IT Pro Verdict

The Nokia Lumia 800 is by far one of the best looking Windows Phone 7 smartphones we’ve seen so far, but its allure is diluted somewhat by its fuzzy PenTile matrix display and an unlocked price that puts it in the same territory as the iPhone 4S.

By Julian Prokaza

Published 11 November 2011 In Reviews

The Nokia Drive app on the Lumia 800.

Nokia Maps essentially duplicates the stock Windows Phone 7 Maps app, although the addition of simple building outlines for city centres and public transport network overlays (for rail, tube and tram) make it marginally more useful. Finally, Nokia Music is a media manager with built-in MP3 purchasing and free "mix radio" music streaming from four genres that makes it more akin to the limited listening options of Last.fm than, say, Spotify. At 352 online for an unlocked model, the Nokia Lumia 800 costs about the same as the unlocked HTC Titan which has a higher specification and a bigger (but not necessarily better) screen, but the Lumia's gorgeous design certainly gives it an edge. That said, the iPhone 4S only costs 47 more unlocked and it's a much better smartphone in terms of both hardware and software.

So what's our verdict?