#Moto E vs #Nokia X vs #Lumia 520: Which one to buy

Moto E has become a runaway success in the Indian market, giving buyers a viable option against the multitude of low-cost but barely functioning smartphones from the likes of Micromax, Lava, Samsung, Sony etc.

While there is no doubt that Moto E is the best ultra-cheap Android smartphone, many still believe that Microsoft's Nokia Lumia 520 — despite being over a year old — is still THE phone to beat in the entry-level segment. Adding to the options is the recognition for Nokia X, the company's cheapest Android phone, albeit with a lot of Microsoft flavour and sans Google Play Store.

We take an in-depth look at the three to decide which among the three — Moto E, Lumia 520 and Nokia X — is the best entry-level smartphone in India.

READ ALSO: Moto E review
READ ALSO: Nokia X review
READ ALSO: Nokia Lumia 520 review

Design


Moto E sports the curved design that was introduced with Moto X and feels very ergonomic. With the rounded edges, it is easy to grip in one hand and feels pretty solid. The back cover features matte finish that feels good to hold. 

Moto E is, however, the heaviest of the lot at 142gram, especially considering its overall size and despite lack of any hardware keys in front. Motorola has used a nano-coating to protect the smartphone from damage if it gets a little water. 

In contrast to Moto E's rounded edges, Lumia 520 has sharp edges on corners. Thankfully, the back panel has a slight curve to it at the sides so that it can be wielded pretty comfortably in a way that you don't feel the sharp edges. 

On the other hand, Nokia X is all edges and no curves. It has a pretty boxy look to it and appears quite similar to the cheaper Asha phones. Nevertheless, it also feels pretty solid and can be held in one hand comfortably. Both Nokia phones also feature matte finish on the back, but it doesn't feel as good when compared to Moto E. 

Verdict: Riding high on the back of an ergonomic design and (limited) water resistance, Moto E wins this round with ease.

Display
Moto E comes with a 4.3-inch screen, offering display resolution of 960x540, something that India's entry-level segment has not seen yet. The colours appear punchy and sunlight legibility is pretty good. However, Moto E's viewing angles are a bit dodgy and you would not be able to enjoy videos from an off-centre position as it loses colours then. The screen of Moto E is topped with Gorilla Glass 3 so that it is better protected against scratches. 

Both Nokia X and Lumia 520 feature a 4-inch display with 800x480p resolution and have better viewing angles than Moto E. In comparison to Moto E, the display quality is not as great, even though there is only a small difference in the pixel density of the three (256ppi for Moto E vs 233ppi for the Nokia phones). 

Lumia 520 and Nokia X's colour reproduction capabilities are similar to that of Moto E, but the Motorola phone gets the edge in sunlight visibility. 

Verdict: Moto E is the winner here, trumping the rivals with a bigger screen, Gorilla Glass 3 protection and better overall quality.

Hardware



Moto E runs on a dual-core 1.2GHz Snapdragon 200 with 1GB RAM. It is the only smartphone in Motorola's international portfolio that supports microSD cards (up to 32GB) and comes with 4GB in-built storage. The dual-sim device has a 5MP rear camera, 1,980mAh battery, 2G, 3G, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 4.0 and microUSB 2.0. 

Lumia 520 is powered by a dual-core 1GHz Snapdragon S4 processor, backed by 512MB RAM. This single sim phone comes with a much higher 8GB internal storage, supports 32GB microSD cards, 5MP rear camera and a lesser 1,430mAh battery. Its connectivity features are same as that of Moto E. 

Nokia X too packs a dual-core 1GHz Snapdragon S4 Play chipset, with 512MB RAM. This smartphone supports dual sim cards, has 4GB internal storage, supports storage expansion via microSD cards (up to 32GB) but features only a 3MP rear camera and 1,500mAh battery. It comes with Bluetooth 3.0, but the rest of the connectivity options are same as that of Moto E and Lumia 520. 

Vedict: Spec sheets don't tell the real story. Sure, Moto E has the best hardware of the three at first look, but Lumia 520 does not need as much RAM and as big a battery to deliver similar performance. In the Performance section below, you will read in detail how Lumia 520 is able to match Moto E despite less powerful hardware.

