Lumia 930 was delivered yesterday: my initial thoughts

[SearleyMoto]

Hello all!

I have just returned to Windows Phone again. I had purchased a Lumia 925 last year, but it had a faulty SIM tray. I got a replacement device but that also had a faulty SIM tray so I cancelled the order and went back to my trusty iPhone. If you hate Apple, tough. I've had nothing but positive experiences with all my Apple devices. If you hate Apple, Google or even Microsoft - I don't care. I'm just here to share my thoughts on the Lumia 930. That's all.

Fast forward to now and I'm currently setting up a new business and needed a work phone so I decided to give Windows Phone another try, I've always liked the metro UI and the only reason the 925 went back was due to Nokia, not Microsoft. I found the 930 highly desirable as soon as I first clapped eyes on it, it's a very simple yet stylish design and the larger full HD 5 inch display was very appealing. And the WP 8.1 update seemed to address most of my niggles with Windows Phone, such as the welcome addition of a notification centre, more control over sounds/alerts etc and a few other small but welcome improvements. I'm not too fussed about hardware, software optimisation is far more important (Apple excel in this area) but I'm looking forward to trying the 20mp PureView camera (I like photography!)

Here's a few pics of my device,



I like the bright colour options, but played it safe and went for a white one,



The screen is fantastic, one of the best I've seen on a mobile device! Colours are insane and really pop, viewing angles are incredible,



Apps are still a bit hit and miss, some are shockingly bad, but others are simply stunning, like this weather app called Weather Flow,



First impressions are very positive. It feels extremely well built and feels nice in the hand. It's easy to grip and hold on to, unlike the HTC One M8 that I picked up in a shop the other day. It seems quite snappy and lag free, as you would expect a Windows Phone to be. Some third-party apps lag quite badly, but that's obviously the app NOT the OS causing that.

Battery life seems very good. It's still on its first charge. It was fully charged at 9pm yesterday evening and at the time of writing this post almost 27 hours later, it's still showing 30% after quite a bit of downloading apps and social media/email activity. So with heavy use it'll easily last a day.

I haven't tried the camera yet so I can't comment on that, but I'll report back in a few days after I've had chance to play around a bit more. I'll take some photos and post them up here too. I'm quite busy at the moment so it might be a few days before I can get back on here.

If you have any specific questions about the phone feel free to ask.

 

[BB10fanatic]

How do you manage the difference in size between this device and the iPhone?

 

[hasasimo]

Can I ask where you're based? Interested to hear how U.S. users are fairing with this phone since it's not designed for use here.

 

[sibirsk]

Since you write about its fantastic screen and "incredible" viewing angles, can you comment on hue shift at small viewing angles?
On my 930, no need to look at it side-on. It takes a small viewing angle for red hues to become very dark, bordeaux-ish. Linked with this are whites that turn to cyan, and yellow tones becoming sort of lime.
This unfortunately is not "incredible" in my book...
Although I read of similar issues with Samsung's S4 display (which, indeed, uses the exact same display as the L930).

 

[assasinezio4]

i am already an ios user..like metro ui and wp but still worrying about wp store.i am really confused.should i wait for iphone6 or purchase lumia930?

 

[Liam Bryce]

Since you write about its fantastic screen and "incredible" viewing angles, can you comment on hue shift at small viewing angles?
On my 930, no need to look at it side-on. It takes a small viewing angle for red hues to become very dark, bordeaux-ish. Linked with this are whites that turn to cyan, and yellow tones becoming sort of lime.
This unfortunately is not "incredible" in my book...
Although I read of similar issues with Samsung's S4 display (which, indeed, uses the exact same display as the L930).

It sounds like you might have got a faulty one? Even at almost 90 degrees all colours show up the same.

 

[SearleyMoto]

Hi everyone, thanks for all the replies/comments.

How do you manage the difference in size between this device and the iPhone?

I have no problem with the size as I've previously owned a Galaxy S3. I actually prefer the bigger screen sizes because viewing media (videos, web pages, social networks etc) is far better IMO. If you've got really small hands then it might be difficult to reach the top of the screen with one hand, but for typing WP 8.1 has a Swype style keyboard which personally I love. I'm really looking forward to upgrading my personal phone to an iPhone 6 as iOS 8 is going to support third-party keyboards so I can finally have Swype on my iPhone. Looking forward to the new larger iPhone 6 screen too, my current 5S now feels tiny in comparison to my Lumia 930. I think 4.5 to 5 inch screens are the ideal size.

