartphone.

 

[ven07]

Based on that I would say the 830 would be a great start

 

[thron]

Another vote for the 830, im on my 2nd month with it and I love it.

I used to have a Blackberry Curve, when I switched to Windows Phone my mind was blown & I've never looked back.

 

[AndyM72]

I'd say the 735. These are being priced very aggressively across Europe, which means there's a big jump in price to the 830 for not many more features (certainly no features that are important to you).

 

[TLRtheory]

Well, here's the rundown of all the Windows Phones I've had so far.

• Lumia 520: Strikingly stable and smooth for having such low specs... and 8.1 made it even better because the 8GB storage was no problem then. What it did, it did VERY well. Unfortunately, lack of FFC and 512MB RAM killed it for me.

• Lumia 1020: Awesome phone with an awesome camera. Specs weren't the greatest, yet I can't say it's ever been caught lagging either. What killed this for me was the absolutely boneheaded decision to release a camera-oriented phone that had no expandable storage. They broke the cardinal rule of cameras right there. If the 1020 was planned out well enough to realize that it needed expandable storage, I'd still have it today.

• Lumia Icon: Nice size, very powerful phone, but again... they give you all the components to inspire you to care about installing high resource games, taking quality pictures and pushing the limits... then restrict how much you can do with the locked, non-expandable 32GB storage.

• Lumia 1520: I was ready to convince myself this phone wasn't too big after the icon. I just wanted a phone powerful enough to run high end games smoothly, and the space to do so... and the 1520 delivered. After a month or so of denial, it simply became very real that the phone was just too damn big.

• Lumia 820: This was the first entirely satisfying Windows Phone. It's size was right, it's low cost without omitting the FFC, it had expandable storage, 1GB RAM allowed it to run anything, and it was very smooth through and through. It's specs aren't high, not is it's screen resolution... but it's another case like the 1020 where it gracefully handled high end games anyway... and it's got something that every Windows Phone I owned before this lacked... BALANCE.

• Lumia 830: Shouldn't surprise anyone to see that this one is my choice for the best Windows Phone has to offer. It's balanced, light, has exceptional battery life and follows in the footsteps of the 820 in all the right ways while bumping up the screen res and giving us WiDi. I'll be sticking to this phone for a very long time.

TL;DR - Get the 830. It kicks *** and - is by far and large - the most balanced Windows Phone.

 

[jomarr]

Based on your needs, the 830 will suit you well. I'd recommend the 1520 or the 930 but the 1520 is huge and the 930 has no expandable storage.

 

[Slovenix]

Basically, the most reliable lumia that will last me the longest. I'm not looking for the best resolution or the biggest selection of features. Basically all I need is 4G, microsd capable, quad-core, no phablets, good maps/navigation app/system. I'm upgrading from a blackberry bold so I don't need the most geared up smartphone.

I think 735

 

[Slovenix]

I'd say the 735. These are being priced very aggressively across Europe, which means there's a big jump in price to the 830 for not many more features (certainly no features that are important to you).

Same thinking in this case

 

[RumoredNow]

I agree... 735 or 830 for a solid all-around experience.

Check the prices... Also check the spec comparison: Nokia Lumia 735 vs. Nokia Lumia 830 - GSMArena.com

Note the differences are mainly in the camera area. If you are a selfie shooter or video chat user, 735 stands out with a 5MP front facing camera. If you want a phone that is more capable for general to serious photography the 830 has a much improved rear camera over the 735 by adding more megapixels and Optical Image Stabilization for stills and video.

Also 735 AMOLED vs 830 IPS LCD. I know for some the screen type is a deal maker/breaker.

The last difference is internal storage, but with the SD slot on each allowing up to 128GB it really evens out the 8GB on 735 vs 16GB on 830.

 

[cj-m]

And it has to be said...

don't forget about the geriatric 920.

 

[RumoredNow]

And it has to be said...

don't forget about the geriatric 920.

920 and 925 are great all-arounds... But the OP wants to use the phone he gets now for a long time... That means new to my ears.