Software
Moto E comes with the pure, unadulterated version of KitKat, the latest version of Android. There is a reason why Android is so popular: You get the best of apps without paying a bomb. That's where Moto E scores. On the other hand, Windows Phone is still getting there and has a fair bit of catching up to do. Motorola has also promised an upgrade to the next version of Android for its latest phone. 

Nokia Lumia 520 runs on Windows Phone 8 operating system, and will get the WP8.1 update once it starts rolling out globally only later this year. But the Windows Phone app store is pretty limited even though it is over three years old. You will get most of the popular apps on this platform, but major updates come last to Microsoft's OS. 

Nokia X is the most interesting case here. While the other two phones run on stock versions of their respective platforms, Nokia X is powered by Android, but with heavy customization such that it does not feel like an Android phone at all. The default software is overlaid with a tile-based skin that is reminiscent of Windows Phone, and a swipe to the left or right will bring you to the Fastlane multitasking system that was introduced with the Asha range. 

But the custom skin comes with problems of its own. It trades Android's default Google suite of services for Microsoft's, making common apps like Gmail, Search, Maps etc inaccessible to most users. You can, however, sideload them by installing a third-party app marketplace. 

The problem with this approach is that many, if not most, users who buy Nokia X as their first smartphone may not be aware of how to add an extra app store. Therefore, they will be stuck with Windows Store for apps. 

Verdict: Moto E wins this round hands-down as it gives access to the best apps and the best version od stock Android for an overall well-rounded operating system, and a great multitasking experience at the lowest price. 

Performance



The user interface is pretty fluid and there is no lag when you open multiple apps in quick succession. Web pages and apps open swiftly, giving a pretty good user experience despite the low price tag. 

While there is nothing remarkable about the hardware of Moto E, but the integration of the hardware and software makes it a winner. There were a couple of times when the phone slowed down under heavy usage, but there was never an instance of the handset freezing completely. 

Moto E can teach even top-end phones a thing or two about battery life. Its processor is not resource-consuming, so the battery life was expected to be good. But what's surprising is that it consistently delivers battery life of over a day once the battery is fully charged. 

Lumia 520 matches the performance of Moto E, giving a smooth performance. The well-optimized Windows Phone 8 OS does not consume too many resources either, so you do not have any instances of freezing. But compared to Moto E, apps and web pages load a tad slower. 

The difference is not much, but you would want the most responsive phone, not just one that works well. You can leave home with Lumia 520's battery fully charged and there would still be some left when you get back home after a standard work-day. 

Nokia X comes a distant third in the performance race, giving a relatively slow performance from the word go. Web pages on the browser load fast enough, but opening the browser itself takes a lot of time (compared to the other two phones). 

Apps are slow to start and multitasking is not as easy. Each time you want to switch between apps, you need to exit the app you are using and then head to Fastlane in order to open a previously used app. The battery life of Nokia X is dismal; it lasts just over half a day even with moderate use. 

Verdict: Moto E notches up another win, with a stellar performance and excellent battery life that puts even some Rs 10,000 smartphones to shame.

Multimedia and gaming
When it comes to multimedia and gaming, Moto E is a pretty good performer. Not only can it play popular games like Temple Run 2 and Subway Surfer with ease, it can also handle graphics-intensive games like Dead Trigger 2 and Real Racing 3. We use the word "handle" here because you will notice some lag while playing these games, even though the game remains playable. 

Moto E can play 720p videos, but our reference 1080p videos were a no-go. For those who play music a lot, the front-facing speaker of Moto E is a treat. The mono speaker is pretty loud, but you can notice some cracking at high volume. 

Lumia 520 delivers a similar performance here. Most high-end games on Windows Phone platform are inaccessible to this smartphone because of the limited RAM, but you can still go for Jetpack Joyride and Rail Rush, which play without even a hint of lag. 

Audio output of Lumia 520 is pretty decent but the speaker not as loud as that of Moto E. It was able to play some of our 1080p videos but there was noticeable choppiness, so you are basically limited to 720p here as well. 

Nokia X comes with 512MB RAM, making it ill-equipped to play games like Asphalt 8 and Real Racing 3. Even Temple Run 2 saw a lot of frame drops, but playing Angry Birds was a breeze. Speaker output here is good as well, but again not as great as that of Moto E. Playing 720p videos on the phone is smooth, but 1080p is a problem here too. 

