1020 vs 1520: The Dilemma

[PreJason]

Morning all... So here she goes...

Last Saturday (11-3) I made my first jump into the world of WP and purchased a black 1020 from AT&T. I have had my eyes on it since it's release but given that I live in the Google Eco system both personally and professionally I couldn't bring myself to make the jump. But I love photography and had to see how good the camera is on this phone. IT'S AWESOME!! Let me also say after spending the last few days running the 1020 through the gauntlet it is a solid piece of hardware. The software is fluid although I keep finding myself swiping down to change the wifi or other settings like in the Android OS but needless to say the learning curve was short. I digress.... lol

Back on subject. Which brings me to the 1520. We all know the specs and only a fool would argue that the 1520 isn't the sexiest looking hardware to date (IMO). Coming from Android where I was rocking a quad-core, 16 MP, 5.5 inch True 1080P display with removable battery, I know that the 1520 will be a beast. One could argue bigger screen etc. The 1020's screen size is actually quite refreshing since I have only held 5+ inch devices the last couple of years. Not to mention the camera grip which connects the 1020 to my tripod and really gives the look and feel of a hand held camera. It truly is a dream to have a cell phone with such high quality imaging capabilities.

But again... The quad-core cpu's really speed things up on a cell phone. I have about 6 days to decide whether to return the 1020 and go the route of the 1520. Quad-core vs. Dual Core. 20 MP vs 41 MP. I love the photos on the 1020... What would you do?

 

[maui911]

Personally I go with the 1520 for better screen, more screen real estate, and more future proof with upgraded hardware. I've heard the camera on the 1520 is a beast as well.

 

[nishant786]

Hey! Great choice btw, was on the same fence myself and got the 1020 just yesterday. For me it was a difficult choice between a full hd display and not, but the amazing camera and mainly the sub 5inch size made me go for the 1020.
Basically that's how it'll be for you as well. Do you love the size? The unique and badass camera? Then i suppose 1020 will stay with you.
However if you can handle a 6 inch size and want to stay future safe then i suppose the 1520 will be the more logical choice. Especially on a 2 year contract.
best of luck, you'll need it.

 

[PreJason]

Hey! Great choice btw, was on the same fence myself and got the 1020 just yesterday. For me it was a difficult choice between a full hd display and not, but the amazing camera and mainly the sub 5inch size made me go for the 1020.
Basically that's how it'll be for you as well. Do you love the size? The unique and badass camera? Then i suppose 1020 will stay with you.
However if you can handle a 6 inch size and want to stay future safe then i suppose the 1520 will be the more logical choice. Especially on a 2 year contract.
best of luck, you'll need it.

The screen vs the camera is my main concern. I mainly use the manual settings for taking pictures on the 1020 and would do the same with the 1520 but with a 6 inch screen I wonder how easy that would be. Plus, I know pixels aren't everything buy one has to wonder where the sacrifice is going from 41 MP down to 20??

 

[vlad0]

Plus, I know pixels aren't everything buy one has to wonder where the sacrifice is going from 41 MP down to 20??

Its a general misconception that more mpix = bettery image quality.

The most important aspect in imaging is the size of the sensor, the part that collects light, the bigger that is, the more light it collects, which leads to less noise and more detail. Of course there are other components in play, but considering that most of them are pretty standard in phones these days, the sensor remains the most important of them all.

Now, how many pixels you decide to cut that sensor into is.. well.. up to the OEM. There is ongoing debate on pixel sizes vs. pixel density. Good examples of pixel dense camera are the Nokia 808, Nokia 1020, Nikon D800.. etc.

The 1520 has the same size sensor as the Z1.

Here is the appr. light gathering ability of each of those sensors.. BSI is taken under account but I think its rather generous.

That being said, the 1020 has a much bigger sensor so.. in terms of image quality its better than the 1520 in every single aspect.

Now.. its all relevant.. the 1520 seems to have a very good camera package overall, except the flash.. in my opinion no xenon = no flash

Its perfectly fine for 99% of users out there..

