Love or loathe Windows Phone devices with 512 MB RAM?

By Abhishek Baxi
last updated

We’ve seen this a lot here at Windows Phone Central - passionate debates in comments whenever a post mentions a game that can’t run on Windows Phone devices with 512MB RAM. We also know that Nokia Lumia 520 with that low amount of RAM became the sleeper hit for Nokia last year, and has been the best-selling Windows Phone device across the board.  

I spotted this thread on Windows Phone Central forums about the same, and wondered why these devices get all the rants despite their irrefutable success.

Of course, the usual argument is that a lot of apps and games don’t run well (or at all) on these devices, and there’s a noticeable lag in the Windows Phone experience.

However, I’ve found that apart from some games, almost all apps run on 512MB RAM devices. And I believe, that’s a compromise most people knew before buying the phone. The observations about laggy experience are also misplaced. If you keep a decent amount of internal memory free, it’s not that bad. Some suggest an occasional soft reset too. Some folks on the thread also note that the performance has improved with Windows Phone 8.1, and of course it’s only the preview.

Obviously, a low to mid-range smartphone won’t match the performance of a flagship device. The low specifications and certain compromises made brings the costs down, and makes these devices mass market.

What are your thoughts on this? Tell us in the comments, or have a look at that forums thread, and sound off your thoughts and observations there.

Abhishek Baxi
Abhishek Baxi
357 Comments
  • 520 ftw!!
  • Well m waiting for 8.1 so i can move the space hungry apps to sd card, i always have to delete some app to install another app. Need to keep at least 600mb for smooth working of my L520
  • Yes, really looking forward to putting apps on the SD card. Sometimes the installation process wants even more room than the actual app size. I have 1000MB free and am still unable to download Kinectimals Unleashed.
  • My wife's 521 feels sluggish now, and many games do not install, or didn't initially install (temple run 1).  Heck, not even Skype worked initilly in 512Mb RAM devices (Lumia 610) So, I hate 512Mb RAM in a phone not the phone itself
  • Lumia 610 had 256mb RAM. Skype used to work on it, but they raised minimum requirement to 512mb RAM to make sure no one complained of inferior performance.
  • Skype still works on Lumia 510 and 610..
  • Thanks for the clarification, I guess I picked a bad example The rest of my post still stands, though
  • Microsoft need to come out with a new phone on T-Mobile. My 521 is super lazy right now. 16gb 5" quad core device
  • Agreed.
  • I still don't get why they don't have a second no-contract phone. There needs to be something with more ram and slightly better specs than the 520 available off contract, even if it's not one of the Nokia lines. 
  • They have a 925 also, but people want a newer phone. 
  • Keeps my 925 sleek
  • is 925 still worth it these days?
  • I love em! I do not even feel that 512MB RAM limitation coz most of the apps that I need supports it. Well, except for Subway Surfers though. I guess that's the only game/app that I need that does not work on my phone.
  • I have subway Surfers on my Lumia 520. Search in the app store for Subway Surfers 512
  • Meh. 512mb or 2gb, all windows phones are pretty much the same.
  • There seems to be a bit a hint of delay on the start screen, when there are too many apps running on the background. It was more evident on 8.1, back on 8.0 this doesn't seem to be a nuisance. But, everything comes at a price. I am saving up for a 1320 As of now. 
  • Official 8.1 apps don't close when you press back as they did with previous versions of WP... So you need to manage these yourself.... Tap and hold your back button, tap the "X"... Or as of 8.1 you can swipe down on the app to close it.
  • Yeah, I realized that, it does seem much a downer, as the start tiles seems to dissappear for a second then reappears. Although, its not that bad, it does leave an impression, that it still slows down. But then again it's thee lowest lumia. The only 8.1 rant that I think is the social integration which I worshipped back at 8.0 has been replaced by the new framework thing. Sure it'll be easy for third party devs, but, the ease and smoothness of the past integration made me stay at windows phone. Now you can't even change your FB profile picture even with the app, photo uploads are also slow. compared at 8.0
  • the missing tiles issue also happen to my 1gb ram 920
  • Sometimes when I go back to the start screen and go down very quickly the tiles take a little while to load up (like, they're all blank). That happens too when I go on one of the groups pinned on my start screen.
    925 on 8.1
  • My 620 does the same thing. I figured it will be fixed when 8.1 is no longer a preview.
  • Mine closes...
  • depending on apps. Some don't but majority of them do
  • You don't need to close them, they're still not allowed to kill your CPU and battery in the background. They just stay resident in memory until that memory is needed.
  • On 8.1, my 1020 lags at the Start screen occasionally as well. So I don't think it's a low ram/520 issue.
  • I see rare, occasional lag as well on returning to the start screen and I'm on an Icon. I think there is a small flaw with the start screen that is across the board and not specific to low end devices. It's not a huge deal or nuisance to me but it would be nice if they get it resolved by launch.
  • and no one with a 1520 or icon has this complaint. Maybe a sign of things to come..
  • SeraphX2 said he's on an Icon and he has this problem, so this bug is across the whole line.
  • I have the ICON and after the 8.1 dev update i have noticed a few sluggish issues from time to time. But before the update my phone worked flawlessly.
  • Lumia 920 has 1 Gb :P
  • Obviously Windows Phone is NOT "Meh" if you took the trouble of posting a comment to denigrate it. What that makes you is a troll!
  • Asphalt 8 and six guns both run extremely smoothly on my 520. Why not subway surfers?!?
  • Horrible optimization.
    That bad is on part of the game developers not the hardware.
    Though I am surprised to hear that A8 and 6Guns run at all, Very impressive!
  • It's Unity engine :/
  • It has nothing to do with the engine that game engine is great its the developers who used the engine, their obviously not very good at what they do.
    If Asphalt 8 can run buttery smooth on a Lumia 520 then SW Surfers should flow like a raging river.
    Simply put Gameloft has a better team of programmers behind their game.
  • That is so true
  • So true...
  • Lol ed
  • Wait. . . what is that? Ahh yes, there appears to be an echo of TRUTH in the Room. ;D
  • Yeah the echo of truth :D
  • truth..truth..
  • +720
  • Not every gl game are alike run run better then others
  • "It has nothing to do with the engine"   That my friend, is FALSE.  
  • Other unity games run just fine on phones with 512MB ram so the engine is certainly capable of it. So please tell us why you think that it has anything to do with the engine.
  • Well my friend, because by definition, the optimization part of game development is managed into the game engine's source code. That's all. There are some small things you can do to improve performance, but you can't manage more than a few things. At best you can combine materials in a single texture and avoid scaling objects for better performances. As for the fact that some games are working on phones with 512mb, its only logical that a puzzle game made with unity will demand less memory than a 3D racing game with complex textures for example.  
  • Look here Aanze have some manners about yourself, I'm nobody's bitch and you will no place a finger on anybody.
    Join a discussion even if its already dead fine have at it but coming in insulting people is just childish and way out of line.
  • Well I just joined the discussion of a highlighted topic in the main page. The title of the post is by the way made to make people react right ?
    My previous post did not insult anyone. I your referring to the "bitching" argument I had a while before, I would do it again and again since the amount of people bitching about developers being "lazy" is ridiculously high. Especially coming from people who never had the slightest idea of what it takes for a small team to release a mobile game. Those are the same people that will rate 1 star an app just because "it should be free". I'm just tired of this.
  • And so you think you know me and what I know and what I'm about?
    You have the nerve to call anyone out of their name in a respectful forum where even if conversations get heated people still show Respect. Honestly you deserve No ones attention but I just needed to let you know.
    So I'm no longer going to engage with you or entertain your empty rhetoric. Have at least an ounce of class about yourself. Peace.
  • Well, feel free to be offended and close the debate the way you want. You're talking about my empty rethoric but you're the one who only focused on the fact that I sounded rude, but never actually had something to say regarding the real subject.
    And please, pretty please, do not talk about being respectful especially after the way you talked to Zamir about its english level/grammar because this was the coward move of someone trying to escape a debate.
    Yeah, "peace" like you said.
  • Asphalt 5,7,8; six guns, halo, etc all run like fluid in both my 520 and 720...
    Developers of subway surfers are too lazy. They should learn from gameloft...
  • ^^Truth^^
  • Do you know how large Gameloft is compared to Kiloo? You expect smaller company to have same resources as long time large company do you
  • Sure gameloft is much bigger than kiloo. But get real, can't you find a difference in size of their games as well? Asphalt 8 VS Subway Surfers? HALO VS Subway surfers? You think both requires same effort for optimization? I know both use different game engines as well so they are optimized in a rather different way. It's nothing but laziness and ignorance.
