They say the best camera is the one you have with you. In the case of the Nokia Lumia 1020, you might as well be carrying a high-end point-and-shoot in your pocket, as the phone's 41-megapixel camera outclasses the shooters on both the Apple iPhone 5 and the Samsung Galaxy S4 by a good long mile.
Nokia has always emphasized its phones' camera capabilities, and the Lumia 1020 is no exception: Along with the crazy megapixel count, the phone features a custom camera app that has functions never before seen on a smartphone. But for all these advancements, the Lumia 1020 sometimes feels rough around the edges, and a handful of problems keep it from attaining perfection.
A familiar look
Michael HomnickThe Nokia Lumia 1020 (not to be mistaken for the Nokia Lumia 920).
The Lumia 1020 is essentially a Lumia 920 with a better camera tacked onto the back. The phones share some design elements—such as a rounded chassis and a large, 4.5-inch screen—although the 1020 doesn't feel as chunky when you hold it in your hand. This phone is slimmer than the 920, but the camera on the rear of the 1020 protrudes a bit and can make the handset feel awkward while it's resting in your pocket. That isn't a deal breaker, necessarily. It's just something to keep in mind if you tend to wear skinny jeans. (The camera housing will dig into your thigh every time you sit down.)
Michael HomnickThe rear camera on the Lumia 1020 sticks out a considerable amount.
The Lumia 1020 boasts a display resolution of 1280 by 768, which would have been fine had the phone launched a year ago. Nowadays, with everyone and their mom making smartphones touting 1080p displays, it's disappointing that Microsoft has yet to update the Windows Phone OS to support higher resolutions. The screen on the Lumia 1020 is acceptable for watching movies or playing games, but it would have been nice to have a sharper display available for viewing photos shot with the phone's impressive camera. The Lumia 1020 could have been the first Windows Phone with a 1080p display, and the fact that it isn't feels like a missed opportunity for both Nokia and Microsoft.
ConversionConversion EmoticonEmoticon