Nokia had one of the coolest stands at MWC, with free cokes (that’s the drink, don’t get too carried away), popcorn and more food on offer than any other stand I saw. To be honest, that would have been enough, however new Lumias and practical budget phones made it totally awesome.
So let’s stop messing around: I tried many phones at MWC, both Android and Windows 8 based, and absolutely hands down, the Lumia 920 was my favourite. Followed by the 820, the 720 and the 520. That’s right, I’d take a Lumia 520 over any Android phone on the market right now. Let me explain why.
Normally I hate Windows, I really do. I loathe Windows 8 for desktop. Heck, I was even very sceptical of the Lumias before I went to MWC.
However once you try them, they are pretty amazing. It’s so smooth, everything just flows nicely and is fully optimised. The tile interface is completely original to Windows, and you have to give them full credit.
It’s a beautiful and phenomenal OS, and I would switch to the Lumia tomorrow. But there’s a problem. Apps. It really is quite tragic, and I have my doubts as to whether Windows will be able to even start catching up, such is the divide. Nevertheless, I would still take it over Android, but iOS is a step too far.
I was so impressed by the Lumias, I’m sure I’ll buy one eventually to run alongside my iPhone. That’s the thing, I won’t be able to ditch my 4S for apps, but for everything else, I would take any Lumia without a shadow of a doubt. The OS is new and fresh, and I much prefer it to iOS, which in comparison is pretty stale. Inappropriate for an Apple site perhaps, but Apple should really freshen things up (it doesn’t have to though, the apps are a good enough reason for many to stay in the Apple ecosystem).
If you want to know which Lumia to choose, it really doesn’t matter. They all work incredibly well, and it’s just a question of how much you want to spend. If you can’t afford much, get the 520, it’s still a great experience, and in some regards it’s no different to the 920.
My happy rant about the Lumia over, Nokia also showed off the its latest budget phones. I have to say I was impressed. For €15, you can get yourself a fully functioning Nokia 105, with a built in flash light and a huge month’s worth of battery life. Whether you want it as a backup phone for the car or just to have fun with, it’s a great option, especially for emerging markets. What’s more, the most important feature is still there: Snake.
To end, I would like to mention the Surface. Weird I know seeing as this is about Nokia, but nevertheless, it was in the booth, so I may as well. Again, I read the reviews was was expecting the worse, but I was pleasantly surprised. So long as you don’t use it like a desktop and restrict yourself to the Metro interface, it works extremely well and it really isn’t a bad tablet.
For more photos, check out the gallery below.
