back to article Nokia flops out its 4G, 4.7-inch WHOPPER: The Lumia 625

Nokia has announced its sixth phone of 2013, the Lumia 625, and this time it's a large but light budget 4G phone. Nokia says that with LTE carriers launching prepay deals and more affordable tarriffs, they're desperate to offer something cheaper. The 625 is aimed at the sub-£200 upfront prepay market and these lower tariffs. …

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  1. TheVogon

    Looks like another quarter of +30% smartphone growth for Nokia Lumias...

    I'm waiting for the 1020, but this looks like a great midrange handset. Decent OS and specs compared to the glitch and laggy Android garbage that usually sells in this price range.

    1. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      looks like a great midrange handset

      Looks............

      Anyone with a 920 on a 4G network will tell you storys of how the battery cannot last the working day.

      Now they've gone and made the screen bigger, will it last till lunchtime??

      1. gazthejourno (Written by Reg staff)

        Re: looks like a great midrange handset

        I've been playing with a 925 almost exclusively on 4G. Runs quite happily, takes over a day to rinse the battery. If only it ran Android!

        1. dogged
          Meh

          Re: looks like a great midrange handset

          Runs quite happily, takes over a day to rinse the battery. If only it ran Android!

          Then it would take about 4 hours to rinse the battery.

      2. MIc
        Thumb Up

        Re: looks like a great midrange handset

        I have a 920 and my experience with the batter is that is will last at least a day with plenty of reddit and work email and news reading.

        for a while I worked in a building with crappy cell coverage and the phone was constantly working to maintain an Edge connection. This clobbered the battery and I'd have to put it on the charger to get it to last during the bus ride home. I'd almost prefer the phone just gave up and told me it didn't have any reception.

        But I moved to a new building and the battery life is back to normal / fully day usage patterns

    2. David Hicks

      I like the very careful wording

      > "Looks like another quarter of +30% smartphone growth for Nokia Lumias..."

      It's probably going to be another quarter of sales figueres decline for nokia.

      It's probably going to be another quarter of year-on-year decline for their smartphones.

      But if we make this just about Lumias then by golly we might have found something we can spin as a positive!

      1. JDX Gold badge

        Re: I like the very careful wording

        It's probably going to be another quarter of sales figueres decline for nokia.

        It's probably going to be another quarter of year-on-year decline for their smartphones.

        But if we make this just about Lumias then by golly we might have found something we can spin as a positive!

        Considering Android and Apple don't have a preceding OS to decline in the first place, hardly a fair point.

    3. Charlie Clark Silver badge

      Looks like another quarter of +30% smartphone growth for Nokia Lumias...

      At current sales volumes that's never going to be enough. Anyway, this device is just as likely to cannibalise sales of other Nokias as it is to take sales away from similarly priced but higher-specc'd Android phones.

    4. hplasm
      Windows

      +30% smartphone growth for Nokia Lumias!

      Now FOUR customers!

    5. Zola
      FAIL

      Another quarter of growth for Windows Phone

      but more negative margins and falling ASP for Nokia.

      Low-end volume is no good for Nokia.

    6. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      If they throw something, anything at the market something might stick.

  2. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    As soon as Microsoft find a way for Windows Phone to install apps to the memory card, the mid and lower end phones will be more usable. As it is, 8GB for apps is not great but it is Ok. Better than what HTC did with the 8S and its 4GB - what were they thinking!?

    1. andreas koch

      @ _RCH_ -

      > . . .

      As it is, 8GB for apps is not great

      . . . <

      More like 5GB after system and such; but then, how many fart apps does one really need?

      1. JDX Gold badge

        Re: @ _RCH_ -

        5Gb is probably enough for most of the full applications I have on Windows 7! When you take video out of the picture, a gigabyte is a lot of data!

  3. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    Windows Phone

    So no thanks.

