The smartphone world is moving at the unbelievably fast pace. Hence, when we are in the market for a new phone, we should get one of the latest devices. If you choose to save some money, you would end up with cheaper devices, and you might end up with incompatible apps and no future updates. If you want a high-end device, you should shell out almost a thousand bucks (or pay the outrageously expensive monthly contract).
Some might say, you could easily buy last year?s flagship like the Galaxy S4. Not only it is still very expensive, that doesn't even help at all. You will end up with the same condition, no updates, or if there was one, it would be buggy. When the next OS update comes to it successor, theres a big chance that you might not be able to update. After all, that's how OEMs want you to upgrade to their latest-and-greatest.
However, there is a device that is from 2 years ago, and it wasn't even a flagship, yet it deserves to be your phone. It has none of the problems listed above. I will call the Nokia Lumia 820, the device that was a mid-range model, and now considered as a cheap phone because you can get it for as low as 200 bucks off-contract. Why it deserves to be your phone? Read these 5 reasons.
1. The whole body is replaceable, you don't need no nasty cases
With the shell system that Nokia introduced, you don't have to be worried about scratching your phone anymore. Although it does not bear the doubtful self-healing technology, you could replace the whole body by replacing the battery cover. There is no visible gap as well, as if it was a unibody phone. This system also allows you to get a new-phone feel with less than ten bucks, cheaper than your monthly carrier bill (so, yes, you can get a new phone every month). If you want your 820 to be a little bit more durable, a 15 Euros rugged shell could do it. You don't even need to touch those nasty silicone cases. Every single dent you make on the phone, as long as it is not on the screen or camera, you can replace it, even the buttons. This is something that even it's successor, the Lumia 830 cant deliver.
2. The mid-range that runs faster than the flagship
First of all, don’t count the 1520, Icon or 930, they came from a different generation. Unlike most mid-rangers, the 820 bears the same processor as the then range-topping 920, 925, and even 1020. Yes, the 1020 does have bigger RAM, but I believe the resource is given exclusively for the camera. Thanks to this advantage, it has all the power of its bigger brothers. In fact, because of the lower screen resolution, the 820 runs faster than 920 and 925. If you don’t believe that, try in your nearest store. I checked on some Nokia apps, they generally open slightly faster on the 820 compared to the 920. Even the just-released Lumia 630 only has 512 MB of RAM, which means it would not run some large games, unlike the 820. Moreover, the so-called "affordable flagship" Lumia 830 only has 1 GB of RAM, exactly equal to the 820, even though it is more than twice as expensive.
3. The mid-range that runs LTE
Unlike most mid-rangers, the 820 has the same chipset as its bigger brother, which means it has LTE. Even though it will suck the battery real hard, having LTE is a great welcome for a 200 bucks phone.
4. The screen is perfectly made for Windows Phone
It may not have the best screen of all smartphones, but Windows Phone has unique standards for the screen, and 820 fulfills all them. Let me explain one by one. Due to Windows Phone's colorful nature, AMOLED really shines compared to any competing technology, so having AMOLED is a big plus for a Windows Phone. The white-on-black theme on Windows Phone also benefits from AMOLED to save the battery life because AMOLED uses no power for black pixels. The second benefit, 820 is the only Windows Phone with real RGB stripe AMOLED. This may not be a big deal if it runs Android, but Windows Phone is largely built on rectangular shapes and fonts. The real RGB stripe really shines in these items, while the PenTile matrix of most other AMOLED displays suffers from non-smooth edges. Well, the screen resolution might not be up to today standard, but Windows Phone does a really good job in covering the lack of pixels with animations, large fonts, and ClearType filtering. After all, you wont notice much difference unless you use your phone really close to your eyes.
