WinPhone Buying Advice

[sb1370]

I'm going to buy a new phone for my mom.
I've considered Lumia 532, 535 and 525.
Nokia 535 is big and lumia 532 camera isn't good (no hd video recording). Why their price difference is only $10? Does Lumia 532 have better quality?
I think Lmia 525 is a bit old otherwise it's great.
What do you think? Any other device to consider?

 

[gpobernardo]

I'm going to buy a new phone for my mom.
I've considered Lumia 532, 535 and 525.
Nokia 535 is big and lumia 532 camera isn't good (no hd video recording). Why their price difference is only $10? Does Lumia 532 have better quality?
I think Lmia 525 is a bit old otherwise it's great.
What do you think? Any other device to consider?

The Lumia (no longer under Nokia) 535 camera is also not that good. Only 5MP and performs poorly in normal indoor lighting conditions. Plus, it has a known touch screen issue, which may make some customers unhappy.

I'd suggest starting with a Lumia 6xx, perhaps a 630 or higher. A bit more cash will be spent, but it may be worth it given the additional features and capabilities.

Update: See post #5 in this thread for more info.

 

[pankaj981]

Would you mind posting where are you located and your budget? That would help suggesting better options

 

[Ashish Sen]

Lumia 535 will be a better option. The camera performance is good in normal lighting conditions. Though the quality is not so good in dark. Also the battery is good. New devices are not having any touch issues in my knowledge as of now. You may go with 535.

 

[gpobernardo]

Lumia 535 will be a better option. The camera performance is good in normal lighting conditions. Though the quality is not so good in dark. Also the battery is good. New devices are not having any touch issues in my knowledge as of now. You may go with 535.

This is good information. How would we know which L535's are "new" or not?

BTW, a recent firmware update for the L535 released just 2-3 days ago has been found by some users to have improved the touch screen reliability, while others say (with fervor and passion!) that it didn't. It seems that only those with the Dual SIM variant experienced some changes. You can read about it here.

 

[sb1370]

As I said lumia 535 is big.
​Lumia 730 is a little expensive, and Lumia 630/635 has low RAM.
And about my budget: ​Something like Lumia 635 price or less is good.

 

[gpobernardo]

As I said lumia 535 is big.
​Lumia 730 is a little expensive, and Lumia 630/635 has low RAM.
And about my budget: ​Something like Lumia 635 price or less is good.

The Lumia 635 comes in either 512MB or 1GB of RAM depending on the market at your location. But how much RAM would your Mom need?

The 5xx are already out of the picture, and so are the 7xx and beyond. The 435 has an even lower resolution for the camera so that would be out of the picture as well. Seems like we're only left with the 6xx at this point... unless you're open to buying a non-Lumia Windows Phone.

 

[sb1370]

I'm in Iran, I don't think Lumia 635 with 1GB RAM would be available in local market.
I'm thinking about Lumia 730, but when Lumia 640 will arrive and how much would it be cheaper than Lumia 730?

 

[Cryio]

Can you wait for the 640 ? It seems like the best phone overall on all categories. Better than even 730 and 830 in some categories.

 

[gpobernardo]

I'm in Iran, I don't think Lumia 635 with 1GB RAM would be available in local market.
I'm thinking about Lumia 730, but when Lumia 640 will arrive and how much would it be cheaper than Lumia 730?

I see.

Not sure about the exact price, but there's always wisdom in waiting. At least, when the L640 arrives, you can test and compare it with the L730, and you would have already known the actual price - the decision process would be a lot easier for you by then.

 

[sb1370]

Unfortunately, 640 is bigger than 730 , also at release time its price would be more than 730, then I need to wait more for price stabilization.
Biggest disadvantage is I'm paying extra money for 5MP front camera :eck:.

 

[gpobernardo]

Unfortunately, 640 is bigger than 730 , also at release time its price would be more than 730, then I need to wait more for price stabilization.
Biggest disadvantage is I'm paying extra money for 5MP front camera :eck:.

Well, if your Mom enjoys taking "selfies" (not sure what personality type she has), the extra money just might be worth it. From my experience since the L535 has a 5MP front facing camera, too... while it's a fixed-focus type of camera, the additional megapixels helped a bit in making the effort of taking a photo with it worthwhile. It's still not an amazing shot, though.

 

[Ashish Sen]

Well, if your Mom enjoys taking "selfies" (not sure what personality type she has), the extra money just might be worth it. From my experience since the L535 has a 5MP front facing camera, too... while it's a fixed-focus type of camera, the additional megapixels helped a bit in making the effort of taking a photo with it worthwhile. It's still not an amazing shot, though.

Exactly the wide angle front facing 5MP camera gives better shots in daylight and above average ones in Low light conditions. Even at times you will find the front facing camera pics better than the primary one in dark.