This website is very informative, I recommend reading it to anyone who wants to know a bit more about all of this

http://6mpixel.org/en/

 

[PreJason]

Its a general misconception that more mpix = bettery image quality.

The most important aspect in imaging is the size of the sensor, the part that collects light, the bigger that is, the more light it collects, which leads to less noise and more detail. Of course there are other components in play, but considering that most of them are pretty standard in phones these days, the sensor remains the most important of them all.

Now, how many pixels you decide to cut that sensor into is.. well.. up to the OEM. There is ongoing debate on pixel sizes vs. pixel density. Good examples of pixel dense camera are the Nokia 808, Nokia 1020, Nikon D800.. etc.

http://i.imgur.com/gxSzWSz.jpg

The 1520 has the same size sensor as the Z1.

Here is the appr. light gathering ability of each of those sensors.. BSI is taken under account but I think its rather generous.

http://i.imgur.com/6VyX9it.jpg

That being said, the 1020 has a much bigger sensor so.. in terms of image quality its better than the 1520 in every single aspect.

Now.. its all relevant.. the 1520 seems to have a very good camera package overall, except the flash.. in my opinion no xenon = no flash

Its perfectly fine for 99% of users out there..

This website is very informative, I recommend reading it to anyone who wants to know a bit more about all of this

http://6mpixel.org/en/

Thank you kindly. I really appreciate you sharing. That was pretty awesome information.

 

[tatortotsInfarction]

Do not get the 1020. It is already a dinosaur, and overpriced, even more expensive than the 1520. The 1520's camera is very similar to the 1020s. Just a downsized version, which doesn't affect the quality drastically. It uses the same sensor tech and pixel size photosites which are only 1.1 microns on both devices. You lose a bit of zoom resolution, but not much else.

The 1020 is much thicker with a large camera hump and much heavier (density is more important than weight for how it feels). The screen is weaker. It's AMOLED with penTile that only has two subpixels per pixel instead of three, and lower brightness, color accuracy and resolution. The 1520 has the Assertive display tech that significantly boosts sunlight legibility.

The 1020 uses last year's processor specs so it was already outdated when it was released a few months back, having only 1.5ghz dual-core. The 1520 uses the latest Snapdragon 800 with 2.2ghz quad-core and runs faster and much more future proof. Most importantly of all, the camera app is much faster. Taking pictures on the 1020 can be a chore since it takes 4-5 seconds between shots. Camera responsiveness is a big deal, for capturing ephemeral moments, and of course not having to wait for things and getting irritated at the slowness. The manual controls are also much faster on the 1520.

The biggest issue with the 1520 is the 6-inch size. If you have big pockets, big hands, or a bag to put it in, and you love thar LARGE display, that's great. If you want something smaller and more pocketable and can be one-handed, I STILL would not recommend the 1020. Wait a little bit for the official 920 successor, which will be 5 inches and much smaller. The 1520 is a niche device in the "phablet" market. It would be strange if Nokia didn't release a mainstream 5" bread-and-butter flagship before the end of the year. The Verizon variant, the 929, which has the same 20MP camera as the 1520, has already been leaked. In any case, both newer devices are much better than the far outdated 1020, other than the slight downgrade in camera specs, which significantly slims down the weight and thickness.

 

[Moiz Mian]

Ok preJason, this is what you do. Starting TODAY, ATT stores have demo units of the 1520. Go play with it. See if the speed is better. I've heard that it doesn't FEEL much faster since it is limited by all the rotating animations that windows phone uses. But we won't know unless we play with it in our own hands. I plan on trying it as well today or tomorrow. Try the camera, do some zoom tests, and see how the camera is. There is no doubt the camera on the 1520 will be worse than the 1020. It has a smaller sensor and less pixels. But it's definitely worth seeing if the extra speed is worth the camera trade off. 20MP is still nothing to scoff at!

