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Score: 7/10 (Average)
Pros:Fast processing speeds, great cameras, Nokia's value added applications, excellent call quality. | Cons:Ugly design, slippery back material, T-Mobile has poor data service, more expensive than higher end WP8 devices. |
If you are looking to get a Windows Phone 8 handset with T-Mobile's service, you don't really have a lot of choices. You can either get the Nokia Lumia 810 for $149 with a 2-year contract, or get the HTC 8X for $199 with a 2-year contract as well. While $149 is not a bad price for a WP8 device of this caliber, you can get both the Lumia 820 and 920 for less money. The 820 is essentially the same product as the 810, but has a better design, and the Lumia 920 has a larger screen with a higher pixel resolution, higher quality camera, better design, and longer battery life. If your heart is set on getting your new WP8 handset on T-Mobile though, I would go with the Lumia 810. Let's find out why.
Design/Build Quality
The back material is extremely slippery
I'll come out and say it. The Nokia Lumia 810 is not a sexy device at all. The Lumia 810 is 127.8 mm tall, 68.4 mm wide, 10.9mm thick, and weighs in at 145 g. It's blocky, thick, and looks like a black brick. That's not to say that it doesn't work though. While it may not be the most appealing smartphone on the market, the design does work. Like all Windows Phone devices, the Lumia 810 has a physical camera launcher button. Unfortunately, I found that it was a bit flimsy. I found myself really have to apply a good amount of pressure to get it to function correctly. If you read my written review of the Nokia Lumia 820, you would know that I had an issue with the plastic material on the back of the phone. The Lumia 810 has the exact same type of back and it's still as slippery as ever. Aside from these issues, the Lumia 810 does feel like a sturdy device.
Hardware
Thankfully, the Nokia Lumia 810 features some pretty good hardware specifications. Powering the Lumia 810 is a Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 1.5GHz dual-core processor and 1GB of RAM. The processing power if very capable and doesn't seem to skip a beat. There aren't a lot of graphically intense games available on the Windows Store so, I
wasn't able to test the processing capabilities as much as I can on Android devices. From the games and other tasks that I threw at the Lumia 810 though, it powered through just fine and is a high point for the device.
The Lumia 810 has a 4.3-inch screen with a resolution of 800 x 480 pixels and 217 pixels per inch. The screen delivers bright and vibrant covers and text is easy to read. However, if you've ever used a handset with a 720p HD or 1080p HD
screen resolution, you will be able to notice the lower screen resolution.
To last you throughout the day is an 1,800 mAh battery. While this sounds a bit low, I actually found that it was quite adequate. I got a total usage time of around 10 hours. Keep in mind though, this was with 2G network speeds running the entire time instead of LTE...
wasn't able to test the processing capabilities as much as I can on Android devices. From the games and other tasks that I threw at the Lumia 810 though, it powered through just fine and is a high point for the device.
The Lumia 810 has a 4.3-inch screen with a resolution of 800 x 480 pixels and 217 pixels per inch. The screen delivers bright and vibrant covers and text is easy to read. However, if you've ever used a handset with a 720p HD or 1080p HD
screen resolution, you will be able to notice the lower screen resolution.
To last you throughout the day is an 1,800 mAh battery. While this sounds a bit low, I actually found that it was quite adequate. I got a total usage time of around 10 hours. Keep in mind though, this was with 2G network speeds running the entire time instead of LTE...
T-Mobile has poor data coverage
...which leads us into the next hardware issue. T-Mobile does not have good coverage (at least not in my area). In Lawrence, MI, I can get 4G data speeds with AT&T. With T-Mobile, I can only get 2G. With Verizon Wireless in Paw Paw, MI, I can access LTE data speeds. With T-Mobile, I can still only get 2G even though the Lumia 810 is LTE capable. While service is going to vary by area, I was very disappointed with T-Mobile's data network. Thankfully, the call quality was great on both ends of the Lumia 810. Everyone sounded great on my end and everyone I talked to said I sounded great to them as well.
The Lumia 810 has an 8 megapixel camera on the back with LED flash and a Carl Zeiss lens. On the front is a 1.3 megapixel shooter. Both cameras take great looking pictures. Both picked up colors nicely and very accurately as well.
Rear-facing camera shot
Front-facing camera shot
Software
Like all of Nokia's latest Lumia devices, the Lumia 810 is running Windows Phone 8. Ever since my review of the Lumia 820, I have had a special place in my heat for Microsoft's latest mobile operating system. Everything runs buttery smooth, apps have a nice WP look and feel to them, and Live Tiles bring you live and relevant information. Everything runs so great and everything looks absolutely fantastic.
WP8 looks and feels superb
One of the coolest features in WP8 is Kid's Corner. If you have a smartphone and you also have a kid, it's easy to assume that your little angel always wants to play with mommy or daddy's phone. While you want to do whatever you can to make your kid happy, you really don't want them to send your boss an email, update your Facebook status, etc. Thankfully,
WP8 has Kid's Corner. Kid's Corner allows you to control what your child has access to on your phone. You can choose what apps you kid can access, allow them to customize their colors and change their profile picture. Kid's Corner is essentially WP8 for the kiddos.
The Nokia Lumia 810 also has all of Nokia's great value added applications. These include Nokia City Lens, Nokia Maps, Nokia Music, and Nokia Transit. Here's a little breakdown of what each app can do for you:
All of these apps are exclusive to Nokia Lumia products and really differentiate Nokia's offerings from other WP8 devices such as the HTC 8X.
WP8 has Kid's Corner. Kid's Corner allows you to control what your child has access to on your phone. You can choose what apps you kid can access, allow them to customize their colors and change their profile picture. Kid's Corner is essentially WP8 for the kiddos.
The Nokia Lumia 810 also has all of Nokia's great value added applications. These include Nokia City Lens, Nokia Maps, Nokia Music, and Nokia Transit. Here's a little breakdown of what each app can do for you:
- Nokia City
Lens: Shows business, hotels, points of interest, etc., in your area
through an awesome augmented reality feature through the rear-facing camera
lens.
- Nokia Maps: Nokia's
answer to Google Maps. Probably the best mapping app you can get for a WP
device.
- Nokia Music: Nokia's own
music streaming service. Even allows you to save entire custom stations for
offline listening.
- Nokia Transit: Helps you
get to where you need to go in your area. Shows different public transit routes
in your area.
All of these apps are exclusive to Nokia Lumia products and really differentiate Nokia's offerings from other WP8 devices such as the HTC 8X.
Final Verdict
For $149, it's hard to recommend the Nokia Lumia 810. The Lumia 820 and 920 are both better devices and both cost less as well. While the HTC 8x is a slimmer device and offers a sexier design, the Nokia Lumia 810 is still a better choice if you want to get a WP8 handset with T-Mobile's service thanks to Nokia's value added applications.
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