1020 to 830?

[Dirigent82]

So here's my situation. I have an AT&T 1020 on contract; the contract ends at the end of July. Recently, the power/lock button has almost stopped working. Now, there are various workarounds that I'm using: double-tap to wake up, tile pinned to start screen to lock the phone. Of course, actually turning off the phone or trying to restart it is a pain. And it's nice if the button works for convenience.

The phone has developed other quirks and I'm ready to move on. I do love the camera, though. I will miss that in any new phone I get.

My quandary: Do I tough it out and wait until the end of July to get a new phone on contract? Perhaps a true flagship will be announced by that time. Or should I look at the 830 on a Next plan (I haven't researched those too much yet) with AT&T and use it as a stop-gap until the new phones are released? The 830 looks like a nice phone, but certainly not a powerhouse. I don't use my phone for gaming or anything, so I don't think I would stress the phone too much. How would the performance of the 830 compare to the 1020?

Any input or suggestions are welcome!

 

[docholliday666]

While I like my 830, I actually like the older phones better. I've never had a carrier phone. Always bought my phones outright, but as a developer, we tend to have hoards of phones anyways.

The 1020 is a much nicer phone, especially if you use it for what a phone was intended and not as a computer replacement. You could always look on Ebay and get yourself an unlocked 1020 outright, swap your sim, and go. Personally, I'd keep on a 1020 until something nicer with the newer processors come out.

My favorite phone is still Symbian ones - the N8 and the 808. However, in WP, I like the 820 the best - smaller, smoother, and fully swappable components. The 830 has its quirks, but is a decent device.

 

[Jason Gilbert]

Got an 830 on contract w/ AT&T when they came out. I like it, but I think if I was in your shoes I would at least wait until the 640/640XL came out and compare. I'm not sure that the few additional features of the 830 over the 640 justify the price. The performance with the SD400 is fine, so I wouldn't wait for a flagship unless (1) you're a gamer and need the horsepower; (2) you really need the best camera; or (3) you want the additional features of the flagship (like Continuum).

 

[Dirigent82]

I did end up getting the 830 on the ATT Next plan. I'm ending up paying less per month than I was before, so I'm happy with that for now.

As for the 830, so far I'm really liking it. It's thinner and lighter than my 1020 and I like the aluminum feel to it. Performance-wise, it seems snappier than the 1020 as well. The increased screen size is welcome and the scaling looks better (it also feels better to touch and swipe on).

I haven't done much with the camera yet, but I've prepared myself for a serious downgrade. I'm keeping my 1020 to use as a camera when necessary.

 

[bo_woods]

I did end up getting the 830 on the ATT Next plan. I'm ending up paying less per month than I was before, so I'm happy with that for now.

As for the 830, so far I'm really liking it. It's thinner and lighter than my 1020 and I like the aluminum feel to it. Performance-wise, it seems snappier than the 1020 as well. The increased screen size is welcome and the scaling looks better (it also feels better to touch and swipe on).

I haven't done much with the camera yet, but I've prepared myself for a serious downgrade. I'm keeping my 1020 to use as a camera when necessary.

What about the screen transition? Coming from a 1020 with a vibrant AMOLED screen with excellent blacks

 

[hasasimo]

What about the screen transition? Coming from a 1020 with a vibrant AMOLED screen with excellent blacks

Blacks definitely aren't as deep, but the display is improved dramatically IMO by the Brightness and Color Profile options.