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Nokia Lumia 800 review

8.3/10 AVG.
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Nokia Lumia 800
Nokia Lumia 800
Nokia Lumia 800
Nokia Lumia 800
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8.3/10
Informr score
The Nokia Lumia 800 currently has an Informr score of 8.3 out of 10. This score is based on our evaluation of 26 sources including reviews from users and the web's most trusted critics.

The Lumia 800 smartphone is a flagship phone from Nokia. Taking exterior design cues from their sleek and sexy experimental N9 MeeGo phone, Nokia's latest offering incorporates the "Mango" build of Windows Phone 7, along with a complete overhaul of pretty much everything under the hood.

The Lumia 800 features a smoothly designed polycarbonate shell surrounding a 3.7 inch 480 x 800 AMOLED capacitive touchscreen beneath a gently curved piece of gorilla glass. The display also incorporates Nokia's proprietary ClearBlack technology, meaning that colors and text are displayed against a true black background rather than the backlit gray that is displayed on many other phones. The end result is a sharp display of vibrant colors, easy-to-read text, and smooth video.

Under the hood, the Lumia 800 sports a 1.4 GHz Scorpion processor paired with an Adreno 205 GPU and 512 MB of RAM. While, on paper, it may look to be underpowered when compared to the latest Android phones on the market, it's important to keep in mind that this phone exceeds the minimum specifications for Windows Phone 7 - which doesn't take advantage of dual-core processing at this time. That being said, the Lumia 800 runs Microsoft's current mobile OS without a hitch.

The Lumia 800 has many of the standard features that we've come to expect to see in smartphones, such as GPS and WiFi b/g/n. The phone also includes a built-in FM tuner for listening to the radio while on the go, as well as a Carl Zeiss 8 megapixel rear-facing camera coupled with a dual LED flash that takes sharp stills and smooth 720p HD video.

A few features are noticeably absent from this phone, however. The phone's 16GB of internal memory is not expandable via external memory cards, meaning that users may run out of storage sooner than they wish. Since it has no front-facing camera, the phone cannot be used for video conferencing. Additionally, this phone is not compatible with Nokia's proprietary NFC accessories as previous phones have been, meaning that some brand-loyal customers may find themselves needing to replace accessories they've already purchased.

Overall, the Lumia 800 is a beautifully-crafted phone that has some really great features. Combined with the intuitiveness of the Windows Phone 7 operating system, this phone is positioned to be a real contender in the ever-growing smartphone market.

Need to know: Nokia Lumia 800

1. While a bit smaller than some of its competition, the Lumia 800 sports one of the most vibrant and sharp displays currently available. (The Good)

2. The Lumia 800 runs Windows Phone 7 flawlessly, allowing users to easily integrate and synchronize data between their phone and existing Microsoft software and devices, including PCs, the Xbox 360, and Zune media players. (The Good)

3. The phone is not compatible with Nokia's proprietary NFC accessories. (The Bad)

4. Users are limited to the 16 GB of internal memory, with no option for expansion (The Bad)


Windows Phone
Operating system
Operating system
Windows Phone
1.4 GHz
Processor
Processor
1.4 GHz
3.7"
Screen Size
Screen Size
3.7"
8+ MP
Camera
Camera
8+ MP
1450 mAh
Battery


What the Critics Are Saying...


TelecomTiger
TelecomTiger

The Nokia Lumia 800 has a couple of limitations like limited memory storage of only 16 GB, and no HD video resolution. Still it is a good phone and has made its presence felt in the market. Strong 1.4 GHz Qualcomm processor assures fast processing and downloading. The 8 MP camera with dual LED flash...

- TT Gadget editor , TelecomTiger
GSMArena
GSMArena

There's a lot riding on the Nokia Lumia 800 and the Finns put a lot of work into it - well, they worked for a long time anyway. The final result manages to impress, but also brings some disappointment. There's not much we can say about the OS - here all Windows Phone handsets are evenly matched...

- GSMArena team, GSMArena
Softpedia
Softpedia

It’s pretty clear that Nokia and Windows Phone already have its fans. Microsoft and Nokia continue to work on improving the Windows Phone environment, as well as the devices powered by this platform. While the Lumia 800 is one of Nokia’s top tier phones, we still think that the Finnish...

- Cosmin Vasile, Softpedia
Brighthand
Brighthand

After testing the Lumia 800 for several days, it is perfectly clear that Microsoft and Nokia have made a terrific deal by burying the hatchet a year ago – this is convincingly the best Windows Phone device, apart from the bigger, but otherwise almost identical Lumia 900. Just about all the Lu...

- Dragan Petric, Brighthand
Mobile Syrup
Mobile Syrup

The Lumia 800 is not a perfect phone, but it appears so when first held in the hand. It’s about the conscientious in-box additions, including a colour-matching silicone case and one of the best-designed wall outlets I’ve seen. It’s about the otherworldly polycarbonate finish that repels stains and...

- Daniel Bader , Mobile Syrup


Prices (Where to Buy)




Common Questions


We've got you covered! Download a free PDF copy of the Nokia Lumia 800 user manual here.


Nokia backs up the Lumia 800 with a 1 Year parts & labour warranty.


If your Lumia 800 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.



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Quick view

Screen Size
3.7"

The Nokia Lumia 800's screen size is 3.7 inches with x pixels resolution.

