Introduction
Brand new Windows Phones have been generally in short supply of late, so we bet that many of you folks are itching to know when they’re coming. Well, the wait is no more here in the US, as the
Nokia Lumia 635, a slight variant of the Lumia 630 that features 4G LTE connectivity, is finally making its appearance stateside starting with T-Mobile and MetroPCS. It’s no powerhouse, that’s certainly for sure, but despite that, it’s aiming to win over people with its low price and new Windows Phone 8.1 experience.
The package contains:
- microUSB cable
- Wall charger
- Start Guide
Design
The cheap plastic material softens its looks, but there are color options available for its rear casing for some personalization.
Being a variant of the
Lumia 630, the design here with the Lumia 635 isn’t surprising at all, seeing that it’s identical to its sibling – down to its size, weight, choice of materials, construction, and design language. Even though we’re not fans of the cheapish feel of the matte finished plastic casing, it’s nice to know that it’s replaceable with any of the alternative assortment of colored casings offered by Nokia. For the price point and all, we can’t be too critical about the design, which is obviously subdued in tone in comparison to other things we’ve seen put out by the company.
All of the usual suspects are found around its trim, like its power button, volume control, microUSB port, and 3.5mm headset jack, but Windows Phone fans will instantly realize that it’s missing the signature Start button below its display. To be fair, none of the usual Windows keys are found here, as they’re now incorporated into the Windows Phone 8.1 interface.
In the back, the Nokia Lumia 635 packs along a 5-megapixel auto-focus camera sans flash. However, those looking to do any sort of Skype video calls should know that this one lacks a front-facing camera. Removing the plastic rear cover, we’re given access to its 1830 mAh battery, SIM slot, and microSD card slot.
Display
Details isn’t its strength, but the 4.5-inch display produces accurate looking colors, and proves to be visible while the sun’s out.
No changes here with the display, so it’s the same 4.5-inch 480 x 854 IPS-LCD display with Nokia’s ClearBlack anti-reflection filter from before. As we can clearly see with our own eyes, it’s hardly the sharpest thing with its pixel density count of 218 ppi – more so when there’s visible pixilation upon closer inspection. Despite that, we’ll give props to the display for topping out at 440 nits, making it visible outside while the sun is present. At the same time, its panel is able to produce colors that are punchy and relatively accurate. For what it’s worth, it gets the job done, but don’t expect your eyes to explode.
Interface and Functionality
Microsoft has retooled its platform to add some much-needed features to put in the same level as its competition. We couldn’t be happier to see them!
Rejoice US-based folks, that’s because the Nokia Lumia 635 is one of the first phones to run Microsoft’s brand new Windows Phone 8.1 experience out of the box – so the wait is finally over! We won’t get into too much detail in this review, since we’ve covered it in great detail with our Lumia 630 review, but we’ll simply say that Microsoft deserves commendation for really focusing the attention in supplementing the platform’s overall functionality.
Visually, the recipe remains intact here with Windows Phone 8.1, where its Start Screen continues to bear the same iconic live tiles that have been a staple of the platform. However, they’ve brought on the ability to add wallpapers to the Start screen, so that the image there dynamically moves as we’re scrolling vertically.
Notifications are no longer a jumbled mess with the platform, mainly because Windows Phone 8.1 introduces Action Center – an Android-like notification center that populates all of our notifications in one spot. In addition, we have access to a few connectivity functions and other settings. Convenient? You betcha!
If you don’t know Cortanta, it’s the platform’s response to rival personal digital assistant services, like Siri and Google Now, to give us better organization – and even some downtime conversation. From setting up appointments, to getting weather information, Cortana follows accordingly to its rivals – though, its voice is still a bit robotic. It’s worth mentioning that the service is still in beta technically.
Processor and Memory
The performance is undoubtedly tested by more demanding things.
A popular choice for many budget-conscious smartphones, the quad-core 1.2GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon 400 processor with 512GB of RAM runs nicely with basic operations. However, it’s clearly not as spiffy or smooth with its performance as other higher spec’d Windows Phones. Just don’t expect to do a whole lot of gaming on this! Well, that’s unless you don’t mind choppiness.
Its 8GB of advertised storage actually translates to half that at 4.82GB out of the box, which isn’t a whole lot. Thankfully, its microSD slot is on-hand to supplement its capacity.
Internet and Connectivity
So what makes this phone different from the Lumia 630? Well, it’s most notable for having 4G LTE connectivity, which lends itself in loading web pages a lot quicker. Sure, a lot of pinch zooming is required because of the display’s insufficient detail, but besides that, it gets the job done for the web surfing occasion.
Aside from the LTE radio thrown in, this GSM based smartphone boasts all of the same connectivity features – such as aGPS with Glonass, Bluetooth 4.0, and 802.11 a/b/g/n Wi-Fi. It’s worth mentioning that it also has Wi-Fi calling too courtesy of T-Mobile, but it’s still lacking NFC.
