Talk is affordable and Reliable on Nokia's $50 Phone

The standard worth of a smartphone running one in every of the trendy mobile operating systems is usually $200, with a two-year service contract. Recently, there have even been many, largely unsuccessful, tries to spice up costs to $300.

But phone manufacturers and carriers are needing to push smartphones into cheaper price bands to expand the market. Older and additional basic models are bringing to light for fewer. Multiple Android models sell for around $100, and many well below that. Even Apple, that established the $200 commonplace, sells its iPhone four, that is outwardly the image of the present iPhone 4S, for $99. And its 2009-vintage iPhone 3GS is free with an AT&T contract.

So on, I tested a brand new $50 smartphone to check what you get for that sort of cash. It's referred to as the Nokia Lumia 710, and it runs Microsoft's Windows Phone operating system, the much-praised, however late and struggling, competitor to Android and also the Apple iOS software that powers the iPhone.

The Nokia Lumia 710 runs constant Mango version of Windows Phone as costlier models, with its bright tiles that may show live knowledge, just like the weather or favorite photos.

After per week of testing the Lumia 710, my verdict is that it is a smart price for the money, and a decent selection for folks moving up to their 1st smartphone, or those longing for another to Android and Apple. it's some notable weaknesses and downsides, and it does not compare with the iPhone 4S or elite Android models just like the Samsung Galaxy S II. however it is a good phone that gets the foremost common smartphone tasks done.

I selected the Lumia 710 as a result of it is not an previous model or one that runs an outdated version of software. In fact, it is the 1st Windows Phone device from Nokia, Microsoft's principal phone partner, to be offered by an yank wireless carrier—in this case, T-Mobile. And it had been designed to be a low-cost various to most alternative smartphones, to spice up the tepid sales of Windows Phone devices and to launch Nokia's bid to regain a major share of the U.S. market.

T-Mobile is promoting the phone heavily in its stores and in national TV ads, and says it'll be a significant focus for the carrier this winter. Wal-Mart is pushing it for $18.88 in its stores and free on-line, with a contract, in line with T-Mobile and Nokia.

Though it is the vanguard, the Lumia 710 will not be the flagship of Nokia's new Windows Phone line. a wholly totally different model, the larger however sleeker Lumia 900, is coming back from AT&T, most likely in March. it'll boast an even bigger, higher screen, additional storage and options and a stronger camera. No value has been announced, however it'll definitely price quite $50.

Another higher-end Nokia model, the Lumia 800, already is accessible overseas, however hasn't been picked up however by U.S. carriers.

The 710 could be a somewhat thick, rounded phone that comes in black or white and includes a three.7-inch screen—bigger than the iPhone's, however a lot of smaller than the massive displays of four.5 inches or additional on a number of the newer Android models.

The phone is plastic and fairly lightweight, however does not appear low cost or flimsy. it's a rubbery, curved back and feels smart within the hand. and in contrast to several new smartphones, the rear is removable and therefore the battery is replaceable.


This phone runs on T-Mobile's 4G network, that I actually have consistently found to be a lot of slower than Verizon's latest 4G technology, currently additionally being rolled out by AT&T. In my tests, downloads averaged concerning a pair of megabits per second, that is not far better than on several 3G phones.

The 710 runs an equivalent Mango version of Windows Phone as costlier models and, in my tests, was typically snappy, though it lagged in a very few instances. Like all Windows phones, it's an obsessive button that launches the camera even when the phone is locked. However, Windows Phone has concerning 100 percent of the third-party apps because the iPhone.

I was ready to use all the most options of Mango, that distinguishes itself from its competitors with a user interface created of bright tiles which will show live information, just like the weather or favorite photos, even before you faucet them to open apps. Mango's "hubs"—features that combination data like your friends' contact data and social-networking status—also worked fine.

I was ready to sync the phone with each a Windows computer and a Mac, using Microsoft software, to feature music, photos and videos.

So what corner-cutting was done to induce the worth down? What are the missing features? One is that the absence of a front camera, which implies you cannot do video chats on the 710. Also, the phone cannot be used as a Wi-Fi hot spot to attach alternative devices, like laptops, to the Web. it's solely eight gigabytes of internal storage, that cannot be expanded. the bottom line for many alternative new smartphones is sixteen gigabytes.

In addition, I found the five megapixel rear camera to be no higher than adequate, with some footage I took rapidly setting out fuzzy, though most others were acceptable.

I found the phone's buttons needed additional pressure than they ought to have. The screen, whereas decent-looking when viewed straight on, was tougher to scan from an angle than on most competing smartphones.

I did not perform a proper battery check, however found the phone's battery created it through the day in mixed, light-to-moderate use. Sound quality was smart and calls did not drop.

T-Mobile's service plans for the Nokia Lumia 710 begin at $60 per month for five hundred minutes of voice, unlimited texts and a paltry two hundred megabytes of knowledge. however the carrier recommends an idea that prices $80 monthly and boosts the information portion to unlimited (T-Mobile slows your affiliation if you exceed five gigabytes of knowledge throughout the month.)

Bottom line: Nokia can soon have flashier, high-end Windows Phone models within the U.S., however you'll be able to get plenty for fewer within the Lumia 710.