Nokia Lumia 735 Review

Final Words

The Lumia 735 is in an interesting place in the Lumia lineup. The Lumia 630/635 is significantly less expensive, and features the same SoC, but has a significantly worse display and camera. The 630/635 is also missing out on basic sensors such as an ambient light sensor, which you do get on the 735. The Lumia 830 on the other hand can now be had for only a little bit more money, and has a larger display with Glance screen support, and a PureView camera with OIS. The body of the 830 is certainly more premium feeling with the aluminum frame, comes with twice the amount of internal storage, and has dual-band Wi-Fi.

Depending on local pricing, it makes the Lumia 735 a hard sell. The 830, as long as it is close in price, is a better Lumia phone in every way. Both models may not be available in all markets though.

One thing the 735 does have going for it is the in-hand feel. The curved sides, smooth polycarbonate back, and curved glass make for a great experience when using the phone. The slightly smaller size may appeal to a lot of people as well, and as Apple has shown, there is certainly a market for a 4.7” phone.

The 735 has been a tough review. There is nothing outright wrong with the phone, but at the same time, it does not wow me with any one feature. The battery life is good, but not outstanding. The display is good, but not great. The camera is also good, and has a great f/1.9 aperture, but lacks the optical image stabilisation and high megapixel count of some of the other Lumia phones which allows you to crop images without losing detail. The front facing camera is much better than other Lumia devices (save the just announced 535 which also features a 5 MP front camera), but it is still a far cry from the rear camera’s capabilities. The lack of a physical camera button is a disappointment as well, and there are no hardware Windows Phone keys either. The real kicker is the lack of Glance screen, especially because this is an OLED display and would offer a great Glance experience.

When the Lumia 735 was announced alongside the 830, there was a significant price difference between the models, and depending on your market, that may be the case today. At launch, the 735 was 219 Euros vs 330 Euros for the 830. That would put the 735 at around $250 USD, compared to $375 USD for the 830. With that price gap, the 735 makes more sense (although one could argue the 830 was priced too high, which I would). If you are looking for a traditional Lumia polycarbonate phone, with a better front facing camera, the Lumia 735 is a good mid-range phone if priced correctly. However the 830 is better, so if both are available in your market for around the same money, check out the 830.