Camera
The camera’s main distraction is its inability to accurately produce colors. Despite that, its quality is middle-of-the-road for a budget offering.
The Lumia 635 comes with a 5-megapixel auto-focus camera. Unfortunately, the camera has no flash, and there is no front-facing camera either. Looking at the tech detail sheet, you’d see this 5-megapixel shooter comes with a tiny, even for smartphone standards, 1/4” image sensor. On top of that sensor sits a wide 28mm lens with rather narrow f/2.4 aperture.
Nokia, however, stands out with a great camera app, Nokia Camera, available exclusively for Lumia handsets. Nokia Camera has got a very convenient interface, rich in manual controls that don’t get in the way when you don’t need them. The camera app is a bit slow to start (especially cold-start), but once it’s loaded, navigating the interface is quick and convenient – with intuitive and handy sliders for features like focus (you have manual focus!), white balance, ISO, etc. As an alternative, there’s also the updated Windows Phone camera app, but to tell you the truth, we prefer the Nokia Camera interface more.
It’s not terrible by any means, especially when its shots are definitely usable, but there are several unwanted qualities about its result that soften its overall quality. Its details are decent enough to accept, however, colors aren’t reproduced accurately – giving our shots a subdued look. Additionally, it takes roughly over 6 seconds for the camera app to start up and for us so snap a photo, which makes it pretty slow at capturing those candid moments.
For an entry-level spec’d thing, we’re not all too shocked by the handset’s maximum video recording resolution of 720p. Generally speaking, there are some pleasant things with the quality – like its clear audio recording, quick focus, and smooth recording. Still, its muddy details and inconsistent color production become rather distracting over everything else.
Multimedia
It’s not a multimedia beast, that’s for sure. Regardless, it suffices for most things.
With a vivid 4.5” display, the Lumia 635 has got the core asset for enjoying media on the go. It chewed through major video codecs with ease and we were able to play back 720p files with no slowdown.
For music, Nokia’s MixRadio is traditionally a great option for enjoying music on the go. It has Spotify-like on-demand music streaming at a very low price, but you can also use a lot of the functionality for free. In addition, you also have Microsoft’s standard Music application with tight integration for the rich Xbox Music catalog, where you can purchase tunes. Music output via the loudspeaker is indeed loud, but its output is accompanied with a reserved tone.
Call Quality
Impressively, call quality is a vast improvement over the Lumia 630. Clean and crisp toned voices!
Who knows if it’s an actual improvement to the hardware, or merely the result of our good coverage with T-Mobile’s network in our area, but the
Lumia 635’s call quality is outstanding. Not only are voices clean and crisp on both ends of the line, but the high pitched volumes of its earpiece and speakerphone help to overcome some of the distractions in noisy environments.
Battery
The battery capacity isn’t particularly massive, but it delivers longer juice than what you’d expect.
The Nokia Lumia 635 climbs to near the top of the charts with its astounding battery life, as its 1850 mAh battery pulls in over 9 hours in our battery benchmark test. It’s not a record, but it’s nonetheless more long-lasting than other handsets with bigger batteries. In our experience, we’re able to get close to 2 days of normal usage from a full charge.
Conclusion
Making a phone overseas is one thing, but making one for the US is totally another. So, how did Nokia improve upon the
Nokia Lumia 630? Well, they’ve outfitted the Lumia 635, a subtle variant of the aforementioned phone, with good ‘ol 4G LTE connectivity. At the same time, the Windows Phone 8.1 powered device sees improvements to its call quality to really deepen its worth for the budget-conscious consumer.Lumia 635 is attached with an amazing price point that makes it a bargain however way we dissect it. Specifically, T-Mobile is selling the phone for $0 down and $7 per month for 24 months through its Simple Choice Plan – giving it a total price point of $168. Furthermore, the handset is being offered at the promotional price of $99 through MetroPCS. Frankly, the price point alone is an aggressive one that undoubtedly adds more value to its package.
However, it’s not without competition.
Motorola Moto G is its biggest rival. The Moto G runs on the richer in terms of apps Android 4.4 KitKat operating system, and has a sharper 4.5” 720p HD display, slightly better camera, and is similarly well-packed in terms of specs. An even cheaper option is the
Moto E, a phone with just a slightly smaller, 4.3” display, but also with good performance, offering great value for the money.
Software version of the review unit: Windows Phone 8.1
Аннотация
- Телефон Nokia Lumia 635 — Отзывы
- Дизайн Nokia Lumia 635
- Nokia Lumia 635 — Windows Phone 8.1 и приложения
- Экран и характеристики
- Процессор и использование
- Фото и камера Nokia Lumia 635
- Связь и аккумулятор
- Подведем итог
Windows Phone пестрят гаммой смартфонов от премиум-устройств, до телефонов среднего класса, все они не из дешёвых, независимо от аппаратного обеспечения. Nokia Lumia 635 является одним из самых дешевых смартфонов с хорошими характеристиками, которые можно найти в устройствах, работающих на Windows или Android.
