Review: Microsoft Lumia 735 for Verizon Wireless
Screen
The 735's LCD display panel measures 4.7 inches across the diagonal and has 720p HD resolution. This is a really nice size/resolution combination. The 921,000 pixels are packed in tightly and provide sharp edges to text, icons, and graphics. Lumia handsets have always enjoyed good contrast and deep blacks and the 735 is no different in that respect. Colors are accurate and look great. Outdoor viewability is generally good and viewing angles are superb. The 735's display is very good.
Signal
The 735 was a champ on Big Red's LTE network in and around New York City. It remained connected to 4G during the entire review period and never slipped to 3G. I was able to connect most calls on the first dial. The 735 didn't miss or drop calls while I reviewed it. Data speeds were decent, but not the best I've seen from Verizon. Apps were particularly slow to download from the Windows Store when on 4G, but email and social networks performed quick enough to keep my impatience at bay.
Sound
Phone calls via the 735's earpiece were impressive. Volume was excellent, and voices were clear and sharp in my ear. I was able to hear calls in relatively noisy spaces, such as a busy restaurant at lunch and walking down NYC streets full of lumbering construction vehicles and blaring taxis. You'll be able to keep the volume set at about 60% most of the time. Those I spoke with through the 735 said I sounded a bit muted.
The speakerphone offers plenty of volume, but clarity suffers a bit thanks to distortion. Calls are clearest when the volume is at about 6 or 7, but then they aren't as easy to hear in noisy environments.
The ringers and alerts can be jarringly loud. The vibrate alert is weaker than I prefer.
Battery
The 735 has a 2,200 mAh battery. The power cell has just enough juice to get from breakfast to bedtime without issue. I consistently scored 17 hours of heavy use with the 735. Dialing back media and camera use increased battery life to about 20 hours of uptime. (The LTE, Bluetooth, GPS, and WiFi radios were on at all times.)
Windows Phone has a basic battery saver tool and it can extend the battery a few more hours at the expense of performance.
The 735 supports Qi wireless charging, so you can place it on a charging pad rather than worry about plugging it into the wall.
Verizon Selling Lumia 735 Starting Today
Samsung Refreshes Galaxy S Series with S Pen, New Cameras
Samsung Refines its Foldable Phones
iPhone 14 Plus Offers a Big Screen For Less
Microsoft Lumia 735 (CDMA)