Since you write about its fantastic screen and "incredible" viewing angles, can you comment on hue shift at small viewing angles?
On my 930, no need to look at it side-on. It takes a small viewing angle for red hues to become very dark, bordeaux-ish. Linked with this are whites that turn to cyan, and yellow tones becoming sort of lime.
This unfortunately is not "incredible" in my book...
Although I read of similar issues with Samsung's S4 display (which, indeed, uses the exact same display as the L930).

I'm not sure why you're having trouble with your display. I don't have any of the problems you've listed. As I originally said, the screen looks incredible, at least to my eyes anyway and it certainly looks as good as any other flag ship phone's display. My screen settings are standard/factory settings, I've not changed them at all. Sorry to hear you're not happy with yours, but I love mine.

Can I ask where you're based? Interested to hear how U.S. users are fairing with this phone since it's not designed for use here.

Sure, I'm based in the UK. I think the U.S. version is the Icon(?), but I'm not sure if it's exactly the same spec as the 930. It's annoying when carriers get exclusive deals and other phones then aren't available.

i am already an ios user..like metro ui and wp but still worrying about wp store.i am really confused.should i wait for iphone6 or purchase lumia930?

That really depends on your own personal preferences. Both OS's are totally different and so are their respective ecosystems. If you have multiple Apple devices, iPhone, iPad and MacBook for example then I'd wait for the new iPhone. Apple devices are designed to work with each other and offer many more benefits compared to just using one single device.

However, if it's purely a phone we're talking about then if you really like the Metro UI maybe you should give Windows Phone a try? The WP app store is still WAY behind both Apple's and Google's app stores in terms of the sheer number of apps available, BUT the Windows Phone app store is making progress, the main apps are pretty much all there now, so you'll find most of your needs are covered and it's only a matter of time before developers realise that Windows Phone is here to stay.

 

[assasinezio4]

Really appreciate for nice expression..

 

[Andrea988]

Hello all!

I have just returned to Windows Phone again. I had purchased a Lumia 925 last year, but it had a faulty SIM tray. I got a replacement device but that also had a faulty SIM tray so I cancelled the order and went back to my trusty iPhone. If you hate Apple, tough. I've had nothing but positive experiences with all my Apple devices. If you hate Apple, Google or even Microsoft - I don't care. I'm just here to share my thoughts on the Lumia 930. That's all.

Why mention it at all then?

I got mine a couple of days ago and seem to be suffering some of the issues that others have mentioned, namely the phone getting quite hot quite quickly and a slight pink/purple hue rising diagonally from the bottom right hand corner. tinkering with the colour settings does help but even setting it well towards Green tint in the Colour Profile doesn't get rid of it.

I'm also not sure if it's getting worse or if it's just me but yesterday - before I noticed the pink hue - I was struck by how bright it is, today it doesn't seem so bright even with the brightness ramped up full.

The other issue is the battery. I fully charged it overnight on Tuesday and it ran down to 5% by 7 p.m. last night from first using it at 8 a.m. in the morning, quite a bit of internet use (though probably no more than three hours in total), wi-fi left on, 3 phone calls, a few photos, played 2 music tracks and that was it. I wouldn't class that as heavy use.

Same this morning, charged last night and left on the charging pad until I went to bed at around 2 a.m., up at 8, have used it a lot less than yesterday so for and now, by 2 p.m. the battery is showing 51%.

I am reluctant to return it and have to start all over again, unless it gets any worse, so I'm hoping these issues are related and an update will sort it out. Battery probably just needs "bedding in".

 

[SearleyMoto]

Why mention it at all then?

I got mine a couple of days ago and seem to be suffering some of the issues that others have mentioned, namely the phone getting quite hot quite quickly and a slight pink/purple hue rising diagonally from the bottom right hand corner. tinkering with the colour settings does help but even setting it well towards Green tint in the Colour Profile doesn't get rid of it.

I'm also not sure if it's getting worse or if it's just me but yesterday - before I noticed the pink hue - I was struck by how bright it is, today it doesn't seem so bright even with the brightness ramped up full.

The other issue is the battery. I fully charged it overnight on Tuesday and it ran down to 5% by 7 p.m. last night from first using it at 8 a.m. in the morning, quite a bit of internet use (though probably no more than three hours in total), wi-fi left on, 3 phone calls, a few photos, played 2 music tracks and that was it. I wouldn't class that as heavy use.

Same this morning, charged last night and left on the charging pad until I went to bed at around 2 a.m., up at 8, have used it a lot less than yesterday so for and now, by 2 p.m. the battery is showing 51%.

I am reluctant to return it and have to start all over again, unless it gets any worse, so I'm hoping these issues are related and an update will sort it out. Battery probably just needs "bedding in".

