78
Nokia Lumia 710
8.0
final rating

reviewed on
this review has been viewed 392 times

Criteria Comments Rating
  • Reception and call quality Calls come in crisp and clear. The mic picks up the caller but very little background noise - even on a windy day. good
  • Display Honestly, at first I thought that the Clear Black display was just marketing buzzwords, but I no longer have to squint or cover the phone out in the sun. good
  • Battery life Better than most Android phones I've used but still not quite a full day's worth (I'm a heavy data user). good
  • Camera Shoots better photos than an HTC Amaze 4G, Motorola DEFY, and any budget smartphone that's comparably priced. great!
  • Ease of use Windows Phone is a new experience for most out there, that said the learning curve is small. good
  • Design and form factor No lie, this phone is only $300 off contract. You can't tell by how it looks. It stands out in all the right ways though it could be slimmer. good
  • Portability (size / weight) Remember how I said it could be slimmer, well it really could. It's thicker than most high end smartphones without being too bulky. good
  • Media support So far it's been able to play most files I can throw at it. That said, Windows Phone Connector on Mac is a chore to use. so-so
  • Durability Two weeks in and I haven't had any issues. Since it is made by Nokia I'm willing to give the benefit of the doubt. It does not feel cheap at all. good
  • Ecosystem (apps, accessories, etc.) Here's the biggest pitfall of Windows Phone 7(.5): there aren't many apps available. Period. Step up the app game and I can give this a 4. poor
Detailed review
Maybe I'm a little biased, but the price (and the savings) make me look past some of the phone's short comings. Sure it doesn't have a front-facing camera but I've honestly been hard pressed to find a real need for one (I've Facetimed all of 4 times in the last year, Skype video chat even fewer times) and though Skype will eventually find its way to WP7, right now it's not available.
My biggest concerns are actually some of the other features that it's lacking: namely WiFi tethering and screen capture functionality. Nokia has promised to bring WiFi tethering soon but soon is not soon enough.
Another item that may make you reconsider is the very anemic internal 8GB of storage available. Sure we stream our music now, keep our photos online, and watch our movies on Netflix (which looks gorgeous on this phone's screen by the way) but there are times you need the space. You shouldn't have to think twice before taking that video or playlist on the road with you.
Overall, the phone is a great value phone and a great gateway smartphone for those that are on the fence. If you consider yourself a power user, you may find the lack of front-facing camera, abysmal WP7 app selection, and the lack of expandable storage to be too big of a compromise.