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The newest member of the Lumia family continues the tradition of color diversity. The smartphone is equipped with a large 4.7-inch screen and traditionally fast and hassle-free Windows Phone 8.

This is a budget model and this means that in its production it was necessary to achieve the optimal ratio of price and performance. Evidence of this is the low resolution screen and this is not the only compromise. But can this flaw spoil the positive impressions of the Lumia 625?

Let's figure it out.

Display: IPS, 4.7-inch, WVGA (800 x 480) (~201 ppi), high-sensitivity touchscreen, Corning® Gorilla® glass, TrueColor, bright sunlight readability function.

Processor: Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 dual-core (1.2 GHz). RAM: 512 MB. Storage: 8 GB, microSD card support up to 64 GB, 7 GB in free SkyDrive cloud storage. Camera: 5.0 MP main, LED flash, autofocus with two-step shutter button, 4x zoom, camera apps: Nokia Smart Camera, Nokia Glam Me Lens, PhotoBeamer, Cinemagraph, 1080p video recording; front-camera for video calls, 640 x 480 pixels, video recording, photography. Wireless technologies: Wi-Fi b / g / n, Bluetooth 4.0. Interfaces: microUSB, 3.5 mm audio jack. Navigation: A-GPS, positioning based on information from the Wi- Fi and networks cellular communication, A-GLONASS, navigation functions and services: HERE Drive and HERE Maps, Local Scout, HERE Transit. Battery: 2000 mAh, non-removable. Dimensions and weight: 133.25 x 72.25 x 9.15 mm, 159 grams. Additional information: SIM type -cards - microSIM, FM tuner, MP3 player, music applications Nokia Music, MixRadio, DRM PlayReady support, Internet browser Explorer 10 Applications social networks Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter. Package contents: smartphone Nokia Lumia 625, accumulator battery BP-4GWA, Charger, stereo headset, USB cable, SIM card slot opening clip, 12-month warranty card, user manual.

Package content:

User guide

USB cable

Charger

Headset

Design

The Lumia 625 is an upgraded version of the Lumia 620. It has the same translucent plastic body that is easy to remove and replace. Color variations include light green, reddish orange, yellow, white and black. Nokia continues to use the "two-tone case" technology, in which the base color is the base and color variations on the top of the case create the effect of a brighter, neon-like color. Unlike the Lumia 620, the buttons on the sides of the case are made in the same color scheme as the case itself. The plastic case is very reminiscent of soft-touch, which makes it pleasant to the touch. The build quality is very high.

The dimensions of the Lumia 625 are quite large, while the device is quite thin (its thickness is only 9.2 mm), and the weight is 159 grams. This is not a model that is convenient to use with one hand, but most gadgets of this size do not pretend to be.

In Lumia 625, all operating keys are traditionally located on the right for this series, the volume control is on top, the lock is in the middle, and the camera shutter key is below it. The physical keys are easy to use. On the bottom is a microUSB port, on the top is a 3.5mm headset jack.

Display

Thanks to PhoneArena.com for their help with this review and for providing the photos.

Information about the make, model, and alternative names of a particular device, if any.

Design

Information about the dimensions and weight of the device, presented in different units of measurement. Used materials, suggested colors, certificates.

SIM card

The SIM card is used in mobile devices to store data that certifies the authenticity of mobile service subscribers.

Mobile networks

A mobile network is a radio system that allows multiple mobile devices to communicate with each other.

Mobile technologies and data rates

Communication between devices in mobile networks is carried out through technologies that provide different data transfer rates.

Operating system

The operating system is the system software that manages and coordinates the operation of the hardware components in the device.

SoC (System on a Chip)

System on a chip (SoC) includes all the most important hardware components of a mobile device in one chip.

Built-in memory

Each mobile device has a built-in (non-removable) memory with a fixed amount.

Memory cards

Memory cards are used in mobile devices to increase the storage capacity for storing data.

Screen

The screen of a mobile device is characterized by its technology, resolution, pixel density, diagonal length, color depth, etc.

Sensors

Different sensors perform different quantitative measurements and convert physical indicators into signals that are recognized by the mobile device.

Main camera

The main camera of a mobile device is usually located on the back of the case and is used for taking photos and videos.

Additional camera

Additional cameras are usually mounted above the screen of the device and are mainly used for video calls, gesture recognition, etc.

Audio

Information about the type of speakers and audio technologies supported by the device.

Radio

The radio of the mobile device is a built-in FM receiver.

Location determination

Information about navigation and location technologies supported by the device.

WiFi

Wi-Fi is a technology that provides wireless communication for short distance data transmission between different devices.

Bluetooth

Bluetooth is a standard for secure wireless data transfer between different types of devices over short distances.

USB

USB (Universal Serial Bus) is an industry standard that allows different electronic devices to communicate.

Headphone jack

This is an audio connector, which is also called an audio jack. The most widely used standard in mobile devices is the 3.5mm headphone jack.

Connecting devices

Information about other important connection technologies supported by the device.

Browser

A web browser is a software application for accessing and viewing information on the Internet.

Audio file formats/codecs

Mobile devices support various audio file formats and codecs that store and encode/decode digital audio data, respectively.

Video file formats/codecs

Mobile devices support various video file formats and codecs, which store and encode/decode digital video data, respectively.

Battery

Mobile device batteries differ from each other in their capacity and technology. They provide the electrical charge they need to function.

