Nokia Lumia 800 Review
Share:
What Nokia lacked with Symbian it hopes to gain with the adoption of Windows Phone 7.5, with the OS's key strengths being a modern, unified aesthetic, easily navigable smartphone functionality and an affordable ecosystem. With the latest update, Windows Phone 7.5 retains all the visual flare of its launch build and bestows the Nokia Lumia 800 with some much needed function, including elements such as copy/paste, multi-tasking and deeper social-networking integration amongst others. Couple this with Nokia specific inclusions and there's every possibility the Nokia Windows Phones could stand out after all.
At the core of the OS are still your two primary screens: homescreen and applications. The homescreen consists of live tiles which act as both shortcuts to apps and app specific notifications. Slide the homescreen out of the way to reveal a list of applications on the right. All these can be pinned to the start menu with a long press, or just opened from the list. In Windows Phone 7.5, a long press of the back button activates a multi-tasking pane with cards that can be swiped through, each representing an open app frozen in its most recent state.
 |
Homescreen |
Functionality:
Nokia has also included its own key apps to make it's Lumias stand out from a sea of Mangos: Nokia Maps, Nokia Drive and Nokia Music, as well as App Highlights. Unfortunately, in our pre-release version, Nokia Maps isn't available and the functionality of all these is subject to change.
Kicking things off with Nokia Drive, this is a voice guided turn by turn GPS app. Offering functionality you could pay hundreds of bucks for standalone, Nokia even give you the ability to cache your maps, downloading entire countries before you even set out on a trip. To say the world is your oyster is no understatement, as we simply opened the app, went into settings, found our country and clicked download. 195MB later and hey presto, no sense of direction? No problem. As far as using Nokia Drive goes, it's a harmony of simplicity and function. Large finger friendly icons, no faffing, just a simple ' set destination' and away you go with downloadable voices to guide you with an accent of your choosing. Bravo. The GPS locked onto our location in seconds when outside and performed extremely well upon every test.
 |  |  |
 |  |  |
Nokia Drive on the Nokia Lumia 800 | ||
When we first heard Nokia Music would be present, we thought to ourselves 'Zune does a pretty good job, lets hope it offers something unique'. Good news, it does. While at the heart of Nokia music, you have a predictable music marketplace that is effectively in direct competition with Zune's marketplace on your phone, you also have a feature called Mix Radio, AKA where things get exciting. Upon entering Mix Radio, you are presented with a range of 10 genres, each containing 11 playlists. These open you up to a range of tracks to discover. What really sets this service apart however is the ability to cache entire playlists for up to 4 weeks for offline listening, even pinning your favorite mixes to your start menu.
 |  |  |  |
Mix Radio | |||
Finally, Nokia App Highlights is a selection of locally relevant apps agreed upon by both Nokia and your service provider, ensuring that wherever you are, the recommendations are as relevant as possible.
Organizer features include alarms, calculator, calendar and notes. The calendar is finger friendly, looking very clean and feeling really intuitive, especially coupled with the Nokia Lumia 800's Clear Black AMOLED. Adding appointments is simple, with the whole experience delivering a visual pleasure. There is also deeper Twitter integration in Mango, making sharing photos and keeping on top of tweets even easier.
 |
Calendar |
Share:
HTC Sensation XL Review 
HTC Vivid Review 
Related phones
46 Comments
31. Mobile-X-Pert posted on 12 Nov 2011, 14:24 2 0
''Lumia 800 is expected to land for about $580 (EUR 420) without carrier subsidies''. Why do PA say that this phone is too expensive???
33. Muhannad posted on 13 Nov 2011, 10:43 3 2
Because compared to the other competition, the Lumia 800 is expensive.
43. bbin82 posted on 18 Nov 2011, 02:46 0 0
Check the contracts dude! It really isn't.
44. NokTokDaddy posted on 19 Nov 2011, 01:43 6 0
You're right: 'Windows' implies a view onto your digital world, whereas Mango offers open doors.
This is the most liberating mobile experience available right now: I was playing with a friend's iP4 after a few days with my Lumia 800 and it actually felt clunky and awkward after Mango
Never thought I'd say that about iOS...
4. Pego71 posted on 10 Nov 2011, 07:08 9 1
The first device windows phone nokia no call cam...absurd !!!
remember that Microsoft has acquired skipe, ANDROID FOREVER !!
7. Muhannad posted on 10 Nov 2011, 07:17 4 0
That's very true! My old Nokia X6 has a front-facing camera but their new 2011/2012 flagship doesn't have one.
21. ChiX017 posted on 10 Nov 2011, 11:09 2 0
U know it' was made within 8 months and atthe time they made it Windows had no support, not time to redesign the phone from scratch....don't forget it's Nokia we're talking about they started video calls
40. Stoli89 posted on 17 Nov 2011, 11:55 4 0
Yes, both my N8 and older 5800XM have FFC...but to be honest...I hardly ever used them. In fact, I used FFC a short while on fring almost 2 years ago...then stopped because I much prefer the PC for this type of activity. To me, I would much rather have expandable memory and NFC. Then again, the Lumia's come with 25GB cloud storage...which is also very nice.
