Microsoft

Microsoft's Lumia 830 mixes old Nokia designs with a new PureView camera

Affordable pricing for Microsoft's impressive cameras

By Tom Warren, a senior editor covering Microsoft, PC gaming, console, and tech. He founded WinRumors, a site dedicated to Microsoft news, before joining The Verge in 2012.

Sep 4, 2014, 8:45 AM UTC|

Microsoft has previously discussed the need to bring its PureView camera features down to a more affordable price and now the company is doing just that. The new Lumia 830 includes a 10-megapixel PureView camera with what Microsoft is calling the “thinnest” optical image stabilization system on a Lumia to date. That results in an interesting design that mixes parts from the Lumia 930 and the Lumia 1020’s large camera housing.

The Lumia 830 is essentially a thinner, less bulky, and lighter version of the Lumia 930 on the outside. However, inside there’s a lot of differences between the two. The Lumia 830 is powered by a 1.2GHz quad-core Snapdragon 400, 1GB of RAM, and 16GB of storage. Like the Lumia 930, the 830 is also a 5-inch handset, but Microsoft has opted for a 1280 x 720 resolution instead of the beautiful 1080p display on the Lumia 930. That’s an inevitable sacrifice as the Lumia 830 is positioned below the Lumia 1520 and Lumia 930, as an “affordable flagship.”

Lumia 830 3

Just like the Lumia 930 the 830 features a aluminum body with a polycarbonate rear, and it also includes integrated wireless charging. There are four color variants: green, orange, white, and black. Although the Lumia 830 ships with Windows Phone 8.1 Update 1, Microsoft will be providing a fresh Lumia Denim update later this year with faster camera start-up and capture speeds. Lumia Denim also includes 4K-quality video recording and general improvements to low-light images. Microsoft’s Lumia 830 will be available globally this month, priced at €330 before taxes and subsidies.

Alongside the Lumia 830, Microsoft is also releasing two new accessories that compliment the handset. A new "DT-903" wireless charging plate will alert Lumia owners when it’s time to charge thanks to its Bluetooth support. There’s a variety of different alerts on the charger, including blinking lights for notifications like SMS, email, or missed calls, and the ability to see battery status. A separate screen-sharing accessory will also let Lumia owners beam content from their handsets to a display with HDMI.

I got an early look at the Lumia 830 in Berlin today, and it was immediately clear this is the handset the 930 should have been. It's a lot less heavy in the hand, and the chunkiness just isn't as noticeable at all. It feels thinner, lighter, and the rear 10-megapixel camera looks great sitting at the back even if it's not as capable as the Lumia 930's shooter. Removable covers and a swappable battery are useful additions, especially for travelers who want to swap batteries, and the covers can be removed very easily. I didn't notice any performance issues with the Lumia 830 during my brief usage, but it appears the improved loading times for the Lumia Camera aren't quite there just yet.

Pricing and looks might just make this handset a hit for Microsoft. I tested the Lumia 830 rear camera on several occasions and the results were good during daylight. You obviously won't get the same post-zoom ability as the Lumia 930 or Lumia 1020, but for the average consumer the 10-megapixel camera should be enough. Microsoft's Lumia 820 design wasn't particularly attractive, but this 830 is a welcome addition to the Lumia lineup that could help Microsoft push its Windows Phone sales.