Screen sizes on modern phones are growing like mushrooms. As soon as the public got used to 4 inches, devices with diagonals of almost 5 inches immediately appear. Where there is demand, there cannot be supply. In this "widescreen" race, price remains one of the most important factors. Buyers are lured low prices and big screens. How good are such devices, let's try to answer on the example of a review Nokia Lumiya 625 is a product that has the parameters of both a phone and a tablet. For simplicity, we will continue to use its common names "plafond", "phablet" and the most common - "shovel".

Nokia Lumia 625 phablet design

They are always greeted by clothes, it makes sense to start from this point. Even for a device with such a large diagonal, it is heavy. The 625 is only 25 grams heavier than its predecessor. But even simple math suggests that he is moving into the heavyweight category in his lineup. There is a category of buyers focused on buying the heaviest and largest smartphone. Another distinguishing feature was its appearance. It can be described as a designer fusion. The rather big device is logically designed for the male audience, which implies strict stylization, clear forms and a certain consistency. But the result of the work of the developers was bright, purely "Lumievsky" colors and playful rounded shapes. Perhaps the ladies will be interested in such a design, but few will be able to cope with such a “overall” device. In general, an unusual image "for an amateur" turned out.

The assembly and arrangement of controls does not require any extra words - everything is done in the best traditions of Lumia and Microsoft. To create the body used plastic matte color. Ergonomics is commendable - rounded ones help the phone to fit comfortably in the hand (as far as possible). It makes no sense to talk about “usability” - with such a giant, at least a few fingers will be required to control it. All physical keys are located on the right side (among them there is a camera button).

Under the back cover you can find a removable battery, slots for SIM cards and memory cards. Turning the smartphone to face us, we see Corning Gorilla glass, which is extensive on the entire front panel. Below it are the standard WP touch buttons.

BY

The whole series of Nokia Lumiya is the word twins in terms of filling. Only a few have been honored to stand out from the total number. This representative works on the basis of the operating system Windows phone 8. People who at least once when buying a modern phone were guided not only by design, but also by content, should know about the difficult fate of this OS. Its supporters and opponents were divided into two equal camps. To be able to compete with Apple and Google, developers had to create original products, somehow navigation programs(Here Drive, Here Maps, Here Transit). In addition, text and music editors, applications for working with photo and video material are worthy of praise.

Nokia Lumia 625 screen

We note the unusualness of the display, which consists in the combination of a large diagonal of 4.7″ and WVGA resolution (800 × 480). The pixel density is not high (199 ppi). At the heart of the screen is an IPS matrix. Unfortunately, this modification does not use the proprietary ClearBlack technology. The screen is super sensitive and is able to respond to a simultaneous 10-finger press. There is no oleophobic coating.

Interfaces and communication

It is extremely rare in reviews to devote a separate item to the parameters of the supported connection. To do this, it is usually sufficient to simply specify this factor in brief description. But key feature Nokia Lumia 625 is said to support LTE/4G networks. Perhaps, due to this, many functions of the phone were cut. Switching from one network to another is seamless. In all other respects, the phone is no different from the rest.

Nokia Lumia 625 camera

The main resolution is 5 megapixels. The control of both cameras is very convenient with the help of a mechanical key on the right edge of the phone. Extensive application features allow you to process photos. It has autofocus and LED flash.

autonomy

There is a battery with a capacity of 2000 mAh, which safely withstands several days due to the moderation of the filling. Such "survivability" makes the phablet a separate honor. He is among the most "long-playing".

Nokia lumia 625 reviews

Long chose the phone. The task was to find a budget smartphone of decent quality on Windows Phone. I think I found it. The big screen is beautiful and comfortable to look at, but very uncomfortable to hold. Definitely need to buy a bumper. It will add a little thickness to the case, but then it will become more convenient to hold the phone. And choose only non-slip material. I have a smart white color and he is rather slippery - every now and then he strives to "jump" out of his hands. Whatever one may say, this is a budget smartphone from Nokia. The money paid for it justifies.
Basin Anton

The words that there are few applications on WP, in my opinion, are no longer relevant. There is everything, office is especially beautiful, which I use very often. Whatever you say, WP is just plain convenient. Really fast! The battery is just a fairy tale, it is felt especially sharply after switching from android. Holds 2-3 days, but after the update it's still 2.
Suitable for curvy people like me who often drop the phone. It fell many times over the year, the phone itself is intact, only the panel at the bottom cracked quite a bit, so slightly that I don’t even think about ordering new panel. The screen is not scratched, I wear it without a case and a film.
Ray Edie

The phone was bought to replace a rather boring android, with some apprehension - WP is a new thing for me, and what it is eaten with, for me at the time of purchase it was a mystery covered in darkness. However, an hour after purchase, while draining the battery to overclock the battery, I figured out almost all the functions, as if I had always used a phone on the WP platform. The phone is personalized to the maximum, everyone can make their smartphone unique - WP will provide everything possible for this. I do not regret the purchase, I'm satisfied everyone, including including 4G speeds. But the overall score is a 4 - I'll drop a point for RAM, screen resolution, and this phone's inability to 100% withstand unintentional scratches and drops.
Mironenko Vyacheslav

REVIEW SUMMARY

Lumia 625 - medium phone price range, as well as the Lumia 520 and Lumia 620. Although the Nokia 625 is sold as budget phone, the device has a couple of impressive features.

