The best budget phone on the market.

The Lumia 520 is a budget phone without feeling like a…budget phone. In my opinion, it’s the best budget phone on the market. What it lacks in hard features, it certainly makes-up in software features. Hardware wise: Probably the most notable thing about the Lumia 520 is its one and only rear 5-megapixal camera which does not have a flash either. So if you're very much into taking selfies, plan on standing in front of the bathroom mirror. But the camera software features-when utilized-are a big help for taking good-quality pictures. One of which is the nighttime mode which works well in low-light being that there is no flash. It also comes with a choice of video modes in 720p or WVGA. If size matters to you, the Lumia 520 has a 4-inch screen. A nice size for those us who don't care for a large-size phone, but do not want a tiny 3.5-inch screen either. Remember 3.5 inch phones? Personally, 4-inches fits nicely in my hand. As for the weight, the Lumia 520 is pleasantly light. Even with the battery inside. And it's adequately thin, which is good for fitting in the pocket. There are plenty of Lumia 520 cases available to protect the device, but if you don't want to add anymore bulk to it, I suggest just getting a screen protector and leave it at that. The factory back cover has a hard rubbery grip to it. And if it gets too scratched-up, you can always get a fresh new one at a very affordable price on EBay. The speaker inside, is remarkably loud. You'll hear it when playing music, or videos. Call quality is very nice too. I wasn't expecting that in a budget phone. The Lumia 520 is equipped with just 8 gigs of storage space; some of which is taken-up by the operating system along with Nokia bloatware. But don't let that be a deal-breaker for you. It has expandable memory with its micro SD card slot. I recommend getting at least an 8GB SD card. And you can always uninstall the bloatware. Software wise: Although the Lumia 520 comes with Windows Phone 8, you can upgrade it to Windows Phone 8.1. This is a main feature that attracted me to this device. In spite of it being a budget-phone, you're not missing out on any software features and benefits which are available to the more expensive/higher-end Lumia phones. And contrary to somewhat popular belief; there are plenty of good apps in the Windows store. Probably one of Microsoft's best kept secrets, which really shouldn't be a secret to those of us who know and appreciate what the store has to offer. Particularly the Cortana application which can take your windows phone experience to a whole new level of usage and productivity with the Lumia 520. Overall, I think the Lumia 520 is a great phone. What it lacks in some features, it makes-up in others. For a budget phone, it can certainly complete with the higher-end Lumias and other phones as well. I recommend this device for anyone who is looking for a great Windows phone experience without paying the high-end price associated with other phones.Read full review