What's good
- No performance stutters or crashes
- Sturdy build quality
- Decent battery life
What's bad
- Flat colors and bad viewing angles
- No front facing camera
- Very limited internal storage
Nokia hopes to recreate the overwhelming success of the Lumia 521 with the release of the Lumia 530. Like the rest of the Lumia line, the 530 comes in several different colors: green, orange, blue, black and white. Measuring in at 4.7 x 2.4 x 0.5 inches and 129 grams, it is neither particularly thin nor light. Despite its chunkiness, critics explain that the phone is still comfortable to use and can easily slip into their back pocket. They also mention that the phone itself feels very solid despite its plastic exterior and can handle a couple mishaps.
The screen of the Lumia 530 remains at 4 inches though its resolution is slightly higher than its predecessor at 480 x 854. Although it increases pixel density to 245ppi, critics barely noticed much of an improvement. What they did notice, however, were the flat, washed out colors and poor viewing angles. PC Advisor notes, "…unless this is your first smartphone the display may put you off."
The specs as well place the Lumia 530 firmly in the budget category. It is powered by a 1.2GHz quad-core processor and 512MB of RAM. While it won't win any speed contests, reviewers were able to run everyday tasks and fast-paced games without any stutters or crashes. Still, they did notice that some apps took a bit longer to load, most notably the camera. Battery life was equally acceptable, clocking in at around 13 hours of moderate usage for critics. The biggest downside of the phone is its limited 4GB of internal storage. Luckily, it does come with a microSD expansion slot.
Unlike other smartphones, the Lumia 530 only has a 5MP rear facing camera. The amateur photographer is likely to be disappointed as the basic camera from Microsoft lacks features like manual focus and LED flash. Reviewers describe the camera as "half-decent" and able to take pictures with realistic colors and good detail.
In general, reviews are fairly positive for the Lumia 530. Recombu says, "If you want a no-fuss, user-friendly phone…this seems to be a great choice." TechRadar adds, "…it's another solid offering from Microsoft Devices…" though the also mention that, "…there's very little in the way of a spec boost here."
What the Critics Are Saying...
- Sam Sabri, WPCentralThe Lumia 530 is the cheapest Lumia you can buy today and you get some excellent support from Microsoft. However, new 'white label' Windows Phone like the BLU Win JR. give the Lumia 530 some competition for value. Although more expensive, the Lumia 635 is a much better choice if you can spend the ex...
- Andrew Cunningham, Ars TechnicaThe Lumia 530 has three big problems. First, the low-quality screen. Second, the fact that the Lumia 520 is in many ways a superior phone. Third, there’s the existence of the Lumia 630 and 635.Let’s start with the last problem first. We bought our T-Mobile Lumia 530 from the Microsoft St...
- Sascha Segan, PC MagazineDeciding here comes down to simplicity versus flexibility. The One Touch phones run Android, which has a much broader range of third-party applications than the 530 can support. But Android has a slightly messier, slightly more complex UI than the extremely simple Windows Phone, and the Evolve's voi...
- Leela Prasad, The Indian ExpressThis phone can stand out, but not eat up and spit out its competition
- Jessica Dolcourt, CnetSince specs are decidedly basic, its low price is the major reason to seek out the Nokia Lumia 530.
Prices (Where to Buy)
Common Questions
We've got you covered! Download a free PDF copy of the Nokia Lumia 530 user manual here.
Nokia backs up the Lumia 530 with a 1 Year parts & labour warranty.
If your Lumia 530 has problems and is still within its warranty period, you could contact Nokia support or the retailer you purchased the phone from. You'll find Nokia's contact information here. If your phone is off warranty and needs repair for a physical problem such as a broken screen or bad battery, you should visit an authorized service centre or a local phone repair shop. You can also connect with others in The Informr Community Forum to find and share answers to questions.
Resources
Manuals / User Guides
- Nokia Lumia 530 Manual (PDF)
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