Телефон Nokia Lumia 635 — Отзывы
Конечно, чтобы получить низкую цену для 635 Lumia, компании Nokia пришлось сделать несколько «жертвоприношений».
Дизайн Nokia Lumia 635
Lumia 635 является минималистическим смартфоном, он простой, пластиковый, без особых элементов дизайна, и в нем очень мало кнопок.
Есть разъем для наушников в верхней части устройства, порт Micro USB на нижней, и спаренная клавиша регулировки громкости — справа вверху, на правой стороне расположена кнопка питания.
Эти две кнопки — глянцевые и гладкие, а на обратной стороне корпуса, телефон матовый.
Nokia предлагает 635-е в желтом, оранжевом, салатовом, белом и черном цвете, с возможностью смены корпусов. Пластик кажется крепким, но в белом корпусе пачкается быстро и легко подбирает случайную грязь, чернила от ручки, и другие пятна от материалов с которыми он сталкивается в течение дня.
Nokia 635 имеет Gorilla Glass 3 — экран с довольно широкой рамкой. Клавиша Windows, кнопки назад и поиска расположены на самом экране. Смартфон Nokia Lumia 635 удобно держать в руке и легко перемещать с одной руки в другую. Смартфон не очень броский или красивый, зато он хорошо лежит в руке.
Nokia Lumia 635 — Windows Phone 8.1 и приложения
Windows Phone 8.1 требует некоторого привыкания. Эстетика от Microsoft не для всех, и, к сожалению, вы мало что сможете сделать, чтобы изменить внешний вид операционной системы.
Однако, можно изменить цветовую схему. Вы можете возразить, что Windows Phone — это самая смелая и яркая мобильная ОС, и вы без сомнения будите правы. Nokia Lumia 635 разный.
Можно еще переставить приложения, удалить те, которые Вы не используете на главном экране.
Хотя Microsoft и не позволяет пользователям устанавливать сторонние клавиатуры, Windows Phone 8.1 имеет большую Swype клавиатуру, это дает точность набора и быстроту.
В Windows Phone 8.1 добавлен Action Center, который напоминает центр управления в iOS-устройствах. Имеется Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, регулировка яркости, камера, режим полета, блокировка, и многое другое. Вы можете сами решить, к каким элементам управления хотите иметь доступ в любое время в меню настроек.
Самая лучшая часть в Windows Phone 8.1, Cortana от Microsoft — голосовой помощник. Он умный и может даже узнать условия, расположение и отношение. Кроме того, Cortana может делать всё, производить интернет-поиск и назначение планирования, вы только спросите её. При тестировании мы обнаружили, что Cortana будет более полезной функцией, чем Apple Siri и Google Now.
Экран и характеристики
Как и большинство бюджетных смартфонов Lumia 635 точно не впечатляет когда дело доходит до характеристик. 635 имеет 4,5-дюймовый экран с жалким 854 x 480 количеством пикселей. Это не HD, и это, конечно, не high-end, но, для бюджетных телефонов такой экран это нормально. Экран выглядит немного нечетким и тусклым.
Еще одним недостатком экрана является его размер. Хотя он и 4.7-дюймов по диагонали, но кнопки навигации, съедают какую-то его часть. Результирующий эффект состоит в том, что дисплей кажется меньше, чем есть на самом деле и тут немного тесно, как в iPhone 5S с 4-дюймовым экраном.
Процессор и использование
Как и предыдущая модель, телефон Nokia Lumia 630, 635 оснащен четырехъядерным процессором Qualcomm Snapdragon 400, работающим на частоте 1,2 ГГц, и имеет 512 МБ оперативной памяти.
Тем не менее, Lumia 635 отлично подходит для ежедневного интернет-поиска, Facebook просмотра, чтения Twitter и электронной почты. Большинство приложений и веб-страниц загружаются быстро, а загрузка из app store не занемает слишком много времени.
Смартфон имеет только 8GB для хранения информации, но вы можете сохранить все ваши фотографии и музыку на карту памяти MicroSD.
Фото и камера Nokia Lumia 635
Пожалуй, самое печальное это то, что Lumia 635 не имеет фронтальной камеры. Это значит, что нет selfies, нет видео-чатов, и нельзя использовать ваш телефон в качестве зеркала. Это большой минус, даже для бюджетного телефона.
К счастью, задняя камера неплохая и имеет 5-мегапиксельный сенсор по центру в задней части телефона, что улучшает фотографии. Конечно, Вы не получите каких-либо наград за фотографии, которые снимите этой камерой.
