521 vs. 710 - Build Quality

[mcpayton]

Anybody have or had both the 710 and 521 and can comment on how the build quality compares ? I currently own a 710 and would like to upgrade to a W8 device. I'm not sure I want a phone the size of the 925 so I may try the 521 for now until I can see the 925 up close. I know the tradeoffs with a $130 phone and my 710 has been solid so I'm just wondering how the physical feel and build compares between the two.

 

[ngnetzky]

I can't really give you a comparison, because I never owned the 710, only played with my friend's 710. However, I can tell you that my 521 feels solidly built and does not feel like other $150 dollar phones I've had/used in the past. It fits nicely in your hands, although the polycarbonate back can tend to feel a little slippery at times. The buttons on the side are responsive, the touchscreen works really well even with gloves on. Call quality is great and the speaker sounds nice, and can be very loud.

You may already know this, but there are some tradeoffs over your 710.
-No Gorilla Glass and Nokia's ClearBlack Technology.
-No LED Flash
-Losing about 20 in pixel density, mostly because the 521 has a larger screen.

However, you would be gaining
-A Larger Screen and IPS LCD
-MicroSD card for expandable storage. (in my opinion, 8gb can feel quite limiting without this.)
-Windows Phone 8
-Dual Core Processor.
-Tmobile's Wifi Calling (I'm assuming you're on tmobile)

I hope this helps you.

 

[WanderingTraveler]

Let's just say you're going to get way better build quality from the 521.

 

[seanbecker]

I have both phones. The buttons (Volume, Power, Camera) are much nicer on the lumia 521. The 710 buttons feel thin and cheap by comparison. That being said the 710 screen is much nicer. I also miss the backlit navigation buttons, and the camera flash. I never really used the flash much for taking pictures but it made a handy flash light.

All that being said the performance is quite a bit better on the 521, and the availability of WP8 apps is great. Also, the ability to use SD card storage for music, picutres, and videos frees up storage to install more apps. When all is said and done the 521 is better, IMO, but at the sacrafice of backlit nav buttons, flash, and screen quality.