We are talking about a 4.7-inch display. In fact, the device has one of the largest screens in the Nokia lineup. Due to the large display and not without help on-screen keyboard, navigate through windows menu it was much easier. The large screen with a resolution of 800x480 has a very low pixel density of 201ppi. There will be a noticeable lack of detail when browsing the web or viewing an image in HD quality.

In addition to the low resolution, the device also does not use ClearBlack technology.

The second distinguishing feature of the phone is its 4G LTE connectivity.

With 1.2 GHz dual core processor and 512GB of RAM, the 625 Lumia doesn't top the list in synthetic benchmarks, but performance is strong enough to run Windows 8 and basic apps without lag.

In addition to the processor and RAM, the device has 8 GB of internal memory, 7 GB cloud storage and a microSD slot.

In general, the device is impressive. This is one of best phones for that kind of money.

PROS

• The large display offers convenient Windows usage 8OS
• Fast 4G LTE connection
• Decent 5-megapixel camera

MINUSES

• Low pixel density and screen resolution
• Lack of ClearBlack Technology
• Average CPU performance

"Hero big screen”- this is how the Finnish company Nokia called its new product, the Lumia 625 smartphone. Partially, this title is justified: the display diagonal of this model is 4.7 ″, so it is on the border of the world of traditional smartphones and newfangled hybrids of “plafonds” (or, in other words, folk, "shovel").

History, as you know, is largely cyclical: 10 years ago we all went through the peak of hysteria with the smallest phones the size of a matchbox and microscopic screens, now the sine wave of technological development is passing the opposite point - the peak of the "biggest" screen mania. There is nowhere to move further in this direction, tablets of all possible diagonals with support for telephone calls are already on store shelves, and it is difficult to come up with something radically new within the existing form factor. A new trend is flexible displays, and in another 10 years we will probably get a 13″ smartphone that can be rolled up, folded into an envelope and hidden in a pocket. That's when the mania and aspirations of the public to get a compact device with a huge screen will finally be satisfied.

Let's get back to our Finnish smartphones - still Finnish, but, as you know, the mobile division of the Nokia concern will not be independent and Finnish for long - it was bought by Microsoft. But has it been truly independent for the past few years? The use of not the most common OS in their devices left Nokia with no room for maneuver, all attempts to surprise the general public with the hardware stuffing of smartphones were shattered by the rejection of the Microsoft software platform by the masses of users. line up the lineup devices of the Finnish company had to be combined with the same hardware components, resulting in a long list of models, the only difference between which is the presence of one or another communication module, camera resolution, the absence or presence of a memory card slot and display type. The current hero of the review was no exception: under big screen hiding in general an ordinary hardware stuffing, the only "trick" of which is the support of the Qualcomm MSM8930 processor for LTE networks. So, is the Nokia Lumia 625 really the "Hero" as Nokia announced it?

Contents of delivery

Nokia Lumia 625 comes in a traditional Finnish packaging - a multi-colored hardboard box. The dimensions of the box are small, it contains images of the smartphone in question in several colors, including those that are not officially presented in Russia: yellow and green. Perhaps in the future it will be possible to purchase rear covers of these colors separately. There is little information about the device itself on the packaging, the available information about the processor, operating system and sound system is given only in the form of non-informative icons.

In the bowels of the box were found and successively removed: a smartphone, a network charger, Micro-USB-to-USB cable, wired stereo headset, documentation. So, the Nokia Lumia 625 has a completely typical package. budget smartphone- only the essentials for life.

Characteristics

Let's consider the capabilities of the current hero of the review and compare it with its neighbors in the Nokia product line.

• SoC Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 Plus MSM8930, 1.2 GHz, 2 Krait cores
• GPU Adreno 305
• operating system Microsoft Windows Phone 8
• Touch display 4.7″, IPS, 800×480, capacitive (high sensitivity), multi-touch
• Random access memory (RAM) 512 MB
• Internal memory 8 GB, microSDHC card slot
• Communication 2G GSM 850, 900, 1800, 1900 MHz, 3G WCDMA 850, 900, 2100 MHz
• Data transmission GPRS, EDGE, HSDPA, HSUPA, LTE (up to 100 Mbps)
• LTE bands: 3, 7, 20
• Bluetooth 4.0+LE, Wi-Fi 802.11b/g/n
• GPS (with A-GPS), Glonass, orientation sensor, accelerometer, proximity sensor
• Cameras: 5 MP (with autofocus) and VGA
• Battery 2000 mAh
• Dimensions 133.2×72.2×9.2mm
• Weight 159 g

Unlike the closest neighbors in the lineup (Lumia 520, 620, 720), the current hero of the review is based on the SoC Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 Plus MSM8930. The difference between it and SoC Qualcomm MSM8227 in terms of performance is small - the frequency of both Krait cores is increased by only 200 MHz. The graphics core (Adreno 305) is now able to encode 1080p video, while in the MSM8227 it could only handle 720p video.

The fundamental difference between the two SoCs is support for LTE. Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 Plus MSM8930 has support for the so-called "global LTE", that is, a smartphone based on it is able to connect to fourth-generation cellular networks almost anywhere in the world, where, of course, they are deployed by operators. Our domestic LTE networks were no exception. Learn more about the possibilities of modern Qualcomm processors can be in our special material.

The display of the novelty is surprising and bewildering: the discrepancy in the size and resolution of the matrix by today's standards is simply exceptional. Only such an original company as Nokia could afford to install a screen with a diagonal of 4.7″ and a resolution of 800 × 480 pixels in a smartphone.