Цвета выглядят обработанными от ярких солнечных лучей, а фокусировка на мелких деталях объектов на заднем фоне — размыта. Лучше камера ведет себя при фотосъемке пейзажей, но даже тут, качество не самое лучшее.
Связь и аккумулятор
Качество связи и скорость передачи данных, вполне приемлемое, но LTE уменьшает жизнь батареи.
Смартфон Nokia Lumia 635 имеет 1,830mAh аккумулятор, который вполне достойный для телефонов её размера. После целого дня использования, 635-я по-прежнему работает и 12 часов вполне выдерживает.
Однако, если вы собираетесь воспользоваться на Nokia Lumia 635 4G LTE для передачи данных, батарея будет садиться на удивление быстро. Слушая музыку батарею можно разрядить менее чем за четыре часа, это же касается и видео.
Подведем итог
Обзор Nokia Lumia 635 показал, что в ней есть хоть и не всё, но это вполне хорошо работает, в доказательство того, что смартфон не должен быть мощным, чтобы прекрасно работать. Если вы ищете бюджетный смартфон и не против, изучить тонкости Windows Phone 8.1, Nokia Lumia 635 может быть просто лучшим телефоном для вас.
Плюсы
- Низкая цена
- Cortana помогает в управлении
- Удобно держать в руке
Минусы
- Скучный дизайн
- Низкое разрешение экрана
- Нет фронтальной камеры
- Разрядка батареи на LTE
Обзор Nokia Lumia 635 официальное видео
It’s not the cheapest Windows Phone you can buy, but it might just be our favorite in the affordable category. Here’s why.
The Lumia 630 and Lumia 635 were announced by Nokia during the Microsoft Build 2014 keynote. These two smartphones were among the first in the world to come with Windows Phone 8.1 and the Lumia Cyan firmware out of the box. In the Lumia lineup, the 63X series sits above the Lumia 530 and potentially represents a tremendous smartphone value. In the United States, you can get the Lumia 635 for anywhere from $100 to $140 off-contract. That’s a killer price.
We recently reviewed the Lumia 530, a Windows Phone you can get for just $70. While it makes a handful of compromises, you can’t ignore how cheap it is. Is it worth spending a little bit more and getting the Lumia 635? Let’s find out.
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| Great display for the price. Widespread availability. Good design. Backs can be swapped at will. | Relatively low storage space, no front-facing camera, no dedicated camera button. |
| Not the cheapest Lumia, but our favorite in the low-end range. Overall solid Windows Phone that only makes a few sacrifices to be so affordable. |
What’s the difference between the Lumia 630 and Lumia 635?
The Lumia 630 and Lumia 635 are the same for all intents and purposes. The difference? The Lumia 630 can support up to two SIM cards at once. A feature very useful in emerging markets where a user might switch cell providers for lower prices or when they wish to use their phone for personal and business calls. The Lumia 635 comes with the ability to only support one SIM card, but is LTE-enabled, which the Lumia 630 is not. For our review, we’re looking at the Lumia 635, but everything said here will apply to the Lumia 630 as well. From here on out we’ll just call refer to the device as the Lumia 635. Enough chit chat, let’s find out what the Lumia 635 is all about.
Hands-on
The Lumia 635 is an attractive looking phone. Its 4.5-inch display means it’s comfortable to hold for the majority of people. It’s not too big and not too small. Think of 4.5-inch devices as the Goldilocks of phone size. It’s curved corners, slightly curved back, and bright colors make for a phone we can’t stop admiring.
Not only does it look great but it feels good in your hand. The rear shell comes in a variety of colors and finishes. We’re using a bright green with a matte finish. Despite the cover being plastic, it’s not slippery and won’t be jumping out of your hand anytime soon. Other colors you can get for the Lumia 635 include yellow, orange, black and white either in matte or the shiny ‘candy’ versions (seen here in yellow).
- Related: T-Mobile Lumia 635 quick look and first impressions
- Related: Hands-on with AT&T’s Lumia 635
You’re not spending a lot of money when you buy a Lumia 635, but easily get more than you pay for when you hold it in your hands.
Hardware
The Lumia 635 is an inexpensive Windows Phone, but it’s not exactly cheap on specs. Below are the specs for Lumia 635, run through them and make sure you keep in mind this phone can be yours for around $100 off-contract.
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- Windows Phone 8.1 + Lumia Cyan
- 4.5-inch IPS LCD display with ClearBlack and Gorilla Glass 3
- 854 x 480 display resolution (800 x 480 + virtual keys)
- 1.2 GHz Quad-core Snapdragon 400 processor
- 5 MP rear camera, no LED flash
- 8 GB internal memory (3.33 GB free); microSD expandable up to 128 GB
- 512 MB of RAM
- 4G LTE
- 1830 mAh replaceable battery
- 5 x 66.7 x 9.2 mm
- 134 grams
The Lumia 635 comes with the Snapdragon 400 quad-core processor and 512 MB of RAM. In terms of performance that means the Lumia 635 can easily handle the majority of apps and games in the Windows Phone Store. We fired up some demanding games, like Age of Empires: Castle Siege, and had no trouble playing on the Lumia 635.
