Nokia is well known for their retail/distribution channels, but also notorious for their ability to bring phones and smartphones to incredibly low price points. Windows Phone, once only available in the upper price range is starting to come down in great part thanks to Nokia. The  release of Windows Phone Tango made it possible for cheaper devices like the Lumia 610 which come with just 256MB of RAM possible. The lower price range of these devices is attractive, but should you buy one? Here are a few things to consider when buying a lower-end Nokia Lumia devices and why maybe you should save up a bit and get a higher-end device like the Lumia 800 or 900.

One reason to stay away from a lower-end Windows Phone device, are the significant restrictions when it comes to features and performance. These limitations include:

• Windows Phone Marketplace app restrictions – Some more processor-intensive apps have memory requirements, and won’t work on phones with 256 MB of RAM.

• Podcast Subscriptions and Video Podcasts – Managing podcast subscriptions or watching video podcasts is not available if your phone has 256 MB of RAM.

• Local Scout – Bing Local Scout is also unavailable if your phone has only 256 MB of RAM.

• Fast app switching – This feature doesn’t work on phones with 256 MB of RAM.

• SkyDrive automatic photo upload – You can’t upload pictures automatically to SkyDrive if your handset has only 256 MB of RAM.

• HD video playback – Videos compressed with certain codecs won’t work on phones with 256 MB of RAM.
• Background agents – To free up RAM for the foreground on 256MB devices, generic background agents (PeriodicTasks/ResourceIntensiveTasks) are disabled.

Secondly Skype for Windows Phone has just come out BETA reaching v1.0, but won’t work on won’t work on 256MB devices such as the Lumia 610, as it requires to a minimum of 512MB of RAM. When Windows Phone Tango was released, Microsoft did say that about 5% of apps won’t work on these more affordable devices and it now seems that Skype is going to be one of them. This can go either one of two direction. Either Skype releases a “lite’ version specifically for these low-end devices lacking some features or these devices will remain without an official Skype App.

Lastly, the prices of the higher end Lumia devices are already pretty affordable. With the arrival of the Lumia 900, prices for the 800 are dropping with some pretty good deals to be fond online, enough to keep you away from the lower-end devices. As for the GSM versions of these devices, they can be had for free on contract and in the US, the Lumia 900 can be had for a pretty affordable $99, a pretty good deal for a high-end device.

Considering all of this and the dropping prices for the Lumia 800, I’d say go for at least the Lumia 800, unless you really have to get the 610.

Update:  Engadget is now reporting that the Lumia 610 WILL get skype. This does mean however that there are still a small percentage of CPU or RAM intensive apps still won’t work. The limitations mentioned in point 2 also still apply.

By now, most of you have heard of the 808 Pureview, Nokia’s latest super camera phone running on their Belle operating system. The 808 continuous an old Nokia tradition of having the best camera phones on the market, a tradition continued by earlier devices such as the N93, N8 and N86 8MP. The 808 is miles ahead of anything available on the market when it comes to its camera and probably will remain so until its own successor arrives. Despite having all this amazing technology and essentially being the best camera in a phone, I think you should skip it. Here on The Nokia Guide, I’m  usually telling you how amazing these Nokia devices are and why you should buy them. In  this post I’ll explain why you shouldn’t buy the 808 and I why I’ll definitely skip it myself and go directly to the Lumia 900.

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Last week I wrote 13 Reasons Why I Love The N8, but hey, it’s not perfect. As I wrote in that post, there is a lot to love about the N8, but if you’re considering of getting one, you should be aware of the less than ideal sides of the N8. These are my personal findings

1.Exposed Camera Lens: This has got to be my biggest issue with the N8. Worth noting is  that the piece of clear plastic you see on the back is not the actual lens, but an added protective clear cover to protect the vulnerable lens behind it. Fact is that light has to reach the lens to capture images and this very same light has to pass through to this clear piece of plastic in front of it. Good image quality is dependent on getting lots of light and therefore a clear and clean cover and lens are key. Problem is that this cover is always exposed. Fingers touch it almost all the time just by holding the N8 and than there’s the dust that constantly collects in this area.