The screen size determined the large dimensions of the smartphone case, but it’s hard to say what is the reason for its large mass. Perhaps with thick first-generation Corning Gorilla glass, or perhaps with a non-removable and not the most technologically advanced 2000 mAh battery.

In terms of other parameters, Nokia Lumia 625 belongs to the budget segment of the Finnish company's devices: 512 MB of RAM, 8 GB of main memory, which can be supplemented with a microSDXC card or cloud storage Microsoft SkyDrive. The capabilities of the built-in camera are not impressive, as well as the IPS screen, which is devoid of Nokia's proprietary technologies.

Comparison of the basic characteristics of various Nokia smartphones shown in the following table.

Design and appearance

Everyone who happened to hold the Nokia Lumia 625 in their hand noted two things: first, the smartphone is huge, and second, it is also very heavy. The Nokia Lumia 625 is exactly the case when an additional 25 grams of weight drastically changes the impression of the device. Subjective feelings are confirmed by figures, the hero of the review is one of the heaviest Nokia devices, only Lumia 920 is heavier. But it is also inferior to the newcomer in size! In general, if you are used to evaluating the size and weight of a smartphone according to the principle “the more the better”, then Nokia Lumia 625 is a prime candidate for purchase.

The body shape and colors of the Nokia Lumia 625 received by the editors are somewhat dissonant with its weight and size characteristics and subjective “immenseness”. I'll try to explain what I mean. From a large and weighty smartphone, you expect some solidity and rigor also in design and color: if the latter is easily fixable - you can buy a completely black device, then nothing can be done about the shape of the case. So it turns out that almost exclusively a male smartphone (it is unlikely that it will be of interest to the fair sex, well, except for those involved in powerlifting) “pleases” with the shape and color of rounded, “soaped” pebbles. The impression is only enhanced by white color back cover considered sample of Nokia Lumia 625 and plastic texture. Honestly, sometimes it seems that in the hand, instead of a high-tech device, there is a piece of rock picked up on the Sochi beach. Orientation towards a male audience, and an older one, is confirmed by the fact that in Russia Nokia Lumia 625 has only one color version - red. That riot of colors that Nokia indulges buyers of its other devices, including flagship ones, is deprived of the hero of the review.

Leaving aside personal impressions, there are no serious complaints about the design and ergonomics of Nokia Lumia 625. All controls, connectors and buttons are in their places, fixed by Microsoft recommendations. The build quality is traditionally high for Nokia - nothing creaks or dangles. The matte plastic of the back panel is pleasant to the touch, but it is more slippery than the usual soft-touch. On a white background, fingerprints are almost invisible, although they remain in abundance after touching the smartphone.

Due to its size, rounded edges and weight, Nokia Lumia 625 fits comfortably in the palm of your hand. Unlike rectangular counterparts with sharp edges and corners, the current hero of the review does not dig in and leaves no marks on the skin when compressed. Of course, with such dimensions, even the convenience of controlling with one finger is out of the question - only with the fingers of two hands. Despite its size, the Nokia Lumia 625 fits into the pocket of ordinary jeans without any problems, but it is clearly felt there.

A new portion of criticism, this time objective, is a claim to the design of the back cover of Nokia Lumia 625. The problem is not that it is inconvenient or difficult to detach - the point is that this action is not obvious and the theoretical danger of breaking it over time. For once, I had to consult the instructions in order to perform the manipulation under discussion, since it is shown on the packaging right under the smartphone itself. So, to get to the connectors with a memory card and a microSIM card, you need to: turn the smartphone upside down, grab the case near the microUSB connector with your fingernail and pull it towards you (up). If the actions are correct, with a small click, the cover will detach and the main body of the smartphone will fall out of it. The developers especially noted that it is not recommended to use a screwdriver or other items that are harder than plastic. Putting the case back into the lid is not a big problem, the main thing to remember is that the sequence of actions must be reversed and the protrusions on the top of the lid should fall into their grooves first.

After separating the two main parts of the Nokia Lumia 625 design, it becomes noticeable that the body of the hero of the review is entirely made of black plastic, the battery is attached to it, and in order to remove the battery, you will have to disassemble the smartphone - fortunately, all the screws are in sight. It's funny, but without the white back cover, Nokia Lumia 625 looks even more stylish than with it, in addition, in this form, the smartphone is simply smaller in size. And it would be possible to use Nokia Lumia 625 in this form, because the battery will not fall out anyway, and the camera is covered with a protective glass, if it were not for the bare memory card and SIM card slots, as well as inconvenient key control. Speaking of the keys, all three of their repeaters, which are located on the outer cover, have a rather embossed shape. The stroke could be more distinct, but there are no problems in using them in their current form.

The front panel of Nokia Lumia 625 is completely covered with Corning Gorilla protective glass with rounded edges. This "feature" is found mainly in Nokia smartphones and is probably due to the increased thickness of the glass itself. In the still Finnish company, apparently, they believe that in this way they increase the protection of the display, and it’s just beautiful when the rounded edges of the smartphone case very smoothly pass into the glass surface of the screen.

In the lower part front panel there are standard touch keys for controlling the operating system. As in the case of the Nokia Lumia 520, they are not highlighted. Even lower is a barely noticeable microphone. Above the display, the developers placed the lens additional camera, phone speaker and sensors. The gap between the glass and the body of the smartphone is minimal, dust collects only in the hole for the speaker.

On the reverse side of the Nokia Lumia 625, you can find the lens of the main camera with LED flash and the opening of the main speaker of the smartphone.

