Rant and Rave: Lumia 625

With the world being filled with iPhones and Galaxies, it needs to make room for the Windows phone. The Lumia 625 is the new colorful phone brought to you by the convergence of Nokia and Microsoft. From far away, people may mistake it for the iPhone 5C because of its vibrant backing but a closer look would show that that is the only similarity they share.

The 625 boasts a 4.7 inch screen which finds itself between Apple’s 5S 4 inch screen and Samsung’s S4 5 inch screen. The size was a glove fit as it does not seem to feel constricting as iPhones’ small real estate can be nor was overwhelming for people that may find the new Android phones to be too mammoth. Likened to Goldilocks, users may find the size to be just right. Although through time nearly anyone can get accustomed to any size of a phone, the Lumia 625 will most likely require less time to adjust.

With the phone’s LTE connectivity, users can avoid lull moments when loading up videos or downloading new apps. Because of all the customizing options given, users will constantly be connected to the Internet looking for new ways to take advantage of everything this phone has to offer.

In general, the interface will not be intimidating to new users. It has the common Windows’ phone design with colorful tiles that can be customized. Hours can be spent mixing and matching these tiles as people can play with the color, size and order. People with self-diagnosed OCD will find this to be a painful dream as they will constantly change the interface to their liking only to redo it minutes later. Going through menus can also be addicting as the animations of the transitions liken a very fancy Powerpoint presentation with words and lists flipping and collapsing.

The dilemma with the Lumia 625 is that how good the phone will be is dependent on each user. Owners of the phone will have to buy in to what Nokia and Microsoft are selling outside the basic call and text functions. Those who have Microsoft’s gaming console, the Xbox 360, can connect their account to the Lumia. Those with Live email accounts and users of Office applications like Outlook and the file storage, Skydrive, will have a much more elevated experience with the phone.

Scrolling through the menu will show that there are only a few apps to begin with but that can change as their application store has an abundant of selections. The music library and list of contacts all look amazing with Windows’ clean design. The issue here it that users will have to take time to look for apps they need and fix the information of their friends and family. The user experience can range from mediocre to spectacular but that is all reliant on how much work and play users will put in the phone. Those who enjoy spending hours playing around with fonts and themes will be rewarded with what they can do with it and the final output. While those who want their phone all ready right out of the box may find the Lumia to be lacking.

Overall the Lumia 625 is a great phone for both old and new users of the OS. It also welcomes those new to smartphones with it’s simple design and general ease of use. The hardest part when buying the phone may be in picking the color but no need to worry as the backing too is customizable.

RATING: 3.0/4.0