A typical entry-level smartphone on the Windows 8.1 operating system is Nokia Lumia 530. The characteristics of its hardware and software specifications, as well as the reviews of the owners of this device will be examined in detail in the framework of this review.
Device Options
One of the first questions that potential owners of Nokia Lumiya 530 have: “What is included in the package of this phone?” One can’t expect anything unusual from a budget class device, the list of components and accessories is very modest. It includes the following:
- Charger with microUSB output connector at 550mA. At the same time, the cord is “soldered” to the power supply unit of the charger and it cannot be disconnected.
- Battery with a capacity of 1430 mAh.
- Technical instruction manual. It also contains a warranty card.
- Smartphone.
The package was really very modest, even for an entry-level gadget. First of all, you need to highlight the lack of an interface cord. Without it, it will not be possible to connect this smart phone to a personal computer. This accessory will have to be purchased separately. The situation is similar with headphones. They are also not in the boxed version of this device. Also missing in the package of delivery "Lumiya 530" cover, memory card and protective film.
Gadget Design and Color Options
There is a lot in common in the design of earlier entry-level models of this brand and Nokia Lumiya 530. The review of “Lumia 520” and “Lumia 525” prove this once again. The only difference is that in the newer model “Lumiya 530” there is no main camera control button and the gadget control unit in it has moved from the lower edge of the device to the lower part of the display. The front of the device is made of simple plastic and there is no oleophobic coating on it . As a result, without a protective film, it will be very difficult to maintain its original state.
The side faces and the back side of the device are a single whole - this is a plastic cover with holes for the main camera and the loud speaker (located on its back side), as well as with the disabled gadget lock and volume buttons on the right edge of the device. A microUSB port is also brought to the bottom of the device, and a 3.5 mm audio port to the top. The back plastic cover has a matte finish and this is an indisputable advantage of the Nokia Lumiya 530. A review of the owner’s reviews confirms this once again: the surface is non-marking and resistant to scratches. But in order to maintain the initial state of the device for as long as possible, it is recommended to protect the back cover with a silicone case. And finally, it is worth noting the possible color scheme of this device. There are only five of them: blue, green, white, black and orange. From a practical point of view, it is better to choose the black version for every day (it is not so dirty and the prints on it are least noticeable). White will appreciate the "weak" half of humanity. Well, the remaining three colors are aimed at a youth audience.
CPU solution and its features
A very modest chip is used in the Nokia Lumia 530. The characteristics of its parameters are not impressive. This is a Snapdragon 200. Its second code name, in accordance with the specifications of the developing company, is the MSM8210. It consists of 4 computing modules based on the "A7" architecture and their maximum frequency at maximum load can reach 1.2 GHz. For most everyday tasks (browsing sites, playing music and movies, reading books), its computing resources are enough. And such a simple toy like Angry Beards will do it. But if you try to run GTA 4 on this smart phone, then there may be problems. With the device itself, of course, nothing will happen, but the toy under certain circumstances can hang or brake. So it’s better not to launch serious, demanding applications on Lumiya 530.
Display and graphics accelerator
The entry-level graphics adapter Adreno 302 is used in Nokia Lumiya 530. The characteristics of the technical plan are very modest, but, on the other hand, this is a budget-level device. The main task of this video accelerator is to unload the CPU due to the fact that image processing is carried out by an external component. And he copes with this task perfectly. Moreover, the screen of this device has a fairly modest, as at the present time, diagonal of 4 inches. Its resolution is 480x854.
Most of all complaints are caused by the display which is installed in the Nokia Lumiya 530 phone. The characteristics of the technical plan are normal (they are given earlier in the text), but the matrix underlying it is based on the outdated TFT technology. And from here two shortcomings immediately arise: when the device deviates 30 degrees from the right angle, the image is distorted and when the interface elements are moved, they “blur”. The first drawback is typical for this type of matrix, and the second is most likely caused by its low quality. And this problem cannot be fixed.
Main camera
There is only one camera in the Nokia Lumiya 530. Its technical characteristics are mediocre: a 5 megapixel sensor and no LED backlight. There is also no autofocus system and no software image stabilization. Accordingly, the photo quality is far from ideal. Text or a picture with small details is legible with its help it is impossible to remove. The only where it is applicable is for panoramic shooting. Video recording is in 480p format. With panoramic recording, the quality is average and most of the details are easy to make out. But a detailed video with such quality will be difficult to make out: the image will be blurry.