Processor
1.4 GHz

There is a Qualcomm Snapdragon MSM8255 1.4 GHz processor (CPU).

OS

The phone runs on proprietary operating system firmware.

Camera
8+ MP

You can take photos or capture video with the phone's onboard 8+ MP camera.

There's no secondary front camera.

Storage
16 GB

Internal memory is 16 GB. No external card slot is available for expansion.

Battery
1450mAh

The phone is powered by a Lithium-Ion (Li-Ion), 1450 mAh battery. Nokia's performance ratings are 0.5 days standby time, 780 minutes, 247 minutes Wi-Fi surfing.

Lumia 800 Specs

Overview
Release Date March 2, 2012
Regions Available Canada
Operating System No

Compare Windows Phone Smartphones

Processor Qualcomm Snapdragon MSM8255 1.4 GHz
Internal Storage 16 GB
RAM 512 MB
Hearing Aid Compatible No
TTY/TDD No
Noise Cancellation Yes
SAR Head: 1.27 W/kg
Body: 1.06 W/kg
Manufacturer Warranty 1 Year
Accessories Included AC Charger, Data Cable, Headset, Manual, Standard Battery
Cellular
Networks
EDGE, HSDPA 14.4, HSUPA
Mobile / Cellular Data
Push-to-talk (PTT) No
Wi-Fi Calling No
Voice over LTE (VoLTE) No
SIM card size
Yes
Dual SIM No
Connectivity
USB Micro-USB 2.0
USB OTG Support No
GPS Type A-GPS
Infrared No
Bluetooth 2.1
Bluetooth Profiles A2DP, AVRCP, HFP, HSP
Bluetooth Audio Codecs SBC
Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n
Mobile Hotspot No
Memory Expansion Slot No
Expansion Slot Info
NFC No
Data Tethering Compatibility No
Camera
Main Camera
Resolution / Aperture
8+ Megapixels
Zoom
3x digital
Flash
Yes (LED)
Additional Rear Camera Info
Auto focus, Geotagging, White balance
Video Recording Formats
3GP / 3GPP, H.264 / AVC, MPEG-4, WMV
Video Recording Parameters
HD (1280 x 720 pixels), 30 fps
Front Camera
Resolution / Aperture
Additional Front Camera Info
No
Video Recording Parameters
Display / Screen
Type Color
Technology AMOLED
Colors 16.7 million
Resolution x pixels
Pixel Density 252 pixels
Size 3.7 inches
Secondary Display No
Sensors Ambient Light, Proximity, Motion / Accelerometer, Digital Compass
Multi-Touch Yes
Fingerprint-Resistant Coating No
Additional Display Features Capacitive touch screen
Power & Battery
Battery Type Lithium-Ion (Li-Ion)
Battery Capacity 1450 mAh
Removable Battery No
Wireless Charging No
Fast Charging No
Video Playback Time Unknown
Internet Use (Wi-Fi) Up to 247 minutes
Internet Use (Cellular) Unknown
Talk Time Up to 780 minutes
Standby Time Up to 0.5 days
Mixed Usage
Physical Characteristics
Design Type Bar
Material Plastic
Colors Cyan, Black, Magenta, White
Dimensions [H x W x D] 11.7 x 6.1 x 1.2 cm (4.6 x 2.4 x 0.5 in)
Weight 142 grams
Water Resistant / Waterproof Unknown
Rugged design No
IP Rating No
Headset Jack 3.5mm
External Speakers Yes
Input / Navigation
Sleep / Wake Key No
Home Key Yes
Input / Keyboard Type Touchscreen
Navigation Type Touchscreen
External Volume Control Yes
Fingerprint Sensor No
More
Additional Information Messaging: SMS, MMS, Windows Live
ROM: 512MB
Multi-Use Smart Phone / PDA: Yes
Graphics: Wallpapers
Themes: Yes
Backlit Illumination: Yes
Zoom / Magnification: Yes
Predictive Text Entry: Yes
Voicemail Key: Yes
Voice Commands: Yes
Keypad/Screen Lock: Yes
Multiple Numbers Per Contact: Email address, Other fields
Contact Groups: Yes
Voice Activated Dialing: Yes
Photo Caller ID: Yes
Web Browser: Yes
Email Client: Yes
Email Protocols: POP3, IMAP, SMTP, Microsoft Exchange
PC Synchronization: OTA
Java Application: Yes
Audio Formats: MP3, eAAC+, AAC+, AAC, WMA, QCP, M4A, AMR-NB
Video Playback Formats: 3GP / 3GPP, H.264 / AVC, MPEG-4, WMV
Streaming Video: Yes
Custom Ringtones: No
Vibration Alert: Yes
Downloadable Ringtones: Yes
Ringer ID: Yes
Speakerphone: Yes
Radio: Yes (FM)
Viewable document types: DOC, DOCX, PDF, PPT, PPTX, XLS
Games: Yes
Apps: Downloadable, Pre-installed
Included Software / Apps: -
To-Do / Task List, Calendar, World Clock, Alarm, Calculator, Maps, NotePad, Voice Memos / Recorder

Other Names (AKA): Nokia 703, Nokia Searay, Nokia Sun, Nokia Sea Ray
Related Links Manual (PDF)
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