Microsoft's acquisition of Nokia is now bearing fruit, but as often happens when big companies merge, there aren't enough jobs to go around. More than 10,000 former Nokia employees are due to be laid off by the end of the year, but their legacy will live on for a time in the Lumia 930: one of the last all-Nokia creations. If you live in the UK, then you already know where to get the flagship Windows Phone, but the more important question is whether you want one. We've already taken a deep dive on the 930 in our review of theLumia Icon, which is essentially the same phone, just exclusive to Verizon in the US. Let's revisit the good, the bad and the competition.
The Lumia 930 won't leave many wanting when it comes to raw specs, but it could leave the more design-focused buyer a tad underwhelmed. It's a fairly inconspicuous marriage of Gorilla Glass 3, aluminum and polycarbonate, with the latter adding a dash of Lumia color to brighten up the proceedings. If you're not a fan of Nokia's more playful, plastic-clad models, then the 930's utilitarian look might be right up your alley. The aluminum band spanning the perimeter of the phone is a nice reminder you're dealing with a top-end device that deserves a dose of premium materials. A slight pillowing of the back panel makes the 930 comfortable to hold, and with a 5-inch display, it has much more agreeable dimensions than the 6-inch Lumia 1520. The smaller device is still relatively heavy at 167g (or sturdy, depending on how you look at it), but well within most people's tolerances.
| NOKIA LUMIA 930 | |
|---|---|
| Dimensions | 137 x 71 x 9.8mm |
| Weight | 5.89 oz. (167g) |
| Screen size | 5.0 inches |
| Screen resolution | 1,920 x 1,080 (441 ppi) |
| Screen type | OLED ClearBlack; sunlight readability enhancement; high brightness mode; Gorilla Glass 3 |
| Battery | 2,420mAh Li-Ion (non-removable) |
| Internal storage | 32GB |
| External storage | None |
| Rear camera | 20MP Zeiss, OIS, f/2.4, wide-angle lens, AF |
| Front-facing cam | 2MP sensor (1.2MP stills) |
| Video capture | 1080p/30 fps (rear); 720p (front) |
| NFC | Yes (with secure element on SIM) |
| Radios |
LTE Bands 1, 3, 7, 8, 20
GSM: (850/900/1800/1900)
HSPA: (850/900/1900/2100)
|
| Bluetooth | v4.0 LE |
| SoC | Qualcomm Snapdragon 800 (MSM8974) |
| CPU | 2.2GHz quad-core |
| GPU | Adreno 330 |
| RAM | 2GB |
| Miscellaneous | FM radio, GPS/GLONASS, micro-USB 2.0 HS, four-mic setup |
| WiFi | Dual-band, 802.11a/b/g/n/ac |
| Wireless Charging | Yes, Qi standard |
| Operating system | Windows Phone 8.1, Lumia Cyan |
The Lumia 930 launched already running Windows Phone 8.1, but the Icon, its US doppelganger, was built before Microsoft eased up on design requirements with the release of 8.1. As a result, the 930 is probably the last phone you'll see with capacitive navigation keys and a physical camera button alongside the standard power and volume rocker arrangement. Undoubtedly, one of the best bits of the external hardware is the 5-inch display: a 1080p AMOLED ClearBlack panel nestled under a sheet of Gorilla Glass 3. It's hard to fault, what with its great sunlight readability, viewing angles and color saturation.
