I'd describe Nokia Lumias as great phones with a bit of an image problem.
I'm still on an iPhone, but my wife recently moved from an iPhone to the Lumia 610 (the budget model Lumia) and really enjoys it. She was finding the navigation of the iPhone had too many steps to do some of the basic things she wanted to do, example too many swipes to make a call to a person she calls several times a day.
Lumia phones make these types of tasks really simple. It uses an interface based around "tiles" - blocks that sit the home screen of the phone. A tile could represent a person you call often, a website you visit often, your Facebook page or many other elements. It's really simple to re-arrange these tiles, so you have all the most important stuff for you sitting on the front page of your phone. You then just need to push one tile to make a call to that person, go to that website etc - no more swiping through menus. SMS, Twitter and Facebook are really well integrated so you can manage your messaging to people via a ll these channels together - you don't have to go into individual messaging, Facebook or Twitter apps to check for messages from friends.
I'd go as far as to say the Lumias are the easiest to use smartphones currently available, and they are surprising and delighting many former iPhone and Samsung / Android phone owners.
They are also stylish, they look great and feel great in the hand. You can get them in a range of colours which is a nice change from the blacks of most other mobile phones.
Rather than read me bang on about them, I'd suggest you have a look at the Amazon customer reviews of the phones to see how recent owners have found their purchase.
Lumia 610 (budget model): amzn.to/R7heot
Lumia 800: (premium model): amzn.to/QS2e0Q
There is also a Lumia 710 and 900 model - but I'd start by looking at the 610 and 800 as they have the most bang for buck price wise.
So what's wrong with Lumias? Why do they have an image problem?
Firstly, they run off Microsoft's "Windows Phone 7" operating system. This is what drives the tiles based user interface. The good news is that the operating system is actually really good - this comes out on the positive feedback on Amazon about how easy the phone is to use. However the names "Microsoft" and "Windows" carry a lot of baggage. People think about clunky computers that crash a lot and get viruses. The name is also inaccurate - there are no "windows" in the Windows Phone operating system - its all based around tiles. So Microsoft have built some great phone software, but branding it "Microsoft" and "Windows" is a huge turn-off for many people.
Secondly, smart phones today are about apps, and there aren't nearly as many apps available for Windows Phones as their are for iPhones or Android phones like the Samsung Galaxy SIII. So if you like using apps, you're not going to be spoiled for choice with Windows Phone 7. Equally, this isn't such a problem for the Lumia if you just want the phone for calling, messaging and internet usage. Nokia bundle in great sat nav and music software with the Lumias. Many Lumia owners may not need to download another app. However Angry Birds is available if you need it.
Finally, Microsoft are releasing a new version of the operating system - snappily named Windows Phone 8 - in late October. There will be a range of new Lumia phones coming out then. They look great - here's a link:
www.nokia.com/global/products/phone/lumia820/
From the pictures you can also see the ethos of how the phone can be tailored to put all the functions needed by the owner on the home screen - no swiping through screens needed.
Some people are disappointed that they can't upgrade their current Lumia phone running Windows Phone 7 to the new Windows Phone 8 operating system when it gets launched next month - more damage to the Lumia image! However for a lot of people, there new operating system won't make a difference to how they use the phone - so not having it isn't an issue.
To sum up, I think Lumias are great phones and you should consider one for your next purchase. They're fun and easy to use. People who own them, tend to love them. However with the new Lumia phones and Windows 8 operating system coming out later this month, if you were planning on taking out a 2 year contract - I'd wait until next month and take a new model.
However the launch of the new phones mean that the current models are being sold at bargain prices. You can get the 610 on PAYG for around £100, and the 800 on PAYG for around £200. These prices may drop further as the launch of the new phones approach. Either of the 610 or 800 are great phones, and a good buy as the Amazon feedback attests.
Hope this helps. Let me know if you have any questions or need a steer on networks or tariffs.