Diagonal screens on modern phones are growing like mushrooms. As soon as the public got used to 4 inches, devices with diagonals of almost 5 inches immediately appeared. Where there is demand, there cannot be no supply. In this “widescreen” race, price remains one of the most important factors. Buyers are attracted by low prices and large screens. How good are such devices, try to answer with an example of a review Nokia Lumia  625 - a product that has the parameters of both a phone and a tablet. For simplicity, we will further use its common names “shade”, “phablet” and the most common one - “shovel”.

Design phablet Nokia Lumia 625

They are always welcomed by clothes, it makes sense to start from this point. Even for an apparatus with such a rather big diagonal, it is heavy. The 625th model became only 25 g heavier from its predecessor. But even simple mathematics suggests that he goes into the category of "heavy" in his lineup. There is a category of buyers oriented to purchase the heaviest and largest smartphone. Another distinguishing feature was his appearance. It can be described as a designer fusion. The rather big device is logically designed for a male audience, which implies strict stylization, clear forms and a certain endurance. But the result of the developers' work was bright, purely “Lumievsky” colors and playful rounded shapes. Perhaps the ladies will be interested in such a design, but few can cope with such a "overall" device. In general, we got an unusual image "for everybody."

The assembly and arrangement of controls does not require unnecessary words - everything is done in the best traditions of Lumia and Microsoft. To create the body used matte plastic. Ergonomics are commendable - rounded ones help the phone sit comfortably in the hand (as far as possible). There is no point in talking about “usability” - with such a giant it will take at least a few fingers to control. All physical keys are located on the right side (including a camera button).

Under the back cover you can find a removable battery, slots for SIM cards and a memory card. Turning the smartphone facing you, we see the Corning Gorilla glass, which is extensive on the entire front panel. Below it are the standard WP touch buttons.

BY

The entire series of Nokia Lumiya is the word twins in terms of toppings. Only a few were honored to break out of the total. This representative works on the basis of OSes Windows phone  8. People who at least once when buying a modern phone were guided not only by design, but also by content, should know about the difficult fate of this OS. Its supporters and opponents were divided into two equal camps. To be able to compete with Apple and Google, the developers had to create original products, such as navigation programs (Here Drive, Here Maps, Here Transit). In addition, text and music editors, applications for working with photo and video material are worthy of praise.

Screen Nokia Lumia 625

Note the unusual display, which is a combination of a large diagonal of 4.7 ″ and a resolution of WVGA (800 × 480). The pixel density is not high (199 ppi). At the heart of the screen is the IPS matrix. Unfortunately, this modification does not use the proprietary ClearBlack technology. The screen is super-sensitive and able to respond to a simultaneous 10-finger press. Oleophobic coating is absent.

Interfaces and Communication

It is extremely rare in reviews to devote a separate paragraph to the parameters of the supported connection. For this, it is usually sufficient to simply indicate this factor in a brief description. But key feature  Nokia Lumia 625 is considered to support LTE / 4G networks. Perhaps due to this, many functions of the phone were cut. Switching from one network to another occurs without problems. In all other respects, the phone is no different from the rest.

Camera Nokia Lumia 625

The main resolution is 5 megapixels. Managing both cameras is very convenient with a mechanical key on the right edge of the phone. Extensive application capabilities allow you to process photos. There is autofocus and an LED flash.

Autonomy

There is a battery with a capacity of 2000 mAh, which safely withstands several days due to the moderation of the filling. This "vitality" makes the phablet a separate honor. He is one of the most "long-playing."

Nokia lumia 625 reviews

Long chose the phone. The task was to find a budget smartphone of decent quality on Windows Phone. I think I found him. The large screen is beautiful and comfortable to look at, but very uncomfortable to hold. Definitely, you need to buy a bumper. It will add a little thickness to the case, but then it will be more convenient to hold the phone. And choose only non-slip material. I have a smart white color and it is quite slippery - every now and then strives to "jump out" of my hands. Anyway, this is a budget smartphone from Nokia. The money paid for it justifies.
Basin Anton

The words that there are few applications on WP in my opinion are no longer relevant. There is everything, especially beautiful office, which I often use. What do not say, and WP is simply corny convenient. Really fast! The battery is just a fairy tale, it is especially sharply felt after the transition from android. Holds for 2-3 days, but after the update, still 2.
  Suitable for krivorukovyh people like me, who often drop the phone. Over the year, it fell many times, the phone itself was whole, only the panel at the bottom cracked a little bit, so slightly that I don’t even think about ordering a new panel. The screen does not scratch, I wear without a case and a film.
Ray edie

The phone was bought to replace an annoying android, with some caution - WP is a new thing for me, and with what it is eaten, for me at the time of purchase it was a secret, covered in darkness. However, an hour after the purchase, discharging the battery to disperse the battery, I figured out almost all the functions, as if I always used a phone based on the WP platform. The phone is personalized to the maximum, everyone can make their smartphone unique - WP will provide everything possible for this. I do not regret the purchase, I am happy with everything, including 4G speeds. But a total score of 4 is a score for RAM, screen resolution and the inability of this phone to 100% resist unintentional scratches and falls.
Mironenko Vyacheslav

SUMMARY OF REVIEW

The Lumia 625 is a mid-range phone, just like the Lumia 520 and Lumia 620. Although the Nokia 625 is sold as a budget phone, the device has a couple of impressive features.

It's about a 4.7-inch display. In fact, the device has one of the largest screens in the Nokia line. Due to the large display and not without the help of the on-screen keyboard, navigate through windows menu  it was much easier. A large screen with a resolution of 800x480 has a very low pixel density of 201ppi. Noticeable is the lack of detail when browsing the web or viewing images in HD quality.

In addition to low resolution, the device also does not use ClearBlack technology.

The second distinctive feature of the phone is its 4G LTE connection.

With a 1.2 GHz dual-core processor and 512 GB random access memory  625 Lumia is not in the first places in synthetic tests, but the performance is high enough to run Windows 8 and main applications without lags.

In addition to the processor and RAM, the device has 8 GB of internal memory, 7 GB cloud storage  and microSD slot.

Overall, the device is impressive. This is one of top phones  for that kind of money.

PROS

• Large display offers convenient using windows  8 OS
• 4G LTE Quick Connect
• Decent 5MP camera

MINUSES

• Low pixel density and screen resolution
• Lack of ClearBlack Technology
• CPU average performance

In order not to be unfounded, let's follow the dynamics of the cost of Nokia Lumia 625 over time. Immediately after the announcement of the gadget, its official cost was 11,990 rubles. Over time, it fell to 9,990 rubles - that is exactly what they are asking for "six hundred and twenty-fifth." However, in online stores of varying degrees of "grayness" it can be purchased for seven thousand or less. It should be borne in mind that devices that enter the market in some roundabout ways are usually deprived of an official guarantee and manufacturer's support. In such cases, you always have to sacrifice something.

Meet the hero of today's review - Nokia Lumia 625

The main characteristics of the Nokia Lumia 625 are not particularly outstanding, we can say - typical within the class: a 4.7-inch IPS display, Qualcomm dual-core system-on-a-chip, 512 megabytes of RAM and eight gigabytes of internal storage, as well as a five-megapixel main camera. But this model has one important feature: Nokia Lumia 625 is one of the most affordable smartphones with LTE support.

⇡ Appearance and ergonomics

In terms of design, the Nokia Lumia 625 is the most typical example of a Finnish smartphone. Even if ten smartphones are lying on the table, Lumiya is easy to guess from a distance of five meters. The gadget has all the characteristic family features - a bright back panel, monolithic glass that protects the front side, well-rounded corners of the case. Lumia 625 is produced in five colors - white, green, yellow, fiery orange and black. It is noteworthy: in order to change the color of your smartphone, just replace the removable panel. Unfortunately, alternative “backs” are not supplied in the kit - they need to be bought separately. And maybe this is fortunately - less will have to pay for unnecessary accessories.

Nokia Lumia 625 - different colors

The main area of \u200b\u200bthe front panel is a 4.7-inch display, covered with a thick layer of protective glass Corning Gorilla Glass 2. Surprisingly, at the time of the release of the Lumia 625 it was believed that it had at least a large screen, now this size is the standard within the class. However, we speak quite often about the tendency to increase in smartphones everything that is possible, there is nothing new in this.

Nokia Lumia 625 - front panel

At the bottom of the panel are three standard Windows Phone keys: “Back”, “Menu” and “Search”. As you know, Microsoft does not allow manufacturers to make any adjustments to the ergonomics of their platform, so we did not expect to see anything else at this place. Touch keys, without backlight.

Using the device is very convenient even for those who decide to “transfer” to the Lumia 625 from some kind of “Android”. The principle of controlling the gadget is similar - everything is in order with the ergonomics of the smartphone. The power and activation keys of the camera, as well as the volume buttons are located on the right side. All buttons are plastic, with a short and distinct stroke.

Nokia Lumia 625 - physical keys

The universal 3.5 mm headset jack is located on the upper end, and the microUSB 2.0 interface, used for charging and data transfer, is on the bottom. The left side of the device is empty.

Nokia Lumia 625 - top end		Nokia Lumia 625 - bottom end

Nokia Lumia 625 - empty left side

On the rear panel is the lens of the main, five-megapixel camera, LED flash and an external speaker. The “back” of the device, as we have said, is removable.

