Amóvil has been able to review the Nokia Lumia 520 thanks to a loan from the Vodafone Spain Foundation. The device is lightweight and very ergonomic. It also includes several accessibility features that make it suitable to the hard of hearing, users with partial blindness or with limited comprehension skills. However, it is inaccessible to blind users.

This Smartphone, which runs on Windows Phone 8, includes an elegant yet simple design, and is housed in a removable casing made from plastic. It weighs 124 grams, measures 119,9x64x9.9 mm, and includes a 4-inch IPS LCD multi-touch capacitive screen. While the resolution is only 400x800 pixels, it is enough to prevent tiles and blurs.

Among the basic features available in this handset are GPS/aGPS, WiFi and Bluetooth technology, app store, calculator, 3.5mm headphone jack, customizable phonebook, among others. In addition, it comes equipped with a 5 megapixels camera with autofocus that also makes videos.

Accessibility review

Vision

While Windows Phone 8 OS comes with some improved accessibility features, blind users are still unable to get access to this device because it does not includes a screen reader or an option to download an external one.

However, partially blind users may be able to use this phone with some comfort. Besides including a built-in screen magnifier that is activated with a simple two finger tapping gesture, and an option to customize brightness and the font size, this handset comes with a basic color inversion feature that can be helpful to color blind users. This model also allows customizing background and icons color for easier reading.

Hearing

The Nokia Lumia 520 has a HAC rating of M3/T4, and allows inserting a loopset. In addition, those who wear Bluetooth-enabled hearing aids or cochlear implants will be able to connect to the device through this technology. These users will also be able to send text messages or use any chat apps available for Widows Phone devices. As previously mentioned, this handset does not include a front-side camera, so deaf users who prefer communicating in sign language will not be able to make video calls.

Dexterity

The Lumia 520 offers some features that help accommodate the needs of users with dexterity limitations. Some of these features are a multilingual voice command feature, hands-free feature and option to link frequent contacts to the home screen for easier access. Furthermore, because this phone includes a removable cover, it makes inserting the SIM card is easier than in other Lumia models.

Comprehension

The Nokia Lumia 520 includes standardized icons and symbols, thus suitable for users with certain limited comprehension skills or learning disabilities. The phone also allows customizing the home screen in order to simplify navigating through the menus available.

For more details about the accessibility features available in this device, please consult the full accessibility report available in Amóvil.