Nokia Lumia 925 Review

So I have been using the Nokia Lumia 925 as my primary handset for over a week now, and I thought I really should do a review, state my opinion (Nokia Fanboy or not) or at least write something about the handset itself rather than the couple of pieces I've done concentrating on the camera of the 925 HERE & HERE . Overall the experience has been great, loads of good points and things to bring a smile to the face and one or two little irritations or disappointments, at least for me.

First of all I thought I'd get the bad out of the way, which as usual are things I feel personally and they may well not bother other people. Firstly the fact that the Lumia 925 requires a shell in order for it to use wireless charging really saddens me, not because it requires the purchase of an accessory, but because the market seems to have demanded that what I considered a great innovation by Nokia, ie wireless charging, has been turned from a great and convenient bonus to an inconvenient pain just because people demand thinner phones !! I really cannot see an average user even bothering to buy a wireless charging shell, and if they do , and are not prepared to take it off and re-fit it when about to charge, then the thickness saved by removing the charging coil from the Lumia 920 is replaced by an accessory. Anyone who has used wireless charging with previous models has really enjoyed it and found it very useful and convenient and the only people I've heard complain about or criticise it have been people who never used it ! I think the design of the 925 is absolutely gorgeous, it just saddens me that the wireless charging simplicity had to be lost to gain a slender profile, really hope a later high end Lumia will once again appear that you can simple put on a DT-900CY plate and it will charge out of the box, as it would be really sad if the trend Nokia is trying to start were to falter.

Second point I would criticise is really a technicality which will soon be resolved once the Vodfone exclusive agreement for the 32GB version is over. The memory on the handset I have been loaned is 16GB and frankly it is too little on a high end phone with no SD card support (I had less than 3gig free after initially setting up the 925 and adding a few videos and some music), I have used the Lumia 920 daily since it was launched and have managed quite adequately with the built in 32GB memory available and although there is a 32gb version of the 925 I really hope it becomes more readily available generally soon and not just tied to a single carrier exclusively.

My final crib of the 925 is really only minor, but the polycarbonate rear of the phone really does seem to pick up marks and fingerprints much easier than my Lumia 920, which is shiny Yellow, but also more so than my Nokia 808 which is matt polycarbonate !! Marks that have appeared have wiped away fairly easily, but I try to take care of handsets and keep them looking good and without a case for as long as possible, so I found the appearance of marks on the back of the 925 a little bit of a shock.

Right, on to the good stuff, which is basically everything else.Firstly, I got a trial handset as a first time user, it was still sealed and wrapped in celophane and it's the first time it's happened to me so I thought it was pretty cool :) The construction and look of the 925 are great, just look at one and you'll fall in love. The Aluminium bezel looks great as does the Amoled screen and I like the idea of the tethered sim tray, saves it getting lost . I also find the three buttons on the right hand side of the 925 have a better 'feel' than the ceramic buttons on my 920. I said earlier that I wish the market hadn't demanded thinness , but I must admit that the reduction of girth on the 925 has made just enough difference from the 920 as to make it just right for my personal use one handed, it has just taken the slight strain away when reaching across the screen. The micro usb port being located on top of the handset , along with the 3.5mm socket for a headset causes me no issue and the slight prominence of the camera unit actually looks quite cool in my opinion. But the best thing of all, something I really missed with the 920 , is the always on clock on the Amoled screen and even better the ability to tap the screen to unlock it, a la Nokia N9. If you have never tried a handset where you can tap to unlock, you really don't know what your missing, not only is it cool and convenient, but it brings a smile to your face every time you do it :)
Despite the whinging at the beginning of this piece, I have absolutely loved every second of the trial I have had with the Lumia 925, it is what Windows Phone is, stable , smooth and quick (just like my Lumia 920) but it is much more than that. It is really comfortable to hold and use, it produces better photographs in all circumstances than most mobile phones as well as excelling in a low light situations. It provides a great multi-media experience, video looks great on the 4.5" screen , the speaker on the back of the handset sounds good for both movies or music. The nfc capabilities of the 925 make pairing any nfc accessory simple and quick and both headsets and speakers I own work and sound great with it.
I have used both Here Maps and Here Drive for navigation and they work great, gps and routing is accurate and route finding quick and I have also used the new 'my commute' feature which has really impressed me by being accurate to within a minute for my drive to work. Also I have been impressed with the battery life on the 925, not quite up to Lumia 720 levels, but better than my 920 and easily getting me through the day and not giving my Nokia 808 a look in with backup duties !!

Full 925 Specs HERE

My initial impression when I heard of and even when I received the 925 was that there wasn't enough difference and innovation within it to justify a Lumia 920 user upgrading to it , I really still think the same, particularly if the expected Amber software update makes big improvements to the camera performance on the Lumia 920. However, for anyone who has never had a Windows Phone, or for anyone who has a first generation Windows Phone and is looking to either switch or upgrade the choice is quite simply a no brainer, get the 32gig version if possible, but please try the Nokia Lumia 925, it is the best Lumia I have used up to this moment in time, it's classy, makes you smile , entertains you and takes great pics, what else do you want ??

Thank you for reading, hope you enjoyed it or at least found it interesting, and a great big thank you to Nokia Connects for giving me the opportunity to use this fantastic piece of kit :)

Stephen Quin

21/07/2013