5 reasons why you should get a Nokia Lumia 820 now & a reason why you should not

ptrkhh

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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:
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
It's fragile. It will break easier than any other phone I've owned.
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.
Add a tiny 8GB internal memory as one of its shortcomings. Personally I have stopped buying any games because I don't have enough memory.
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-proofing

it's a bit heavy. It feels noticeably heavier than a 1020.
 
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Martsicky

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IMO, It's most underrated WindowsPhone device. Totally agree with content of your post. Just sad thing that 820 doesn't have Pureview technology... means that a few of exclusive apps will be missed aboard. :(

yup, L820 battery is a f..... disgrace :-\ With few background tasks, wi-fi on, high brightness level and active usage you won't get more than 4hours.

I'm pretty sure it won't last even 2 hours with: high brightness, wi-fi, double tap to wake, glance screen, NFC, and more than 4-5 background tasks and live tiles pinned.. It is a terrible joke :-( That's why I keep those features off as well as cellular data connection and wi-fi searching. I just use it at home to access wi-fi, because it would eat up my battery so fast.

I highly-recommend this phone to everyone, just having a feeling that I can't get most of this device, due to terrible battery life... It would be great to have an additional battery in a pocket, really.
 

ptrkhh

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Its fine for me not having the Nokia camera apps, I only use the builtin camera app. And most users too, I believe.
When Im using resource intensive apps, the battery usage could go up to 40% per hour which means around 2 hours use.
However, leaving my phone at standby, could last the phone for 2 days (glance always on but always on night mode, double tap on, 6 background apps, WiFi and 3G on), around 3% per hour.
In average, I got 15 hours of battery life based on the statistics on Battery Sense (the best battery app!!!). However, I keep my phone on flight mode when I sleep, which is around 7 hours. Therefore, I actually only use the phone 8 hours a day without the sleep time.
 

MrCartas

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I agree with everything the OP said, but I would add one more reason why you should not get it: It's fragile. It will break easier than any other phone I've owned.
 

fdalbor

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I have been having a 820 for about six months and I agree. I think it is the most underrated phone on the market. The main reason I got it was the small size, it has a nice 4.3 inch screen but it is more than a 1/2 shorter than the 920; but it has the same insides. Also it has a SD card slot, a removeable battery (so much for the battery life), a super bright screen that you can see in broaddaylight. I carry mine in my pocket all day and I have found it is not fragile at all. I have learned how to manage my battery and always get from 26 to 48 hours of use out of a charge, yet I still do whatever I need to do when I need to do it. It took a little while to learn the tricks of avoiding the things that kill the battery; but once adapted its not a problem. And the extra battery is there in case I get careless. I took a look at the 925; but then decided aside from the better camera (and I have no problems with the 820 camera) it was not much of a upgrade from my 820. In fact my only complaint is the slow upgrades from my carrier AT&T. But when my plan runs out I can fix that also. The 820 was one of the best decisions I have made since I got a cell phone.
 

metalchick719

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The 820 was the phone I originally wanted (well, not completely true because I had my eye on the blue-purple 8X when it was announced) as I thought it was going to be the one to hit T-Mobile US. Alas, I ended up getting an 810 last November and then a Rogers 920 that I've been using since May. I've always read that the battery in the 820 is really bad, but I wonder if it's possible to just swap out its original battery and install one that's better?
 

seelani

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I picked my 820 over the 8x. And I was glad I chose this phone. I picked it up instead of the 920 for 2 main reasons, expandable memory and a removable battery. Truly batt life on this phone could be better but and I did break the amoled screen after dropping my phone from the sofa. But the pro's outweigh the cons. It is a device that I love. :)
 

mike13ftw

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There are some higher capacity batteries outside at 2500 mah which will improve the battery life . Its my first wp8 phone and I find it very good at his price 129? . But the store is disappointing
 

MrCartas

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There are some higher capacity batteries outside at 2500 mah which will improve the battery life . Its my first wp8 phone and I find it very good at his price 129€ . But the store is disappointing

You have two options:

For $45.00 you can add 9% more life same size battery.
For $90.00 you can double the battery life and double the thickness of the phone too!

Nokia Lumia 820 - Nokia
 

ptrkhh

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I have dropped my 820 several times, and the condition is fine overall, other than the shell. Actually, I wrote #1 just after I dropped my 820.
Fragile is also a good point, I have seen several 820s with scratched screen on the store, that's not the case with most other phones. I'm lucky because my 820 has anti-fingerprint/matte protector since day one. I hate cleaning fingerprints on my screen.

Is the 2500 battery makes the phone thicker? If not, I'll definitely buy it.
 

GraemeT

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<thread hijack>

A 2500mAh battery for the Lumia 820? You're kidding me. When was this released? This is too good to be true. I'd like to believe this but I'm sceptical. It would transform the phone, but a fifty percent increase in battery capacity in the same volume? Come on. Anyone tried one? You guys Google "Lumia 820 2500" and see what you think. One page states "Notice: The original back case cover is ok." which I take to mean the battery is the same size as the original. All for 17 bucks as well, and free shipping. I guess if you don't mind taking the risk of getting your credit card scammed and pissing away 17 bucks you haven't much to lose. What do you think?

