Thinking of switching from 830 to 640xl. Good or bad idea?

[holymell]

Hi! I recently became the proud owner of a Nokia Lumia 830. I love this device. But...I write and edit a lot, and have found that it's nearly impossible to do so on the 830.

I know, technically this would be a downgrade. I understand that. But the screen real estate of the 640xl really appeals to me, as well as the possibility of using Word on the go.

So I guess my question is this: How user friendly is Word on the XL? Also, has anyone else gone from an 830 to the XL? If so, what am I going to miss? Is this a terrible idea?

I live in the US, so I'm sure I have plenty of time to decide since the XL isn't available here yet.

Any tips would be appreciated! Thank you!

 

[Woodman1914]

I'm not sure if it's that much of a downgrade coming from the 830, there were more downgraded components for me coming from a Lumia 1520 (1080 HD, Snapdragon 800, 20MP Pureview, etc). But the 830 has only slightly more pixel density versus the 640XL, same processor, same RAM. You do lose onboard phone storage depending on what model 830 you had (probably 16GB), as long as you don't mind putting everything on sdcard, also there is no dedicated camera button and optical image stabilization. There are slight advantages camera-wise with the 640XL having a larger sensor (1/3-inch versus 1/3.4) and faster lens (f2.0 versus f2.2), but I'll gladly give those up for OIS. Phone speakers will most likely be a downgrade from the 830, the 640XL having a tiny 8-9mm speaker located near the camera lens for some reason. But the key feature for 640XL is the 5.7-inch screen, a massive advantage over 5 inches. I'm not sure about Word, I don't use it much, but for everything else from onscreen typing, to gps navigation to viewing pictures and videos, makes a world of difference for me.

WW

 

[Mogamy Cool]

wait for the next flagship equipped with windows 10.
640xl has some issues , battery isn't stable, camera isn't good 13 mp, flashlight is so weak.

 

[holymell]

Is the camera really that much worse? The sound quality isn't much of an issue, though I do love the quality of the 830. I also might miss wireless charging...



If the 640Xl camera is bad, I might reconsider switching. I take a lot of pictures and am impressed with my current camera...

I'd definitely buy an SD card, as far as storage is concerned.

The main draw for me is the screen size of the XL, and the possibility of using Word on the phone. If I can effectively use Word on it, I think I could forget about the shortcomings of the phone.

As for the battery- I thought that was where the XL stood out? That's another thing I was really interested in. I need a long lasting battery. What's going on with the battery? How long does it actually last?



Oh, I am way too poor for a flagship. I know that's just not going to happen thank you for taking the time to help me! appreciate it. You've given me a lot to think about.

 

[bo_woods]

Also considering that the 640 XL is going to be around $200, be aware that $200 is also the common price of a 1520 in excellent condition these days...

The 1520 is the better device by far

But with the 640xl your getting a device that is much newer, and you'll be covered in case of defect.

While with the 1520 you'll have to be lucky to get a red, white, yellow, or black still in warranty, but the green model (released this past fall) hasn't even been available for sale a whole year yet, so those will all most likely be in warranty, which will be a big bonus in case you encounter "ghost taps", but as long as you don't put your 1520 in your front pocket then you'll most likely never encounter them


1520
-same price while being better in every way (unless of course being .3 inches bigger is uncomfortable for you)
-Will need to get green in order to have a warranty
-will be Used unless you want to dish out an extra $50 for a brand new one
-you'll need to keep it out of your front pocket

640xl
-newer so you're guaranteed warranty & support
-more comfortable size
-lower specs and quality ( judging by the fact that it is a budget device)

 

[bo_woods]

Also MS Word on Windows Phone isn't really all that feature packed right now, but it gets the job done. It is very very basic as of right now.

But the Word for Mobile coming with Windows 10 is going to be much more packed as we have seen so far

 

[holymell]

I hadn't even thought about the 1520. Does it run as fast as 830 and 640xl? I bought the 830 without a warranty and while I dislike the idea, I've been very lucky and had no issues.

Does 1520 support glance and wireless charging?

