Windows Phone 8 Comparison: Nokia Lumia 820 vs HTC 8S vs Nokia Lumia 620

After reviewing the high-end devices with Windows Phone 8 that we will have on the market, it's time to explore the mid-range and input range and see what we can find. Waiting for more companies to join the new version of the mobile system, for now only Nokia and HTC have clearly shown their cards, with mobiles a level below their headliners but that cover the needs of many users.

Before we begin, it is worth noting that the Lumia 820 is one step above and does not compete in the same price range that the HTC 8S and the Lumia 620Although this implies better characteristics on paper in a large part of the sections, the fundamental factor that is the price means that each one must analyze what they can do without and what not in their new smartphone. Let's see the main points to consider.

Nokia Lumia 820

When Nokia introduced the Lumia 820 it was somewhat overshadowed by its big brother, the Lumia 920. But Nokia's second-ranked smartphone is powerful enough and has the necessary features to stand up to many rivals of a similar category. The problem, in the case of the Windows Phone 8 market, is that has stuck in the middle ground between the headliners and the other two competitors that we show today. Given that we have the high-end range for a little more price and the entry-level range for a little less, what it offers will be key to convince us.

The Finns have given the 820 a generous 4.3-inch display that stands above its rivals. The problem is that these dimensions are not accompanied by an improvement in resolution, staying at 800x480, which is scarce for us, leaving a density of 217 pixels per inch. Where they have not fallen short is in the dual-core Snapdragon processor that it shares with the 920, along with the GB of RAM that makes it stand out from the 8S and the Lumia 620. With the latter, it is on par with its 8 GB of storage and the possibility of expansion via microSD.

With the camera, without standing out too much, it once again proves superior to its two opponents in the comparison thanks to its 8 megapixelsAgain, your main problem is being in no man's land as the Finns haven't incorporated PureView technology into the 820.What they have added is maximum connectivity with LTE, in addition to NFC and the option of wireless charging in a similar way to the 920.

The 820 is the largest of the three phones in the comparison, except for its thickness, where Nokia has managed to get below 10 millimetersAlthough smaller than the top three, it's surprisingly heavier than the HTC 8X and Samsung ATIV S, and falls very close to the Lumia 920. The design follows the family's colorful style with interchangeable bezels.

HTC 8S

With the HTC 8S the Taiwanese seemed to follow Nokia's strategy with the 820, but they have gone a step further significantly reducing their price and competing at another levelMost of its features are thus below those of Nokia's middle class, but at a lower cost and with other incentives.

The screen of the HTC 8S shares technology with the 8X but reducing its size to 4 inches and its resolution to 800x480 that it shares with the other two mobiles in this comparison. The pixel density obtained is one of the few things in which it exceeds 820 on paper, but falls below the new Lumia 620. With the second it shares a dual-core Snapdragon processor and 512 MB of RAM, yes, supported by on a much larger battery.

The camera is not the strong point of the 8S with only 5 megapixels and without the technology of its older brother. In HTC they have also decided to dispense with the front camera In the same way they have dispensed with LTE and NFC, but they maintain the Beats sound brand of the house. Although in these sections it is the worst unemployed, the HTC 8S offers other things that many will appreciate.

Starting with your design.Although this goes by taste, personally I find it the best achieved of the three. Coupled with its size, between the two Lumia but with the least weight in the comparison, the HTC 8S wins points over its rivals. As we have said, with its price it plays on a different level than the Lumia 820 and is closer to what Nokia has now proposed with the 620.

Lumia 620

The latest to join the list of smartphones that we can buy between the end of this year and the beginning of the next is surprisingly from Nokia: the Lumia 620. Those from Espoo had saved a third member of their Lumia family to compete in the entry range of Windows Phone 8. The fact is that with the 620 they have basically come to compete with themselves with a much more suggestive price than the 820 and in line with the HTC 8S.

The screen is the smallest of Windows Phone 8, at 3.8 inches which starts to look sparse but still maintains a 800x480 resolution, resulting in a more than decent 246 pixels per inch, the best density of the three in this comparison. With the same RAM and processor as the 8S, it is accompanied by the smallest battery of all, but more internal storage equaling the 820.

The camera stays at 5 megapixels without much fanfare but adding a second front camera that HTC had preferred to ignore. The same as NFC, which at Nokia have not stopped incorporating it into their entry-level smartphone, although they have dispensed with wireless charging and other functionalities that we will have to look for in their older brothers.

Its dimensions make it the smallest of the Windows Phone 8 models, although slightly heavier than the HTC 8S.A less sober design that seems aimed at a more youthful market completes the smartphone with which Nokia intends to convince those who do not want to spend more than 300 euros on their new mobile.

Price and availability

If the price was already important in the high range, here, when we talk about the entry range to Windows Phone 8, it is little less than the fundamental variablewhen deciding on one of the three in competition. And behold, one begins to see two clear paths.

If you want to go for the best of the three phones in the comparison, the Lumia 820 is a clear rung above its rivals, but you will have to spend 499 euros on it. With that same expense you can go for an HTC 8X and for a little more you have the ATIV S and the Lumia 920. We repeat: that no man's land in which the 820 has been located does not benefit it at all.

And if your idea is to get a Windows Phone 8 without having to reach 500 euros, both HTC 8S and Lumia 620 are the two alternatives to choose from. You will find the Lumia 620 from January for 269 euros and the HTC 8S, which is already available, has a recommended price of 319 euros, although you can find it in some online store for 299 euros.

Again, opting for one of the three smartphones is more a matter of personal needs and tastes If you don't mind spending a little more and you think that make up for the better features, Lumia 820 should not disappoint you, although with that expense you should consider accessing the high-end already. If what you want is to spend less, HTC 8S and Lumia 620 offer similar specifications and here the taste for one or the other design or the preferences for one of the two brands will decide.

In Xataka Windows | Comparison Windows Phone 8: Nokia Lumia 920 vs HTC 8X vs Samsung ATIV S