Nokia Lumia 625 - back panel

The slots for micro-SIM and microSD cards are hidden under the rear panel. It is noteworthy that they are located one above the other, in one block. Despite the fact that the back cover can be removed, users do not have access to the battery - to get to it, you need to unscrew eight screws. Of course, there is no talk of any "hot" replacement. This is not very correct: it seems that the design is not monolithic, with all the ensuing shortcomings, but the battery can not be replaced.

Nokia Lumia 625 - card slots

There are no comments on the assembly of the smartphone. During testing, we did not find any suspicious backlash, or creaking. When squeezing the sides, no spots appear on the display - by the standards of low-cost gadgets, this is simply unexpectedly good. The body thickness of the device is acceptable - a little more than nine millimeters, but the mass is quite large - almost 160 grams. However, Nokia has always made and continues to make strong and heavy "bricks" that endure the blows of fate.

⇡ Specifications

Content:

The first model of this kind was the Lumia 625, which offers a 4.7-inch diagonal, which is combined with a resolution of 480x800 pixels. The characteristics of the device are largely typical of the previously presented Finnish products, but there is another important quality in addition to the large diagonal. There is a 1.2 GHz processor with two cores, 512 MB of RAM, a slot for memory cards, a 5-megapixel camera with video recording in Full HD, a non-replaceable 2000 mAh battery, and also support for LTE networks. This is the most affordable Finnish smartphone working with 4G, as well as one of the inexpensive models on the market with this feature.

Equipment:

• smartphone


• stereo headset


• USB cable


• charger


• brief instruction

Design

The appearance of the smartphone echoes the previous Nokia models. As before, a choice of several colors of the body. There are bright colors, there are more universal classical solutions - everyone can choose an interesting option for themselves. The panel is made of plastic, but there is nothing to criticize the material for.

The coating is pleasant, the matte plane does not scratch and does not get dirty, the option for your money is very good. Everything is tightly fixed, no backlashes or creaks. The back panel is removable, it closes the compartments for the microSIM card and microSD card.

The phone is large, it has dimensions of 133.3x72.3x9.2 mm and weighs 159 g. With the current love of manufacturers producing large devices, this is not surprising, but the place is used wisely, the frames around the screen are small.

The removable cover is removed with effort, just can not be removed so that it will please the user - the reliability of the design is high. The panel in shape resembles a bath that is worn on a frame. She has a two-layer design, the plastic is dense.

Above the screen is a front camera, light and proximity sensors, as well as a speaker.

At the bottom there will be three touch keys familiar to the WP-smartphone, equipped with a backlight.

On the right is the volume button, the screen lock and camera start keys.

There is a headphone jack at the top, and a microUSB port at the bottom.

The camera lens is recessed into the body, next to it is a flash, the speaker is located at the bottom. On the one hand, appearance without frills, everything is pretty ordinary. But at the same time, it is worth noting a wide selection of colors, as well as pleasant materials and quality assembly.

Display

The diagonal is 4.7 inches, but the resolution is only 480x800 pixels. In the current gamut of Nokia smartphones, it has the lowest pixel density, you have to put up with the graininess of the image, all this is clearly visible. As in other devices of the company, you can set color profiles, and the smartphone also responds to the touch of fingers with gloves.

This is not the first time that IPS matrix has been found in Finnish products, but the screen does not have special properties. I already said about the graininess, in addition, there is no polarization layer, everything quickly fades in the sun. In addition, the device offers an average margin of brightness, in addition, the picture also glare, there is an air gap between the glass and the screen, which affects the image.

Performance

The smartphone has a dual-core 1.2 GHz Qualcomm MSM8930 processor, an Adreno 305 graphics accelerator, 512 MB of RAM and 8 GB of its own. There is also a microSD slot, where you can additionally put a large-capacity drive. Due to hardware limitations, some resource-intensive applications do not start here, this known problem  inexpensive Windows Phone. There are no other complaints about the device in terms of work, it is fast, it works without failures, the software base is growing, except that with games the situation is sad and amid an abundance of entertainment programs for iOS or Android system  hopelessly behind.

Interface

On the lock screen can be any image set by the user. Here you can see information about the time and date. At the bottom of the line of events, icons for new messages or calls will be displayed, if such remained unattended by the user. Now you can display additional data, for example, there will be notifications from clients from social networks  or weather. In standby mode, the clock may appear on the screen, but no other notifications appear here.

On the desktop, tile icons are placed at will. Their size is adjusted, now you can choose from three different formats, up to 4 shortcuts are immediately added to one row, and not 2, as it was before.

The menu lists all the programs that are installed on the phone in alphabetical order. This includes both standard applications and subsequently added by the device owner. To design the menu, two background options are offered: black or white, as well as a rich palette of multi-colored themes that allows you to quickly change the look of your smartphone.

Contacts

The phone book is divided into three sections. The first shows all the names that are in the device’s memory. The second displays the ones that were used most often, these are the most popular contacts. The last column will combine news from social networks. For example, Twitter or Facebook.

In the settings, the type of sorting the names and the option to display them are set. When creating a new user, various data are assigned to him. The new user receives a name, surname, patronymic, place of work, nickname, appeal, picture. He is assigned several phone numbers of different types: mobile, home, work, organization, pager, fax. Three types of email are specified. The contact is given additional fields. This is the address, website, birthday, note, anniversary, loved one, children, office location, position. As a ringtone, you can set not only one of the files in the phone’s memory, but also any other.

The search menu will help you find the right person. The phone allows you to create user groups. They will be separately highlighted before the general list of names. By adding users to each group, you can monitor the life of friends, see their messages, pictures. Of course, you can write a letter, SMS or call them from here. The “Rooms” function has appeared, which can be considered examples of a classic group of contacts, but with expanded functionality: it is easy to chat with a limited circle of people here by exchanging pictures, calendar entries or notes. Moreover, this group includes not only users of WP-smartphones, but also owners of other devices.

Calls

The telephone part is divided into four groups. This is the call log itself, dialing, phone book  and search. The device is not able to remember the section that was used last time. Thus, to dial a number, you will always need to perform an extra action related to the transition from the call list to the virtual keyboard.

The virtual keyboard displays Latin characters, however, they will not help when dialing a number. The automatic selection of suitable numbers is not here. The call list is organized very simply. Here, a long string of numbers is the whole history of calls. It doesn't matter if the numbers were the same or not. The phone does not know how to combine the same type of calls.

Messages

Correspondence is formed in two sections. The first consists of correspondence in the form of SMS and MMS. The other consists of Facebook contacts. Thus, you can chat from here with users of the virtual community. Messages are displayed in a column. If you open the correspondence window, messages appear that are divided into blocks.

At the same time, incoming and sent SMS differ in shades from each other, which simplifies reading. In addition, the date and time of receipt of the message, the number or name of the person with whom it is communicating are marked here. Once you click on this line, a menu opens that allows you to make a call or see more detailed information about the subscriber. When typing a message, you need to select the sender. You can simply type the numbers on the line at the top of the screen or select an existing contact. Using previously used numbers is not allowed. A text message automatically turns into a multimedia message if you add a picture or other data to it.

A choice of portrait or landscape mode. In both cases, about half of the screen is reserved for the keyboard. A separate key is available to change the input language. Another special button stores a lot of emoticons in memory. Copy and paste text is supported. The keyboard is comfortable and pleasant to use.

Email

The device offers a setup wizard mailbox, which works with popular email services, so that users of Gmail, Yandex or Mail.ru will not experience any problems here. Each account  a name is assigned, the interval for checking the box is configured: push-mode, every 15, 30 or 60 minutes. The type of attachments is shown, the device allows you to download and view files of "office" types.

The calendar

The device offers a choice of several ways to display information. This is a scheduled day by hours, a list of scheduled events or tasks displayed in a separate column. When creating a new event, several fields are filled. They can be: topic, place, calendar is selected, time, duration. Event participants are added who receive notifications about it by e-mail. Also to new record  notes are created.

Browser

The browser allows you to simultaneously keep open up to six windows. The download speed of resources is high, and the application itself pleases. It is fast, flipping through even bulky sites occurs without delay. Unfortunately, the browser does not know how to adapt the scaled font to the borders of the screen. You have to navigate the page to see hidden text.

The address bar is located below, right under the fingers, which is very convenient. On the left there is an icon for reloading the page, on the right an additional menu opens. This includes the history of visited pages and bookmarks. The necessary resources can be added immediately to the desktop. In the application settings, you can disable the storage of cookies, select a view mode. This item allows you to activate a mobile or full version. The application works in landscape or portrait mode, the search for the right words on the page is functioning.

Music

The phone supports the formats.m4a, m4b, .mp3, .wma. The music and video section is combined into a common group. Podcasts also belong here, and FM radio appeared here. When playing a song, the file cover art is displayed on the screen. At the top are three standard player controls. Below is information about the artist, album and track title. The name of the next two songs is indicated in small print below the name of the song. There is also information about the playing time and the total duration of the song.

Repeat mode is activated for all songs or for just one. There is a mixed playback mode. Also liked the composition can be noted separately. If you press the sound adjustment button, a small menu will open where the track information and buttons for moving between songs will be displayed. It is available even with the screen locked, which is convenient.

The equalizer is placed in a separate section, so it’s inconvenient to change the parameters, you won’t be able to get directly from the player. The smartphone has surround sound emulation, as well as a set of ready-made presets, including manual settings. There are no questions about the sound, with high-quality headphones, the smartphone will delight in sound.