29. NokTokDaddy posted on 12 Nov 2011, 01:00 2 0
Having had front-facing cameras on various Nokias for years now and not used them for anything, this is a feature I can easily live without.
Here in the UK at least, mobile data charges and network capacity effectively prevent video calling taking off on mobile, and if you look at desktop video calling this has hardly been an overwhelming success either.
I think we have to remember that WP7.5 is intended to be a minimalistic yet easy-to-use UI atop a solid and fast OS; WP7.5 is not intended to appeal to the more technically-orientated power users - Nokia have Symbian and (for now) Meego-Harmattan for that.
Having been a Symbian and Maemo user as well as having a SGS2 in the house to play with I can appreciate the virtues of WP7.5 and will probably be buying a Lumia 800 next week:
Even as a power user and sometimes hacker myself, Mango delivers the functionality I need most: excellent email integration, integrated social media, and offline navigation - the latter a feature I rely upon for about five hours every day.
All this in a very sexy package... I was sorely tempted by the Titan (better camera, IMO - something I never thought I'd say about an HTC - especially against an equivalent Nokia) but the more handy size and sheer quality of finish of the Lumia 800 do it for me.
What I find most interesting about WP7.5 is how it makes both Symbian and Android look unduly heavy, complicated and awkward. From a power-user and tinkerer's perspective I'm sure I will find it lacking because everything just works so well.
I suppose I can always keep my N8 or play with the SGS to if I want to indulge in some techno-massochism!
5. Muhannad posted on 10 Nov 2011, 07:13 6 0
One of the Pros should be the 8MP still images, the quality is pretty good.
6. Muhannad posted on 10 Nov 2011, 07:16 8 0
Also, I find battery life to be decent not one of it's Cons. I think it's because we're used to longer battery life from Nokia phones because of Symbian.
30. NokTokDaddy posted on 12 Nov 2011, 01:06 0 0
True - we have been spoilt ;->
As a possible point of reference, someone I know who has had a Lumia 800 for about a week now has said that he's experiencing similar battery life to his own N8 under the same conditions.
I don't think there are any standard devices that could last me a full day away from a charger, so for me at least this is less of an issue.
9. JayJayTG posted on 10 Nov 2011, 07:25 3 0
How is the screen 57% smaller than the N9?? The N9 is 3.9" the 800 3.7" so it is not over half the size smaller!
11. PhoneArena Team posted on 10 Nov 2011, 07:35 6 0
Hm, it is a typo. It is 7% smaller. Sorry :)
10. JayJayTG posted on 10 Nov 2011, 07:30 9 0
If people video call then this phone is not for them. Honestly though who does video calling even when they have a FFC on their phone? I recon only 1-2% of smartphone users that have FFC's on their phone video call. Video calling has been going for years just hadnt caught on. People tend to prefer to be indoors when video calling rather than mobile, even then they would use a computer of sorts. The only other reason to have a FFC is if you like taking pictures of yourself lol.
13. ZEUS.the.thunder.god posted on 10 Nov 2011, 08:03 3 0
but i think it deserved better than 7.5 atleast an 8.. thats what i think but obiously i hvnt used it yet.
14. stevedojobs posted on 10 Nov 2011, 09:07 0 3
Stephen Elop said this phone is the real Window Phone!!!!! As for me it's not because it's the real Elop Phone instead of real Window phone.
15. ryq24 posted on 10 Nov 2011, 09:21 2 0
people now use their phone for skype and having no secondary camera is a big disappointment. then you add the fact that it has only a 3.7" screen. and finally the price. heard its expensive. android can rest easy.
17. orangejuice posted on 10 Nov 2011, 09:55 1 0
If Nokia would have just kept the same hardware as the N9 for the Lumia I would have been way closer to making it my next phone. Going from a 1.4 to 1 ghz processor, 1gb to 512mb RAM and finally the fact that the N9 has a dedicated graphics chip and the Lumia does not are just too much to overlook. WTH Nokia.
18. JayJayTG posted on 10 Nov 2011, 10:18 3 0
Actually your wrong its going from a 1GHz CPU (N9) to a 1.4GHz CPU (Lumia 800).
Oh and your wrong again. The Lumia 800 has a dedicated GPU. It uses the Snapdragon S2 SoC that has the Adreno 205 GPU. More advanced than the OMAP SoC PowerVR SGX530 GPU found on the N9!
19. orangejuice posted on 10 Nov 2011, 10:28 2 0
I stand corrected, when I compared the two I must have flipped them in my mind. The Lumia is back on my radar! Thanks for the correction.
22. JayJayTG posted on 10 Nov 2011, 12:10 0 0
Lumia is defo on my radar to :)
34. jackhammeR posted on 13 Nov 2011, 14:00 0 0
even so, if system and apps are fluid, what for better hardware. You don't like your battery?
