Nokia Lumia 530 vs Nokia Lumia 525 vs Moto E: entry-level specs showdown

Microsoft just expanded its entry-level portfolio of Windows Phone devices with the Nokia Lumia 530, a successor to the Nokia Lumia 525. The latter, as you probably know, is a slightly refined version of the Nokia Lumia 520,Redmond's best-selling smartphone of all time. Thus, don't expect the new Lumia 530 to woo you with anything in the hardware department – after all, it's a low-end device that is targeted at emerging markets. 

Microsoft's latest affordable device is equipped with a quad-core Snapdragon 200 SoC, 512MB of RAM, 4GB of native storage, and a 1430mAh juicer at the rear, which is touted as being able to keep the Lumia 530 kicking and ticking up to 22 days in standby mode. Oh, and it comes with the latest version of Redmond's OS, Windows Phone 8.1. The affordable device will retail at $114 before taxes and subsidies.

Well, okay, but how does the device fare against its predecessor? Does it deliver or is it just a minor improvement, similar to the Android-powered Nokia X2? Frankly said, we suppose that some may solely view Windows Phone 8.1 as a sound enough reason to upgrade to the Lumia 530, but that might not be the case for everybody. Let's check out the spec sheets and see if the Lumia 530 is a trooper, at least on paper. Note that we've also thrown in another affordable champ, the Motorola Moto E, for a good measure. 

So, can you distinguish a clear winner or you're on the fence?

Nokia Lumia 530 vs Nokia Lumia 525 vs Motorola Moto E

Nokia Lumia 530

Nokia Lumia 525

Motorola Moto E

DESIGN
OS	Windows Phone 8.1	Windows Phone 8	Android (4.4.4, 4.4.3, 4.4.2)
Dimensions	4.71 x 2.45 x 0.46 inches (119.7 x 62.3 x 11.7 mm)	4.72 x 2.52 x 0.39 inches (119.9 x 64 x 9.9 mm)	4.91 x 2.55 x 0.48 inches (124.8 x 64.8 x 12.3 mm)
Weight	4.55 oz (129 g) the average is 4.8 oz (137 g)	4.37 oz (124 g) the average is 4.8 oz (137 g)	5.01 oz (142 g) the average is 4.8 oz (137 g)
Rugged			Splash resistant

DISPLAY
Physical size	4.0 inches	4.0 inches	4.3 inches
Resolution	480 x 854 pixels	480 x 800 pixels	540 x 960 pixels
Pixel density	245 ppi	235 ppi	256 ppi
Technology	LCD	IPS LCD
Colors		16 777 216	16 777 216

CAMERA
Camera	5 megapixels	5 megapixels	5 megapixels
Aperture size	F2.4	F2.4
Focal length (35mm equivalent)	28 mm	28 mm
Camera sensor size	1/4"
Camcorder	Other, 864 x 480 pixels 30 fps	1280x720 (720p HD) (30 fps)	Other, 854 x 480 pixels 30 fps
Recording format	MPEG4, H.264	MPEG4, H.264	MPEG4, H.263, H.264
Features	Video sharing		Picture-taking during video recording, Video sharing

HARDWARE
System chip	Qualcomm Snapdragon 200	Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 MSM8227	Qualcomm Snapdragon 200 8210
Processor	Quad core, 1200 MHz	Dual core, 1000 MHz, Krait	Dual core, 1200 MHz, ARM Cortex-A7
Graphics processor	Yes	Adreno 305	Adreno 302
System memory	512 MB RAM	1024 MB RAM	1024 MB RAM / LPDDR2
Built-in storage	4 GB	8 GB	4 GB
Storage expansion	microSD, microSDHC, microSDXC	microSD, microSDHC, microSDXC	microSD, microSDHC

BATTERY
Talk time	13.40 hours the average is 12 h (740 min)	16.90 hours the average is 12 h (740 min)
Stand-by time		14.0 days (336 hours) the average is 20 days (492 h)
Talk time (3G)	10.00 hours the average is 14 h (863 min)	10.60 hours the average is 14 h (863 min)
Stand-by time (3G)	22.0 days (528 hours) the average is 22 days (520 h)
Music playback	51.00 hours	48.00 hours
Video playback	5.50 hours	5.90 hours
Capacity	1430 mAh	1430 mAh	1980 mAh
Type			Li - Ion
Not user replaceable			Yes

TECHNOLOGY
CDMA			800, 1900 MHz
GSM	850, 900, 1800, 1900 MHz	850, 900, 1800, 1900 MHz	850, 900, 1800, 1900 MHz
UMTS	900, 2100 MHz	900, 2100 MHz	850, 900, 1900, 2100 MHz
Data	HSDPA+ (4G) 21.1 Mbit/s, HSUPA 5.76 Mbit/s, EDGE, GPRS	HSDPA+ (4G) 21.1 Mbit/s, HSUPA 5.76 Mbit/s, UMTS, EDGE, GPRS	HSDPA+ (4G) 21.1 Mbit/s, HSUPA 5.76 Mbit/s, UMTS, EDGE, GPRS

SHOPPING INFORMATION
MSRP price			$ 129