Nokia Lumia 810 and Lumia 820 Review

Introduction And Specifications

Microsoft and its partners were pushing Windows Phone 8-based smartphones hard this holiday season. In a market that's already crowded with plenty of great Android and iOS options, Microsoft and its partners definitely have their work cut out for them. Given its touch-friendly features, unique UI, and personalization options though, Windows Phone 8 is getting a second look from a lot of people.

If you're in the market for a new smartphone in the post-holiday season, you'll have a few Windows Phone 8 smartphone options to consider, including the new Lumia 810 which is exclusive to T-Mobile and the Lumia 820 which is exclusive to AT&T. These new Windows Phone 8 smartphones come with all of the Windows Phone 8 features you'd expect as well as some additional software from Nokia that is designed to bolster the capabilities of the phones. We'll discuss these features more in the coming pages of this review. Both of these phones have similar specifications with only minor differences. The majority of our hands-on look in this review is with the Lumia 810, but keep in mind that most of what we say will apply to the Lumia 820 as well.

The Lumia 810 has a 4.3-inch OLED WVGA Clear Black display as well as an 8-megapixel camera that utilizes Carl Zeiss optics. The phone also has a 1.2-megapixel Skype HD certified front-facing camera for video chat. One of the unique features of the Lumia 810 is the fact that it supports wireless charging when used with an exchangeable shell that's sold separately. These shells are available in cyan and black.

First, let's give you a quick walk-around of the device in action here in our video showcase...

Next, let's take a closer look at the hardware specifications of the Lumia 810 and Lumia 820 before we move on:

Lumia 810
Lumia 820
Processor and memory
1.5 GHz dual-core Snapdragon S4 processor
8GB internal flash memory
1GB RAM
Expandable up to 64GB with SD card

1.5 GHz dual-core Snapdragon S4 processor
8GB internal flash memory
1GB RAM
Expandable up to 64GB with SD card

Operating System
Windows Phone 8
Windows Phone 8
Connectivity
GSM 850/900/1800/1900
WCDMA Band V (850)
WCDMA Band IV (1700)
WCDMA Band II (1900)
WCDMA Band I (2100)
GPS
Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n
Bluetooth 3.0
microUSB
NFC       
Qi Wireless charging

GSM/GPRS/EDGE 850/900/1800/1900
3G – UMTS 850/900/1900/2100 MHz
4G HSPA+ HSPA+ with enhanced backhaul
4G LTE Band 4 and 17
GPS
Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n
Bluetooth 3.0
microUSB
NFC       
Qi Wireless charging

Display
4.3” Nokia ClearBlack display
480 x 800 pixel resolution

4.3” Nokia ClearBlack display
480 x 800 pixel resolution

Size and weight
5.03 x 2.69 x 0.42 inches
5.11 ounces

4.88 x 2.69 x 0.38 inches
5.57 ounces

Cameras and multimedia
Carl Zeiss Optics
Nokia Lenses
8 MP rear camera with Dual LED flash with f/2.2
1.2 megapixel front-facing camera
HD Camcorder 1080P
3.5 mm stereo audio jack

Carl Zeiss Optics
Nokia Lenses
8 MP rear camera with Dual LED flash with f/2.2
front-facing camera (640 x 480  pixel)
HD Camcorder 1080P
3.5 mm stereo audio jack

Battery
1800 mAh removable battery
GSM talk time: Up to 10.3 hours
3G talk time: Up to 10.2 hours
GSM stand by time: Up to 400 hours
3G stand by time: Up to 360 hours
Charging time: 2.6-3.0 hours

1650 mAh removable battery
2G Standby time: 260 h
2G Talk time: 6.2 h
3G Standby time: 260 h
3G Talk time: 7.5 h

Availability
T-Mobile $99.99 with discounts and contract
AT&T $49.99 with discounts and contract
 

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