Nokia Lumia 625 review

Big screen, low price, but is it any good?

Nokia Lumia 625 review
A big screen isn't everything

Why you can trust TechRadar We spend hours testing every product or service we review, so you can be sure you’re buying the best. Find out more about how we test.

The Nokia Lumia 625 is a bit of a mixed bag. In some ways it's a definite improvement over the Nokia Lumia 620 - thanks to better battery life and 4G support. But in other ways it's actually possibly worse. The screen for example, while bigger, is a lot less sharp and the price tag is a little higher.

We liked

The Nokia Lumia 625 has quite good battery life and 4G support. Those are probably the two biggest things going for it. It also has a good music player and handles contacts and social network integration superbly - but then so do all Windows Phone 8 handsets.

It's a fairly snappy performer despite having quite low specs and the inclusion of a microSD card slot is appreciated, but it's kind of necessary given that there's only 8GB of built in storage.

We disliked

We've been debating whether the screen size is a good or a bad thing, but given the low resolution we're inclined to say that for most people a smaller screen would be preferable. The fact that the large screen adds weight, bulk and presumably price to the phone isn't ideal either.

The camera isn't great and the dial pad could use some work, but really the screen coupled with the price tag are the main issues.

Final verdict

We're not really sure who the Nokia Lumia 625 is aimed at. For most people the negative qualities of the screen would probably outweigh the positives, which given that you could snap up a Nokia Lumia 820 or a Moto G (2014) for similar money makes it a bit of a hard sell.

If you really want a big screened Windows Phone 8 handset on a budget then it's worth considering but the resolution lets it down. Its 4G credentials could also be a selling point but the Lumia 820 supports 4G too and shouldn't set you back much more and since the Lumia 625's launch various other affordable 4G phones have arrived.

If neither of those things is a concern then you'd be better off saving your money and getting a Nokia Lumia 620, which worse battery life and lack of 4G aside is probably a better phone.

The Lumia 625 isn't bad, but it's not great either and with the Lumia range as crowded as it is there's not really a place for it.

James is a freelance phones, tablets and wearables writer and sub-editor at TechRadar. He has a love for everything ‘smart’, from watches to lights, and can often be found arguing with AI assistants or drowning in the latest apps. James also contributes to 3G.co.uk, 4G.co.uk and 5G.co.uk and has written for T3, Digital Camera World, Clarity Media and others, with work on the web, in print and on TV.

Latest in Nokia Phones
Composite of three new Nokia phones
3 new retro-inspired Nokia phones will have you rocking out like it’s the 2000s
Nokia G42 in So Purple color
Nokia G42 combines repairability and 5G connectivity in a handsome purple package
Nokia 5710 Xpress Audio with earbuds pictured on the screen
Nokia’s new phone is like a 3310 with earbuds built into the back – and I love it
A Nokia G60 5G from the front and back
A trio of cheap phones from Nokia have landed, with eco-friendly credentials
The Nokia G11 from the back, in someone's hand
Nokia G11 review
A Nokia G21 from the front, showing the home screen
Nokia G21 review
Latest in Reviews
WWE 2K25
I've spent days in the ring with WWE 2K25, and it's like a five-star match ruined by the Million Dollar Man
Curaprox Hydrosonic Pro electric toothbrush
Curaprox Hydrosonic Pro review: A powerful seven-mode, Swiss-made sonic brush
Atelier Yumia
I was already sold on Atelier Yumia as an RPG, but I wasn’t expecting it to have my favorite crafting system in all of gaming
Alienware 27 AW2725Q monitor on desk displaying a scene from Cyberpunk 2077
I played games with Alienware's new 27-inch 4K OLED monitor and now I don't want to see another LCD panel
MacBook Air 15-inch with M4 chip on a creative's desk with screen open
I've reviewed the Apple MacBook Air 15-inch (M4) - and it remains the best 15-inch laptop I'd recommend for most people
Samsung Music Frame on a table beside some books and a vase
I spent six weeks listening to the Samsung Music Frame and it kept missing the beat