    I've seen much better indie games optimized for low ram devices too. It doesn't really need a big team.
    FACT: Subway surfers indeed works if not smoothly in developer unlocked 512mb (WP) devices. Search YouTube.
  • BAM!
  • "Developers of subway surfers are too lazy". What do you know about anything ? You're just bitching. Bitching people deserve to be slapped like bitches.
  • Learn some manners first, then talk. Seriously, your comment is not worth a reply... At least the guy above^ makes sense, you don't.
  • Well I don't have manners, but I won't say someone is lazy just because I'm frustrated. What I just stated was fact, the comment I replied to was just.. childish statement , something like "this project is taking time so the team is lazy". If every damn application that is not optimized was due to a lazy team the entire IT world would be made of lazy people.
  • Frustration is a whole different thing. I've emailed many developers many a times. And to be honest, kiloo appeared most ignorant to me. If one individual developer can make a simple tweak to run the game in 512mb device, why not kiloo? "What do you know about anything ? You're just bitching. Bitching people deserve to be slapped like bitches." Sorry but I can't find where is your reply in the above quote. Kindly point me to that. "If every damn application that is not optimized was due to a lazy team the entire IT world would be made of lazy people."
    -Read my reply to Zamir Yusuf above.
  • "if one individual developer can make a simple tweak". Again: What do you know about the simple tweak ? What is the tweak ? On which platform ? Do you refer to the tweak that made it work on dev unlock WP device ? Or do you refer to a tweak applied on any other mobile os (ios or android) ? Because in that case your argument is completely invalid, especially since its a well known fact that optimizing Unity framework cannot be performed the same way on android and WP: One uses OpenGl, the other is direct X only compatible, which basically do not work the same way at all.. Please describe ? Oh, and developer unlocked phone allows DEVELOPERS to override material limitation on the phone by using debug-enabled only functions for testing purpose. Once you try to publish your app on the store with those functions, your app is certification is denied.
  • If you're interested in the Unity project: http://forum.unity3d.com/threads/201288-Very-Slow-Performance-On-Lumia-520 Read the entire post and check out how the windows phone 8 porting of unity games seems to lack the optimizations it benefits when switching between iOs and android. Unity is a relatively new platform and like I said: It compiles the rendering for iOS and android using OpenGL library which DOES NOT exists on Windows Phone. Therefore, the implicit conversion to Direct X it requires to work on WP devices implies a loss of performance.
  • because the games has been pretty much stripped down. asphalt 8 on wp8 missing some graphics effects compared to android's version
  • ^^FALSE^^
    I have this game on both my 920 & 1520 and they both have every graphical detail that is included in their respected classes the 1520 of course maxing the game out with 0 frame drop. I also own this game on an S3 & played it on an S4 the 920 is on par with both and the 1520 including even more particle effects & so on.
    Of course the 520 like all other devices in its class is running with less effects turned on just as a game would if it were running on PS4 vs a High End PC.
    Common sense.
  • in case you don't notice, I reply directly to tho this comment "Asphalt 8 and six guns both run extremely smoothly on my 520. Why not subway surfers"
    so in which part my statement is false? if you compare the game on android phone with same hardware level as 520 you can see the android version have more eye candy turned on while on 520 it's just basic.
  • Honest question, is English not your first language?
  • Honest question: you can't admit that you were wrong?
    That's why you all of a sudden attack on someone's grammer?
    Really?
  • I wasn't attacking him at all as you read, it was an honest question as he didn't seem to be understanding what I was saying, and what exactly what I wrong about since you seem to be getting me clearly.
  • android phone with SAME hardware level, which is low-mid range phone on comparable price to Lumia 520 run the game with more graphics effect. that's why they tend to run the game at lower fps, not because the hardware on that android devices are crap compared to 520 or wp8 magically allow low-mid range phone to run games smoother.
  • Actually... The version of asphalt 8 on the 1gb ram windows phone is the same as that on android. But for 512 mb ram phones, yes some effects were trimmed down, like mirror reflections, destructible objects and a few textures were made low res. But ONLY for 512 mb ram phones.
  • Of course I said this in my previous comments, why do people seem to be so confused about the standards of hardware vs software?
  • Thank you, this guy Cleary didn't understand a word I wrote.
  • Checked just now. Asphalt 8 on Lumia 1520 do noticeably missing lens flare particles and motion blur, and that comparing to Galaxy S4 which is previous gen. So what's false with my statement if you care to explain. Do you understand being 'on par' doesn't mean it's 'the same'?
  • After doing a bit of digging on the current state of the game I have found that A8 has been updated on the android platform that has not yet made it to windows allowing there to be more particle effects so in that respect you are correct the visuals are currently better on the android devices at least on the higher end models at this point. This still doesn't mean that the devices are more capable then anything windows this just means that gameloft decided it was best to patch the android market first as it has been available longer and has a larger install base makes sense to me, in the coming weeks or months windows will get the same patch update and we will see the same visual flare on equally suited devices.
    Look what your not getting is that there is no magic behind android, apple or windows the only three factors are hardware, form factor and developer potential that's it.
    I'm not sure your even getting me clearly so I'm just gonna stop here. Cheers. :)
  • Sorry, but that just FALSE statement you gave there. The video in the link below shows Galaxy S4 mini run Asphalt 8, published on 23rd August 2013 which just a day after the game released to android 22nd August.
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RB7mezkcIx0 In case you didn't notice, the game running with lens flare particles and motion blur from the start which still not exist even on high end 1520. and fact is, S4 mini is mid range android phone with comparable specs to Lumia 920.
    Quoting your earliest response: "I have this game on both my 920 & 1520 and they both have every graphical detail that is included in their respected classes" See? Just admit it that you're wrong and don't try to insult our intelligent. You keep showing your unnecessary 'explanations' in this discussion but the fact remain : "asphalt 8 on wp8 missing some graphics effects compared to android's version" and thus explain "Asphalt 8 and six guns both run extremely smoothly on my 520" as quoted from OP
      case closed. cheers ;)
  • Touché Cheers :D
  • True. I've installed Asphalt 8 on both Lumia 720 and iPad 2, and the graphic on 720 is pretty poor while in the iPad 2 is quite great. Both have 1 GHz dual-core and 512 MB RAM.
  • When comparing hardware running the same software you have to consider form factor.
    Seeing as the iPad 2 is a much larger device it has much more room for the heat to dissipate and keep other vital parts like the battery, ram etc. cool while running such a task.
    On the much smaller 5 inch 520 you have virtually no room at all in the device to keep all the parts from heating up basically simultaneously making the same task running on similar hardware even more taxing and another thing to consider is the battery size & output that is a major part in all of this as it like the PSU in a PC is the driving force of all your parts and if its being heavily taxed performance drops Period so in order to maintain a smooth and enjoyable gaming experience on a much device developers very wisely decided to remove unnecessary effects without sacrificing the core gameplay experience.
    This along with all the other specific computing commands each chipset has stored that we don't know about play invaluable roles in performance potential.
    I hope this made sense I didn't want to be too long winded but there's a lot to factor lol.
  • Ashphalt 8 is pretty laggy on the 520, especially the China tracks.
  • Disagree, it runs smooth with any track(including china) on my 520..
  • You guys forget temple run 2 !!! It was promised to come for 512 MB devices. I have been waiting and waiting.
  • Subway surfers does run on 512 MB device... There is a workaround way for it... Not official, You know..
  • I was under the same delusion until recently. But a commenter here pointed out that unlike Airborne, Subway Surfers is based on quickie reflexes. And as the game moves forward, it becomes really fast, under such resolution. May be this has something to do with 512 MB RAM being insufficient and may be Kiloo doesn't wanna launch its game risking low ratings. But then, the clone runs just fine :X I hope WPC asked Kiloo on behalf of its readers and get us the reason :P
  • At the same resolution it still lags in Lumia 525.. Not much of a difference in this case although it has 1 GB RAM...
  • I heard that the 525 lags with Temple Run 2 too. But I also heard that the Temple Run 2 is horribly optimized and never updated or bug-fixed.
  • It does lag.. But sometimes... I mean maybe that's because I play it sometimes... And subway surfers is played on a daily basis.. So maybe I noticed more lag on Sunday... :P
  • lol :P
  • I think lower-end phones are an important part of the ecosystem regardless if certain games can't run on them.  If you compare the 'lag' you mention compared to lower-end Android phones it's a HUGE difference.  Windows Phone runs buttery smooth compared to the Android lower-end phones.   As for the games, developers need to learn to optimize their games better to run on lower-end hardware I feel.  But graphics intensive games unfortunately a trade-off, and you should know that before investing into a lower-end phone. :)
  • Completely agree!
