Nokia's bulk of device sales are its affordable feature and low-end smart devices, so it makes sense that the company would want to replicate that for Windows Phone 8. In a sign that it's aiming to push even further, Nokia is launching the Lumia 520 today. As a successor to the company's Lumia 510, the Lumia 520 nixes Windows Phone 7 for the latest version 8 and bumps the speed and storage capabilities.
With a 4-inch WVGA LCD display, 512MB of RAM, and 8GB of storage this is clearly a low-end device, but Nokia makes up for the low storage with microSD support and the low resolution display with its super sensitive touch support for gloves and finger nails. There's no front facing camera on the Lumia 520, with a 5-megapixel one at the rear. Nokia isn't supporting NFC or wireless charging on the Lumia 520 either, so while it keeps the device affordable it's not going to support the Wallet feature of Windows Phone 8.
While the Lumia 510 was largely focused on developing markets, Nokia plans to bring the Lumia 521 (a variant of the 520) to the US on T-Mobile. Priced at just 139 euros ($183), it's the cheapest Lumia Windows Phone 8 device yet and it highlights Nokia's strategy with Lumia. The Finnish hardware maker now has Windows Phone 8 devices at each level of price points, a strategy it hopes will pay off with sales over the course of 2013.