Nokia Lumia 830 knocks spots off flagship 930

The new Nokia Lumia 830 has just gone on sale in the UK promoted as "the affordable flagship".

I disagree.

It is the flagship and deserves the mantle.

A couple of months ago, Microsoft released the Lumia 930 intending it to be the flagship that will take Windows Phone into 2015.

And it's a good smartphone.

But now we have its junior Lumia family member, the 830...and having used both I can say the 830 knocks spots off the 930.

They're both very similar to look at with 5" screens, aluminium sides and polycarbonate backs...but pick them up and you notice the difference.

The 830 is slimmer and feels lighter and better to hold, but despite its weight loss, battery life seems on a par with its bigger brother.

And that's not the only spot it knocks off the 930.

The 830 has a removable battery - the 930 doesn't.

The 830 has a storage card slot - the 930 doesn't.

The 830 has replaceable wireless-charging backplates which come in a variety of colours - the 930 has wireless charging but you can't replace the backplate.

And the big spot it knocks off is price.

In the UK, a SIMfree 930 costs upwards of £370 while the 830 comes in at less than £300 - and I expect that price will drop a bit fairly soon.

On paper, the 930 has better specs, including more powerful processor and camera.

But in daily use, both phones run super smoothly and produce the kind of photos we've come to expect from Nokia-branded devices.

In the real world, I find it difficult to notice the 930's better specs.

It's almost as if the 930 was a dummy run for the cheaper 830.

While most of the UK networks have picked up the 930 to sell on contract, the 830 looks like languishing mainly in the land of SIMfree - at least until people that matter realise its potential.

It's a classy affordable smartphone that deserves to do well.

Get full specs of the 830 here.