The left edge of the Nokia Lumia 625 case is clean, all the keys are collected on the right side - these are the traditional power, volume and camera control buttons.

At the bottom end of the body of the hero of the review is a microUSB connector, at the top - a 3.5 mm headphone jack.

So, Nokia Lumia 625 turned out to be ambiguous both in design and construction. It remains unclear which target audience developers expect to offer this smartphone. For the male part of it, it is too frivolous, for the female part, it is too huge and heavy. Are there many admirers of a device with such a strange combination of rounded edges and smooth contours of the body, huge size and significant weight? Especially if the smartphone will be white or red? Of course, everything can be justified by the need to place a 4.7 ″ display, but, as practice shows, such a display can be placed in a case smaller sizes and masses. And if you still want or need to do big smartphone- it is worth choosing a more expressive and strict design for it.

Software

The software stuffing of all Nokia Lumia smartphones is almost identical, only some applications change functionality. Most of these programs are related to the hardware capabilities of a particular device model.

All modern Nokia Lumia smartphones, including the current hero of the review, are running an operating system. Windows systems Phone 8. We have already discussed its capabilities and features many times when writing previous reviews of the devices of the Finnish company. It is perhaps worth noting once again that the Microsoft software platform itself looks and works very well, but there are several points that negatively affect its reputation and fate. Firstly, the software giant was simply late to the distribution of the market for mobile operating systems, hastily released Windows Phone 7, but it turned out to be a frankly crude platform. Along the way, Microsoft threw to the mercy of fate the owners of devices with the previous OS Windows Mobile. A year later, their fate was repeated by a few buyers of smartphones with Windows Phone 7, who were left without the expected update on new version this operating system. It is clear that all these maneuvers in the market only alienated the few remaining loyal fans from Microsoft. As a result, the Redmond company had to build its ecosystem from scratch, win the market from Apple and Google and invest heavily in advertising to regain the attention and trust of the public. The second reason is the slow replenishment of the application library. Despite the fact that the number of programs in the app store has increased many times since the release of Windows Phone 7, developers still do not favor this commercial electronic platform special attention, releasing their applications for the Microsoft platform on a leftover basis. Many interesting programs Windows Store Phone is still missing. The third reason is the abundance of minor flaws and shortcomings in the operating system itself, which are striking and cause bewilderment after long work with Android and iOS. The fourth reason is the tiled minimalistic OS interface, which not everyone likes and which cannot be modified in any way, changing the color of the tiles is all that can be done with it.

In general, despite all the shortcomings listed above, in its modern as Windows Phone 8 is fast, convenient and modern operating system, which satisfies the needs of most potential users.

Nokia, which put everything on the "sector" of Windows Phone, made every effort to interest the buyer and help him navigate the new unusual mobile environment.

In the course of the first task, the company tried to fill its smartphones with useful free apps. First of all we are talking about several programs for working with maps and navigation: Here Drive, Here Maps, Here Transit. No smartphone manufacturer on the market provides them with a comprehensive navigation system with the ability to download and locally store maps of entire regions. In this Nokia has a significant head start. Unfortunately, not all Lumia smartphones equipped with a full version of Here Drive car navigation software. For example, the program installed in the memory of the hero of the review, like the previously reviewed Nokia Lumia 520, allows you to work with maps for free only in the region where you come from mobile operator whose SIM card is inserted into the smartphone. However, updating to full version The application is available for a separate, rather small amount of money. Be that as it may, Here applications are a distinctive feature of Nokia smartphones and one of their undoubted advantages. The company itself does not cease to remind of this both in advertising and on the packaging of devices.

To facilitate work and familiarity with the purchased device, that is, to complete the second task, help various applications: online help, ringtone editor and installer, top lists of download programs, music and other content.

Nokia has tried to provide the smartphone user with convenient tools for listening to music, watching videos, taking photos and processing them, controlling the camera and navigation - that is, almost everything necessary in mobile life. The list of applications is really extensive, you can fully with their capabilities on the company's website in the section with detailed description characteristics of the smartphone Nokia Lumia 625.

Display

The Nokia Lumia 625 has a very unusual display. It combines a huge 4.7″ diagonal and WVGA resolution (800 × 480 pixels), which is gradually disappearing into the past. The pixel density is such (199ppi) that they are not visible only if you hold the smartphone at a decent distance from the eyes. It is worth moving it a little closer in the desire to examine small text or graphics, for example, in Internet Explorer, and the picture that seems to have remained in the same bright past of angular icons, drawings, blurry text and stairs of inclined planes appears to the eye. Many may notice that the same iPad or iPad mini the pixel density is even lower and the negative reaction is out of place, but there is one thing: no one holds tablets as close to the eyes as smartphones and, as a result, separate points on their screens are not so noticeable. If you move the Nokia Lumia 625 to the same distance as the tablet, then all the benefits and meaning of the large smartphone screen disappear. Another good example is Full HD TVs. A 32″ Full HD panel has a dot density of 69ppi, which is ridiculous by smartphone standards, but the TV is watched from a distance where it is imperceptible. In the end, it's all about balancing the distance between the device and the viewer and the density of pixels per inch, which, in the case of Nokia Lumia 625, is at the level of 4 years ago.

