Should I get a 1520 or a 930? Kinda looking for reassurance.

[meejle]

Hey guys. Hope this kind of thread isn't frowned upon here.

I'm in the market to get a new Lumia, because the 920 (which I've had for about a year and still love dearly) is starting to feel sluggish, like the "iPhone 4S" of Lumias.

I'm torn between the 930 and 1520, after reading the best Windows Phone you can buy article and discovering the specs are very similar. I'm on a tight budget (I'm not due an upgrade, and getting either phone will take more scrimping and saving than you know) and the 1520 works out ?52 cheaper (?239 vs. ?291) after various discounts and trade-ins.

I'm always on my phone, so the big screen appeals to me, but equally I'm worried the 1520 would be "too" big. Am I right in thinking one-handed use is basically out, bearing in mind I can just reach my thumb to the top-right corner of my 920? Is that annoying? Do you ever find it frustating that you have to (e.g.) put down your shopping to use your phone? What about pocketability? I don't wear skinny jeans or tight trousers -- will the 1520 fit in my jeans pocket? Will it poke out the top? Can you comfortably sit down without worrying about the screen cracking?

And what about the screen sensitivity/auto brightness issues I've been hearing about? Are they widespread? Does the Cyan update do anything to improve them?

Any reassurances or warnings gratefully received. And, sorry for the wall of questions.:amaze:

 

[anon(5383410)]

Get an HTC one.

 

[RumoredNow]

The OP did mention prices in pounds. not dollars... I'm not sure what part of that leads one to believe they are a Verizon customer.

 

[switch side method]

Being in England I can safely say get the 1520 for a few reasons...first of all you get glance..but for me... It was the SD card slot. As for size I keep it in a case and I don't wear jeans and it fits and doesn't poke out the pocket at all. Get a case of eBay for ?2. The one I got has a leather look to it, magnet lock, front and back cover, space for cards and note money, and the stand acts as a kick stand so you can watch movies. The 6" is fantastic. Got used to it in a week or 2. I can use one hand to hold and type. If I want to use the top of the screen I let the phone slide down my palm lol as for money... You will like this... Check out littlewoods.com as they sell it on a buy now pay one year later with no interest rates. And its about ?450 with loads of colors to choose from. Also try Woolworths online too as even tho they are owned by the same company there is still a price difference on the phone. As for a SIM. The phone is unlocked and I would say get giffgaff for unlimited net, text and 250 mins of calls for ?12 No contract. Normal pay as you go. Doing their 4G trial and its great

 

[meejle]

Being in England I can safely say get the 1520 for a few reasons...first of all you get glance..but for me... It was the SD card slot. As for size I keep it in a case and I don't wear jeans and it fits and doesn't poke out the pocket at all. Get a case of eBay for ?2. The one I got has a leather look to it, magnet lock, front and back cover, space for cards and note money, and the stand acts as a kick stand so you can watch movies. The 6" is fantastic. Got used to it in a week or 2. I can use one hand to hold and type. If I want to use the top of the screen I let the phone slide down my palm lol as for money... You will like this... Check out littlewoods.com as they sell it on a buy now pay one year later with no interest rates. And its about ?450 with loads of colors to choose from. Also try Woolworths online too as even tho they are owned by the same company there is still a price difference on the phone. As for a SIM. The phone is unlocked and I would say get giffgaff for unlimited net, text and 250 mins of calls for ?12 No contract. Normal pay as you go. Doing their 4G trial and its great

Glance... I didn't think about that. I would miss Glance if I got a 930.

SD card slot isn't such a big deal for me as long as I get the 32GB model -- I've got a 32GB 920 (is there any other kind?) and I've still got 13GB left after a year.

Not paying for a year sounds good :wink: ...but Littlewoods is selling it for ?689 (?450 more than the best price I've found!) and they've only got it in black, which is my least favourite Lumia colour. It'd have to be white or yellow for me. :grin:

 

[switch side method]

Bloody hell...littlewoods bumped it up a lot...guessing its the demand. I personally paid ?550 then the price went down to ?460. Actually... It may have been Woolworths...try them

 

[switch side method]

32GB got filled quickly for me. To be honest that was because at the time I got 9 free Xbox games and an extra ?20 app store voucher....but with music and video I would recommend to buy an SD card. Amazon are doing a Kingston 16GB class 10 card for ?6 new. I ordered one yesterday for my daughter

 

[chmun77]

Get the WPM8. It is a much more fun model than 930. Plus M8 supports Micro SD expansion and boom sound speakers. Yes, the camera is not as powerful as Pureview, but it does not take bad photos. Furthermore, the camera is much snappier than Pureview. If you are those looking for fun with the phone, M8 is the choice. The phone also serves as a TV Remote as well. No wonder Android users are saying they are having so much more than with their Android phones than Windows Phones. And it is really true after seeing the differences between Lumia and HTC M8.