    1. Thomas Whipp

      Re: Windows Phone

      I do wonder how many of these comments are from people who've used WP... I've just swapped my work blackberry for a Lumia 620 running WP8 and while I dont like it quite as much as my personal Galaxy S i9000 running CM9, its pretty damn close.

      I've a couple of very slight niggles - I find the app switching a little slow (slightly masked by the animations but I know its there), there are a couple of nieche apps I cant find equivalents for and shortly there wont be a sync option for my google contacts (not that I'm using this now as its a work phone - and anyway thats slated to be fixed in the next update I believe). I also dont like not having a data usage counter available - but again I believe thats due to be fixed in the next update. I'm also not entirely sure I like the single home screen, but I think I can live with that

      Do I believe WP8 is the best mobile OS, absolutely not. Do I believe its good enough for me to use it as a primary mobile device - for me yes, but only just and not enough for me to swap. Do I believe that it would be good enough for me to swap once google contacts sync and data counters are in place, Yes.

      Will I swap - I dont honestly know, but having lived with one for about a week its certainly something I'd consider.

      1. David Hicks
        Stop

        Re: Windows Phone

        Two non-techie friends have now tried them and sent them back due to awkwardness around ringtones and inability to set background images.

        I'm not sure who they're aiming these phones at, but I'm pretty sure they've missed.

        1. Kerry Hoskin

          Re: Windows Phone

          ermmm can't set a background image! there are no back ground images on WP, its not just a background image with a few rows of 90's style icons, that's kinda the whole point!

      2. Dave 126

        Re: Windows Phone

        My old man's only reason for wanting a smartphone was for maps... now that Google, rather than improve the 'offline maps' feature it only introduced a few versions back, has decided to hide it instead (type in 'okay maps'... WTF?) a Nokia Windows Phone would have been a better choice for him than Android- especially since he spends time driving in Europe.

        As it is, he's gone back to his old Nokia candybar- he never got on with 'swiping' to answer a phone call on his Android, or the relatively short battery life. I dare-say he would find any smartphone just as confusing and infuriating, though. Doesn't help that the fag-lighter is his Transit is buggered.

        1. dogged
          Thumb Up

          @Dave 126

          the fag-lighter is his Transit is buggered

          Dave, on a Transit you can actually reach into the central console from the passenger's side and swap out the fag-lighter with a replacement.

          Should take you about 5 minutes and cost you maybe £3 from Amazon.

          1. JDX Gold badge

            Re: @Dave 126

            I'd say Nokia have the best mobile apps right now. Probably including paid map apps.

      3. Anonymous Coward
        Anonymous Coward

        Re: Windows Phone

        It's a good mobile OS that needs a heck of a lot of work to catch up though and the dysfunctional Microsoft we have at the moment is going nuts trying to remain competitive in all markets it is in (never mind trying to expand out into new ones).

        Ultimately the slow pace of development, bad music player and Apple-like lock down became too much. The final straw was all the PPI and spam callers ringing me up and no ability to block the calls. Can do all of this on Android and I'm much happier with my HTC one than I was with the Lumia 920.

    2. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Re: Windows Phone

      Nokia has announced its sixth phone of 2013...

      The 625 is aimed at the sub-£200 upfront prepay market...

      Poor Nokia. Still churning out those landfill-winphones!

  4. Breeze

    * looked to see what it was running, saw windows, stopped caring*

    1. HipposRule

      It has changed since NT you know?

      1. hplasm
        Meh

        It has changed since NT you know?

        For the worse...

    2. dogged
      FAIL

      * looked to see what it was, saw Nokia hence windows phone, threw in a quick fandroid troll*

      Fixed that one for you.

      Honestly, it's a fucking Nokia. What did you expect it to run? iOS?

    3. monkeyfish

      But still bothered to click on a Nokia phone article, go to the comments section and leave us with your great wisdom.

  5. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    Some daring

    "The large screen won’t be winning many awards for its density, but it's perfectly adequate, and usable with gloves - which for most punters will matter more."

    It's getting to be over 40 degrees outside, are you sure people in the market for buying a new phone are going to give two tosses about using it with gloves.