The N8 is a very robust piece of technology with its gorilla glass and metal body, but the exposed clear cover is on the other hand a weak point, requiring me to sometimes baby the N8, always thinking were I put or how I hold it.

The plus side to all  of this is the  that the  camera is available to you, without the need open any lens cover and the fact that the device can be made a lot thinner. The camera is one of the N8’s biggest features, but perhaps also the chink in such a robust armor. Getting it scratched could ruin that top feature of the N8.

2.Screen Auto-lock CAN’T be disabled: Previous Symbian^3 devices allowed you to disable the auto-lock feature, but on Symbian^3/N8 there is simply now way to turn this off. No matter what you do, the N8 is always going to auto-lock it’s screen requiring me to use the lock switch or pressing the menu button and than the “Unlock” button. Imagine having to this several time a day and you’ll quickly see how this gets annoying. There are several  temporary solution to this, like PocketLock.

When I’m sitting at my desk I usually have my N8 near me and every few minutes I like to check my emails or twitter, requiring me to unlock the device each time. This can wear the lock switch out and it can become annoying. The best solution would have been the ability to not lock the screen, until I lock it with the switch. 

3.Nokia Social  is network/SIM card dependent: I bought an unlock N8, meaning I should be able to use it anywhere. Problem is that Nokia Social doesn’t recognize certain smaller local carriers, as a result you simply can’t use it. If I use a Truphone SIM it suddenly works. I’ve written about this issue right here.

4.No Kick-stand: Nokia devices were one of the very first to introduce the kick-stand. Everything from the N96, N900 to the N810 had a kick-stand that allowed me to  hold the device upright to watch a video or simply as clock and twitter. A kickstand shouldn’t add much bulk to thin device, it just requires a piece of thin metal to hold the N8 upright. As a result I have to lay it flat on the desk or hold it in my hands. This could have been also quite handy when connecting it to a TV using HDMI out. I really miss a kick-stand on the N8.

5.Speaker position: The N8 has a loud single speaker, but when you put the N8 on a soft surface like a bed, the speaker is covered and you can barely here something.

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One features that many modern desktops and laptops have, is the ability to do a bit-for-bit factory restore. Basically restoring the machine to the very exact same state it was when it came out of the box with all it’s pre-loaded applications, settings and other customizations through either an included DVD or separate partition on the hard drive. So how does this apply to the mobile space? Let me tell you.

As it currently stands, I’m not aware of any consumer friendly way to restore Nokia’s current Symbian^3 devices to the exact out-of-the box state, without causing any negative effects. The N900 is one exception to this rule, with a procedure that restores it to the exact factory defaults, but this method is exclusively for the N900, which you can find here, but it’s far from the ideal one-click option that I would consider “consumer friendly.” Any mobile enthusiast would agree that a complete factory default is critical feature for these devices: I know many mobile users that like to restore their devices from time to time, clearing out “junk” and bringing back that smooth operation you had when you first got your device. Or maybe you’re selling your device or giving it to family member or friend, having the ability to do restore your device will not only give them that fresh out-of-the box software, but it will remove all private data and those other customizations that isn’t really relevant for them.

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As a Nokia N8  owner, I can definitely say that one of the added bonuses is the ability to charge via either the microUSB or the Nokia 2mm Charging connector. When comparing the N8 to the newer E7 I noted that the latter lacked this feature, perhaps indicating that Nokia was now  committed to using microUSB exclusively on their newer devices. After using the N8 as my main device, I’m convinced that they should keep both charging standards, especially in their high-end smartphones and these are here’s the reason why.

One charger for both device and accessories

One major difference between Nokia and other manufacturers is that they take accessories very seriously. Just look at the original Nokia accessories being offered for the N8 or E7 and compare this to the original accessories being offered for other devices by their manufacturers  and you’ll quickly  see one major difference: Nokia offers a lot when it comes to accessorizing your device.  Another difference, but one that’s not so obvious, is that most of these Nokia accessories don’t use microUSB, but instead Nokia’s own tried and true 2mm Charging connector. My Nokia BH-905, the BH-214 and even the BH-505 use the 2.0mm charger and not microUSB, probably due to size and space constraints. But the result of all of this is that you’ll probably end up with a microUSB charger for your device and a Nokia 2mm charger for your accessories. Why not have just one charger? With the N8 I can just keep this one charger for both my accessories and my device. Nokia E7 users, sadly, can’t say the same.

