ET Review: Nokia Lumia 630

NEW DELHI: The new Lumia 630 is Nokia’s (and now Microsoft’s) fresh effort to get Windows Phone into as many hands as possible.

The device is unmistakably a Lumia — most of it is a removable, matte shell while the front is all glass. In a first, the buttons are on screen and Nokia has done away with the dedicated camera button too, which is a pity — but then again, this isn’t meant to be a flagship cameraphone.

You can get it in a dual SIM (Rs 11,500) or a cheaper single SIM version (Rs 10,500). The device feels great in the hand — it’s sturdy and you can get it in some vibrant hues (like orange and yellow) apart from the usual black and white. You can swap out the back panels quite easily — underneath is the removable 1,830mAh battery, dual SIM slots and a micro SD slot. This is among the few phones that supports the new 128GB micro SD cards (Rs 10k apiece) if you are so inclined.

Windows 8.1 has some cool new features. The keyboard now supports shape writing (similar to Swype). You can set an image of your choice as the start screen background (it shows through the tiles). Pull down from the top of the screen to see the Action Center, sort of like the notification bar in Android. Sadly though, Microsoft’s digital assistant Cortana, another feature of 8.1, is US-only for now.

You also get many pre-loaded Nokia apps like HERE Drive+, HERE Maps, Office, OneDrive, PhotoBeamer (a quick way to share photos), MixRadio (cloud radio), and others. Some of the pre-loaded, non-Nokia apps include Evernote, Zomato, PayTm, PicsArt, Line, Flipkart eBooks and BoxTV — quite a few and too many unnecessary ones, we think. Other feature is SensorCore, a low power unit that can track steps etc and connects to Bing Health & Fitness.
The camera is, in a word, unremarkable. It’s probably the same unit from the budget Lumia 520 and takes acceptable quality photos outdoors, but you shouldn’t expect too much. Given the price, it’s a good option if you’re pro Windows. Else, the Moto G is a better buy for only slightly more.

Specifications

4.5-inch (854 x 480 pixels) Clear Black IPS LCD, 1.2Ghz quad core Qualcomm processor, 512MB RAM, 8GB + micro SD (up to 128GB), FM, A-GPS, WiFi, BT 4.0, 1,830mAh battery, 134 grams

Good: Pre-loaded with Windows 8.1, interchangeable back panel in bright colours, nice display, built to last

Bad: No front camera, does not record 1080p video (max 720p), 512MB RAM is limiting, low screen resolution