By MJ Inguito

Features/Opinions Editor

Long gone are the days of Nokia’s ‘brick’ phone that seemed to have the ability to survive through anything we carelessly put it through, with the exception of submerging it in water. It’s now the era for sleek new innovations that can handle more on screen trials than physical ones, although we’d probably prefer if it could do both.

This is where the Nokia Lumia 925 comes in. It gives off a sleek and classic appearance with a polycarbonate back and aluminum finish edges, far more stealthy and mature in comparison to the brightly neon colored Lumia phones in the Nokia line-up. The 925 also grouped it’s headset port, usb charging port, and micro SIM slot on the top of the phone; while the volume, power, and camera buttons are well spaced out on the right hand side. It gives the rest of the aluminum edges a clean look, while providing for just the essentials in a convenient location.

The AMOLED screen really adds to the look of the phone as well. When viewing photos and videos the colors really pop and makes for a more visually appealing experience. That really comes in handy with an 8.7 megapixel PureView camera featuring Carl Zeiss optics on the back that works well outdoors on bright days and in low light situations. The camera can also record 1280pixel videos, while the 1.7 megapixel front facing camera allows for the typical selfies and 720pixel video chats.

With looks aside, the Windows Phone 8 OS was a happy change from the usual Android and iOS systems. It didn’t take long to get used to the ‘live tiles’ and customizing them to fit my needs. Icons on the screen are great, but being able to just glance at the app tile that’s providing you with the current update is more convenient than having to open the app itself, especially when you’re in a rush and don’t have time to scroll through other information. Not all apps are a tile on the screen, it’s customizable to what apps you want, and just a quick swipe to the left can easily pull up all available apps in alphabetical order with a convenient search tool to find the specific one. Think of it as your favorites page, only the apps you really want are on that screen, and everything else is hidden away until you need it.

And yes, being a Windows Phone you don’t get as many choices in apps as compared to with Android or iOS. You’re missing big name apps like Instagram and Youtube, but until they become available there are third party apps at your disposal. The app Instance for example allows you to use Instagram, but you sacrifice use of instavid. It’s not perfect, but it’s the closest third party app I found that worked well.  As for other apps, you’ll surely find the app you need even if it isn’t the same exact one that’s available to Android or iOS users. Like the other markets, they had to start somewhere, and Windows is still a work in progress.

By far my favorite apps on the 925 were ones that came with the phone and won me over with its functionality, Nokia’s HERE apps and Office Mobile. Nokia’s HERE apps are multiple navigation apps that can determine commute times and routes, public transportation; though it doesn’t work for Bakersfield. Also it contains your typical GPS for locating nearby restaurants, stores, entertainment, etc. They were especially convenient and I found them more useful than checking Google maps.  Then there’s Windows Office mobile, which I’m typing this on, it’s convenient in getting work done on the go, especially for a student and a photographer for the paper, carrying a notebook on assignment isn’t the most practical at times, so having the office app was convenient in jotting down notes, and transferring the file on to my computer later on saves a lot of time.

But as much as I like the phone, there are still some drawbacks with the 925. The dual-core 1.5GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon processor with a 1GB RAM gets things done, but is only midrange in comparison to some Android phones on the market.  This is noticeable in running apps and browsing online tends to be slower than other systems. Another drawback is the lack of extended memory. The 925 comes with an internal 16GB memory, and with just having the phone for a month, I can already say 16gb is not enough.

All in all, the Nokia Lumia 925 with its sleek looks and functionality is a phone worth looking into if you’re in the market for a new windows or smart phone. Sure, it has some drawbacks, but for the price at 99 dollars and its functionality it is still a good phone.