2 connectors, more chances of finding the right charger

Despite writing for The Nokia Guide and being a tech enthusiast, I don’t always have some fancy external battery or charger with me. Many times it comes down to ending up with an empty battery and having to borrow a charger from a friend or colleague. Some have USB chargers, while other have Nokia devices with the 2mm charger connector. Point is that having both connectors, increases my chances of being able to find something that will charge my device, enough to make or receive that very important call.

Also consider this, Nokia sold billions of devices and as a result there are millions or billions of these 2mm chargers around. You’ll be surprised at how many places people just happen to have these charger laying around, perfect if you need a quick charge.

I scratched my device with the microUSB!

If you look at the microUSB connector, you’ll notice that it’s quite sharp. I once scratched my N97’s screen when trying to insert the USB connector, my hand slipped and as a result I ended up with one deep giant scratch. I’ve hear similar stories where people with deep scratches on their device, all because microUSB connector. Even now when I’m connecting the USB cable to the N8 I’m very careful not to accidentally scratch the metal body of my trust N8. The same cannot be said about the 2mm connector, which has a rounded edge, making scratching your device almost impossible. It’s also a lot simple simpler: insert and your done. With microUSB I have to look at the connector to see which is the flat side all while being careful not to scratch the N8.

I’m sure many prefer microUSB, but as always having choices is ideal. I’m just happy that the 2mm charger is still around on my N8 and hope that Nokia continues this dual charging method.

Images courtesy: NokiaN8

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You know the drill: getting a new phone usually means getting a matching case and perhaps even a screen protector. The reasons vary, but many times it’s to protect your device, you just want it to look good or perhaps even for resale value when you do decide to sell it. Problem is that I always felt that I had to, but I didn’t want to.

Sure, a screen protector helped in preventing scratches, but makes using the touch screen an  uncomfortable task. It’s simply not as smooth, especially true for multi-touch devices, like the N8. Responsiveness aside,the screen simply doesn’t look as good as without the screen protector on, no matter how much they tell you that there using some amazing “clear screen” technology. For these reasons I always felt like my beautiful screen was stuck behind this piece of plastic that I must use, otherwise I would have to live with scratches or anything daily use throws at my screen.

The same can be said about using a case. It adds bulk and you constantly have to get your device in and out of some of these cases. By the time you’ve managed to get the device out, you’ve probably missed the shot or the phone call. While there are some models that allow you to use the phone with the case on, you still have the added bulk that takes away from the design. Or even worse,  you’re stuck with some hanging flap, like with the N900 and it’s CP-408 case.

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Mobile phones

The mobile space has changed a lot. It’s very different from just a few years ago and there is a lot of competition. Strong competition. All good reasons why Nokia fans might be considering other brands  as their main device or as a second phone. Think again. Here are a few reasons why you should reconsider getting another device.

Nokia and it’s devices are very green: Nokia takes the environment very seriously and is considered one of the greenest companies on the planet, even getting Greenpeace’s nod of approval. Talking to many Nokia product managers shows that  environmental considerations play a huge role in every aspect from design, production and even disposal of the devices. A simple look at Nokia products reveals product packaging that seem to be getting smaller, using recycled material, high efficiency chargers and even something as simple as a message on Nokia devices telling you to disconnect your charger from the wall socket to conserve energy. Choosing other brands, many times means choosing products that are perhaps good, but certainly not as serious about the environment.

Who needs an MP3 Player? I’ve been saying it a lot and I’ll say it again: many high-end Nokia, especially from the N- and Xseries, show exemplary audio performance when it comes to the 3.5audio jack. Enough to be on par with or beating the best in dedicated MP3 players. If you have good headphones and high resolution music files, you’ll notice that Nokia devices have a cleaner, neutral output and plenty of juice to power everything but the most high-end earphones, which will require a portable amp. If you are serious about music and audio quality, you aren’t going to get the same kind of performance from those other devices. A good example of this is the N8, a device capable of audiophile performance.

