Earlier this week, my Android phone decided it was going to crash and stop working, which threw me unexpectedly in the market for a new cell phone. I decided I would try a Windows phone because I use Windows 8.1 everyday on my computer and likethe clean interface and the way the OS works. The choices within my price range for a Windows phone were either the Lumia 520 or the 630.
While the two phones look very similar, and many people believe that there isn’t much difference between them. When you dig a little deeper, there are some definitely differences, and reasons why the 630 is a better choice than the 520.
1. Size
The Lumia 630 is taller than the 520 and slightly wider and thinner. Exact measurements are:
Lumia 630 – 129.5 x 66.7 x 9.2 mm, weighing in at 134 g
Lumia 520 – 119.9 x 64.0 x 9.9 mm, weighing in at 124 g.
So there really isn’t much different in the actual size, or weight of the two phones. However, when you look at the display size, the Lumia 520 only has a 4 inch display while the 630 has a display a full half inch bigger.
2. Battery Life & Talk Time
The 630 has a much larger 1930 mAh battery and is rated for up to 13.1 hours of talk time. The smaller, 520 has a 1420 mAh battery with an approximate talk time of 9.7 hours. Additionally, the Qualcomm chipset featured in the 6230 helps to improve battery performance and is a larger CPU than the one found in the 520.
3. Camera
The cameras on both phones are virtually identical. Both the Lumia 630 and 520 have a 5mp rear facing camera and no front facing camera. The both feature 1/4 inch sensors and have the same apertures and focal lengths. However, the more up to date firmware and software on the Lumia 630 out performs the Lumia 520.
4. Snapdragon Processors
Powering the Lumia 630 is a quad core Snapdragon 400 1.2 GHz processor, whereas the Lumia 520 features an older Snapdragon S4 1GHz dual core. While the processor in the 630 is not the fastest in the smart phone industry, it handles Windows 8.1 gracefully with very little hesitation, if any. Of course, the Snapdragon 400 is a much newer processor and can easily handle up to date technology such as Nokia’s SensorCore, used in the pedometer in the Bing Health & Fitness app, which comes pre-installed on the phone.
5. ClearBlack Display & Gorilla Glass 3
I really like the 4.5-inch display on the Lumia 630, which is a full 1/2 inch larger than both the Lumia 520 and 525, but the size is only a small reason why the 630 outshines the 520. A larger reason is the fact that the 630 features Nokia’s ClearBlack technology and Gorilla Glass 3.
Made by Corning, Gorilla Glass is extremely tough and a must for durability and scratch protection. The lower quality display on the 520 seems to gather more fingerprints, is not as smooth as the 630, and is much more difficult to keep clean.
ClearBlack is a dual layer polarizer technology found on Nokia 6xx devices and higher. It is this technology that makes the blacks darker and the colors more vibrant. It also features low reflectivity and makes the phone much easier to see in bright and outdoor lighting.
To Sum it Up
Obviously, I walked out of the store with a bright green Lumia 630, the color is nice and you can purchase replacement backs in many different colors so you can change your phone to suit your mood, or outfit. While the two phones are similar, the 630 is a better phone in a lot of ways, and is well worth the extra price.
I have had my phone a few days now, transitioning from my Android to the Windows OS was easy, transferring my data was made very simple by the built in Transfer my Data app, and while I still have some tinkering to do to push the phone to its limits, I am impressed with what I have seen so far.