  • Better developers in all areas whether web or native will make a huge change for all user experiences ;)
  • Eh
  • True...
  • Yep love that they are making Windows Phone more well known, but loathe developing for them because of performance issues.
  • What are we still in the 90s?
  • Low end devices, even on Android still sell better than high end devices. And back in the 90s hardly anyone had a cellphone.
  • Exactly
  • obviously...but 1gb phones should cost the same as 512 mb phones now regardless of a market. that's what I meant by my first comment.
  • No, they should not cost the same.
  • No everybody is able to pay 300-500 per phone dude!
  • True
  • No, that's why i own 16gb RAM phone with 4TB storage and sweet sweet 200mp camera with 4k and slow-mo capabilities and don't even get me started on holographic display
  • I don't know about 512mb phones but when I went from a 928 to an icon i saw absolutely no improvement in performance in any situation, including gaming. That change in phones doubled my ram and doubled the CPU cores, but it seems unnecessary.
  • Graphics changed. But 1gb to 2gb shouldn't be that much of a difference except for photo taking
  • Just proves how awesome WP was on previous high end hardware.. My 920, and 1520, have similar performance... But, better processor, and ram, help things like camera performance, and make our 1080p screens possible.. So, the higher specs do have their benefits..
  • Driving the 1080p makes sense to have the extra power. But that camera. I don't know. Nokia cameras are extremely slow. Slow to start up, slow to autofocus. They're just slow. Personally I am unable to perceive a speed difference between my old 928, my current icon, and my wife's 925. Do any games even properly support 1080p displays yet? Games like halo Spartan assault look pretty bad on my icon and looked real sharp on the 928.
  • Exactly!! You're right.. Our cameras are molasses slow.. Sick of waiting on my camera to start in 2014.. MS needs to work on that.. But, as far as 1080p goes.. I'm happy about the advantages so far.. I love the extra content displayed, especially in IE11,, now that the resolution is fixed... I'm looking forward to a new 1520 with a QHD display.
  • Use the built-in Camera app, not Nokia Camera.
  • Really?.. It's faster?.. Let me see..
  • Yeah, its slightly faster.. Fast enough to not be annoying, so yeah its good... I like that the Lenses button is right on the screen.. Nokia Camera needs more on screen button options, like FFC.. I hate it hidden.
  • Yea camera app is a bit faster than Nokia camera, but I actually use the raw format feature of Nokia camera + icon. That probably slows down between-shots time, but the autofocus time is always slow. I guess there's tradeoffs in everything...
  • Have you played Grand theft auto, or asphalt 8? Game play between my 925/8x to 1520 is a BIG difference. You're able to play GTA on maximum settings with very little lag, but its completely unplayable on the others.
  • I have played asphalt 8. It does look amazing, but on my icon it drains battery even when plugged in to the wall. When not plugged in it drains the entire battery from full in under an hour.
  • Moving from a (sgh-t899m) ativ s was a major improvement for most games
  • It's not unnecessary. Windows Phone is much faster running on twice the power. Windows Phone has always been good at masking the lag/loading times.
  • More phones should have 1gb ram for a consumer there aren't much choices for a mid range device with 1 gb ram. I wish the 720 had 1gb ram it would be the perfect device for me.
  • +720
  • +720
  •  Microsoft should build the apps/games compatible for all devices independent of RAM size.
  • Loathe with a passion. Nokia should be sued for making these pathetic 512 MB devices. The 630 has a pathetic 512MB RAM and it is going to be priced more than the Moto G...to me that is such a ridiculous thing. It is an inferior device in every way imaginable, except maybe in design and build.
  • Sued really? Someone is melodramatic. You do realize you people have the option of buying these phones right.
  • Look, every device (Android) in that price range has a 1 GB RAM. And the 512 MB RAM on my 720 does cause problems and app-crashing when multitasking. Enough said.
  • No Android is not crap, at least not on the Moto G- it's got 4.4.2 on it. It's another matter that I much prefer WP to Android, but it's my unbiased observation.
  • Out of the box every android is buttery smooth... Its after 3 months and lots of installations... It starts to lag... Be it low end or the flagship... After 3-4 months it will lag...
  • Android KitKat begs to disagree with that. :/
  • Nope.
  • It's not 2012 anymore. Android has been super smooth since KitKat.
  • long live the updates android phones get! all of them! (NOT!)
  • All depends on if its plain no oem enhancements
  • Agree with you on that. I can consider 512mb ram for a 520 for its too cheap, but 720 ain't that cheap. It's a mid range Lumia (at least here in India) and my only complain for this phone is low ram... Android devices of lower prices have at least a GB of ram.
  • I agree, nobody told them they had to buy the 512mb device...
  • Read my reply above.
  • Yes but it shouldnt be targeted in markets that have little use for it aside from prepaid service with no data
  • I'm with you. I fail to understand why Nokia can put quad core CPU in 630 but not put in at least 1gb ram. it's 2014 already, how much extra 512mb ram will cost. People praising how well Lumia 520 can run games but they don't really see what dev have done to the games to make it run well. Android phone with same specs as Lumia 520 can run asphalts 8 too smoothly, provided they run the game with wp8's graphics effects level.
  • I know what mean. I remember someone at computer shop was choosing low spec quad over more ram what bad choice that is
  • at least with PC part you can install more ram without much cost  on phone where you got to stuck with same hardware at least almost a year before it worth upgrading, you need to make the dollar counts. 
  • I agree. 512MB is horrible. I know because I have it. There is NEVER enough space for any normal use. Sure you can call and text. But receive/send several pictures at once in WhatsApp? Crash and back to the start screen it is. Try to browse like it's normal since 10 years and use tabs? Too bad, the low ram means that pages won't load in the background and wait for you to click on them. They will start loading only when you go to that tab. And when you close it and go back to the first tab, it has to reload because the small ram means that it has space for only one website at once and has to flush the others from the memory. There are hundreds of these examples, and only someone who uses it can truly understand how horrible 512MB ram is. WP8 with 512MB RAM is much worse than WP7 with 512MB, probably because of much higher system memory usage. WP7 was at least still usable, but WP8 is a strong degradation from the WP7 experience.
  • Once I downloaded subway surfers for 512 ram on my Lumia 620, still its working... The game doesn't exists now for 512 ram :/
  • Probably the only thing I don't like about my 521 is the lack of space. But in all, its a great phone. Plus with the Windows 8.1 preview, its even better and faster! It gets the job done lol.
  • Why sad about space? In 8.1 you can move apps and games to SD card too. 64Gb expandable is a good option ;)
  • Lol my SD card is almost full atm. But thanks for the tip. I probably get a 64gb expandable sooner or later lol
  • No problems with my 521. Just need to make sure there isn't a lot of apps running in the background. A lot of the games I downloaded have worked just fine.
  • Same Here
  • I've had a poor experience with some apps where its obvious the dev hasn't bothered optimising. This is very noticeable in the official vine app which is virtually unusable when it comes to recording... But then the unofficial 6sec app works perfectly well in this regard. You compare the number of updates we've had on 6sec compared to the original and you see the possible cause is simply present dev commitment.
  • Not exactly loathe.Loathe is a harsh word. Let's just say not extremely pleased :p I'm not happy that my 620 doesn't play some relatively simple games but I'm very happy that it plays games like Asphalt 8 and Six Guns very smoothly :)
  • The Lumia 720 with 1 GB RAM at the same price would have swept the market away. This new 630 should have at least had 1 GB RAM, given that it already doesn't have a flash on the rear and a ffc. So, 1 GB RAM should have been a must.
  • Why? I'ts a low end phone, its the 52x successor, its specs are great for a low end phone
  • Its one year later. There is no excuse for 512mb of RAM one year later.
  • unless of course, theres no reason to upgrade it.
  • Ok, here's a comparison for you. The Lumia 720's competitor at that price point 1 year ago was the Xperia L which had 1 GB RAM, a better blocked Snapdragon SoC and an 8 MP camera. Granted the Xperia L's camera was shittier, why was Nokia charging the same for lower specs??
  • Because Nokia doesnt just slap phones together, specs arent everything, I'd rather a low end nokia then a high end of pretty much every phone, purely because of their awesome build quality. Also, you gotta keep in mind, Sony is a big company, much bigger than nokia, they can easily sell things at a loss, Nokia simply cannot afford to sell products at a loss (I dont know if sony was selling that device at a loss or not, but its jsut something to think about)
  • I never had a 512 Mb phone but I don't see how people can hate it if they do their research. From my short time playing with one the phones dont seem that bad.
