Lumia 630 review: A Windows Phone on Android hardware

The first Windows Phone with on-screen buttons enters the battle for the low end.

Read the whole story

 

[powerage76]

I got a 630 a while ago. The most demanding game I've tried on it is Angry Birds, so cannot comment on games not running on it.

I really have no issues with it. Importing the contacts from the previous android phone was painless, works well as a phone, the built in MS office is usable, the GPS navigation is awesome and it has dual sim, so I don't have carry two phones.

It was cheap, it works, I'm pretty happy with it so far.

 

[darkxale]

Abhi Beckert[/url]":ve8akj6y]

For something you use in settings as diverse as a phone, this is sure to annoy users heavily.

Does windows phone have a quick way to adjust the brightness? On an iPhone you can get to it with a system wide screen edge gesture.

8.0, no.

However the Notifications centre added in 8.1 (drag down from top of screen) has space for 4 actionable items. WiFi, NFC, Rotation Lock, Camera, and Brightness setting are among them.

Like this.

 

[Old_Fogie_Late_Bloomer]

BasP[/url]":vngjzf9y]I don't get why none of the reviews mention that nothing about the 630 improves on the 620: in most cases, it's a regression. The 620 has hardware buttons, flash, a dedicated camera button, NFC, and runs WP8.1. The 620 can be picked up dirt-cheap by now too: if you buy it, you have a much better phone at a far lower price.

What am I missing? Why does nobody touch upon this in the reviews?

Having finally gotten 8.1 situated on my 620 (thanks to this thread at the WP Central forums) I can't see any reason whatsoever to buy a 630. No glance, no dedicated camera button, no flash for rear cam (or any front cam at all)...this is a 520 successor at best, plain and simple. It's fine for what it is, but it just isn't enough device for me.

Plus, no purple shell is a deal-breaker.

 

[althaz]

pitmonster[/url]":cchsqewe]The loss of camera button is a poor move.
Mrs Pitmonster has a Lumia 520 and the power button failed. While we procrastinate over sending it in for repair, she uses the camera button to switch it on.

Failed on our 520 too. Better than the power button, theres an option in settings to wake the Phone up when you tap on the screen a few times.

Also, I think I 100% agree with everything mentioned I this review.

 

[hyperionic]

BonzaiThePenguin[/url]":16awafxn]

lonewolfe2015[/url]":16awafxn]Physical buttons and I have grown apart, much like physical keyboards and I did awhile back.

I want to feel that way, but I've accidentally quit too many apps from slightly missing the spacebar. Either give me a hardware home button, or some gesture that can't be accidentally triggered.

Edit: or maybe don't put the home button under the most-used keyboard button.

That's never happened to me ever. I really don't think it's that hard. Just stop tapping so low.

 

[manzoor.milky]

Won't anybody comment on the name of the Wi-Fi network?

Spoiler

I am so sorry!

 

[Mitlov]

salamanderjuice[/url]":g7srnr8m]

Zinger1[/url]":g7srnr8m]I think a Blackberry Z3 would be a far better purchase, front facing camera, 1.5GB Ram, ambient light sensor, bigger battery, more apps (over 200k in the Amazon app store alone not even counting the over 50k in the BB app world). About $190.

http://www.gsmarena.com/blackberry_z3-6163.php

There's many better purchases. I know for example at least where I live you can get an HTC 8x for $100-150 off contract. And that gets you twice the RAM, a higher res screen, camera button, light sensor, 16GB storage although no SD card. Still runs WP8, with an update to 8.1 soon. Then you have phones like the Moto G etc. Maybe this will be more interesting of a phone when it drops to $80 or something.

If I had around $200 to spend on a phone, I'd jump on the Moto G. I like Motorola's nearly-skinless approach to Android, and the Moto G and Moto E offer unbelievable value (the G is sick...720p screen and good performance for under $200?). Just my $0.02.

 

[Entegy]

xand[/url]":1upwqzrl]Does anyone even use auto adjustment? I wouldn't have missed an ambient light sensor in any of my phones, because auto screen brightness adjustments suck.

