Nokia Lumia 820 LTE Review

 

Feature set summary for Nokia Lumia 820 LTE Review

There’s 4G LTE support for super fast downloads. You can expect to get sharp shots from the Lumia 820’s 8-megapixel camera with its Carl Zeiss lens. Lots of Nokia-branded apps to choose from.

Style and handling summary for Nokia Lumia 820 LTE Review

One of our main complaints about Nokia’s other 4G phone, the Lumia 920, was its bulk and weight. The Nokia Lumia 820 LTE isn’t as cumbersome, but compared to other smartphones it is still hefty. For us the curved, coloured exterior is a winner.

Battery power summary for Nokia Lumia 820 LTE Review

You will get 24 hours between charges from the Nokia Lumia 820 LTE with typical use. Using the 4G LTE to stream video exclusively will run it down in seven hours.

Performance summary for Nokia Lumia 820 LTE

To help you make the most of the phone’s 4G LTE there’s backup from a 1.5GHz dual-core processor, and 1GB of RAM, to keep everything running without stuttering.

User friendliness summary for Nokia Lumia 820 LTE

The highly responsive 4.3-inch touchscreen producing crisp, rich images is big enough to make it easy to browse the internet and use apps. The Windows Phone 8 operating system is intuitive to use.

Style & Handling
User Friendliness
Feature Set
Performance
Battery Power
Overall Score

Pros : Lengthy battery life, weighs less than its predecessor, vivid, sharp display, impressive Nokia apps, and the excellent Carl Ziess lens. Plus 4G connectivity up to 5 times faster than 3G.

Cons : Bulky compared to other smartphones, few apps for Windows Phone 8.

Verdict : Nokia’s Lumia 820, with its 4G LTE support and Windows Phone 8 OS, is a little more svelte than its stablemate the Lumia 920 while including many of the same features. Such as wireless charging, and the fabulous apps available from Nokia. The 820 has better battery performance, and you’ll get 24 hours between charges.

 The Nokia Lumia 920 was a huge phone, compared to other 4G smartphones. It wasn't just that it was chunky, but also really heavy. Eventually you do get used to that weight, but it was still a surprise when we first picked the handset up. It was a relief that the Lumia 820 supports 4G LTE in a slightly smaller and not as hefty package. The screen is slightly smaller at 4.3-inches compared to the 920’s 4.5-inch display, but all the other excellent features have stayed.

Going online

The Lumia 820 comes with that highly desirable 4G LTE support. If you get the necessary contract as well, the uber-fast download speeds is all yours. For now, you do need to check that you’re be in adequate hotspots to make the most of it. Speeds do drop as you near the margins but this will change quickly as the technology matures. And the speed is incredible – HD movies streamed direct to your phone with no stuttering at all. Even on 3G the phone is still a fast performer, whizzing through web pages. Highly-responsive the 4.3-inch screen makes it easy to zip and zoom around web pages. It is also a bright panel, coupled with excellent viewing angles, making it clear to read even under harsh glare. The vivid hues, bought out by the excellent colour reproduction, bring out the best in photos and movies.

Large and colourful

 We received an eye-wateringly bright yellow version of the Nokia Lumia 820 LTE to review. Thankfully the handset comes in a number of different colours. Some will love this colour, other’s might think the vibrant designs make it look a little like a toy phone. Either way it certainly stands out from the crowd. We liked the colour and the curved design, and importantly it seems scuff resistant. A heavy phone it is still lighter and slimmer than the 920.

The back isn’t easy to remove, but we managed to prise it off with a little effort. This gives you access to the battery and the Micro SIM slot. The phone comes with a Micro SD memory card slot, handy if the 8GB of built-in storage isn’t enough for you. With lots of app and a large music collection, for instance, you will want to buy a memory card.

Processing power

On the inside the Nokia Lumia 820 LTE has more in common with the 920. It is powered by the same 1.5GHz dual-core processor. This complements the 4G LTE support beautifully to provide ultra-smooth performance. Windows Phone 8 runs without any problems, and all the apps we used ran like a dream. It was a really pleasant surprise to get a full 24 hours between charges when using the 820, and that was with lots of emails, texts, social media use and so forth. With intensive streamed video use the battery ran for seven hours before giving up. Wireless charging is supported, as it is with the Lumia 920, although the wireless charging pad isn’t included.

Windows Phone 8 is good at social media. The People Hub will stream a number of social updates in one location. Plus the excellent Office app is included. In addition, there’s the included Nokia apps - always highly useful and excellent software. In particular, Nokia Maps works really well, and Nokia Drive provides superb voice navigation. Nokia City Lens will mean you’re never lost for a good restaurant again. Ad-free music, and the ability to download dozen of mixes to listen to offline, is yours with Nokia Music.

We can’t complain too much about the lack of apps for the operating system. Windows Phone 8 is still so new compared to iOS and Android. It will take a while for developers to catch up. If you’re a dedicated apps fan best to stick with the other operating systems for a little while yet.

Snap happy

The camera takes excellent photos, outdoing most other smartphones. It has the same 8-megapixel Carl Zeiss lens, but not the ‘PureView’ tag, found on the Lumia 920’s camera. The camera app loads automatically just by holding down the actual shutter button located on the right-hand edge. A second tap focuses the camera and takes the photo. The one second lag after pushing the shutter button isn’t ideal, and takes a little getting used to.

Night-time photo looked good, although there’s a lot of lens flare when bright lights are around, like street lamps. There’s a flash on the camera that helps it to take shots in darker interiors.

We were impressed with SmartShoot. This takes a succession of shots, so you can choose the best one. No more group shots spoiled by one person blinking at the wrong moment. You do need to switch this on, and let everyone know they have to stand still for a little longer than normal though.

4G.co.uk's conclusion

Overall, the Nokia Lumia 820 is a 4G LTE smartphone that fits most of the excellent features found in the Nokia Lumia 920 into a more compact package. You get the same range of fabulous Nokia apps, but a much better battery life than the 920.

Nokia Lumia 820 LTE  Review Specification

Type of device	Smartphone
Operating System	Windows Phone 8
Dimensions	124 x 69 x 9.9mm
Weight	160g
Form factor	Touchscreen
Input	Touch Screen
Processor speed	1.5GHz dual-core
CPU	Qualcomm S4
Graphic chipset
Status	Available