Nokia, which we knew as the company where mobile phones first appeared, is now officially a subsidiary of Microsoft. Nokia Lumia 630 Dual SIM black (phone) is its first development after this deal was concluded, but it is obvious that the device was under development some time before the new owner arrived. Nevertheless, it is obvious that in many ways the new phone is different from the previous ones, so, of course, its appearance is the beginning of something new.
Review wp smartphone Nokia Lumia 630, 630 Dual SIM
This phone was the first wp-smartphone to launch last year's update for WP 8.1. In fact, at the same time in 2014 Nokia introduced three new smartphones for this updated platform - Nokia Lumia 630, 630 Dual SIM, 635. Discussion (with emphasis on the "dual SIM" model) of their advantages and disadvantages will be the main content of our review.
The manufacturer announced that the aforementioned updated OS will be available for the entire range of Lumia smartphones with 8th Windows.
Common features for Nokia Lumia 630 and Nokia Lumia 630 Dual SIM include:
- 4.5-inch FWVGA (480x854 pixels) ClearBlack LCD with Gorilla Glass 3 and a pixel density of 221ppi;
- 1.2 GHz Snapdragon 400 CPU with four cores
- 512 MB RAM;
- 8 GB ROM
- 5-megapixel rear camera with autofocus;
- lack of front front camera,
- 1830mAh battery.
- MicroSD expansion cards up to 128 GB are also supported.
The 635 and 630 models will come with WhatsApp, WeChat, Nokia Camera, HERE Maps and the pre-installed free Nokia MixRadio. They also have SensorCore's low-power sensing feature, designed for “the next generation of exercises and exploratory applications,” such as Bing Health and Fitness.
Appearance and user experience
Nokia seems quite capable of coming up with dozens of variations on the same theme: colorful polycarbonate cases, a black front panel, all buttons on one side and simple lines, but of different shapes and curves. The external Nokia Lumia 630 Dual SIM specifications are no exception, although this time the shape is flatter and more blocky than usual. This is a clean rectangle with sides that taper towards the back, making it fairly easy to hold in the palm of your hand. The back cover sticks out slightly.
The Nokia Lumia 630 Dual SIM black smartphone with 2 SIM cards is shown in the photo below.
On the front surface of the case is empty, except for the Nokia logo at the top, on-screen buttons provide navigation. The power switch and
volume control are on the right edge, but there is no camera power button, also controlled by an on-screen button. The left edge is completely empty, and on top and bottom there is only a headset jack and micro-USB ports. The back side is almost completely empty, there is only a camera lens and a round speaker hole, in addition to the small Nokia logo in the center.
A few words about packaging and options
Phones Nokia Lumia 630 Dual SIM, prices, reviews, the characteristics of which are the subject of our attention, go on sale in the original (which is quite natural) packaging. As for the boxes in which the phones are packed, it should be noted that Nokia (this applies to all Microsoft devices) switched to a plain white design instead of the block blue rectangles that we have seen with every Lumia produced so far. Moreover, the 630 does not come with a headset or even a USB cable. The charger has a fixed wire with a Micro-USB plug, and we really have to wonder how much money the company will save without equipping the standard charger with a removable USB cable.
Nokia Lumia 630 Dual SIM - description
The characteristics of this model are determined primarily by a fairly powerful processor, which is the faithful Qualcomm Snapdragon 400 with integrated Adreno-305 graphics. However, there is only 512 MB of RAM, which is a significant step backward compared to 1 GB in the cheaper 525 model.
As other manufacturers have recently done, Nokia has used a special processor to input the sensor, which allows you to turn off the power and extend battery life. SensorCore, as it is called, is associated with Bing Health and a Fitness application that can act as a pedometer and activity tracker. If we consider the actual Nokia Lumia 630 Dual SIM specifications, then the presence of this option will not be a big advantage for the 630 model, since it clearly lacks modern sensors. Devices of a higher class, such as the next model 930, will use it much more efficiently.
And what about the 630th model with memory and a screen?
You get only 8 GB of ROM, which is somewhat offset by support for a MicroSD-card up to 128 GB (at least, according to the manufacturer). The screen is 4.5 inches diagonal, but has a modest resolution of 480x854 pixels. This is by far the lowest pixel density we've seen in a long time. We can say about the Nokia Lumia 630 Dual SIM, the technical characteristics of the screen of which are not ideal, which the market expected more from its appearance. Color accuracy and small viewing angles are also not impressive. The user interface is not annoying with grain, but the text in applications and on websites reminds us of what was considered to be high quality ten years ago.
The screen is proportionally slightly larger than the Lumia 525, and its resolution is very slightly larger than 16: 9, which is pretty good, because a little vertical space is lost under the on-screen buttons (which are almost always visible).
Wi-Fi and Bluetooth support are up to date, and there is also GPS. The only sensor seems to be an accelerometer - not even a light sensor to help adjust screen brightness automatically. That's all the basic Nokia Lumia 630 Dual SIM specifications. This model has a somewhat unbalanced list of functions - it surpasses other phones in some areas in its price range.
Software
The biggest highlight is, of course, quite a significant OS update from Microsoft, with many improvements, large and small. For example, the new version of the intelligent voice assistant. Tweaks work for all practical purposes, but this is not such a feature that it should be singled out separately.
