Nokia Lumia 620

Surprisingly cute and tiny, the Lumia 620 is only available outside of North America

While Windows Phone fans in the US won’t be able to pick up a Lumia 620 through the normal channels, Nokia sells these cute little entry-level handsets in other markets. I purchased one recently for testing purposes, and while I won’t be formally reviewing it, I figured readers would be interested in some photos and first impressions.

You can find out more about the Lumia 620 from the Nokia web site. But it’s an entry-level device with a tiny 3.8-inch 800 x 480 screen, 1 GHz Snapdragon S4 processor, 512 MB of RAM, 8 GB of internal storage (with micro-SD expansion), and 5 megapixel camera. On the plus side, it is endearingly cute, and comes in multiple colors with replaceable “dual-shot” back shells that provide a two-tone burst of color as evidence by the promo shot above.

I just got the white version, however, since I won’t actually be using it myself, and got it (from Expansys, where it was just $290) for testing purposes. This is the cheapest Windows Phone 8 handset on the market.

Anyway, it also features a removable battery, which I prefer. And I have to say, the removable cover—as with the Lumia 820 I also found surprisingly solid—is preferable to Nokia’s huge and unexpandable Lumia 920. Nokia should drop the unibody pretense and deliver this kind of device. They’re vastly preferable.

What it doesn’t appear to offer is any 4G/LTE capabilities. I haven’t tested that yet, and probably won’t, but since it’s not formally supported in North America, the point may be moot. But if you live outside this region and prefer something on the tiny side—perhaps for a child, for which this phone would be semi-ideal—the Nokia Lumia 620 is a cute little option.

Here are some shots.

Discuss this Article 34

illrigger
on Jan 28, 2013

Paul, is that a MicroSim to full size adapter I see in the picture? Or just a MicroSim tray? It's hard t tell scale from that pic.

pthurrott
on Jan 28, 2013

Yes, it is a micro-SIM.

conor@tighes.com
on Jan 28, 2013

Agree with you on the unibody nonsense! Very little upside (if any). I have the 920 and while I love the phone, a replaceable battery and expandable memory would be nice. Wife hated the size of the 920, talked her into the 820 and she still thinks it is too big for her. 620 would probably have suited her perfect for what she needs.

jpetrides
on Jan 28, 2013

I think the market underestimates the number of people that have small hands and still want to use a smaller device. I still use an old Optimus V from Virgin Mobile. The screen is about 3ish inches and it is pretty thin. Except for the HTC Radar and the Lumia 710, all the Windows phones I've tried in the MS store (Tyson's Corner, VA) are just too big for my hand. Heck - I think one reason the iPhone is still so popular is that it isn't so darn wide and it fits nicely in a normal or smaller sized hand.

I've heard similar comments from my wife and others who can't handle these huge phones and just want to be able to do basic data activities like browsing the web and checking their email. All the fancy things on a smartphone are cool (using a Lumia 822 as a test device at work), but I don't get any day to day practical use out of them.

This part of the market isn't cool, or sexy, but I'm actually really excited about this phone and think a lot of people would choose it if it were on display in a store and people could pick it up and feel how it sits in their hand.

bboyer
on Jan 28, 2013

Paul are you planning on using this for developing purposes? I was thinking about purchasing it for that reason and was wondering if you felt like it would be good for a entry level phone into Windows Phone 8. I bought a Lumia 900 last year and don't want to pay $500 for a new one out of contract.

pthurrott
on Jan 28, 2013

I'm not, but it would be a great choice for that, unless you need to test for HD resolutions too.

Waethorn
on Jan 28, 2013

Cute. Cute, but cheap. Also pocketable. And simple to use.

Kinda reminds me of these:

http://www.amazon.com/Palm-1048NA-Z22-Handheld/dp/B000BI2180/ref=sr_1_1?...

Looking at the backing of the 620 and the way it's designed, I have to think: why don't they just design the whole wrap-around back out of silicone rubber??

