Nokia Lumia 820 review

The Lumia 820 is the slightly smaller, lighter, cheaper and lower-specified version of the Lumia 920 Windows Phone 8 handset. The two look similar but the 820 has a removable fascia so it can be swapped for a different coloured one. Prising off the fascia, either to replace it or to get to the SIM or microSD memory card slots, was a struggle.

The Nokia Lumia 820 is available with a number of eye-catching and colourful interchangeable back covers

At 160g the Lumia feels surprisingly heavy. While noticeably smaller than the chunky Lumia 920, it was still only 25g lighter. It was undeniably sturdy but we prefer our phones to feel more lightweight. It was noticeably weightier than either the Samsung Galaxy SIII or Apple iPhone 5. While size need not be an issue, it did feel as though Nokia had snuck some lead weights into the phone's innards.

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Although listed by Nokia as a 4G handset, the Lumia 820 will have to wait for a free 'over the air' software update to be compatible with 4G networks in the UK. Available free on £25 per month two year contracts, it will cost under £400 to buy the phone outright.

The 4.3in screen is bright and looks great, although the 800x480 pixel resolution was noticeably less sharp than the impressive 720p screen on the Lumia 920. It's a bit smaller than the 920's 4.5in screen which, combined with the slightly less chunky design, makes it a bit easier to hold and use single handed.

Windows Phone 8 still has many quirks but, as with its predecessor, the biggest problem is the meagre selection of apps. While this number continues to grow, it is still sparse when compared to Android or iPhone. The fact that the Microsoft -owned Skype doesn't yet have a finalised Windows Phone 8 app speaks volumes.

There's just 8GB of internal storage supported by 7GB of cloud storage through Microsoft Skydrive. Although more than many Android phones, it isn't going to last many people very long but thankfully there is a microSD memory card slot which can support up to 64GB of extra storage. The slot is a feature oddly missing from the more expensive 920.

In our tests the Lumia 820 was impressively quick. In our browser test it was faster than both the iPhone 5 and Samsung Galaxy SIII. Websites loaded quickly and we could move around pages with no lag. The camera was also excellent. Although not as good as the Lumia 920's camera, it coped especially well in low-light and did a good job of capturing moving objects. 

Nokia has done its best to squeeze the most out of Windows Phone 8 but the operating system still lags behind Android and iOS. Those who don't feel the need to install the latest apps will be perfectly happy, but for most the ability to add features to their phone through apps is a deal-breaker. The Lumia 820 may be hefty but it was comfortable to hold, quick and impressive.