Nokia has put all its chips on
Microsoft when it comes to the mid- to high-end smartphones. And while it has
delivered quality hardware, we now play a waiting game for the OS to catch up
with the likes of Android and iOS, at least in terms of apps. Windows Phone 8
is quite an improvement over its predecessor in the sense that you’re no longer
tethered to Zune for media transfer; there’s even support for multi-core CPUs
and you can finally expand your storage. Nokia seems to have put together a
healthy mix of those features in its soon to be launched Lumia 620.
OS – Windows Phone 8
The Lumia 620 runs on the latest version of the Windows Phone platform, so
unlike the Lumia 800, the 620 will continue to get all the latest updates and
features for a while. The same cannot be said about older Windows Phone
handsets, which is why it’s best to stay away from them right now.
Cellular network – Quad-band GSM and 3G support
Unlike the HTC 8S, the Lumia 620 supports quad-band GSM and 3G networks.
This means you can use the handset pretty much anywhere in the world and enjoy
3G connectivity.
Display – 3.8-inch ClearBlack
Nokia is using its tried and tested ClearBlack display on the 620 and at
3.8-inches with a WVGA resolution, we are looking at very sharp pictures and
text. In fact, the pixel count is amongst the highest in that price range. The
beauty of Windows Phone, however, is that no matter the pixel density, the UI
looks pretty much the same on any type of handset.
Form factor and weight – Comfortably light at 127 g
The rounded edges and curved body make the 620 quite comfortable to hold.
It’s also fairly lightweight at 127 g, though the 8S is quite a bit lighter at
113 g.
Wi-Fi – Dual-band, 802.11 ‘n’
Unlike most smartphones in this price bracket, the Lumia 620 is one of the
only handsets to feature dual-band Wi-Fi. Why is this important? Well, this way
you have the option to connect to the much faster 5GHz wireless band, provided
your router supports it.
SoC– Qualcomm Snapdragon S4
The Lumia 620 is powered by the very capable MSM8227 SoC from Qualcomm. This
belongs to the Snapdragon S4 line and features two Krait CPU cores running at
1GHz each along with an Adreno 305 GPU.
Storage – 8GB with the option to expand by 64GB
While 8GB is enough for most, you always have the option to expand it up to
64GB via a microSD card. This once again is one of the few phones to support a
64GB microSD card.
Primary Camera – 5MP sensor with f/2.4
aperture
While the camera sensor is only 5MP, Nokia has fitted a larger aperture and
hence, its performance should be better than the 8S, which has a wider lens,
but a narrower aperture of
f/2.8. The phone also seems to be lacking
the Carl Zeiss lens found in the Lumia 820.
Front camera – 0.3MP
Unlike the 8S, the Lumia 620 features a front facing camera. It’s only VGA
resolution
Sensors – Accelerometer, proximity, compass
Along with the ambient light sensor, we also have the accelerometer,
proximity sensor and a compass. What’s missing is a barometer and a
gyroscope.
GPS – GLONASS and GPS
We’re glad that Nokia hasn’t skimped on the navigation front. Along with
GPS, we also have GLONASS added for a more accurate and quicker
positioning.
FM Radio – No
In
all probability, the Lumia 620 has a radio chip in it and all that’s needed is
driver update and an app to make it work.