Why mention what? The reference to Apple fanboys? Oh I dunno, I guess with it being my post I thought I'd write what I like :wink:

I'm sorry to hear you're also having problems with your display. My device's screen seems fine and I'm also not having any issues regarding overheating. It does get quite hot when charging, but most phones do these days.

I charged mine this morning (fully charged at 9am) and so far I've used made a couple of calls (about 30 mins each), 30 mins of internet, checked/sent some emails, checked socials, had a play with Cortana (stop sniggering at the back!), and downloaded a few more apps and it's now just gone 3:30pm and it's showing 84% remaining.

Maybe there's some from a dodgy batch out there and you've got one of those? As stated in my original post I had issues with my 925 last year and ended up sending it back. It's never nice when you get a new device and it doesn't work properly. I hope you get it sorted out though and you enjoy the 930.

 

[Andrea988]

I'll give it the weekend then ring O2 I think. The screen colour issue can be all but sorted by tinkering with the settings but I went to bed last night with the phone fully charged, and this morning have used it for browsing the internet, adding a couple of posts and reading my email, over wi-fi. That's it. By 11 a.m. the battery was down to 51% again.

Brightness is set to Medium. Wi-fi is downstairs and this morning I was using the phone in the bedroom, but that's the same as I have done with every other phone and being a light user generally I usually get well over a full day with every other phone I have ever had.

A 50% drop in two hours isn't right and it has been charged several times now so the battery should have bedded in by now. My MOTO G has been left switched on, wi-fi on, since I got the Nokia 3 days ago and although I haven't used it it's still showing 38% charge.

 

[colinkiama]

maybe toggle celluar data, bluetooth and tap+send off is the solution to your problems.

 

[MrWhiteman]

It the back case slightly loose on the bottom on the opposite side to the speaker (left if looking at back)

 

[Xarok]

I had a look at the 930 in a shop the other day. My initial impressions were:
Very small bezels.
The clear black is awesome, I couldn't tell where the pixels ended and the glass began.
Nice size, shape and weight.
The back covers for everything but black are likely to get marked easily, I was holding the green one and it was pretty scuffed and "rough".
Wasn't so keen on the bright green colour, it looked a little washed out, more of a faded "lime" green than a bright neon.

Anyway, a nice device but I would like a larger screen than 5".

 

[Andrea988]

I had a look at the 930 in a shop the other day. My initial impressions were:
Very small bezels.
The clear black is awesome, I couldn't tell where the pixels ended and the glass began.
Nice size, shape and weight.
The back covers for everything but black are likely to get marked easily, I was holding the green one and it was pretty scuffed and "rough".
Wasn't so keen on the bright green colour, it looked a little washed out, more of a faded "lime" green than a bright neon.

Anyway, a nice device but I would like a larger screen than 5".

Most people are likely to use a case on an expensive phone anyway but it looks pretty hard wearing to me. Everything is going to scuff sooner or later if it's not looked after. Take a look at the LG G3, looks great in the photos but pick one up and the obviously-plastic rear cover feels awful.

I wanted the G3 at first because I really, really wanted the 5.5 inch but the quality of the Nokia swung me, and side by side you won't notice a huge amount of difference - do a search for a picture of the 930 v the 5.5 inch G3 and you'll see that the little bit of difference is hardly noticeable, but of course everybody's different.

In the right light the green one, which is the one I have, is definitely neon rather than lime. I think it's just enough of a talking point without it being too garish. Fluorescent lighting can alter the way it looks but in daylight it's brilliant.

 

[bh626]

Here's what they look like

Visual Phone Size Comparison

 

[Andrea988]

Here's what they look like

Visual Phone Size Comparison

The difference looks massive on there but if you look at the actual phones side by side (in a shop) there doesn't seem to be that much difference honestly.

 

[Andrea988]

maybe toggle celluar data, bluetooth and tap+send off is the solution to your problems.

Why? You should not have to toggle anything to make a phone work as it should.

 

[Andrea988]

It the back case slightly loose on the bottom on the opposite side to the speaker (left if looking at back)

No, it's solid as a rock. O2 have agreed to replace it anyway so hopefully the replacement will be better.

 

[WP7Nettwerk]

I have Lumia 930 green and Lumia Icon. I want white. PLzzzzzz. Hardware is the same on both only 4G/LTE difference. On Icon has more better clear black than on 930. On my Lumia 930 has purple hue. And it is little bit annoying. Icon doesnt so hot than 930. Im using both phones. I think I'll return back 930 issues reason. Icon wins in those aspects.