 

[jpeg42]

I am in this same dilemma and had a hard time deciding at the store today. I am very torn between the 1520 and the 1020. I played with both in the AT&T store. While I liked the screen of the 1520 so much, it is just too big! It makes my Note feel small, and that is already borderline for me. So the camera and size of the 1020 won me over. But I couldn't help but feel I was buying an inferior phone on everything but the camera. Well, in the end, I didn't have to make the decision because they couldn't port over my grandfathered unlimited plan. They had to call into support and the rep said she would put me on a different plan temporarily and move me back to my unlimited later (yeah right).

So after thinking about it more, and reading this thread, I am hoping there will be a release of the 1520 guts in a 920 form factor (I guess like the 929) coming to AT&T soon because I am stuck there.

 

[Nogitsune Micah]

Do not get the 1020. It is already a dinosaur, and overpriced, even more expensive than the 1520. The 1520's camera is very similar to the 1020s. Just a downsized version, which doesn't affect the quality drastically. It uses the same sensor tech and pixel size photosites which are only 1.1 microns on both devices. You lose a bit of zoom resolution, but not much else.

The 1020 is much thicker with a large camera hump and much heavier (density is more important than weight for how it feels). The screen is weaker. It's AMOLED with penTile that only has two subpixels per pixel instead of three, and lower brightness, color accuracy and resolution. The 1520 has the Assertive display tech that significantly boosts sunlight legibility.

The 1020 uses last year's processor specs so it was already outdated when it was released a few months back, having only 1.5ghz dual-core. The 1520 uses the latest Snapdragon 800 with 2.2ghz quad-core and runs faster and much more future proof. Most importantly of all, the camera app is much faster. Taking pictures on the 1020 can be a chore since it takes 4-5 seconds between shots. Camera responsiveness is a big deal, for capturing ephemeral moments, and of course not having to wait for things and getting irritated at the slowness. The manual controls are also much faster on the 1520.

The biggest issue with the 1520 is the 6-inch size. If you have big pockets, big hands, or a bag to put it in, and you love thar LARGE display, that's great. If you want something smaller and more pocketable and can be one-handed, I STILL would not recommend the 1020. Wait a little bit for the official 920 successor, which will be 5 inches and much smaller. The 1520 is a niche device in the "phablet" market. It would be strange if Nokia didn't release a mainstream 5" bread-and-butter flagship before the end of the year. The Verizon variant, the 929, which has the same 20MP camera as the 1520, has already been leaked. In any case, both newer devices are much better than the far outdated 1020, other than the slight downgrade in camera specs, which significantly slims down the weight and thickness.

Lmfao the 1020...a dinosaur? I can't with this haha.

 

[Shawn Magm]

I'd get both, hehe.

 

[husslord]

Ya 1020 a dinosaur?? Huh? The 1020 is getting all the Nokia apps the 1520 is getting! Also remember WP is not android!!!! Yes sp 800 is great for say the note 3 but do a search and u will see WP does not need the latest processors like android.....also the camera on the 1020 of I am correct offers better zoom....but go to the store and check it out...that's what I'm going to do....personally after having the note line...fhe size did become annoying and recording and taking pics with it made me fee like a dork!

 

[husslord]

I'd get both, hehe.

honestly for the out of contract price is not a bad idea? But my money is going to service rt 2 or 2520.

 

[PreJason]

Thank you all for your opinions. While I can't justify purchasing another "toy" with my fourth daughter on her way I did go down and play with a 1520 earlier today. It is as it's been reported a sweet piece of hardware. But coming from a 5.5 inch device I'm actually quite fond of the 1020's size. Even with the "bulge" it fits nicely in my pockets. I think most people purchasing the 1520 won't notice it's size as much since it's winter and every one will be wearing jackets and such. When the summer time comes it will be another story. Aside from that, I love the camera grip accessory for the 1020. I have complete control with one hand, unless I'm changing the settings manually. So in short. The camera wins. For now, I can't go back to the larger size device. I'll definitely make another jump when the real successor to the 1020 comes. Once you go 41 mega pixels you can never go back.. LOL

I had to shrink this image down to 300kb but the high res images are unmatched. Especially at night....

