Nokia Lumia 1020 - First impressions

First impressions

It's been more than an year since the unveiling of the original Nokia 808 PureView smartphone - it's only now that we see the technology implemented into a Windows Phone. And from what our encounter with the Lumia 1020 shows, the wait was well worth it. The smartphone is bound to make the Microsoft platform the new leader in smartphone imaging and the new focal point for everyone interested in mobile photography.

The camera aside, the Nokia Lumia 1020 doesn't bring anything over the Lumia 920. In fact it even lacks wireless charging capabilities, requiring an optional accessory for it. And yet, we do like the 1020 AMOLED screen better than the LCD on the Lumia 920, but the Lumia 925 already has that in a much more +compact shell.

 
Nokia Lumia 920 • Nokia Lumia 925

However, we still feel that the Lumia 1020 is in a better position to attract customers than its predecessor was 8 months ago. Windows Phone has significantly matured in that period and now has very little gaps in the apps department. This means that those wanting to try the latest and greatest in the camephone department and get a taste of the live tiles no longer have to worry about sacrificing the overall smartphone experience. And yes, a notification center would be nice, but it's not a real deal-breaker.

What might turn out to be a bigger problem however is the high asking price of the Lumia 1020. The smartphone is set to debut in the US on the AT&T network for $300 with a two-year contract. This makes it over $100 (depending on the deal you get) more expensive than the HTC One (also 32GB) and Samsung Galaxy S4 (16GB with microSD card slot) and the same price as a 32GB Apple iPhone 5. If that kind of pricing carries over when the smartphone hits Europe, it means that you'll have to pay about €700/£600 for it and that is really way more than Nokia can afford to charge for its flagship at the moment.

  
HTC One • Samsung I9505 Galaxy S4 • Apple iPhone 5

It's beyond doubt that this will be the best cameraphone on the market for some time to come (probably until Nokia releases its successor), but the fact remains that it's got a chipset more than twice slower than its competitors and a screen of less than half the resolution. There's also the issue of the size - the Lumia 1020 is larger and heavier than just about every other flagship out there.

As we see it - the Nokia Lumia 1020 really has the potential to become a hit. Not only that - it can lay the foundations for something bigger - make WP8 desirable before quad-core 1080p flagships arrive in the holiday season and cause explosive growth. Or it can remain a niche product that only a few enthusiasts care about if the pricing remains like that - your call, Nokia.

41 megapixel camera - the technical details

41 megapixel camera - the technical details

The Nokia Lumia 1020 headliner is its 41MP camera at the back. And while the resolution is the same, the camera module has been significantly redesigned since the Nokia 808 PureView came around.

One of the few things that the two PureView sensors have in common is that even though they technically are 41MP units, they aren't actually able to take 41MP photos. Here you can see all the different image aspects and their respective resolution. The sensor has a total active surface of 7728 x 5368 pixels, which does amount to 41MP, but depending on the aspect ratio you choose, it will capture either a 7728 x 4354 pixel image (34MP) in the 16:9 mode or a 7152 x 5368 pixel image (38MP) in the 4:3 mode.

Using the new Nokia Pro Camera app, the Lumia 1020 can save a photo in both 34MP and an oversampled 5MP variant. We'll touch more on that later on. Mind you, the default camera app is limited to shooting only 5MP photos in both 4:3 or 16:9 modes.

Probably in an attempt to keep the size of the module down, Nokia has decided to make the Lumia 1020 camera sensor smaller than the one in the 808 PureView. It's 1/1.5" instead of 1/1.2" and this means it has somewhat smaller pixels - 1.12 microns instead of 1.4 microns.

However, the new sensor has a BSI design, which improves light sensitivity. This means it offers lower noise levels in low light, so that probably makes up for the difference in size. There's also the fact that the new 6-element ZEISS lens has a wider aperture than the old one (F/2.2 instead of F/2.4) so it lets more light in.

Finally, there's the Optical Image Stabilization, which is still a rarity among smartphones, but an immensely useful thing to have. The Finns have naturally reworked the thing to accommodate the larger sensor and now you get to take shake-free videos and far better pictures in low light, provided that the subject you are shooting isn't moving.

