New 640 XL or New/Refurb 1520 ?

[jwhipple]

I'm coming back home to Windows folks - I'm over Android! I should never have gone back to Android - people say it's better because it has a larger apps market - that doesn't mean squat when you hardly use anything on the market! I use my phone for professional use - 99.9% of the apps out there don't apply to me!

That having been said, I'm looking at the large form-factor phones - both the 640XL and the 1520, to be used on AT&T.

Of course, the 640 XL is the newest of the bunch, but doesn't have the latest CPU , etc.

The 1520 is a few years old but apparently still has the best available hardware out there!

Memory doesn't make a lot of difference to me - I've got a 64GB MicroSD card , which is going into the phone regardless of which one I get, and is overkill either way.

The free 1 year of Office 365 Personal doesn't mean much to me either way - I've got Office 365 Pro free through work as long as I'm employed.

The price for the 640 XL is $249.99

The price for the 1520 (what I can find on eBay) is anywhere from $240(ish) to $300(ish)

The price difference really isn't going to sway me either way, but if YOU had to make the choice, which would you go with - the latest available, or something a few years old that has better hardware?

I REALLY appreciate any input - this is really a tough call for me and would love to hear from persons who have used either (or both!) phones!

 

[Mohak Adav]

I got my new Black 640XL for just 209$ from Amazon India. Upgraded from L720.
If i were you I would go with the 640XL as it does most of the jobs , if you are into gaming stuff then 1520 seems good option .

 

[neodk]

I'm currently in the market for another phone myself and I'm weighing my options on Craigslist. Right now I don't see any secondhand phones in the $250 range that really seem worth someone's crusty earwax and months' of use to justify the purchase. There are a few glimmers of hope here and there, but $275 (figuring taxes) is all that I am willing to spend.

If you want new, the 640XL seems to be a solid choice. I'm on the 635 right now which has the same processor with half the RAM, smaller screen, and fewer features. It works. I really shouldn't buy another phone but I'm going to anyway because the camera is an important aspect. Other frontrunners for my hard earned cash are the on the iOS and Android side. I would only consider an iPhone again if the price was right (meaning not $500 for someone's used phone) and they had an accessory or two with it that wasn't torn to shreds. The other option I thought about was the LG G3 again. The screen is sharp and the camera is nice. Again, price needs to be right.

 

[jwhipple]

I just went to the AT&T store to put my hands on the 640 XL - not bad at all!

But I always think things happen for a reason...

When I got there they only had the display unit and one in the back, but it was open box, which they were unwilling to sell to me.

Sure, there's another store about 30 miles from there that has 3 in stock, BUT, I think that was an omen , telling me that I should lean more towards the 1520.

I'm thinking I'm going to sleep on it before ordering, but, again, I think everything happens for a reason!

 

[Jakoh]

Get a blackberry passport.
There isnt much comparision between 1520 and 640xl.
1520 is a pretty kickass phone.

 

[jwhipple]

No thanks, those are hideous!

 

[Andrew_404]

There's a very good side by side comparison on the 640xl and the 1520 on the web. Search under Bing or Google and type in compare 640 versus 1520. Some guy did it. The 1520 is a yellow model where's the 640xl is black. You can also look at the B&H photo website in NY for pricing and the unlocked versions. Good luck...

 

[Xboxer Eyts]

Go for the 1520, no ifs & buts. It's the best windows phone out there. I'm using it as my daily driver (with latest build of W10 TP) and experience is amazing.

 

[jwhipple]

Just placed an order for a 1520 Now I just need to find an inexpensive but rugged case!