Understanding the developers of the Nokia Lumia 625 is possible, but difficult. It can be seen that they wanted to make a “cheap” smartphone with a large screen and LTE for an unpretentious public, but the marketing department strictly forbade them to equip the novelty with a screen with a resolution of at least 1280 × 720 pixels in order not to cut off sales of more expensive smartphones. As a result, an unpretentious public can really admire a large display, but admiration will fade when the eyes see individual pixels and will be replaced by dissatisfaction when a smartphone with the same large screen, but with HD resolution, is in the second hand.

The screen matrix of the Nokia Lumia 625 is made using IPS technology, which means that viewing angles and color reproduction quality are quite good. good level. It should be noted that even the cheapest Chinese smartphones since recently they are equipped with IPS displays, the good old TFT TN has finally moved into the segment of ultra-budget devices bordering on the area of ​​frank technological garbage and crooked crafts.

However, the Finnish company's proprietary display technologies, such as ClearBlack, bypassed the Nokia Lumia 625. Corning Gorilla glass remained in place (not the most recent version) and support for touch recognition with gloves. By the way, the test for the operation of the touch sensor showed that the hero of the review easily recognizes up to 10 simultaneous signals, inclusive - the number of the author's fingers simply did not suffice for more.

In general, apart from the extremely unusual combination of diagonal and resolution, the Nokia Lumia 625 display is not bad - at least it can be seen with the naked eye that it is better in color reproduction than the screen of the Nokia Lumia 520. In bright sunlight, the picture on the screen fades and becomes difficult to see but that applies to most low-cost smartphones. Protective glass collects fingerprints and glare, but it gets dirty much less than the Nokia Lumia 520 screen cover, and dirt and grease are removed from the review hero's display more easily.

Detailed screen examination using measuring instruments conducted by the editor of the sections "Monitors" and "Projectors and TV" Alexey Kudryavtsev.

The screen of the smartphone is covered with a glass plate with a mirror-smooth surface, and, judging by the reflection of objects in it, there is no anti-glare filter or it is very weak. Reflection in the screen is tripled, which suggests the presence of an air gap between the surface of the matrix and the outer glass. Most likely, there is no special oleophobic (grease-repellent) coating on the outer surface of the screen, since the finger slides poorly on the screen surface and leaves marks.

With manual brightness control (three fixed levels are available) and with a white field displayed in full screen, its maximum value was about 350 cd/m², average - 190, minimum - 80 cd/m². These three levels are more or less suitable for comfortable work during the day on the street, in a well-lit room and in the dark. Although, of course, the maximum brightness value is not the highest. The automatic brightness control works according to the light sensor (it is located to the right of the logo on the front panel). IN automatic mode as the ambient light conditions change, the brightness of the screen both increases and decreases. You can make adjustments to the operation of this function by first selecting the brightness level. Next, for three conditions, we present the screen brightness values ​​(when a white field is displayed in full screen) for three values ​​of the selected brightness (for levels short, average And high). In complete darkness in automatic mode, the brightness decreases to 9, 12 and 15 cd / m², respectively (dim, but you can read), in an artificially lit office, the brightness is set to 125, 180 and 210 cd / m² (acceptable), in a brightly lit environment (corresponding to daylight outdoors, but without direct sunlight) - increases to 250, 350 and 350 cd/m² (two last values equal to maximum brightness). Eventually given function works quite adequately. At low brightness, there is some backlight modulation, but its amplitude does not reach 100%, and the modulation frequency spectrum has a maximum of around 47 kHz, so the screen flicker cannot be visually seen and the presence of such modulation cannot affect the comfort of working with this smartphone.

This screen has an IPS type matrix. The micrograph shows a typical IPS sub-pixel structure:

The screen has good viewing angles without hue inversion and without significant color shift even at large deviations of the gaze from the perpendicular to the screen. The black field, when deviated diagonally, is strongly highlighted and acquires a red-violet hue. When viewed perpendicularly, the uniformity of the black field is poor, since along the edge of the screen, in several places, and especially in the lower part, there are areas with increased brightness of the black field. The response time for the black-white-black transition is 27 ms (16 ms on + 11 ms off). The transition between 25% and 75% grayscale (according to the numerical value of the color) and back takes a total of 40 ms. The contrast is quite high - about 930:1. The gamma curve constructed from 32 points did not reveal a blockage either in the highlights or in the shadows, and the exponent of the approximating power function is 2.32, which is slightly higher than the standard value of 2.2, while the real gamma curve deviates little from the power dependence:

The color gamut is slightly narrower than sRGB:

Apparently, the matrix filters mix the components together. The spectra confirm this:

This technique allows you to increase the brightness of the screen with the same energy consumption for backlighting. However, the important reference points - green color and skin tones (between the green and red vertices of the coverage triangle) - are close to the sRGB borders, so in general, images on the screen have saturation close to natural. The curvature of the border between the blue and green vertices on the coverage plot implies the presence of software color correction. Indeed, in the screen settings, you can adjust the color saturation and color temperature. Saturation is mainly changed by adjusting the image itself, but at the extreme position of the corresponding adjustment (position natural) the saturation of the primary colors is programmatically reduced and the coverage becomes even narrower:

The balance of shades on the gray scale is good, since the color temperature is actually equal to the standard 6500 K, and the deviation from the blackbody spectrum (delta E) is less than 10, which is considered acceptable for a consumer device. At the same time, the variation in color temperature and delta E is small, which also has a positive effect on the visual perception of color balance. (The dark areas of the gray scale can be ignored, since the color balance does not matter much there, and the measurement error of color characteristics at low brightness is large.)