Nokia music

This is a kind of duplicate of the built-in player, however, in addition to the usual music playback function, there is another option here. This is the use of playlists that are created based on the music store that Nokia offers. In it you can not only purchase licensed content. He also creates lists by genre, you can listen to songs, but you need a good internet connection. You can listen to this music again later, the data is stored offline. Therefore, it is optimal to use Wi-Fi. The advantages of such an application include the ability to expand your horizons, I liked the selection of the composition. In addition, everything is very beautifully designed, nice to see.

Video

The advantages of the updated software include extended support for codecs, so that the smartphone will show many films after simply copying data to its memory. The interface is still as simple and ascetic. A list of files in the phone’s memory is displayed here, choosing the one you need, it will open in full screen, although black bars at the top and bottom are not excluded. The screen displays the duration of the clip, the time since it began to play. There are three player control keys, as well as a scroll bar that helps you quickly navigate through the movie.

Camera

The Nokia Lumia 625 has a 5-megapixel camera, it has autofocus and an LED flash. There is also a frontal module. Shooting starts not only from the menu, but also with the help of a dedicated key on the side. You need to click on it and hold your finger for five seconds, after which you can take pictures. The button is on / off, comfortable. You can shoot by touching the display with your finger, while setting the point for focusing.

Settings:

Flash: on, auto, on.

Shooting mode: auto, close-up, night mode, night portrait, sport.

ISO: auto, 100, 200, 400, 800.

White balance: auto, cloudy, day, fluorescent, incandescent lamp.

Aspect ratio: 16: 9, 4: 3.

The quality of the video.

The smartphone shoots video well and takes pictures, despite the relatively low resolution of the module, the camera should like its capabilities.

Nokia Lumia 625
Display	4.7 inches, 480x800, IPS
Touch screen	Capacitive, up to ten simultaneous touches, high sensitivity
Glass	Corning Gorilla Glass 2, rounded edges
Air gap	there is
Oleophobic coating	Not
Polarizing filter	Not
CPU	Qualcomm Snapdragon 400 MSM8930: two Qualcomm Krait cores (ARMv7); frequency of 1.2 GHz; 28 nm manufacturing process
Graphics controller	Qualcomm Adreno 305
RAM	512 MB
Flash memory	8 GB (about 5 GB available) + microSD 7 GB SkyDrive cloud storage
Connectors	1 x micro USB 2.0 1 x microSD 1 x 3.5mm headset jack 1 x micro-SIM
cellular	2G / 3G / 4G 2G:GSM / GPRS / EDGE 850/900/1800/1900 MHz 3G:HSDPA (21 Mbps) 850/900/2100 MHz 4G:  LTE Cat. 3 (100 Mbps) band 3, 7, 20 (2600/1800/800 MHz) One micro SIM card
Wifi	802.11b / g / n + Wi-Fi Direct
Bluetooth	4.0
Nfc	Not
Infrared port	Not
Navigation	GPS, A-GPS, GLONASS Branded services HERE Drive, HERE Maps, HERE Transit, Local Scout
Sensors	Light sensor, proximity sensor, accelerometer / gyroscope
Main camera	5 MP (2592x1936), matrix size 1/4 inch Focal length 28 mm, relative aperture ƒ / 2.4 Autofocus, diode flash
Front-camera	0.3 MP (640x480), no autofocus, no flash
Battery	Non-removable Battery BP-4GWA Capacity 7.6 Wh (2000 mAh, 3.8 V)
Wireless charger	Not
The size	133x72 mm Case Thickness 9.2 mm
Weight	159 g
Water and dust protection	Not
operating system	Microsoft Windows  Phone 8.0 Nokia add-on software

[+] enlarge, 2592x1936, JPEG, 1.4 Mb
The desired object opens on the display. You can change the scale of the picture with multi-touch or double-tap. You can set any image as a lock screen wallpaper, send via MMS, email, post to Facebook or Twitter or upload to SkyDrive. Also, the image is added to the number of favorites, opens using the editing program. The picture can be transferred and using applications, for example, upload to twitter through an additional client.

The face recognition function allows you to tag people in the pictures. After that, the photos can be uploaded to Facebook. Built-in image editing application, it will allow you to apply various effects. There was a function of simultaneous selection of several pictures, now it became much more convenient to transfer files.

Applications

Clock

The memory stores several alarms. Each of them is given a signal time, a snooze mode according to the days of the week. You can choose from tunes from the device’s memory. In addition, you can give the alarm a name.

The calculator offers all the necessary functions for making calculations. If you turn the device to the side, an additional settings menu opens.

The smartphone can monitor traffic consumption.

You can store various plastic card data under a password.

Office

The section includes applications that work with Word, Excel, Power Point and One Note. Accordingly, these are programs for text documents, tables, presentations and notes. The device allows not only viewing data on the screen, but also creating new files of these types or editing existing ones. There are a lot of settings, make adjustments to text Document  it will be convenient. The document can be sent by e-mail, uploaded to SkyDrive or to Microsoft SharePoint Server 2010.

Score

Each application is equipped with screenshots and a picture-icon. The price is indicated, while it is given in the currency of that state, information about which is indicated in the account. The rating of the program, reviews, its size are displayed. If you wish, you can download a demo version and try it. It is inconvenient that the smartphone does not have a separate list of purchased software, this is not enough.

Navigation

Nokia smartphone buyers get great HERE Maps and HERE Drive navigation. Maps with excellent detail, street names in Russian. Moreover, it is worth noting that there is a numbering of houses. Several terrain display modes are supported: a map, satellite, and a map showing public transport. It is convenient to plot driving routes, maps are available offline. The path from one point to another is calculated both by car, public transport or on foot. At the same time, key points are indicated, you can pre-evaluate the entire upcoming road.

The 2D and 3D modes are implemented, and the interface is displayed in dark colors in order to make it more convenient to use navigation in the dark. Can download needed cards  terrain, as well as a package with voice prompts. If you wish, you can take a smartphone with you to any country in the world and use it even offline, which is very convenient.

Connections

The smartphone supports the work in frequencies GSM850 / 900/1800/1900, WCDMA 850/900/1900/2100, supports LTE (frequencies 3, 7, 20). I used a smartphone paired with a MegaFon card, everything worked very well. There is GPS, A-GPS and GLONASS, Wi-Fi 802.11 b / g / n works well, reception is sure, network passwords are saved. In this case, the screen lock causes disconnection from the Wi-Fi network. Bluetooth 4.0 with EDR allows you to listen to music on wireless headphones. NFC is supported, you can exchange pictures, for example. The smartphone can work as a network access point for other devices. In addition, support for DLNA. A big advantage of WP8 smartphones is the free copying of data, which eliminates the need to work with Zune. Now the smartphone is defined as external drive, content is copied easily and quickly, which was so lacking for users before.

Profiles

The device offers a single sound profile. It is not possible to configure several options for alerts. At the same time, the combination of sound in applications and warning signals can be considered a significant drawback. For example, by muffling music in the player, it automatically decreases in volume for a call, for SMS notifications, and for an alarm clock. What caused this logic is hard to understand, but in practice this option is inconvenient.

Working hours

  The battery capacity is 2000 mAh, the battery is non-replaceable. Autonomy pleased, the smartphone works quietly for 24 hours, if you use it actively, but in less intensive mode it takes about two days, the result is very good.

According to the manufacturer, charging is enough for 24 hours of conversation in 2G networks, 15 hours in 3G networks, 90 hours in player mode, 6.8 hours in video mode, 8.7 hours on the Internet.

Nokia claims up to 23.4 hours of talk time, up to 520 hours of standby time, 79 hours of music listening, 13.5 hours of Wi-Fi internet. The phone is charged both from a USB port and from an outlet, if you buy a special case, you can also get the phone’s wireless charging function.

In video playback mode at maximum brightness, the charge lasts for 8 hours. Interestingly, Nokia itself claims only 6.6 hours of operation for this smartphone. In terms of working time, I did not see a significant difference from, it turns out all the same one day of life from charging.

Conclusion

At a price of 11,990 rubles, the smartphone is an ambiguous solution. He has a big screen, good optimization  toppings and a capacious battery, the device shows good battery life. But at the same time, an average-quality screen cannot but affect the impressions of the device. In addition, the filling is also not maximum. I would like twice as much RAM so that there are no problems with application compatibility.

Of the features it is worth highlighting support for 4G networks, so far this is a distinctive feature of a limited range of models. But if we draw an analogy with smartphones that are sold at a similar price, then Nokia is inferior to them primarily in screen resolution. The diagonal of the analogs is smaller, but 4.3-4.5 inches is enough for mobile Internet. Plus, you can not take into account the size of the device, it is large and weighty, although this is largely a subjective issue.

There are a lot of analogues for this money; among WP-solutions Nokia is undoubtedly the leader, which actually single-handedly moves this platform forward. If you want something on Android, then the choice is huge, the question is only in personal preferences. Nokia Lumia 625 can be considered as an assortment of solutions for those who want a large screen and are ready to use this particular platform, and not some other.

© Alexander PobyvanetsTest lab
  The article was published on October 9, 2013.

Smartphone Review Nokia Lumia 625

“Hero of the big screen” - that’s exactly what the Finnish company Nokia called its new product, the Lumia 625 smartphone. Partially, this title is justified: the display’s diagonal is 4.7 ″, so it’s located on the border of the world of traditional smartphones and new-fashioned “plafond” hybrids ( or, popularly, “shovels”).