If you get the Lumia 635 and you also pickup support for SensorCore since the Snapdragon 400 processor is inside. SensorCore is useful for allowing your Windows Phone to collect motion data with minimal impact on battery. Your steps, motion, GPS data and time can be continuously recorded to your phone without destroying your battery. For instance, you can use the official FitBit app to count your steps even if you do not own a FitBit device.
We’re smitten with the display on the Lumia 635. The Lumia 635 is a budget phone, but Microsoft was able to include their ClearBlack technology into the display. This feature allows the 4.5-inch IPS LCD to offer improved readability outdoors. ClearBlack also works to make blacks darker and colors pop a bit more. This isn’t a high-end phone, but we have no problem looking at the screen on the Lumia 635 for long periods of time.
The resolution of the screen ends up being a usable 800 x 480 as the 54 pixels on the bottom are reserved for the virtual back key, Windows key, and Cortana key. The resolution and display size work together to make a viewing pleasant viewing experience. You won’t see any pixels unless you actively try and look for them.
This is a budget device, so you don’t get a whole lot of storage right out of the box. There’s 8 GB of included storage with the Lumia 635, but only about 3.33 GB of that is free since things like the operating system take up space. Thankfully there’s support for one micro SD card up to 128 GB in size. Although you don’t get a lot of built-in storage when you boot up your phone for the first time, you can quickly add as much as you want with a micro SD card (purchased separately). Music, video, photos and most apps and games can be installed directly to the micro SD card.
Some misses in the hardware department include omission of a few sensors. The Lumia 635 comes with no proximity sensor and no ambient light sensor. What are these sensors primarily used for? The proximity sensor is useful for telling your phone how close it is to your face during a phone call. Meanwhile, the ambient light sensor allows your phone to adjust screen brightness automatically depending on the light in your environment. This lack of ambient light sensor just means you’ll need to adjust the screen brightness manually on the Lumia 635. Not a major loss.
We are missing the dedicated camera button on the side and a front-facing camera. You won’t be taking selfies with the Lumia 635 unless you turn the phone around to use the rear camera. We can do without the hardware button on the Lumia 635, but wish there was a front-facing camera included. While we hardly use it, we know it’s a feature that could easily make the Lumia 635 most appealing budget Windows Phone for younger demographics. Those who take a lot of selfies might want to look at the Lumia 730.
Nokia though has somewhat solved the selfie problem as you can download their free Lumia Selfie app from the Store. This app lets you use the rear camera to take self-shots, and it uses an auto-face detection algorithm with an audible alert to snap a photo for you. It is a highly clever app, and you can get some exquisite photos since you are a using a 5 MP camera.
Camera
You get a 5 MP rear camera with the Lumia 635. It features auto focus, 4x digital zoom and a minimum focus length of 10 cm (3.97 inches). There’s no flash, so don’t count on using the camera in low-light situations. Camera results are average and won’t necessarily blow you away. This is a budget device with a budget camera. You can take respectable pictures and post them to your social networks, but don’t expect technically beautiful photos.
Below are a few camera samples from the Lumia 635.
Battery life
Inside the Lumia 635 is a modest 1830 mAh battery. It’s replaceable, and you can carry a spare if you’re worried about running out of juice. But you most likely won’t need to carry an extra battery around. We were able to squeeze a full day’s worth of use with the Lumia 635 easily. You should have no problem getting through your day of phone.
Where to buy
You can now find the Lumia 635 (and Lumia 630) in most international markets. We’ll link up a few places where you can get the Lumia 635. Price will vary by retailer and region.
- Microsoft Store — Lumia 635 for Windows (Black) — Unlocked — $179.00
- Microsoft Store — T-Mobile — Nokia Lumia 635 for Windows (White) — No Contract — $129.00
- Microsoft Store — AT&T — Nokia Lumia 635 (Black) — No Contract — $99.00
- Expansys UK — Lumia 635 4G Green — £149.99{.nofollow}
- Flipkart — Lumia 630 Dual SIM — White — Rs. 8,130
Accessories for the Lumia 630 and Lumia 635 can be found in the Windows Central Store: http://Shop.windowscentral.com/nokia-lumia-635
The bottom line
The Lumia 635 might be one of our favorite budget Windows Phones around. It’s not as cheap as the Lumia 530 or BLU Win JR, but the display quickly makes up for the price difference. Do consider the Lumia 530 or BLU Win JR if your budget is tight, however we recommend the Lumia 630 over the two if you can afford it.
