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Nokia Lumia 1020 Review, Unboxing, Benchmarks, Gaming, Camera and Verdict

Nokia Lumia 1020 has been the most anticipated smartphone launched by Nokia till now, no one can deny about the superb camera of this device but is it the camera only which matters to a consumer, in this review we tell you what all matters to you.

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Lumia 1020 Quick Specs

  • Display Size: 4.5 inch AMOLED capacitive touch screen with 768 x 1280 HD resolution with 332 pixels per inch.
  • Processor: 1.5 GHz Dual Core Krait MSM8960 Snapdragon
  • RAM: 2 Gb
  • Software Version: Windows Phone 8 OS with amber update
  • Camera: 41 MP sensor AF camera (38 MP effective, 7152 x 5368 pixels), Carl Zeiss optics, optical image stabilization, auto/manual focus, Xenon & LED flash
  • Secondary Camera: 1.2 MP front-facing camera FF [Fixed Focus]
  • Internal Storage: 32 GB
  • External Storage: No
  • Battery: 2000 mAh battery Lithium Ion Non Removable
  • Connectivity: 3G, Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n, Bluetooth 4.0 with A2DP, aGPS, 3.5mm audio jack, FM Radio
  • Others: OTG Support –  No, Dual SIM – No, LED Indicator – No
  • Sensors: Accelerometer, gyro, proximity, compass, barometer

Box Contents

Inside the Lumia 1020 box, you get the handset, SIM ejection tool, red color headphones, Micro USB to USB cable, Universal USB charger and user manual and product guide.

Build Quality, Design and Form Factor

The build of the device is Unibody and solid as you might have seen on earlier Nokia phones, it has got a matte finish on the back side which gives it easy grip in hands. The material finish and quality of polycarbonate which has been used does feel cheap and much better than the cheap plastic we have seen on some Chinese and Samsung budget phones. The design of the device is such that it bring major importance to the camera and its sensor.  However the weight distribution of the device is not too good as because upper section of the device becomes heavier due to the large sensor and lower section of the device lighter and thinner which makes it slightly uneven in weight distribution.

Camera Performance

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The rear 41 MP sensor AF camera (38 MP effective, 7152 x 5368 pixels), Carl Zeiss optics, optical image stabilization, auto/manual focus with Xenon & LED flash is the major highlight of this device which no one can ignore, the pictures taken with rear camera are rich in natural colors and no over saturation. It saves two images by default when you click a shot, one of it will be a  5 MP and other one will be the high resolution picture which will get saved on the device memory, but you can alter this option as well. The front camera is 1.2 MP decent enough to make good quality of video chat through skype.


Camera Samples

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Lumia 1020 Video Sample at 1080p at 30fps

Display, Memory and Battery Backup

The display of the device is definitely not like the high resolution display with 768 x 1280 HD resolution with 332 pixels per inch but still the text look good and colors look awesome and has great contrast levels as well on this display, this display is pretty good to watch HD videos and any multimedia stuff. The device has 32Gb internal storage out of which is good enough to forget about no SD card on the device, anyways you actually don’t need a MicroSD card with a device like this. The battery is 2000 mAh non removable and the backup with moderate usage which includes using the camera more for recording videos and taking pictures and we was around 1 day comfortably.

Lumia 1020 Quick Hand on Review [Video]

Software and Gaming

The software UI is just like you might have seen on any other windows phone 8, but its lot more faster and snappy with great hardware powering the phone. You may call it OS problem but gaming wise there are not very good high graphic intensive games like Asphalt 8 and Modern Combat 4 etc on windows phone platform as if now, however most of the popular games are there but most of them are paid.

Sound, Video and Navigation

The sound quality is great through the earpiece and loudspeaker is at the back of the device is loud enough in volume and one thing which we really like is that the sound clarity and noise cancellation while recording video is great and unmatched with any other smartphone in the market except Nokia Pureview 808

Lumia 1020 Photo Gallery

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What We Liked

  • Great Picture Quality
  • High Resolution Pictures with great details
  • Good video with great sound clarity

What We Did Not Liked

  • Uneven weight distribution
  • Non removable battery
  • Heavy Phone

Lumia 1020 Full In Depth Review [Video]

Conclusion and Price

Lumia 1020 is no doubt the best camera smartphone as if now in the market, as per our observation no other device comes closer to this one neither iPhone 5S nor Samsung Note 3 and we are not talking about megapixels here but the photo, video quality and sound clarity. But the major concern which might take you away is price of this device which approx. Rs. 47,000 as if now which is really steep for a device like this and second thing is the OS which is as good as android and iOS but not as easy and user friendly.

Abhishek Bhatnagar

Abhishek Bhatnagar

Abhishek Bhatnagar, a known technology blogger & YouTuber from India. A Software Engineer by qualification, now he works as the editor-In-Chief, Webmaster, & Managing Director at Gadgets To Use. He runs a number of other technology websites as well.View Author posts