Skip to main content

Nokia announces the budget Lumia 520, and it’s coming to T-Mobile

MWC 2025
Read our complete coverage of Mobile World Congress

Nokia Lumia 520Check out our review of the Nokia Lumia 521 phone.

At Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, Nokia started off their press conference by crowing about its status as the maker of flagship Windows Phones. To further cement that position, it introduced two new Lumia phones, only one of which is coming to the United States: the Nokia Lumia 520. This 4-inch phone will have an Asian launch in March and expand to the rest of the world in the next few months. The price in Europe starts at €140, unsubsidized. T-Mobile is the only announced carrier in the U.S. and we don’t yet know any release or pricing info.

Recommended Videos

The Lumia 520 shares a design language with the Lumia 920 and 820 series already on the market. Though it’s slightly different, the comfortably curved back, pillowed/curved glass over the display, and super sensitive touchscreen are all familiar. Also familiar are specs that feel a little behind the competition, but remain in line with other Windows Phone 8 handsets.

Here’s the spec breakdown: 4-inch IPS display with an 800 x 480 pixel resolution protected by 2D hardened glass with a super sensitive touchscreen that works with gloves, a 1 GHz dual-core Snapdragon processor backed by 512MB of RAM, 8GB of internal storage expandable by 64GB via microSD card. This phone is 3G HSPA+ only, no LTE, and works over the following networks: WCDMA 900/2100, 850/1900/2100, GSM/EDGE 850/900/1800/1900. Wireless radios include b/g/n Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 3.0, and GPS. The 1430mAh battery is rated to last up to 9.6 hours of talk time on 3G.

Like the other Lumias, the 520 is relatively thin and light but not the skinniest in town. It measures 119.9 x 64 x 9.9 mm and weighs 124g. Other familiar elements include interchangeable backplates that come in a rainbow of bright colors – yellow, red, cyan, white, and black – that also facilitate wireless charging.

Nokia is also rolling out new or improved apps and services with its new phones. Of particular note is the Here mapping system. Here Maps, here Drive, and Here Transit. These are pre-loaded and free with Lumia phones and provide turn-by-turn navigation in the car as well as simple transit directions for getting around unfamiliar cities.

The Lumia 520’s rear-facing 5-megapixel camera comes with a great lens, though not the super high-end Carl Zeiss lens on the other new Lumia announced, the 720. Still, Nokia is focused on giving customers a good camera experience, so users will have access to tools for enhancing photos such as Cinemagraph, Smart Shot, and Panorama. Cinemagraph is an app that allows you to capture images that combine movement and still areas for creating photos akin to animated gifs. It’s very similar to what HTC introduced with the new One. Smart Shot takes a series of pictures and allows you to choose which one is best – again, something we’ve seen on other phones, but always appreciate when done well. Finally, the Photo Beamer feature allows Lumia owners to take over the screen on another device (even non-Nokia phones) to show off pictures with friends without everyone having to crowd around you. The camera is also capable of 720p video recording. No front camera here.

That may have been a sacrifice to keep the price low. The Lumia 520 is about delivering a smartphone experience that feels high end without a prohibitive price. The starting price in Europe and Asia is €139, around $183. That’s without a subsidy. If that holds in the US market, it could end up being free or for as little as $50 on contract with T-Mobile (where it will bear the name Lumia 521), and buying it unsubsidized wouldn’t require emptying a savings account.

K. T. Bradford
Former Contributor
K. T Bradford is a lover of gadgets and all things geek. Prior to writing for Digital Trends she cut her teeth on tech…
OnePlus makes Apple Watch owners jealous with novel charging cable
Apple owners are having to pay a lot more for the privilage
A OnePlus smartwatch being connected to the POGO pin on the OnePlus 2-in-1 charging cable

Update 07/16: we've now included mention of Nomad's 2-in-1 charger for iPhone and Apple Watch

Look, I get it. Charging cables aren't exactly the sexiest product in the tech world and I'd forgive you for rolling your eyes - but OnePlus has introduced a new cable at a price point which makes it way more accessible than rivals.

Read more
Google Pixel 10 launch date confirmed with multiple devices teased
The Pixel 10 launch is just a few weeks away
The Google Pixel 9 Pro Fold, Pixel 9 Pro, and Pixel 9's screens.

Invites have gone out for the Google Pixel 10 launch event, along with a tease that there will be more than one product announced.

Google will hold its Made by Google event on August 20, with the invite reading "you're invited to an in-person Made by Google show where we'll introduce the latest additions to our Pixel portfolio of devices." The event kicks off at 1pm ET, 10am PT.

Read more
This leaked iPhone 17 Pro color has me excited for the iPhone 17 Pro
A close-up of the cameras on the iPhone 16 Pro.

I've been reporting on technology for almost twenty years, and I vividly recall the early years of the smartphone industry when companies like Nokia pushed the boundaries when it came to smartphone colors. 

Rather than the less exciting neutral colors that have become standard in the industry — gray, white, silver, and gold — Nokia launched phones in bright red, yellow, and other vibrant colors. Yes, there were still the same standardized options, but you also had bright neon colors, such as the yellow Lumia 1020 or the orange Nokia N8. 

Read more