Lumia 830 -v- iPhone 6 (mini comparison)

[raqball]

I've had the iPhone 6 since launch day and I've had the Lumia 830 since launch day. I will try to get a 3rd camera and snap some side by side comparison shots of the 2 phones later and will update with the photos.

Pricing

The iPhone 6 version set me back $650 plus tax and the Lumia 830 set me back $450. The Lumia 830 does come with a Fitbit Flex which retails for $100. I sold my Fitbit Flex the same day I got the device for $80 so the Lumia 830 really only set me back $370. This equates to a $280 difference in the actual out of pocket cost to me for the price of the phones.

Basic Specs:

Both phones have 16GB of storage and both phones have 1GB of RAM. The screens are similar with the Lumia 830 having a 5" 720p screen and the iPhone 6 having a 4.7" 750p screen.

The processor is hard to gauge based on my usage. I don't game and I don't process large amounts of photos and / or video. It's clear the iPhone 6 has the faster processor but I notice no difference between the 2 in my day to day use.

The Lumia has a removable battery (big plus), an SD card slot (massive plus), and wireless charging (big plus) that the iPhone does not. The Lumia also has double tap and Glance which are nice features to have in my book.

The fingerprint scanner on the iPhone 6 is pretty darn awesome and it works each and every time..

Screen:

I do not notice a huge difference between the 2 screens. I do enjoy the slightly larger display on the Lumia 830 as I believe 5" is the sweet spot for a phone. The iPhone has slightly better blacks and slightly better whites but colors pop on the Lumia screen a little more. I have changed the Lumia 830 to the 'vivid' setting so that may be why.

Build Quality:

It's no secret that Apple makes absolutely gorgeous devices. It's an art and they have it nailed. The Lumia is not that far behind however. The 830 feels like a very high end device in the hand! I see no quality control issues on either. The iPhone 6 is thinner and lighter but again, the Lumia is not that far behind it.

Camera:

For low light photos the 830 is better and for outdoor photos the iPhone 6 is better. In my opinion they are fairly close and we are talking about a camera on a phone here. I don't expect professional quality photos from either of them. The iPhone 6 camera is much faster however.

OS:

iOS is the more polished in my opinion. That's not to say Windows phone OS is bad because it's not. Things are more fluid and smooth on iOS where as I get some shuddering on WP 8.1. The shuddering is minor and I would not classify it as lag. Speaking of lag, iOS has none, zero, nadda. WP 8.1 has some minor lag but it's nothing major and I don't consider it an issue at all.

One mega bonus of Windows phone however is live tiles! They rock and smoke iOS in this regard. I flat out love live tiles!

Apps:

iOS App Store flat out demolishes Windows Store in both availability of apps and in many cases, app quality. Windows Store is getting better but some major apps are nowhere to be found in the Windows Store. The Windows Store is also cluttered with a BUNCH of garbage / fake / junk apps. I did read somewhere that MS is in the process of cleaning all this up.

For the most part however, I find everything I need in the Windows Store. While there is no official Starbucks app, there are suitable alternatives.

Sound:

I'm not a huge user of the speakers on either and I rarely even use headphones but in the limited times I've used the speakers on both, sound is pretty equal. Headphones, for some odd reason, sound a little better on the iPhone.

Phone quality is similar on both. I don't have any complaints on either and neither of them stood out as having better sound quality during phone calls. I've not had any complaints from people on the other end with either of these devices.

Other Observations:

Cases: The iPhone 6 has infinite choices whereas the Lumia is limited, very limited.
Volume rocker: Solid on both
Lock button: Solid on both
Headphone jack: I prefer it on the top like the Lumia
Charging port: I prefer it on the bottom like the iPhone 6. (not a huge issue since the Lumia has Qi)

Scores:

Pricing (bang for the buck):
Lumia 830 = 8
iPhone 6 = 5 (the iPhone spec wise is a mid level device but has high end pricing)

Specs:
Lumia 830 = 7
iPhone 6 = 7

** The iPhone 6, on paper, has the much faster processor but I don't notice any difference in my day to day use. The 830 makes up points here for it's removable battery and SD card slot.