23. snowgator posted on 10 Nov 2011, 12:21 1 0
While I like this as a great first effort for Nokia, especially for the Europe market, there are good things a-coming for the US. So if you were tempted to grab an unlocked 800, you may want to wait until the calander reads 2012 to see what is next. Not only is there the rumored 900, but this LTE gossip based on this 800 design as well:
http://www.wpcentral.com/nokia-and-ATT-working-lte-windows-phone
24. nando2do posted on 10 Nov 2011, 18:26 1 0
how come you didnt give 7 to iphone 4s since it has 3.5 screen and the unlock version is waaaaaaaaaaay more expensive! cmon lets face it. then i invite you to check unlock version of samsung galaxy, motorola droid, etc there been on the market for about 6 months and still expensier than this one!
25. HTCiscool posted on 11 Nov 2011, 02:36 1 0
I'm just going to wait to see if the Samsung Focus S holds any promise.
PA you can't ding it for having 10% less screen size than the N9, and the battery life is better than a lot of Android handsets
Having Xbox Live integration is good, and all in all, this is the best and fullest WP7 offering to date.
I'm really not impressed with HTCs Windows handsets, HTC please go back to using AMOLED panels in your phones' screens.
27. HTCiscool posted on 11 Nov 2011, 02:56 1 0
Conclusion:
The N8 showed us you were keen to re-enter the battle with a good screen and great camera
The E6/E7 showed us you hadn't lost your touch in business either.
The X7 showed us you could still make classy looking devices
The N9 showed us that you could make a modern smartphone ecosystem with a touch screen and make it work,
The 701 showed us that you could turn Symbian into a Nokia-ish, more intricate Froyo and make it work like it too. Finally making Symbian able to compete with mid-range Gingerbread devices such as the SE Xperia Ray.
They already perfected Symbian before the Lumia 800 came along. And the point of it was to compete where Symbian couldn't, but WP7, people are being too easy on it, its not new anymore guys.
They got the hardwear right here, great camera, great screen and nice design.
The price is horrendous for what you are offered ($710 off contract)
but if they refine the software then it will be ok.
All in all good effort, but you could've made the screen 4'' or bigger, and adjusted the price tag.
But I guess we'll just wait for the Lumia 900 before any of that happens...
32. Mobile-X-Pert posted on 12 Nov 2011, 14:27 0 0
''Lumia 800 is expected to land for about $580 (EUR 420) without carrier subsidies''.
26. deacz posted on 11 Nov 2011, 02:48 2 0
Meh that phone is worth a hell of a lot more than 7.5, only the nokia drive and music apps makes the phone waay better than anything from htc and samsung atm.
Not the best review from phone arena.
28. JayRaj posted on 11 Nov 2011, 03:29 0 0
Yet another Nokia phone heavily underrated for small cons...
36. razblack posted on 15 Nov 2011, 17:13 1 1
no front face camera is a downer.. but they have yet to produce the american version. perhaps there is still hope ina lumia 810 or 900 iwth front face camera...
38. LordBonztie posted on 16 Nov 2011, 19:40 1 0
and a front face camera's use would be for?
video calls?
do you even use your phone for video calls sir?
37. SurajS posted on 16 Nov 2011, 03:52 0 1
The price seems to be quite expensive. samsung omnia seems to me the biggest competitor for Lumia 800.
39. LordBonztie posted on 16 Nov 2011, 19:43 0 0
are you talking about samsung omnia hd?
sir. that phone has s60v5 if im not mistaken.
better known now adays as s^3.
comparing s60v5 against WP OS is like.....
:))
41. bbblader posted on 17 Nov 2011, 11:56 1 0
s^3 is better than s60v5 and comparing only s^3 not anna/belle
is like comparing a computer from 10 years ago to a asus transformer
42. bbin82 posted on 18 Nov 2011, 02:43 0 0
What the ef is this "higher price" con???? Check your facts phone arena!
46. senbobaggins posted on 29 Nov 2011, 10:11 0 0
7.5??????????? Phonearena, you're way too harsh on anything that's not Android.
48. gilysolly posted on 28 Feb 2012, 05:31 0 0
Lost my previous nokia yesterday simm card and everything and just trying to get my contact phone list text file backup into my my new lumia 800. Can this be done?
49. Phonegenius posted on 12 Nov 2012, 15:31 0 0
i won the phone feb 2012.
after 6 months the inner handset speaker broke.
sent the phone to be fixed ( long process to get the phone back 14days) got a brand new phone after too months the phone was on charge and after 2 hours i had went to check the time and the phone would NOT turn on.
I liked the phone very much but after two phones broke, i found the phone lacked security and battery life was brutal.
Pro: great size screen, good apps, great sound (when working) , fabulous camera , great storage.
Cons: battery life disappointing, could not get music unless zune software on computer/laptop, sometimes shut down, freezes occasionally, no memory insert, cant take battery out.
i enjoyed the phone when i had it but i wouldn't go into a store ans buy it as it has disappointed me on many occasions.
thanks :)
-
1.
Samsung officials confirm 5.9-inch Note III will come at IFA in September, Galaxy S4 to hit 10 million sales next week
-
2.
What happens when the HTC One is overclocked to 2.0GHz?
-
3.
Watch this hilarious Lumia 920 commercial
-
4.
Rumored specs for the "rugged" Samsung Galaxy S4 reveal a different processor under the hood
