[Real Users] My Lumia 1520 Review

[psudotechzealot]

Where or what is the best way to watch YouTube videos?

Buy the mytube or metrotube app.

 

[jmerrey]

Re: Initial thoughts on the 1520

I've had some of the same issue that you been having, the sudden dim of the screen, the touch issue. how do you do a hard reset? sorry i'm a noob to wp8

It is in settings->about. It will reset your phone to it's "as new" state.

 

[hulkkii]

Re: Initial thoughts on the 1520

Can someone with a Lumia 1520 run some CamSpeed measurements.
I can then provide some comparisons to other phones like this:


edit:
Okay thx, got first result for Lumia 1520 and image capture time seems to be close to Lumia 920 which is a good thing.
But still need some for normal or bright lighting conditions.

 

[Gunpwdr]

Re: Initial thoughts on the 1520

I wrote this up on Amazon's page this past Saturday, if it helps anyone with their decision-making process:

Amazon.com: Customer Reviews: Nokia Lumia 1520, White (AT&T)

 

[w4rmk]

1520 Review From a Phone Tech Junkie

I have had every single iPhone at one point or another and several Android phones, the last one being the Galaxy Note II. This week I purchased the Nokia 1520 to give Windows Phone a try. A few things led me to the decision to try out Windows Phone. First was the beautiful design and power of the 1520, and the second was since my work life lives in Outlook and MS Exchange I figured who would have better Exchange integration than Microsoft's own phones. Well after using my new 1520 for several days here are my gripes and opinions:

Windows Phone 8 O/S:
- Application crashes. Not since early versions of Android have I had so many apps crash. Many times an app will just disappear and I get booted back to the home screen on the phone. To be fair these are app store programs that are crashing. The stock apps are very stable. But this is not feeling like a very mature platform. I realize that this is likely due to poor developers, but MS should be checking these apps when are submitted to the app store. Several of these apps are paid versions, and I don't see any way to get a refund.
- Weird touch behavior. Sometime when I am trying to scroll up and down on the home screen or app list instead of detecting that I am sliding my finger the phone will detect a press and launch an app unintentionally. This seems to happen to me quite a bit and it's very annoying.
- No quick way to adjust the screen brightness? I cannot even find an app in the store that lets me quickly access the brightness setting. If anyone knows of one please let me know.
- No software volume? Really? When playing a song the only way to adjust the volume is pushing the physical buttons? The volume buttons on my Apple earbuds don't work. Someone please tell me this isn't really the case... I cannot find any "volume" apps in the app store. There is no volume slider anywhere in entire O/S???? Really????
- No static battery/wireless signal indicator. The top bar status disappears after a few seconds. Come on MS, put the "Always display status bar" option into your O/S.
- No folders on the home screen. Come on MS, seems like this would be pretty important and could work great with a live tile that cycles through the apps that are contained within the folder.
- No soft power button. The only way to turn off the phone is to press the physical power button? Android has lots of "Power Off" apps in their app store.
- Settings menu - Who decided how to organize the list? I can't make any sense of the order in the Settings list.
- Only 1 Master Volume - Why can't I have the notification sounds be softer than the ring tone sound? Android has had this forever.
- Quiet mode - I want the phone to be quiet at night automatically. Android and iOS have this now.
- This O/S desperately needs a notification center.
- This O/S desperately needs a quick settings panel.

Nokia 1520 hardware:
- Call issues. I plugged in my Apple earbuds and answered a phone call. I got static noise in the earphones and the caller could not hear me. I had to unplug and replug the headphones 3 times before they finally starting working. Weird... Seems to be working now, but this is concerning...
- The phone will sometimes make a faint popping noise from the speaker. Seems to happen when power is applied or removed from the speaker. This happened on my first 1520 that was returned due to a defective screen and is also happening on the new 1520. So I believe this is a common trait to this hardware.