Verdict: The race between Moto E and Lumia 520 is pretty tight here, as the winner will depend on what you like. If you are not much of a gamer, then Lumia 520 should suffice, but Moto E definitely does a better job at gaming and audio output. Our pick? Moto E. 

Camera



Moto E and Lumia 520 feature 5MP rear cameras, while Nokia X has a 3MP camera on the back. None of them comes with LED flash or front camera and the rear cameras are of the fixed focus variety. 

In a bid to keep costs to a minimum, Motorola has put the camera right at the end of its priority list, which is evident from the images this phone clicks. Photos are noisy and don't show much detail at full zoom. Colours are pretty accurate, but we noticed that some photos tend to blur despite a very steady capture. 

Lumia 520 comes with a host of Nokia Lenses (as the company calls its shooting modes) in the default camera app. This gives users much more choice while taking photos. Images taken with Lumia 520 offer great detail, much better than what Moto E can manage. Colours, however, don't appear as warm, but the contrast level gets a big thumbs-up. 

Nokia X is also poor in the camera department. Noise is a problem here too, but colours are warmer compared to Lumia 520. Contrast level is okay at best. 

Verdict: Lumia 520 wins the race in the imaging arena by a big margin. Moto E and Nokia X simply cannot compete with this smartphone here. 

Price
Moto E costs Rs 6,999 and is available via online retailer Flipkart only. Lumia 520 is available at best price of Rs 7,499 on e-commerce sites in India, but its average price is around Rs 8,000. Nokia X is the cheapest of the lot at Rs 6,499 (via online retailers), but average price stands around Rs 7,000. Both Nokia phones cost a little more if bought from brick-and-mortar stores. 

Conclusion
Moto E ticks the most boxes in this comparison, delivers consistently good performance on all parameters, except camera. It is no surprise therefore that it is best smartphone available under Rs 10,000. Lumia 520, albeit much older, is a close second, delivering pretty good performance that can (almost) rival Moto E's. 

However, it is the subtle differences in performance that puts Lumia 520 behind. Nokia X, on the other hand, stands last and does not offer much value for money.

Ref - TOI

First impressions: #Nokia #Lumia 630

At its Build 2014 conference, Microsoft unveiled the next iteration of its mobile operating system, Windows Phone 8.1. The event also saw Nokia announce three new mobile phones that will run on the new OS — Lumia 630, Lumia 635 and Lumia 930. Windows Phone 8.1 brings a number of new features in order to catch up with Google's Android and Apple's iOS including a centralized notification tray which Microsoft calls Action Centre, voice assistant Cortana, tweaks to the home screen and updated native apps, among others.

Among the new Nokia Lumia phones, while Lumia 930 is the top model, Lumia 630 is a budget smartphone which will also feature a dual-sim option and Lumia 635 is the US version of the 630, with support for 4G LTE.



At a Microsoft event in Delhi where the company showcased its new Windows Phone 8.1 mobile operating system, we got a chance to spend some time with Lumia 630's dual-sim version that runs Windows Phone 8.1. Here's what we think about the new device.
Lumia 630 follows the same design philosophy that we've seen the company use in Lumia 620 and, to some extent, in Lumia 625. It sports a colourful, interchangeable polycarbonate back shell that wraps around the phone. The cover which will be available in black, white, green, orange and yellow colours, sports a matte finish. We'd love to see fresher designs from Nokia, even on budget and mid-range phones. Overall, materials used in the phone are of good quality and feel durable.



The right edge of the phone features the power and volume rocker keys, in the same colour as that of the shell. Strangely, a major omission in Lumia 635 is the camera shutter hardware key, which is available in Lumia 620 and 625 smartphones. This means that you'll only be able to activate the shutter through soft keys. Perhaps the focus is not so much on the camera (more on that later).

The right edge is barren, while the bottom edge features the micro-USB port and the 3.5mm headset jack sits at the top. The back features a 5MP auto-focus camera but there's no LED flash, which makes the phone useless for dark and low-light shots. It is worth pointing out that the phone's predecessor, Lumia 620 sports an LED flash.

