Mentions for Symbian and Windows Phone in decade round-up

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It's always nice for classics to get recognition outside the world of AAS and AWWP. And in this case, although the Lumia 1020 didn't make the list, the Nokia N8, 808 and Lumia 520 did make GSM Arena's decade round-up. Quotes below.

N8

From GSM Arena, of the Nokia N8:

The Nokia N8 is a glorious beast of a device that came out in 2010 and thus barely makes the cut for this roundup. In more ways that one, the Nokia N8 is kind of the last of the Symbian titans. The end of an era, if you will. As such, it is definitely a monumental device in its importance. Not to mention its massive popularity.

And even beyond the Symbian powerhouse aspect of the device, the N8 has a lot of modern smartphone DNA shining through its overall retro exterior. AMOLED touchscreen and a rather big one by the standards back then, powerful hardware with plenty of connectivity options and a focus on web and multimedia. Plus, arguably the best camera in its day.

Not quite the last of the Symbian titans though, since the Nokia 808 PureView also got highlighted:

The Nokia 808 PureView held the record for highest resolution sensor – 41MP – until late last year. Its sensor is still the largest in a mobile phone, 1/1.2” compared to the 1/1.33” of Samsung's current champ 108MP sensor.

This phone was truly ahead of its time, utilizing its high res sensor to do smart digital zoom without losing image quality – something that is only now becoming commonplace. It’s not just imagery, the two microphones recorded some of the best quality audio we’ve ever heard. Also, the AMOLED display was unrivaled in terms of visibility in direct sunlight – the Nokia 808 PureView was a treat for all senses.

While Windows Phone is represented by just one entry, the best-selling Lumia 520:

For the longest time, the Nokia Lumia 520 was the most popular Windows Phone handset out there. Starting at under $200 and quickly falling to $100 (and as low as $50 with promotions), this phone ran Metro UI with buttery smoothness on hardware that would make contemporary Androids chug. The free voice-guided navigation for one country was a great perk too, this was just about the cheapest SatNav you could find – and you'd get a fully featured phone along with it.

In mid-2014 Microsoft reported that 12 million Lumia 520 phones have been activated. If there’s a reason to miss Windows Phone, this cheap, capable and reliable phone is it.

Now, GSM Arena's round-up part 2 is also out, though the Lumia 950 (probably sensibly) didn't get a mention here.

PS. See also our Top 10 Windows phones ever!

Source / Credit: GSM Arena