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Lumia 720 hands-on: the best Lumia body yet, but the specs let it down

Lumia 720 hands-on: the best Lumia body yet, but the specs let it down

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Gallery Photo: Nokia Lumia 720 hands-on photos
Gallery Photo: Nokia Lumia 720 hands-on photos

Nokia just announced its latest mid-range Lumia 720 at Mobile World Congress today, and I've had a chance to take a look at it ahead of its release later this quarter. At first glance this particular Lumia embodies the same design as the latest colorful Lumia range that Nokia kicked off with the release of Windows Phone 8. There's one big difference here, though: Nokia's Lumia 720 has a thin and light body that puts it on par with HTC's 8X. This body is everything the Lumia 920 should have been, but the 720's specifications let it down somewhat.

The 4.3-inch WVGA display is disappointing after you've become accustomed to large screen 720p displays with Windows Phone 8. Nokia has got the size of the display right here, allowing you to thumb around the interface easily, but the resolution doesn't take advantage of all Windows Phone 8 has to offer. The Lumia 720 weighs 128g vs. the 185g of the Lumia 920, and it's 9mm thin vs. the 10.7mm thickness of the Lumia 920. It's noticeable when you use the device with one hand and the unibody design looks great for this mid-range device.

Nokia has implemented a wide angle lens on the front of the Lumia 720, but I found it wasn't as wide as the 8X during some initial tests. Nokia claims the rear shooter will produce great looking images, but initial shots didn't seem as impressive as I'd hoped with some minor white balance issues.

Nokia Lumia 720 hands-on photos

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Nokia has opted to include a microSD slot here. It sits on the side of the device and looks similar to the SIM slot at the top, and you similarly have to open it with a SIM removal tool. At the rear of the device there's three connector pins that allow you to snap an additional wireless charging cover onto the back. That will create a hump at the back of the device, but those who aren't interested in wireless charging will get the benefits of a thin and light Lumia.

Overall this is a mid-range handset, but it certainly feels like Nokia's latest high-end unit. I just wish Nokia could use the similar specifications of a Lumia 920 within the thin and light frame that the Lumia 720 provides. That looks like what Nokia is planning to do with the Catwalk. Still, if you're in the market for a reasonably-priced Lumia phone, then the 720 is worth considering if you don't need LTE and if the WVGA display doesn't disappoint you.