IPhone 4 = 720 or 620. You cannot compare 521 and Iphone 4. Get her 620. She will be happy. All the ladies in my family want 620.. well I gave it to my sis .. the magenta one and she doesn't want any other phone but the magenta 620. For the ladies, get the magenta 620 and be assured that they will like it.
Dude. Did you see my GSM Arena comparison on the first page? The iPhone 4 and Lumia 521 are near identical in specs, and the 521 has a number of things
over the iPhone 4 (the iPhone 4 only has FFC, Flash, Slight resolution difference, and a compass over the 521)
Enjoying the lively discussion. Haven't read all the replies in detail, but I wanted to address a few of the themes.
- She HATES the iOS operating system. Most times she just about wants to throw the thing out of the window. The data connection seems to constantly drop/hang and it's just generally frustrating to use. (I'm temporarily using a iPhone 4 too while my 920 is in for repair and I empathize).
- She's mentioned before that she likes my WP8 (though this is almost only glancing at it and never using it) and she wants something that's simple to use. The Live tiles, hubs and fewer clicks it takes to do things in WP8 would be a benefit for her.
- I've also considered getting her up and running on my old Samsung Focus in my nightstand, but that phone is on it's last legs and won't upgrade to 7.8 without hacking.
- She never uses the FFC,
- She doesn't take a ton of pictures, when she does it's usually just to send friends and family stuff that's funny. Though she did use it a bunch for photos when we were on vacation where quality would matter.
- The main apps are Facebook and casual social games like Words with Friends (and others in the genre). WP8's new Facebook app would be fine, but she'd probably miss some of the games her friends play with her.
- Size is very important to her. She wants the phone to fit in her wristlet, and the iPhone 4 does just barely. A iPhone 5 or higher end WP8 won't fit. This is probably the biggest limiting factor when shopping.
- Never uses any media on the phone, she will only use her Shuffle. Going to break this habit for her though and get her using the phone (keeping iTunes though).
- She wouldn't care at all about processor speed, screen quality/resolution or even 4G data. (I want her to have it just to future proof, but in the end she doesn't use enough data to really care)
After hearing some of the comments, it's possible that the 620 may be a better choice if it's not too big for her. Really wish someone made a truly high-end phone in the 4in range.
As far as size for the wristlet, the 521 is slightly wider and taller due to its 4in. screen (vs. the 620's 3.8in.), but its also thinner too by a tad.
As far as purchase price, good luck finding the 620 cheaper. At Expansys, its $250, aka that's a $100 price difference between the 620 and 521, which isn't worth it since the 620 is pretty much a 521 with NFC, flash, and a front facing camera (Not to mention the 620 lacks super sensitive touch like the 521). Now, if you live in Huston, TX, Tampa, FL, or Orlando, FL, you can get the 620 from Aio Wireless for $180. But otherwise there is going to be a noticeable price difference.
If she's really not going to use the FFC then 521/520 is the ideal choice. If she is not going to play games then look no further, if she wants to play games then i would suggest atleast getting the 820 (FFC comes with it) as it has 1GB RAM. A no fuss phone would be the 820. As far as the camera goes, the Lumia 521 might be a bit behind the iPhone 4. Even though the iPhone 4 is an old device, TBH it is superior overall to the Lumia 521 (I personally own a 920, before I had the 810~820 and an iPhone 4)
The cameras take identical images in resolution on paper, and gaming isn't even a problem (with exception of the occasional game needing 1GB ram). You can, also, adjust the camera settings on the 521 to have better looking photos (ISO, Exposure), and Creative Studio's clarity and brightness tools can help improve the quality of your photos too. I have taken some pretty good images with my 521.
And if she plays Words with Friends or Draw Something:
Words With Friends | Windows Phone Apps+Games Store (United States)
Draw Something | Windows Phone Apps+Games Store (United States)
Granted they are $3, but they are the ad-free editions. The Nokia Collection in the store also has all the Angry Birds, and im sure the Windows Store would have other games she plays as well.