History, as you know, is cyclical in many ways: 10 years ago we all went through the peak of hysteria with the smallest phones the size of matchboxes and microscopic screens, now the sine wave of technological development passes the opposite point - the peak of the mania of the "largest" screen. There is nowhere to go further in this direction, tablets of all possible diagonals with support for telephone calls are already on store shelves, and it is difficult to come up with something radically new within the existing form factor. Flexible displays are the new trend, and in about 10 years we’ll probably get a 13 ″ smartphone that can be rolled up, folded with an envelope and hidden in a pocket. Then the mania and aspirations of the public to get a compact device with a huge screen will finally be satisfied.

Let us return to our Finnish smartphones - still Finnish, but, as you know, Nokia’s mobile division will not be independent and Finnish for long - it was bought by Microsoft. But has it been the last few years truly independent? Using not the most common OS in their devices left Nokia without room for maneuver, all attempts to surprise the general public with the hardware stuffing of smartphones were smashed by the rejection by the masses of users of the Microsoft software platform. To build the lineup  The Finnish company had to use devices by combining the same hardware components, and as a result we got a long list of models, the whole difference between which is the presence of one or another communication module, camera resolution, absence or presence of a memory card slot and type of display. The current hero of the review was no exception: under the big screen there is generally an ordinary hardware stuffing, the only “trick" of which is the support by the Qualcomm MSM8930 processor of LTE networks. So, is the Nokia Lumia 625 the “Hero” as Nokia announced it?

Contents of delivery

Nokia Lumia 625 comes in a packaging traditional for a Finnish company - a multi-colored box made of hard cardboard. The box’s dimensions are small; it contains images of the smartphone in question in several colors, including those that are not officially represented in Russia: yellow and green. Perhaps in the future it will be possible to purchase the back covers of such colors separately. There is not much information on the device itself on the packaging; the available information about the processor, operating system and sound system are shown only in the form of non-informative icons.

In the bowels of the box were discovered and sequentially removed: a smartphone, a network charger, a Micro-USB-USB cable, a wired stereo headset, and documentation. So, Nokia Lumia 625 has a completely typical configuration budget smartphone  - only the most necessary for life.

Specifications

Consider the capabilities of the current hero of the review and compare it with the neighbors in the Nokia product line.

• Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 Plus SoC MSM8930, 1.2 GHz, 2 Krait cores
• GPU Adreno 305
• Microsoft Windows Phone 8 Operating System
• Touchscreen 4.7 ″, IPS, 800 × 480, capacitive (high sensitivity), multi-touch
• Random access memory (RAM) 512 MB
• Internal memory 8 GB, slot for microSDHC memory cards
• Communication 2G GSM 850, 900, 1800, 1900 MHz, 3G WCDMA 850, 900, 2100 MHz
• Data transfer GPRS, EDGE, HSDPA, HSUPA, LTE (up to 100 Mbps)
• LTE Ranges: 3, 7, 20
• Bluetooth 4.0 + LE, Wi-Fi 802.11b / g / n
• GPS (with A-GPS), Glonass, orientation sensor, accelerometer, proximity sensor
• Cameras: 5 megapixels (with autofocus) and VGA
• Battery 2000 mAh
• Dimensions 133.2 × 72.2 × 9.2 mm
• Weight 159 g

Unlike the closest neighbors in the lineup (Lumia 520, 620, 720), the current hero of the review is based on the Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 Plus MSM8930 SoC. The difference between it and the Qualcomm MSM8227 SoC in terms of performance is small - the frequency of both Krait cores is increased by only 200 MHz. The core responsible for graphics processing (Adreno 305) is now able to encode video with a resolution of 1080p, while in the MSM8227 it only cope with 720p video.

The fundamental difference between the two SoCs is LTE support. Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 Plus MSM8930 has support for the so-called "world LTE", that is, a smartphone based on it is able to connect to fourth-generation cellular networks almost anywhere in the world where, of course, they are deployed by operators. Our domestic LTE networks were no exception. You can learn more about the capabilities of modern Qualcomm processors in our special material.

The display of the novelty is surprising and bewildering: the discrepancy in size and resolution of the matrix by today's standards is simply exceptional. Only a distinctive company like Nokia could afford to install a 4.7 ″ screen with a resolution of 800 × 480 pixels in a smartphone.

The screen size determined the large dimensions of the smartphone case, but it’s hard to say what is associated with its large mass. Perhaps with a thick glass of Corning Gorilla of the first generation, and possibly with a non-removable and not the most technologically advanced battery with a capacity of 2000 mAh.

In other parameters, Nokia Lumia 625 belongs to the budget segment of the Finnish company’s devices: 512 MB of RAM, 8 GB of main memory, which can be supplemented with a microSDXC card or cloud storage  Microsoft SkyDrive The capabilities of the built-in camera are not amazing, as well as the IPS screen, devoid of Nokia proprietary technologies.

A comparison of the basic features of various Nokia smartphones is shown in the following table.

	Nokia Lumia 625	Nokia Lumia 520	Nokia Lumia 620	Nokia Lumia 720	Nokia Lumia 920
Screen	4.7 ″ IPS	4 ″, IPS	3.8 ″, IPS	4.3 ″ IPS	4.5 ″, IPS
Resolution	800 × 480, 199 ppi	800 × 480, 233 ppi	800 × 480, 246 ppi	800 × 480, 217 ppi	1280 × 768, 332 ppi
SoC	Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 @ 1.2 GHz (2 cores, ARMv7 Krait)		Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 @ 1 GHz (2 cores, ARMv7 Krait)	Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 @ 1 GHz (2 cores, ARMv7 Krait)	Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 @ 1.5 GHz (2 cores, ARMv7 Krait)
RAM	512 MB	512 MB	512 MB	512 MB	1 GB
Flash memory	8 GB	8 GB	8 GB	8 GB	32 GB
Memory card support	microSD	microSD	microSD	microSD	not
operating system	Windows Phone 8	Windows Phone 8	Windows Phone 8	Windows Phone 8	Windows Phone 8
SIM format *	Micro sim	Micro sim	Micro sim	Micro sim	Micro sim
Communications	2G / 3G / 4G, Wi-Fi 802.11a / b / g / n, Bluetooth	2G / 3G, Wi-Fi 802.11a / b / g / n, Bluetooth	2G / 3G, Wi-Fi 802.11a / b / g / n, Bluetooth, NFC	2G / 3G, Wi-Fi 802.11b / g / n, Bluetooth, NFC	2G / 3G / 4G, Wi-Fi 802.11a / b / g / n, Bluetooth, NFC
Battery	fixed, 2000 mAh	removable, 1430 mAh	removable, 1300 mAh	fixed, 2000 mAh	fixed, 2000 mAh
Cameras	rear (5 MP; video - 1080p), front (0.3 MP)	rear (5 MP; video - 720p)	rear (5 MP; video - 720p), front (0.3 MP)	rear (6.7 MP; video - 720p), front (1.2 MP)	rear (8.7 MP; video - 1080p), front (1.2 MP)
Dimensions	133 × 72 × 9.2 mm, 159 g	120 × 64 × 9.9 mm, 124 g	115 × 61 × 11 mm, 127 g	128 × 68 × 9 mm, 128 g	130 × 71 × 10.7 mm, 185 g
Average price (Y. Market)	T-10437348	T-9283437	T-8523280	T-9283438	T-8444110
Offers Nokia Lumia 625 (Ya.Market)	L-10437348-10

Design and appearance

Everyone who happened to hold the Nokia Lumia 625 in his hand noted two things: the first - the smartphone is huge, the second - it is also very heavy. Nokia Lumia 625 - this is the case when an additional 25 grams of weight dramatically change the impression of the device. Subjective sensations are confirmed by numbers, the hero of the review is one of the most weighty Nokia devices, only the Lumia 920 is heavier. But it is also inferior to the newcomer in size! In general, if you are used to evaluating the size and weight of a smartphone according to the principle “the bigger the better”, then Nokia Lumia 625 is the primary candidate for purchase.

The shape of the case and the color of the copy of the Nokia Lumia 625 received by the editorial office are somewhat dissonant with its overall dimensions and subjective “enormity”. I’ll try to explain what I mean. From a large and weighty smartphone you expect some solidity and rigor also in design and color: if the latter is easily fixable - you can buy a completely black device, then there's nothing to be done about the shape of the case. So it turns out that it’s almost exclusively a male smartphone (it’s unlikely that it will be interesting for the fair sex, except for those who are engaged in powerlifting) “pleased” with the shape and color of rounded, “washed” pebbles. The impression is only enhanced by the white color of the back cover of the sample Nokia Lumia 625 and the texture of the plastic. Honestly, sometimes it seems that in your hand, instead of a high-tech device, there is a piece of rock picked up on Sochi beach. Orientation to a male audience, moreover, is confirmed by the fact that in Russia the Nokia Lumia 625 has only one color version - red. The hero of the review is deprived of the riot of colors with which Nokia spoils buyers of its other devices, including flagship ones.

If you deviate from personal impressions, then there are no serious claims to the design and ergonomics of Nokia Lumia 625. All controls, connectors and buttons are in their places fixed by Microsoft recommendations. Build quality is traditionally at the height of Nokia - nothing creaks or hangs. The matte plastic on the back is pleasant to the touch, but it is more slippery than the usual soft-touch. On a white background, fingerprints are almost invisible, although they remain after touching the smartphone in abundance.

Due to its size, rounded edges and mass, Nokia Lumia 625 is conveniently located in the palm of your hand. Unlike rectangular counterparts with sharp edges and corners, the current hero of the review does not stick and leaves no marks on the skin when squeezed. Of course, with such dimensions, even talking about the convenience of controlling with one finger cannot go - only with the fingers of two hands. Despite its size, Nokia Lumia 625 fits into the pocket of regular jeans without any problems, but it is clearly felt there.