All the time. The only device I have that doesn't have an ambient light sensor is my 5th gen iPod touch. It's really annoying to constantly have to adjust the brightness manually on it.

 

[Abhi Beckert]

Entegy[/url]":32cqogds]

xand[/url]":32cqogds]Does anyone even use auto adjustment? I wouldn't have missed an ambient light sensor in any of my phones, because auto screen brightness adjustments suck.

All the time. The only device I have that doesn't have an ambient light sensor is my 5th gen iPod touch. It's really annoying to constantly have to adjust the brightness manually on it.

I ended up disabling the ambient light sensor on my first two iPhones, and just setting it manually.

The sensor constantly set the brightness to the wrong level. Manually changing the brightness is annoying, but you only have to do it twice a day (morning and evening). No sensor is better than a poor quality sensor.

It seems to work pretty well on newer Apple
phones though. I have left it turned on for my current phone.

 

[wejick]

For me 512 Mb Windows Phone device is only feature phone in steroid, you get a bunch of productivity tools but not the games.

Base on Microsoft's Doc [1] Low End device only has 150 MB / 180 MB for application to run, I think it's impossible for big games (3D, open world, full of vfx, etc) to fit.


[1] http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library ... 2(v=vs.105).aspx

 

[linesma]

Zra[/url]":187rd96t]

linesma[/url]":187rd96t]Nice review. I have seen the 630 available here in Thailand from the carrier AIS for 4900 Baht (around $150). Currently they only have the single sim model, but you can get the dual sim from a third party vendor. I don't know if

I say go for the S4 for that kind of price, last I checked secondhand price is still hovering at 10000 ฿.
Just be careful of the fakes and what we called "krueng yum" where the seller would use a new outer shell but swap out parts inside, especially if you shop online or at MBK center.

Got to love MBK. I got caught with a fake Note 1. The only redeeming quality for that fake is that it works great as a remote control for my XBMC. We have a Samsung repair center in town, and they have a couple that are at the price I quoted. Others are ranging in the 8000-9000 Baht price range. All with a 90 day guarantee. I have yet to inspect the phones, we shall see!

 

[Batmanuel]

wejick[/url]":29grik60]For me 512 Mb Windows Phone device is only feature phone in steroid, you get a bunch of productivity tools but not the games.

Base on Microsoft's Doc [1] Low End device only has 150 MB / 180 MB for application to run, I think it's impossible for big games (3D, open world, full of vfx, etc) to fit.


[1] http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library ... 2(v=vs.105).aspx

Yeah, but how many customers are looking for that in a phone that below $150? Most of the 630 audience is going to be looking for something like Temple Run or a puzzle game like Frozen Free Fall. If you really want to do serious gaming, you're more likely going to go after something like a 1320 which has a big HD resolution screen which not only looks a hell of a lot better, but it makes it easier to use the onscreen controls.

The 520 sold well because it was basically a smartphone being sold at feature phone prices, so the whole market segment is going for people who want things like navigation, email, Facebook, and Instagram on the go, but really aren't doing much more beyond basic productivity and social. It really makes sense that the 630 is not everything to everyone, because when you do that you just wind pricing yourself out of the entry level very quickly.

 

[houkoholic]

jodyfanning[/url]":kannkdks]I would claim that the Icon, 930, and 1520, are the first 8.1 phones.

You can claim all you want except they aren't. Neither the Icon nor 1520 have the official 8.1 update pushed out yet and the 930 isn't out (still on pre-order status). The 630 and the 635, by all accounts, are the first phones with official WP8.1 out of box which are available now for purchase.

 

[BasP]

DrPizza[/url]":3fi6o8u1]

BasP[/url]":3fi6o8u1]I don't get why none of the reviews mention that nothing about the 630 improves on the 620:

Screen size, core count, clock speed, battery capacity are all in the 630's favour. FFC, NFC, flash and (maybe) hardware buttons are in the 620's favour.

