Microsoft's latest affordable device is equipped with a quad-core Snapdragon 200 SoC, 512MB of RAM, 4GB of native storage, and a 1430mAh juicer at the rear, which is touted as being able to keep the Lumia 530 kicking and ticking up to 22 days in standby mode. Oh, and it comes with the latest version of Redmond's OS, Windows Phone 8.1. The affordable device will retail at $114 before taxes and subsidies.
Well, okay, but how does the device fare against its predecessor? Does it deliver or is it just a minor improvement, similar to the Android-powered Nokia X2? Frankly said, we suppose that some may solely view Windows Phone 8.1 as a sound enough reason to upgrade to the Lumia 530, but that might not be the case for everybody. Let's check out the spec sheets and see if the Lumia 530 is a trooper, at least on paper. Note that we've also thrown in another affordable champ, the Motorola Moto E, for a good measure.
So, can you distinguish a clear winner or you're on the fence?
Nokia Lumia 530 vs Nokia Lumia 525 vs Motorola Moto E
| Design | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| OS | Windows Phone, 8.1 | Windows Phone, 8 | Android (4.4.4, 4.4.3, 4.4.2) |
| Dimensions | 4.71 x 2.45 x 0.46 inches (119.7 x 62.3 x 11.7 mm) | 4.72 x 2.52 x 0.39 inches (119.9 x 64 x 9.9 mm) | 4.91 x 2.55 x 0.48 inches (124.8 x 64.8 x 12.3 mm) |
| Weight | 4.55 oz (129 g) the average is 5.4 oz (155 g) | 4.37 oz (124 g) the average is 5.4 oz (155 g) | 5.01 oz (142 g) the average is 5.4 oz (155 g) |
| Features | Interchangeable covers | Interchangeable covers | |
| Rugged | Splash resistant |
| Display | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Physical size | 4.0 inches | 4.0 inches | 4.3 inches |
| Resolution | 480 x 854 pixels | 480 x 800 pixels | 540 x 960 pixels |
Pixel density
Pixel density - The pixel density of a display represents the number of pixels over an area of one inch. It’s measured in “pixels per inch”, or ppi. The higher the number, the more detailed and good-looking the display is. | 245 ppi | 235 ppi | 256 ppi |
Technology
Technology - There are two main screen technologies currently used in phones and tablets: LCD and AMOLED. The former usually features a light source and liquid crystals, while the latter is based on organic light-emitting diodes. Newer LCD variations like IPS-LCD and Super-LCD allow for very accurate color reproduction and very wide viewing angles, where no significant image quality loss is observed. Current AMOLED screens differ in such a way that they can exhibit much more saturated colors (sometimes too much) and incredibly high contrast levels, which is due to black color being completely black in AMOLED displays. | LCD | IPS LCD | |
Screen-to-body ratio
Screen-to-body ratio - Shows what part of the frontal area of a phone its screen occupies. | 59.22 % | 58.46 % | 63.10 % |
| Colors | 16 777 216 | 16 777 216 | 16 777 216 |
| Camera | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Camera | 5 megapixels | 5 megapixels | 5 megapixels |
| Aperture size
Aperture size - The aperture of a camera is the opening through which light travels before it reaches the camera sensor. The smaller the number is, the bigger this opening is, allowing for more light to pass. | F2.4 | F2.4 | |
| Focal length (35mm equivalent)
Focal length (35mm equivalent) - The lower (shorter) the focal length number, the wider the shot will be. Conversely, longer focal length cameras produce narrower frames, which can be used for telephoto (zoomed-in) purposes. | 28 mm | 28 mm | |
| Camera sensor size
Camera sensor size - A bigger camera sensor is able to capture more light, and thus produce better photos. | 1/4" | ||
| Hardware Features | Autofocus | ||
| Software Features | Face detection, Voice activation, Geo tagging | Digital zoom, Geo tagging | Geo tagging |
| Camcorder | Resolution, 864 x 480 pixels 30 fps | 1280x720 (720p HD) (30 fps) | Resolution, 854 x 480 pixels 30 fps |
| Recording format | MPEG4, H.264 | MPEG4, H.264 | MPEG4, H.263, H.264 |