A new piece of criticism, this time objective, is a claim to the design of the Nokia Lumia 625 back cover. The problem is not that it is inconvenient or difficult to disconnect - the fact is that this action is not obvious and the theoretical danger of breaking it over time. For once, I had to consult the instructions to perform the manipulation under discussion, since it is shown on the packaging directly under the smartphone itself. So, to get to the connectors with a memory card and microSIM card, you need to: turn the smartphone upside down, grab a fingernail on the case in the vicinity of the microUSB connector and pull it towards you (up). If the actions are done with a little click, the lid will detach and the main body of the smartphone will fall out of it. The developers especially noted that it is not recommended to use a screwdriver or other objects that are harder than plastic. Putting the case back in the lid is not a problem, the main thing to remember is that the sequence of actions should be the reverse and the protrusions on the top of the lid should be the first to get into their grooves.

After disconnecting the two main structural details of the Nokia Lumia 625, it becomes noticeable that the body of the review hero is entirely made of black plastic, the battery is attached to it and you have to disassemble the smartphone to remove the battery - fortunately, all the screws are in sight. It's funny, but without the white back cover, the Nokia Lumia 625 looks even more stylish than with it, in addition, in this form, the smartphone is simply smaller. And it would be possible to use the Nokia Lumia 625 in this form, because the battery will not fall out anyway, and the camera will be covered with protective glass if it were not for the exposed slots of the memory card and SIM card, as well as inconvenient key management. Speaking of the keys, all three of their repeaters, which are located on the outer cover, have a fairly embossed shape. The move could be more distinct, but there are no problems in using them even with their current form.

The front panel of the Nokia Lumia 625 is completely covered with Corning Gorilla protective glass with rounded edges. This "trick" is found mainly in Nokia smartphones and is probably due to the increased thickness of the glass itself. The Finnish company, apparently, believes that in this way they increase the protection of the display, and it’s just beautiful when the rounded edges of the smartphone’s body very smoothly pass into the glass surface of the screen.

At the bottom of the front panel there are standard touch keys operating system. As with the Nokia Lumia 520, they are not highlighted. Below is a barely noticeable microphone. Above the display, the developers placed the lens of an additional camera, a telephone speaker and sensors. The gap between the glass and the smartphone case is minimal, dust is collected only in the speaker hole.

On the back of the Nokia Lumia 625, you can find the main camera lens with LED flash and the opening of the main speaker of the smartphone.

The left edge of the Nokia Lumia 625 case is clean, all the keys are collected on the right side - these are the traditional power, volume and camera buttons.

A microUSB connector is located on the lower end of the review hero’s case, and a 3.5 mm headphone jack is on the upper end.

So, Nokia Lumia 625 turned out to be ambiguous both in design and construction. It remains unclear what target audience developers expect to offer this smartphone. For the male part it is too frivolous, for the female part it is too huge and heavy. How many fans will there be with a device with such a strange combination of rounded edges and smooth contours of the case, huge size and considerable weight? Especially if the smartphone is white or red? Of course, everything can be justified by the need to place a display with a diagonal of 4.7 ″, but, as practice shows, such a display can be placed in a smaller case and weight. And if you still want or need to make a large smartphone, you should choose a more expressive and rigorous design.

Software

The software filling of all Nokia Lumia smartphones is almost identical, only certain applications change functionality. Most of these programs are hardware related. specific model  devices.

All modern Nokia Lumia smartphones, including the current hero of the review, are running an operating system windows systems  Phone 8. We have discussed its capabilities and features many times when writing previous reviews of devices of the Finnish company. It is perhaps worth noting once again that the Microsoft software platform itself looks and works very well, but there are several points that negatively affect its reputation and fate. Firstly, the software giant was simply late for the distribution of the mobile operating system market, in a hurry it released Windows Phone 7, but it turned out to be an openly crude platform. Along the way, Microsoft left to the mercy of fate the owners of devices with the previous Windows Mobile OS. A year later, their fate was repeated by a few buyers of smartphones with Windows Phone 7, who were left without the expected update on new version this operating system. It is clear that all these maneuvers in the market only pushed away from Microsoft the few remaining loyal fans. As a result, the company from Redmond had to build its ecosystem from scratch, win the market from Apple and Google and invest heavily in advertising in order to regain the attention and trust of the public. The second reason is the slow completion of the application library. Despite the fact that since the release of Windows Phone 7 the number of programs in the application store has increased many times, developers still do not favor this commercial electronic platform with special attention, releasing their applications for the Microsoft platform according to the residual principle. Many interesting programs in the Windows Phone store are still missing. The third reason is the abundance of minor flaws and shortcomings in the operating system itself, which are striking and puzzling after a long work with Android and iOS. The fourth reason is the tile-like minimalistic OS interface, which not everyone likes and which cannot be modified in any way, changing the color of the tiles - that’s all you can do with it.

In general, despite all these shortcomings, in its modern form, Windows Phone 8 is a fast, convenient and modern operating system that meets the needs of most potential users.

Nokia, which has put everything in the “sector” of Windows Phone, has made every effort to interest the buyer and help him navigate in the new unusual mobile environment.

During the implementation of the first task, the company tried to fill its smartphones with useful free applications. First of all, we are talking about several programs for working with maps and navigation: Here drive, Here maps, Here transit. No smartphone manufacturer on the market supplies a comprehensive navigation system with the ability to download and locally store maps of entire regions. This Nokia has a significant head start. Unfortunately, not all Lumia smartphones are equipped with a full-fledged version of the program for car navigation Here Drive. For example, the program installed in the memory of the hero of the review, like the previously reviewed Nokia Lumia 520, allows you to work with cards only from the region where you come from mobile operator  whose SIM card is inserted into the smartphone. However, updating to full version Applications are available for a separate, fairly small amount of money. Be that as it may, Here applications are a hallmark of Nokia smartphones and one of their undoubted advantages. The company itself does not stop reminding about this both in advertising and on the packaging of devices.

Various applications help to facilitate work and acquaintance with the purchased device, that is, to complete the second task: online help, an editor and an installer of tunes, top-lists of programs for downloading, music and other content.

Nokia has tried to provide the smartphone user with convenient means for listening to music, watching videos, taking photos and processing them, controlling the camera and navigation - that is, almost everything you need in mobile life. The list of applications is really extensive, fully with their capabilities you can on the website of the company itself in the section with detailed description  specifications of the smartphone Nokia Lumia 625.

Display

The Nokia Lumia 625 has a very unusual display. It combines a huge 4.7 ″ diagonal and a WVGA resolution (800 × 480 pixels) gradually fading into the bright past. The pixel density is (199ppi) that they are not visible only if you keep the smartphone at a decent distance from the eyes. It is worth moving it a little closer in the desire to consider small text or graphics, for example in Internet explorer, and the picture already appears to have seemed to have remained in the same bright past a picture of angular icons, drawings, a blurry text and a ladder of inclined planes. Many may notice that the same iPad or iPad mini  the pixel density is even lower and the negative reaction is out of place, but there is one thing: nobody holds the tablets as close to the eyes as smartphones and, as a result, individual points on their screens are not so noticeable. If you move the Nokia Lumia 625 to the same distance as the tablet, then all the benefits and meaning of the large screen of the smartphone disappear. Another good example is Full HD TVs. The 32 ″ Full HD panel has a dot density of 69ppi that is ridiculous by smartphone standards, but they watch TV from a distance where it’s invisible. As a result, the thing is the balance of the distance between the device and the viewer and the pixel density per inch, and he, in the case of Nokia Lumia 625, is at the level of 4 years ago.

Understanding the developers of Nokia Lumia 625 is possible, but difficult. It can be seen that they wanted to make a “cheap” smartphone with a large screen and LTE for an unassuming public, but the marketing department strictly forbade them to equip the new product with a screen with a resolution of at least 1280 × 720 pixels so as not to cut sales of more expensive smartphones. As a result, an unpretentious audience can really admire the large display, but admiration will fade when their eyes see individual pixels and will be replaced by dissatisfaction when a smartphone with the same large screen, but already with HD resolution, is in the second hand.

The matrix of the Nokia Lumia 625 screen is made using IPS technology, which means viewing angles and color quality are at a fairly good level. It is worth noting that even the cheapest Chinese smartphones have recently been equipped with IPS displays, the good old TFT TN finally moved to the segment of ultra-budget devices bordering on the area of \u200b\u200bovert technological trash and crooked crafts.

However, proprietary display technology from a Finnish company, such as ClearBlack, bypassed Nokia Lumia 625. In place were the Corning Gorilla glass (note not the latest version) and support for glove recognition. By the way, the test for the operation of the touch sensor showed that the review hero easily recognizes up to 10 simultaneous signals inclusively - the author’s fingers were simply not enough for more.

In general, if we ignore the extremely unusual combination of diagonal and resolution, the Nokia Lumia 625 display is not bad - at least with the naked eye you can see that it is better in color reproduction than the screen of the Nokia Lumia 520. In bright sunlight, the picture on the screen fades and becomes difficult to see. but this applies to most low-cost smartphones. The protective glass collects fingerprints and glare, but it gets dirty much less than the cover of the Nokia Lumia 520 screen, and dirt and grease from the display of the review hero is easier to remove.

A detailed examination of the screen using measuring instruments was carried out by the editor of the “Monitors” and “Projectors and TV” sections Alexei Kudryavtsev.

