Nokia Lumia 930: User Reviews

Ushae

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After 2 days with this phone I can comfortably say this is a superb phone. I upgraded from iPhone > L920 > L930 .. And this by far the best phone I have used. I even use my wife's S5 frequently and it's very comparable, the difference in chipsets isn't evident at all because its really fast.

The display panel is simply magnificent, full HD truly does makes a difference especially with the larger 5 inch panel. Hopefully more apps and games get support for this. I'd a beautiful display. Not much more to say really.

Battery life was good, not as great as the S5, but I manage a full day with ease and with more charges seems to be increasing it.

Windows phone 8.1 glides on this phone, makes me wonder how well the next iteration will perform. L930 had made the wait for a fantastic windows phone worth it.

Couple of minor issues though, there is an odd people hue when the device isn't in high brightness mode. And it tends to get a little warm in the bottom right corner. Issues I'm sure will be mitigated/resolved in the coming weeks.

I have the White version, look incredible. I'm one happy windows phone user who was annoyed at all the issues back when I had L920 on WP 8.
 

amdybg40

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Hi All

First post to these forums and thought it should be about my first WP experience.

I am a bit of a phoneaholic and have chopped and changed phones a lot over the years. In the past six month's I've had Nexus 5, HTC One M7 & 8, iPhone 5s, LG G2 & G3 and recently got a Lumia 930. I think that I have quite a reasonable knowledge across the different platforms and handsets and wanted to share MY VIEWS as a new WP owner.

Firstly, the main reason for going with the Lumia 930 was the construction. I got my hands on a dummy unit at an EE store and loved the combination of materials, size and weight. I then researched the specifications and software fully before deciding that I should give WP a shot.

I experience all of the things listed in various threads about heating issues, screen hue/brightness being uneven, but I think day to day it is not really a massive problem, well not with my screen settings anyway. I'm not convinced that the heating up problem will be curable by an update, as i think it's the aluminium frame acting as a heat sink which means that it is very noticeable in the hand. It's no different to an iPhone under intense use, they get equally as hot, so i'm not too worried.

The screen is great and the factory settings are cleverly set to really make the coloured tiles pop and be more impressive. I think this is needed in a shop environment to attract customers, but once you have the handset for a bit, you really want to tone things down. In comparison to the G3, I actually prefer the colour balance and "pop" of the Lumia. I really did not get on with the G3's screen at all, especially the brightness and over sharpening of the UI, not good at all. I must say that of all my last phones over the past few months, I really did enjoy the screen on the Nexus 5, it was an absolute pleasure to use the phone everyday, whether for simple tasks, looking at pictures or watching movies. I don't think it really get's enough credit in comparison reviews, it is such a good panel. Overall though, I would put the Lumia up there with the Nexus, both equally as good.

One of the sore points on the forum seems to be the hit and miss nature of the camera. I can fully understand where both sides of the discussion are coming from, those that want a point and shoot don't think the results are great and the more knowledgeable users highlight the fact that with manual shooting the camera is very good.

Now, to be fair, I think as a manufacturer you really need to make using the camera as simple as possible with the best results. So much mobile photography is shot on the fly, that for average Joe, he just wants to fire up the camera and press the trigger and voila! This is something that Nokia really have got very wrong and it's a shame. I am a casual photographer with DSLR's and have shot pic's for years only using manual settings as there really is no other way. However, setting up a Canon to do this is actually much easier than using the Lumia, especially as you have a button layout to use as oppose to a screen. I agree that the camera is excellent for a phone, but it really needed to have the correct algorithms out of the box to be able to shoot quality pics in auto mode, as that is what 99.9% of the smartphone user base will do. I feel that this will only hurt Nokia's ability to sell handsets, as most users will put friends and relatives off purchasing the Lumia due to the camera's not so great auto mode.

Just for the record, I returned the M7&M8 due to the dire camera. I am surprised that HTC got it so wrong with the M8, they must have known that the 'Ultrapixel' technology really doesn't cut it by today's standards. Although the focus shift feature was very effective, so I would keep that on the M9 if possible.

As lots of comparisons on here have said, the iPhone 5s camera is good as a simple shooter, really good in fact. This is mainly due to speed of processing and the HDR feature. But otherwise it's too limited for my liking as I like a bit of control. Plus, once on a MAC or PC, the picture quality is not the best, so I wouldn't use them for desktops etc.

The G3 has a really good camera, but then again so many of the latest phones do. They shoot fast, process quickly and third party apps offer great features to hide most of the issues that the untrained eye would't see ie filters! So for the average user, Sony, LG and Samsung all but give the same result, it's only when you delve a bit deeper that you appreciate the power and control you have with the Lumia camera, which makes it so excellent. I just don't think that control is what most users want.