| Features | Video sharing | Picture-taking during video recording, Video sharing |
| Hardware | |||
|---|---|---|---|
System chip
System chip - Most modern handsets use an advanced chip that includes many of the device’s hardware modules like the processor, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth and sometimes even the wireless radio. This field shows what particular system chip (or System-on-a-Chip) is used in the phone. | Qualcomm Snapdragon 200 | Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 Plus MSM8227 | Qualcomm Snapdragon 200 8210 |
Processor
Processor - The processor is the main computing component of a phone and is a major factor when it comes to the overall speed of the device. Some more powerful smartphones use dual-core and quad-core processors designed to deliver greater performance. | Quad-core, 1200 MHz, ARM Cortex-A7 | Dual-core, 1000 MHz, Krait | Dual-core, 1200 MHz, ARM Cortex-A7 |
Graphics processor
Graphics processor - The graphics processor is important for the smooth operation of the system and especially in games and other applications that may involve complex graphics and animations. | Adreno 302 | Adreno 305 | Adreno 302 |
System memory
System memory - System memory, or RAM memory is the type of memory that the device uses to temporarily store data from the OS or currently-running apps. The more RAM available to the device, the better the performance will be when multiple or heavier programs are running. | 0.5 GB RAM / LPDDR2 | 1 GB RAM | 1 GB RAM / LPDDR2 |
Built-in storage
Built-in storage - Bigger storage capacity allows you to keep more content saved onto your device, such as more applications, photos or video. Games and video content typically take up the biggest amount of storage space. | 4 GB | 8 GB | 4 GB |
Storage expansion
Storage expansion - Some handsets allow you to expand their storage capacity by using a memory expansion card – most often microSD. Expansion memory is mostly suitable for media storage, such as photo, video or music content. | microSD, microSDHC, microSDXC | microSD, microSDHC, microSDXC | microSD, microSDHC |
| Battery | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Capacity
Capacity - The bigger, the better! However, battery capacity is not the only factor that has an effect on battery life. Those include the chipset in use, the software running on the device, as well as the consumer's unique usage pattern. | 1430 mAh | 1430 mAh | 1980 mAh |
| Talk time | 13.40 hours the average is 20 h (1190 min) | 16.90 hours the average is 20 h (1190 min) | |
| Stand-by time | 22.0 days (528 hours) the average is 19 days (463 h) | 14.0 days (336 hours) the average is 19 days (463 h) | |
| Talk time (3G) | 10.00 hours the average is 18 h (1071 min) | 10.60 hours the average is 18 h (1071 min) | |
| Music playback | 51.00 hours | 48.00 hours | |
| Video playback | 5.50 hours | 5.90 hours |
| Multimedia | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Screen mirroring | Wireless screen share |
| Cellular | |||
|---|---|---|---|
CDMA
CDMA - Code Division Multiple Access. A technique of multiplexing, also called spread spectrum, in which analog signals are converted into digital form for transmission. For each communication channel, the signals are encoded in a sequence known to the transmitter and the receiver for that channel. The foremost application is digital cellular phone technology from QUALCOMM that operates in the 800MHz band and 1.9GHz PCS band. CDMA phones are noted for their excellent call quality and long battery life. | 800, 1900 MHz | ||
| GSM | 850, 900, 1800, 1900 MHz | 850, 900, 1800, 1900 MHz | 850, 900, 1800, 1900 MHz |
| UMTS | 900, 2100 MHz | 900, 2100 MHz | 850, 900, 1900, 2100 MHz |
| Data | HSDPA+ (4G) 21.1 Mbit/s, HSUPA 5.76 Mbit/s | HSDPA+ (4G) 21.1 Mbit/s, HSUPA 5.76 Mbit/s, UMTS | HSDPA+ (4G) 21.1 Mbit/s, HSUPA 5.76 Mbit/s, UMTS |
| Shopping information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| MSRP price | $ 129 |
