Nokia’s partnership with Microsoft is a natural fit considering the position and history of each company. With the Nokia Lumia 710, Nokia hopes to reinstate itself among the top manufacturers of mobile devices. At the same time, Microsoft, despite its dominance of the computer software market, is still well behind Apple and Google with regard to the mobile device operating systems. While the parallels are striking, the partnership does not preclude Microsoft from working with other mobile device providers, most notably ZTE and their budget friendly Tania.
If Nokia is to succeed, they must set themselves apart from not only Android and iOS smartphones, but other Windows phones currently on the market. The following article compares and contrasts the Nokia Lumia 710 and Tania as they attempt to find a niche in the highly competitive mobile device arena.
Dimensions and Form
- ZTE Tania – 128.6 mm x 67.8 mm x 10.7mm, 158g
- Nokia Lumia 710 – 119 x 62.4 x 12.5 mm, 125g
In Nokia’s halcyon days, the Finnish company was best known for constructing phones with a quality build. The Nokia Lumia 710 continues that tradition with a light but sturdy chassis that feels comfortable and balanced in your palm. The ZTE Tania lacks the sleekness of the Lumia 710, but does feel durable despite its rather questionable aesthetics.
Winner: Nokia Lumia 710
Display Screen
- ZTE Tania – 4.3-inch TFT multi-touch capacitive screen, 480 x 800 pixel resolution
- Nokia Lumia 710 – 3.7 inch AMOLED, 480 x 800 pixel resolution
While high end competitors are imbuing their smartphones with over the top, lustrous displays, ZTE has chosen to go with a simple 4.3-inch TFT touchscreen with a 480 x 800 resolution. The resolution is perfectly adequate given the size of the screen, but technically still inferior to the Nokia Lumia’s 3.7 inch AMOLED display. The Lumia 710 is further equipped with Gorilla Glass to shield the screen from nicks.
Winner: Nokia Lumia 710
Processing Power and Storage
- ZTE Tania – 1GHz Scorpion Processor with Adreno 205 GPU
- Nokia Lumia 710 – 1.5GHz Scorpion Processor with Adreno 205 GPU
The two smartphones operate on the same MSM8255 chipset developed by Qualcomm and boast identical Adreno 205 GPUs. The Nokia Lumia 710 is clocked at 1.5GHz, and while a more powerful machine the extra clock speed does little to improve its function over its counterpart. The Nokia does offer more storage, with 8GB as opposed to 4GB for the Tania, which is made all the more critical given that Windows phones do not support microSD expansion. Each device has 512MB of RAM.
Winner: Nokia Lumia 710
Operating System
- ZTE Tania – Windows Phone 7.5 Mango
- Nokia Lumia 710 – Windows Phone 7.5 Mango
Both smartphones utilise the same operating system, Windows Phone 7.5 Mango. Microsoft has made great strides to enhance the software and make it compatible with the needs of mobile device users. This includes multi-tasking features, Live Tiles, Silverlight 4, and an HTML5 equipped Internet Explorer 9. The app marketplace still pales in comparison to the iPhone and Android, but is gradually evolving.
Winner: Draw
Camera
- ZTE Tania – 5MP primary camera, 2592 x 1944 pixel resolution
- Nokia Lumia 710 – 5MP primary camera, 2592 x 1944 pixel resolution
The Lumia 710 and the Tania each are installed with a 5 megapixel camera that shoots video at 720p. Neither has a secondary camera. Although it’s difficult to declare a winner given both devices have paltry specifications, ZTE fails to even incorporate a flash function into the device.
Winner: Nokia Lumia 710
Conclusion
Technically, the Nokia Lumia 710 offers better specifications, but not nearly enough to justify the £150 price difference. At £249 SIM free, the ZTE Tania is the smarter purchase regardless of its various flaws.
