Nokia Lumia 525 Review

Introduction

You don’t mess with a winning formula, people say, and there’s no device out there that seems to follow that mantra as ardently as the Nokia Lumia 525. The successor to the wildly popular Lumia 520 has some big shoes to fill, as its inheriting quite the responsibility. There’s no dancing around the fact that it was the Lumia 520 that gave Microsoft’s Windows Phone 8 the push it needed to latch onto the honorary third place in the world of mobile. Thanks to its extremely affordable price tag, it drew consumers over to the platform in droves. It falls on the Lumia 525 to extend that streak, and Nokia isn't about to mess this one up. To that end, the two devices are virtually identical on the outside, with some very minor changes under the hood. Will these tweaks to the original recipe prove enough to continue winning smartphone buyers over? Let’s see.

In the box:

• Wall charger
• microUSB to USB cable
• In-ear headphones

Design

Signature Lumia, miniaturized

If we were to put the Nokia Lumia 520 and Lumia 525 side by side, you’d have a truly impossible time telling the two apart. A true twin to its predecessor, the Lumia 525 is, on the outside, a complete copy. The same petite proportions are at play here, and there’s still quite some space wasted in plastic. The playful exterior of the Lumia 525 communicates no high-end ambitions, but it looks sturdy and reliable. Unfortunately, we can't say we're happy with Nokia's decision to go back to glossy polycarbonate, as pertains to the rear shell – we much preferred the matte finish of the previous model.

Now, this is a one-handed device through and through. It sits comfortably in the hand, thanks to its conservative dimensions and rounded sides. Its angular frame digs into the palm, but we found the presence reassuring rather than unpleasant. The well-placed volume rocker, and power and camera shutter buttons also aid in the overall ergonomics of the phone. They are all confidently edging out from the right side of the Lumia 525, and provide a pronounced feedback on impact.

Display

No 'wow' factor here. Practicality scored a landslide victory

The display is another area that remains firmly unchanged with the Lumia 525. We're still privy to the same highly-sensitive 4-inch, 480x800 resolution IPS LCD panel. This configuration works out to a rather low pixel density of 235 pixels per inch. It's also worth pointing out that the scratch-resistant glass on top, unfortunately, appears to lack an oleophobic treatment, resulting in a shower of greasy smudges. But hey, at least you can use it with gloves on!

Color reproduction with Nokia's screen of choice is not perfect, but doesn't leave too much to desire. Sure, colors are less saturated than the best out there, and there's a noticeable pinkish hue to whites, but it's leaps and bounds ahead compared to the average panel in this class. But one area – peak brightness – the display concedes to even inferior solutions out there, and that's just unfortunate. Our bright yellow unit, ironically, is not at all suited for play in the sun.