In case you are not familiar, Optical image stabilization compensates for the movement of you hands and lets you take longer-exposure still shots without introducing blur due to camera shake. Longer exposures, in turn, allow lower ISO setting to be selected and still get the same exposure, only with less noise.

The downside is that those longer shutter speeds are only good for still subjects - any moving object would surely become a blurry trail on the photo.

The Nokia Lumia 1020 camera lens is nicely wide at 26mm - here's how its field of view (in both 4:3 and 16:9 mode) compares to the Samsung Galaxy S4 and the HTC One. The advantage over the Samsung flagship is quite significant and even the 28mm One can't fit as much in the frame.

The final improvement that Nokia made to the Lumia 1020, compared to the 808 PureView is the reduction of the minimal focus distance from 20cm to 15cm. This means that the Lumia 1020 is able to get closer to the subject and produce more detailed macro shots.

Now that we've got the technical stuff out of the way, we can move on to the new Pro Camera app that puts the whole thing in motion.

Nokia Lumia 1020 Review - Controls

Controls

Microsoft keeps a pretty tight control over the hardware of Windows Phone devices, so understandably the Lumia 1020 brings little surprises here.

Above the screen you will find the earpiece, the ambient light and proximity sensors, as well as the 1.2MP front-facing camera.

The ambient and proximity sensors sit alongside the front-facing camera and the earpiece

Below the screen are the three touch-sensitive buttons for getting around the Windows Phone 8 UI. These are probably the most generously spaced capacitive keys in business. That and the extra space below them will be much appreciated for allowing an extra solid grip of that big and heavy handset.

The usual three keys at the bottom

Two-thumb typing in landscape is quite comfortable, but the uneven thickness makes getting a secure hold harder.

 
Nokia Lumia 1020 held in hand

There is absolutely nothing on the phone's left side but things get a lot busier on the right. The volume rocker is there, along with the power/lock key and a dedicated camera button. The latter would launch the camera even if the phone is locked.

  
The left side is bare, with all three keys on the right

At the top you get the 3.5mm audio jack, the secondary microphone and the microSIM tray. You'll need the SIM eject tool supplied in the retail package or another suitable sharp object to release the tray, but that's often the case with microSIM-packing devices, so we won't be deducting any points here.

  
A view from the top

Moving on to the bottom of the phone we find the microUSB port, which is flanked by the loudspeaker and the lanyard eyelet. There's no visible hole for the primary microphone, so it should be located behind the grille, too.

 
The microUSB port, the lanyard eyelet and the loudspeaker grille are at the bottom

The back of the device is where the a large round place featuring the 6-element ZEISS lens for the 41MP camera, the xenon flash and the LED flash, which also doubles as a video light. The bump is noticeable, but it's certainly smaller than those earlier leaks and the official photos made us believe.

  
The 41 megapixel camera and its entourage

Unfortunately it's located too low on the phone, so when you hold it one of your fingers usually ends up on the bump. Now that doesn't add too much to the thickness feel of the smartphone but it means you might get the occasional fingerprint on it, so make sure you clean the lens properly before starting the photo sessions.

The Lumia 1020 doesn't have a removable battery cover, which means you can't access or replace your battery. You can extend its capacity by another 1000 mAh if you get the optional grip cover, which also adds a larger shutter button and a comfortable grip.

Even without it the Lumia 1020 is said to last for up to 13h 20 min of talk time or 384h of stand-by on 3G networks, which is pretty decent. We'll have to wait to spend more time with the smartphone and do a proper battery test before we see how close those numbers are to reality.

The two dots at the back are used to connect to the optional wireless charging shell. Unlike the Lumia 920, the 1020 lacks that feature from the box and you have to get the optional cover to make it work. The combo of the two is certainly bulkier but you only need to connect the cover when you are actually using it, so we find this the better solution.

Aside from the non-removable battery, the other sacrifice mandated by the unibody design is the lack of expandable storage. Now 32GB should be enough for most users, but if you are not among them, you'll have to take your business elsewhere.