 

[Mr_McMuffin19]

Whats your price range? If you're looking for something not to expensive the lumia 530 or 520 series are great phones! I myself use a lumia 530 and its pretty amazing for the price. Its not gonna have what a mid to high-end smart phone's gonna have in terms of hardware (i.e. front-facing camera,) but you said you weren't really looking for a phone that has all the bells and whistles. If price is no concern, I'd personally get the lumia 635; its a bit more beefier in terms of hardware then the 530 (snapdragon 400 instead of 200) and is really nice when playing games (like asphalt 8). Either way, a lumia is gonna cost half the price of a android phone that has specs like these. If your looking for a good phone that has pretty good specs and is perfect for just about anything, Id get the lumia 930. Hope I helped :smile:

 

[Sameer Modasra]

Original Poster here,

Thanks for all the replies everyone. I really appreciate it. Last couple questions though. There's a lot of 735 and 830 recommendations so do you guys think that if I settled for the 735, would it last me for long time? 4 years + ? The reason I ask is because there's only one reason I am upgrading to a smartphone. My blackberry is basically unusable. And I am just looking for a phone that will last me until a usable and 4G supportable Fairphone comes out... if you all know what that is. (I'm the kind of guy who buys sustainably made products). So if I settled with the 735, number 1: will the phone itself last me years and number 2: will the software updates from microsoft be somewhat regular keeping the phone relevant even when microsoft comes out with dozens of new models after the 535 (the most recent model that was released)?

Thanks everyone.

 

[Mr_McMuffin19]

I think either the 735 or 930 would be the best. They'll defiantly last long and as far as mircorsot software updates, you're looking at maybe 1-3 os updates (my guess). Either way, the higher end lumia's are defiantly going to last 3+ years

 

[DanaOira]

I just picked up the Icon (929). Its international sister phone is the 930.

Before, I had the 928 for 2 years and could have seen myself keeping that phone for another 2 years if it weren't for my broken screen.

If you're interested in a good camera and solid build quality, the Lumia 9xx/10xx/1520 phones will last a few good years.

As far as the trouble with non-expandable 32GB storage, I've never had an issue with it. I take lots of HQ photos and make lots of documents in MS Word/Excel/OneNote on my phones. I also have over 125GB storage on OneDrive. Since it syncs once I get to a Wi-Fi connection, I'm never without an extra copy of my photos and files. And if I do run out of space (which is usually around 6 months+), I back it up onto my home server and free up the space on my phone.

With cloud storage, I've never had the need for expandable storage anymore.

I also don't store music, movies and games on my phone. That's what my Surface Pro is for and I always have it with me. And it also doesn't seem too secure to save files (especially important ones) on a phone.

So if you're into storing stuff on your phone, you might want to choose a different route than the 928/Icon.

Good luck on your phone search!

 

[Theayalalalalon]

925 its a good lumia to get?
Im from Argentina and i can select one on the http://tienda.personal.com.ar/equipos/nokia?PS=24

 

[colinkiama]

Lumia 730/735 or an 830

 

[ven07]

Original Poster here,

Thanks for all the replies everyone. I really appreciate it. Last couple questions though. There's a lot of 735 and 830 recommendations so do you guys think that if I settled for the 735, would it last me for long time? 4 years + ? The reason I ask is because there's only one reason I am upgrading to a smartphone. My blackberry is basically unusable. And I am just looking for a phone that will last me until a usable and 4G supportable Fairphone comes out... if you all know what that is. (I'm the kind of guy who buys sustainably made products). So if I settled with the 735, number 1: will the phone itself last me years and number 2: will the software updates from microsoft be somewhat regular keeping the phone relevant even when microsoft comes out with dozens of new models after the 535 (the most recent model that was released)?

Thanks everyone.

Both phones, 735 and 830 will last you for quite a bit, based on what you said you need them for. As for the updates, the 830 is newer when compared to the 735, but they both will still be in line for the upcoming updates. The only updates you might miss out on are those that need a higher chip set (>800). A simple example would be the passive voice activation that comes with denim; some devices with the hardware to handle it, will get it and others won't.

Someone mentioned the 920 as well.. I own a 920 and love the phone, but I do realize that I will be missing out on a few features in the upcoming updates, because my 920 has "older" hardware, nonetheless the 920 can easily keep pace with everything I did on my 925

 

[furkanavshar]

Go for 830 dude!

 

[Marquis de Faux]

It depends on where you are and what carrier.
Generally, the 830 is a good choice.
If you are on Verizon get the ICON.