The screen of the smartphone is covered by a glass plate with a mirror-smooth surface, and judging by the reflection of objects in it, there is no anti-glare filter or it is very weak. The reflection in the screen is tripled, which suggests the presence of an air gap between the surface of the matrix and the outer glass. Most likely, there is no special oleophobic (grease-repellent) coating on the outer surface of the screen, since a finger glides poorly on the screen surface and leaves traces.

With manual brightness control (three fixed levels are available) and when displaying a white field in full screen, its maximum value was about 350 cd / m², average - 190, minimum - 80 cd / m². These three levels are more or less suitable for comfortable work during the day on the street, in a well-lit room and in the dark. Although, of course, the maximum brightness value is not the highest. Automatic brightness control by light sensor works (it is located to the right of the logo on the front panel). IN auto mode  when the ambient light conditions change, the screen brightness both increases and decreases. You can make adjustments to this function by first selecting a brightness level. Next, for three conditions, we present the brightness values \u200b\u200bof the screen (when displaying a white field in full screen) for three values \u200b\u200bof the selected brightness (for levels low, average  and tall) In complete darkness in automatic mode, the brightness decreases to 9, 12 and 15 cd / m², respectively (dull, but you can read), in an office lit by artificial light, the brightness is set to 125, 180 and 210 cd / m² (acceptable), in brightly lit environment (corresponds to daylight outdoors, but without direct sunlight) - increases to 250, 350 and 350 cd / m² (the last two values \u200b\u200bare equal to the maximum brightness). As a result, this function works quite adequately. At low brightness, there is some modulation of the backlight, but its amplitude does not reach 100%, and the spectrum of modulation frequencies has a maximum in the region of 47 kHz, so visually screen flicker cannot be seen and the presence of such modulation can in no way affect the comfort of working with this smartphone.

An IPS type matrix is \u200b\u200binstalled on this screen. The micrograph shows a typical IPS subpixel structure:

The screen has good viewing angles without inverting colors and without significant color shift even with large deviations of the gaze from the perpendicular to the screen. The black field with a diagonal deviation is strongly highlighted and acquires a red-violet hue. With a perpendicular view, the black field uniformity is bad, since there are areas with increased black field brightness in several places and especially in the lower part of the screen. The response time for the black-white-black transition is 27 ms (16 ms on + 11 ms off). The transition between gray tones of 25% and 75% (according to the numerical value of the color) and vice versa in total takes 40 ms. The contrast is quite high - about 930: 1. The gamma curve constructed from 32 points did not reveal a blockage in either highlights or shadows, and the approximating power-law function exponent is 2.32, which is slightly higher than the standard value of 2.2, while the real gamma-curve deviates slightly from the power-law dependence:

The color gamut is slightly narrower than sRGB:

Apparently, the matrix filters mix the components together. Spectra confirm this:

This technique allows you to increase the brightness of the screen at the same energy consumption for backlight. However, important reference points - green color and skin tones (between the green and red vertices of the coverage triangle) - are close to the sRGB boundaries, therefore, on the whole, the images on the screen have a saturation close to natural. Bending the boundary between the vertices of blue and green colors on the coverage graph implies the presence of software color rendering correction. Indeed, in the screen settings, you can adjust the color saturation and color temperature. Saturation is mainly changed by adjusting the image itself, but in the extreme position of the corresponding adjustment (position Natural) the software saturation of the primary colors decreases and the coverage becomes even narrower:

The balance of shades on the gray scale is good, since the color temperature is actually equal to the standard 6500 K, and the deviation from the spectrum of the black body (delta E) is less than 10, which is considered an acceptable indicator for a consumer device. In this case, the variation in color temperature and delta E is small, which also positively affects the visual perception of color balance. (Dark areas of the gray scale can not be taken into account, since there the color balance does not matter much, and the error in measuring color characteristics at low brightness is large.)

Also, the two graphs above show the values \u200b\u200bobtained on the white and gray fields at the extreme settings Colour temperature. It can be seen that the changes correspond to those specified in the settings - in position Warm  shades are warmer, color temperature is lower, and in position Cold  the shades are colder and the color temperature is higher.

The color balance of the claims does not cause nor does the work of automatically adjusting the brightness of the screen, unlike other screen properties that are characteristic of a budget solution. Particularly annoying is the lack of oleophobic coating - the phone is simply unpleasant to use.

Sound and radio

The audio system of the Nokia Lumia 625 is standard: two speakers, a microphone, headphone output and a volume control key. Somewhere inside, an FM radio is built in. If there is an additional microphone, then it is not visible, there are also no hints of a “mobile stereo” or surround sound from a pocket. However, to access the headphones declared support for some "Dolby Headphones".

The volume of both speakers is average, the telephone allows you to successfully conduct a conversation, including in relatively noisy places, but many other smartphones have a higher sound volume. The main speaker copes well with playing calls, messages and navigator prompts, but when playing music, its power is subjectively reduced for some reason. In addition, and this is a fact, at maximum volume, wheezing begins to come from the speaker instead of the lower and part of the middle frequencies - it cannot be called qualitative. There were no serious complaints about the microphone during testing of Nokia Lumia 625.

The headphone output of the review hero has high power and is able to satisfy the needs of almost any music lover. It is best to enjoy music with high-quality headphones; a complete headset cannot be ranked as such. For transport, its capabilities will be enough, but it is not able to transmit low frequencies. The built-in equalizer and the already mentioned Dolby Headphone technology are not able to correct the situation for the better. The latter is better not to use it at all, since in the case of a standard headset it generates only a buzz instead of low frequencies, and with high-quality headphones, nothing needs to be improved. The additional unit of the headset in fact is not a control unit, it does not have a button for answering calls - it is a very strange solution, there is no volume control on it, there is only one microphone.

When you connect a headset or headphone, the FM radio integrated in the Nokia Lumia 625 becomes operational. As we recall, initially in Nokia Lumia 520 the radio was absent and appeared only after the next firmware update, in the current hero of the review it was there initially, but the control program, like all smartphones with Windows Phone 8, is hidden in the bowels of the music and video playback program. The simple external of this program allows you to quickly figure out what's what. In the center of the window is a strip of the spectrum of frequencies, their search and tuning, next to it is an indicator of the frequency that the receiver is tuned to. Changing the frequency manually is not very convenient - you have to move the strip of the spectrum slowly and a little bit, if you make a sharp movement, an automatic station search starts. The station you like can be saved in the favorites list or fixed on the smartphone’s main screen as a separate tile - an extremely convenient feature. The signal reception quality is good, but RDS is not supported, sound can be output to the main speaker of a mobile computer.

Wireless interfaces and communications

A key feature of the Nokia Lumia 625 is its support for LTE / 4G networks. After replacing the old SIM-card in the operator’s cabin with a new one with LTE support, it was possible to connect to the 4G network without any problems. Although the hero of the review did not demonstrate the maximum possible data transfer speed, either in the vastness of the Moscow Region, in the sleeping areas of Moscow, or near the Kremlin walls, even 12-14 Mbps achieved were enough “for the eyes” for any mobile and stationary activity on the Internet .

Switching between a high-speed cellular network and its less rapid predecessors occurred imperceptibly and painlessly, the smartphone never lost its network and did not freeze in any one operating mode (as is sometimes the case with Android devices).

The rest of the Nokia Lumia 625 features for working with wireless networks  standard. The most common Wi-Fi network options are supported - 802.11b / g / n. The Bluetooth module, on the contrary, has the latest version 4.0 + LE. The LE prefix informs about reduced energy consumption by the communication module.

Nokia Lumia 625 successfully connected to a Wi-Fi network with a TP-Link TL-WR1043N router as a base station, Internet access speed was limited only by the provider’s tariff plan. Inside local area network  data exchange rate amounted to almost 40Mbit / s.

Like the Nokia Lumia 520, the review hero does not have a Bluetooth profile as a modem; access to the Internet for third-party devices is possible only if you use your smartphone as a point wifi access. Other important Bluetooth functions are in place: data exchange at speeds up to 1.6 Mbps, connection to a stereo headset, access to the smartphone’s contact list and exchange of objects, for example, the same contacts.

Connecting Nokia Lumia 625 to the Sony MW1 headset was successful. Answers to calls, listening to music, player control and voice control of the smartphone became available. The restriction on the demonstration of only one telephone number  instead of the contact name, but the names of the music tracks on the headset screen were displayed correctly.

In conclusion, it is worth noting that the navigation signal receiver in the Nokia Lumia 625 is capable of working with both GPS and GLONASS, and there were no problems determining the location of the smartphone.

Camera

Judging by the resolution (5 megapixels), the Nokia Lumia 625 has the same camera as the Nokia Lumia 520. The maximum image size on the cameras of both smartphones is 2592 × 1936 pixels when shooting in 4: 3 format. By default, however, the camera is configured to receive photos with a “cinema” aspect ratio of 16: 9, in which case their resolution is slightly lower - 2592 × 1456 pixels. Video shooting is carried out with a resolution of 1080p and a frequency of 30 frames per second, the recording format is MPEG-4, AVC / LC-AAC.

To control the main and additional VGA-cameras Nokia Lumia 625 most conveniently with a special button on the right side of the smartphone. The location of the controls on the device screen allows you to quickly configure the camera. The settings menu items are few, they are all collected in several subsections.