Screen:
Lumia 830 = 8
iPhone 6 = 8

Build Quality:
Lumia 830 = 8
iPhone 6 = 9

Camera:
Lumia 830 = 8
iPhone 6 = 8

OS:
Lumia 830 = 8
iPhone 6 = 9

Apps:
Lumia 830 = 6
iPhone 6 = 9

Sound:
Lumia 830 = 8
iPhone 6 = 8

Other Observations:
Lumia 830 = 8
iPhone 6 = 8

Overall:
Lumia 830 = 9
iPhone 6 = 9.5

Over all I'd say the Lumia 830 stacks up very nicely against the iPhone 6. Add in the fact that the 830 is a lot cheaper and you can't really beat it's bang for the buck when compared to the iPhone.

 

[kristalsoldier]

Thanks. Very interesting comparison. However, would you not say that given the price differential between the L830 and the iPhone 6, the over all rating would be either the same or slightly in favour of the L830 with the difference in price off-setting the marginal advantage that the iPhone 6 has? Of course, the only sticking point is the respective app store. I'd say that 50% of the value of the smart phone today lies in the app store and this is where any and all Windows Phones lose their competitive advantage.

 

[raqball]

Thanks. Very interesting comparison. However, would you not say that given the price differential between the L830 and the iPhone 6, the over all rating would be either the same or slightly in favour of the L830 with the difference in price off-setting the marginal advantage that the iPhone 6 has? Of course, the only sticking point is the respective app store. I'd say that 50% of the value of the smart phone today lies in the app store and this is where any and all Windows Phones lose their competitive advantage.

I see your point but I don't think we should buy a phone based on price unless it's for a child..

I tired to rate both based on the phone features and functions alone, sans the pricing.. As far as bang for the buck goes, there is no comparison. The 830 flat out demolishes the iPhone 6 in that regard..

All things considered is the iPhone 6 worth almost $300 more than the Lumia 830? Nope..

I like my iPhone 6, don't get me wrong but when I compare it to the Lumia 830 I fully understand that I overpaid for what I got with the iPhone..

 

[Guytronic]

Thanx for the comparisons raqball!
Took some time to put this together the community appreciates threads like these.

 

[prasath1234]

Great review.kudos.

 

[raqball]

Thanx for the comparisons raqball!
Took some time to put this together the community appreciates threads like these.

Great review.kudos.

Thanks! I will try and get some photos up later.. My photography skills are lacking but I will do my best..

 

[kristalsoldier]

I see your point but I don't think we should buy a phone based on price unless it's for a child..

I tired to rate both based on the phone features and functions alone, sans the pricing.. As far as bang for the buck goes, there is no comparison. The 830 flat out demolishes the iPhone 6 in that regard..

All things considered is the iPhone 6 worth almost $300 more than the Lumia 830? Nope..

I like my iPhone 6, don't get me wrong but when I compare it to the Lumia 830 I fully understand that I overpaid for what I got with the iPhone..

Thanks. Yes, I agree. The problem though is that most people who do buy the iPhone 6 don't tend to view it as coolly and rationally as you have.

But that said, I was just looking at something which is perhaps connected to our discussion. My workplace uses Oracle Calendar. Now, I have the L830 and a Surface Pro 3 and together they constitute my work (and play) devices. Now, I have to access this stupid Oracle calendar for work purposes. So, what do I do? I have to access it from my SP3 via a webpage. This is not so much of a problem when I am sitting down, but when I am moving around, I need to have it on my phone. Now, if I had an iPhone 6, I would have used something like this - Tasks+Cal+Sync (ios) | AppCrawlr

I have looked in the Windows Phone store and the Windows 8.1 store for the Surface and I have found nothing. And, by asking around, I have learnt that there is nothing like this around - at least my contacts - some of who are professionally into the MS eco-system - tell me that there is nothing like this.

So, you see what I mean. Its at times like this that the premium that one pays for the iPhone 6 perhaps pays for itself!!! I really wish MS did something about stuff like this!

 

[raqball]

Thanks. Yes, I agree. The problem though is that most people who do buy the iPhone 6 don't tend to view it as coolly and rationally as you have.