  • Apart from some the games and apps which require 1 GB, the biggest problem is when the phone (my 720) becomes unresponsive when trying to switch between apps. Sometimes you click on the home button, and the screen goes blank for like 5-6 seconds with the frustrating 'resuming...' until the homescreen appears. Pathetic performance I should say. That said, I would blindly pick up a Nokia WP any day, given that I dont really enjoy using my Moto G although it's lag-free and has stellar performance.
  • I see these delays on my 1020... So it's not your lack of team or CPU
  • Well then, it does not reflect well on our beloved OS then, does it?While Android KitKat has got it all covered. Let's all be honest here- we like WP for other things, else these 'resuming...' and 'loading...' screens should have gotten us to abandon this platform since long.
  • This resuming "issue" is not a big issue for me at all as I have had my 920 filled to the brim and have not experienced this issue in all areas of use.
    I have however experienced it in the Music Player apps and that ish is extremely annoying forcing me to bounce between the two just to get a song playing.
  • To be honest, I see these "resuming..." and "loading..." screen more often ever since I updated to 8.1
  • This resuming thing was solved my Micorsoft when they introduced fast resume but not all devs use it that's why you're getting 'resuming...'. And specs don't really matter ; it's all about software optimization.
  • You mean to say apps such as WhatsApp and Facebook which have been developed under the close watch of Nokia & Microsoft still don't employ 'fast resume'?
  • No. It's an OS issue. Why should I see "resuming..." for few seconds even when I press start when two or more apps are running behind?
  • back when I had my 521, I neer had that issue, how many apps are you guys running at once? :s i could run about 6 before apps were getting removed from memory, but i never lost performance for it :s
  • I don't use more than 2-3 apps in background(minimised) but still I often see those loading screens...
  • I have a Lumia 822 with 1gb of ram and sometimes the screen goes off with the resuming screen, so don't blame dude!
  • This is alot better with 8.1, 'resuming...' is almost gone.
  • That's a lie. Resuming exists and is much more prevalent.
  • "You get what you Pay for". I don't even know why they complain. Low-end Android phones can't run a lot of Apps and I don't see why Windows Phone 8 buyers would think otherwise.
  • Ever heard of the Moto G? And in India, Micromax gives you high-end specs for just $300.
  • I did say "Low End". I bought the Lumia 521 for my daughter last year April for $150 off-contract, she hated it, ended up giving her my Ativ S when I got my 1520.3.
    Show me a $150 phone and I'll show you a "Low End Device".
  • Ok, granted. Now the 630 is either the same-end or even a downgrade to the 521. Now tell me a low-end device at the price of the 630...umm, I present to you the Moto G for at least $10 less. It's sad really, while I root for the Lumias, I cannot really recommend a Lumia over a Moto G to my friends, although I don't like it at all.
  • what? the 630 is an obvious upgrade from the 52x, its got double cores, bigger screen (same res but meh) whats worse? the only thing it steps back from is the dedicated camera button.
  • No light sensor.
  • The Moto G is good but I wouldn't recommend it over a Lumia 520 or 630. Overall, I found the Moto G's performance no better than the 520. I occasionally get slowdown with my 520, but then again I did with my 920, and it took a long period of use for that to happen. On the other hand, with the Moto G I experienced slowdown and crashes shortly after use. While it also offered access to a larger number of more perfomance-intensive apps, it didn't run these great - e.g. Batman and GTA were stuttery, compared with the good performance on a 920 with similar spec. Dead Trigger 2 was also very laggy. To me, the performance of demanding apps/games negates a lot of the advantages of getting the Moto G as a "better performing" phone, unless you definitely want to be in the Android eco-system. The 520 is a faster device to use in my own experience and the 520 and 630 also include expandable SD storage which the 8GB/16GB Moto Gs do not. So overall the Moto G is a good device and an excellent value entry to Android, but the 520 is a better value smartphone and will be a great experience if you configure it a bit.
  • Yep I heard a lot about the Moto G, it's just I don't like it, I prefer my 520 (and even more after the WP8.1 update), fantastic price, runs smoothly and I love the Metro design. It's all about tastes.
  • Read my reply above.
  • Ok, but in my country the Moto G it's overpriced and the cheapest version comes with only 8gb. I don't play games but I need a lot of space, because of that the 520 it's my option. But in a certain point I agree, my next Lumia will be a model with 1gb RAM (at least).
  • Plus, your 520 is bullet proof :P :)
  • Micromax has a horrible reputation and is nowhere near the level of R&D that Nokia is and has no place in this conversation.
  • Well, we are also talking about 'You get what you pay for'...and you get Micromax too for the same amount you pay for 630 or the Moto G, with better specs. So, yes, Micromax has a place in this conversations...so do others such as Gionee.
  • The Moto G being made by a credible manufacture yes stands a chance in an argument but when you start getting into knock off brands that don't even have a professional or stable mobile website you step into a whole other arena.
    It has no place here. Nokia is a World Class Company who has done way too much to be paced against the likes of some half baked pop up company throwing specs in your face.
    Remember "You Get What You Pay For." so if your paying for specs at the cost of a 520 then your paying for turbo speed hot garbage.
  • All I'm saying is do you really think a low end phone will perform just like high end device?
    No.
    The 521 loads apps slower, the 5MP (without flash) camera sucks and the screen resolution sucks.
    Low end and low costs are not the same in my book.
  • Of course not, show me who does. . . .
    Now let me ask you this, do you
    Really expect a phone developed by a pop up to have as high quality parts or overall build quality as one built by a World Class manufacturing and design team?
    Knowing the obvious answer how long do you expect that high speed lowest bidder parts phone to last before it self destructs?
    There is again no reason Nokia should be Respectfully compared to an off brand company.
    Micromax belongs in conversations involving companies like Blu, Zero, VeryKool and so on. :)
  • LOL
  • Some early htc android devices couldn't run newer versions of Android just because htcs ui for it became resource intensive
  • I don't mind the 512 mb ram. Still love my L520. I bought a phone with a fantastic, smooth UI, on great price. Most of the games are able to run on the device and the gaming experience is great.
  • The only problem is because of the devs. They use too many resources.
  • Wow I haven't heard the term "Sleeper Hit" in years Must be an 80's Baby!
    The 520 Rocks it really shows of the technical skill behind the WP8 OS.
  • I think they just worry about it in terms of releasing a quality gaming experience. Game publishers are really iffy about releasing things that have slight sluggish performance. Even if the general masses would not mind. I had complained to Rockstar because they did not release GTA Vice City on my device. It was a quad core processor 2gb ram phone with a 1080p display device, but they said it might have some stability issues...so it wasn’t even worth looking into So I think the people who are responsible in making these decisions...really just don’t want to put the effort into testing them with batches of test groups, which is why indie developers are thriving on the PC with things like early access and alpha/beta testing, and on consoles as well, just my opinion though!
  • I do not agree that performance is improved for the 520 with 8.1. I actually see "loading..." or "Resuming..." just to bring up the Start screen a lot after closing an app! Not that I don't like the 520. I paid $40 off contract for a device that runs the most up to date software and keep me current after MS tricked me into buying the WP7 Lumia 900 at launch :)
  • wait for the official 8.1 with the firmware updates
  • Agreed I was not going to jump on the 8.1 Dev kit bandwagon even though I have been tempted I've already seen little losses that people are experiencing with it.
    It does sound fun experiencing the tiny changes as the come like Cortana's voice change and what not but I can wait. ;)
  • i have a lumia 925 and i'm facing the same problem here isnt wp8.1 should be faster ??§
  • like the comment right above yourse said, you are running WP8.1 on drivers optimized for WP8.0, their will be bugs and slowdowns until nokia releases WP8.1 optimized drivers (Nokia Cyan) although I dont get that issue on my 925, I seem to be lucky, I dodged pretty much every major WP8.1 bug on my 925
  • Loathe! I can't freakin believe they'd even think to release the 630 with half a gig of ram. That's a step down from the 525 and it completely turned me off that phone.
  • Same here, never made sense to me why they went with that decision... After putting a gb into the 525..
  • I'm still using my Lumia 900 as a backup tablet...
  • It's great. I have Lumia 520 with 512 ram and its pretty much great till now. Some games like subway surfers or detective games aren't available for this phone by its alright cuz we have asphalt 8 which works smoothly on Lumia 520 and also temple run and many many more. Also apps works as best as any other wp8 smartphone.
  • Ashphalt 8 is a great game. They had good devs that make their apps efficient.
  • I think the time has come for Microsoft to ditch 512MB phones and just stick with 1GB as the minimum.
