We took a look at Nokia’s first Windows Phone 7 Phone the Nokia Lumia 710. Wary about this new relationship? See below to find out if it’s all a hype or the real deal.
Likes
- Form Factor
The Nokia Lumia 710 is a very handsome phone. It’s not oozing sexiness, but it’s close. I love the clear black display that Nokia has going on – it makes everything on the screen pop. The shape is simple and elegant. As a phone that won’t break the bank, one certainly won’t feel ashamed to pull it out in public.
- Metro
Windows Phone’s new Metro stylings go surprisingly well with the elegant physical form of the device. It’s got beauty and smarts too. The best of both worlds. The UI is super slick and extremely fluid. I rarely stuttered or lagged at all and the minimalist design of the apps underscores the brilliant display. The screen is only 3.7″, but you don’t feel cheated. The UI is also very intuitive. I haven’t used Windows Phone 7.5 a great deal, but I never felt confused or out of step at all. I also love linking the multiple numbers and email address I have for the same person together. Microsoft really paid attention to those little details which really made the experience refreshing. I was also able to sync my contacts from my old phone via Bluetooth in less than 2 minutes. Linked my facebook and twitter accounts and it was off to the races!
- Ease of Use
Simply put, this phone was just a pleasure to use. There may not be as many Windows Phone 7 apps as there are iPhone apps, but there was definitely something for most people to enjoy. Nokia also adds to the party with select apps of their own like Nokia Maps, Nokia Drive and Contacts Transfer to name a few. I was also quite impressed with the Office Suite – especially Outlook. I usually hate to check my emails via phone because it can get quite confusing and annoying, but it was a dream on the Lumia 710. I could carry on full blown conversations while out of the office which I will classify as a good thing in this write-up, and a bad thing for my social life.
Dislikes:
- Battery Life
The battery life wasn’t atrocious, but I will say that I needed to charge by the end of day with moderate use over wifi which kind of hampered my experience a little. Even while idle, I found the phone needed charging even if I didn’t use it for the majority of the day.
- Size/No Expandable Memory Slot
I found myself wanting a bigger screen simply because I enjoyed the experience so much. The guts are surprisingly premium, with the whole 9 yards of sensors and chips. You can find the complete breakdown here. It also comes with 8 Gigs of internal memory, but no ability to upgrade which is a little annoying if you’re like me and don’t like being told what to do.
Overall:
My overall impression of this phone is that it’s a sleeper. Understated elegance in the simple yet alluring form factor. Surprisingly simple yet quite functional OS make for a pleasant user experience. Wifi/Bluetooth connectivity, FM Radio, 3D accelerometer, 2 microphones etc… . I wish the phone was a little bigger, and lasted a little longer, but I was definitely impressed with using it. If you’re not interested in the flash, and need and need a simple and effective phone to keep up socially and even work-wise – check this phone out.
