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Nokia Lumia 520 review

7.6/10 AVG.
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Nokia Lumia 520
Nokia Lumia 520
Nokia Lumia 520
Nokia Lumia 520
Nokia Lumia 520
Nokia Lumia 520
...


7.6/10
Informr score
The Nokia Lumia 520 currently has an Informr score of 7.6 out of 10. This score is based on our evaluation of 29 sources including reviews from users and the web's most trusted critics.

What's good

  • Affordable price
  • Smooth performance despite modest specs sheet
  • Memory expansion option

What's bad

  • Meager 512MB of RAM
  • Lacks apps
  • Display does not have enhancements of ClearBlack Display technology

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.


Windows Phone
Operating system
Operating system
Windows Phone
1 GHz
Processor
Processor
1 GHz
4"
Screen Size
Screen Size
4"
5+ MP
Camera
Camera
5+ MP
1430 mAh
Battery


What the Critics Are Saying...


Pocketnow
Pocketnow

Our final rating is going to be an 7 out of 10. While there are a lot of limitations and areas that are lacking with the Lumia 521, the big draw for it is its pricing. Given the crazy low price, there is a huge amount of value included with this phone and it’s still fast, stable, and easy to u...

- Adam Z. Lein, Pocketnow
TechRadar
TechRadar

The Nokia Lumia 520, much like its big brother the Nokia Lumia 620, is a jack of all trades and a master of none - although manages to make a good fist of nearly all it tries, for the price.It looks good, it's got a decent screen both in terms of size and resolution, it rarely stutters or slows down...

- James Rogerson, TechRadar
Tech Advisor
Tech Advisor

If you're looking for a cheap smartphone, you may have just found it. The Nokia Lumia 520 doesn't tick all the boxes on our features wishlist, but it capably handles those that are most important. Windows Phone 8 is a beautiful operating system, but it still lacks apps. If you can get past this and...

- Marie Brewis, Tech Advisor
SlashGear
SlashGear

The Nokia Lumia 521 isn’t the nicest Windows Phone 8 device on the market – and it’s certainly not the hottest Nokia machine out today – but it’s not meant to be. Working to be the cost-cutting entry level to the Windows Phone 8 universe with the good ship Nokia –...

- Chris Burns, SlashGear
Digital Trends
Digital Trends

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...

- K. T. Bradford, Digital Trends


Prices (Where to Buy)




Common Questions


We've got you covered! Download a free PDF copy of the Nokia Lumia 520 user manual here.


Nokia backs up the Lumia 520 with a 1 Year parts & labour warranty.


If your Lumia 520 has problems and is still within its warranty period, you could contact Nokia support or the retailer you purchased the phone from. You'll find Nokia's contact information here. If your phone is off warranty and needs repair for a physical problem such as a broken screen or bad battery, you should visit an authorized service centre or a local phone repair shop. You can also connect with others in The Informr Community Forum to find and share answers to questions.




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Quick view

Screen Size
4"

The Nokia Lumia 520's screen size is 4 inches with 480 x 800 pixels resolution.

Processor
1 GHz

There is a Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 Dual core 1 GHz processor (CPU).

OS

The phone runs on the Windows Phone 8 (Update Available: 8.1) operating system (OS).

Camera
5+ MP

You can take photos with the phone's onboard 5+ MP camera.

There's no secondary front camera.

Storage
8 GB

Internal memory is 8 GB. An external, MicroSD, MicroSDHC (up to 64 GB) expansion slot is available for increased storage capacity.

Battery
1430mAh

The phone is powered by a Lithium-Ion (Li-Ion), 1430 mAh battery. Nokia's performance ratings are 888 minutes, 372 minutes Wi-Fi surfing.

Lumia 520 Specs

Overview
Release Date April 11, 2013
Regions Available USA, Canada, United Kingdom
Operating System Windows Phone 8 (Update Available: 8.1)