TheEmirOfGroofu...
on Jan 28, 2013

to be fair, though you mentioned it's lack of expandable memory, you don't criticize the HTC 8X for its unibody design. Is there a difference that makes the 8X ok to have unibody and the lumia 920 not ok?

pthurrott
on Jan 28, 2013

Only the Lumia 9xx phones are oversized and heavy, especially the 920. Nokia clearly can't do unibody right. But it's phones that can open up are great designs. They should stick to what they do well.

ak
on Jan 29, 2013

You can either love or hate the higher weight of the 920. I personally prefer it's higher weight compared to the 8X or the toyish Samsungs. And I think, the 920 is much better looking than the 820.

Nevertheless, the 620 is great. First WP with a usable size for my girlfriend.

TheEmirOfGroofu...
on Jan 29, 2013

Weight/thickness is a fair point. But oversize is more of a taste option in my opinion (galaxy s3, galaxy note, etc). I tried the 8x and was incredibly disappointed in the buttons and 16gb limit. I could never turn it on with one hand while walking to a meeting to see where the room was - immediate display of information is one of windows phone's strong points - and it didn't work well with the 8x. That said, I've owned both the 920 and 8x and with each one I find myself wanting the other. Instead of having two almost great phones with glaring issues, someone needs to combine them into one great phone. The size/feel of the 8x with lumia buttons and 32 gb of space and lumia apps.

Lionel
on Feb 10, 2013

You can add a MicroSD card for storage

cadrethree
on Jan 28, 2013

Nice site Paul. Can you comment on their service as far as unlocked phones? Do you have any other gems like this site you go thru?

Mustang17
on Jan 28, 2013

I miss the convenience of having a spare battery. It's just so handy knowing you have a reliable no nonsense back up power supply. With my DSLR I have 4 spare batteries because you know that on a long day of lots of shots you can just keep on going. I wonder why Nokia etc can't have a battery slot that allows you just to click in a spare.

With mapping apps and using music on the move having only one battery is just not practical nor desirable. It maybe funky to have a svelt smooth sexy unibody when its sitting on a table in front of your mates, but in the middle of a forest and your battery is down at 4% its a stress we don't need.

Nice review too. A Nokia of the old school.

Alcarnor
on Jan 28, 2013

Picked up one of these myself (from www.gsmnation.com). No LTE, but works fine on AT&T's network, and if you're in an area where tMobile has re-jiggered their network so iPhones get better than Edge, then it'll work fine there, too (unless you don't mind Edge speeds...)

It's a nice little phone. WP8 performance is super on it, too.

Kendo
on Jan 28, 2013

Is that where we are these days!? A 3.8 inch screen is classed as tiny! I know you have larger than average hands Paul, but I can't imagine 3.8" can be classed as tiny. I use an iPhone 5, like to use it one handed a lot, and the screen really pushes the limits of my hand.

Tiny would be some of the entry level android handsets, the 3-3.2" handsets. 3.5 inch plus should really be classed as an average size. Anything over 4 inch should be known as BIG

Seems like a nice handset though. Was the software experience still perfect on a lower range handset?

pthurrott
on Jan 29, 2013

Honestly, this thing is literally tiny. It's a child's phone.

Obviously, some people have small hands, etc. And I'm a big guy. But you can see how this thing compares in size to the HTC 8X and Lumia 820 above, and neither of those are "huge," but they both outsize the 620 handily. It's just a small device.

BGBrereton
on Jan 29, 2013

Strange how views on phone sizes has changed. The specs show that this "tiny cute" phone is (just) bigger than the iPhone 4 and my own first generation WP 7 device, which in turn was a significant size increase from the non-Smart phone I had before. I'm now considering a Lumia 920 but am concerned that the thing may not meet what I think is a basic requirement for a phone: fitting in my pocket.

UKUser
on Jan 29, 2013

Well as this is my current phone.

T-mobile pulse-mini with a 2.8-inch display with stylus. (I tried to link it but your spam filter rejected it).

Do you think the Lumia 620 being tiny will really be an issue?

satkinsn
on Jan 28, 2013

Paul wrote:

"What it doesn’t appear to offer is any 4G/LTE capabilities. I haven’t tested that yet, and probably won’t, but since it’s not formally supported in North America, the point may be moot."

