Nokia Lumia 520 review

Introduction

The Lumia 520 completes the roll call for Nokia's second generation of Microsoft-powered smartphones. Statistically, this means that every step of their product line, from 5** all the way to 9**, has been backed up by a fresh WP8-rocking alternative.

OK, that's nothing out of the ordinary and actually well on time. The Lumia 520 was announced at this year's MWC, along with the Lumia 720, signaling Nokia's intention to focus on the lower tiers of the market.

In terms of budget, it doesn't get any lower than the Lumia 520. With an estimated retail price of under €150, the 520 is clearly the most affordable WP8-powered smartphone. Hardly a surprise then that it's a trimmed down version of the Lumia 720 we recently reviewed.

   
Nokia Lumia 520 official images

The Lumia 520 has to make do with a smaller, garden variety LCD (no ClearBlack) and an inferior imaging package. The wide aperture lens of the Lumia 720 had to go, too, while the LED flash and the front-facer went with it. The battery is of lesser capacity too but other than that, we're looking at two very similar packages priced some way apart. And we do think the actual price cut is well worth the features that got slashed.

Key features

• Quad-band GSM/GPRS/EDGE support
• Quad-band 3G with 21 Mbps HSDPA and 5.7 Mbps HSUPA support
• 4.0" 16M-color IPS LCD display of WVGA resolution
• 5 megapixel autofocus camera with 720p@30fps video recording
• Windows Phone 8 OS
• 1 GHz dual-core Krait CPU, Adreno 305 GPU, Qualcomm MSM8227 chipset, 512MB of RAM
• Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n, dual-band
• GPS receiver with A-GPS and GLONASS support
• Free lifetime voice-guided navigation (with a twist)
• 8GB of inbuilt storage, expandable via a microSD card slot
• Active noise cancellation with a dedicated mic
• Built-in accelerometer and proximity sensor
• Standard 3.5 mm audio jack
• microUSB port
• Bluetooth v3.0 with A2DP and EDR, file transfers
• SNS integration
• Xbox Live integration and Xbox management
• Nokia Music
• Extremely competitive pricing

Main disadvantages

• Common LCD lacks the punch of CBD
• A few prominent apps still missing, some apps incompatible due to 512MB RAM
• No FM radio
• No front-facing camera
• No LED flash
• No system-wide file manager
• No lockscreen shortcuts
• Voice-guided SatNav license limited to a single country

Nokia has rolled out a few devices of proper flagship pedigree since going all-in with Redmond, but the Finns must see plenty of awareness-raising value in devices like the Lumia 620 and 520. And we can't help but be impressed with the fact that the Lumia 520 shapes up to be the cheapest of them all at launch - considering it's the only one of the three powered by a couple of Krait cores.

Of course there're things missing but if you can live without an FM Radio and a front-facing camera, the Lumia 520 is an extremely tempting package. We don't think the 512MB of RAM is as big a disadvantage as it was for the clearly more costly Lumia 720. The screen isn't particularly impressive but the thinking must've been that potential users would care more about being able to use it with gloves on than the actual image quality.

 
The Nokia Lumia 520 at HQ

Is it worth buying, then? We'll be checking that out, starting with a closer look at the exterior.

Retail package

The retail package of the Lumia 520 hasn't got anything special but sees to it that the user's basic needs are met. Inside, aside from the mandatory leaflets, you'll find a single piece wired charger, a microUSB cable and a plain-looking set of headphones.

 
The retail package covers the basics

There isn't a memory card supplied but the phone has an ample 8GB of built-in storage to get you started.

Nokia Lumia 520 360-degree spin

The Nokia Lumia 520 is about the size of a Lumia 800 - another proof that smartphones have only been getting bigger lately. Four inches of diagonal is no longer too much even for the most basic of offerings. Anyway, what this means in practice is that the 520 has found room for a bigger screen in a body that's just a tad wider - but slimmer - than the Lumia 800's.

It's a reasonably compact device by modern standards and one that's easy to hold and operate with one hand. At 119.9 x 64 x 9.9 mm, the Lumia 520 is not the slimmest smartphone around but by no means too chubby either. It weighs the perfectly acceptable 124g.

