Nokia Lumia 820 review

The Lumia 820 is the second Windows Phone 8 device to be released by Nokia this year. Despite retailing for a hefty £400, the device is intended to be the affordable smartphone in Nokia's Windows Phone 8 arsenal.

This, combined with the fact it lacks a number of unique features seen on its big brother the Lumia 920, made us a little apprehensive when coming to review the device.

Luckily though with prolonged use, we've found there a few smart touches that help make the 820 a reasonably compelling device, even when compared to top end smartphones such as the Lumia 920, Galaxy S3 and iPhone 5.

Design and build
Though it carries the Lumia brand, the 820 looks very different to other recent Nokia devices.

Unlike other Lumias, the 820 has rounded corners and sides and a slightly rubberised outer case. Measuring in at 124x69x10mm, while this makes the phone feel slightly boxy when compared to the more sleek Lumia 920, it also makes it fairly comfortable in hand.

Like most of the recent Nokia devices we've seen, the Lumia 820 is very solidly built. Testing the Lumia 820 we were left with a reassuring feeling that the device could survive the odd bump and scrape unscathed.

Our confidence in the 820's durability is boosted because the device has interchangeable case options. This means that, as well as being able to customise your phone's appearance, should you damage the chassis, you can simply replace it.

The only problems we experienced with the 820's design are the fact that, like the 920, its heavier than the average smartphone, weighing 160g. While we didn't have too much of a problem with the weight, it could prove an issue for people used to lighter smartphones, like the 133g Galaxy S3 and 112g iPhone 5.

Next: Screen and software