Nokia Inspired: February 2012

Little over two months have passed since I started using the Nokia Lumia 800 so it’s about time I wrote a follow up to my previous article. Usually I’m the kind of person that gets bored with a phone very quickly or starts to get annoyed when little issues start stacking up, fortunately this isn’t the case with this phone.

It’s been quite an interesting learning experience with the Lumia getting to know it’s features and foibles and have extremely enjoyed it. I can safely say now that it’s the phone I’ve enjoyed the most in recent years and hope to continue using the Windows Phone (WP) operating systems on Nokia hardware for the foreseeable future. In recent years I’ve tried Meego, Symbian, Android (eclair-honeycomb), iOS and found that WP suits me the best overall. Many throw complaints at WP saying it’s missing this or lacking that but I’d say it’s better than the sum of its parts and has a great future ahead of it.

The single most stand-out feature for me is still the speed, everything is just so quick and responsive which really does make the user experience enjoyable. I believe it’s this that’s responsible for why I feel so positively about the device after extended use. I used to be a fan of multiple home screens but now when going back to devices with them they just seem cluttered, guess I’ve become a fan of the minimalistic metro design on WP without realising it. I really do love how the design is used on many apps too, makes them instantly recognisable and easy to use.

Most of my gripes still stand but they've faded and I’m enjoying the positives that the Lumia has to over way more than the negatives. Since my last article a major update was released and I now get improved battery life which is always a bonus! Hopefully we’ll see more tweaks and fixes from both Nokia and Microsoft to make the Lumia even better. The only app that’s really given me any trouble is spotify, it can be quite unstable at times and is in need of a major update, hope this happens soon.

I’ve given the camera quite a work out over the last couple of months and whilst not the best it’s certainly possible to get some good results from it, you can find some samples lower down. It’s been enjoyable using silly apps such as face swap and face mask too, great for having a bit of harmless fun at others expense!

After two months would I still recommend the Lumia 800 to friends and family? The answer is still a massive YES! In fact one of my work mates recently bought one and loves it, says it’s her best phone ever. Many others I’ve shown it to like it and would consider it, or its successor when their contract is due for renewal. Me, I’ll be sticking with it until Nokia release a Lumia with a truly N8 beating camera comes along!