    1. Khaptain Silver badge
      Happy

      Re: Some daring

      Buck Futter,

      You must belong to that strange minority that doesn't try new gadgets with your gloves on............especially the sheepskin mitten variety......when they are wet and slightly frozen.......

      My God lad, don't you do an UAT.

    2. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Re: Some daring

      Some people like to go skiing? some people go to snowdomes in the UK too. Some people wear protective gloves when riding bikes.

      1. Matthew 25

        Re: Some daring

        Some people keep their phone for more than one season

    3. Andus McCoatover
      Windows

      Re: Some daring

      Gloves? Remember Nokia's home country. Market also UK. nuff said?

  6. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    Now this is just going to get confusing

    Is there any pattern to how Nokia number their phones? The 925 is a sleeker metallic version of the 920 and the 625 is a larger, more powerful LTE variant of the 620...or the 720? Or is it a downgrade through the lack of NFC...but in ways it seems to be an upgrade on the 820?

    Options are good but try to keep things consistent Nokia.

    1. Dave 126

      Re: Now this is just going to get confusing

      I used to know where I was with with Nokia phone names... 3xxx was lower end, students and the like, 6xxx was business, 8xxx were small and desirable, 9xxx were things like the Communicator with a qwerty keyboard.... but that was ten years ago, so I can't help you now! : D

      1. Kristian Walsh Silver badge

        Re: Now this is just going to get confusing

        It's way more logical than it used to be:

        price_band = model_number / 100

        generation = (model_number %100 ) / 10 # i.e, second-last digit.

        The last digit is to differentiate carrier models and other slightly-different-but-equivalent models (920/925/928 or 820/822 for instance). So...

        610 came before 820

        820 is same generation as, but cheaper than, 920, 925, 928 and 1020

        1xx, 2xx and 3xx are mobile phones and featurephones; 5xx and higher are smartphones. There is no 4xx - look up "Tetraphobia" to find out why. "Lumia" = Windows Phone. "Asha" = Series 40.

  7. strangelybrown

    Makes sense... sort of...

    Well, Nokia does have the WP market all to itself - HTC and Samsung don't seem terribly bothered by it for obvious reasons.

    This is a sensible piece of positioning - WP works better on big screens, and it pre-empts the next wave of phablet things for people who can afford a £500/£40pcm device.

    In the context of the wider range, it all starts too look odd though. There's the premium 1020, with silly camera. Then the 925 which is a special/tweaked version of the 920, which is near-as-damnit the same as the 820. These are the upper mid-market corporate devices. Then there's the 520, 620, 625, and 720 in the budget section, although the 625 is the biggest of all.

    I wonder if another reason for this huge range is down to retail space hogging? Back when the 800 and 900 were launched, you could find WP devices in a phone shop if you looked for them - usually tucked away in a corner. By having 8 devices, along with the couple of HTCs, they're going to be far more prominent in the store.

    1. David Hicks

      Re: Makes sense... sort of...

      "This is a sensible piece of positioning - WP works better on big screens, and it pre-empts the next wave of phablet things"

      Errr, not really, phablets are WAY bigger than that. Even the first Note was a 5.3 inch device. 4.7 looks pretty small. Thew wording in the article was a bit weird there. IMHO.

      1. strangelybrown

        Re: Makes sense... sort of...

        Sorry, wasn't clear - I meant it fills a gap for those on a tighter budget who can't stretch to a dirty great phablet but equally don't want to be seen with a tiddly little 620 or similar. Strong sales ploy too - here's a PAYG 4.7" device for the same price as, say, mid-tier Android.

        I'd guess you'll most likely see this in the greasy little claws of male yoofs. Good for gaming, innit? (if anyone ever releases any decent games on WP... I'm still waiting)

  8. 1Rafayal
    Trollface

    Rounded Corners

    Isnt this one of the things that landed Samsung in trouble with Apple over the Galaxy S2?

