Greetings and salutations to all WP8'ers. I need some convincing.

[Howitzer225]

First of all, my warmest regards to all the members of the WP Central community. I have been a lurker on the main section for a few months, and I've gotta say this is the most comprehensive site there is regarding articles on the platform and its accompanying devices. I'm a tech guy myself, but that knowledge has only been limited to desktops and notebooks so sites like these are a boon to those wanting to understand more about WP. I am from the Philippines, currently studying journalism at the national university and a guy who loves cats, Japanese culture and RPG games on PC. This is only the second time I made a forum account, with the other at a notebook review website, so please bear with me as I'm learning the ropes on what makes WP a great mobile phone OS. I hope that as time progresses I may be able to contribute to the community, but for now I'm all ears to knowledge and advice from those who know it most.

Going to my predicament, I am currently on the fence on buying a new smartphone. See, my current phone is a thing you can call a relic: a 2007 Nokia N79, which has served me well over the years as a phone and messaging device, with the occasional snaps as it featured a good main camera back then. All the while the smartphone revolution passed me by and my peers began getting the touchscreen devices while I remained a T9 keypad user. I didn't mind the lack of features at first, but seeing how the technology behind smartphones rose meteorically, I saw how convenient it was to have a handheld device fetch your mail, access the internet, take usable photos outside of standalone compact cameras and watch HD videos on. Only now I have saved enough money for me to fetch me a phone, and two phones in between at that: A Sony Xperia Z1 Compact and the Nokia Lumia 1020.

1) Why choose the Lumia over the Xperia? The Z1 Compact is equipped with a beefier chipset and a more compact form factor but I've held and played around the Lumia at a local brick and mortar store and felt it was still ergonomic enough to use and adequately fluid that even with the weaker internals, it still performed like a premium phone. What advantages can you say that are in favor of the 1020?

2) Why choose Windows Phone 8 as a starting point for those still stuck in the pre-smartphone age? I'm an avid social media user such as Facebook and Twitter, and would like to watch Youtube on the commute to university. I also need productivity and communication apps, and would love to play games on my future smartphone. I understand that news outlets have portrayed the Store as having a dearth of apps, but is it really the case with WP8?

3) Is the battery life up to snuff with moderate usage? My current phone lasts days on a single charge, but I know that this is not the case with modern smartphones. Though this is a trade off I'll have to make in favor of a more flexible device, I imagine myself updating my notifications every few hours, with music and video playback in between along with the occasional game on the way to uni and back to home.

4) Would the Pureview camera suit me as a novice photographer? I really like taking pictures of the environment and family gatherings but the cost of dedicated camera setups is prohibitive. The one I take with me is the family camera, but it has long broken down and I've been using my phone's 5MP camera for taking necessary snaps. I'm eager and willing to take up another hobby such as photography, and the 1020 seems a great device to take for those times.

5) Is the Lumia 1020 built to last? I have been buying my phones unlocked, and push them to the limit in terms of their life cycle. As you can see, my previous phone lasted me a good number of years and I would like it to be the same with my next phone. Also, I want it to be upgradeable to at least the next version of the OS, not like my current one which is confined to the version it was released in.

Thank you all for your time reading this, and I hope to receive helpful inputs in resolving my purchasing dilemma. More power!

 

[Kebero]

I will start with this: if you are heavily invested in Google services, you may be unhappy with Windows Phone. There are quality, 3rd party apps for Google services, but nothing from Google themselves.

If you are not invested,in any services or are crazy about apps, then I think Windows Phone is as good a place as any. I use a lot of Microsoft services personally and professionally, so the choice was simple for me (I've always used either Blackberry or some variant of Windows Mobile/Windows Phone).

If photography is your thing, the 1020 is virtually impossible to beat right now, and Microsoft has confirmed that all existing Windows Phone devices will get the 8.1 update.

 

[dznk]

Welcome Howitzer. Sounds like the N97 has served you well. Nokia built some great N series phones, but as you say, you have to upgrade at some point to the latest tech

1) The Z1 Compact is a very nice Android phone, but I would still favour the Lumia 1020. The 1020 has a slightly larger screen, double the internal storage (you can add a MicroSD in the Compact though) and has the best camera. In fact, it's the best smartphone camera you can buy and will probably keep this title for some time. I wouldn't worry about the slightly slower chipset, as WP is known to not need the horsepower that other OS's need. WP is very smooth, even on many of the lower models.
OS type is very important as well. The Z1 Compact as you are probably aware, only comes with Android and that makes all the difference for me. WP just works out great for me personally for many reasons. As Kebero said above, how important is Google and Android for you? If you are a massive Google user, e.g Google+, Google Hangouts, Google Calendar etc, then obviously the Android OS will work a lot better with those services.