Well your probably asking if I have anything good to say about my new 1520? Yup sure do:
- This screen on the 1520 is fantastic! Outdoor readability is better than any phone I have ever seen.
- I really like the design of O/S. The scrolling from left to right is very intuitive.
- The email client is awesome. The best I have used, makes reading email a joy.
- The keyboard is pretty good, but I still like swype keyboards the best.
- Live Tiles/Homescreen. In general I like the Metro UI and the idea of tiles. MS just needs to take this functionality to the next level.

Conclusion
- I have about 10 days left to decide to keep the 1520 or return it to the Microsoft Store for a refund. I haven't decided yet, but ultimately it must excel at making phone calls, have good call quality and not drop calls on me. In this regard my iPhone on Verizon has proven to be exceptionally good. The jury is still out on Windows Phone, the 1520 and AT&T, but so far the negatives are outweighing the positives.

 

[superlawyer15]

Re: 1520 Review From a Phone Tech Junkie

The overwhelming majority of your complaints are utterly ridiculous

 

[Reflexx]

Re: 1520 Review From a Phone Tech Junkie

I don't think any complaints are "ridiculous."

Different people value different things.

For the touch sensitivity problem, try going to Settings>touch and reducing touch sensitivity.

I completely understand about the lack of different audio settings. Though you listed those complaints more than once.

Some of the stuff you complained about are just workflow differences.

As for apps crashing.... I'm really surprised to hear that. What apps have you been using?

 

[MSFTisMIA]

Re: 1520 Review From a Phone Tech Junkie

OP, based on what you've shared, my gut tells me you're going to return it within the next 10 days. Many of those things you mentioned as weaknesses are related to the OS itself that won't get fixed within the next 10 days in the manner you'd like. Many of those same weakness are workflow related issues as was outlined above and if you're interested in modifying your view of your workflow, some of those will clear up.

I'd say if VZW is your main carrier, the 929 when announced may be a better fit. Yes, the screen is smaller but you'll still see much of those pros and cons you outlined above. But hey, you may get the same reliability as your iPhone on VZW, so at least you can make calls...

 

[anon(5326758)]

Re: 1520 Review From a Phone Tech Junkie

Brightness adjustment is under Settings .. Brightness. Agree with your complaint about the order of settings items - it does seem random.

Lack of separate volume control is a pretty often requested feature, and has been a chief complaint on WP forums since the launch of WP7.

There are some 3rd party quick settings apps that also let you pin common settings to home (or just pin the quick settings app to home for access). Search the store for 'settings.'

There will be some sort of notification center in the next (possibly major, maybe minor) release of WP - screenshots have leaked.

App crashes - would help to know the apps.

For the rest of your comments, I think these are basic design decisions of the OS. It can take a long time to switch from one ecosystem to another & replace past muscle-memory techniques with new ones. Windows Phone is pretty unique, which is why you note so many differences (no static status bar, no folders on home screen etc.).

 

[Bjfcm]

Re: 1520 Review From a Phone Tech Junkie

I agree that different people value different things , but crashes???.( something's not adding up here). I've owned and currently own Android device(s) and the user experiences seems antiquated and full of unnecessary " Bells and Whistles" I've read hundreds of Window Phone reviews and with the exception to the " notification" issue and the" platform being new "' No reviewer has ever shared your rather unique experiences. This Phone ,NL1520 and the OS itself has everything I need within an environment that is fast, smooth , uncluttered and unique. Some people are beer drinkers while others prefer cognac. Depends on your buzz ( smile) Stick with it its an "acquired Taste" and you feel better the next day.

 

[w4rmk]

Re: 1520 Review From a Phone Tech Junkie

I already have reduced touch sensitivity in setup, I'm going to back to increased sensitivity and see if that helps. Words with Friends is so unstable that it is totally useless. How could Zynga put out an app like that and charge buyers $2.99. Word Fued also crashes like crazy. These are both the paid versions. How do I get a refund?