 

[spaulagain]

I know "technically" the screen on the 1520 is better. But after going from my 920 to my 1020, I'll never get an LCD smartphone again. I'm addicted to the true black that AMOLED brings. Nokia did a great job with getting their LCD screen to get as black as possible, but it still doesn't compare.

When you add the better camera as well, the 1020 is a super solid package. The camera grip is the best thing since sliced bread.

To me the 1520 was made just for phablet fans. Other than that it doesn't offer anything more than a 1020, etc.

 

[Ed Boland]

lmao @ "don't get the 1020, it's a dinosaur"

 

[Luminatic]

I'm stuck in the same dilemma, but without having held a 1520 yet (not available in my country yet). I've held a 1020, though, and found it very nice, and oh, that camera, that camera. Combined with getting DNG pics, I find the 1020 very enticing. On the other hand, I've heard a sound recording example from the 1520 and was impressed. Sounds as good as the Nokia 808, which sais something about the 1520.

Question to the 1020 owners here: How's the sound recording quality on the 1020 in your experience? Is it comparable to the 808?

What to do, what to do, with my contract being up in April '14 only. I guess I will just wait and watch the 1020 price and get it out of contract if I have a good offer. Then I would still be able to get the 1520 later in April unless I find it too large.

Sigh, there are way too many Lumias to choose from!

 

[tatortotsInfarction]

5 second picture captures and last year's 1.5ghz dual-core krait make it a dinosaur. So does the 720p penTile. And yes, the manual controls do lag. This is why Windows Phone is always behind. Their users are largely tech-illiterate and aren't much better than iPhone users. MS and Nokia have finally caught up with their latest generation of phones. That's why there is this great dividing line that sets the 920/1020 apart from the 1520/929. As far as hardware goes (besides the camera of course), it is extinct, like the dinosaurs. And if you are gonna argue that it is "good enough", my 7 year old flip phone is also good enough for making phone calls.

 

[spaulagain]

5 second picture captures and last year's 1.5ghz dual-core krait make it a dinosaur. So does the 720p penTile. And yes, the manual controls do lag. This is why Windows Phone is always behind. Their users are largely tech-illiterate and aren't much better than iPhone users. MS and Nokia have finally caught up with their latest generation of phones. That's why there is this great dividing line that sets the 920/1020 apart from the 1520/929. As far as hardware goes (besides the camera of course), it is extinct, like the dinosaurs. And if you are gonna argue that it is "good enough", my 7 year old flip phone is also good enough for making phone calls.

Dude, calling the 1020 a dinosaur completely discredits your opinion. You sound like you're just here to slam the 1020 instead of giving any real advice. So just stay out of the conversation.

Yes, the 1520 has the most recent tech specs. But that doesn't inherently make it better for every user. Some people don't want a massive phablet in their pocket. Some people want a better camera. Some people want AMOLED instead of LCD.

And WP has proven that even on yesterdays tech, it performs better than any Android device, and most iPhones (with iOS 7).

 

[matthoms]

I have a 1020. The phone itself is faster than any iPhone 5S's or S4's my friends have. You don't need a fast phone for WP software. I have never experienced lag on this phone. Yes, the camera takes a little whole between shots on the Nokia Camera app. Go to the default camera app, and it won't take long. It takes time because it saves two pictures. Any other dang phone would take time to do the same dang thing. So that argument is invalid. You have options to take fast pictures such as sport mode now integrated into the Nokia Camera app. If you want to take pictures every 2-3 seconds, go to the default app, it'll work. The 1020 is 4 months old. Now days, that's old. But honestly, the specs of the phone don't matter when MS has made a software to be fast, simple, and easy to use for users and phones. Anyone after 3 months now days is outdated. So it really doesn't matter what phone you get because there will be another one out in the next few weeks. People need to get technology that is most comfortable, useful, and profitable to them with their everyday lives, not something that they can show off because the specs inside that most people don't event know what they do. Do it for you, not for others. The 1020 will be around for quite some time still, just as the 1520 will be.