Also, the two graphs above show the values ​​obtained in the white and gray fields at the extreme settings Colorful temperature. It can be seen that the changes correspond to those specified in the settings - in the position Warm the shades are warmer, the color temperature is lower, and in the position Cold the tints are colder and the color temperature is higher.

The color balance does not cause any complaints, as does the work of automatic adjustment of the screen brightness, unlike other screen properties that are typical for a budget solution. The lack of an oleophobic coating is especially annoying - it's just unpleasant to use the phone.

Sound and radio

The composition of the audio system in Nokia Lumia 625 is standard: two speakers, a microphone, a headphone output and a volume control key. Somewhere inside there is a built-in FM radio. An additional microphone, if any, is not visible, no hints of "mobile stereo" or surround sound out of pocket also not. However, for the headphone output, support for some “Dolby Headphones” is declared.

The volume of both speakers is average, the phone one allows you to successfully carry on a conversation, including in relatively noisy places, but many other smartphones have a higher sound volume. The main speaker copes well with playing calls, messages and navigator tips, but for some reason its power decreases subjectively when playing music. In addition, and this is a fact, at maximum volume, wheezing begins to be heard from the speaker instead of the lower and part of the middle frequencies - it cannot be called high-quality. There were no serious claims to the microphone during testing of Nokia Lumia 625.

The headphone output of the hero of the review has a high power and is able to satisfy the needs of almost any music lover. Enjoy music best with quality headphones, a complete headset cannot be classified in this category. For transport, its capabilities will be enough, but it is not able to transmit low frequencies. The built-in equalizer and the already mentioned Dolby Headphone technology are not able to improve the situation for the better. It is better not to use the latter at all, since in the case of a standard headset, it only generates a hum instead of low frequencies, and with high-quality headphones, nothing needs to be improved. The additional block of the standard headset is in fact not a control unit, it does not have a call answer button - a very strange decision, it does not have a volume control either, there is only one microphone.

When you connect a headset or headphones, the built-in FM radio receiver in the Nokia Lumia 625 becomes operational. As we remember, initially Nokia Lumia 520 did not have a radio receiver and appeared only after next update firmware, in the current hero of the review it is initially, but the control program, as in all smartphones with Windows Phone 8, is hidden in the depths of the music and video playback program. The unpretentious appearance of this program allows you to quickly figure out what's what. In the center of the window there is a strip of the frequency spectrum, their search and settings, next to it there is an indicator of the frequency to which the receiver is tuned. Changing the frequency manually is not very convenient - you have to move the spectrum strip slowly and a little bit, if you make a sharp movement it will start automatic search stations. The station you like can be saved in the list of favorites or pinned to the main screen of your smartphone as a separate tile - an extremely convenient feature. The signal reception quality is good, but RDS is not supported, the sound can be output to the main speaker of the mobile computer.

Wireless interfaces and communication

The key feature of Nokia Lumia 625 is support for LTE/4G networks. After replacing the old SIM card in the operator's cabin with a new one with LTE support, we managed to connect to the 4G network without any problems. Although the hero of the review did not demonstrate the maximum possible data transfer rate either in the expanses of the Moscow region, or in the sleeping areas of Moscow, or near the walls of the Kremlin, even the achieved 12-14 Mbit / s is enough “for the eyes” for any mobile and stationary activity on the Internet .

Switching between high speed cellular network and its slower predecessors happened imperceptibly and painlessly, the smartphone never lost the network and did not freeze in any one mode of operation (as is sometimes the case with Android devices).

Otherwise, the Nokia Lumia 625 features for working with wireless networks are standard. Supports the most common Wi-Fi networks - 802.11b/g/n. Bluetooth module on the contrary, the latest version is 4.0 + LE. The LE prefix informs about the reduced power consumption of the communication module.

Nokia Lumia 625 successfully connected to a Wi-Fi network with TP-Link router TL-WR1043N as base station, the speed of Internet access was limited only by the conditions tariff plan provider. Inside local network the data exchange rate was almost 40Mbps.

Like the Nokia Lumia 520, the hero of the review does not have a Bluetooth modem profile, access to the Internet for third-party devices is possible only if you use your smartphone as a hotspot. WiFi access. Other important Bluetooth features are in place: data exchange at speeds up to 1.6 Mbps, connection to a stereo headset, access to the smartphone's contact list and exchange of objects, for example, the same contacts.

Connection of Nokia Lumia 625 to Sony MW1 headset completed successfully. Answering calls, listening to music, controlling the player and voice control smartphone. Restriction on displaying only one phone number remained instead of the contact name, but the names of the music tracks on the headset screen were displayed correctly.

In conclusion, it should be noted that the navigation signal receiver in Nokia Lumia 625 is able to work with both GPS and GLONASS, and there were no problems with determining the location of the smartphone.

Camera

Judging by the resolution (5 megapixels), the Nokia Lumia 625 has the same camera as the Nokia Lumia 520. The maximum image size for the cameras of both smartphones is 2592×1936 pixels when shooting in 4:3 format. By default, however, the camera is set to take photos with a "cine" aspect ratio - 16:9, in which case their resolution is slightly lower - 2592 × 1456 pixels. Video recording is carried out with a resolution of 1080p and a frequency of 30 frames per second, the recording format is MPEG-4, AVC / LC-AAC.

The easiest way to control the primary and secondary VGA cameras of Nokia Lumia 625 is to use special key on the right side of the smartphone case. The location of the controls on the screen of the device allows you to quickly set up the camera. There are few settings menu items, they are all collected in several subsections.