Already have a high-end Windows Phone like the HTC One M8 or Lumia 1520? The Lumia 635 makes an excellent back-up phone in case your primary device takes a nasty spill. We’re also a fan of bringing the Lumia 635 to places we normally wouldn’t want to bring our expensive Windows Phone. Places like the gym, or mountain biking are where you might want to grab a Lumia 635 as a secondary Windows Phone.
Is the Lumia 635 a low-price winner? Yes. You get an attractive Windows Phone with enough money left over to buy some lovely accessories, apps and games.
Need even more information? Dive into our Lumia 630 and Lumia 635 support forums to ask current owners what they think of their phone.
- Lumia 630 support forums
- Lumia 635 support forums
At a Glance
Expert’s Rating
Our Verdict
If you’re Considering the Lumia 630 as a first smartphone and you don’t plan to buy lots of wireless accessories and install lots of apps, it’s not a bad choice at all. Windows Phone 8.1 is very easy to use, and will improve even more when Cortana and its associated features arrive in the UK. However, the sticky problem of a lack of apps in Microsoft’s store remains an issue for all Windows Phone 8 smartphones, and the lack of a front-facing camera is a problem if you want to use Skype. Note that the Lumia 635 is the model with 4G support.
The Lumia 630 is the first
smartphone to launch with Windows Phone 8.1. This is a fairly major software update which includes many new features, although some such as Cortana won’t be made available in the UK until much later this year. Here are
30 funny commands you can say to Cortana
See also:
how to get Windows Phone 8.1 and Cortana right now
We’ll get to the software shortly, but the 630 itself is all about price. You can buy the smartphone outright for just £129. There are some compromises though, notably the lack of 4G support, and there’s plenty of competition from budget Android smartphones including the forthcoming 4G version of Motorola’s Moto G. The identical-looking Lumia 635 supports 4G and is finally on sale – it costs £20 extra at £149 (SIM free).
Arguably, the 630 is the successor to the ever-popular Lumia 520 (see our
Lumia 530 vs 520 review). This is because the forthcoming Lumia 530 is, if anything, a downgrade from the 520, so it’s essentially a new even more entry-level Windows Phone 8 handset.
With its removable plastic rear shell – similar to previous Nokia smartphones – it’s easy to change the 630’s appearance according to your mood. If black is too sombre, there are yellow, orange and green shells which cost £13 each from Microsoft’s online store.
The front is covered with Gorilla Glass 3, with cutouts at the top and bottom for the earpiece and microphone.
As a low-end phone, things are quite basic with an LED-less rear camera, a rear-facing mono speaker and a microUSB charging port at the bottom. Unlike other Lumia’s the 630 has no dedicated shutter button: you get a power button with a volume rocker above it.
The phone weighs 134g, but feels lighter. It’s just over 9mm thick – these are pretty average figures. See also:
Nokia Lumia 930 hands-on review.
Nokia Lumia 630 vs Lumia 635: What’s the difference?
We’ve included both these devices in one review because they are very similar smartphones. A minor difference is that the Lumia 630 comes with a matt finish plastic shell while the Lumia 635 has a glossy coating. Since you can buy different interchangeable shells, there’s nothing stopping you mixing and matching.
The more important variation is that the Lumia 630 is limited to 3G data while the Lumia 635 adds support for 4G LTE networks. For some markets, the Lumia 630 will be available in a dual-SIM model.
Nokia Lumia 630 review: hardware and performance
Aside from the mobile data difference, the two Lumia smartphones share the same specifications. Perhaps the biggest compromise – and disappointment – is the low-resolution 4.5in screen. With 854×480 pixels, that’s under 220ppi and you really notice this when reading text on web pages. It’s fuzzy and hard to read, which means you have to zoom in more than on a smartphone with a higher resolution display.
Despite being an IPS screen, viewing angles aren’t the best. A bigger issue is that our sample had clearly visible backlight bleed along the top edge which was all too noticeable on light-coloured backgrounds. Overall, the backlight was more uneven than we’d like.
Processing power is decent for the most part. The 630 has the same 1.2GHz quad-core CPU as the Moto G but has half the RAM, with just 512MB on board. In general, Windows Phone 8.1 is snappy and responsive. One notable exception is the camera app. It’s never quick to launch, and can sometimes take several seconds to load, being ready to take a photo only after six or seven seconds – that’s unacceptable and meant we often missed the moment.
Since our usual benchmark apps aren’t available on Windows Phone, we could run only the browser-based SunSpider test. Here, the 630 completed the test in an average of 1486ms, a shade quicker than the Moto G.
There’s only 8GB of internal storage but as with flagships such as the
Galaxy S5 and
HTC One M8, the Lumia 630 and Lumia 635 have a microSD card slot which is capable of taking up to 128GB. You also get 7GB of free Microsoft OneDrive cloud storage.