Another noticeable change to the Nokia Lumia 630 Dual SIM software features is the addition of, finally, the shadow notifications that Microsoft called Action Center. Just like in Android and IOS, you can stretch down from the very top of the screen overlay displaying notifications that you have not dealt with yet. When you pull down the Action Center shadow, you will see expanded information about your notifications in the form of “icons”, such as the percentage of battery power. There are also four convenient shortcuts: Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, camera and brightness, and you can change them to other options, but no more than four.
The brightness control is manual, since the 630 does not automatically adjust it, and the camera shortcut somewhat makes up for the lack of a corresponding physical button. Of course, I would like to have more shortcuts, but this can only be done through the OS settings web application.
What gives the 630th its “dual-capacity”?
The Nokia Lumia 630 Dual mobile phone, whose characteristics we are considering, being the first Dual-SIM Windows-background, has several unique touches in this regard. For starters, there are two different types of applications - telephone and messaging, which is a very strange and confusing circumstance, potentially making it difficult to master the device. The icons for each SIM card are only slightly different in color (and the first set goes transparent if you use the new background photo option). You will be dealing with a separate history sheet and mailboxes, although the contact list has remained general, and you can send a message or call from another SIM card and even from its other applications. This may help keep work and personal relationships separate, but not everyone will like this approach.
About some new wp smartphone apps
The Nokia Lumia 630 Dual SIM, whose characteristics we are considering, has several new applications and settings. So, the Battery Saver option does exactly what its name reflects, and allows you to check which of the applications have led to the most battery consumption. Data Sense allows users to set data usage limits, and Wi-Fi Sense is a unique tool that can automatically sign you up to password-protected Wi-Fi access points that your friends have used in the past. Another tool, called Storage Sense, allows you to manage applications, clean “caches,” and distribute user data between internal memory and a microSD card. The available settings for the keyboard currently allow you to drag your finger between letters, working in the so-called. Swype style. Skype and OneDrive are more deeply integrated, and Internet Explorer has received several internal improvements.
Were the usual problems of wp-smartphones preserved in the 630th model?
While many common problems have been fixed, Windows phones are still characterized by their own unique problems. The buttons on the screen are visible even when playing video in full screen, the "Back" button is illogical, and the Marketplace is still not working as efficiently as the Google Play or IOS App store.
The 630 comes with a range of advanced features known as the Lumia Cyan, which includes an advanced photography application. Other Nokia features are also present: Here Maps, Here Drive + and Nokia MixRadio. Surprisingly, the very, very useful option Glance screen, which in other Lumia models allows you to see notifications when the screen is off, has been deleted.
The Lumia 630 also comes with a lot of third-party apps: BoxTV, Evernote, Facebook, Flipkart e-books, Gameloft Gamehub, Line, PayTM and Zomato.
Camera
Nokia has always equipped its phones with many camera applications, and this time we have Cinemagraph, Creative Studio and Glam Me for various effects, ranging from animation. Features in Nokia Camera apps include shutter speed control and manual focus, and you have quick access to ISO and white balance settings.
User reviews indicate that they are very pleased with the photos taken with the smartphone in the daytime. The details and clarity were so good that they made me think that the photos were taken by phones that cost twice as much. Pictures in smaller rooms are worse even in a well-lit office. Photos taken at night will be full of noise and will not display all the details.
Performance
As expected, Nokia and Microsoft’s curious solutions regarding the configuration of the Lumia 630 had a big impact on device performance. The biggest problem that user reviews talk about is that some programs, such as GFXbench, simply cannot be installed due to the small RAM. We have to solve this problem using other applications. The manufacturer may have decided that 512 MB is enough for WP8.1, but again, we are wondering how much more expensive it would be if it were 1 GB.
The phone's interface is perceived quite well, but browsing the web is still a little time-consuming, and watching even non-HD videos often crashes. Therefore, we are not sure that the 630 will remain in the market for more than a year or two.
Poor screen quality was very obvious when watching a video. It's not really bad, but when using at least 720x1280 there is a noticeable difference.
Conclusion
You will be pleased with most of the improvements that you will see in WP 8.1, but manufacturers still have work to do. We hope that minor issues that are always observed on the on-screen buttons will be fixed in the near future. Nevertheless, I would like to make a few reservations.
User reviews say that this phone is a reliable workhorse with good design quality and phenomenal battery capacity, and, of course, Nokia branding and dealer and service network are big pluses. Many say that the smartphone is also quite stylish, and some people respond very well to its unique appearance. All this boils down to the fact that the Lumia 630 has a rather rare combination of features - if you like wp-smartphones and need a Dual-SIM device with a large screen, then you will be happy with it. If you are a lover of feature films, active videos or want to get a smartphone for many years, you should seriously consider spending a little more money for a better device.
So, that's almost all about the Nokia Lumia 630 Dual SIM. The specifications / price are correlated for this smartphone in such a way that a significant contingent of potential users probably liked it. Its typical price today is 7000 rubles (usually they give a small discount). Some buyers are attracted to this particular moment. Of course, the later representatives of the Lumia wp-smartphone line, like the 640th model (the heirs of the 630th and 635th), are equipped with both a front camera and a flash, but they also cost 1.5 times more. So the model discussed above is an example of a good price / quality ratio.