Design and build quality

Nokia has created a simple and sensible design that works equally well across their WP8 lineup. Of course, the finish varies from the flagship to the low-end but it's a consistent and recognizable styling that an entry level package is quick to take advantage of.

In a nutshell, the Lumia 520 is cheap without looking it. The curved shape and soft rubbery finish around back make for a handset that's got plenty of grip and style.

There's a hint at a unibody design, reinforced by the seriously sturdy feel of the phone, but the battery cover is actually removable - to get access to the battery, SIM compartment and memory card slot. The Nokia Lumia 520 lacks some of the refinement of a Lumia 720 but you wouldn't know either that you're dealing with the cheapest device in the range.

   
The Nokia Lumia 520 is one of the better looking entry level smartphones

We have a black and a white Nokia Lumia 520 at HQ but the phone also comes in the more flamboyant red, yellow and cyan. Like the Lumia 820 sibling, the Lumia 520 offers exchangeable rear covers - wireless charging isn't an option though.

Display

The Nokia Lumia 520 comes with a 4" screen of WVGA resolution (480 x 800 pixels), and the resulting pixel density is around 233 ppi. That's higher than the Lumia 720, which has a bigger 4.3" screen but this is where its advantages end.

 
The display is hardly spectacular

The Lumia 520's screen doesn't use the ClearBlack tech and contrast is the biggest casualty. The display clearly lacks the punch of a CBD like the one on the Lumia 720. On a positive note, the viewing angles are quite good.

As you can see from the readings in our dedicated test the Nokia Lumia display isn't the brightest around and its contrast is far from great.

Display test	50% brightness			100% brightness
	Black, cd/m2	White, cd/m2	Contrast ratio	Black, cd/m2	White, cd/m2	Contrast ratio
Nokia Lumia 520	-	-	-	0.51	422	834
Nokia Lumia 620	-	-	-	0.72	762	1068
Nokia Lumia 720	-	-	-	0.69	813	1172
HTC One X	0.15	200	1375	0.39	550	1410
Nokia Lumia 920	-	-	-	0.48	513	1065
Nexus 4	0.22	314	1447	0.45	608	1341
LG Optimus G	0.14	197	1445	0.33	417	1438
Apple iPhone 5	0.13	200	1490	0.48	640	1320

The glass above the Lumia 520's screen is quite reflective, which means the phone is barely usable when outdoor on a bright sunny day.

Sunlight contrast ratio

• Sort by Label
• Sort by Value
• Expand

• Nokia 808 PureView4.698
• LG Optimus L91.227
• Meizu MX1.221
• Sony Xperia E dual1.203
• Samsung Galaxy Pocket1.180
• Sony Xperia tipo1.166
• Nokia Lumia 5201.161
• Samsung Galaxy mini 21.114

You can find more about our display testing process here.

Controls

The layout of controls is consistent across Nokia's WP8 smartphones and the Lumia 520 follows suit. There's the usual set of capacitive controls below the screen and the hardware buttons are all placed along the right side of the phone, while the left remains bare.

The capacitive Back, Home and Search keys are well-spaced and haptic-enabled - we always appreciate Nokia's sharp and precise vibration feedback. A press and hold of the Home key will launch voice commands, while a log press of the Back button shows recent apps.

At the very bottom edge of the front you'll notice a tiny mic pinhole. Above the screen is the usual place of the earpiece, an ambient light and proximity sensor next to it. The Nokia Lumia 520 hasn't got a front camera.

 
The top and bottom of the phone

The volume rocker, lock/power button and camera key are on the right. All three are sufficiently raised and have great response. The camera key has a distinct half-press for auto focus and will launch the camera reasonably fast overriding a complete lock.

 
The right side of the phone hosts three keys

The left side holds no buttons whatsoever and there're no side-mounted ports either, as opposed to the Lumia 720.

The left side is perfectly bare

The 3.5 mm headphones jack is placed at the top of the Nokia Lumia 520.

 
A view from the top

The microUSB port is in its usual spot at the bottom of the phone.