I love the UI on WP, the tile layout is great and so much more interesting than Android or IOS. I had been using a launcher called Aviate for the past few months on my Android handsets and that was the closest I ever came to finding the perfect UI for droid. The biggest problem with Touchwiz, the LG interface and android full stop is that to me, it looks childish, not very elegant or grown up at all. And lets be honest, the manufacturers have had enough handsets available to get it right!

You can say the opposite about iOS though, it really is a lovely experience and tbh, my only real gripe with my iPhone 5s is screen size and the lack of camera control, everything else about the phone is very polished. It's easy to see why they sell so many! The apps are way more developed and beautiful to use compared to Android, the integration is better, plus you get the huge aftermarket accessories product base which does have some great kit available. I think of all my phones I have had before the Lumia, this is the one that I have had my sim card in the most, usually because something about the new handset I get bugs me, whether it be an app version or a piece of local software that does't work how I want it to, so I switch back to the 5s.

With my 930, like I said, I really do enjoy the UI and the WP experience. Sure, there are a few things that I would change, like different colour mail or some kind of identity for the multiple addresses in linked inbox or the loooong app list layout that you have to use (should be options here, i know you can search but that's not good enough!). Also, the ability to recognise data in emails for appointments, flights, holidays etc that can be instantly added to your calendar, that is a feature that I could do with being on WP. And why does't the speech search come up with any of my contacts birthdays either? If i asked my droid or iPhone when my wife's or brothers birthday is, ping!, it comes back with the answer. I'm sure this kind of thing will come in an update, but it should really be there now in 8.1 in my view.

There is only really one thing that might lead to me returning this handset before my 14days are up and that is the app's. I really thought that I could work around it and get by with what was available, especially as I love the handset so much, but it's really starting to bug me. As an example, I recently booked a holiday using my iPhone with the Easyjet and AirBnb apps. Really simple process and everything saved to my Passbook, perfect! I switch to WP, no Easyjet app and the AirBnb app is terrible in comparison, basically a mobile browser app. I managed to work around the Easyjet problem and create the tickets in the All My Passes app on the Lumia, but it is crap by comparison to Passbook. Another app that I really miss is EyeEm, which is a photography sharing app and as a photographer Ioved it! Ah,and VSCO cam too! Both great apps that I used almost every day which are available on Android and iOS but not WP.

I know my last two paragraphs make me sound like an iPhone fan boy or a WP hater, but really i'm not. I'll tell you what I am, i'm a consumer that is looking for the perfect combination or hardware, OS/UI and camera control, plus a useful app store that can make my life that but easier. As of now, the Lumia scores higher than any other handset I have ever used, I just wished that Microsoft had done more over the past few years to make the developers come on side, as with the iOS store content and a few minor tweaks with the software, the Lumia 930 would probably be the closest you can get to a perfect smartphone!
 
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amdybg40

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OK, think I need to add to the above with some slightly less positive notes.

Firstly, how on earth does a phone this day in age not time and date stamp correctly from the network? Calendar appointments are out by an hour and so is Facebook. I applied the fix of changing the time zone which fixes the calendar only, but seriously, i cannot think of a phone in the last 10 years that doesn't use a data packet to work out in which time zone the phone is located.

The rear cover is now lifting in the corner where the phone get's hot, it's possible to push it back down but it pops up again.

Another app annoyance. I use Hotels.com for all my work bookings and have done for a few years now and the app has been perfect across Android and iOS, so why on earth does the WP version not sync my bookings? I have to log in every time I use the app, which is pointless as it doesn't even sync?! Arrrggghhh!!

Funny how 24hrs can change your opinion on something. I'm starting to get a little bored of the phone now, especially when I woke up this morning to find that it had only charged to 50% on the wireless pad, despite me making sure that it was charging before going to bed. So I had to take a cable in to work with me to charge from my computer, minor but still annoying.

In my frustration this afternoon, I placed an order for the Samsung Galaxy S5 LTE-A version from Korea. It should arrive by wednesday, so if i get on with it over next weekend, I think i'm going to return the 930. I really hate to say it, as I do love how it's constructed and the fundamental basic operation of the OS, it really is the best UI of all, but if I can't use the phone in the same way as I'm used to with previous handsets, then it's no good to me :(
 

rodan01

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Yep that's my number one complaint after owning one. There is no need at all for a smartphone in 2014 to be so chunky and heavy.

The 930 is lighter than the 920 even though It has a bigger screen. It's about the same weight than the HTC One, even though the 930 has wireless charging. The 930 is only 15% heavier than the S5, although the S5 doesn't have wireless charging and It's an ugly piece of cheap plastic.