What am I missing? Why does nobody touch upon this in the reviews?

I don't think the characterization of the 620 as "much better" is really accurate, and the cost of the two is more or less the same, possibly even in the 630's favour (depending on which colour you go for). The 630 also has a dual SIM option, and the 635 variant which adds LTE.

And yet it also drops the 620's ambient sensor and front facing camera. Cost is definitely not in the 630's favor over here, although that may be a market thing.

All in all, I don't really see how dropping all those features in favor of a slightly larger screen (at the same resolution), a slightly higher clock speed and slightly better battery life is an improvement, and I still think it's weird that this needs to be called out in the comments before anyone will touch upon these obvious drawbacks.

 

[Charlie-Brown]

ev9_tarantula[/url]":223x9wgt]

DrPizza[/url]":223x9wgt]

got2bereal[/url]":223x9wgt]The iPhone 5C proves that nobody wants to buy a lower tiered new model.

The iPhone 5c costs about three times the Lumia 630 or Moto E. It's not operating in the same market. It's not even close to operating in the same market.

++

He's completely wrong.

In the UK Motorola went from essentially nothing to 6% marketshare in a quarter off the back of the Moto G.

The 5C merely proves that Apple's view of what constitutes low-price is a million miles away from everyone else.

Did Apple say that the 5c was a low price model? I never heard them claim that; but I do know a lot of bloggers and such believed that the 5c would be a cheap model. Apple, so far, doesn't do "cheap".

 

[leexgxreal]

have they fixed the Heat from the CPU/GPU damaging the screen yet? ,my Nokia 820 has this issue (got a about 1cm square patch on my screen that is bit faint red (bit where the phone gets hot first)

and Amusingly in mostly every mobile phone shop i been in has screen burn in that i never see on any other phone in stores and Heat damage from where the CPU/GPU sits

hope my Nokia 820 French stock rom gets it soon (just have to set everything to english that all when you first setup phone)

Dropping front facing cam is bit silly as most that are looking for a cheap phone expect a front facing cam nowadays (below 21 generally who are looking for a cheap phone)

 

[Chikahiro]

While this isn't a WP I'd want, I'm just going to say that it and what it represents makes it more important for the WP market than my Lumia 1020. And I LOVE my Lumia 1020. Its awesome.

But, giving OEMs an easier path to WP, more options for differentiation between entry level mainstream, and high-end, plus reducing development and risk by allowing them to reuse Android sets they've developed? Yeah, this is a good step forward.

I can only hope this helps WP to grow as a platform, and that it'll be a respectable 3rd place sooner than later. If it can even match Apple? I'll dance, although I'll admit I'm jealous their market share is nothing but high-end high-profit phones. That is impressive, I don't care who you are. I'd rather be as profitable as they are than be as widespread as Android.

 

[Eldorito]

BasP[/url]":sdwsg7d9]I don't get why none of the reviews mention that nothing about the 630 improves on the 620: in most cases, it's a regression. The 620 has hardware buttons, flash, a dedicated camera button, NFC, and runs WP8.1. The 620 can be picked up dirt-cheap by now too: if you buy it, you have a much better phone at a far lower price.

What am I missing? Why does nobody touch upon this in the reviews?

Or the 625 for that matter. 625 is very similar to the 630, similar size screen (4.5 vs 4.7, rather than the 3.8 of the 620). That said, the 625 also had a light sensor, flash, 1080p video, more camera controls, a larger batter.

There's also a [urll=http://www.nokia.com/global/products/phone/lumia635/]635 with a light sensor[/url] too, which just makes it downright confusing. But my bet is someone decided that 5xx can be cheap with a small screen, 6xx cheap with a large, rather than the 6xx being good with a small screen.

Personally though, I bought a 920 used for $200 with the wireless charger, the used market makes the new market a difficult one to bother with.