  • Agree!
  • And after all the hue and cray about 512MB RAM phones, they just came out with the Lumia 630. Mehhhh...
  • This! people ask devs to bring their popular apps to this 3rd place platform but then ask them to work overtime just to make sure their apps can run on your low end hardware.
  • Back I the day devs were smarter on programming with low resources
  • http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=SiTM9q2me6s This my answer....520 rocks
  • I think devs need to design games with optimized performance on low-tier phones first. When I program I try to remove unnecessary calculations and do things once rather than repeatedly. Do I need to recalculate cube math every time the frame repeats? No. I wonder if the future will be about making things run efficiently on smaller, low tier devices.
  • It damn sure should be! These Devs are just lazy and want to always blame the hardware.
  • better lazy than never. do you think developing apps is cheap? those popular developers already have huge success on iOS and android, why would they put resources to get their apps on wp8 where the market size is just a few percents.
  • Maybe the market size for WP is less because of the applications not fully optimized for WP... While the same has been done for iOS and Android..
  • I think 512 MB of RAM is not enough... :/ There's too many games what can run 1GB of RAM well. And when I open 2 or more apps I can't switch between the apps whitout see the "Loading..." screen. (Sorry for my English, I'm from Hungary and I can't speak English well, because I'm studying just for a 1 year)
  • The games its ok, 'cause I have so many that I can play with 512. But, that fucking loading screen is a kick in the nuts!!! I need at least 1gb ram. OMG. 720 user here.
  • @SzaCs15, your English is fine -) and a quick tip - no need to use the word "and" after a full stop / period.
  • i don't play  mobile games so i don't care , my L620 is smooth as f@ck (except the occasional loading....... damn you skype and FB messenger) also i have yet to find an app that i need that has an 1gb ram requirement 
  • I absolutely love my Lumia 520, the problem only comes when I see a pretty cool game here on WPC and it not being available on 512 RAM devices. Either than that, everything works smoothly on my phone and I hardly ever experience any lags or poor performances that people speak of. It was only when I had 10MB of memory left that my phone got a bit slow in opening apps ..
  • I love my 520 with 8.1. Runs great and lasts days on battery.
  • I think it is time to move away from 512mb of ram. Minimum ram should not be less than 768mb!
  • Works fine for me. I have a 920 as a main phone and I use a 620 as a Zune HD replacement. Too bad they broke Xbox music. Pandora is cool but occasionally it cuts out which can get annoying.
  • I think 512MB devices should have disappeared by now. And they seem to be disappearing on the liked of Android. Windows Phone should also move away from them. The future isn't in 512MB devices and their existence in 2014 is just stalling progress.
  • 512mb ram devices on 2014 are almost as pathetic as non 720p devices. Seriously, just look at the Moto g. It is way better than Lumia 520 and soon 630. And with almost the same price!. Phones with no Flash, no front camera, no HD display, no 1gb of ram should be only feature phones like the Asha ones. And if you people think this is impossible, again, just look at the Moto g.
  • Like others have a serious problem with the 512mb topic, my first problem with Moto G is the lack of SD card slot, there is no such thing like the perfect device.
    And there are many affordable options in the market besides Motorola, like Huawei, Xiaomi...(if I ever have the need to use Android).
  • 520 is bullet proof. Hope this ends the comparison.
  • I have a hard time recommending low-mid Lumia devices now since android phones like Lenovo's and Moto G has been done so well on this section. Unless the customer really want wp8, they don't bother picking wp8 when their can do many things wp8 not able to do and they can live by few lags here and there which already not much nowadays on android.
  • Y will pay 30€ over the price only if will have almost 1Gb . Not 512 in 2014 please..
  • I don't think 512 mb ram suck. it depends on how you're going to use your phone. If you are that unhappy with the memory, you can always upgrade to a 1 gb or more new phone. What I find absurd is to demand flagship performance on a budget device. 
  • I got my Lumia 610 with the 7.8 update and haven't had a single problem with it (still a few small ones), but most of the top chart games (the ones that require +512 ram just do not show up on the store, and what i am fed up about is that some apps work but the dev then releases an update that still works, but says on the store that my device has insufficient ram... That is stupid!
  • Got my 521 running 8.1 too bad it needs to reload everything
  • I have a 620. I do miss on some games. But general performance, compared to 512 Mb devices running another OS, is flawless.
    Also, games like "temple run 2" do run in devices with less RAM, on Android, for example. I think sometimes its the devs laziness that causes them to not work.
  • It doesn't matter if you like it or not, they are extremely important to the ecosystem. Without them, WP would still be behind BlackBerry.
  • I don't get all this hate for 512MB devices. The L520 is the number one selling Windows Phone worldwide. That can only be good for the eco-system and nobody is forced to buy them. It's a choice people. These phones are especially great for their intended market: people upgrading to their very first smartphone. I got my mother a L520 and she couldn't care less for games. All she needs is phone, text, email and a good keyboard. You'll have to pry her L520 from her cold, dead hand if you want to take it from her. She is actually taking pictures with her phone; this from a woman that never bothered owning a camera in her life.
  • Exactly dude! The L521 was my first ever smartphone and around the time I got it, I didn't have that much money. $150 for a great smartphone is a steal. Dont really get why ppl hate em tho. It ain't like everyone in the world has the money to get a phone with lots of space like the L1020 or L1520
  • This is a site, a forum, a meeting place for WP enthusiasts, geeks and developers. Your average Joe on the street is not part of this community and wouldn't know 512mb from 2tb RAM on his phone. These are the folk who have bought the 520 and their ilk. Example. I heard a WP notification last week in my office and went to investigate my common brother. 55 year old bloke with a 620. To him it was a phone and that was it. Cheap, did emails, etc. My conversation stopped there but he's the sort of high street person I mean.
  • I think it's got to be a developer's issue, some are just a bunch of lazy d....ks, and don't optimize at all, wp could handle apps properly if most developers weren't such sloths
  • 512MB devices are nice for emerging markets or for persons that do only basic things. Personally I would never own a 512MB Windows phone.
  • Loathe it.
  • I'm reasonably happy with my 620, but the 8.1 preview has ruined it. It now burns through the battery like there's no tomorrow and frequently loses the cellular data connection, forcing a toggle of Airplane Mode. If Cyan doesn't fix it, I'm going to have to replace it.
     
  • you can downgrade with nokia's recovery software
  • No pb whatsoever with my GF's 620. Very smooth and fast. However the 630 should be 1GB ram. By today's standards 512 is just too little, especially given the Moto G's awesome price/specs ratio!
  • Believe me. 2G of ram can definitely make a difference. That old saying "you get what you pay for" holds true when it comes to these smartphones.
  • All in all, I'm really happy with my 521 - reasons for loathing the thing haven't really cropped up at all
  • I never really cared too much about phone specs as much as I do for say, my Surface Pro or computers in general. When I read that thread and saw what specs my 900 has, I was shocked to see it also has 512 MB of RAM because of how smoothly it runs. Maybe it's something with the phone causing the Start Screen to act like that (lots of apps installed, huge browsing history)? Or maybe the Start Screen lag is because of the processor, not the RAM?
  • Not only that, but if the rumours are true, the upcoming even cheaper Moto E will come with 1GB of RAM. If the rumours of the Moto E are true, Microsoft Mobile is in serious trouble with the 630.
  • This! Microsoft needs to flood the market with cheaper 520/630s or else Moto E + G will crush WP forever.
  • 1GB of RAM means absolutely to the average consumer. they buy phones based off price most of the time. so phones will sell based off price
  • Except they're more likely to return a phone when they buy it and can't install apps or games than when they buy a phone and can install everything. It's not a question of people knowing exactly the RAM amount. Is people getting a better experience for their money. If the Moto E comes with 1GB of RAM, that means it will work better than a L630 with 512MB if anything because it won't have the problem of apps requiring a minimum of 1GB of RAM.
  • I don't think its right to compare a 1 GB android device with a 512 windows device. If the performance is smooth, average customers don't give a shit. And if it has anything to do with apps.. The android market already has way more apps for 512 devices anyway.
  • For past devices like the 521, its fine. However, moving forward, I can't imagine why they would ever produce another 512mb phone, ever. It can't possibly save the manufacturer enough money to justify fragmenting the WP market.
  • Been rocking the 521 since last August and love it. Sure there's some noticeable lag on some things in 8.1 but I am convinced its the apps install to SD that's the majority of the issue. 512mb and no flash yet alot of the people around me with their iPhones and Galaxys are ALL being swayed thanks to this phone.
  • On another note, for the 521, if I had to choose between 1gb ram or an SD slot, I would choose the SD slot.