    Sure Nokia & MS are not looking for a fight with the Jesus-phone?

    1. Big_Ted

      Re: Rounded Corners

      Apple and MS have an agreement that they won't sue each other.....

      Therefore they can use each others ideas without worrying, its all down to the Google is the enemy thing.....

      MS would have to put an Apple logo and call it an iPhone before Apple even bother to take notice.....

    2. Robert Forsyth

      Re: Rounded Corners

      These corners are spherical (ish) not cylindrical.

      Anyway MS and Apple are really friends:

      Apple supply the sunny Californian version and MS supply the rainy Seattle version of a thing.

      Apple, Intel, Oracle..., Ca

      Xerox, Ct

      3M, MN

      Bell Labs, NJ

      IBM, NY

      Comcast, PA

      AT&T, Dell, TX

      Novell, UT

      Microsoft, WA

  9. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    WP still sucks ass

    can't set custom message alerts = mega fail. such a small basic feature, all other phones have this, but not WP

    and big screen, higher res? or just bigger pixels?

    i had a WP 800, and hated it. fortunately it was soon abandoned by MS. and utterly abandoned by me. never again.

    poor nokia.. wp is made by distilling ballmer sweat.. you can tell. it stinks.

  10. Stoke the atom furnaces

    Great phone.

    Does it come in Android?

  11. jonfr

    Runs Windows

    This phones runs Windows and I consider that to be a major flaw in the design of the phone. So I won't buy it at all.

  12. Zola

    4.7" display with 800x480 resolution

    Oh puhleazzze! Why use a bigger display when running such a crap low resolution?

  13. druck Silver badge
    Thumb Down

    Largest physical screen, but only 800x480 resolution, really?

  14. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    Screen resolution too low

    800 by 480 is going to have rather visible pixellation on that size screen. It is noticeable on a 3.5 inch screen, so what it's like on 4.5" I dread to think. I'm guessing they made a few compromises to get it significantly cheaper than the BlackBerry Q5, which I think is the only other not too expensive 4G phone. No NFC (ymmv on how necessary this is), a quarter the memory, and a screen which is larger but with 25% fewer pixels. How far down the line will the buyer wish the thing had more working memory?

    There is an article on BGR about how the rapid decline in the price people will pay for phones threatens both Nokia and BlackBerry, and I think it is about right. No matter where they go in price terms, a larger company can always undercut them with Android. How much money is Microsoft prepared to lose to keep Nokia as its deep water port into the phone ocean?

    1. dogged

      Re: Screen resolution too low

      They don't seem to be undercutting the Lumia 520.

  15. Useless User

    "In a brief hands-on, the 625 is deceptively light, even though at 158g it’s one of the heavier Nokia handsets, which is odd."

    It's all that Helium inside. Once you open that thing, it's a brick.

  16. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    So irrelevant.

    Android for the chavs

    iphone for the poncers

    Blackberry for the rioters

    Windows phone for, umm

    Firefox OS and Ubuntu is the future

    1. Intractable Potsherd

      I'm a big fan of the Firefox browser (I've been using it as my main browser for at least eight years), but I don't see me heading towards the OS any time soon, and certainly because the hardware isn't going to match my Galaxy Note (next phone will be the same form-factor with a pen, too). Ubuntu as a mobile OS with big market share? - well, I'll believe it when I see it.

      I'm very happy with Android, and I'm as far from a chav as I could imagine, you pompous arse.

      Are you Eadon?

  17. Big Van Vader

    NokiaSoft Lumia the new Spyware Phone

    http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2013/jul/11/microsoft-nsa-collaboration-user-data

    You have just been Nokooggled

    1. dogged
      FAIL

      Yeah, it was in the Grauniad so it MUST be true.

      Except that a whole bunch of companies say it isn't are going to the Supreme Court and the Attorney General (or whatever his title is) to get the secrecy overruled so that they can prove it's not true. The list includes Yahoo, Google and, er, Microsoft.

      You are eadon and I claim my £5.

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