Lumia 1020, Galaxy S4 or iPhone 5... what is your choice and why?

[Th3 I3LooD]

The brand new king of Lumia's and Windows phones has arrived and it was quite the entrance, but will that massive camera sensor and improved software controlls be enough to get some android and IOS fanboys onboard the Windows Phone wagon?

 

[z33dev33l]

Yeah! Get the iPhone 5 that hasn't had a real software update since 2010 or the GS4 that will be obsolete in three months!

 

[Microsoftjunkie]

Maybe some, but there are always ppl who just doesn't like MS or their products.

I believe a good majority of those folks just doesn't want to acknowledge that something could be better than their loved ones.

 

[xconomicron]

I believe a good majority of those folks just doesn't want to acknowledge that something could be better than their loved ones.

^^^ A psychology term that is well expressed in technology these days ...."cognitive dissonance" --- It is where techies get their beloved "******" moniker.

P.S. A former Nokia colleague explained this to me once...

 

[FinancialP]

Lets see which phone wins. I'm positive the Lumia would win on this site.

iPhone would win on a iPhone site.

Galaxy would win on a android site.

Ijs

 

[Brad Spry]

My past two phones have been iPhones. They were very good, until software updates... I loved my 3G, it had a fast camera, until a software update... I loved my 4S, until last November when a software update killed speakerphone then wi-fi. I'm tired of the obvious and painful level of engineered obsolescence, 18 months in my experience, right before new contract time. So I decided to go a non-Apple route for my next phone. iPhone 5 was out of the question for me.

I had just returned from vacation and saw photos taken with my friend's S4's and was blown away. The S4's photo quality is something to behold. Really. The camera is fast and sharp. And neato; neato is a very technical term.

And then 41 megapixels got my attention. But it's a Windows Phone... Years ago when I heard about Microsoft partnering with Nokia, I got nauseous... I thought for sure MS would be the end of beloved Nokia. Late last year a friend showed me his newly purchased WP. I thought it was a Nokia but come to find out it was an HTC. Regardless, the hardware was thin compared to the 4S and the screen was really nice. I used it for a bit, checking out everything, and I was impressed. It's different, the tiles are alive in a way, I dig it. It was really fast too and I liked the animations. It's different and simple and fast.

I'd be lying if the camera wasn't my primary draw, I'm like a moth to a 41 megapixel flame. And the software that powers it. I could almost care less what the OS was. But I've been keeping an eye on Microsoft too, and I'm proud of them. They've actually done something original and cool. Cool enough for me! So the 1020 wins the game for me, I'll be preordering Tuesday. It's so good that I'm jumping back to AT&T to get it. That's pretty crazy too :grincry:

 

[skja]

I used the note 2 for a long time and other android phones prior after my bb 9900 felt outdated, then I went to bb10 on a z10 and was in love until after my 3rd unit which had no issues till my email would never work after that so I got fed up with that as well and then traded for a l920 just to give a new os a chance and 4 weeks later in still in love with Nokia workmanship and the Microsoft os, my whole point here is that old bb felt old and android was great the first week using a new phone till its outdated but most of all the whole problem that all these new phones have quad chips and everything and yet bb10 and so far wp8 are smooth and no lag and don't rely on the newest fast chip, I cannot speak for iPhone as never owned one for simple reason that each device they release is the same thing with a little tweak and cannot stand apple products to begin with other than mbp which even then I'm on my iconia w700 and got rid of everything else, that's my long story lol

 

[AccentAE86]

Lumia 1020 of course. I'm a full time professional photographer browsing WPCentral so the choice is obvious LOL.

 

[sdc1]

My last phone was an iPhone 5. I was sick to death of it. The iPhone hasn't changed substantially since the 3, I just got really bored. After a test purchase Lumia 520 followed by a Lumia 920 I have now settled on a Lumia 925. It's a fantastic phone. The design of both the phone and OS is refreshing and vibrant and I just love using it. I'll certainly look at the 1020 and if I like it I'll buy it. The iPhone now feels obsolete to me, no way would I go back.

 

[JustToClarify]

I'd be lying if the camera wasn't my primary draw, I'm like a moth to a 41 megapixel flame. And the software that powers it. I could almost care less what the OS was.

just go with 808 then for half the money

 

[DalekSnare]

I downgraded from an iPhone 4 (retina screen) to a Samsung Focus (PenTile WVGA) just for WP7, when there were like 30k apps. My first thought upon trying WP was that it was "so nice it makes iOS feel like Android". That was in the days of the laggy, ugly pile of garbage that was Android 2.3. Android 4.x is much better, but still doesn't tempt me away from WP. So of those three I'd take the Lumia. But I'd prefer a Lumia 920 because I really dislike PenTile on anything below 1080p (GS4 screen looks ok though), and I use the screen more often than I use the camera.

 

[xconomicron]

just go with 808 then for half the money

Well technically from his post, it looks like he is from the States...which means a 300$ premi price for the 1020 still is cheaper than the 808 off contract according to Amazon.

Of course he would be neglecting OIS and LTE capabilities if he went with the 808. I only get 2G/(rarely) 3G on my 808 here in San Antonio for some reason.

 

[falconeight]

I will buy the 1020 but I feel that the I5 will be my long term phone for awhile. All my family uses iMessage and its hard not to have it.

 

[Th3 I3LooD]

This is very true, people will choose a side and grow so loyal to one brand or a certain ecosystem that logic and reason seem to not even factor in to their choice. When people reach this state of mind it is virtually impossible to break that bond. In the mobile phone world we see this mostly with apple and their products, no matter how much better the competitions product or value, they will live and die by their brand.

 

[Keith Wallace]

Yeah! Get the iPhone 5 that hasn't had a real software update since 2010 or the GS4 that will be obsolete in three months!

