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Nokia has fitted its latest handset with a killer feature that will no doubt appeal to many; a 5MP forward facing camera.
Couple this with a price tag that starts low and you've got a handset that will really appeal to the youth market.
We liked
I can't start this without sounding a little vain, but I am a really big fan of that front facing camera. No doubt there are many out there that will argue that you don't need more than 2MP for a front facing camera, but it makes Skype calling much clearer and is great for taking photos to upload to social media. I just wish Snapchat was available.
The design is also appealing. With a minimalist rounded design, Nokia has created a handset that is comfortable in the hand with the lack of buttons and the clear, central ports giving the Lumia 735 a clean feel. The bold colours also make it stand out, and immediately draw the eye.
Finally, I have to give a massive nod to the battery life. I managed to get 2 days of light to medium usage out of it, although heavier usage will reduce this down to only one day. Running the standard TechRadar test at full brightness gave a drop of a mere 15%, much better than the 33% drop with the Moto G.
We disliked
For a quad-core phone, I was disappointed with the way the Lumia 735 handled the Windows Phone software. There was a noticeable delay when loading up Skype from the Action centre, or while loading up apps that will require the processor to do some heavier lifting.
The Windows Phone OS was also a little frustrating. It has come a long way since the launch of Windows on mobile handsets with Windows Phone 7, with the Action Centre being a great addition, but I still don't think that it has the right tools yet to compete with Android or iOS.
Finally, I found that the keyboard was a little annoying. While generally accurate, I still don't think that it is anywhere near as good as ones that I have used on even the cheapest Android handsets. The placement on the screen is also annoying as, despite the reasonable screen size, it was a little bit of a stretch for my thumbs.
Final verdict
There is no doubt that the Nokia Lumia 735 will sell to those like me who have wholeheartedly joined the selfie bandwagon, with its 5MP camera able to take the clearest and highest quality snaps. No promises that it will make you look better though.
The bright colours will also help it stand out against the competition, and will catch the eyes of the younger audience that the Lumia 735 is clearly aimed at.
That said, if you're after an all round device then I would have to recommend that you look elsewhere, with the Sony Xperia Z1 Compact and Moto G proving to be that little bit better at this price range.
First reviewed: October 2014
