Nokia Lumia 1020 – Review

We are ready to give you our impressions on a particular smartphone, the Nokia Lumia 1020. This device is a milestone not just important for Nokia and Microsoft because it is the first device in the world with Windows Phone 8 to have a 41 megapixel camera. It is the successor PureView, which also had a 41-megapixel sensor, but that was affected by the presence of Symbian.

Nokia Lumia 1020 – Design

We tried for a few days the Nokia Lumia 1020, and we would like to say that the design is outstanding. Despite the presence of the black cap on the back of the camera sensor, Nokia has managed to make the handle of the smartphone absolutely comparable to other smaller devices. It may seem strange, but we can assure you that after a few days of use, it does not become more cumbersome if the presence of the lens on the back. 

For the rest, the device follows the design of ” fabula “, characteristic of most of the Lumia. The back is then opaque polycarbonate, the material now known for impact resistance, which is treated to hide as much as possible the footprints. Unlike the Nokia Lumia 925, the speaker is returned to being on the lower side, so as to avoid the effect of choking of the audio when the smartphone leans on a plane like a table. As for the weight, we could compare the device with a Nokia Lumia 820 , the Nokia Lumia 1020 feeling is that the is even lighter and manageability that is not so far from that of his younger brother.

The screen is a AMOLED PureMotion HD 4.5″, and here Nokia has worked hard to make the display as efficient as possible. The resolution is 1,280 x 768 with a density of 334 PPI, even numerically superior to that of the iPhone 5s, who manages to make a striking effect when viewing images, or video. Additional measures are also glass Gorilla Glass 3, the automatic brightness control, vision improved even under the light of the sun and the supersensitivity of the display that lets you use your smartphone with gloves (or other objects).

Nokia Lumia 1020 – Camera

The camera is the real strength of the Nokia Lumia 1020, which is undoubtedly the best choice as far as the look of the photograph. Behind the black container on the back of the camera hides a system, consisting of 6 lenses, ball bearings and cutting-edge technologies, which allows you to shoot from as many as 41 million pixels. The optics are ZEISS and are combined with the technology of Nokia PureView, which gives the best of himself in the night photos, managing to capture a number of impressive brightness when compared to other smartphones.

To get the most from your camera using the app Nokia Camera is a must, allowing you to adjust various options such as ISO, shutter speed, manual focus, exposure and balance white. The management of the shots done in a particular way.

For each new image are saved two versions of the same: a 5 megapixel camera with over sampling (ie of high quality) and a 34 or 38 megapixels, depending on whether you choose 16:9 or 4:3. The pair of photos takes on average 10-15 MB, allowing you to have a compact version of the photo ready to be shared and the original resolution. We insert below are some shots taken with the Nokia Lumia 1020, to give an idea of ​​the quality of stills.

Among other pre-installed app for photography are Nokia Panorama, which allows you to create panoramic photos, Nokia Cinemagraph to create GIF animations and Creative Studio, through which you can be retouch the shots. A few days ago also came Refocus Nokia, interesting app that allows you to adjust the focus after the photo was taken. The video recording is done by default at 1080p with 30 frames per second, thanks to the optical image stabilization (OIS), the shootings are very firm, even when you zoom while shooting.

Nokia Lumia 1020 – Accessories

The smartphone includes support for wireless charging, can be used with the purchase of a special cover and a charger specifically designed for standard Qi. Then there is the Camera Grip, a useful accessory with a dual purpose: it allows you to have extra boost thanks to its internal battery 1020 mAh and easier to get a grip when you want to take a picture. Also provides an attachment for use with a tripod. It must be purchased separately but comes free from Nokia until January 2014.

Nokia Lumia 1020 – And other Technologies.

The Nokia Lumia 1020 is equipped with the Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 processor, a dual-core 1.5 GHz frequency, the benefits of which are of high standard thanks to the combination with 2 GB of RAM, which for the first time can be seen on a device Windows Phone.

The internal memory is 32GB, not expandable. It is definitely not short, but it might not be enough after a few hundred photos taken in full resolution. In addition, there are also 7 GB free service provided by Microsoft with cloud-storage SkyDrive.

Obviously, there is supported for all major technologies that we usually find on a smartphone, including support for 4G connectivity (LTE), Bluetooth 3.0, NFC and Wi-Fi 802.11 a / b / g / n. Finally, we spend a few words on the battery, which unfortunately turned out to be particularly efficient. The device that we had been available probably has some manufacturing defect, because the heat can be felt after a few minutes of use, and autonomy cannot even get us halfway through the day with a use anything but intense.

Overall, the Nokia Lumia 1020 is definitely one of the best phones currently available on the smartphone market. It is still a niche device, suitable for those who really holds the photo department on a smartphone or who want to consider the idea of ​​using a phone to replace a camera.

Nokia Lumia 1020 – Conclusions

The Nokia Lumia 1020 is one of the best smartphones currently available on the market and definitely the best choice as far as the camera-phone. The 41 megapixel camera allows you to take pictures with the unimaginable details. Performance is also excellent, thanks to the dual-core processor and 2 GB of RAM. Also interesting is that in recent weeks, the price has dropped a lot.