Removing the cover reveals the two micro-sim card slots, a microSD card slot and the battery compartment. The phone comes with an 1850 mAh battery.

The front of the phone is dominated by its 4.5-inch 480 x 854p (FWVGA, 218ppi) ClearBack LCD display. Due to the low resolution, the screen doesn't really look rich and vibrant but it is decent enough considering it is a budget offering. The display has good viewing angles and comes with Gorilla Glass 3 protection to prevent minor scratches and bumps.

We also noticed the absence of capacitive touch keys below the display for navigation. The phone comes with onscreen soft keys for back, search and Home. This feature has been introduced with Windows Phone 8.1.

Unfortunately, Nokia has cut some corners and unlike Lumia 620, the Lumia 630 doesn't come with a front-facing camera. This means you won't be able to do Skype video chats even though Windows Phone 8.1 features better Skype integration and allows users to switch to Skype calls directly from voice calls.



Under the hood, Lumia 630 is powered by a 1.2GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon 400 processor and 512MB RAM. It comes with 8GB internal storage expandable up to 128GB via microSD card. During our brief use, we found navigating through the home screen and launching apps quite smooth. A Nokia India spokesperson told us that the OS has been optimized for all devices and the low RAM would not make a difference.

We still feel that Nokia should have shipped the phone with 1GB RAM as graphics-intensive games are initially available and optimized for Windows Phone devices with 1GB RAM. Developers do port their apps to 512MB devices but it takes time. The recently introduced Nokia Lumia 525 entry-level smartphone also comes with 1GB RAM.

Lumia 630 runs Windows Phone 8.1 and offers dual-sim capability. We quite like the dual-sim implementation as the phone allows users to have separate Messaging and Phone tiles for both sim cards. It even allows you to link the two and have integrated Messaging and Phone apps. Lumia 630 supports 3G only on the primary sim but the phone comes with smart dual sim enabling users to automatically forward calls to the sim which is in use for calls. The phone also includes 'SensorCore', low-power motion sensing for fitness apps.



The Action Centre is another highlight feature and on Lumia 630, it supports four customizable settings toggles including a camera toggle, in addition to notifications for apps.

The Start screen can now have a customized background with transparent tiles. We also tried the phone's Swype-like Word Flow keyboard that allows users to type by sliding a finger across keys, and found that it does make typing faster.

We'll have to say that the OS looks more feature complete than ever, however, we'll have to give it a spin to be able to give a detailed feedback.

Lumia 630's dual-sim variant has been priced at $169 (exclusive of taxes). It is expected to arrive in India in May. The pricing would be the key to the phone's success as Nokia has cut corners especially at the camera front. We would expect the phone to be priced in the Rs 11,000 to Rs 12,000 price range.

Ref - TOI

#Nokia to unveil low-cost #Android phone: Report

Nokia will unveil a low-cost smartphone running a version of Google Inc'sAndroid operating system, despite the company's close partnership with Microsoft Corp and its competing Windows system, according to a report in the Wall Street Journal.

The handset division of the Finnish company, which is in the final stages of being acquired by Microsoft, will show off the new phone at the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona later this month, the report said on Monday, citing unidentified sources who were familiar with the matter.

Nokia and Microsoft declined to comment.

The new Android phone will be aimed at emerging markets and will not feature some of Google's higher-end, custom Android features.

Microsoft and its main handset partner Nokia have struggled to make an impression in the smartphone market dominated by Samsung's Android devices and Apple Inc's iPhone.

According to technology research firm, Strategy Analytics, 79 percent of smartphones shipped worldwide last year ran on Android, 15 percent were iPhones running Apple's iOS and only 4 percent ran Windows Phone software.

Ref - TOI

Jolla: Taking aim at #Android, after a jilting at #Nokia

Marc Dillon still remembers the sick feeling that overcame him when Nokiaannounced it was scrapping a software project that he and hundreds of other developers had spent years creating. 

It was early 2011, and Nokia, the Finnish cellphone giant, was struggling to compete with the sudden rise of Apple and Samsung in the global smartphone market. In response, Nokia's chief executive, Stephen Elop, ended the company's plans for its own operating system and joined with Microsoft to focus on building Windows-based phones. 

