The successor to the 'classic' Lumia 920 (see here for my comparison), the 930 had quite a lot to live up to - not least keeping Windows Phone competitive in a specifications arms war being waged by Android armies, led by the likes of the Galaxy S5 and LG G2/G3. The Lumia 930 does top the 920 quite comfortably (with one notable exception) and does bring Windows Phone up to the level of performance expected in 2014. Is it enough, though?
It's a fair cop, the world of phone accessories (or, in this case, 'phablet' accessories) is now so large that it's impossible to be comprehensive - so we thought we'd get in three cases at various price points and give them the once over, to give you some ideas for your own (renowned 'slippery') Lumia 1520.
Guest writer Adrian Hughes brings us a review of an accessory that is 'a little different, and one that intends to be more useful than the usual plethora of rugged cases and covers'. He looks at the Nokia Treasure Tag (WS-2), a little box that can attach to your keychain or other object of your choice, so that you may never lose your keys again (or your phone, or the tag itself)!
Yes, Rafe reviewed the Nokia Lumia 1520 'phablet' back at the end of 2013, but with what's almost certainly going to be the 'final' version of Windows Phone 8.1 now on the device (via the Developer Preview programme), I contend that it's high time the device was re-evaluated. Partly because the huge OS update transforms the device and partly because I wanted to have my say - not least because I've had six months of phablet use in the form of the popular Samsung Galaxy Notes to act as a reference point.
Hypernaut is a fast-paced arcade game the has no strategy, no tactical planing, no depth, and no hidden secrets. All you have to do is go as far as you can, as fast as you can, and not crash into anything. Put aside your critical faculties, and get ready for a blast of action!
Joining the existing eBook services on Windows Phone is Kobo, the Canadian based digital publisher. Much like Amazon, Kobo has an online store for eBooks, magazines, and newspapers, has built a mix of eInk readers and Android powered tablets, and has coded clients for the major mobile operating systems. I'm taking a closer look at their WP client to see if Kobo has nailed the eBook experience on Microsoft's mobile OS.
As a Windows Phone enthusiast, you may be always on the look out for a game title that can really show off what your device can do - Formula Force Racing may be just the ticket, and it's a pretty good arcade racer too. Just don't expect realism or any kind of serious racing line strategy around each circuit....
It's time to take to the field of battle with your feathered Finnish friends. Angry Birds Epic is here and you will manage a (small) army of birds as they take on the egg-stealing pigs. You can decide strategy and special powers to use during combat, and work on better potions and healing when you are outside of battle. Slickly put together, has Rovio found another title to challenge the spare time of an entire globe? No, but this tactical combat is fun!
The latest in the batch of video editors that followed the availability of the Windows Phone 8.1 Developer Preview and its extra file access APIs, plus the latest Nokia Imaging SDK, I've waited until MovieJax had a few updated under its belt before giving it the review treatment. Summary? Although it lacks some of the bells and whistles of its competitors, this is probably the video editor Nokia itself would have given us - it's simple, reliable, fast and highly recommended.
When launched a few months ago, we described the WP8.1-running Lumia 630 as 'the high point of the low end' in terms of positioning. As pricing is turning out in the UK, it's now available from under £10 a month on contract and under £100 on pay-as-you-go, making the 630 a firm contender for a budget/first smartphone and following on from last year's 520 and 620. It's solid, it's extremely functional and most (though not all) of the compromises needed to get down to this price seem to have been justified.
