Lumia 635 or 830/1520?

[Bluetigerninja]

I am a long time Windows fan. I had a HTC Surround, then I had a Lumia 900 and then it stopped working so I decided to get a Lumia 520 GoPhone while my contract was not up yet. The slowness and little capabilities kills me when seeing other phones, especially now that my sister just got a Galaxy S5. I was hoping for a flagship or even a mid-range phablet from that event Tuesday, unfortunately for me just another affordable relatively low-end phone. My contract is up in December and I'm contemplating whether to just upgrade it to a 830 or maybe even a 1520 and then sticking with that for 2 years. Or getting a temporary GoPhone upgrade, the Lumia 635. I'm not sure if I really want to upgrade because when I got my Lumia 900, a couple weeks later they announced the 920 and I was stuck on WP7/7.8 for awhile, I don't want that to happen again if they release something early next year. Opinions/Help?

 

[jpstickler]

I have the 920 and although it runs good I am exploring a new phone as well. Since I agree that there is a good possibility that we will not see something flagship until Windows 10 I am looking at a 1520 to tide me over. Since AT&T Next looks like a rip off I am thinking off buying a new/used 1520 RM-937 or 938 so I can keep the Qi wireless charging from someone else and then when the new phones are out I will still be upgrade eligible.

 

[ven07]

Well here's what you have to consider.. You can get the 635 as a stopgap for now, because MS will eventually release high-end phones (probably mid 2015) and those phones will be very fast if they use the 801 SD or above.

Or you can go for the 1520 and be sure that you will get all/most future updates and have the specs that can support them. This would be a phone to keep for two years

The 830 in my mind could also be viewed as a simple "now" phone, but whether you would want to keep it for two years? The 830 has a SD 400 and that will be outdated. Performance wise it doesn't let you down tho and could easily match the 1520 for speed, but im wondering if that will be the case after a few months of usage

 

[Bluetigerninja]

Yea, another thing I really would want for my phone would be Qi and NFC so I think I might just wait for a new phone to be announced. I will probably go with the 635 so I won't be stuck with an 830 that will be out dated soon. And the AT&T 1520 doesn't have wireless charging. Thanks for your opinion!

 

[ven07]

Yea, another thing I really would want for my phone would be Qi and NFC so I think I might just wait for a new phone to be announced. I will probably go with the 635 so I won't be stuck with an 830 that will be out dated soon. And the AT&T 1520 doesn't have wireless charging. Thanks for your opinion!

Im thinking of getting a low-end phone as well, just to have until MS decide the time is right for a high-end phone, but im also looking at the 930 now lol

 

[HoosierDaddy]

I am a long time Windows fan. I had a HTC Surround, then I had a Lumia 900 and then it stopped working so I decided to get a Lumia 520 GoPhone while my contract was not up yet. The slowness and little capabilities kills me when seeing other phones, especially now that my sister just got a Galaxy S5. I was hoping for a flagship or even a mid-range phablet from that event Tuesday, unfortunately for me just another affordable relatively low-end phone. My contract is up in December and I'm contemplating whether to just upgrade it to a 830 or maybe even a 1520 and then sticking with that for 2 years. Or getting a temporary GoPhone upgrade, the Lumia 635. I'm not sure if I really want to upgrade because when I got my Lumia 900, a couple weeks later they announced the 920 and I was stuck on WP7/7.8 for awhile, I don't want that to happen again if they release something early next year. Opinions/Help?

Your headaches are from being on the hamster wheel of carrier phone upgrades. If you had already owned the 900 you wouldn't have to keep paying for it (added to your service costs) PLUS buy a stop gap phone to tide you over till the carrier has a new hamster wheel for you. Buy your phones outright. If you are really so short on funds you can't pay up front, put it on a CC or borrow it from a relative. Then when something breaks or you decide to change carriers or want a model the carrier won't stoop to overcharge you for, or many other scenarios, you can do what you want, when you want, not be a hamster.

 

[Stephen Pedersen]

The Lumia 635 has the same processor and graphic chip as the 830. It's a pretty decent phone.

 

[mj0]

HoosierDaddy is as right as can be. Get out now and buy your own phone without depending on AT&T. Might even be a 635 until something better shows up. In terms of hardware the 635 and 830 are identical, only difference is the 5" screen and 1GB of RAM on the 830 vs. the 4.5" screen and 512MB of RAM on the 635. The 1520 is a different category altogether, with its 6" screen and Snapdragon 800 you can't really compare it to the 830 or 635. The 1520 is, alongside the 930, as flagship as it'll get until somewhere around mid 2015.

 

[RumoredNow]

...the AT&T 1520 doesn't have wireless charging...

The AT&T 1520 has wireless charging, just not the Qi format. It uses the PowerMat format and you get to play dress-up with your phone by putting it in a snazzy dinner jacket each time it sups...

If you got a 1520.3 it would work on any GSM in the US, have 32GB internal storage, Qi charging without a jacket and NO WAIT for the carrier at update time. Get a 1520.3 now and start shopping for a better plan.

Like AT&T coverage? Use your 1520.3 on Straight Talk with an AT&T compatible SIM, enjoy AT&T LTE speed and save a bundle every month. That will pay for the phone in a short while.

Going overseas? Travel a lot? Take your 1520.3 to T-MoUS on the uncarrier deal. No contract. Free data and SMS texting when traveling. All with better rates than big blue.

Get a Factory Unlocked device and suddenly you have options and are never locked down. Switch to what gives you the best deal at the time, never get locked down again and keep your options open.

I came to T-MoUS on an unlocked device. I did have a branded 925, but as soon as I became aware that 1520.3 was out there, I moved to it.

US carriers love that US consumers don't do their research. You actually have overpaid for every phone you've gotten from AT&T. They make the money back (and then some) on their rates. So do the others who lure you in with a shiny device and then make you commit for two years and act stingy about when you can upgrade and what that upgrade will be. Do you think that a carrier doesn't get a huge volume discount for purchasing so many millions of units of a phone model? They sure do and you don't get any sort of break on the phone in the long run.

 

[GregCra]

I had the 635 and now the 830. The 635 does not have an onboard compass and does not have a flash (so flashlight apps wont' work). Factor this into your thinking too.
Greg

 

[DennyTrend]

1520 is also good..

 

[Roger Deep]

I have the 620 (note that is not the 635) and I have also the 830. The later, 830 is amazing. I know what is a 512mb device and the 830 is way better.

The 635 is bigger but almost like the 620. So the 830 will be a HUGE upgrade, I mean, HUUUUUGGGEEEEEE upgrade.

Someone mentioned the 930. Well, that is another league. The 930 is the top. And the price is not as the other phones. So I think the 830 is the balanced choice.