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Nokia Lumia 1020 review

8.2/10 AVG.
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Nokia Lumia 1020
Nokia Lumia 1020
Nokia Lumia 1020
Nokia Lumia 1020
Nokia Lumia 1020
Nokia Lumia 1020
...


8.2/10
Informr score
The Nokia Lumia 1020 currently has an Informr score of 8.2 out of 10. This score is based on our evaluation of 41 sources including reviews from users and the web's most trusted critics.

The Nokia Lumia 1020 wowed audiences during its unveiling touting a Windows 8 OS and a 41MP camera. While the camera is the main focus of the phone, the Nokia Lumia 1020 boasts a 1.5GB dual-core processor, HD screen, 2GB of memory and 32GB of internal storage.

Most reviewers do find the Lumia 1020 to be a bit on the bulkier side thanks to the 41MP camera. The phone itself weighs around 158 grams (5.57 ounces), which is slightly lighter than its predecessor the 920 but over 56 grams (2 ounces) heavier than the iPhone 5 and is 10.4mm thick, which is far thicker than many other smartphones.

As Brad Molen of Engadget points out, the thickness of the phone and bulk of the camera “make for a rather awkward hand-held experience” though most reviewers agree that eventually users will get used to handling the device. Molen goes on to mention that the 1020 is extremely well-built with a sturdy polycarbonate body that is both fingerprint and dirt resistant, though these features also lead to the phone being more slippery.

All reviewers agree that the best feature of this phone is its high quality camera as well as the numerous related apps. The camera comes with a Xenon Flash, which boasts a white balance closer to daylight. Marc Flores of TechRadar mentions that the flash is far more powerful than the standard LED flashes on most smartphones and offers excellent coverage noting that the flash photography is, “not bad on the Lumia 1020.” The related camera apps allow users to adjust color balance, shutter speed and more before taking the picture and then offers a slew of apps to adjust the image after it has been taken. Consumers can also take relatively high-quality video with the phone and edit before posting to sites like YouTube.

Despite the power of the camera, there are a couple drawbacks. According to Flores, the camera itself is slow to start up, taking a second longer than the iPhone 5. Flores goes on to mention that it takes longer to process and save images due to its large size, which prevents consumers from firing off pictures in rapid succession.

Overall, most reviewers agree that the 1020 offers a solid performing phone for basic use and a stellar camera. Matthew Miller of ZDNet notes that this is the “best Windows Phone device I have used over the last three years.” Others are more reserved with their consensus. Engadget notes that while the phone generally performs well, there were issues with the speakerphone and problems with frozen buttons. TechRadar mentions the lack of apps for Windows 8 and states that the phone is better for consumers “who don't spend too much time in apps, and find themselves messaging and emailing and browsing the web more…”

The Good: 41 megapixel rear-facing camera, sturdy dirt and fingerprint resistant body, only Windows 8 phone with 2 gigabytes of memory.

The Bad: Lack of apps for Windows 8 phones, slow camera start up, cannot take pictures in rapid succession.


Windows Phone
Operating system
Operating system
Windows Phone
1.5 GHz
Processor
Processor
1.5 GHz
4.5"
Screen Size
Screen Size
4.5"
41+ MP
Camera
Camera
41+ MP
2000 mAh
Battery


What the Critics Are Saying...


GSM Dome
GSM Dome

We give the Lumia 1020 a 9.3 out of 10 for design, a 9 for hardware and an 8 for OS and UI. The final grade is 8.76 out of 10, but we’ll round it up to 9 because of the excellent camera on board. You won’t find a better cameraphone on the market right now… trust me!

- James A., GSM Dome
Fone Arena
Fone Arena

Let’s put it straight. The Lumia 1020 is the best camera phone you can buy right now. There’s absolutely no doubt about that. Its everything that the Nokia 808 aspired to be and then more. Compelling hardware with a camera that blows away point and shoots alongside a modern operating sys...

- Dhruv Bhutani, Fone Arena
Know Your Mobile
Know Your Mobile

The Lumia 1020 is an interesting device. It has a market-leading camera, a unique overall design, plus excellent battery life and performance. However it is difficult to recommend the device with a new Nokia flagship –– the Lumia 1520 –– just around the corner.The 1520 has a...

- Richard Goodwin, Know Your Mobile
Mobile Syrup
Mobile Syrup

The Lumia 1020 is simultaneously projected forward by Nokia and held back by Microsoft. The former is at the peak of its design game, but as it moves into Microsoft’s headquarters it needs to do for Microsoft’s software what it has managed to do for its hardware. I just can’t rely...

- Daniel Bader, Mobile Syrup
Know Your Mobile
Know Your Mobile

The Nokia Lumia 1020 is a great handset with lots to offer but there are several things that’d make us think twice about recommending it: size, app selection, Windows Phone 8's foibles, the price and the fact that it is about to be usurped by the upcoming Lumia 1520

- Richard Goodwin, Know Your Mobile


Prices (Where to Buy)




Common Questions


We've got you covered! Download a free PDF copy of the Nokia Lumia 1020 user manual here.


Nokia backs up the Lumia 1020 with a 1 Year parts & labour warranty.


If your Lumia 1020 has problems and is still within its warranty period, you could contact Nokia support or the retailer you purchased the phone from. You'll find Nokia's contact information here. If your phone is off warranty and needs repair for a physical problem such as a broken screen or bad battery, you should visit an authorized service centre or a local phone repair shop. You can also connect with others in The Informr Community Forum to find and share answers to questions.




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Quick view

Screen Size
4.5"

The Nokia Lumia 1020's screen size is 4.5 inches with 768 x 1280 pixels resolution.

Processor
1.5 GHz

There is a Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 Dual core 1.5 GHz processor (CPU).

