Lumia 635: First Impressions

And thus my first week with this little guy has come to a close. It’s been a roller coaster of emotions. We laughed, we cried, we made memories. But most of all, we learned about each other. Therefore, I want to share with you my first impressions of the Nokia Lumia 635. This opinion will be broken up into two sections: Lumia 635, dealing with the specific hardware, and Windows Phone 8.1, which covers the OS.

Lumia 635

Coming in under just $100 without a contract, this is one of the cheapest smartphones on the market right now. Truthfully, I wasn’t aware of exactly how dirt cheap it was until I went on AT&T’s website and sorted by price: low to high and found it at the very top of the list. For $100, you get want you’d expect, if not a little more. Here’s why:

• I never noticed lag while running the same OS and apps as I do on my Lumia Icon, a high-end Windows Phone. Everything started up quickly, and I never experienced any crashes. I was worried the phone could not handle a power user like me, but it stood up to the test.
• The front-facing camera is only 5MP. When taking pictures along side my Icon (20MP), the Lumia 635 took only slightly darker, less vibrant, and grainer pictures when zoomed in. However, for just $100 and an Instagram filter later, I’m pleased with the results. But you definitely shouldn’t expect pictures from this phone to end up in National Geographic.
  

  Top: Lumia 635. Bottom: Lumia Icon. #NoFilter

• The single biggest drawback was the lack of a front-facing camera. To be honest, I would almost rather have a front-facing camera instead of a rear-facing camera. But only because I use it to Skype my dear, old grandparents. Just kidding- it just throws off my selfie-game.

• Finally, I’d like to note I have accidentally dropped the phone 3 times already and the phone hasn’t chipped, cracked, nor crapped out. Maybe Nokia should send me a case though… *hint*hint*

Windows Phone 8.1

All the essentials, playtime included.

The OS does a great job of straddling the simplicity of the iPhone and the customizability of Android, with a touch of Microsoft’s signature productivity. I’ll give more in-depth opinions on the unique features in future posts, but some aspects I’ve already fallen in love with are:

• Live tiles that provide notifications, previews of content, and always-updating information at a glance
• App-specifc lock screens that update with information and backgrounds from most social media apps, news and weather apps, etc…
• Pre-installed Microssoft Word, Excel, Powerpoint, OneNote, and PDF Reader
• Cortana, your personal assistant with the usefulness of Google Now and the personality of Siri (but a little sassier). We’re basically in a long-term relationship. Couple pictures to follow.

So, that’s my unqualified opinion on my first week with the Lumia 635. If anything sparks your interest, let me know in the comments below! I want to answer what you’re interested in.

Note: I am a Microsoft Lumia Device Trail Test blogger, and this is a sponsored post.

Unboxing: Nokia Lumia 635

Below is my first ever unboxing video– the Nokia Lumia 635! I did my best with filming and editing, but I could only do so much with limited equipment. At the very least, I know I could definitely turn this blog into my hand-modeling portfolio.

The Nokia Lumia 635 is less $150 on most major carries WITHOUT a contract, one of the first to come pre-loaded with Windows Phone 8.1, and one of the cheapest smartphones you can find right now. Even then, the phone looked and felt great for a budget phone, although with a few reservations. Keep an eye out this week for my first impressions posted on Twitter/Instagram and a blog post at the end summarizing my first week!

Don’t forget to comment, like and share all of your feedback! I’m really interested and appreciate the help.

Note: I am a Microsoft Lumia Device Trail Test blogger and this is a sponsored post.