 
The microUSB port is at the bottom

The removable back cover is made of matte plastic and features the 5 MP camera lens, a Nokia logo, and the loudspeaker grille in the bottom right corner. There's no LED flash on the Nokia Lumia 520, so low-light photography is best avoided.

   
The back

Removing the back panel is easy enough and you gain access to the 1430 mAh Li-Ion battery, microSD card slot and microSIM compartment.

  
Under the cover

The Lumia 520 is quite pleasant to handle and, even though it's not the most compact of smartphones, it will comfortably fit most hands and pockets. The handset is well made and feels durable enough.

  

People Hub for contacts and social networking

People Hub is the best phone/social book up to date. The first tab shows you a list of all your contacts (phone contacts, social network friends, email contacts - everything), with a search shortcut and an add contact button.

Contacts are ordered alphabetically, indexed with colored letter tiles. You can tap any one of those letter boxes and the screen shows you the entire alphabet highlighting the letters actually in use. You can tap a letter to jump to that part of the list.

   
Contacts • using the index letter tiles • viewing a contact's profile

Contacts can be sorted by either first name or last, and they can be displayed as "First Last" or "Last, First" (the two settings are separate). You can also filter contacts by choosing which services are used to make the list of your contacts (so you can hide Twitter contacts, for example).

Swiping to the side brings you to the What's new tab that shows new events from all contacts in social networks. Another swipe shows the recent contacts. Instead of favorites, you can pin a contact to the homescreen.

  
What's new • photos • history tabs

The next tab is Rooms and Groups. Groups is a handy way to organize your contacts, with "text everyone" and "email everyone" features. All the status updates from the grouped contacts are pulled in from their various social networks, and you get access to their online photo albums too. Groups can also be pinned to the homescreen for easier access.

Rooms is similar but more advanced - it's a private social network of sorts. Rooms allows group chats, but also sharing a private calendar, notes (including to-do lists), photos and videos. The default Room is the Family room and you can easily invite your relatives.

  
  
Rooms have a ton of functionality

The cool thing is that they don't all need WP8 phones to get in - Windows Phone 7 handsets and iPhones can join a room too, though they only get the shared calendar. Android users are left out. Still, Rooms is a great way to keep in touch and get organized, while avoiding the clutter of Facebook and the likes where everyone has too many friends and too many notifications waiting for them.

The Me card is your own profile. From here you can post status updates, set chat status, check into locations. You can also change your profile picture (only for Facebook and Live though, still not Twitter).

  
  
The Me tile

Another tab in the Me card lets you view notifications (e.g. Twitter mentions) and, finally, What's new lets you view your own status updates.

Much of the functionality available when viewing the list of all contacts is there when viewing a single contact too. Below the contact's photo and their latest SNS update, there are actions - "call mobile", "text mobile", "write on wall", "view website" and so on. Below each action, in smaller type are the target for the action (e.g. phone number, email, site URL) and where that info came from (Google, Facebook, etc.).

The soft keys let you pin a contact, link two (or more) contacts from the various services and edit. Swiping to the side brings out the What's new tab, which shows the latest updates and events just from that contact. Pictures is where the contact's Facebook albums are.

  
Linking two contact entries • editing a contact

The History tab displays the complete history of exchange with a contact in one place, listed chronologically. Everything but status updates is listed here: calls, texts (actually threads from the Messaging hub) and emails.

When editing a contact, you can add multiple phone numbers and email addresses of different types (home, work, etc), a custom ringtone, a note or a variety of different fields (like birthday, website, office location and so on).

Telephony is good

The Nokia Lumia 520 offered loud and clear in-call sound and we had no issues with signal reception.

The phone application shows you the call history, with shortcuts to voice mail, dialer and phonebook. The phone live tile will show the number of missed calls, as will the lock screen.

The dialer itself is as simple as it gets - a phone keypad with a Call and a Save button. The lack of smart dialing is an annoyance, but the People hub is good at finding contacts.

You could use voice dialing instead - the Microsoft's TellMe did well in recognizing our commands.

  
Dialer • The call log

Upon an incoming call, the contact's photo will appear full screen for you to slide up and reveal the call buttons. This will prevent any calls from being accidentally answered or rejected.