As far as Word goes, I can't edit documents on the 830, I can just view them. Can I actually edit them on these other devices? If not, I will certainly keep the 830, or sell it to help pay for 1520.

The reason I want the 640XL is because I've seen commercials where people are using Word with it. I'm obsessed with Word. I would forgo almost every other feature for it.

Thank you for mentioning that! I'd forgotten about it altogether. I need to read more about it.

 

[bo_woods]

I hadn't even thought about the 1520. Does it run as fast as 830 and 640xl? I bought the 830 without a warranty and while I dislike the idea, I've been very lucky and had no issues.

Does 1520 support glance and wireless charging?

As far as Word goes, I can't edit documents on the 830, I can just view them. Can I actually edit them on these other devices? If not, I will certainly keep the 830, or sell it to help pay for 1520.

The reason I want the 640XL is because I've seen commercials where people are using Word with it. I'm obsessed with Word. I would forgo almost every other feature for it.

Thank you for mentioning that! I'd forgotten about it altogether. I need to read more about it.

The Nokia Lumia 1520 alongside the 930 although quite old are Nokia/Microsoft's latest flagship devices...

They have not been succeeded yet

The Nokia Lumia 1520 supports EVERY SINGLE Lumia feature that Windows Phone & the latest Lumia firmware (Denim) have to offer as of right now, and is set to get a lot of what windows 10 has top offer, just like the 930

The 930 is essentially the same device except with a smaller AMOLED screen, less battery life and a different design

So if there is a Lumia feature that you are wondering if the 1520 has as of right now, the answer is yes

So yes the 1520 has Glance and supports wireless charging

But the AT&T variant has had built in qi stripped from it, so in order to use wireless charging with the 1520 you must either put on a charging jacket to support the feature or add it on yourself by popping off the 1520 shell, and gluing down a Qi sticker, and you'll be set...

There are threads here detailing how to do so. Do not try to just pull off the 1520 shell. It takes some steps, but is not a difficult task

Yes the Nokia Lumia 1520 is faster than the 830 and 640 xl. It has the fastest of all the processors in any other Nokia/Microsoft smartphone right now, just like the 930

Also you can't edit documents on the 830? You should very much be able to... You simply have to open the Office app on your windows phone, locate the Word document you want to edit ( whether it is in your "documents" folder on your device or on OneDrive), select it and then at the bottom of the screen should be a pencil icon that you can tap to take you to where you can edit the document.

 

[bo_woods]

Are you in the U.S?

Because what you can sell your 830 for here, shouldn't just help pay for it, but should very much pay it off completely, if it is in good condition.

A great condition 830 can very well be sold for around $200, which can definitely pay off a good 1520 whole from eBay, but if you want one in mint condition you'll probably need to dish out an extra $50 or so.

Also if you do go with the 1520 I don't recommend getting it unprotected.
I would either recommend getting the green model, so you'll still have a manufacturer warranty for a good while, or you can purchase insurance such as Squaretrade, but that'll cost about $30, and $75 each time you need to use the warranty to get a replacement or repair. That is why I highly recommend just opting for the green 1520

 

[AnkitGondalia]

Is the camera really that much worse? The sound quality isn't much of an issue, though I do love the quality of the 830. I also might miss wireless charging...



If the 640Xl camera is bad, I might reconsider switching. I take a lot of pictures and am impressed with my current camera...

I'd definitely buy an SD card, as far as storage is concerned.

The main draw for me is the screen size of the XL, and the possibility of using Word on the phone. If I can effectively use Word on it, I think I could forget about the shortcomings of the phone.

As for the battery- I thought that was where the XL stood out? That's another thing I was really interested in. I need a long lasting battery. What's going on with the battery? How long does it actually last?



Oh, I am way too poor for a flagship. I know that's just not going to happen thank you for taking the time to help me! appreciate it. You've given me a lot to think about.

I think wait for a new device to launch.. There are some great MS mid range phones coming..

 

[the_moesiah]

You can buy insurance for devices from SquareTrade. They even offer protecting for used/refurbished devices, if I'm not mistaken.