 

[dizdizzie]

Happysin[/url]":12eph6ft]

dizdizzie[/url]":12eph6ft]Lack of flash and ambient light sensor are big deal for me. I'm looking for cheap Windows 8.1 phone, but I don't think it will be Lumia 630

You'll likely want whatever the new 700-series will be. That tends to strike a good balance while not breaking the bank.

I hope so.

 

[h4rm0ny]

BonzaiThePenguin[/url]":wa7gi2sc]

lonewolfe2015[/url]":wa7gi2sc]Physical buttons and I have grown apart, much like physical keyboards and I did awhile back.

I want to feel that way, but I've accidentally quit too many apps from slightly missing the spacebar. Either give me a hardware home button, or some gesture that can't be accidentally triggered.

Edit: or maybe don't put the home button under the most-used keyboard button.

I'm fine with the on-screen keyboard (I have a Lumia 820 for reference), but what I'm not fine with is when that keyboard layout suddenly changes. It does things like swap buttons for a ".com" option in URL bars. By the time I realize the keyboard layout has changed underneath me, I've already typed half of it and made a mess of what I was trying to type.

Oh, also I have to warn people that you can't export your SMS messages from Windows Phone. I've been trapped with a pile of these for a long time now because there's no way to get my messages off the device. (You can back up for restore to a new phone, you can't actually get your own messages). This last thing is the biggest failing of Windows Phone by far, imo. Makes it unsuitable for many legal and business purposes.

 

[Dolphin Eek]

The lack of a dedicated Camera button is in my opinion a big fail.

 

[heartburnkid]

Zinger1[/url]":1fgg6chp]I think a Blackberry Z3 would be a far better purchase, front facing camera, 1.5GB Ram, ambient light sensor, bigger battery, more apps (over 200k in the Amazon app store alone not even counting the over 50k in the BB app world). About $190.

http://www.gsmarena.com/blackberry_z3-6163.php

Why in the world would I buy a Blackberry for $190 when I could get a Moto G for $170?

 

[nturchin]

As a Lumia 900 & 920 owner, I'm actually VERY excited for this to be my next smartphone. I'm done spending so much money on phones. The fact of the matter for me is, I DROP PHONES. I can't justify spending hundreds of dollars on something that lives in my pocket and gets used so often that inevitability, I will drop it.

For $150 this phone will replace my 920, who never quite recovered from the last fall to the floor. I'm thrilled to hear that most of the major complaints (no flash, no ambient light sensor, 512MB RAM) won't bother me in the least. The first thing I do with my phones is disable the flash and the light sensor. Camera photos look awful, and flashes make them look even worse... if you NEED the flash, I shouldn't be taking that picture. My 900 and 920 used to change the backlighting frequently while I was reading on them in my house. I had disable the auto setting on both to address that. As for the RAM, if I can save >$400 on this phone, then I can buy a WiiU & a 3DS with the leftover cash... When I'm saving this much on the phone, I can buy other devices that are more fun to game on.

As for the uneven backlight, that's the one item I feel will be a compromise for me... but again, for only $150, I'll manage to live with it. I'm glad to hear the screen quality was otherwise favorable, as the screen quality was my biggest area of concern going in. This review has sold me.

 

[Akrovah]

Peter Bright[/url]":3fmbkc8d]This is OK, as far as it goes, but what's missing is instant access from the lock screen.

What about accessing the notification center from the lock screen? I only have the 8.1 Dev preview on my 1520, not the final Cyan update, but I can access the notifications center even when the phone is locked and run the camera app from there, which I actually find to be faster than holding the camera button.

 

[DrPizza]

Akrovah[/url]":h9vzzo7a]

Peter Bright[/url]":h9vzzo7a]This is OK, as far as it goes, but what's missing is instant access from the lock screen.

What about accessing the notification center from the lock screen? I only have the 8.1 Dev preview on my 1520, not the final Cyan update, but I can access the notifications center even when the phone is locked and run the camera app from there, which I actually find to be faster than holding the camera button.

That works, but it's fiddlier than I'd like (and honestly, because of the need to use one of the 4 notification buttons for brightness, I don't really want to have to burn one on camera too).