 

[RumoredNow]

Get the WPM8. It is a much more fun model than 930. Plus M8 supports Micro SD expansion and boom sound speakers. Yes, the camera is not as powerful as Pureview, but it does not take bad photos. Furthermore, the camera is much snappier than Pureview. If you are those looking for fun with the phone, M8 is the choice. The phone also serves as a TV Remote as well. No wonder Android users are saying they are having so much more than with their Android phones than Windows Phones. And it is really true after seeing the differences between Lumia and HTC M8.

Frustratingly, the OP refuses to move himself and his family to the US and is on a GSM network...

How does suggesting a US only, Verizon exclusive, CDMA device seem remotely helpful? Off contract and over budget to boot...

 

[jomarr]

Well sometimes the " you can't use the phone with one hand" is annoying but it's not that annoying. If you text with one hand though I bet it can get annoying just because it's hard and you basically can't lol. I text with two hands even with my iPhone before so I don't really care about it..

Specs wise, both are identical but the 930 is missing two bigger features of the 1520, the bigger battery and the SD card slot.

With my 920, I get a full day, with my 1520 I can get two full days. When I get home my 920 is barely holding on while my 1520 isn't even half empty. The battery is THAT good.

Also, as an audiophile, I keep a lot of my music on my phone and the card slot is a very welcome addition for me. I currently have a 64GB card in my phone (It was for my tablet but I don't have $$$ to spend yet so I borrowed it first) and it works great. You can also put a 128gb card and soon I'll be rocking that!

As for the size issue, it's big but it's not too big to use. I'm relatively a short guy and I can use it with no problems. Let's just say I couldn't go back to anything smaller. My dad's S4 is a 5 inch phone and I think it's too small for me now.

I like the design of the 930 more but when it comes to functionality, the 1520 takes the cake.

Since you mentioned that the 1520 is cheaper, it's definitely a go for me. As for the size, I really can't decide for you. It varies from person to person.. Go to a store and hold one then decide if it's too big.

The 930 is a great device but the 1520 is more bang for buck.

 

[Peter Harvey]

I'd go 1520.
Has 2+ day battery life, mSD slot, big 6" for easier typing & viewing, and glance & double tap on to boot.

930 is a 2014 model running last year's 2013 Snapdragon 800 processor just like 2013's 1520. However, despite 930 using 2420 mAH battery relative to 1530's 3450 mAH battery, 1530 has generally more than twice battery life of 930. Thus, 930's poor battery life may also have something to do with its oLED screen which may be more power hungry than 1520's IPS LCD.

HTC One M8 with WindowsPhone 8 has new 2014 Snapdragon 801 processor for 1 full day battery life & mSD slot, but is presently only available in USA on Verizon network.

Thus, the HTC One M8 for WindowsPbone 8 can decimate the Lumia 930, but it still falls well short of the Lumia 1520 6"...

 

[Peter Harvey]

I'm only 5'8" with small hands, so I had to retrain myself how to use 6" phone. Not only is the 6" size a problem, but the weight of 209 grams is tiring too - if you don't no how to deal with it correctly.

Firstly, I learnt to not hold phone in the hand as such, but to place the 6" phone on the "table" or a resting surface as much as possible.
At first this was difficult, because the 45 degree viewing angle sees a slightly dimmed screen - I trained myself to get used to the slightly dimmed screen.

Secondly, I trained myself to use one hand only when necessary, and to use "both" hands, to both hold & operate, as much as possible. Never force yourself to use one hand in a situation when you must use two hands - because the 6.0" will really punish you.

Enjoy.
1520's battery is biggest killer to competition.
I'm a very "heavy" user, and poor battery life unacceptable...

 

[DL Durand]

I second what switch and jomarr said. The sdcard was the deciding factor for me, but I find the battery life and Glance are huge, also.

 

[Peter Harvey]

I wish the Lumia 930 was quickly replaced & updated by a so called 932 - which sports both 2014's Snapdragon 801 processor, and possibly goes back to the IPS LCD - both the gain better battery life.
It'd be nice if the future 932 sports both an mSD slot, and an IR blaster for tv remote control to take on the HTC One M8 for Nokia's sake.