  • +521
  • Once we get official 8.1 and apps designed for 8.1 I'm sure the situation with 512 mb phones will greatly improve.
  • I love my 521. Wanted a windows phone since WP7 was announced and finally bought one with some reservations on a low-ram budget device after researching.
    Turned out to be way above expectations. Only thing it doesn't do is run the Call of Duty app for ghosts but that app is so bad on high end android I can't imagine what it'd be like on 521.
    Tldr 521 is great, don't give mind to the talk, I can't wait to upgrade to a flagship WP. For what its worth I even run the extra tiles on my start screen no problem on 8.1 preview.
  • All most all Lumia WP8 device run as same..... or at least up to L1320 and about 98% app+ games runs on 520 ram devices.
  • You cannot expect a Honda to perform like a Ferrari. You get what you pay for. And for the price and what it does how it does. The 520 is an awesome 512mb ram bit of kit
  • I disagree with the part where people know the memory limitations before they buy, I know a few people who have been disappointed that some apps/games won't work but didn't know anything about the memory.
  • It's only a good seller because its cheap! Not because it runs better than the 1520s ! Metro pcs sells these phone by the bucket loads. But only because there dirt cheap
  • I don't think it's only because the price, the market is flooded with many cheap devices that doesn't have the attention of the 520. I'm actually very impressed with the design and build quality of the Lumia 520 at the price point that the phone is available at.
    And for the record, because I'm so satisfied with the 520 my next phone (probably) will be a Wphone flagship from Nokia (well, most precisely Microsoft).
  • Why there are no covers made for Lumia 720 ?
  • Personally, I would not buy them and don't like them. I buy high-end devices, but if they help out Microsoft mobile get larger then I don't mind them selling them as long as they bring more high end devices
  • There's nothing wrong with 512 devices as they are meant to target people on a budget or who have no interest in games. I believe that the people who hate on them either don't have much tech knowledge and see low numbers as bad, are on a budget but want to game, want everything to be free, or cynical people who just like to complain on the internet.
  • While pretty much all apps will run on 512MB, when you start switching apps, it's not long before an app you were using very recently gets tombstoned. And it's a whole lot faster to reactivate an app that is "dormant" (in RAM but sleeping) than tombstoned (unloaded from RAM but with its state info saved). So the multitasking (if you can call it that) experience on a 512MB device is a whole lot more laggy than on a 1GB device. For this reason alone, there shouldn't have been any devices launched in 2014 onwards with less than 1GB.
  • I think this article is BS..Of course you belittle the opinions of others that have concerns over 512mb devices.   Let us not forget this is WINDOWS PHONE,  a sliver size of the overall market that in one bad buisness descion can  suddenly not exist.  We are already  in  dangerous territory of the BlackBerry.  So why on earth would you have everyone's first impression of your device be a 512mb, No Flash,  Poor camera, No front camera.  As  an experince?  Not to mention these devices will be the only ones out for a good part of the 2014 year before anything else (by Nokia) is released. This is the kinda stuff that can kill a company.  Because  I dont know if you noticed, but nokia isnt known for anything else BUT windows phones.  They screw this up in the already  small market they controll, and they are done for.   Thats why im hoping companies like BLU-Lenovo,ect will relases their own  windows phones soon.   Because if we expect Nokia to keep this ship afloat with these kinds of descions,  lets just say I hope you have a good life jacket. 
     
  • Web browsing, ".. Memory line 1.... Crash". Adobe reader, resuming...., loading crash. And the list goes on. LUMIA 625!
  • Nothing to Complain about. (Me having 4 lumia's) love every single on of them. 2 left on 8.0 and 2 i use more on 8.1. I sniffed the magic Lumia paint.
  • As good that they are doing this they need to be upfront to potential customers that certain games/apps will not run
  • All phones should have 1mb ram, front facing camera and a flash. You want give an awesome experience to the first time smart phone user so they will be loyal to WP. This is very important in the low end phone market.
  • Do you mean 1GB?
  • There should be a point where it no longer makes sense to hobble a device with only 512 Mb. Windows Phone is an extremely agile OS, but as chips and programs grow in complexity and features there will come a point where no less than a GB will be the minimum. This is not to denigrate devices like the 520. However, there will be a point whether it be demands by apps or the OS will dictate that 512 Mb won't cut it any more.
  • Yeah when finally get it to the point of being as capable as rt it will require 1gb
  • Great comment. 512mb eventually won't be enough (and won't take long either). But I like Microsoft's development philosophy, Windows Phone is an OS that performs well on nearly any hardware from the low-end to the top of the line Lumia. It's good to know Microsoft is truly keeping all devices in mind when it builds out its feature-set and does not try to differentiate between high and low-end hardware. And that was a big problem with WP7.
  • I have a Lumia 520 and a Lumia 1020, and I think L520 is faster than L1020!! L1020 has many extra features... But L520 does not lag as much as L1020! In windows phone 8.1, I'm seeing "resuming...." and "loading...." Too much in my L520! Windows phones are good in both low end and high end phones, but Android is only good for high end phone!
  • Just put 8.1 on my Nokia 520. It runs about the same speed as the Samesung S4 I owned for 4 weeks befor getting rid of. 
  • 1GB is must. How much is 512MB of RAM nowadays?? Use cheaper materials: camera, screen, slower RAM, lesser internal storage, and etc. to bring down the cost BUT 1GB of RAM is a must.
  • Microsoft should increase ram limitation for each app and this problem will solve.
  • Can't say I loathe WPs with 512MB of RAM, but the three I own all have 1GB of it. Actually, my mom has a 620 and I know that's got 512MB of RAM. I don't think speed/performance is an issue for her with it, but she really has problems with the battery draining too fast.
  • I love using my Lumia 520 and I dont regret buying a 512MB ram phone.
  • I love my 620 very much & I am happy with it!!!
  • I really don't know that much about ram pricing, but since MS scrapped the licence fees for WP, can't OEMs just use that money to make 1gb of ram WP phones while keeping the price point as low as in the 512 mb phones ?!.
  • The 925 is very good. With better specs, it would have been the best WP ever. Come on with the sequel, and do it right
  • No one complain l520 or l620 coz they were the first phones.. So many rants at present is because l630 has 512 mb still and there seem to not have a future. True it runs most of the apps now and essential apps will be obtimised. But the requirement of 1gb will slowly be need of the day
  • The 720 is quite disappointing, after being a mid-range phone with an awesome build. WPC App for Android- Lenovo IdeaTab A3000
  • I have a lumia 521, with windows phone 8.1 developer preview and nokia black, and dislike the slow start screen load times, occasional app crashes, and that some apps do not work on it.
  • I love ❤ my Lumia 520 no need to play more game the best game of windows phone store support my device that is Asphalt 8
  • I don't get the hate for 512mb, all 1st Gen devices had 512. I may be in the minority but my L900 runs better than an 8x I used for a short time.
  • If the purpose is business then 512 nb ram devices is enough. But for gaming more ram is needed. But who pays for more ram for mobile games. That's y I want android to be banned wth their plenty fart mobile games.
  • Well i firmly believe L720 should have been 1gb device, in same price you can get an Android with 1gb ram. Nokia should have given 1gb for that Price tag.
  • I am totally for the 720 having 1 gb RAM. I think we needed a 725 instead of a 525.
  • With 8.1 update we can install the apps on sd card and keep internal memory free.
  • Absolutely love my Lumia 720
  • I don't loathe the mobiles, I just loathe the self-entitled people that buy a cheap & limited device and then complain and whine endlessly about those limitations - often pointing the finger at "lazy" developers for not making it available to them. It's like buying a Ford Fiesta and then complaining that the government are lazy for not building roads everywhere that 4WD's go.
  • LOL,Well said!
  • Its not that simple.... The complain came mainly because of the downgrading of the supossedly upgrade of Lumia 6xx line. First Lumia 620 was 512 mb and so is Lumia 520. Nobody's complaining about those and are happy with it.
    When Lumia 625 came it sports 1gb of ram.. So the expectation of lumia 630 was 1 gb of ram and it is also future proof.. But Nokia stripped down this to 512mb and with it those who plan to upgrade from Lumia 620 are greeted with lower specs.... And thus the complain starts .. So we will not get what we wish to pay for. (not everyone can buy the highend phones)
    The policy of Nokia here is at fault..after upgrading to 1gb of the previous line and then stopping of it again keep the consumer at bay. They should have just slapped 1gb ram and how much will it cost more?I dont think much....
    Yes, 512mb ram will power just fine... But the complain and rant has its background..