Still the best cameras: Nokia really knows how to make phones and smartphones with good cameras. They even have the smartphone with the best camera in the form of the N8. When it comes to cameras, we’re talking about tons of options, great onboard editing and fast performance. The devices even excel in low-light conditions, that one area where all other brands just flat to the ground. Nokia consistently makes great cameras, not only in the most high-end devices. One of the biggest offender here are BlackBerry devices. Even popular Android devices can’t come close.  While Apple’s can compete, we’re still talking about a devices focused on the upper end of the price class.

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Cheap Calls to Australia

Nokia is known for it’s excellent camera smartphone’s but what many are not aware of is that under the hood, some of these are amazing music devices. We’re not just talking about devices marketed as “Music phones”: edgy look, bundled improved quality headphones (or speakers) and media keys. While some of the Nokia devices do have many of these traits, they’re actually capable of pumping out some seriously good tunes using audiophile grade head/earphones. Perfect examples of these are the N91, N91 8GB, N81, N81 8GB and even the N900.

With the N8 now readily available, we wanted to check out how it truly faired on the music front. Testing the N8 would also give you an idea of what to expect from the C6, C7 and E7 as they all share essentially the same hardware.

When we’re talking about audio quality, we’re not talking about the built-in speaker or the Dolby surround feature using HDMI out. In fact surround sound does not necessarily equal good audio quality, as many would think. In this case it’s purely the stereo output through the built-in 3.5mm headphone jack and doing some serious listening, using some audiophile grade in-ear monitors (IEM) from Shure and 320kbps MP3 and Wav files.

I started the test with Lakmé’s The Flower Duet, testing the N8’s capability to cope with a very dynamic classic. The N8 passed the test with flying colors, faithfully producing The Flower Duet with all it’s dynamic complexity while still being able to drive the Shure earphone without a portable AMP at glass breaking volumes. I was also impressed with the amount of detailed produced during the low-volume parts of this piece. Older Nokia’s were plagued with lack of ample audio headroom, but the N8 is another those devices can go loud, and I do mean loud.

I played a bit with the equalizer, but felt that using the default setting, the N8’s output was good enough to get the most out quality headphones without the need for further adjustments.

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In a previous post I talked about how the N900 combined speed, eye candy and impressive multi-tasking with “just” a 600Mhz CPU, impressive considering current trends marching beyond the 1Ghz CPU mark.

The same can be said about Nokia’s latest wave of (Symbian) devices. Symbian, known for running acceptably on very low-clocked hardware, still continues this  tradition but with the addition of a new element: Speed! While 512Mb of RAM combined with a 1Ghz CPU are fairly typical Android specs, the N8 for example, is fast with “just” 256MB of RAM and a 680Mhz CPU. Using the final hardware (and software) of the Nokia N8, I was amazed at how fast it worked: applications opened in the blink of an eye yet it could maintain this speed with several application open. Even animation remained smooth and I could zoom into those 12 Megapixels images without it even breaking a sweat. I was impressed. All of this with just 256 MB of RAM on a 680MHZ CPU?

The lower clocked CPU even as an added plus. The Nokia N8 is one of few modern smartphones that can last an entire day with heavy (or even a bit more if you’re careful). All of this applies to other devices from the current “wave” like C7 and E7 as they all essentially have the same internals. Finally we can forget about that device with the N, the 9 and the 7.

Are you happy with the performance of the current wave of Nokia’s Symbian devices?

Are you on the look-out for a new handset? Check out the best mobiles phones on offer at www.phones4u.co.uk.

A quick search on various online stores reveals something interesting about the Nokia N8’s availability: both Blue and Orange are either not in stock, backordered or not even shown. Everything from Amazon, to JR, Plemix, MobileCityOnline don’t seem to have the Blue or Orange N8. Only regional sites of Nokia.com like NokiaUSA.com are showing these color, although we’re not sure that they actually have these colors in stock.

Is Nokia making these colors an exclusive for Nokia.com? Are these two colors more popular? We doubt it. A poll on Nokia Conversations, indicated that Dark Grey and Silver White are the most popular color, so we’re not sure what’s going on.

Where did you buy your Orange or Blue N8?