"I almost threw up when I heard the news," said Dillon, an American engineer living in Finland, who was laid off after the company's strategy shift. "Nokia did a lot of great things for a long time. We didn't want to see this part of the story end." 

So Dillon and three other former Nokia executives took it upon themselves to prove their onetime bosses wrong. 

Over the past three years, with the help of around $20 million in outside investment, they have built Jolla, a 100-employee company of mostly former Nokia engineers, to develop the operating system that Nokia discarded. Their goal is to compete with Android, Google's dominant mobile software. Late last year, they finished the first part of the effort, releasing a smartphone powered by its open-source software, Sailfish. 

The ambitions for Jolla - Finnish for dinghy - are twofold. 

By releasing its custom-built handset, the company wants to demonstrate a demand for the device by pitching it to consumers, primarily in Western markets, eager to try the latest gadget. 

Though it is still a small player in the global smartphone market, Jolla's long-term hopes are pinned on talking up its Sailfish software to other cellphone manufacturers, which the Finnish company hopes will lead to licensing agreements. 

"The phone shows the world that we can make a product," said Sami Pienimaki, another Jolla co-founder, at the company's development office in Tampere, a two-hour train ride north of Helsinki, Finland's capital. "But the operating system is where the true value lies." 

To other phone makers, particularly those selling phones in fast-growing markets like China, the pitch is simple: We'll help you stand out from the crowd. 

"Everyone is looking for alternatives because few manufacturers are making money from Android," said Stefano Mosconi, Jolla's Italian co-founder and chief technology officer, at the company's offices in central Helsinki, which previously housed a Nokia research lab. "We know we can't ship 200 million handsets overnight. But phone makers need something new, and we can offer that." 

Despite Jolla's ambitious plans, it faces an uphill challenge. The global smartphone market has become a duopoly of Google's Android and Apple's iOS, which represented almost 95 percent of the 1 billion handsets shipped last year, according to the research company Strategy Analytics. And Microsoft, another technology giant, is doubling down on smartphones, putting the final touches on a $7.4 billion deal to buy Nokia's handset business. 

Several other software makers are also trying to compete for a piece of global smartphone sales. 

They include Mozilla, the nonprofit company behind the Firefox Web browser, which has introduced its own software for low-cost phones. Tizen, a rival open-source operating system backed by Samsung and Intel, is expected to introduce the first handsets powered by its new software this year. 

"It will be very tough for these operating systems to compete," said Roberta Cozza, a research director at the analysis company Gartner in London. "They have to offer a level of smartphone apps that users have come to expect, and most just don't have that." 

Confronted with stiff competition, Jolla is facing some of these challenges head-on. The company has opened its own app store for developers, but its software also allows customers to run popular existing Android programs such as WhatsApp and Twitter. 

That arrangement includes a partnership with the Russian Web giant Yandex, which gives Jolla users access to its app store with more than 80,000 Android programs. Jolla, however, has yet to reach a similar deal with Google's larger Play store. 

"If we didn't have access to Android, no one would have bought our device," said Mosconi of Jolla. "We can show people they can use the same apps available on other phones." 

Much like its more established rivals, Jolla is aiming its software at consumers in developing economies who are only now upgrading from their cheap handsets to more sophisticated devices. 

Markets like China and India are expected to report double-digit growth in smartphone sales this year, mostly from low-cost Android devices. 

But analysts say local operators like China Mobile are looking for ways to differentiate their handsets and services from those of their rivals. The use of new operating systems may help to attract customers who have yet to become accustomed to Android or iOS. 

Jolla's software experience is markedly different from those of its bigger rivals. 

The Jolla phone is designed for swiping across the screen to move between apps; the operating system does not use a home button for navigation. Drop-down menus in each program offer short cuts to popular functions like sending a text message or checking email. 

And open programs - displayed as mini icons on the home screen - update automatically. That allows users to change songs on the handset's music player or find a contact's phone number without opening the app itself. The phones also have technology built into interchangeable rear covers that will alter software features. 

"The biggest market for us is China," said Pienimaki, adding that Jolla expects to start licensing its operating system and selling its handsets there by the second quarter of the year. 

"There's an opportunity for a new product-based simple Finnish design." 