Lumia 920
Dimensions 130.3 x 70.8 x 10.7 mm, 99 cc (5.13 x 2.79 x 0.42 in)
Weight 185 g (6.53 oz)

Lumia 930
Dimensions 137 x 71 x 9.8 mm, 94.7 cc (5.39 x 2.80 x 0.39 in)
Weight 167 g (5.89 oz)

HTC One M8
Dimensions 146.4 x 70.6 x 9.4 mm (5.76 x 2.78 x 0.37 in)
Weight 160 g (5.64 oz)

Samsung Galaxy S5
Dimensions 142 x 72.5 x 8.1 mm (5.59 x 2.85 x 0.32 in)
Weight 145 g (5.11 oz)
 

cjono

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The 930 is lighter than the 920 even though It has a bigger screen. It's about the same weight than the HTC One, even though the 930 has wireless charging. The 930 is only 15% heavier than the S5, although the S5 doesn't have wireless charging and It's an ugly piece of cheap plastic.

Lumia 920
Dimensions 130.3 x 70.8 x 10.7 mm, 99 cc (5.13 x 2.79 x 0.42 in)
Weight 185 g (6.53 oz)

Lumia 930
Dimensions 137 x 71 x 9.8 mm, 94.7 cc (5.39 x 2.80 x 0.39 in)
Weight 167 g (5.89 oz)

HTC One M8
Dimensions 146.4 x 70.6 x 9.4 mm (5.76 x 2.78 x 0.37 in)
Weight 160 g (5.64 oz)

Samsung Galaxy S5
Dimensions 142 x 72.5 x 8.1 mm (5.59 x 2.85 x 0.32 in)
Weight 145 g (5.11 oz)

Fair point about the above..

However, when holding my mates HTC M8 and my 930 their was a considerable difference in weight and thickness.

thats all MSFT needs to do really, slim down their smartphones (get rid of unneccessary wireless charging) and they would be a gorgeous smartphone
 

dengwinters

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thats all MSFT needs to do really, slim down their smartphones (get rid of unneccessary wireless charging) and they would be a gorgeous smartphone

I do not want them to get rid off the Qi charging. One of the selling points for me was the built in Qi with no additional hardware like in 925.
 

alex_froilan

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The Nokia Lumia 930 is the best WP I've ever owned so far. Despite being the best IMO, it's also problematic. As I've been recently just started working in a software company, they've been throwing me a lot of phones (mostly WPs as it is my field in software programming). Coming from a 620, to a 920, then 1520, and finally a 930, I say I have enough hands on experiences with these devices to judge the 930.

While it doesn't have that N9 look and feel, it is comfortable and big enough to hold. Unlike the 1520, which was cumbersome to use with two hands, the 930 can still be operated with one hand, including typing with WordFlow (depending how big your hands are). Other than size, features are just as the same with the 1520 minus the SD card. Although 32GB may sound plentiful, some would find this limiting. With the growing number of apps in the store, file size of photos gets bigger, and music collection gets larger, it'd be nice if Nokia had included SD card support on the 930. Not only it would've expanded storage, but WP8.1 could've utilized this feature too. The display is excellent and very readable in direct sunlight. While it doesn't have that over-the-top 400ppi the LG G3 has, the display is still superb, besides, either 300 or 400ppi screen will have fine pixels, only the 400ppi one will have to work harder and consume more power, so really this simply is just gimmick. The inclusion of the 4-array multidirectional microphones are also a bonus, paired with Dolby technologies. The camera is a bit tricky. In most conditions it takes photos beautifully, but it starts to vary in low light. It requires a bit of tweaking in order to get a beautiful shot. The loudspeaker is ok, sounds a bit muffled but could be better like the 920.

There are a few problems that I've found in my first two weeks of using the phone. First is the purple tint of the display in low lighting. There is also the purple haze produced from the rear camera when moved quickly in low light (not present in front camera). I would also constantly get the Resuming or Loading waiting screen when unlocking the phone, but since unpinning Cortana and Battery Saver tiles I never saw this problem again. Double-tap to wake is kinda slow. I also had the overheating problem, but it also went away after unpinning Cortana and Battery Saver, and turning off NFC. Other than these, I really do miss the glance feature, but in this case since it uses AMOLED, I would've turned it off anyway to further prevent burn-ins (I'm really cautious ok). Some people had reported wiggly buttons and slightly raised camera button, I find this normal to be honest, it doesn't really affect performance or change the experience. I really do hope Nokia gives out a software fix for these issues.
 

gary gatter

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Amazing phone, moved from 920 to 930. The screen is much more vivid, 3 columns works much better than on 920. Have started using xbox music on 930 without headphones as the sound from the phone is simply astounding.
 

