Nokia Lumia 710 review

This article first appeared at sister site V3.co.uk

Nokia is set to release its second Windows Phone device - the Lumia 710 - which aims to offer users a more affordable alternative to the high-end Lumia 800.

The main difference between the Lumia 710 and its bigger brother is the design. Nokia has chosen to retain most of the high-end hardware specifications in the 126g device. The Lumia 710 comes with a rounded chassis, which houses a 3.7in ClearBlack display. The curved shape of the device gives it a similar look to many mid-range handsets such as Samsung's Galaxy Ace.

The overall build quality doesn't quite match up to that of the Lumia 800, which takes the shape of a rectangular block and has a chassis made from a single piece of polycarbonate. Nonetheless, the 710 feels well made and sits comfortably in the palm of the hand.

A micro-USB port is located along the top of the device together with the physical power button and headphone jack. Along the bottom of the device is a physical panel, somewhat similar to the one that will be found on the Sony Xperia S. This comes with back, home and search shortcuts that light up when pressed.

The back has a nice matte finish to it and our review unit came in cyan colour. There are two other colour combinations available - all black and white with cyan. Nokia allows users to remove the cover to gain access to the battery, something that cannot be done in the Lumia 800. This will appeal to business users who may want to carry around a spare.

Underneath the battery is a space to place the micro-SIM card. It looks like Nokia is going to stick with this standard as this is the second successive Windows Phone device to have this feature.