In Western markets, the company is pursuing deals with supermarkets and other brands that want to reach mobile customers through more than a downloadable app. 

Tomi Pienimaki, Jolla's chief executive and Sami's brother, said those deals might include handset and software partnerships allowing companies to incorporate their own services directly into Jolla's operating system. 

The company's smartphone includes so-called near-field communication technology, or a small chip that automatically adjusts settings and features when users change the rear cover. The feature could allow retailers to brand their own covers with software updates to include loyalty programs or daily offers, though Pienimaki says Jolla has yet to sign any agreements. 

"We don't want to annoy users," he said. "But consumer brands want to create a closer connection to their mobile customers." 

For the typically stoic Finns, Jolla offers a possibility to regain some pride, because the country is about to lose control of Nokia's once-proud handset business to Microsoft. 

While the cellphone startup has sold fewer than 100,000 handsets worldwide since the model was released late last year, many in Helsinki's technology community say Jolla's operating system and device, which retails for around $550, show that Finland's telecommunications industry can still compete on a global stage. 

When Jolla started selling its phones in November, for instance, a line of expectant customers snaked around the company's pop-up store in central Helsinki despite freezing temperatures. 

And Peter Vesterbacka, part of the management team at the Finnish game maker Rovio, has proudly showed off his Jolla handset complete with a bespoke Angry Birds case. Angry Birds is a Rovio game. 

"A lot of people want them to succeed," said Pekka Koponen, a former Nokia executive who now runs a technology advisory firm in Helsinki. "I want to believe there's still innovation left in Finland."

Ref - TOI

#Nokia's dual-sim Lumia phone Moneypenny leaked

It looks like Nokia's first dual-sim Lumia smartphones could hit developing markets pretty soon.

An alleged screenshot of the home screen of one such phone was posted online by Twitter user @evleaks. The tweet didn't reveal much except the codename of the phone, mentioned as 'Moneypenny.'

The screenshot though, offers a peek in to the next iteration of the Windows Phone OS, complete with onscreen navigation keys for Back, Start and Search. The onscreen keys were also leaked by @evleaks, earlier this month. The home screen of the phone features two network bars, both indicating support for 3G networks, and two separate tiles for Phone and Messaging, most probably corresponding to the different phone lines for the two sims.

@evleaks had first tweeted in November that Nokia was planning a dual-sim version of Windows Phone-Blue (Windows Phone 8.1) powered Moneypenny. A report by The Verge had also reiterated that Nokia's Moneypenny handset will feature on-screen navigation buttons that are being offered to device makers with the latest iteration of the OS. Windows Phone 8.1 is expected to be unveiled at Build 2014 scheduled to be held in April 2014.

It was reported that two of the major new features of the Windows Phone 8.1 OS would be a notification centre and Siri-inspired personal voice assistant. Sources have revealed that the mobile operating system would feature the highly requested notification center, which will be enabled by swiping down from the top of the screen, similar to iOS and Android. The personal voice assistant, dubbed 'Cortana', is expected to replace the existing Bing search on Windows Phone and allow users to interact using voice or text input.

Meanwhile, @evleaks has also posted a new picture of a big-screen Nokia Asha-like handset, codenamed Normandy. The picture just features six colour variants of the phone. It was previously reported that the Normandy was Nokia's Android phone which was being tested by the company. The phone was running a special "forked" variant of Android that's not aligned with Google's own version, akin to what Amazon does with its Kindle Fire line and was believed to be an equivalent to the company's low-cost Asha range and support Android apps.

The rumour was dismissed by another report that claimed that Nokia had dumped plans for Android smartphone and tablets completely as it cannot launch any phones under its own branding for two years after the completion of the sale of its mobile unit to Microsoft. However, it is reported to be focusing on nascent technologies in the field of wearable computing, such as smartglasses, flexible displays, wireless power transmission and electromagnetic energy generation.

First look: #Nokia Lumia 1520, #HTC One Max

I find giant phones hard to carry and use, but I'm well aware that many people like the bigger images and text they offer.

These so-called phablets, with screens measuring about 6 inches diagonally, are nearly as big as the smallest tablets. Unlike tablets, they can make phone calls over cellular networks.