The speed of launching the camera and the control program is average, it may take several seconds until the first picture is taken. In the future, photos are obtained faster, but the leisurely work of the autofocus system still affects negatively. She adjusts the camera for a long time and also always uses the built-in smartphone LED flash to determine the distance to the subject.

Panoramic shot Battery life The presence of a 2000 mAh battery, a processor with a moderate frequency and number of cores, an energy-efficient operating system allows you to count on a long mobile nokia work  Lumia 625. The conditions of our traditional tests remained the same: the brightness of the display was 100 cd / m², disabled wireless modules (except for cellular) and the display turned off when playing music. It should only be noted that Nokia Lumia 625 did not have enough time for full testing in all operating modes, and the result in the music playback test was obtained by approximating the smartphone’s 12-hour power consumption. As expected, the combination of all these factors made Nokia Lumia 625 one of the most “long-lived” Windows-backgrounds of the Finnish company. The results that the hero of the review demonstrated in our three tests are more than worthy for a modern smartphone. IN normal mode  work: phone calls, mobile Internet, installing applications and several tests, the Nokia Lumia 625 consumed 2/3 of the battery in 4 days. Of course, you need to make a discount here, that for a significant part of this time the smartphone was inactive and was with the screen turned off. Performance Except for the 200 MHz frequency of both processor cores, there are no special differences between the new product and its predecessors: Nokia Lumia 520, 620, 720, no. All smartphones have 512 MB of RAM and screens with a resolution of 800 × 480 pixels. Thus, the increased frequency of computing cores is the only factor that can obviously affect the performance of Nokia Lumia 625 in benchmarks. The following are their results. The first table is the results of synthetic tests. Nokia Lumia 625    (2 × 1.2 GHz, Adreno 305) Nokia Lumia 520 (2 × 1.0 GHz, Adreno 305) Nokia Lumia 720 (2 × 1.0 GHz, Adreno 305) Nokia Lumia 920 (2 × 1.5 GHz, Adreno 225) Huawei Ascend W1 (2 × 1.0 GHz, Adreno 305) AnTuTu 9298 7746 6490 10903 9455 MultiBench 2 CPU 14,083 11,465 11,635 17,748 N / A MultiBench 2 Graphics 32,402 33,249 31,047 37,873 N / A Phonemark 738 604 556 943 774 WP Bench Free 206,41 178,91 177,98 229,84 214,25 The Nokia Lumia 625 missed the Nokia Lumia 920 and, unexpectedly, the Huawei Ascend W1. Nokia Lumia 520 and Nokia Lumia 720 equipped with less productive processors are left behind. The second table is the results of browser tests. There is nothing surprising in the results obtained, browser tests entirely depend on the processor performance and all devices are lined up in full accordance with this parameter. Nokia Lumia 625 was in second place, but only because of the lack of test results Huawei Ascend W1. Peacekeeper Futuremark (points, more is better)	324	502	670	421	851
Octane (points, more is better)	600	1334	2112	717	1633
Kraken (ms, less is better)	44397	21173	13104	43843	20565

Play video

All modern Nokia Lumia smartphones have the same video playback capabilities. If the operating system recognized the codec and the container, then no problems arise with the playback of even Full HD-clips. If the video format is not supported, then you will not see it at all in the list of available videos.

Format	Container, video, sound	Native video player
DVDRip	AVI, XviD 720 × 400 2200 Kbps, MP3 + AC3	plays normally
Web-DL SD	AVI, XviD 720 × 400 1400 Kbps, MP3 + AC3	plays normally
Web-DL HD	MKV, H.264 1280 × 720 3000 Kbps, AC3	container not supported
BDRip 720p	MKV, H.264 1280 × 720 4000 Kbps, AC3	container not supported
BDRip 1080p	MKV, H.264 1920 × 1080 8000 Kbps, AC3	container not supported

MHL interface we are in this smartphone  not found, so I had to confine myself to testing the output of the image of video files on the screen of the device itself. To do this, we used a set of test files with an arrow and a rectangle moving one division per frame (see the Methodology for testing video playback and display devices. Version 1). Screenshots with a shutter speed of 1 s helped determine the nature of the output of frames of video files with various parameters: the resolution (1280 by 720 (720p) and 1920 by 1080 (1080p) pixels) and the frame rate (24, 25, 30, 50, and 60 frames / from). In tests, we used a standard video player. The test results are summarized in the table:

File	Uniformity	Passes
Screen
watch-1920x1080-60p.mp4	not playable
watch-1920x1080-50p.mp4	not playable
watch-1920x1080-30p.mp4	excellent	not
watch-1920x1080-25p.mp4	well	not
watch-1920x1080-24p.mp4	excellent	not
watch-1280x720-60p.mp4	not playable
watch-1280x720-50p.mp4	well	not
watch-1280x720-30p.mp4	well	not
watch-1280x720-25p.mp4	well	not
watch-1280x720-24p.mp4	well	not

Note: if “Uniformity” and “Skips” are set to “green” in both columns, this means that when watching movies, most likely, or artifacts caused by uneven rotation and skipping frames, you will not see at all, or their number and visibility will not affect viewing comfort. “Red” marks indicate possible problems associated with the playback of the corresponding files.

The intervals between frames (or groups of frames) alternate more or less evenly, but files with 50 frames / s (1080p) and 60 frames / s (720p and 1080p) are not played. The displayed brightness range exactly corresponds to the standard range of the video - all shades of gradation are displayed in the shadows and in the light (for videos in the range 16–235). The image of 720p and 1080p files (with an aspect ratio of 16: 9) is inscribed on the screen in width and has the correct proportions.

Impressions and Conclusions

So, Nokia Lumia 625 is a compromise smartphone. Firstly, it is by no means a replacement for the Nokia Lumia 620, although, of course, it also applies to the budget segment. Secondly, some of its parameters, such as a huge display and a capacious battery, bring it closer to more expensive brothers. In general, it turns out that developers and marketers poured a lot of “tar spoons” into the budget “barrel of honey”, called Nokia Lumia 625, judge for yourself: a large screen - but a resolution that is ridiculous for such a diagonal, a capacious battery - but there is no possibility of it replacements without disassembling the smartphone, support for LTE - but old camera  with a small resolution, an updated processor - but a small amount of RAM, again a huge display - but an even more huge and heavy case with an inexpressive design. As a result, there was a strong impression that announcing Nokia Lumia 625 as the cheapest smartphone with LTE, Nokia did everything possible to get as few buyers as possible.

Has the Nokia Lumia 625 become a “Big Screen Hero”? To some extent, yes, but with a few caveats. The first is a hero only in the segment of Windows-backgrounds; the second is an anti-hero in terms of comfort, the ratio of the diagonal of the display and its resolution. After weighing the pros and cons, you can advise the Nokia Lumia 625 only to those who put the screen sizes and the presence of LTE in the smartphone significantly higher than the device’s comfortable size and display resolution. The issues of the convenience of Windows Phone 8 and inexpressiveness of design are more related to the sphere of “taste”.

Information about the brand, model and alternative names of a particular device, if any.

Design

Information about the size and weight of the device, presented in different units. Materials used, colors offered, certificates.

Width Information about the width - it means the horizontal side of the device with its standard orientation during use.	72.3 mm (millimeters) 7.23 cm (centimeters) 0.24 ft (feet) 2.85 in (inches)
Height Information about the height - it means the vertical side of the device with its standard orientation during use.	133.3 mm (millimeters) 13.33 cm (centimeters) 0.44 ft (feet) 5.25 in (inches)
Thickness Device thickness information in different units  measurements.	9.2 mm (millimeters) 0.92 cm (centimeters) 0.03 ft (feet) 0.36 in (inches)
Weight Information about the weight of the device in different units.	159 g (grams) 0.35 lbs (pounds) 5.61 oz (ounces)
Volume The approximate volume of the device, calculated on the basis of the dimensions provided by the manufacturer. Applies to devices with the shape of a rectangular parallelepiped.	88.67 cm³ (cubic centimeters) 5.38 in³ (cubic inches)

SIM card

A SIM card is used in mobile devices to store data confirming the authenticity of mobile service subscribers.

Mobile networks

A mobile network is a radio system that allows multiple mobile devices to exchange data with each other.

GSM GSM (Global System for Mobile Communications) is designed to replace the analog mobile network (1G). For this reason, GSM is often called a 2G mobile network. It is improved by the addition of GPRS (General Packet Radio Services), and later EDGE (Enhanced Data rates for GSM Evolution) technologies.	GSM 850 MHz GSM 900 MHz GSM 1800 MHz GSM 1900 MHz
UMTS UMTS stands for Universal Mobile Telecommunications System. It is based on the GSM standard and applies to 3G mobile networks. Developed by 3GPP and its biggest advantage is the provision of greater speed and spectral efficiency thanks to W-CDMA technology.	UMTS 850 MHz UMTS 900 MHz UMTS 2100 MHz
LTE LTE (Long Term Evolution) is defined as fourth-generation (4G) technology. It was developed by 3GPP based on GSM / EDGE and UMTS / HSPA in order to increase the capacity and speed of wireless mobile networks. The subsequent development of technology is called LTE Advanced.	LTE 800 MHz LTE 1800 MHz LTE 2600 MHz

Mobile Technologies and Data Rate

Communication between devices in mobile networks is carried out through technologies that provide different data rates.

Operating system

An operating system is a system software that controls and coordinates the operation of hardware components in a device.

SoC (System on a Chip)

The system on a chip (SoC) includes in one chip all the most important hardware components of a mobile device.