But that said, I was just looking at something which is perhaps connected to our discussion. My workplace uses Oracle Calendar. Now, I have the L830 and a Surface Pro 3 and together they constitute my work (and play) devices. Now, I have to access this stupid Oracle calendar for work purposes. So, what do I do? I have to access it from my SP3 via a webpage. This is not so much of a problem when I am sitting down, but when I am moving around, I need to have it on my phone. Now, if I had an iPhone 6, I would have used something like this - Tasks+Cal+Sync (ios) | AppCrawlr

I have looked in the Windows Phone store and the Windows 8.1 store for the Surface and I have found nothing. And, by asking around, I have learnt that there is nothing like this around - at least my contacts - some of who are professionally into the MS eco-system - tell me that there is nothing like this.

So, you see what I mean. Its at times like this that the premium that one pays for the iPhone 6 perhaps pays for itself!!! I really wish MS did something about stuff like this!

I wholeheartedly agree!

Microsoft needs to promote this device and I mean promote it hard! Commercials galore and maybe a sponsorship on a popular TV show. 'The Walking Dead brought to you by the Lumia 830' or something like that.

They also need to entice developers.. Maybe something along the lines of 'Hey there developer person guess what? For the 1st year your App is live there are NO fees and we won't take a cent from your profits'. Or Maybe, 'Hey there developer person. Make a cool app and if it reaches xxx number of downloads we will ship you a free SP3 or a Windows phone of your choice'..

MS really needs to do something and I hope they do.. The 830 is a fabulous device and Windows OS is awesome so what's lacking? Apps and Marketing in my opinion.

 

[benoitgphoto]

Absolutely agree. Lack of promoting for Windows phone is the first problem. Second problem is the apps and third problem is Internet Explorer. IE comes nowhere close to Safari IMO.

UI with live tiles blows IOS out of water. Windows phone 8.1 is also much more stable than IOS. Finally, L830 has a much better battery life than iPhone

 

[raqball]

I don't mind IE as I don't use mobile browsers much. I rarely use Safari on the iPhone either.. But yes, Safari on the iPhone is better than IE on the 830..

 

[gmfeld]

I am a lawyer in a for, we work in a Windows Office environment. I always read about the "app gap" and I know it's real, but it hardly comes into play in my life. What I see as a big problem is the terrible marketing of Windows Phones by all the U.S. carriers. Particularly ATT, my carrier. They just don't give a crap. This has been going on forever and shows no sign of improvement. I was in the ATT store the other day checking out a case for my 830, an elderly women came in looking to replace her Nokia windows phone. She was asking about the Icon, he told her they don't carry it and true to push her into a new Android. I was standing right there and showed her the 830. The sales guy said "I don't know much about the Lumia phones" and walked away and left her on her own. The product can't succeed with marketing like that.

 

[raqball]

I am a lawyer in a for, we work in a Windows Office environment. I always read about the "app gap" and I know it's real, but it hardly comes into play in my life. What I see as a big problem is the terrible marketing of Windows Phones by all the U.S. carriers. Particularly ATT, my carrier. They just don't give a crap. This has been going on forever and shows no sign of improvement. I was in the ATT store the other day checking out a case for my 830, an elderly women came in looking to replace her Nokia windows phone. She was asking about the Icon, he told her they don't carry it and true to push her into a new Android. I was standing right there and showed her the 830. The sales guy said "I don't know much about the Lumia phones" and walked away and left her on her own. The product can't succeed with marketing like that.

Thoroughly agree!

AT&T is not as bad as Verizon though when it comes to WP.

I wanted the Icon so I started up a pre paid plan just to use it on. Verizon was horrible! They had one WP (not the Icon) on display and it would not even turn on. When I said I wanted the Icon the girl actually laughed and asked if I was serious.. She got it and attempted to activate it by fumbling through the initial setup. At one point she even said 'I can see why nobody buys these' right in front of me.

When I went to the AT&T store to get my 830 they had it on display front and center of the store. Next to it was the 1520 and they were flanked by the S5 and the Note 4..

When I told the rep what I wanted he didn't degrade WP and just said it was a nice phone. He didn't fumble through the setup and he came across to me as having some knowledge of the OS at least.

I realize that every store is different and that it will also vary widely from rep to rep but my experience with AT&T was much better than with Verizon when it comes to WP at least.

I agree that MS needs to do a better job and that the carriers need to train their employees better. I think for some odd reason the reps and carriers try to push everyone to Androids or iPhones.. If they bothered to show people WP, I think more people would buy it.

