Nokia Lumia 720: Best Windows Phone in MWC 2013

Of the two devices that Nokia launched at MWC, the Lumia 720 seems to be a more capable performer and fills the gap between the Lumia 620 and 820. The company is targeting photo enthusiasts with the Lumia 720. The primary camera is 6.7 megapixel with an f/1.9 aperture and Carl Zeiss optics, while the 1.3 megapixel snapper at the front is described as an "HD-quality, wide-angle" camera.

The 720 comes with the latest Nokia services, including Nokia Music, the HERE location suite and an optional snap-on wireless charging cover. We would have liked to see a higher resolution than the WVGA that the 720's 4.3-inch display comes with.

Nokia bridged a gap in its mid-range offerings with the Lumia 720

Nokia bridged the gap in its mid-range offerings with the Lumia 720



Here are some of the highlights of the Lumia 720:

  • 4.3-inch ClearBlack LCD display with a resolution of 800 x 480 pixels
  • HSDPA, 21.1 Mbps; HSUPA, 5.76 Mbps, EDGE/GPRS
  • Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n, dual-band
  • Bluetooth 3.0 with A2DP
  • GPS with A-GPS support and GLONASS
  • NFC-capable and wireless charging
  • 6.7 megapixel camera with Carl Zeiss optics and 720p video recording
  • 1.3 megapixel front-facing wide angle camera and 720p video
  • 8GB internal memory, expandable up to 64GB via microSD
  • Also Look At Best Of MWC 2013

The Nokia Lumia 720 comes in five colours at an estimated starting price of EUR 249, which roughly translates to Rs 17,700. The chipset inside is a Qualcomm MSM8227, with its two cores ticking at 1GHz. There’s an Adreno 305 GPU and 512MB of RAM thrown in. The device is expected to be available before the end of Q1.


The 4.3-inch 720 retains the familiar unibody casing and it's available in five different colours - we've opted to photograph the rather striking mustard yellow. Do you like it? We actually do.


Lumia 720
If you've used a Lumia before, the new model will seem unremarkable, but it is a lot lighter than the high-end Lumias at just 128g.


Lumia 720
The phone will make its debut in Hong Kong, Vietnam and Singapore soon - the Nokia Lumia 720 UK release date is likely to be in the Spring. It seems the US release date will be further out.


Lumia 720
Performance of the handset is snappy - there's a 1Ghz dual-core Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 processor inside - but the screen doesn't innvovate - it's 800 x 480 just like the 820's 4.3-inch display. It 217ppi though, and it has a high enough resolution to make some third-party live tiles look a little substandard.
However, all the standard OS and Nokia Here add-on apps look the part, and you won't be disappointed with how things look.


Lumia 720
Lumia 720
Lumia 720
The camera is, again, a selling point for Nokia; Carl Zeiss optics are used as usual, although it's only a 6.7MP snapper. Pictures did look vibrant though, but some images were a bit blurry under the MWC show lights.
Video is 720p at 30fps, while the front camera has a resolution of 1280 x 960.


Lumia 720
We've always liked how the Lumias look and feel in the hand, but some of the handsets have been a little too big for our liking. 4.3-inches is a good size


Lumia 720
On the top of the handset there's a 3.5mm headphone jack and you can see the camera lens and flash here too.


Lumia 720
On the side are the standard three Lumia buttons - volume, screen on/off and the camera control. This picture makes the handset look a lot thicker than it actually is - it's 9mm.


Lumia 720
Towards the bottom of the back is a speaker as well as three tiny holes for a Wireless Charging cover, which fits on the back of the device..


Lumia 720
Lumia 720

Early verdict

The Lumia 720 doesn't have the high end features we've come to expect from the more expensive Lumias but it does have a decent spec sheet for something that's bound to be available on next-to-nothing contracts. Nokia wants to spread the Lumia's appeal - and that of Windows Phone 8 - and sees this and the low end 520 as crucial to its hopes.


Lumia 720
Lumia 720

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