Memory
The memory subsystem in Nokia Lumiya 530 is poorly implemented. Characteristics she has these:
- 0.5 GB of RAM.
- 4 GB of internal storage capacity.
- You can also install an external drive of 128 GB.
The key problem here is the small amount of RAM. Enlarging it somehow will not work. As a result, the device owner will have to regularly monitor the amount of available RAM and periodically clean it using special software. In turn, 4 GB is partially occupied by system software. The user is allocated only 1.3 GB. This is enough to install several programs, but personal data (music, photos, movies and videos) is best stored on an external drive. It, as noted earlier, is not in the basic configuration of the gadget. This accessory will have to be purchased separately.
Battery and autonomy
A 1430 mAh battery is used in the Nokia Lumiya 530. Characteristic this device from a standpoint of autonomy is poor. Under the most favorable circumstances and in the mode of maximum saving of battery life, the declared capacity will last for 3 days. If you use this device heavily, then this figure will be reduced to 12 hours. So it turns out that with an average load, this gadget will last 1-2 days. The current output of the complete charger is 550 mA. When dividing 1430 mAh by 550 mA, we get 2.6 hours. That is, it takes more than 2.5 hours to fully charge the battery.
Interface set
All necessary ports and wireless transmitters are integrated into the Nokia Lumiya 530 Dual SIM. This device, as you might guess from the name, is equipped with two slots for installing SIM cards. To install them, you will have to completely turn off the device, remove the back cover and remove the battery. Both the first SIM card and the second one can work in mobile networks of the second and third generation. In the first case, GPRS and EDGE technologies are supported. The maximum data exchange rate with the global web in this case is 150 kbit / s. This is enough to download simple Internet portals or communicate on social networks. Well, for watching videos online or downloading large files, it is better to use 3G networks. In this case, theoretically, the peak speed can reach 21 Mbps. A worthy alternative to 3G networks is Wi-Fi. In this case, all the most common modifications of this wireless method of transmitting information are supported, and the maximum speed can reach 100 Mbps.
Bluetooth is also supported. With it, you can connect a wireless headset to the device or exchange small files with similar mobile devices. As noted earlier, the Nokia Lumia 530 Dual SIM can easily and simply turn into a portable navigator. As a software component, the Nokia HERE mapping service is used. At the hardware level, a GPS transmitter is used for these purposes. With it, you can connect to both the GPS system and GLONASS. But there are only two wired interfaces. The first of them is a universal microUSB. It is used both for charging the battery and for exchanging data with a computer. The second is a 3.5 audio jack, designed to output an audio signal to an external speaker system.
System software
The OS is Windows 8.1 for Nokia Lumia 530. Specifications allow it to run on this device. But the lack of RAM leads to the fact that the interface in places does not work quite smoothly. As an integrated browser in the OS acts “Internet Explorer”. If you need something else, you will have to additionally install a third-party browser.
Application software
An impressive set of software was installed initially on the Nokia Lumiya 530. Skype, Office 365, and Nokia HERE cards are preinstalled on this device. No Android device can boast of such a set. The latest Nokia HERE mapping service allows even with the Internet turned off to determine the location of the gadget and use it as a full-fledged ZhPS navigator. Skype allows you to make video calls when connected to the global web. Well, “Office 365” is a mobile version of the Microsoft Office suite of applications: “Word”, “Excel”, etc.
Owners opinion
There are certain flaws in the Nokia Lumia 530. The specifications (reviews prove this without fail) of the processor, graphics adapter and battery are not satisfactory. But the quality of the display, the main camera and the amount of RAM are the main disadvantages of the gadget. Regarding the screen, we can say that the colors on it, even with slight turns, are distorted and when the tile interface is moved, the image is blurred. Due to the lack of autofocus and image stabilization system, high-quality images on this device are very difficult to obtain. Well, 512 MB of RAM will not be enough to run demanding applications.
Summary
Not entirely unambiguous was the Nokia Lumia 530. The characteristic of the hardware capabilities of the device indicates a certain margin of performance. But here the quality of the camera, screen and the amount of RAM are the “bottlenecks” in this gadget. Somehow, removing these three shortcomings from this device will not work. Therefore, when buying a smartphone, we take these nuances into account. Well, a kind of compensation for a number of shortcomings is the cost of the device, which today fluctuates around 5000 rubles.