Two new ones are worth considering. Neither comes with a stylus, a signature feature of Samsung's 5.7-inch Galaxy Note 3, which is one of the most popular phones of its size. But the 5.9-inch HTC One Max and the 6-inch Nokia Lumia 1520 both have larger screens than the Note.

Nokia Lumia 1520 ($585 without contract, $199 with contract through AT&T)
The 1520 runs Windows Phone 8, which has a sliver of the smartphone market -- and thus fewer software developers making apps for it. But apart from that, the 1520 is a decent phone.

It's also among the first Windows phones of its size.

What I like about Windows' approach to bigger phones is that text and images don't simply get blown up. The software adapts the layout to take advantage of the larger screen.

With big Android phones, including the Max, you see about the same amount of content that you would on a smaller phone, just somewhat enlarged. With larger Windows phones, you get a third column of apps on the home screen. You can preview two lines of emails rather than one, and you see more contact information at once for people in your address book.

There's also a new driving mode, which lets you block incoming texts and calls when you're near a Bluetooth device associated with your car. You can set it up to send automated replies to say you're driving.

Windows phones of all sizes come with a free Office app to read and touch up documents. With iPhones and Android phones, the app is available only as part of a $100-a-year Office 365 subscription. None of these Office apps are meant for heavy-duty work, though.

To me, the iPhone 5S is the best camera phone for everyday shots, but the 1520's camera does a great job in low-light situations. It has the same camera technology as the 4.5-inch Lumia 1020, though a software fix gets rid of the 1020's tendency to make images too yellow.

To keep the camera thin, Nokia dropped the 1020's protruding lens and sacrificed resolution. The 1520 can take photos of up to 19 megapixels, instead of 38 megapixels on the 1020. Still, that's more than most phones. Grabbing and storing all those pixels takes time, so both phones tend to be slower than most cameras in snapping shots.

To keep those photos organized, a Storyteller app automatically groups photos by date and location, if that feature is on when taking shots. I like that as you zoom in on a map, photos split off into smaller groups and are shown down to the street corner or backyard where you took them.

Nokia also has a new Refocus app, which takes up to eight shots with varying focus, so you can decide later whether you'd rather have the foreground or the background come in sharper. You can even have the app blend the shots so that everything's in focus.

Nokia Corp phones are often overlooked because they don't run one of the dominant operating systems. Besides having a good camera, I find colours on the screen more vibrant than on other phones. Before you buy, check the Windows online store to make sure the apps you want are available. It's getting better, but apps tend to come to iPhones and Android devices first.

HTC One Max ($600 without contract; with two-year contract: $250 through Sprint, $300 through Verizon)
The Max is largely a giant version of the regular, 4.7-inch HTC One. HTC expands on Android by offering a home screen with a mosaic of customized content -- such as your favorite news sites and content shared by friends on Facebook and Twitter. That can get annoying and clutter up the phone, but you can turn that off if you prefer a traditional home screen experience.

Where the Max differs is in offering a fingerprint scanner for bypassing the security password. Unlike the iPhone 5S, the Max launches a different app depending on which finger you use. That gives you quick access to Facebook, the camera or whatever app you designate. Sadly, unlike the iPhone's sensor, the one on the Max often fails to recognize my prints. The feature is supposed to make one-hand operation easier, but I end up using my other hand anyway to type in the password.

The Max, like the standard One, promises better low-light shots. The camera is 4megapixel, compared with the minimum 8megapixel that most high-end phones have. Instead, HTC makes the sensor for individual pixels larger to pick up more light. Night shots don't come out as dark.

However, the sensors sometimes pick up too much light, so lights on store signs and Christmas trees bleed together and wash out colors. And with fewer pixels, images aren't as sharp when blown up.

I like how the One's Gallery app automatically organizes your photos by events, based largely on time and location. Another feature turns selected shots from an event into a short video, with customizable music and special effects. Although the standard One has these features, the Max removes a 30-second cap and lets you choose your own tunes, rather than ones included.

Both Ones come with Zoe, a feature that takes up to 20 shots in three seconds so you can choose the one with the right smile or action.

Samsung's Note 3 is lighter and easier to hold, but the Max is a good choice if you really need an Android phone that's even larger than the Note.