I've been waiting endlessly for the 640/XL like a lot of other people here, but now I'm really thinking about going this way. I'll next be able to afford a new flagship outright and I'd rather not have the extra monthly bill (assuming that T-Mobile gets a flagship) so this if a great way to go. I'll probably hang onto a 1520 for a few years and then upgrade to the upcoming flagship, when it gets replaced with a new model. I'm a cheap date, I don't need the latest and greatest =)

Posted via the Windows Central App for Android

 

[the_moesiah]

I hadn't even thought about the 1520. Does it run as fast as 830 and 640xl? I bought the 830 without a warranty and while I dislike the idea, I've been very lucky and had no issues.

Does 1520 support glance and wireless charging?

As far as Word goes, I can't edit documents on the 830, I can just view them. Can I actually edit them on these other devices? If not, I will certainly keep the 830, or sell it to help pay for 1520.

The reason I want the 640XL is because I've seen commercials where people are using Word with it. I'm obsessed with Word. I would forgo almost every other feature for it.

Thank you for mentioning that! I'd forgotten about it altogether. I need to read more about it.

You can buy insurance for devices from SquareTrade. They even offer protecting for used/refurbished devices, if I'm not mistaken.

I've been waiting endlessly for the 640/XL like a lot of other people here, but now I'm really thinking about going this way. I'll next be able to afford a new flagship outright and I'd rather not have the extra monthly bill (assuming that T-Mobile gets a flagship) so this if a great way to go. I'll probably hang onto a 1520 for a few years and then upgrade to the upcoming flagship, when it gets replaced with a new model. I'm a cheap date, I don't need the latest and greatest =)

Posted via the Windows Central App for Android

 

[the_moesiah]

Sorry for the multiple posts. I'm not sure what happened there.

Posted via the Windows Central App for Android

 

[greedo_greedy]

I'd stick with Lumia 830 if I were in your place.
The Lumia 640 XL Word experience should be exactly the same with Lumia 830 except for .7" of additional screen estate.
I would wait for Windows 10 before making an upgrade.

 

[aximtreo]

The 1520 will be more than capable of running WP 10 so that's the way I would go. All in all , it's the best WP ever offered to the US Market by far.

 

[Woodman1914]

I had a 1520, got rid of it for two major reasons - 1) I was running out of space (ATT version with 16GB, about 12 useable) and no sdcard support , and 2) ghost taps were driving me crazy. Battery life between 640 XL and 1520 is comparable, not sure what issues Mogamy Cool is having, my battery is at 40% at the end of the day with medium usage, of course ymmv.

WW

 

[rory753]

Is the camera really that much worse?

I switched to a lumia 640xl from a lumia 830, and no, the camera isn't that much worse. even though it is missing some of the thing's a pureview device like the 830 has, it's fine for most pictures. Also, if you use office lens, the resolution for taking scans is huge compared to the 830.

I will say that if your getting this because you want more screen for editing documents, it does help. the thing is, it's still not a tablet or laptop. one thing you could consider is to get an 8" tablet like the HP steam 8, and tether it or use the built in connection. For me, thats the smallest device i find usable for working on documents. It's not nice carrying around 2 devices, but you may actually like using it more...

 

[bo_woods]

I had a 1520, got rid of it for two major reasons - 1) I was running out of space (ATT version with 16GB, about 12 useable) and no sdcard support , and 2) ghost taps were driving me crazy. Battery life between 640 XL and 1520 is comparable, not sure what issues Mogamy Cool is having, my battery is at 40% at the end of the day with medium usage, of course ymmv.

WW

The AT&T Nokia Lumia 1520 has a micro SD slot. It is located right next to the sum slot on the left side of the device.

 

[Woodman1914]

The AT&T Nokia Lumia 1520 has a micro SD slot. It is located right next to the sum slot on the left side of the device.

You're right, I got rid of a Lumia 925 at the same time and got confused. Got rid of the 1520 because of the ghost taps, 925 because of storage.

WW

 

[bo_woods]

You're right, I got rid of a Lumia 925 at the same time and got confused. Got rid of the 1520 because of the ghost taps, 925 because of storage.

WW

Did you keep the 1520 in your front pocket ?