Hands On with the Nokia Lumia 620 for Aio
May 21, 2013, 8:22 PM by Rich Brome @richbrome
updated May 22, 2013, 12:59 AM
We spent some time with the new Lumia 620 for Aio, AT&T's new prepaid experiment. This cute little phone has a unique design. Here's what we thought of it.
source: Nokia
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Nokia's Lumia 620 is a small, cute little phone with a distinctive design.
Back in the early days of mass-market cell phones, Nokia was known for making phones that hit a sweet spot of affordable price, high-quality build, and stylish design. Many of them also sported colorful "Xpress-on" changeable shells. With the 620, Nokia seems to be trying to return to those roots.
The design of the 620 is simple, much like the 520 and 521. Both have a flat glass front and a colorful plastic shell that snaps off. The back cover wraps around to form the sides, such that the front meets the back at a sharp corner surrounding the front glass. It's not the most comfortable design to hold, but it's simple and durable, and - I imagine - helps keeps costs down. It also makes it very easy to change the look of the phone completely with a different shell.
The 620 differs from the 520/521 most obviously with its tri-tone translucent plastic that turns different colors at the edges. The one we handled was mostly purple, but blue around the front and red around the buttons and jacks. The effect is unique and eye-catching, without looking gaudy. Nokia only had the purple shell on hand for us, but promised many colors will be available.
The body of the 620 feels very much like the plastic that it is, but it also feels like very solid, durable plastic. It's a tiny plastic tank. The side keys all work well.
Speaking of tanks, this is not a thin phone. That's fine since it's quite small in the other dimensions, but it's thick, to be sure. Actually, it's not clear that Nokia even cared to make it thin. There's a surprisingly thick foam spacer between the battery and the shell that just takes up space and keeps the battery from rattling around.
The way the phone and cover fit together is totally unique. Not only are the side keys built into the cover, but the entire headset jack is, as well. That's a nifty, creative bit of engineering to get the clean design that make a Lumia phone distinctive.
Look for the 620 under AT&T's Aio brand this year.
About the author, Rich Brome:Editor in Chief Rich became fascinated with cell phones in 1999, creating mobile web sites for phones with tiny black-and-white displays and obsessing over new phone models. Realizing a need for better info about phones, he started Phone Scoop in 2001, and has been helming the site ever since. Rich has spent two decades researching and covering every detail of the phone industry, traveling the world to tour factories, interview CEOs, and get every last spec and photo Phone Scoop readers have come to expect. As an industry veteran, Rich is a respected voice on phone technology of the past, present, and future.
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