OS

The phone runs on the Windows Phone 8 (Update Available: 8.1) operating system (OS).

Camera
41+ MP

You can take photos with the phone's onboard 41+ MP camera.

There is also a secondary front facing camera with 1+ megapixels resolution.

Storage
32 GB

Internal memory is 32 GB. No external card slot is available for expansion.

Battery
2000mAh

The phone is powered by a Lithium-Ion (Li-Ion), 2000 mAh battery. Nokia's performance ratings are 1146 minutes, 330 minutes Wi-Fi surfing.

Lumia 1020 Specs

Overview
Release Date July 26, 2013
Regions Available USA, Canada, United Kingdom
Operating System Windows Phone 8 (Update Available: 8.1)

Compare Windows Phone Smartphones

Processor Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 Dual core 1.5 GHz
Internal Storage 32 GB
RAM 2 GB
Hearing Aid Compatible No
TTY/TDD Yes
Noise Cancellation No
SAR Head: 1.47 W/kg
Body: 1.15 W/kg
Manufacturer Warranty 1 Year
Accessories Included AC Charger, Manual, Standard Battery, Headset, Data Cable
Cellular
Networks
GPRS, EDGE, HSUPA, HSPA+, LTE
Mobile / Cellular Data
4G/LTE
Push-to-talk (PTT) No
Wi-Fi Calling Unknown
Voice over LTE (VoLTE) Unknown
SIM card size
Micro-SIM
Dual SIM No
Connectivity
USB Micro-USB 2.0
USB OTG Support No
GPS Type A-GPS
Infrared No
Bluetooth 3.0
Bluetooth Profiles A2DP, AVRCP, OPP/FTP, HFP
Bluetooth Audio Codecs SBC
Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n
Mobile Hotspot Yes
Memory Expansion Slot No
NFC Yes
Data Tethering Compatibility Yes
Camera
Main Camera
Resolution / Aperture
41+ Megapixels
Zoom
3x digital
Flash
Yes (LED)
Additional Rear Camera Info
Auto focus, Effects, Image stabilization, ISO, Night mode, Panorama, White balance
Video Recording Formats
3GP / 3GPP, 3G2 / 3GPP2, H.264 / AVC, MPEG-4, WMV, ASF, AVI
Video Recording Parameters
Full HD (1920 x 1080 pixels), 30 fps
Front Camera
Resolution / Aperture
1+ Megapixels
Additional Front Camera Info
No
Video Recording Parameters
HD (1280 x 720 pixels)
Display / Screen
Type Color
Technology AMOLED
Colors 16.7 million
Resolution 768 x 1280 pixels
Pixel Density 334 pixels
Size 4.5 inches
Secondary Display No
Sensors Ambient Light, Proximity, Motion / Accelerometer, Gyroscope, Digital Compass
Multi-Touch Yes
Fingerprint-Resistant Coating No
Additional Display Features Capacitive touch screen, ClearBlack, Super sensitive touch for nail and glove usage
Power & Battery
Battery Type Lithium-Ion (Li-Ion)
Battery Capacity 2000 mAh
Removable Battery No
Wireless Charging Yes
Fast Charging No
Video Playback Time Up to 408 minutes
Internet Use (Wi-Fi) Up to 330 minutes
Internet Use (Cellular) Unknown
Talk Time Up to 1146 minutes
Standby Time Up to 16 days
Mixed Usage
Physical Characteristics
Design Type Bar
Material Plastic
Colors Black, Yellow, White, Red
Dimensions [H x W x D] 13 x 7.1 x 1 cm (5.1 x 2.8 x 0.4 in)
Weight 158 grams
Water Resistant / Waterproof Unknown
Rugged design No
IP Rating No
Headset Jack 3.5mm
External Speakers Yes
Input / Navigation
Sleep / Wake Key No
Home Key No
Input / Keyboard Type Touchscreen
Navigation Type Touchscreen
External Volume Control Yes
Fingerprint Sensor No
More
Additional Information Messaging: SMS, MMS, Google Talk
Multi-Use Smart Phone / PDA: Yes
Graphics: Yes
Themes: Yes
Backlit Illumination: Yes
Zoom / Magnification: Yes
Screen Orientation Lock: Yes
Predictive Text Entry: Yes
Voice Commands: Yes
Keypad/Screen Lock: Yes
Multiple Numbers Per Contact: Email address, Other fields
Contact Groups: Yes
Voice Activated Dialing: Yes
Photo Caller ID: Yes
Web Browser: Yes
Email Client: Yes
Email Protocols: POP3, IMAP, SMTP, Microsoft Exchange
PC Synchronization: Yes
DLNA Support: Yes
ECML / Digital Wallet: Yes
Audio Formats: AAC, AAC+, eAAC+, MP3, MP4, M4A, WMA Pro, WMA, WAV
Video Playback Formats: 3GP / 3GPP, 3G2 / 3GPP2, ASF, AVI, H.264 / AVC, MPEG-4, WMV
Streaming Video: Yes
Custom Ringtones: Yes
Vibration Alert: Yes
Downloadable Ringtones: Yes
Ringer ID: Yes
Speakerphone: Yes
Haptic Feedback: Yes
Data Tethering: Yes
Mobile Hotspot: Yes
Radio: Yes (FM)
Wi-fi Encryption: WEP/WPA/WPA2
Viewable document types: XLS, PPT, PPTX, DOC, DOCX, PDF
Games: Downloadable
Apps: Downloadable
Included Software / Apps: -
To-Do / Task List, Calendar, World Clock, Alarm, Calculator, Maps, NotePad, Voice Memos / Recorder

Other Names (AKA): Nokia EOS
Related Links Manual (PDF)
Nokia Lumia 1020 Reviews
Where to buy Nokia Lumia 1020
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