SoC (System on a Chip) The system on a chip (SoC) integrates various hardware components, such as a processor, graphics processor, memory, peripherals, interfaces, etc., as well as the software necessary for their functioning.	Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 Plus MSM8930
Technological process Information about the technological process by which the chip is made. The value in nanometers measures half the distance between the elements in the processor.	28 nm (nanometers)
Processor The main function of the processor (CPU) of a mobile device is the interpretation and execution of instructions contained in software applications.	Krait
CPU capacity The capacity (bits) of the processor is determined by the size (in bits) of the registers, address buses, and data buses. 64-bit processors have higher performance compared to 32-bit ones, which, for their part, are more efficient than 16-bit processors.	32 bit
Command Set Architecture Instructions are commands with which the software sets / controls the operation of the processor. Information about the instruction set (ISA) that the processor can execute.	ARMv7
Zero Level Cache (L0) Some processors have L0 (level 0) cache, access to which is faster than to L1, L2, L3, etc. The advantage of having such a memory is not only higher performance, but also reduced power consumption.	4 kB + 4 kB (kilobytes)
Level 1 Cache (L1) The cache is used by the processor to reduce access time to more frequently used data and instructions. L1 (level 1) cache is small and runs much faster as system memory, and other cache levels. If the processor does not find the requested data in L1, it continues to search for them in the L2 cache. With some processors, this search is performed simultaneously in L1 and L2.	16 kB + 16 kB (kilobytes)
L2 Cache L2 (level 2) cache is slower than L1, but instead it has a large capacitance that allows caching more  data. She, like L1, is much faster than system memory (RAM). If the processor does not find the requested data in L2, it continues to search for them in the L3 cache (if any) or in RAM memory.	1024 kB (kilobytes) 1 MB (megabytes)
The number of processor cores The processor core executes program instructions. There are processors with one, two or more cores. Having more cores improves performance by allowing multiple instructions to execute in parallel.	2
CPU clock speed The processor clock speed describes its speed in cycles per second. It is measured in megahertz (MHz) or gigahertz (GHz).	1200 MHz (megahertz)
Graphics processing unit (GPU) A graphics processing unit (GPU) processes calculations for various 2D / 3D graphics applications. IN mobile devices  It is used most often by games, the consumer interface, video applications, etc.	Qualcomm Adreno 305
GPU cores Like a processor, a graphics processor consists of several working parts called cores. They handle the graphical calculations of different applications.	1
RAM Size Random access memory (RAM) is used by the operating system and all installed applications. Data that is stored in RAM is lost after the device is turned off or restarted.	512 MB (megabytes)
Type of random access memory (RAM) Information about the type of random access memory (RAM) used by the device.	LPDDR2
The number of channels of RAM Information about the number of RAM channels that are integrated into the SoC. More channels mean higher data rates.	Single channel
RAM frequency The frequency of RAM determines its speed, more specifically, the speed of reading / writing data.	533 MHz (megahertz)

Built-in memory

Each mobile device has a built-in (non-removable) memory with a fixed amount.

Memory cards

Memory cards are used in mobile devices to increase the amount of memory used to store data.

Screen

The screen of a mobile device is characterized by its technology, resolution, pixel density, diagonal length, color depth, etc.

Type / Technology One of the main characteristics of the screen is the technology by which it is made and on which the image quality of the information directly depends.	IPS
Diagonal On mobile devices, screen size is expressed by the length of its diagonal, measured in inches.	4.7 in (inches) 119.38 mm (millimeters) 11.94 cm (centimeters)
Width Approximate Screen Width	2.42 in (inches) 61.42 mm (millimeters) 6.14 cm (centimeters)
Height Approximate Screen Height	4.03 in (inches) 102.37 mm (millimeters) 10.24 cm (centimeters)
Aspect ratio Aspect ratio of the long side of the screen to its short side	1.667:1 5:3
Resolution Screen resolution shows the number of pixels vertically and horizontally. Higher resolution means sharper image detail.	480 x 800 pixels
Pixel density Information about the number of pixels per centimeter or inch of screen. Higher density allows you to display information on the screen with clearer details.	199 ppi (pixels per inch) 78 ppcm (pixels per centimeter)
Color depth The screen color depth reflects the total number of bits used for color components in one pixel. Information about the maximum number of colors that the screen can display.	24 bit 16777216 flowers
Screen Area The approximate percentage of the screen area on the front of the device.	65.45% (percent)
Other characteristics Information about other functions and features of the screen.	Capacitive Multi touch Scratch resistant
	Corning Gorilla Glass 2

Sensors

Different sensors perform various quantitative measurements and convert physical indicators into signals that the mobile device recognizes.

Main camera

The main camera of a mobile device is usually located on the back of the case and is used for photo and video shooting.

Sensor type Digital cameras use photo sensors for taking pictures. A sensor, as well as optics, are one of the main factors of camera quality in a mobile device.	CMOS (complementary metal-oxide semiconductor)
Sensor size Information about the size of the photosensor used in the device. Typically, cameras with a larger sensor and lower pixel density offer higher image quality despite lower resolution.	3.67 x 2.76 mm (millimeters) 0.18 in (inches)
Pixel size The smaller pixel size of the photosensor allows you to use more pixels per unit area, thus increasing the resolution. On the other hand, a smaller pixel size can adversely affect image quality at high levels of light sensitivity (ISO).	1.417 μm (micrometers) 0.001417 mm (millimeters)
Crop factor The crop factor is the ratio between the dimensions of a full-frame sensor (36 x 24 mm, equivalent to the frame of a standard 35 mm film) and the dimensions of the photosensor of the device. The indicated number is the ratio of the diagonals of the full-frame sensor (43.3 mm) and the photosensor specific device.	9.42
Diaphragm Aperture (f-number) is the size of the aperture opening, which controls the amount of light reaching the photosensor. A lower f-number means that the aperture is larger.	f / 2.4
Focal length The focal length is the distance in millimeters from the photosensor to the optical center of the lens. An equivalent focal length is also indicated, providing the same field of view with a full frame camera.	2.98 mm (millimeters) 28.06 mm (millimeters) * (35 mm / full frame)
Flash type The most common types of flashes in the cameras of mobile devices are LED and xenon flashes. LED flashes give a softer light and, unlike brighter xenon ones, are also used for video recordings.	LED
Image resolution One of the main characteristics of the cameras of mobile devices is their resolution, which shows the number of pixels horizontally and vertically.	2592 x 1936 pixels 5.02 MP (megapixels)
Video resolution Information about the maximum supported resolution when shooting a video device.	1920 x 1080 pixels 2.07 MP (megapixels)
Video - frame rate / frames per second. Information about the maximum number of frames per second (fps) supported by the device when shooting movies with maximum resolution. Some of the main standard video shooting and playback speeds are 24p, 25p, 30p, 60p.	30 frames / sec (frames per second)
Specifications Information about other software and hardware features related to the main camera and improving its functionality.	Auto Focus Tracking Digital zoom Geographical tags Panoramic shooting Touch focus White balance setting ISO setting Exposure Compensation

Additional camera

Additional cameras are usually mounted above the device’s screen and are mainly used for video calls, gesture recognition, etc.

Audio

Information about the type of speakers and audio technologies supported by the device.

Radio

The mobile radio is a built-in FM receiver.

Positioning

Information about the navigation and location technologies supported by the device.

Wifi

Wi-Fi is a technology that provides wireless communications for transferring data over short distances between different devices.

Bluetooth

Bluetooth is a standard for the safe wireless transfer of data between various devices of different types over short distances.

USB

USB (Universal Serial Bus) is an industry standard that allows various electronic devices to exchange data.

Headphone jack

This is an audio connector, which is also called an audio jack. The most widely used standard in mobile devices is the 3.5 mm headphone jack.

Device connection

Information about other important connection technologies supported by the device.

Browser

A web browser is a software application for accessing and viewing information on the Internet.

Browser Information about some basic features and standards supported by the device’s browser.

HTML HTML5 CSS 3 XML xHTML

Sound file formats / codecs

Mobile devices support different formats and codecs for audio files, which respectively store and encode / decode digital audio data.

Video file formats / codecs

Mobile devices support different formats and codecs for video files, which respectively store and encode / decode digital video data.

Battery

Mobile device batteries differ in their capacity and technology. They provide the electrical charge necessary for their functioning.

Capacity Battery capacity indicates the maximum charge that it is able to store, measured in milliampere-hours.	2000 mAh (milliampere-hours)
A type The type of battery is determined by its structure and, more precisely, the chemicals used. There are different types of batteries, and most often in mobile devices, lithium-ion and lithium-ion-polymer batteries are used.	Li-ion (lithium ion)
2G talk time Talk time in 2G is the period of time for which the battery charge is completely discharged during a continuous conversation in a 2G network.	23 hours 54 minutes 23.9 h (hours) 1434 min (minutes) 1 days
2G Standby Time Standby time in 2G is the period of time for which the battery charge is completely discharged when the device is in standby mode and connected to a 2G network.	552 h (hours) 33120 min (minutes) 23 days
3G talk time Talk time in 3G is the period of time for which the battery charge is completely discharged during a continuous conversation in a 3G network.	15 hours 10 minutes 15.2 h (hours) 910.2 min (minutes) 0.6 days
3G latency Standby time in 3G is the period of time for which the battery charge is completely discharged when the device is in standby mode and connected to a 3G network.	552 h (hours) 33120 min (minutes) 23 days
Specifications Information about some additional features of the device’s battery.	Fixed
	Battery model: BP-4GWA