Tom87

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I've purchased my 930 after being with iPhones since the iPhone 3 was released way back when!

I just fancied a change really. The iPhones worked well but I didn't care for most of the apps in the store (and Apple fanboys both annoy and scare me). I also use Windows and Office at home at work so being able to use one Microsoft account across all spectrums sounded neat and tidy. A friend of a friend also has (I believe) a 630 which I had a quick play around with and loved the GUI.

Why not Anroid then? Well, my girlfriend has had a Galaxy S3 for the past 2 years and it's just awful. Slow, laggy, buggy. Not to mention the interface is just generally messy. Yes, there's lot you can do with them but they really do seem like a "quantity over quality" sort of affair to me.

So a couple of weeks ago I noticed Nokia annouce a UK release date for their new flagship WP device which also comes with free wireless goodies and app voucher if ordered before August. I loved the look and the specs seemed up to scratch, especially with what I'm used to, so I went for it.

Initially the OS took a bit of getting used to after being with iOS for so long, but 5 days in I'm loving WP 8.1. The customisation of the live tiles is absolutely brilliant (I'm still playing around with this). All the apps I use regularly are there (with 6snap and MetroTube filling in the blanks) except for Nationwide, my building society, do not have an app, which is the biggest downer I have had with my transition.

The only other issue I've had is the heat the phone can generate when using GPS and when charging but I'll keep an eye on this. Perhaps a future software update may address this?

All in all I think this is a great smartphone. It looks great, feels great (I like the slightly chunkier-than-usual frame of it) and it feels very quick to use. The screen is crystal clear and is the first thing friends and colleagues have commented on when seeing it. The camera is also miles better than what I'm used to. I've probably missed a load of other stuff out but I will update further the more I use the phone.

Tom
 

scgf

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thats all MSFT needs to do really, slim down their smartphones (get rid of unneccessary wireless charging) and they would be a gorgeous smartphone
You do realise the wireless charging module in a Nokia phone is just a piece of card with a flat coil on it? Must be less than 1mm thick.
 

rodan01

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You do realise the wireless charging module in a Nokia phone is just a piece of card with a flat coil on it? Must be less than 1mm thick.

The difference in thickness with the HTC One M8 is 0.4mm, with the Galaxy S5 is 1.7mm. So, 1mm is a lot, 10% of the thickness of the phone.

Even though, from the pictures, I'd say It's more than 1mm.


Modulo Carga Inalambrica Nokia Lumia 920 Nokia 920 WPC RX Module Original | eBay

Nokia Lumia 920 Service Manual Reveals Internal Components | ThePocketTech
 

rodan01

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Fair point about the above..

However, when holding my mates HTC M8 and my 930 their was a considerable difference in weight and thickness.

thats all MSFT needs to do really, slim down their smartphones (get rid of unneccessary wireless charging) and they would be a gorgeous smartphone

The difference in weight with the HTC One M8 is just 7g, that's 5%. I don't know if you can perceive such a small difference with your hand.
The difference in thickness is 0.4mm, that's 4%. Insignificant.
 
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scgf

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Even though, from the pictures, I'd say It's more than 1mm.
I have a wifi charging coil for a Lumia 920 in my hand right now. Just measured the thickness and it is indeed 1mm it's just a thin piece of card with a flat coil on the back.

Bear in mind the snap on case for the 1020 and 925 have wireless charging units built in. You can actually take the card out of the case and put it inside the 925. There's a howto here

How to hack wireless charging into the Lumia 925 [Video] | WinSource
 

cjono

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The difference in weight with the HTC One M8 is just 7g, that's 5%. I don't know if you can perceive such a small difference with your hand.
The difference in thickness is 0.4mm, that's 4%. Insignificant.


It's not insignificant if I can feel the difference. I take it you haven't held the One M8? If you have you would know what I mean regarding weight and thickness
 

zokstar

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I've had my device since Saturday afternoon. My first WP device was a 920, which i had since launch (nov 2012)

Pro's over the 920
- Love the feel/style of the device
- Weight of phone i think is perfect
- Screen is amazing
- WP8.1 (not really a pro as this will be coming to other devices)
- Sound/Speaker has improved

Cons - not much besides the camera. Im more of a point and shoot person. When i'm out with friends or at an event i just want to whack out the phone and take a quick snap, no time to muck around with settings etc. If i wanted to tweak settings etc then i'd just buy a proper camera for that.

Im hoping this will be fixed soon with an update. If i remember correctly this same thing happened with he 920 when it first came out.
 

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