  • 625 runs on 512 RAM, as well. But, you're right, 630 is a downgrade.
  • We may expect even many games in future for low end devices, coz windows phone 8,1 silver night has decreased the usage of RAM by 50% for apps and games ^_^
  • Personally, I loathe them. I think this is one of the dumbest moves that Microsoft make on making a lower end phone. Sure, lower res, 8gb vs. 16gb, strip out NFC and maybe even FM radio but, putting 512mb is causing so much fragmentation on Windows Phone nevermind the devs because now they have to make their apps run on 512mb and 1gb devices...more overhead and time to do this. How many pennies did they actually save by putting only 512mb ?   The bigest thing that I dislike about them is because of must new games come out at 1gb, so every time WPC opens a story on a new game or review, the comments are flooded with "no 512mb support...wtf" I think it's come to a point, if you have a 512mb device, you know what your in for. A lot of apps wont run on it, it's just what it is. Sell your 512mb device and buy a 1gb device, and if you decide not to, you know what your in for. Stop complaining about it...
  • The only truth is that peoples are always dissatisfied with what they have.... Just imagine that if Lumia 520 was not there what we all have missed... Lumia 520 is the perfect phone with perfect budget... I love the camera of Lumia 520 and some of my clicks are so amazing that no one believes that I have clicked it from the mobile. I just love Lumia 520 it's perfect
  • Personally for me 520 is the best phone as it perfectly fulfills all my day to day needs. And being a student it is easily affordable.Here in India it is priced very competitively and no other contender is as good as it is.
  • Its pretty obvious that 512 MB devices are necessary for emerging markets, but just because they sell tons of them doesn't mean they don't suck when it comes to running certain tasks.
  • 1GB should be the minimum for smartphones like the L520.
  • My Lumia 720 is very sluggish after 8.1
    It freezes, lags and crashes frequently now :'(
    Used to be great and I hope Microsoft fixes this
  • Can manage with these but tr2 and ss can be made for 512mb ram bcoz there are cracks in net but i want to use them legally...
  • My app list is not loading after i swipe to right after 8.1 update i asked in forums but no answer
  • I am totally satisfied with my Lumia 720
  • The update in windows is most required thing and stores don't have app up to the need lack of app, windows have more weakness then merit 8.1 should come early
  • As the move to SD card support arise through 8.1 update. Everythig will be al right. M using 720 and in wp8, I was not allows to download the asphalt 8 game after downloading all the apps required for my phone. How ever, after mystic preview update of 8.1, I have today 5x space where I can download at least 2 times asphlat. The feature of moving apps to SD is actually stunning and working well in my phone. Hope for the best guys, as specially 520 owners, you will love it.
  • On 8.1 the multitasking and tiles sometimes go blank for 2-3 seconds I hope this gets fixed when the official update comes out
  • That is because the load of apps moves in SD card I guess. And since we are not officially updated to WP 8.1 some hardware and update which will roll out offcially after 25th June will definately resolve our problem. I am also facing such issues but not that noticable everytime. I guess my 720 works great, I never got that feeling but, sometimes!!! Enjoy.
  • The thing is that all my apps are installed on my phone and all the secondary stuff is stored on my SD card lets see what the official update will bring
  • I am waiting today also, where I can download the subway surfer and temple run because, now I can move the app to SD and also looking forward to the developers to provide the memory ard support download to play such games on 512mb device.
  • I hope Microsoft honestly drops the low end phones and focuses on midrange and up. Beef up the margins and make as much money as possible from the enthusiasts that buy Windows Phones. Selling boatloads of cheap phones will increase market share and destroy profitability. Leave it to saps like Samsung and HTC to burn cash selling turd phones.
  • Lumia 625
    I'm so in love with my phone, i knew it's limitations when i bought it. But with 8.1 and it's ability to save apps bite to sd cards, I'm logging it even more! :)
  • Now thegold question... lumia 630 or lumia 525?... Quad core or 1gb RAM? Which phone is faster?  
  • 525 is better than d 630
    bcoz it has 1 gb of ram
    der is no use of quad core with 512 mb of ram
    i m using 525 nd its really good device
  • My 525 is best as it has 1 GB RAM. Best of Both Worlds , Price and Performance.
  • loathe it, the windows 520 lumia, as no one supports 512 mb ram phones and many popular apps whic are in real need but 512 mb ram doesn't provide yu...
  • Really love my yellow 720. Installed Asphalt 8 in the SD card, and runs just fine. I was considering a Lumia 820 before bought this, but 720 is much better.
  • Could be worse.... Could be sporting the lumia 900 stuck on 7.8 like me
  • To be competitive as a brand you know dynamic prices. WPC App via Nexus 5.
  • I have heard so many people saying they are able to play Subway surferes in their 512MB mobiles. DOes anyone ohave a link to download for 720?
  • loathe.
  • I wonder how much it costs for the addition of one 512 mb ram and flash ? People'd rather have 1 gb ram and less cpu power.
  • Why most best game doesn't run 512mb ram ???? Android could do better with 512mb ram. May be Microsoft testricted using much ram on 3rd parties apps ??? Why ???
  • I've been using 520 for almost a year now.
    I didn't face any lags that I'd have it I was on android on same specs. Windows phone can surely run smooth with low specs. But, I would not mind my phone to have 1GB+ Ram now coz of unavailability of some games, frequent app refresh. 512 for windows phone is not bad considering the throw away price you can get this phone at.
  • Loathe. I used a 720 for a few days while my 925 was at Nokia Care. The low RAM puts a damper on most things, more than the slightly less-powerfull CPU does. Heavy webpages don't load propery, or if they load, disappear (turn white). Moving away from an open webpage reloads the webpage again when you go back to it. Apps don't stay tombstoned and it takes longer to load the tombstoned app than it takes to load the app from scratch. Completely ruins the WP experience.  
  • Apps are totally working fine after installing on SD card...
    I have 520 too...
    With preview of 8.1
    But still some apps lag, not because of 512 RAM, but due to app fault...
    High class games such as Asphalt 8: Airborne, six-guns, Dungeon Hunter, etc...
    All works fine,
    I have total 8.7GB Filled with Apps & Games...
    My 520 is like a a mini Computer for me...
  • If OEMs decided to go with 1GB instead of 512MB, will it increase the price of the phone dramatically?
    Its a shame phones like the 8S & the 720 are stuck with 512MB ... I love the design of both phones , but the 512MB RAM makes me say no
  • In Windows Phone 8.x app can use 150MB by default but app can ask for extend this value and on low-ram devices it can get totally from 180 to 300MB, on hi-ram devices (1GB+) app can get totally up to 380MB.
  • I think 512mb is ridiculous in this day and age. It seems like being cheap on purpose. It seems more like hobbling the low end phone to make the high end phone more attractive, not to make an affordable low end phone. I mean how much can 1.5gb of RAM cost when I can get 16gb for $11?
  • I hate my phone for only having 512MB RAM because there is games I want to play but O can't since it requires 1GB RAM or rare chances, more.
  • I bought a Lumia 625, which I love btw, but wasn't aware the 512 memory was an issue with certain games until I'd already bought the phone and tried to install Order and Chaos. It doesn't seem to mention memory requirements in the marketplace, and even then when your do try to install all it really tells you is the phone doesn't meet the minimum requirements. Ok, maybe I should have done my homework first, but how are you supposed to know these things if you're not aware of the issue and don't know what to look for?
  • This! This is a huge issue. And at what cost?! Is it really that much cheaper to put only 512mb in? Nope. Pisses people off, that's it.
  • Growing up alongside pc's that used anything from 4-8mb of ram and knowing what that ram can be utilised for, these vast amounts of ram on mobile devices seem ludicrous to me, sure 8mb was poo, but mechwarrior ran on a 32mb machine, unreal tournament is a mmofps with many advanced features and can run on 64mb of ram, including decent dx9 textures and in software mode (no specced gpu needed), so wheres this ram going..fk knows but it sure as hell isn't optimised. 512 is more than enough, but I guess something went wrong somewhere. Do they even use cache properly? I mean were running ssd devices, there shouldn't be an issue.
  • I love my Lumia 520...yes some games do not run on it but I did not buy a phone to play games, I chose Windows because of its beauty and fresh slick user interface
  • I have lumia 520 witch wp8.1, and it work ok, but don't put  apps or games on SDcard. It doesn't work ok. I love it!
  • Never bothered me much on my 520. Have loads of apps and games etc saved on it and always seems to be snappy enough for me. My partner has the 820 which is slightly quicker at loading up apps and web pages etc but not much difference.
  • The worst thing about the 520 personally is the battery life. I'm a heavy user and most days my battery dies in the early evening.
