Nokia Lumia 925
Phone Scoop Review
Jul 27, 2013 by Eric M. Zeman
Nokia's Lumia 925 represents the current pinnacle of hardware design for Windows Phone, but it still doesn't get every feature right. See where the 925 shines and where it doesn't in Phone Scoop's full review. read review ›
User Reviews
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Viva Microsoft
Carrier: T-Mobile
Great Phone... Don't be scared to leave Android or IOS.
Camera: Like with other Nokia phones, the camera is supposed to be the hero for the Lumia 925 as well. The phone has an 8.7 MP camera with Carl Zeiss. Though there is a Pureview branding at the rear, this one does use the oversampling technique that Nokia introduced with the 808 PureView. Images are captured at 3264x2448p resolution with a camera that has some basic shooting modes. We found that the images captured during bright daylight appeared good with natural colours. We encountered issue while locking the focus indoors, despite the focus assist light. But there is no doubt that low-light photography is the USP of this Lumia too. The images we captured in a pitch dark room with flash had hardly any noise. This is thanks also to the optical image stabilizer. Other effects like onboard include motion blur and action lens are also good.
Performance: The 925 runs Windows Phone 8 from Microsoft with the Amber update. This means the phone has FM radio, enhanced camera software, the Smart Camera app, double tap to unlock gestures and the flip to silence gesture. Browsing with Internet Explorer was smooth and we also liked the HERE Drive+ and HERE Maps. However, the platform still lacks many popular apps and is not capable of active multitasking. When one exits an app, it goes into the standby mode. But unlike Android, WP8 is not a power hungry OS and works well with a dual-core chipset. The Lumia 925 is powered by a 1.5GHz dual core Snapdragon S4 processor coupled with 1GB RAM. The onboard storage is 16GB and there is no option to expand memory.
Battery: The 2000 mAh battery on the Lumia 925 was good enough to survive a day with excessive use of the camera and average browsing, social networking and some calls. If used carefully, it can give a few more hours of juice.
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I regret NOTHING
Carrier: T-Mobile
This phone has an amazing set of features. Not only is it powered with the ridiculously user-friendly Windows Phone 8, but Nokia has even added some extra options. It's light, thin, and still manages to have a big and beautiful screen.
The new mobile version of Office is on board and it's even better than the version included with WP7.5. With it's shape and rounded edges, using it to make final touches on a school project is a snap and pretty comfortable.
The camera is insane, with the only draw back being the lack of zoom. It takes such clear pictures, however, at such a good resolution, that it doesn't. You can zoom and crop later. Be sure to check out all the extra camera apps or "lenses" for the phone. There's some really brilliant options in there. The dual flash is insanely bright and, with the download of a flashlight app, will easily light a large room.
Audio is top notch. Calls are crisp and clear, both on network and using Wi-Fi calling. The external speakers are loud and lack the rattle, pop, and fuzz of typical speakers. You'll definitely hear this guy ring. An equalizer option is finally included for music and video playback, but it's only available with headphones or a speaker connected. It also includes the very delicious Dolby headphone optimization.
Video looks amazingly sharp and it easily beats any other screen I've seen. The only issue seems to be that there's a little bit of blur when the user scrolls through text in the browser too quickly, but it's perfect otherwise.
My only real objection is the color, but that's what cases are for. The good news is, though, that the white back wipes pretty easily and doesn't seem to attract too much dirt or oil. The fit and finish on it are solid, with no component making it feel like it's over-priced. It manages to be light without feeling cheap. I charged it fully when I got it and haven't had to charge it again. I'm on day three and my phone is pretty much glued to my ear.