The speed of launching the camera and the control program is average, it may take several seconds before the first picture is taken. In the future, photos are obtained faster, but the slow work of the autofocus system still affects negatively. She takes a long time to set up the camera and also always uses the smartphone's built-in LED flash to determine the distance to the subject.

The quality of pictures and videos taken with Nokia cameras Lumia 625 can be evaluated further, in my subjective opinion it is average, but quite worthy for a budget smartphone. The only serious problem seen is the camera's frequent errors in judging the focal length.

Shooting without flash

Flash photography

panoramic shot

Battery life

The presence of a battery with a capacity of 2000 mAh, a processor with a moderate frequency and number of cores, an energy-efficient operating system allows you to count on a long mobile work Nokia Lumia 625.

Our traditional test conditions remain the same: display brightness 100 cd/m², modules disabled wireless communication(except for cellular) and the display turned off when playing music. It should only be noted that there was not enough time to fully test the Nokia Lumia 625 in all operating modes, and the result in the music playback test was obtained by approximating 12 hours of energy consumption by a smartphone.

As expected, the combination of all these factors made the Nokia Lumia 625 one of the Finnish company's longest-running Windows phones. The results demonstrated by the hero of the review in our three tests are more than worthy for a modern smartphone.

During normal operation: phone calls, Mobile Internet, installing applications and a few tests, the Nokia Lumia 625 used up 2/3 of the battery charge in 4 days. Of course, here we must make allowances for the fact that for a significant part of this time the smartphone was inactive and was with the screen turned off.

Performance

With the exception of the frequency of both processor cores increased by 200 MHz, there are no special differences between the new product and its predecessors: Nokia Lumia 520, 620, 720, no. All smartphones have 512 MB of RAM and screens with a resolution of 800 × 480 pixels. Thus, the increased frequency of computing cores is the only factor that can obviously affect the performance of Nokia Lumia 625 in performance tests. Below are their results.

The first table is the results of synthetic tests.

Nokia Lumia 625 was ahead of Nokia Lumia 920 and, unexpectedly, Huawei Ascend W1. Nokia Lumia 520 and Nokia Lumia 720, equipped with less powerful processors, are left behind.

The second table is the results of browser tests.

There is nothing surprising in the results obtained, browser tests are entirely dependent on processor performance, and all devices lined up in full accordance with this parameter. Nokia Lumia 625 didn't come in second place, but only because of the lack of results Huawei tests Ascend W1.

The following table, for comparison, shows the results of the same tests run on smartphones based on other platforms.

Video playback

All modern Nokia Lumia smartphones have the same video playback capabilities. If the operating system recognizes the codec and the container, then there are no problems with playing even Full HD videos. If the video format is not supported, then you will not see it at all in the list of available videos.

MHL interface we are in this smartphone were not found, so we had to limit ourselves to testing the output of video files on the screen of the device itself. To do this, we used a set of test files with an arrow and a rectangle moving one division per frame (see Method for Testing Video Signal Playback and Display Devices. Version 1). Screenshots with a shutter speed of 1 s helped to determine the nature of the output frames of video files with various parameters: resolution (1280 by 720 (720p) and 1920 by 1080 (1080p) pixels) and frame rate (24, 25, 30, 50 and 60 fps) varied. With). In tests, we used a regular video player. The test results are summarized in the table:

Note: if both columns "Uniformity" and "Gap" are set to "green", this means that when watching movies, most likely, either artifacts caused by uneven interleaving and dropping frames will not be visible at all, or their number and visibility will not affect viewing comfort. "Red" marks indicate possible problems associated with the playback of the respective files.

The intervals between frames (or groups of frames) alternate more or less evenly, but files with 50 fps (1080p) and 60 fps (720p and 1080p) are not played back. The displayed brightness range exactly corresponds to the standard video range - all gradations of shades are displayed in shadows and highlights (for video in the range of 16-235). Image files 720p and 1080p (16:9 aspect ratio) are inscribed in the screen in width and have the correct proportions.

Impressions and conclusions

So, Nokia Lumia 625 is a compromise smartphone. Firstly, it is by no means a replacement for the Nokia Lumia 620, although, of course, it also belongs to the budget segment. Secondly, some of its parameters, such as a huge display and a capacious battery, bring it closer to more expensive brothers. In general, it turns out that developers and marketers poured a lot of “tar spoons” into the budget “barrel of honey” called Nokia Lumia 625, judge for yourself: a large screen - but a ridiculous resolution for such a diagonal, a capacious battery - but there is no way to replacements without disassembling the smartphone, LTE support - but the old camera with a low resolution, an updated processor - but a small amount of RAM, again a huge display - but an even more huge and heavy body with an inexpressive design. As a result, there was a strong impression that announcing Nokia Lumia 625 as the most cheap smartphone With LTE, Nokia has gone to great lengths to ensure that as few customers as possible purchase it.

Has the Nokia Lumia 625 become a Big Screen Hero? To some extent yes, but with a few caveats. The first is a hero only in the segment of Windows backgrounds; the second is an anti-hero in terms of the comfort of the ratio of the display diagonal and its resolution. After weighing all the pros and cons, I can only recommend Nokia Lumia 625 to those who prioritize screen sizes and the presence of LTE in a smartphone much higher than the comfortable size of the device and display resolution. Questions Windows convenience Phone 8 and inexpressive design are more in the realm of "taste".