Or you live in northern New York state, where 4G is always coming 'real soon now,' and where when I upgraded my son's phone a month or so back they slapped on an extra $30 charge to - no kidding - "pay for the tower." Thanks Verizon!

legion181
on Jan 29, 2013

I'm surprised no one mentioned that the different colored cover and phone is line the "double shot" of color the original Zune had.

ryeworth
on Jan 29, 2013

If there's one reason I love this, it's for channelling the spirit of my cherished Zune 30GB with the "doubleshot" effect - Although I can't tell what the second tone is on the white 620.

The55
on Jan 29, 2013

Nokia Lumia 620 coming to Canada (Rogers) this March.

http://mobilesyrup.com/2013/01/22/nokia-lumia-620-coming-to-rogers-this-...

UKUser
on Jan 29, 2013

I want to develop apps for Windows Phone 8, so I have to decide between buying the Nokia Lumia 620 and the HTC 8S. I can buy both on PAYG as I am in the UK. I don't have the money to buy the top of the range phones and don't really care if they are small. Does any one have any advice on which one to choose?

jesawdy
on Jan 29, 2013

Paul, now that you have a Nokia phone, I hope you will be abl3 to compare and contrast Nokia Music+ and Xbox Music Pass once Music+ goes live here int the US.

pthurrott
on Jan 29, 2013

I already have Nokia phones, including a Lumia 820 and Lumia 900. I got this for Microsoft account testing, not to review Nokia apps.

oroslak
on Jan 29, 2013

I know this is really about the 620, but I couldn't let the "unibody pretense" comment go, nor the "vastly preferable" removable battery, and even less the reference to the 920 as "huge."

The 920 is actually 2 mm shorter than the 8X, 0.5 mm thicker (hardly noticeable to the naked eye), and 4.5 mm wider. Despite this, your comments on the Lumia 920's size relative the 8X are almost always pretty extreme on the former's colossal girth.

Weight is another matter, but I can't see how anyone notices when actually using the phone. I've handled both an iPhone 4S and the Lumia. One notices the difference (sort of) balancing one in each hand. However, in using objects having a weight difference of only about 30-40 g, the body rapidly adapts, and it just feels like any other phone.

Where weight IS a problem (at least for me) is that a heavier phone will tend to wear a hole in the pocket of my nice coat that much quicker. However, the 8X is no help here because of the sharper edges.

I am emphatically NOT a big person, so it's always surprising to hear someone bag on the "enormous" size and weight of the Lumia. It's especially surprising from a big person.

As to the unibody construction, again, it may just be me, but I think the 920 is an absolute triumph in stylish industrial design, even more so than HTC Windows and Android models, which I'm also partial to. I wouldn't want to give that up for a removable battery (not even "preferable," much less "vastly preferable", in my books).

It's just a little bit bigger. It's no phablet. Why always with the hyperbole when bashing my beloved 920?

AngryNil
on Feb 4, 2013

Buyer's remorse.

:)

Bryan Moore
on Jan 30, 2013

I am starting to think the phone manufactures, Microsoft, and the carriers are not thinking. This would sell great in the US if it had 4G. I think Microsoft needs cheep low end Windows Phones to drive sales, and without them I really don't think this platform will last. People are cheep, especially now. If you could get one of these free with a new contract or just pay $290 for one, you would start to see a lot of Windows Phones.

Bryan Moore
on Jan 30, 2013

I do not mind not being able to take the battery out of a phone but when unibody means no removable storage then its a deal breaker. I need 64Gb of storage with all my music (I am a big music lover) this did not used to be a problem but with how expensive data has gotten (I pay $30 for 2GB a month, I used to pay $30 for Unlimited) I have to have removable storage so unibody designs just don't appeal to me, and honestly why cant they just add an access door for a micro SD card on a unibody device?

Hoomgar
on Jan 30, 2013

It looks like it is about the same size as the 710.

Hoomgar
on Jan 31, 2013

Now that I look at it next to the 820, it actually appears that it may be a little larger than my 710? Any chance of getting a picture of it next to a 710 Paul?

Hoomgar
on Feb 8, 2013

I was actually serious, Paul, do you have access to a 710 that you could get a side by side shot of? I would love to see it.

pthurrott
on Feb 8, 2013

Sorry, I don't have a 710.

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