  • I do think that the lowest ram should be 1gb even for the low end devices. If there are issues with apps not working properly or at all on a device with 512mb then surely it'd be in Windows' interest to ensure all Nokia devices are capable of running every available app to a good standard. Would make the whole user experience better across the board and maybe entice more people to try a windows phone? Especially important with a new version out soon too??
  • I think the 520 is a great device. It slows down occasionally due to the 512MB RAM, but 99% of the time it is very smooth and fast. The battery is great and lasts a couple of days with moderate use. On trips away when I've turned off data, it's lasted 3+ days without turning off. The expandable storage is fantastic and allows me to keep the phone storage as clear as possible, which helps keep the OS nice and fast. In terms of there being a 1GB limitation at all, even better specced phones mentioned on here will struggle with demanding games even if the handset allows you to download them. I've used a Moto G and found that while a great value phone, games like Subway Surfers or The Dark Knight Rises (released in 2012) show lag. I don't want to undermine others complaints, but the 1GB limitation should not be affecting performance - the way you configure your device does. If you have a lot of live tiles, you're using a lot of resources and it is inevitably going to slowdown, be it a 520 or a 920. I've taken care to turn off background processes on a lot of things and it really helps. Ultimately you get what you pay for. The 520 is the best value budget smartphone and in terms of apps and games on the Windows Phone Store, probably installs 99% of them. The 1GB games are only a handful and there are so many other great games that work on the 520, I don't understand why people are dissatisfied.
  • Come on, you get a low end, 512mb RAM, bullet proof 520 for very reasonable price. Even moto G's 1gb RAM can't stop bullets that 512 mb RAMed 520 does :) :p
  • I bought my 521 knowing it would not be a gaming powerhouse. I just wanted a top-class cell phone experience (I'm looking at you, cheap Android devices that barely operate) that I could buy without signing a cell phone contract. And after 6 months, I'm absolutely elated with my decision.   I use my phone for calls, music, audiobooks, and podcasts mainly. Other than that, e-mails, calendars, and weather updates, and a decent camera are all pluses that have come with it. I have little need for a small tablet, PC, or Xbox in my pocket.
  • i have an LG quantum windows 7.5 phone with 512MB of RAM. it works for what i want to do with it. i don't games, so i'm not really feeling a need for more memory. music and video plays fine, and the transitions are fast enough for me.
  • "Some folks on the thread also note that the performance has improved with Windows Phone 8.1, and of course it’s only the preview" Huh?  That's crazy...I noticed a very large difference in the opposite direction (running Drive and trying to listen to music at the same time takes quite a while to actually get everything up and running.  simple games, ie. 2048, now have noticeable lag that wasn't present before).  My phone is now much more sluggish that it was prior to the update.  I assumed it was just the device and badly needed a firmware update.  I should try a reset if others are having better luck... Otherwise...wholly recommend the device based on value ($50?!) and WP8.
  • MS came a long way with WP 8.1... I love it on my Lumia Icon.  I do think at some point they should write some optimizations into the OS so that it keeps less apps in memory space on the 512 Meg phones.  WP runs well in low memory (better than Android), which is something that angers me about the Nokia X.  They need to kill those and start people with the full Windows Phone experience.  No need to step them in with Android.  If Microsoft is going to do those things, they might as well spend there resources on an excellent Android fork and just go that route all the way.
  • Lumia 720 Rulz!
  • The 521 only having 512mb was the reason I never upgraded from my 710 for it. Just no reason for that phone not to have 1gb ram when it came out.
  • It's not so much the RAM, but other hardware features. I have a lumia 521 and I love a lot of things about it. Performance is very good, but I'm not a significant gamer. The thing that bugs me and finally nudged me to upgrade to the 925 is the other features. Compass, flashlight/led, and a decent camera. (not in that order). Also the screen is just a teeny bit small. If ind the extra size of the 925 a big improvement while still fitting nicely in my pocket. The 925 doesn't really feel any heavier either. And now the 925 is only $200 which is only $50 more than I paid for me 521 through t-mo. Now of course the 521 goes as low as $60 -$70, so it still fills a very valuable niche.
  • Well for me , a phone has to have the top of the line specs.  Must be a high end phone.  No cheap phones for me as I am not willing to make that compromise.  Would love to have the Verizon Lumia Icon  , but unfortunately I am under contract until 2015 November.  
  • This phone should have had the following features/hardware:
    1. 1 GB RAM
    2. A front camera
    3. A flash for the rear camera
    4. Pixel density should have been a little higher Honestly, I am disappointed with the specs!
  • <p>But Much liked games are on 1gb ram lke subway surfers,temple run 2,angry birds go,etc.therefore need some gAmes on windows phone</p>
  • I'll be honest and say that I was surprised to read that performance has improved on the 520 with 8.1. I have a 521 and after the update, it lagged like crazy! Apps took forever to open. Especially the new Podcast app. With that one I'd have to tap the icon several times before it would open without crashing.  So I gave up. I didn't want to go back to 8.0(now that I have the notification pane, I don't want to go back!) and I didnt like what T-Mobile currently offers for their higher end Lumia. I need expandable storage or at least 32 gigs without expandable storage. So until T-Mobile releases a better Lumia, I'm sticking with my Blackberry. Yeah, I know that's an odd choice but I didn't want to go back to Android and I don't want an iPhone, so...what other option was there? I thought about buying an unlocked 920 but that would mean no LTE support and the 1520.3 is a bit too big(not to mention too expensive). 
  • Have you tried doing a reset? I experienced a bit of lag upgrading from 8.0 to 8.1 but this has gone after doing a clean install of everything.
  • 520 is an excellent phone, however it's not the top spec what you get is a brilliant smartphone at a great price. A basic pc will not play top end games, just as a Lumia 920 will not take as good a quality picture as a Lumia 1020. The 520 still remains an excellent phone providing lots and lots of quality functionality a lot of which are games.      
  • I have a 520. I recently added a 16 GB SD card to it, and upgraded it to 8.1. I also did a factory reset because I didn't know it was the VPN settings that were messing up my data connection. Even after doing this at times, my tiles did do seem to take a second or two longer to load up than they should every once in a while, and at times it seems like there is a hang before it goes back to a previous screen. For the most part it works well, but I plan to test out a 9xx model just to see the difference. 
  • I loathe devices with 512MB of RAM. After using every Lumia from 520-620-720-820-920 and 925, I can say that devices with 512 MB of RAM will cost you: 1. Certain apps won't install 2. Web browsing sucks. Try to load any web page, then load another page on a new tab, then so on. You will discover that when you move between tabs, any already loaded page will reload, due to insufficient RAM. It cost you your battery, time, and mobile data quota. This phenomenon (reloading when switching tabs) occurs much less on devices with 1GB of RAM.
  • Loathe. It's a poor cost-cutting choice for phones released in May 2014. There are better places to cut costs than making a new device with only 512MB. if you purcahsed your 520/1 when it was newly released, that's one thing, relaseing the 630 now with only 512, you're killing any possible future proofing. Simply put, there are better places to cut costs on a phone than to hamstring it with only 512MB
  • I wouldn't buy any device with only 512mb of RAM. 1Gb is the minimum I'll consider and always research the specs before I buy.
  • Updated to the WP 8.1 (8.10.12382.878), my 520 stutters almost everytime when im switching between apps and the home screen. sometimes the live tile images and texts doesnt appear instantly. this wasnt the case with WP 8! Im a bit disappointed on how the performance kind of decreased in my 520. Although i know that i am running a "preview", hopefully everythings going to be fixed at the final release. & oh god not to mention the music and games hub... -_-
  • The 520/521 are decent phones for their price range, being that they can be found for $50 to $100 unsubsidized or under $200 unlocked. That's attractive to many people, and why they sell well. Nokia should update these models with 1 GB of RAM, but ultimately they want to keep these devices' prices down. Seeing as there are now competition in this price range from devices like the Moto E I'd expect that Nokia/Microsoft would respond with bumping up the specs to stay competative moving forward. I don't think power users are the target market for 512 MB devices, and if they do buy one they should know the tradeoffs.
  • The smartphones with 512 mb on board must dissappear at all. This is a shame in 2014!
  • I thinks 96% of apps and games should work on a 512mb devices so that phones with more can actually have a greater benefit otherwise we become android needing heaps of power and still lag.
  • It sure doesn't seem like people knew about that compromise when they got it. I just released my first game, which doesn't run well on the 520 or 620 (lags, and constantly crashes due to lack of memory), and unfortunately those are the only users who are taking the time to rate it! 512mb just isn't enough nowadays.