Nokia Lumia 520
Verdict
Key specs
Critic consensus
“The Lumia 520 isn't without faults but at this price point they're easy to live with. When talking entry-level smartphones, it's all about cutting the right corners and ticking the right boxes and the latest Nokia smartphone comes across as a superbly balanced phone. If you're after a package that covers the basics and then some, delivers on budget but looks classy and is a smartphone, with an app store and all, very few seem to fit the description better than the Nokia Lumia 520.”
“The Lumia 521 is an entry-level Windows Phone that offers a lot for much less than other devices. For just $129 (without a contract), shoppers get an attractive and compact design, a capable camera and a user-friendly interface that will please smartphone newbies. Nokia did sacrifice some features -- such as LTE support, a high-res screen and a front-facing camera -- to achieve such an aggressive price. The battery life could also be better. Overall, though, the Lumia 521 can save you hundreds versus other carriers while providing a well-rounded experience.”
“The Nokia Lumia 521 is the kind of budget phone that really feels like one. It has some nice aspects – speedy performance, decent design, good call quality – but they’re overshadowed by the mediocre display and slow mobile data speeds. Plus, Windows Phone has it’s own overall problems including too few really great apps. For those customers who really want to stick with T-Mobile, this is your only Windows Phone choice. And at $30 down it’s not a truly terrible one. Though if you want a better balance between value and price while still sticking to a budget, the Lumia and HTC Windows Phone choices on AT&T and Verizon Wireless are more appealing and cost less (as in free on contract) or not that much more at the outset.”
“If the Lumia 620 were ruled out for some reason -- perhaps due to a strict budget or local availability -- we'd probably look more kindly on the 520. After all, it still contains all the essentials of the modern Lumia offering, with lots of personality and a welcoming OS. But even in this scenario, we'd come up against the battery life issue -- which is a spec that rival budget Windows Phones do much better on, not to mention Ashas and probably other future barebones options that will cost half of the 520's price. Advanced smartphone users may be used to seeing red battery symbols late in the day, but for this type of phone, which is bound to be picked up by people who are making the leap from a feature phone, it's not quite good enough.”
Watch before you decide
What people say
2 community ratings · Recommendation data coming soon.
I would give this a 0/10 but theres no 0. When I try to make a call or answer a call it turns off. My niece has one and it does the same to her. Whats wrong with these phones !!!
I would give this a 0/10 but theres no 0. When I try to make a call or answer a call it turns off. My niece has one and it does the same to her. Whats wrong with these phones !!!
In Depth
Unveiled at Mobile World Congress, the Nokia Lumia 520 is another budget offering for the Windows Phone platform. James Rogerson of TechRadar said that “At first glance it’s certainly an impressive handset for the price.”
The Nokia Lumia 520 comes with all the features that the average smartphone user needs but at its rock-bottom pricing, certain corners have to be cut. But as Marie Brewis of PC Advisor put it, “So you don’t get 4G LTE support, wireless charging, near-field communication, City Lens augmented reality or the latest Bluetooth connectivity standard, but, until these technologies really take off, do you care?”
Design-wise, the Nokia Lumia 520 is a comfortable fit in the hands and its rounded sides and corners give way to easy single-handed operation. Despite being very lightweight at just 124 grams, the handset still feels solid although its build is a bit plasticky.
Under the hood, the Nokia Lumia 520 runs Windows Phone 8 for its operating system which in turn is powered by the handset’s dual-core 1 GHz QualComm SnapDragon S4 processor. The processor is paired with just 512 MB of RAM (and this might sound meager when compared to the competition) but this is already more than enough to power Windows Phone 8. In fact, the only time you will notice a lag on the handset is when you launch a third-party application or its camera.
Due to its affordable price point, the Nokia Lumia 520 only has 8GB of onboard storage but at least, the handset comes with a dedicated microSD card slot in its chassis for memory expansion purposes so the measly internal memory of the handset shouldn’t be too much of an issue. In terms of its screen, the handset sports a 4-inch IPS LCD panel with a 480 x 800 resolution. Though the screen itself is pretty decent, it doesn’t have the ClearBlack Display technology found in other higher-end Lumias which makes the display of the Nokia Lumia 520 slightly inferior.
Overall, you get what you pay for in the Nokia Lumia 520. It may not have all the bells and whistles you are looking for but at the very least, it certainly comes with all those you need best.
What people actually want to know
When was the Nokia Lumia 520 released?
The Nokia Lumia 520 was released on April 11, 2013.
How long does the battery last on the Nokia Lumia 520?
The Nokia Lumia 520 has a 1,430 mAh battery.
Does the Nokia Lumia 520 have a headphone jack?
Yes, the Nokia Lumia 520 has a 3.5mm headphone jack.
Does the Nokia Lumia 520 have NFC?
No, the Nokia Lumia 520 does not have NFC. Contactless payments and tap-to-pair will not be available.
Where can I download the Nokia Lumia 520 manual?
You can view and download the Nokia Lumia 520 manual on our dedicated manual page.
Questions & answers
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It could be that the battery is loose, causing the loss of power.Read @Make_It_So's post from this thread: http://forums.wpcentral.com/nokia-lumia-521/226786-new-lumia-521-restarting-hardware-fault.html#post2074561My wife's 521, also from HSN, has the exact same issue. It restarts randomly at least twice a day now. I hope I can return it to T-Mobile store and get a replacement. EDIT: I just checked the battery and there is a small amount of side to side play with it. I wrapped a small piece of paper to the edge of the battery oposite the contacts to give it a snugger fit. I will see how this goes. Not happy that I have to do this but.....$100. Get what you pay for I guess. Just surprised that it is a Nokia phone that is doing this. UPDATE: My wife's phone has not restarted since I made the above adjustment. It seems, in my case, the issue is confirmed as excess battery movement.