</thread hijack>
 

zack251

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Add a tiny 8GB internal memory as one of its shortcomings. Personally I have stopped buying any games because I don't have enough memory.
 

archimess

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I just bought this phone few weeks ago and I'm loving it. And here is a long time Android user speaking.

I love everything on this phone. The display is beautiful. The design is minimalistic and cool and the back cover switching makes it even better.

The battery is not his strong side, but since I'm almost everywhere connected on WiFi it lasts me the day. With auto brightness and 6-7 apps in the background. Plus I love how fast it charges.

It will surely be updated to 8.1 "Blue" and why not to WP 9 when the time comes.

It handles everything I'm throwing at it with ease.

The only weak side is the camera, but the update to Nokia Camera will fix that low performance since there is a decent optics on it.

If you are on a budget, don't hesitate to buy this phone.

I never could imagine how much I will enjoy WP over Android.


Sent from my Nokia Lumia 820 using Tapatalk
 

Tonchi91

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I just bought this phone few weeks ago and I'm loving it. And here is a long time Android user speaking.

I love everything on this phone. The display is beautiful. The design is minimalistic and cool and the back cover switching makes it even better.

The battery is not his strong side, but since I'm almost everywhere connected on WiFi it lasts me the day. With auto brightness and 6-7 apps in the background. Plus I love how fast it charges.

It will surely be updated to 8.1 "Blue" and why not to WP 9 when the time comes.

It handles everything I'm throwing at it with ease.

The only weak side is the camera, but the update to Nokia Camera will fix that low performance since there is a decent optics on it.

If you are on a budget, don't hesitate to buy this phone.

I never could imagine how much I will enjoy WP over Android.


Sent from my Nokia Lumia 820 using Tapatalk

Camera the weak side? Believe it or not, camera is better than on Lumia 920. If you don't believe it go to Phone Arena and compare Lumia 820 with Lumia 920. There are only two better thing on camera on Lumia 920 and that's OIS and ISO 3200. As you can see from this link Nokia Lumia 820 vs Nokia Lumia 920 - Phone specs comparison
Lumia 820 have better: Aperture size, Focal length, Camera senzor size. And those 3 thing makes a difference in the picture quality. My friend got Lumia 920 today and I have tested the picture quality on both of Lumia 820 (mine) and Lumia 920 (from my friend) and 820 gives more realistic colors, less bluring (even when you zoom), better details.

I have also bought microSD of 32 GB and I am storing there music, videos, pdf's,...And my internal memory is only for apps and games. I have installed 54 apps and 5 games and I still got 3,53 GB of internal memory.
 

archimess

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Camera the weak side? Believe it or not, camera is better than on Lumia 920. If you don't believe it go to Phone Arena and compare Lumia 820 with Lumia 920. There are only two better thing on camera on Lumia 920 and that's OIS and ISO 3200. As you can see from this link Nokia Lumia 820 vs Nokia Lumia 920 - Phone specs comparison
Lumia 820 have better: Aperture size, Focal length, Camera senzor size. And those 3 thing makes a difference in the picture quality. My friend got Lumia 920 today and I have tested the picture quality on both of Lumia 820 (mine) and Lumia 920 (from my friend) and 820 gives more realistic colors, less bluring (even when you zoom), better details.

I have also bought microSD of 32 GB and I am storing there music, videos, pdf's,...And my internal memory is only for apps and games. I have installed 54 apps and 5 games and I still got 3,53 GB of internal memory.




As I said, I come from Android, switched between a lot of devices and done it all, from flashing, rooting, to writing code and developing.
Actually my last device was Note 2 that has pretty much the same camera on paper and I was getting better shots with it.
I still haven't tested this camera to its fullest and much in real life conditions, if I can put it like that. Its not bad, but I think I was expecting better from this lens.
And also I think you are wrong about the 920 having the less superior camera from those two. Although I haven't had a chance to compare them, every review says that the 920 has the better camera.
I only used the Lumia 1020, but that is a whole different league.
On the storage side of things,one of the reasons I have bought this phone is for it's expandable storage. Put an 16gig mSD and I still haven't experienced any problems with running out of memory.
All in all its a great phone and I'm glad I joined the WP dudes. I see a bright future for this platform.


Sent from my Nokia Lumia 820 using Tapatalk
 

Ashish Saraf1

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I just bought this phone few weeks ago and I'm loving it. And here is a long time Android user speaking.

I love everything on this phone. The display is beautiful. The design is minimalistic and cool and the back cover switching makes it even better.

The battery is not his strong side, but since I'm almost everywhere connected on WiFi it lasts me the day. With auto brightness and 6-7 apps in the background. Plus I love how fast it charges.

It will surely be updated to 8.1 "Blue" and why not to WP 9 when the time comes.

It handles everything I'm throwing at it with ease.

The only weak side is the camera, but the update to Nokia Camera will fix that low performance since there is a decent optics on it.

If you are on a budget, don't hesitate to buy this phone.

I never could imagine how much I will enjoy WP over Android.


Sent from my Nokia Lumia 820 using Tapatalk

You can download NOKIA CAMERA via proxy hack...i have been using it since months

sent either from my Nokia Lumia 820 or HTC Desire HD
 

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