Nokia Lumia 630 review: battery life
Another disappointment with the smartphone is mediocre battery life. During our testing, we were lucky to get through a full 24 hours without getting nagged about “critically low” battery levels. That was with average use – some emailing, IM, Facebook, YouTube and gaming. With heavy use, you’ll need to be near a power socket (or have a second battery to hand) in order to make it through a working day.
Annoyingly, the 630 (like all Nokia phones) is fussy about chargers. You get one in the box – with a captive microUSB cable – but try and use a different charger and it will warn you the phone is charging slowly.
Nokia Lumia 630 review: camera
A 5Mp camera sits at the back of the device, capable of capturing 720p videos. It’s nothing special, with no stabilisation, no LED flash and no HDR mode. The default camera app over-sharpens the photos to make them appear more detailed.
Here’s our standard shot of St Pancras, albeit on a rather miserable day (click to enlarge the photo – we’ve resized it to 1200 pixels wide).
Below is a 100 percent crop of the original photo so you can see the level of detail captured:
Here are a couple of other shots we took. They are unedited apart from being resized from 2592 pixels wide down to 1200 to fit your screen (click to enlarge):
There’s no front-facing camera, which makes selfies almost impossible. It’s reason enough to avoid the 630 altogether if you want to use Skype for video chats.
Nokia Lumia 630 review: Software
The Lumia 630 and Lumia 635 come with Windows Phone 8.1 which is the latest version of Microsoft’s mobile operating system. Although an update will be rolled out to existing Lumia devices, it won’t arrive for a few months. It also includes Nokia’s Lumia Cyan updates, in addition to Microsoft’s tweaks.
For starters, you can have up to six columns of tiles on the Start Screen and you can also choose an image as a background to them instead of picking a block colour. There’s a nice parallax effect which looks great and makes the phone feel more personal.
A headline new feature is the Action Center (below) which finally brings notifications to Windows Phone. Like iOS and Android, it’s accessed by swiping downwards from the top of the screen. You can choose which apps you want notifications to appear from and there are also four tiles for quick settings, which you can customise.
There are other tweaks too such as more lock screen themes, a new calendar which integrates weather, the Word Flow keyboard offers personalised predictive text and Swype-style gesture typing. A set of Sense (nothing to do with HTC) features help you manage data usage, storage and Wi-Fi.
Cortana is Microsoft’s answer to Siri and the firm says it’s the first ‘true personal assistant on a phone’. Unfortunately, unless you change the region and language on your 630 to US English, Cortana won’t appear. Plus, since the digital assistant is integral to some of Windows Phone 8.1’s new features such as reminders and Quiet Hours, you won’t see those either. Cortana is promised as an update later in 2014, but never buy anything on the basis of promises – it may be delayed until 2015.
Nokia adds its own selection of useful apps, including the excellent HERE Drive+ satnav which allows you to download individual country maps for free, in order to use the app offline. There’s also Nokia MixRadio which is a lot like Spotify and allows you to download mixes for free, even if you decide not to pay the £3.99 monthly subscription.
Nokia Lumia 630 review: Bottom line
All of this is a big step in the right direction for Windows Phone 8 and its mission to catch up with iOS and Android. We like a lot of the new features but there still remains the issue of a lack of apps in the Store. You’ll find the likes of BBC iPlayer, 4oD, ITV Player, Whatsapp, Facebook and Netflix, but other apps are still conspicuous by their absence, notably Google apps. For the most part, you can install third-party apps to get Google Maps, YouTube and Gmail, but it’s a shame there are no official apps.
There’s also a problem if you have Bluetooth devices such as fitness trackers. While there are some third-party apps for popular trackers including Fitbit, they don’t offer synching. For less popular devices, you’ll likely find nothing at all. For example, I just had the Tado thermostat installed. Apps are available for Android and iOS, but not Windows Phone 8.
If you’re considering the Lumia 630 as a first smartphone and you don’t plan to buy lots of wireless accessories, these limitations might not be an issue. However, if you’re switching from Android or an iPhone, you may well be frustrated.
Specs
Nokia Lumia 630: Specs
- Windows Phone 8.1
- 4.5in IPS display (480×854), 221ppi
- 1.2GHz Quad-Core Qualcomm Snapdragon 400 CPU
- Adreno 305 GPU
- 512MB RAM
- 8GB internal storage
- microSD up to 128GB
- 5Mp rear camera
- Wi-Fi 802.11b/g/n
- Bluetooth 4.0 LE
- A-GPS (A-GLONASS)
- GSM 850/900/1800/1900MHz
- CDMA 900/2100MHz
6.7Wh (1830mAh) removable BL-5H battery - micro SIM
- 67x130x9.2mm
- 134g
At a Glance
Expert’s Rating
Pros
- Moderately priced
- Good battery life
- One of the first Windows Phone 8.1 phones
Cons
- Lacks front-facing “selfie” camera
- Included 512 MB of RAM can slow down app loading
- Visible pixels on the phone’s 854×480 display
Our Verdict
The Lumia 635 from Microsoft is a budget Windows Phone that sacrifices some features, but generally meets the basic requirements of a modern smartphone.