5. As a Windows Phone, it does not age fast
Unlike Android, Windows Phone 8 devices are built to last. Users could easily get updates legally even before the OEM's or carrier's bless thanks to the Developer Preview program (which doesn't break the warranty). Yes, you can legally update an 820 to the just-released 8.1 update right now, the one that is going to ship with the 630 and 930. You dont need to mess with buggy custom ROMs like what you do on the Android devices. Moreover, they have done a good job at keeping you updated. The next update, Lumia Denim, is destined for the Lumia 820 too, which is a good reason why people should still keep buying this phone. You don’t have to worry about apps compatibility either. Even though the new generation of devices have the much faster processor, developers won't abandon the support for these devices because there are millions of 520, 620, and 720 that wouldn't be abandoned. Windows Phone 8.1 is going to support the even-lower Snapdragon 200 chipset, which means there wont be 'not enough specs' issue in the near future. Other Windows Phone devices also run on Snapdragon processor, so there is practically no apps compatibility problem.
NEW! 6. It has a camera button
Unlike Android, iOS, or even Windows Phone 8.1 devices, each and every single WP8.0 devices had camera buttons. 820 is no exception, despite not having the PureView camera. For example, the just-released Lumia 630, 730, HTC One, and Samsung ATIV SE do not have camera buttons, neither does the iPhone 5S or Galaxy S5 despite their outrageous pricing. If you ask how important is a camera button: Once you go there, you don't wanna go back.
Other reason to get the 820:
And now the reason why you should not get the 820
1. The battery life sucks
Windows Phone might be famous for its battery-conserving system behavior. However, it does not help the 820 with its paltry 1650 mAh battery. The phone might run just fine as long as it is in standby. But, when you turn on cellular+WiFi connection and actively using your phone, the battery will drain in just a few hours. The good news, you can get a spare battery for as low as 10 bucks, cheaper than your dinner last weekend.
Other reasons NOT to get the 820
Some might say, you could easily buy last year?s flagship like the Galaxy S4. Not only it is still very expensive, that doesn't even help at all. You will end up with the same condition, no updates, or if there was one, it would be buggy. When the next OS update comes to it successor, theres a big chance that you might not be able to update. After all, that's how OEMs want you to upgrade to their latest-and-greatest.
However, there is a device that is from 2 years ago, and it wasn't even a flagship, yet it deserves to be your phone. It has none of the problems listed above. I will call the Nokia Lumia 820, the device that was a mid-range model, and now considered as a cheap phone because you can get it for as low as 200 bucks off-contract. Why it deserves to be your phone? Read these 5 reasons.
1. The whole body is replaceable, you don't need no nasty cases
With the shell system that Nokia introduced, you don't have to be worried about scratching your phone anymore. Although it does not bear the doubtful self-healing technology, you could replace the whole body by replacing the battery cover. There is no visible gap as well, as if it was a unibody phone. This system also allows you to get a new-phone feel with less than ten bucks, cheaper than your monthly carrier bill (so, yes, you can get a new phone every month). If you want your 820 to be a little bit more durable, a 15 Euros rugged shell could do it. You don't even need to touch those nasty silicone cases. Every single dent you make on the phone, as long as it is not on the screen or camera, you can replace it, even the buttons. This is something that even it's successor, the Lumia 830 cant deliver.
2. The mid-range that runs faster than the flagship
First of all, don’t count the 1520, Icon or 930, they came from a different generation. Unlike most mid-rangers, the 820 bears the same processor as the then range-topping 920, 925, and even 1020. Yes, the 1020 does have bigger RAM, but I believe the resource is given exclusively for the camera. Thanks to this advantage, it has all the power of its bigger brothers. In fact, because of the lower screen resolution, the 820 runs faster than 920 and 925. If you don’t believe that, try in your nearest store. I checked on some Nokia apps, they generally open slightly faster on the 820 compared to the 920. Even the just-released Lumia 630 only has 512 MB of RAM, which means it would not run some large games, unlike the 820. Moreover, the so-called "affordable flagship" Lumia 830 only has 1 GB of RAM, exactly equal to the 820, even though it is more than twice as expensive.