A side note - status indicators are hidden by default (except the clock) but you can bring them up with a quick tap at the very top of the screen.

We ran our traditional loudspeaker test and the Lumia 520 scored an Average mark. The loudspeaker isn't the loudest around but missed calls shouldn't be a problem. You can read more about how we test here.

Speakerphone test	Voice, dB	Pink noise/ Music, dB	Ringing phone, dB	Overal score
Nokia Lumia 920	61.6	64.8	65.8	Below Average
HTC Desire X	63.6	61.6	69.6	Below Average
Samsung Omnia W	67.2	66.2	67.8	Average
Nokia Lumia 820	67.2	66.6	70.7	Average
HTC Windows Phone 8S	66.7	65.8	75.7	Good
HTC Windows Phone 8X	66.5	66.6	75.7	Good
Nokia Lumia 620	71.7	66.6	78.0	Good
Nokia Lumia 520	68.2	69.0	66.5	Average
Nokia Lumia 720	72.4	66.6	75.2	Good
Motorola RAZR XT910	74.7	66.6	82.1	Very Good
LG Optimus G	74.6	71.3	82.7	Excellent
Samsung Ativ S	73.7	73.5	82.7	Excellent

Powerful messaging

The Messaging department is excellent in Windows Phone. Threads are the building blocks of all non-email messaging. Although a sort of conversation view, threads mash together SMS, Facebook and Windows Live messages.

The Messaging hub on Windows Phone removes the old division between texts, IMs, social messages. The other hubs do the same for the other functionality, making the whole thing simple yet powerful.

Anyway, messaging is separated into two tabs - threads and online. Online shows you who's online with the people you've talked to most recently on top. This makes finding someone to talk to very easy.

   
Messaging • Threads • Settings

Threads is where this hub's impressive features kick in. A new thread is created for each person you start a chat with. Messages are displayed as speech bubbles and a label on the left shows the type of message - text, Facebook or Live Messenger. Labels are only displayed when the conversation moves across platforms to avoid clutter.

You can choose which service to use to send a reply and the text box will remind you of what you're currently using with a message like "chat on Facebook". Individual messages can be copied (the whole message is copied to be pasted later, you can't copy only a part of the message), they can be deleted or forwarded. Whole threads can be deleted too.

The visual voicemail functionality is also part of the OS (but its availability is dependent on your plan and the carrier). It works as expected, letting you read your voicemail messages instead of listening to them.

Windows Phone 8 offers a unified inbox for email, a feature introduced with 7.5. You can link multiple inboxes (and unlink them individually later), so that you have a single place to check for new messages.

Linking several inboxes will also automatically combine their live tiles. You can browse individual folders for each account, which lets you view messages from only one email account even if it's linked.

The email client

Conversation view lists emails between you and a contact chronologically, grouping them by subject. It's the display style that Gmail popularized and is the best way to keep track of a conversation over email.

Each email conversation is listed with a subject and number of messages, plus how many of those are new. A tap on a conversation expands it to show the messages and a line from each message.

You can tap on an individual message to read it, as well as skip messages back and forward to navigate the conversation. You can't swipe between the messages though.

Individual emails can be marked as read/unread, flagged and unflagged, etc. Finally, you can search your entire mailbox for individual emails - it's a very useful feature, especially for those with large inboxes.

   
Reading through new emails • only unread emails • email folders • popular email services are supported

Text input on Windows Phone is limited to the default QWERTY keyboard and offers portrait and landscape modes. The layout remains the same across all WP devices and the only options you have are changing the language of the keyboard and resetting the dictionary that displays word suggestions. Luckily, Windows Phone 8 has way more supported languages than its predecessor.

The WP QWERTY keyboard is very comfortable to use and offers sound feedback. There's no vibration feedback and there's no way of enabling it.

  
Portrait and landscape QWERTY keyboards • a ton of emoji icons

Selecting text is very simple, but does require some getting used to. You hold your finger over some text for a second or two and then release. The text area gets highlighted and then you can move the beginning and end cursors to adjust how much text you want to select. A little icon pops up for copy and the selected text is available to paste anywhere in the OS.