Nokia Lumia 530 review: Basic specs line up with rock-bottom price

The Nokia Lumia 530 belongs to the ilk of smartphones that dives for the lowest cost it can, and celebrates it. Prospective buyers of this phone are driven by price and not performance; the Lumia 530's specs are just enough to fulfill basic functionality like social communications and entertainment.

5.7

Nokia Lumia 530

The Good

The inexpensive Nokia Lumia 530 is equipped for HSPA+ speeds and can hold up to 128GB in external storage. It includes Microsoft's most current Windows Phone OS.

The Bad

A surprisingly slippery body makes you a constant butterfingers, and typing is tough on the small screen. The fixed focus camera won't take close-up shots.

The Bottom Line

Since specs are decidedly basic, its low price is the major reason to seek out the Nokia Lumia 530.

Small, slippery Nokia Lumia 530 (pictures)

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In the US, the Lumia 530 costs $50 from Cricket, $80 from T-Mobile, and $70 on T-Mobile's service when you buy through Microsoft or Best Buy stores. In the UK, Microsoft sells the phone SIM-free for £90, and in Australia you're looking at about AU$150.

The Lumia 530 isn't my top choice for budget phone by far (I recommend the Lumia 635 or Android-based Motorola Moto G instead), but those who require a dirt-cheap handset can -- along with all phones in this price range -- access the world through the OS and I-think-I-can hardware.

Design and build

Short and pleasantly squat, the 4-inch Lumia 530 is shaped for comfort. Its rounded edges and curved backing are designed to fit in your hand, and with such a small build compared to the 5-inch phones and above (4.7 by 2.5 by 0.5 inches, or 120 by 62 by 11.7mm), it's remarkably maneuverable. At 4.6 ounces or 129 grams, it feels appropriately weighty and substantial in the hand.

Unfortunately, the slick matte backing of my review unit kept it slipping and sliding from my grasp, even from my lap. To Nokia's credit (or Microsoft's, since the latter now owns the former), the 530 only sustained a small ding in the plastic shoulder from an accidental 5-foot tumble. Bodily sturdiness continues to be a Lumia hallmark. While I reviewed it in white and cyan, the 530 also comes in orange and green. Oh yes, and don't forget the requisite black.

After handling larger phones for so long, a 4-inch LCD screen feels Lilliputian, even though there's a substantial bezel. The 854x480-pixel resolution with a pixel density of 245 ppi is predictably low for the cost, but on par with other phones in the price point. On-screen colors are a little dim and images come across pixilated and grainy to the naked eye, especially as you zoom in. Although you'll be able to read articles fine, it's evident that lettering isn't as crisp as it could be.

The 530's display understandably lacks the ClearBlack filter applied to higher-end Nokia phones, and it makes a difference with legibility outdoors in strong sunlight. As with other phones of this type, the screen fades away. You'll also notice high reflectance and more restricted viewing angles on this model than on midrange Lumias or other phones.

Interestingly, navigation takes place with on-screen controls; the phone's only buttons are the volume rocker and power/lock button on the 530's right spine. The Lumia has a 3.5mm headset jack up top and a Micro-USB port on the bottom. A single 5-megapixel camera lens sits centered in the upper quarter on the back. Below the back cover are the SIM card slot (or dual-SIM slots in some markets) and the microSD card holder, which can dramatically increase your total storage space.

Prying off the back cover takes some work, especially the first few times. My tip is to hold the phone away from you and curl your fingernails around the rim where the backplate meets the face. Push with your thumb right under the camera lens while pulling back. Don't worry about losing your nails; the grip loosens over time.

OS and apps

Even with more modest hardware appointments, the Windows Phone 8.1 OS means that the Lumia 530 gets the platform's best addition since its birth: Cortana. The virtual assistant is fairly accurate for a range of search terms and systemwide tasks, like placing calls and taking notes.

Microsoft's cross-platform apps, like Microsoft Office and Outlook, join Nokia apps, such as MixRadio and Nokia Care. There's a built-in FM radio as well, and a battery saver. You'll also be able to turn on Kid's Corner in the settings and back up content (like photos and video) to the cloud.

While there is Bluetooth 4.0, the Lumia 530 doesn't have NFC, another cost-cutting measure.

Camera and video

Here's the thing with the Lumia 530's 5-megapixel camera. It isn't great by any means. You don't expect it to be. The low cost forgives the (intentionally) absent flash, but I still have a hard time swallowing the lack of autofocus.

In addition, you won't be able to zoom in. Instead, focus is fixed at 28mm. This makes enticing closeups on flowers and faces nigh impossible to achieve from either the Nokia Camera, which launches by default, nor the native Windows Phone camera. The Nokia Camera app takes its time processing photos and shooting modes are at a minimum. There's a timer, plus white balance and ISO sliders, but no HDR mode. You can easily download the Panorama app as a lens as well as the new Lumia Selfie app that vocally directs you to take a shot with the rear-facing camera. You'll be able to choose between 4:3 and 16:9 ratios.

Image quality itself suffers from some graininess and artifacts, not to mention that pesky closeups issue. Like a lot of other phones with similar strength cameras, the detailed edging just isn't there. Color reproduction fairly on-point, though, especially when photos are shot in bright sunlight.

Videos are likewise sufficient for capturing a moment, just don't expect the lower resolution to impress your family or friends. Clips record at a 864x480-pixel resolution (and with a 30 fps frame rate). Colors look muted and edges softened, particularly for indoor video. As with the still camera, the lens won't be able to adjust focus for close-ups. Audio pickup was strong, though, and I could keep media volume low when playing back clips in a fairly quiet area.

Performance: Speeds, processor, battery

Since Windows Phone OS doesn't have all the same benchmarks we use for Android and iOS, it's harder to get a 1:1 comparison on the diagnostic tests. However, the AnTuTu benchmark notched a total score of 11,128.

In the grand scheme, these tests matter little; they're merely indicators of performance. What's most important is if the 1.2GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon 200 processor (and Adreno 302 GPU) lets you do what you want on the phone. Temple Run 2 took a long time to load up the first time, and didn't feel quite as nimble as usual. (It certainly didn't look nearly as richly colored or vibrant as on high-end phones.)

Storage space is limited to 4GB local, with up to 128GB extra underneath the proverbial hood. RAM is set to 512MB. A 1,430mAh battery promises a rated talk time of 13.4 hours and a rated standby time of 22 days. We'll perform our own in-house tests in the coming days, but as with all phones, you should expect to charge the handset each day.

Buy it or skip it?

I recommend saving up for the pricier Lumia 635 , or switching to Android for the Motorola Moto G, either LTE or non-LTE versions. True, these phones can be twice the price of this ultra-budget 530 in their given regions, but the user experience is also about twice as enjoyable.