Terrible, ******-ish response. The iPhone 5 will be getting the iOS7 refresh here soon, so acting like software support is minimal is an extremist statement. The Galaxy S4 won't be obsolete in 3 months either, because the only devices that MIGHT put better SoCs in the Snapdragon 600 it (and the HTC One) carries would be the Note III (which could carry the Snapdragon 800 or the Exynos 5 of the international S4) or another iteration of the LG Optimus G or the HTC Droid DNA. Windows Phones are unlikely to even MATCH the SoC in the S4 until the fall refresh (for all those saying "optimization," the S4's SoC had benchmarks scoring around double or more, when compared to the SoC in the 920).

I assume we're talking about AT&T, in which case I'd still pick the 920 (I'd take the 925 on T-Mobile and the 928 on Verizon). The 1020's really only for those who REALLY want to mess with the photography. If you're into that, then great. Myself, I don't think that as someone who rarely uses the camera, that a $200 premium for the 1020, which amounts to a better camera and an extra GB of RAM (I expect the 1020 to have the same SoC as the 920). I'd also lose out on the wireless charging of the 920 (and the free wireless charger that I got). The camera's just not a great selling point for me.

 

[anon(6038817)]

Between the 3? I have to go with iPhone 5.

The camera is amazing on the 1020 and the Windows Phone OS has a lot of potential, but after using a Windows Phone (Lumia 521) as my daily driver for nearly a month now, I can say it hasn't "wowed" me enough to make me want to stay with the platform.

As for the Galaxy S4, it's a fantastic device, no question, but after using a Galaxy Nexus for a year I've decided I'm done with Android. I don't need the degree of customization it provides, nor do I need to continually root and flash my phone just to be happy. Also, I'm not a huge fan of Google and prefer using alternatives to their services whenever possible.

If I had to buy a new smartphone today, It would be an iPhone 5. It will be receiving the iOS 7 update, and still has access to the best app library on the planet. For me, the iPhone provides the most features and functionality with the least amount of hassle on my part.

 

[smurfercom]

Between the 3? I have to go with iPhone 5.

The camera is amazing on the 1020 and the Windows Phone OS has a lot of potential, but after using a Windows Phone (Lumia 521) as my daily driver for nearly a month now, I can say it hasn't "wowed" me enough to make me want to stay with the platform.

As for the Galaxy S4, it's a fantastic device, no question, but after using a Galaxy Nexus for a year I've decided I'm done with Android. I don't need the degree of customization it provides, nor do I need to continually root and flash my phone just to be happy. Also, I'm not a huge fan of Google and prefer using alternatives to their services whenever possible.

If I had to buy a new smartphone today, It would be an iPhone 5. It will be receiving the iOS 7 update, and still has access to the best app library on the planet. For me, the iPhone provides the most features and functionality with the least amount of hassle on my part.

I would hold off on that iphone for now, a Chinese woman got zapped with her i5.

 

[index1366]

I would choose the Lumia 1020 because of many factors, but I'll state just a few here:
It's got 36 months full support, then a new version comes out and the support time resets. I've also got used to it in this period of 2 and a half years of usage and I wouldn't swap it for nothing. I'm a bit of a smooth flow and no-lag experience, I'd constantly lose my mind if that would happen on another phone. Security is.. Hm, I can say without any hesitation flawless, because I haven't noticed any major breakthrough in the hacking of information out of Windows Phones. So I would say that it's a pretty safe OS. And the updates are from OEM to OEM different, HTC almost never updates their phones, I won't even talk about Samsung, and Nokia is doing a great job, they're even adding features to the OS that no other OEM has, nor has ever tried to do that. Don't know if they haven't had the option to do so, or they were too busy with their other flagships.

I'd not choose iPhone because of the iOS, the nonstop static gridded icons with just a circle with a number on top of it - nope, that doesn't turn the switch for me. Well, I must admit, I like the design, but neither that doesn't do for me. Software matters a lot for me. Apple has a decently secure OS, with almost no significant security breaches that are publicly known or are/were notorious because of their significance (except for the lock screen bypass that was discovered a few months ago). The updates are nice and organized, almost no cluttered or messy fragmentation as it's seen at Android (sorry Android Central people, but it's unfortunately a bit/a lot true, your decision).

Galaxy S4, well, here we go with the beast.. I know that it's powerful as a behemoth, but there's my software part showing itself again - the Android doesn't pull the trigger for me. I've seen too much news about security breaches about Android, and I'm a little paranoid about them, so that's the first no. I also don't like the customization Samsung provides, neither the system itself. I know, I could flash any other ROM on it and enjo it to the max, but I don't like to play with m phone in such a way that I could break something (warranty, possibly brick, and so on). Linux never worked for me, sorry Linus, hehe. And also a major factor is because Samsung (that isn't pointed only on that OEM, it applies also on many others) don't provide their phones with updates also months after they're officially released. Some phones are also "forgotten" in the vast amount of new devices, which are coming out almost on a daily basis, and that creates an insane fragmentation rate.

My decision goes to the Lumia 1020, and sorry for the long post

 

[Th3 I3LooD]

Thank you for brining up the one thing that people seem to ignore or completely forget about.... SECURITY! Not only does the windows phone platform offer seamless integration in to the PC OS with the largest installed base in the world, it does so with unparalleled security. Personally I am very worried about the future of digital privacy and having piece of mind when it comes to my mobile devices is very important to me. In my opinion this should be one of the first things people look at when choosing a device and the ecosystem it operates within, not camera megapixels or customization!

 

[bp3dots]

Wouldn't it make sense to compare the new iPhone in this crew? (Obviously once it's been released)

That said, I'd go with the GS4 for a personal device, and maybe try the 1020 if I was going to use a separate one for work.