Compare Windows Phone Smartphones

Processor Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 Dual core 1 GHz
Internal Storage 8 GB
RAM 512 MB
Hearing Aid Compatible Yes
TTY/TDD Yes
Noise Cancellation Yes
SAR Head: 0.86 W/kg
Body: 0.88 W/kg
Manufacturer Warranty 1 Year
Accessories Included AC Charger, Manual, Standard Battery, Headset, Data Cable
Cellular
Networks
GPRS, EDGE, HSDPA, HSPA+
Mobile / Cellular Data
Push-to-talk (PTT) No
Wi-Fi Calling Unknown
Voice over LTE (VoLTE) Unknown
SIM card size
Micro-SIM
Dual SIM No
Connectivity
USB Micro-USB 2.0
USB OTG Support No
GPS Type A-GPS
Infrared No
Bluetooth 3.0
Bluetooth Profiles A2DP, AVRCP, OPP/FTP, HFP
Bluetooth Audio Codecs SBC
Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n
Mobile Hotspot Yes
Memory Expansion Slot Yes
Expansion Slot Info MicroSD, MicroSDHC (up to 64 GB)
NFC No
Data Tethering Compatibility Yes
Camera
Main Camera
Resolution / Aperture
5+ Megapixels
Zoom
4x digital
Flash
No
Additional Rear Camera Info
Auto focus, Brightness control, Geotagging, ISO, White balance, Scene modes
Video Recording Formats
3GP / 3GPP, 3G2 / 3GPP2, H.264 / AVC, MPEG-4, WMV, ASF, AVI
Video Recording Parameters
HD (1280 x 720 pixels), 30 fps
Front Camera
Resolution / Aperture
Additional Front Camera Info
No
Video Recording Parameters
Display / Screen
Type Color
Technology LCD (IPS)
Colors 16.7 million
Resolution 480 x 800 pixels
Pixel Density 235 pixels
Size 4 inches
Secondary Display No
Sensors Ambient Light, Proximity, Motion / Accelerometer, Digital Compass
Multi-Touch Yes
Fingerprint-Resistant Coating Yes
Additional Display Features Capacitive touch screen
Power & Battery
Battery Type Lithium-Ion (Li-Ion)
Battery Capacity 1430 mAh
Removable Battery Yes
Wireless Charging No
Fast Charging No
Video Playback Time Up to 288 minutes
Internet Use (Wi-Fi) Up to 372 minutes
Internet Use (Cellular) Unknown
Talk Time Up to 888 minutes
Standby Time Up to 13.3 days
Mixed Usage
Physical Characteristics
Design Type Bar
Material Plastic
Colors Yellow, Blue, Red, White, Black
Dimensions [H x W x D] 12 x 6.4 x 1 cm (4.7 x 2.5 x 0.4 in)
Weight 124 grams
Water Resistant / Waterproof Unknown
Rugged design No
IP Rating No
Headset Jack 3.5mm
External Speakers Yes
Input / Navigation
Sleep / Wake Key No
Home Key No
Input / Keyboard Type Touchscreen
Navigation Type Touchscreen
External Volume Control Yes
Fingerprint Sensor No
More
Additional Information Messaging: SMS, MMS, Windows Live
Multi-Use Smart Phone / PDA: Yes
Graphics: Yes
Themes: Yes
Backlit Illumination: Yes
Zoom / Magnification: Yes
Screen Orientation Lock: Yes
Predictive Text Entry: Yes
Voicemail Key: Yes
Voice Commands: Yes
Keypad/Screen Lock: Yes
Multiple Numbers Per Contact: Email address, Other fields
Contact Groups: Yes
Voice Activated Dialing: Yes
Photo Caller ID: Yes
Web Browser: Yes
Email Client: Yes
Email Protocols: POP3, IMAP, SMTP, Microsoft Exchange
PC Synchronization: Yes
ECML / Digital Wallet: Yes
Audio Formats: AAC, AAC+, AMR, AMR-NB, eAAC+, MP3, MP4, M4A, WMA Pro, WMA
Video Playback Formats: 3GP / 3GPP, 3G2 / 3GPP2, ASF, AVI, H.264 / AVC, MPEG-4, WMV
Streaming Video: Yes
Custom Ringtones: Yes
Vibration Alert: Yes
Downloadable Ringtones: Yes
Ringer ID: Yes
Speakerphone: Yes
Haptic Feedback: Yes
Data Tethering: Yes
Mobile Hotspot: Yes
Wi-fi Encryption: WEP/WPA/WPA2
Viewable document types: XLS, PPT, PPTX, DOC, DOCX, PDF
Games: Downloadable
Apps: Downloadable, Pre-installed
Included Software / Apps: -
To-Do / Task List, Calendar, World Clock, Alarm, Calculator, Maps, NotePad, Voice Memos / Recorder

Other Names (AKA): Nokia Lumia 521
Related Links Manual (PDF)
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