Gone are the days of a basic need for
communication, now our phones can tap dance; video calling, sending picture
messages, reading books, online shopping, playing games, live messenger and so
on.
So how do the technological dancing skills of the Nokia
Lumia 820 weigh up against the others out there? When I get a phone I tend
to stick to my comfort zone when I'm due to upgrade. If something works
well... Why fix it? So when I was asked to review the new Nokia Lumia 820 I was mildly concerned it would disrupt the
padded phone existence I already had. I decided to take the challenge
primarily after hearing rumours of the built in music system.
The phone arrived in a compact blue box, inside lay
the slim white backed phone. Tucked away were white head phones and of course a
charger. Immediately I got the phone out and popped it on charge, slipped
in my SIM card and was soon it was ready for me to use
The layout of the phone is very different from what
I am used to, but not as scary or hard to adapt to as I'd imagined. I
found the main menu screen quite simple and just how you see Holly Willoughby
using hers in the advert - it's just as easy. As somebody whose past
career was in music and music being a core part of my present life, I was
extremely intrigued about the Nokia Music Hub built into the phone. I wasn't
100% sure what this music system was but as soon as I indulged in the
listening... I was hooked.
A day in the life of Annie Bean's Music.
Waking up for fitness. I was staying away with work at this hotel and I told myself I'd hit the gym first thing in the morning, but like a plonker I'd completely forgotten my iPod. I don't know about you but I find it really hard to exercise without music spurring me on, so I jumped at the chance to try the Nokia Music system on my phone. In went the headphones and I began to scroll through. In front of me lay a list of playlists to select. Initially I only saw one or two being the music of the day, but as I looked further there were more playlists than you could shake a stick at. For example for this particular scenario I wanted some workout music and fortunately there was a playlist for gym workouts... but it didn't stop there. If I wanted an aerobics workout, there was a playlist, If I wanted a hip hop related fitness work out, there was a playlist or if I wanted one full of the latest chart songs for my workout out... you guessed it, there was a playlist. I connected to the hotels WiFi (you can do this via mobile data connection too) and began my fitness playlist. Whilst jogging I'd be listening to my chosen playlist with the first track say from the UK top 10, then the next track would pop up which could be a new song from current charts, but the one after that might be an unreleased song or even one from many years ago. It was completely incredible being surprised by what may be coming next.
Shopping on memory lane After my workout I then decided to take myself shopping. I'm not an anti social shopper but sometimes I love to absorb myself in music and take myself away from it all. I wasn't sure what music I fancied so I decided to let Nokia choose it for me, I did on this occasion have to select to use a mobile data connection. What did I fancy listening to... hmm.. tricky. Well as I was shopping in the town I grew up in, I went for some nostalgia and opted for a back to the 90s playlist. There was a large blend of songs, to the point I found myself thinking how I'd forgotten about this or that track and wanted to hear them again. It does give you the option to purchase songs if you wish and then you can listen to it as much as you want.
Picnic in the park The sun was out so I went to a local park with a magazine, a coffee and my lunch. Perched on a bench I began to appreciate the magnificent views. I decided I needed to just relax in the moment whilst I enjoyed my lunch and what a great way to do that with some classical music. Nokia gave me a combination of classics such as Gustav Holst but then mixed it up with new upcoming composers. Soothing music whilst drinking my coffee was just right.
The long train home I hopped onto the train with my bags and found my seat. Connecting to the train WiFi I began browsing more of the playlists and I decided to select some old skool hip hop. Not my usual genre selection but I had seen the playlist earlier and was intrigued. I really fancied something fun classic beats, first on my hit list was Notorious B.I.G & Puff Daddy... I'd forgotten how much I used to love this. I then decided to try a bit of Reggae so switched next to that, bopping my head along the train journey flew by with some classics and before I knew it I was home.
Cleaning saga Earlier in the day when I was connected to WiFi, I had downloaded a playlist so that I could listen to it without using my mobile data. I selected a Best of British playlist. I got the hoover and polish out, put my phone on loud speaker and found myself singing along to the likes of Phil Collins whilst going about my boring tasks. This was fantastic and all from this tiny phone!
Cooking for two Once my flat was spotless I needed to get the cooking done for when my boyfriend got back from work. I was starting to feel spoilt for choice with the music, as there are over 17 million track available. I knew I could on skip the songs so many times before it gave me a time out on skipping. I decided I wanted to listen to a playlist I did earlier, luckily in the music app there is a history area which remembered the various playlists I'd listened to earlier.
Unwinding before bed It had been a long day so as I unwinded with a book and I played a chillout music playlist. I had filled my day in a number of ways with sound, I'd discovered new music, forgotten music and music I was desperate to pop in a playlist.
The phone itself is very easy to navigate around and it's slim, but If you're a music fan and are eager for some variety in what you listen to, then you really must invest in the Nokia Lumia 820. It has something for everyone with every genre you can think of. Old music, new music or just trying something new this is must have for those who love their music... the added bonus is you can text and call as well - winner!
xoxo