Utterly ridiculous? I cannot imagine anyone who wouldn't welcome the missing features/capabilities that I mentioned. These things are the hallmark of a mature mobile O/S. To each his own opinion. I am not trying to insult WP fans. I spent over $600 on this 1520 so my interest is serious and I'm not trying to bash the phone or the platform. I am really trying to like this phone and be confident to carry it around every day as my work companion. I depend on my phone as part of my job, with call quality, clarity, and reliability being the most important thing.

 

[GCrane1982]

Re: 1520 Review From a Phone Tech Junkie

As a start I would get a different set of headphones there are plenty of headphones available that provide full control on Windows Phone i.e play/pause, skip, back and volume. I personally wouldn?t rely on anything made by Apple to play nicely with anything else other than apple.

I have been using windows phone since it launched as WP7 back in October 2010 and have at one time or another had and used over 8 different handsets from Nokia, HTC and Samsung. I have and use words with friends since it first launched on WP, yes it does crash from time to time, but only around once a month for me. I also haven?t experienced any weird touch behaviour that you have listed.

In regards to no soft power button, no folders on the home screen and no static battery/wireless signal indicator this is how the OS has been designed and I really haven?t heard of anyone complaining about this, not to say that it wouldn?t be a welcomed feature in a future update.

For your complaints about quiet mode, notification centre, quick settings panel and separate volume control these are currently in the list of the most requested features and word has it that they will all be included in the Windows Phone 8.1 (Blue) update which is scheduled for early 2014 :amaze:

And yes the guys that created the setting menu must have been on crack to not have the items listed in alphabetical order, I still cant understand how this hasnt been fixed in one of the many previous updates :angry:

All I can say is if you like the OS and handset that you have purchased, have a little faith that MSFT are working to address the majority of these issues in the next update, however keep in mind
that WP is and never will be iOS or Android and may never get the same features and apps, if you can't accept this then I suggest you jump ship as it will never live up to your expectations

 

[Reflexx]

Re: 1520 Review From a Phone Tech Junkie

I already have reduced touch sensitivity in setup, I'm going to back to increased sensitivity and see if that helps. Words with Friends is so unstable that it is totally useless. How could Zynga put out an app like that and charge buyers $2.99. Word Fued also crashes like crazy. These are both the paid versions. How do I get a refund?

Utterly ridiculous? I cannot imagine anyone who wouldn't welcome the missing features/capabilities that I mentioned. These things are the hallmark of a mature mobile O/S. To each his own opinion. I am not trying to insult WP fans. I spent over $600 on this 1520 so my interest is serious and I'm not trying to bash the phone or the platform. I am really trying to like this phone and be confident to carry it around every day as my work companion. I depend on my phone as part of my job, with call quality, clarity, and reliability being the most important thing.

Oh man. Words With Friends is horrible. You're right. Zynga put out a crappy port and hasn't cared to fix it. I won't ever buy a Zynga game.

 

[mmcpher]

OP, I've had a lot of first generation devices in my day and the 1520 is, I think, the most stable and most polished in my experience. Sure, there are a few bugs and any new OS takes some getting used to. But it is a mild learning curve at worst.

I missed home screen folders too at first, but with 3 sizes for tiles there is a lot of ways to organize apps that may turn out to be more useful than folders.

I've had almost no app crashes at all. I had been warned that the app store was a major liability but with a little thought I've wasted very little time downloading apps only to delete them when they proved a bust. Most of the big apps are here, working well and you can really see the developers dollars on the big screen. Developers seem to be rolling out updates which you would expect for a platform clearly moving higher than critical mass. I've used great apps on other platforms,too, but pound-for-pound, WP apps look the best overall, at least to my eyes. My sense is that many of the developers have been making other platform versions of their apps for much longer and I expect a steep and steady improvement on this score.

The 1520 is a powerful and ambitious device so it may take some time for it to realize its potential but I haven't really come across any glaring deficit. I would like more internal memory and better integration with other MS networking products and capacitive stylus capability. But the 1520's strengths offset those things by a wide margin.