I initially wanted to dislike the Lumia 635, only because I feel Microsoft’s Lumia phones can aspire to something better. But the phone delivers the basics, with one inexplicable omission: a front-facing camera.
Microsoft’s new Lumia 635 may be marketed as one of the first Windows Phones to be sold to customers with the amazing features of Windows Phone 8.1, but that doesn’t mean much: the “Cyan” update will soon roll out Windows Phone 8.1 to all Nokia Windows Phone 8 handsets. No, it’s the price that matters: $168 at T-Mobile, or $7 per month over 24 months. (The Lumia 635 is also available via AT&T for $139.)
Why is the price so important? Because Microsoft said this week that the midrange is the company’s new focus. In July 18 report, analyst firm Chitika revealed that the Lumia 520 and Lumia 521 delivered more than 54 percent of the ad impressions to the Windows Phone platform. The new chief of Microsoft’s device business, Stephen Elop sealed the deal.
“In the near term, we plan to drive Windows Phone volume by targeting the more affordable smartphone segments, which are the fastest growing segments of the market, with Lumia,” Elop wrote in a memo this week.
The Lumia 635 (right) alongside the Lumia Icon.
That puts new pressure on the Lumia 635.
No muss, no fuss
The Lumia 635 is an inherently basic phone; the 4.5-inch, 854×480 display even has something I’d forgotten about: visible pixels. The display is viewable in bright sunlight, but you’ll need to maximize the brightness, and there’s no adaptive brightness control to facilitate that. In general, it looks a little dull.
Viewed outdoors, the Lumia 635 screen is barely legible.
Inside is a 1.2-GHz Snapdragon 400 quad-core chip, which is no slouch. Still, don’t expect to run high-performance apps. Our SunSpider test averaged 1.47 seconds, about three times slower than the flagship Lumia Icon. (Our Peacekeeper test failed to run.) But the 512 MB of RAM the phone includes means that you’ll be seeing the “Resuming…” message quite a bit as you switch between apps that the Windows Phone OS has suspended. I also noted several instances where the phone would simply lock up briefly, such as after entering the PIN to unlock it.
Mark Hachman The Bing Health & Fitness app can now pull information on how many steps you’ve taken, directly from the phone.
But this phone has one feature other Windows Phones don’t: motion-data collection. This enables it to act as a pedometer in addition to tracking your distance traveled via GPS. That feature ties into the Bing Health & Fitness app, as well as other apps you allow. Personally, knowing I walked a mile or so is good enough for me; but for those obsessed with accomplishing 10,000 steps or more, it might eliminate the need for a separate fitness tracker.
The Lumia phones’ other selling point has traditionally been the camera, so I was surprised to find the experience with those phone rather middling. Lumia fans will be disappointed to find out that the camera hardware button on the side of the phone has been removed; in fact, the home, back, and search buttons on the phone are also screen icons now. (Only the power and volume rocker switches remain.)
What, no selfies?
As I mentioned up top, the front-facing camera is gone as well. You can forget about taking selfies with this phone. For me, that’s almost unforgiveable in this day and age. Sure, there’s trimming the fat to save a few bucks. But this is trimming the fun.
The rear camera, meanwhile, is just 5 megapixels—that’s a far cry from the 41MP the Lumia 1020 offers. The one unexpected plus is that the notorious shutter lag—the time from when you touch the camera shutter icon to when it takes a picture—has disappeared almost entirely. And I found nothing to complain about save for the fact the photos looked a bit washed out, as the Nokia Camera app (not the other stock “Camera” app) includes all the lovely manual controls.
Nokia has removed the hardware camera button from the Lumia 635.
I discovered numerous other oddities and bugs, too. Although the T-Mobile version of the device supports its LTE bands and Wi-Fi calling, it failed to connect to T-Mobile to register it, popping up a “REG90 Failed to Connect” warning over and over and over. Apps loaded slowly, and although the phone shipped with a Hulu+ live tile, the app wasn’t actually installed.
These latter glitches could have been just the vagaries of a test phone. I hope so. Fortunately, the Lumia 635 handles the basics pretty well. Calls were fairly clear, and they connected quickly. My only complaint while surfing the Web was that the low display resolution made pages like SFGate.com difficult to read when the desktop page was preferred. And the camera, while basic, did the job.
I wonder, though, how many Lumia 635s will be returned when consumers discover the lack of a front-facing camera. That’s a real blow to the platform, especially when you factor in the lack of first-party apps in the Windows Store. Phones like the Lumia 1020, Lumia Icon, and Lumia 1520 have given Lumia owners something to brag about. Phones like the Lumia 635 will straddle the narrow line between value and mediocrity.