Meanwhile the most important upgrade for the 1520 is more rounded corners!
Next, a future minor updated 1522 etc needs an IR blaster for remote control applications too!
The more efficient 2014 Snapdragon 801 processor for even longer battery life would be handy too.
Meanwhile, replacing the polycarbonate body for a metal frame with a polycarbonate back like the 930 is controversial, but possibly okay.
A full aluminium side and back like the HTC One can be controversial, because the aluminium can be easily scratched & dented on dropping...

 

[Ed Boland]

Here's another vote for the 1520.

1) The beautiful 6" 1080p screen... I've never really been able to watch movies on a phone. (I've had all the iPhones, a Nokia 920, 1020, etc) Trying to watch a movie or video, or even playing certain games on those phones was always a struggle as the screens are just too small. All that changes with the 1520... I can now comfortably watch all my 1080p movies without squinting!

2) The larger battery... As stated everywhere else, the battery is amazing! I get two full days on a charge with normal usage... A good day and a half with constant use.

3) Glance screen. For me, Glance is a big deal. I got spoiled with it on my 920 and 1020... Glad to have it on my 1520 as well because its just so useful, and has become a feature I've come to rely on.

4) IPS LCD! I might be in the minority here, but I've always prefered LCD over AMOLED screens. My first WP8 phone was a 920 with it's LCD and I got used to it. Then switched to a 1020 which has AMOLED and immediately noticed the difference in speed. The AMOLED's pixels can't change as fast as LCD and I could tell the difference, especially paragraphs of text that blur when scrolling. Response time in gaming and action scenes in movies.. Makes a big difference! Sure, AMOLED can display a few more colors, but faster = better in my world.

5) SD card storage. Major plus for the 1520 over the 930. I was always limited with 32GB on board storage on my 920 and 1020. Now that I have the 1520 with SD storage, problem solved! I've got a 64GB class 10 card and now that we can move/install apps to the SD card, it's a must have feature! Supports up to 128GB!

 

[manicottiK]

The OP did mention prices in pounds. not dollars... I'm not sure what part of that leads one to believe they are a Verizon customer.

agreed, but Verizon's LTE radios are all unlocked. The One M8 supports LTE bands 3, 4, 7, and 13, so it might be fully functional in the UK. That said, I still wouldn't risk it.

 

[vagelis]

Though my vote is for the 1520 (as I own a 1520.3 myself), there will be an HTC one M8 variant with GSM for global use within the next couple months. It might be worth waiting to see how that might serve you as an alternative.
Sent via Lumia 1520

 

[hasasimo]

You are obviously going to get more votes for the 1520 being in the 1520 subforum.

That said, what people are saying is valid. In the end it's a balance of what sacrifices you're willing to make.

With the 1520 you're gaining better battery life, Glance Screen, and microSD support. But you lose a bit of pocketability and one-handability.

With the 930 you're gaining that added pocketability and one-handability, but losing some battery life, Glance Screen, and microSD support.

The final thing to consider is aesthetics. The 930 has grown on me in that regard... seems to be a bit more modern in that the next iteration of Lumia design seems to preserve vibrant polycarbonate, but with a metal chassis. The 1520 is beautiful too though, and carries that classic Lumia DNA that started with the N9.

So, what are you willing to do with/without? I personally love Glance and would hate to have to do without it. MicroSD support, while nice, isn't nearly as important to me. Each usercase is different.

 

[switch side method]

Personally no matter what phone you get there will always be a new one announced and the latest phone will have a few issues.. Its just the smartphone way of life. Personally I don't wait. If there is something I like and it ticks all the boxes even if there is a new phone coming out next week then I just buy that phone there and then. That's just me tho

 

[Peter Harvey]

If you can't handle the 1520's size & weight, next best is to get the all new HTC One M8 in WP8.1.

However your battery will fall well short of the 1520, because my wife's Samsung Galaxy 5 falls well short of my 1520, yet the Galaxy S5 trumps the HTC One M8 for battery life, hence my wife bought the S5 over the M8 Android.

The HTC One M8 WP8.1 is certainly the best WP8 device in 5".
The Lumia 930 is sadly disappointing; it's really dying for a 932 update with the newer processor, mSD slot & LCD screen quickly, and maybe more rounded corners too...