The Nokia Lumia 525 was never going to be a major step forwards over the existing 520, given that its only hardware change is a doubling in RAM, but it's always interesting to see a well written review of a device which will probably never make it to these shores (UK). In this case the always reliable Alvin Wong, concluding that the 525 is a half step forwards and still terrific value for money.

In addition to the RAM bump, there's also the presence of Windows Phone 8 GDR3, which does have a number of detailed improvements over the 520's GDR2, plus the entire Windows Phone ecosystem has matured significantly in the last six months, making the 525 even more of a complete smartphone than the 520. 

However, despite these factors, it's fair to say that Alvin is approaching the 525 as a power user and it's no surprise that some of the features he's looking for throughout his long review fail to satisfy him here. However, he's even minded in his summary:

While using a Windows Phone device as a primary smartphone is very challenging for me, I would still recommend the Lumia 525 just as readily as I did the Lumia 520 to first-time smartphone buyers, novice users or people with simple needs. The Lumia 525 makes what was already an appealing product even better, and can even serve as a more-than-capable secondary device for more advanced users. However, I would also like to see further advancement in hardware features and component quality at this price point; the Lumia 525 feels more like a half-step ahead of the Lumia 520 instead of a new-generation entry-level Lumia. Still, the Lumia 525 is solidly-built and works well, and at this price point there is really not much more you can ask for.

A fair verdict - I recommend the 520 to almost every first time wannabe smartphone owner I meet and the same would apply to the 525 I think. If the Lumia 525 ever makes it to AAWP Towers, we'll give it the review treatment ourselves, of course, but in the meantime, check out Alvin's review here.