3. The mid-range that runs LTE
Unlike most mid-rangers, the 820 has the same chipset as its bigger brother, which means it has LTE. Even though it will suck the battery real hard, having LTE is a great welcome for a 200 bucks phone.
4. The screen is perfectly made for Windows Phone
It may not have the best screen of all smartphones, but Windows Phone has unique standards for the screen, and 820 fulfills all them. Let me explain one by one. Due to Windows Phone's colorful nature, AMOLED really shines compared to any competing technology, so having AMOLED is a big plus for a Windows Phone. The white-on-black theme on Windows Phone also benefits from AMOLED to save the battery life because AMOLED uses no power for black pixels. The second benefit, 820 is the only Windows Phone with real RGB stripe AMOLED. This may not be a big deal if it runs Android, but Windows Phone is largely built on rectangular shapes and fonts. The real RGB stripe really shines in these items, while the PenTile matrix of most other AMOLED displays suffers from non-smooth edges. Well, the screen resolution might not be up to today standard, but Windows Phone does a really good job in covering the lack of pixels with animations, large fonts, and ClearType filtering. After all, you wont notice much difference unless you use your phone really close to your eyes.
5. As a Windows Phone, it does not age fast
Unlike Android, Windows Phone 8 devices are built to last. Users could easily get updates legally even before the OEM's or carrier's bless thanks to the Developer Preview program (which doesn't break the warranty). Yes, you can legally update an 820 to the just-released 8.1 update right now, the one that is going to ship with the 630 and 930. You dont need to mess with buggy custom ROMs like what you do on the Android devices. Moreover, they have done a good job at keeping you updated. The next update, Lumia Denim, is destined for the Lumia 820 too, which is a good reason why people should still keep buying this phone. You don’t have to worry about apps compatibility either. Even though the new generation of devices have the much faster processor, developers won't abandon the support for these devices because there are millions of 520, 620, and 720 that wouldn't be abandoned. Windows Phone 8.1 is going to support the even-lower Snapdragon 200 chipset, which means there wont be 'not enough specs' issue in the near future. Other Windows Phone devices also run on Snapdragon processor, so there is practically no apps compatibility problem.
NEW! 6. It has a camera button
Unlike Android, iOS, or even Windows Phone 8.1 devices, each and every single WP8.0 devices had camera buttons. 820 is no exception, despite not having the PureView camera. For example, the just-released Lumia 630, 730, HTC One, and Samsung ATIV SE do not have camera buttons, neither does the iPhone 5S or Galaxy S5 despite their outrageous pricing. If you ask how important is a camera button: Once you go there, you don't wanna go back.
Other reason to get the 820:
Qi Charging (with supporting case.)
128GB Micro SD card works for a total of 136 GB of storage :wink:
the 820 has four antenna's while the 925 only has two. I got much better wifi reception on my 820.
And now the reason why you should not get the 820
1. The battery life sucks
Windows Phone might be famous for its battery-conserving system behavior. However, it does not help the 820 with its paltry 1650 mAh battery. The phone might run just fine as long as it is in standby. But, when you turn on cellular+WiFi connection and actively using your phone, the battery will drain in just a few hours. The good news, you can get a spare battery for as low as 10 bucks, cheaper than your dinner last weekend.
Other reasons NOT to get the 820
Agree, if it falls with its display first, theres a large chance that the AMOLED panel is giving up. I would recommend the rugged shell (CC-3040) since it puts lip all around the display.It's fragile. It will break easier than any other phone I've owned.
This reason is mitigated by Windows Phone 8.1's ability to store apps on the SD card. Tip: Get a Class-10 SD card for future-proofingAdd a tiny 8GB internal memory as one of its shortcomings. Personally I have stopped buying any games because I don't have enough memory.
it's a bit heavy. It feels noticeably heavier than a 1020.
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