 

[dcuk7]

I think you should tweak your review to include the proper information about the processor inside the iPhone 6. The A8 processor trounces the Snapdragon 801 in single core performance and edges it in multicore performance so the difference between that and a Snapdragon 400 is astronomical.

 

[raqball]

I think you should tweak your review to include the proper information about the processor inside the iPhone 6. The A8 processor trounces the Snapdragon 801 in single core performance and edges it in multicore performance so the difference between that and a Snapdragon 400 is astronomical.

Specs aside, the 830 is just as snappy save for minor lag and shuddering here and there.

I'll keep the review as it is but thanks for the suggestion..

 

[apinkel]

I think you should tweak your review to include the proper information about the processor inside the iPhone 6. The A8 processor trounces the Snapdragon 801 in single core performance and edges it in multicore performance so the difference between that and a Snapdragon 400 is astronomical.

I agree. It just amazes me that the 830, a phone with a midrange processor (bordering on low-end), can be directly compared to a phone that has one of the fastest processors money can buy.

 

[raqball]

I agree. It just amazes me that the 830, a phone with a midrange processor (bordering on low-end), can be directly compared to a phone that has one of the fastest processors money can buy.

Maybe you should try them both side by side for yourself and see how specs don't always translate into real world use?

Edit to add:

I just ran some app tests

Messaging App: The 830 opened faster
Email App: The 830 opened faster
Twitter client (Tweetbot on iOS and Tweetium on Windows) The iPhone opened faster
Calendar: The iPhone opened faster
Weather: Can't tell lets call it a tie

All these app tests were very close. They were so close I had to open them several times before deciding which was faster.

I don't game so maybe the iPhone would smoke the 830 in that area..

For my use, which is what my mini comparison was based, I see little to no difference. Your mileage may vary..

 

[Keith Wallace]

Most of this is a solid review, but the "specs" section is a travesty, IMO. I get that folks like the ability to add storage and swap batteries, but there was clearly nothing on a technical level applied to that part of the review. The Lumia 830 carries a low-end (well, a step above low-end, but not even mid-range) SoC, which has an overall set of parts behind that of the 2012 Snapdragon S4 in the 920. The iPhone 6, on the other hand, carries a top-notch SoC, and a 64-bit one, at that (offering better performance and hardware expansion long-term). Simply put, as much as Apple leans on its brand and overprices its products, the iPhone 6 legitimately carries high-end guts, even if the RAM quantity isn't the best. The SoC differences you don't discuss are likely why things seem snappier on iOS. Maybe part of it is slow animations from Windows Phone's tiles, but an inferior processor WILL cause apps to open more slowly, so it's certainly something to factor in.

Don't get me wrong, I'd never touch an iOS (or other Apple) device from a personal purchase standpoint, but these phones are not in the same class, in terms of their internals. The iPhone 6 carries high-end parts inside, while the Lumia 830 is a budget phone with a good camera.

 

[James8561]

for speed comparison you should try opening desktop websites. A8 will smoke SD400 in that one for sure. gaming, A8 way faster. opening camera, i'm willing to bet that iPhone is fastest.
Sure little daily things such as opening light but frequently used apps may not show a difference, but when the time comes for some intensive processing, the specs difference will show.
it's the same as on desktop. opening things with a core i7 will feel almost the same as a core i3, but when you transcode videos, play games, photoshop images, etc the i7 will smoke the i3.

for the specs category, you really should consider giving iPhone 6 a 10/10. it is THE fastest smartphone after all (only marginally slower than iPhone 6+ but that's phablet)

 

[broar94]

^^^ Exactly!! Giving a rating of 9.0 for Lumia 820 and 9.2 for iPhone 6 is not really valid. iPhone 6 will smoke that phone. And OP calling iPhone 6 a mid level phone!!! It's not a valid end-to-end comparison TBH

 

[apinkel]

^^^ Exactly!! Giving a rating of 9.0 for Lumia 820 and 9.2 for iPhone 6 is not really valid. iPhone 6 will smoke that phone. And OP calling iPhone 6 a mid level phone!!! It's not a valid end-to-end comparison TBH

He said he gave it that rating because he doesn't game and that YMMV. That's his rating of the phone based on his use case. So his rating is valid.