I've had a few devices in the past that seemed to take a kitchen-sink approach to options and flexibility, so as to appeal to every taste and need. Not only did they ultimately compromise base functionality, they inevitably ran into more software and hardware conflicts and with so much ground to cover, they really struggled to fend off obscalesence across all the segments they attempted to straddle. And software developers generally loathed them and wouldn't support them. So it makes sense to me that Nokia didn't make a device that users could disguise to look and function like their old platforms. The 1520 feels like a positive differentiation from its rivals, even if that takes some getting used to.

 

[lerimer]

Re: Played extensively with the 1520 at the Microsoft Store Today

6" will be the "perfect size" for me.

that's what she said. Lmao!!! Joke aside I also had the ultra Z but I didn't like it because of the poor speaker it has and it was a little to square for my taste.





Sent from my 1520 using Tapatalk

 

[trandz]

Re: 1520 Review From a Phone Tech Junkie

Folders and a notification screen are coming, we know this already.

Your other complaints are so off the wall that it looks like your just trying to find things to complain about it.

 

[GSOgymrat]

Re: 1520 Review From a Phone Tech Junkie

It is interesting what different people value. One thing I don't like about Android is the row of symbols at the top of the screen, which I assume can be turned off since Android is the most customizable of the bunch. I don't know why a software volume or software power off button is important. The notifications in Windows Phone work fine for me but obviously many people want them done differently and apparently Microsoft is going to change this.

Apps crashing is something I don't get at all.

 

[christenmartin]

Re: 1520 Review From a Phone Tech Junkie

It is interesting what different people value. One thing I don't like about Android is the row of symbols at the top of the screen, which I assume can be turned off since Android is the most customizable of the bunch. I don't know why a software volume or software power off button is important. The notifications in Windows Phone work fine for me but obviously many people want them done differently and apparently Microsoft is going to change this.

Apps crashing is something I don't get at all.

Ya crashing on WP not so much. Specially if someone is coming from android. Alot of times its a roll of the dice with what is going to work on android. You've got alot of stuff, just not sure if it will work.

 

[EuroKnuter]

Re: 1520 Review From a Phone Tech Junkie

As a start I would get a different set of headphones there are plenty of headphones available that provide full control on Windows Phone i.e play/pause, skip, back and volume. I personally wouldn’t rely on anything made by Apple to play nicely with anything else other than apple.

iPod / iPhone / iPad wiring is different on headphones / earbuds than the standard pin-out. If you had headphones that worked with an Android phone they'd work here too. The problem is that Apple uses non-standard wiring so the inputs get all confused. Next time you're in a store with a large array of earbuds look to see if the packaging specifies Apple or not. Often, the better headphones come in 2 varieties: one to support apples non-standard type and the other for everything else

 

[razorguy]

Re: 1520 Review From a Phone Tech Junkie

Like others have mentioned, some of your concerns are going to be addressed in WP 8.1 early next year. I think the biggest thing here is that you bought a Windows Phone thinking it is a mature OS. WP7 was, by many, considered to be an experiment and then they rebuilt the architecture for WP8 and have really just started making push in last year to become a serious player in the mobile market. The Nokia Lumia 920 was one of the first of the WP8 phones to release in November of last year and there have been three major updates over the past year from Microsoft that have been slowly shaping the platform and adding features that we as consumers are asking for. Microsoft is most definitely listing and if the rumors and leaks are true about WP8.1 then many of our requests are going to be answered. WP8 is far from finished but it has been extremely stable, very fast and smooth, and Nokia in particular is doing a lot of great things to advance the OS through hardware and software alike.

I really hate to shy someone away from Windows Phone but given what you're looking for, I think you need to wait before sticking with it. If you revisit the platform in 6-12 months from now I think you're going to see a completely different animal with vast improvements in every aspect of the OS.

I will end with noting that I have not had any issues at all with call quality or apps crashing, but back when I was using Android all those Zynga games crashed on me pretty often so I wouldn't blame MS or Nokia for that.