 

[737 Pilot]

JamieOrJulian[/url]":2z814jnd]

Hattori HANZo[/url]":2z814jnd]

uhuznaa[/url]":2z814jnd]

Hattori HANZo[/url]":2z814jnd]No ambient light sensor? How much could this have possibly saved?

Such things rarely are about saving a few cent but about differentiating your product lines and giving people a reason to spend more on better models.

... If your market share is rather low in comparison and your platform is less attractive because of that...

Users don't care about market share, and neither should anybody else. Only profit and quality of software matter. The reason that Windows Phone's app catalog has been growing in not only size but quality, is that WP owners are much more likely (almost as likely as iPhone owners) to purchase apps.

Android, for its gigantic market share, is mostly installed on budget turdboxes that can't even run the basic and poorly-installed AOSP distribution that comes with them.

For every Lumia 1520, there are 8 Lumia 520s. Lumia 520 owners constantly complain that they have to wait for their favorite games (which cost money) to be optimized for 512MB.

For every Galaxy S Padtab Superfone 93, there are 802,701 Huawei Cashwaster 3s who's owners will never buy an app in their life.

Developers see that they can simply make more money in one place than in another and they'll definitely start spending more time with it.

Note:

http://www.ubergizmo.com/2014/02/window ... h-android/
Despite the "small market share", Windows Phone's revenue generated is approaching Android.

http://thenextweb.com/mobile/2013/03/23 ... n-android/
Evernote makes more money off Windows Phone users. Why? They have a better experience, are generally enthusiasts, and are willing to spend money. Reasons don't really matter. They spend more money.

http://www.gamezebo.com/2014/05/21/ios- ... p-android/
This one is just to twist the knife in Android's side. So much for "market share matters."

LOL silly rabbit.

Market share is for followers. Profit is for leaders.

When the 630/635 competition is the Moto G/Moto G LTE then you are looking at a serious disconnect of MS/Nokia. A Moto G LTE @ $219 with 8GB/micro SD, 1 GB RAM, and 720P screen just kicks the you know what out of the 630/635.

 

[DrPizza]

The Moto G does little aside from demonstrate that if you spend more, you get more.

 

[heartburnkid]

DrPizza[/url]":2lr5xt9b]The Moto G does little aside from demonstrate that if you spend more, you get more.

True. It's the Moto E that really makes the 630 look bad.

 

[Dante G]

Nice Dota 2 plushes.

 

[DrPizza]

heartburnkid[/url]":dtbll1th]

DrPizza[/url]":dtbll1th]The Moto G does little aside from demonstrate that if you spend more, you get more.

True. It's the Moto E that really makes the 630 look bad.

Except it doesn't, really. The Moto E is worse in some areas (processor, storage, camera, battery life), better in others (RAM, screen resolution). I think it demonstrates that there really are compromises to be made at this price point.

 

[DrPizza]

Dante G[/url]":2uqxf59f]Nice Dota 2 plushes.

Thanks! I'm hoping to add to my collection with a Shagbark, and hopefully many more at TI4.

 

[737 Pilot]

Whatever the extra cost (like the Moto G LTE/G/E combination MS/Nokia needs the same combination. Where is the Windows phone at the next price point (say $200 US) with 1 GB RAM, 720P Screen, 8 GB built in storage, all the sensors, FFC, NFC, LED Flash, etc. Adding the additional hardware features to the 630 should be possible for $50-$75 US.

 

[Deleted member 14629]

737 Pilot[/url]":28bau4jg]Whatever the extra cost (like the Moto G LTE/G/E combination MS/Nokia needs the same combination. Where is the Windows phone at the next price point (say $200 US) with 1 GB RAM, 720P Screen, 8 GB built in storage, all the sensors, FFC, NFC, LED Flash, etc. Adding the additional hardware features to the 630 should be possible for $50-$75 US.

Uh, you mean the Lumia 700 and 800 series phones? The 730 is likely to come out later this year with most of what you're talking about, if not all.