Is it still relevant to buy a Lumia 930 in March 2016?

[Windows Central Question]

I am planning to purchase a Lumia 930 to replace my 1020 that got lost in a recent trip overseas. The 930 would be my primary shooter because of 4K video capture that the 1020 did not have. My question, is it still relevant to get a Lumia 930 today? I am not interested in the 950/XL because in my humble opinion the WP8.1 camera is better than the W10M one (I tried W10M on the 1020 and went back to 8.1 after a few days).

Any thoughts?

I am currently using a 640 XL LTE dual sim.

 

[ssapre]

I am planning to purchase a Lumia 930 to replace my 1020 that got lost in a recent trip overseas. The 930 would be my primary shooter because of 4K video capture that the 1020 did not have. My question, is it still relevant to get a Lumia 930 today? I am not interested in the 950/XL because in my humble opinion the WP8.1 camera is better than the W10M one (I tried W10M on the 1020 and went back to 8.1 after a few days).

Any thoughts?

I am currently using a 640 XL LTE dual sim.

From camera point of view, that should be a nice replacement I believe.

 

[P1ng0fDeath]

Absolutely. It still is a fantastic phone. Excellent camera with great performance to go with it. It also looks waaay sexier than the 950s in my opinion.

 

[bichaels]

Recently went from a 1020 to a 1520 and I would say yes. Loving the 1520 apart from the screen glitch problem so a 930 may have been a better option. The camera not as good as 1020 in low light or zoom but the extra speed and features more than make up for it.

 

[mary beth hale]

Camera, screen and speed on 930 are fantastic. Don't expect really long battery life though. It's adequate but probably not as good as your 640xl

 

[dnbrealm]

On the 930, you'll find that the camera struggles on mid-low light conditions, videos are more apparent, all of videos in evening light record as rather dark.

Overall a solid build quality premium feel. Although the metal frame easily shows signs of wear and discoloration.

Battery life lasts me a day, not that great, gets fairly hot on the bottom corners of the device.

I'd say get a 950, if you can grab it for a fairly cheap price. As its newer and largely better tech. Build maybe be arguably slightly less premium.

 

[Pulserider]

I have upgraded two weeks ago from a 720 to a 930 with no regreds this far. I think it is still a "king" that is a live. Good specs compared what is out there. I got mine on special at a third of the price of a 950

 

[xrs22]

I had the Icon, basically the same thing. Although only came in 2 colors, the matte white is a good option unless you have dirty hands then it'll show, side from being a case for it. I thought it took good pics and awesome vid, battery a day at best. I do recommend a car though since it has a metal band around it, it's prove to denying and popping out the back cover and hard to get back in.

 

[eusty]

Camera, screen and speed on 930 are fantastic. Don't expect really long battery life though. It's adequate but probably not as good as your 640xl

Owning both phones I can tell you that is very true! My 930 usually lasts the day but the 640XL can go two days plus.......

 

[underw8]

thanks for the replies guys! i will go pick up a 930 then. missing my 1020 though!

 

[kanrakuuuu]

For the camera, yes, but you mustn't update to W10 — the quality is far worse, plus if you have a 930 with a defective mic (good chance of that) you'll have no audio.

For overall performance, it runs fast, but runs very hot. On top of that the battery percentage visibly drops as you have the screen on, even in dark mode. The high power drain of the screen coupled with a rather weak battery and a CPU which heats up to ridiculous temperatures means that the already poor battery is going to be getting worn down faster (high temps reduce lifespan). Given that this phone will probably have already been used for a long time, the battery life might not be that great.

For me, I'm still on 8.1, and tend to only really use it for the incredible camera. For day to day use, I use a different phone as this one doesn't get me through the day with my usage pattern. It doesn't help either that 8.1 seems not to be fully using the power of the 930, and yet W10, which does, comes with the bad camera, so neither seems like you're getting the most out of what it's supposed to be offering. It's a sort of typical WP cludge where nothing's perfect.

 

[signal-2-noise]

There is nothing wrong with W10M on the 930. The last several Insider builds have been fine. I keep my 930 as a backup just in case but use the 950XL as my daily. The build quality on the 930 is superior and is still a terrific buy even current use.

 

[NightOrchid]

Ive been undecided between a 1520 and a 930... and decided on a 930...

Smaller size of the 930 makes it easier and more enjoyable to use from day to day
No screen touch issues
I find the camera on the 930 slightly better, faster focus and more responsive
In UK, you get a wireless QI charger in the box
BUT:
Weaker battery
Speaker is a little weak in noisy places and no where near as loud as 1520
No SD Card

930 is an awesome device and still great in 2016.. You an buy one for about ?200 now, just make sure
your wireedless QI charger is in the box..

 

[Petar Klv]

Yes, 100 % relevant !

 

[underw8]

well, i did pick one up yesterday. they don't have orange so i went with green. but i'm loving it so far! green wasn't a bad choice, it stands out from the other phones around

 

[AJE1]

Leaving software aside, the camera on the 950/950XL is much better than that on the 930, particularly in low-light situations where I have found the 930 to be a touch disappointing. Added to that the more powerful processor, better battery, replaceable battery, MicroSD storage and better screen I would go for the 950. I've seen it as low as ?375 whereas the 930 is still about ?330.
Yes, the styling is utilitarian but you can always get one of the Mozo replacement covers.

 

[chris_gt]

Yep, still worth getting in my opinion. I've been lucky mine didn't develop any of the common issues, I've had it for over a year now and if it wasn't for the cosmetic details I would keep it for another year. If you don't mind taking the risk on the mic issue then go for it.

 

[speccy]

I have had my 930 for about one and a half years, and it's a quality device in every respect. I've looked after mine and so it is still in excellent condition with no scratches or nicks in it, the metal that runs around the edge looks and feels great, no discoloration (US spelling) anywhere on the device, though it's black so I guess it wouldn't show if there were any. Windows 10 runs fine on it, battery is average, but gets me through the day without issue, but would definitely not last two days. This handset is still a premium device even now, and the camera is very good, there are very few phones out there that have a better camera - even now. Also the screen is full HD and of very high quality and works well in direct sunlight too.

Having said all that, I managed to snag a new 950 for ?260 UK recently, and as soon as I have the unlock code, I'll be switching to that, but will be using a Mozo case with it as it feels a bit cheap with the default one. So if anyone is interested in an unlocked Black 930 with Qi wireless charger...

 

[Deepak]

If you want to use W10M to the fullest then NO. At some point in the very near future, 930 will also be excluded from the "supported phones" list of W10M. And since you are talking about 2016, there are 200GB micro SD cards available now while 930 has only 32GB storage with no expansion available plus the phone is very bulky at a time when svelte phones are the norm.