Nokia launches Lumia 620 – Most affordable Windows Phone 8 device

Today Nokia have announced their third and most affordable Windows Phone 8 handset. This one is designed specifically to appeal to the youthful, fun side of the market.

The Nokia Lumia 620 uses a new 'dual-shot' colour technique to deliver a variety of striking colour and texture effects. Dual-shot adds a second layer of coloured, transparent or translucent polycarbonate on top of a base layer to produce secondary colour blends and depth effects. There will be a range of seven exchangeable shells so folks can customise the look even further. 

The Lumia 620 will sport a 3.8” WVGA 800x480 screen that uses Nokia’s familiar 'Clear Black' polarising screen technology to reduce glare. It will also pack a Snapdragon S4 dual core CPU running at 1 GHz, so it's clocked a bit slower than other Windows Phone 8 handsets. The 620 will also have a base memory of 512MB RAM and 8GB of on-board storage. Thankfully it also has the option to increase storage by way of MicroSD cards of up to 64GB in size.

Nokia had this to say on the launch:

"We continue to execute on our strategy to reach new audiences and new markets," said Jo Harlow, executive vice president, Nokia Smart Devices. "With its innovative design, the latest Windows Phone 8 software and signature experiences from Nokia, like Nokia lenses, Nokia Maps and Nokia Music, the Nokia Lumia 620 is a highly competitive smartphone at this price point."

Cameras will be taken care of with a 5MP F 2.4 Aperture, 28.0mm focal length but will not have the Carl Zeiss optics. For the purposes of video calling the device will house a standard VGA front facing camera.  

The Lumia 620 supports Bluetooth 3.0, NFC and the usual Wi-Fi Standards a/b/g/n but there is no option for the Qi Wireless charging. The device supports a replaceable battery and weighs in at 127g.

Nokia also had this to say:

"People can do more of the things they love when they choose a mobile device that has a Qualcomm Snapdragon processor," said Enrico Salvatori, senior vice president and president of Qualcomm Europe. "The Snapdragon S4 Plus processor is the heart of the Nokia Lumia 620, making it possible to multi-task, stream in HD and share content at super-fast speeds."

Initially the device is set to become available in a range of colours including, lime green, orange, magenta, yellow, cyan, white and black. The price of the handset is going to be around USD $249 without taxes and subsidies. Initial shipping will commence in Jan 2013 in Asia, followed shortly by the EU and Middles East.

Full Specifications

Dimensions:

  • Height: 115.4 mm
  • Width: 61.1 mm
  • Thickness: 11.0 mm
  • Weight: 127 g
  • Volume: 76 cm³

Display and User Interface

  • Display size: 3.8 ''
  • Touch screen technology: Capacitive Multipoint-Touch
  • Screen height: 800 pixels
  • Screen width: 480 pixels
  • Display features: Polarization filter, Light time-out, Ambient light detector, Brightness control, Orientation sensor, Proximity sensor, RGB Stripe, Sunlight readability enhancements, Aspect ratio 15:9, Color boosting
  • Display height: 83.0 mm
  • Display width: 50.0 mm
  • Display colors: 16.7 million
  • Display technology: LCD, ClearBlack

Memory

  • Internal memory: 512 MB
  • Maximum memory card size: 64GB
  • Mass memory: 8GB and 7GB in SkyDrive
  • Expandable memory card type: MicroSD

The Lumia 620 looks like a great entry-level Windows Phone 8 device, packing some impressive specs and the fun colours this could be popular. In order to drive more adoption of the new operating system, it's imperative that to make lower end devices available right away. We look forward to getting one for a hands-on as soon as possible. Stay tuned.

Let us know what you think about the latest addition to the Lumia range in the comments below. Thanks to everyone who tipped us!

Robert Brand