2) Facebook, Twitter and YouTube all have apps on WP. There is no official YouTube app, as Google themselves refuse to cooperate properly. However, there are some superb third party apps like MetroTube, myTube and YouTube HD that do the job very well.With productivity, you've got Microsoft Office built into the phone. Read and do basic editing on Word files, Excel files, OneNote Notebooks etc. It also ties in great with your OneDrive (formerly SkyDrive) cloud storage as well. Works great for me.

People complaining about the lack of apps on WP have been around since the beginning. To be honest, the app store is not as well stocked as iOS or Android. However, nearly all of the major official apps are on the platform now. If not, there are usually plenty of great third party apps to choose from (some of which are better than the official ones!). Are there any apps you'd be wanting to use on a regular basis, and we can let you know which ones are the best? But overall now, the app situation is way better than it was and really isn't a problem for most people now.

3) I'll leave the battery question to somebody who actually currently owns a 1020. However, my sister has recently got a 1020 (and loves it by the way, she moved from iOS) and she doesn't seem to have any issues with it lasting her a full days usage.

4) The 1020's PureView camera is not just for Pro's. Even amateur photographers and people completely new to photography love it. The Nokia Camera can simply be used to point and shoot without messing with any settings and you'll get great shots. But if you want to start manually changing settings, it's superb. You wont need to replace your broken family camera with another one. The 1020 will have you covered

5) Lumia's on the whole are built very well. Nokia have been building reliable phones for many years (as you know with your N97). You can however have problems with any of the modern mobile phones.. iPhones, Xperia's, Galaxy's and yes Lumia's can have their odd hardware problems from time to time. But as I mentioned, on the whole, Nokia have good reliability. Nokia have Care Centers within the Philippines as well, so you should be fine if you need to send it in to get repaired at any time through it's warranty period. Also as stated above, no need to worry about WP8.1 (which is a major update to the OS), as the 1020 and all other phones including the low end models will get the update.

 

[Howitzer225]

@ Kebero: I'm not that entrenched into Google services, I mean yeah I have a Google account but I mainly use that to check my Gmail which is my secondary email account and view my subscribed channels on Youtube. Then there's the occasional Google Drive documents for group works though I use my desktop for that but I have most of my Office documents stored on SkyDrive, so I imagine WP8 would be very useful for that. I'm not that crazy into apps, all I need is something to access Facebook, Twitter and Youtube (Does Metrotube support signing in with a Google account?), along with Viber and Skype for keeping in touch with family, along with a few games to pass the time (What would be your best pick?).

Yeah, I've read much into the technologies behind Pureview and have this growing feeling that the physics and optics on the 1020 trumps any smartphone camera today as there's no beating a good large sensor and sophisticated lens array. I would like to take night shots of the metropolis here and my current phone just can't capture enough detail, so I'm hoping the 1020 can remedy that. I'm tempted to wait for the 1020 successor but I can't wait for a phone forever and reading from rumors the next imaging Lumia would be bigger than the 1020.

@dznk: Thank you very much for that comprehensive answer as well as providing information on each of my questions! It is highly appreciated. Yeah, the Compact is nice with its specifications but I've been reading issues about it sprouting left and right such as LED flash bleed and the marketing lie by Sony that it has a plastic back. The expandable memory is a nice touch though, and a Snapdragon 800 certainly doesn't hurt, but again playing around with the 1020 at the local store and the Z1 at the other, honestly you'll both get performance as expected from premium phones. As I've said, I'm not that completely into Google services, turning to them only when the situation demands it, with my main app movers being Facebook, Twitter, Skype and Yahoo Mail.

It is good to know that the apps I would need have their presences on the Store. Thank you for those Youtube alternatives, I like to view my subscriptions on my desktop so having an app for it would be a boon for those down times with nothing to do. As for productivity, I have Office 2013 installed on my laptop so being able to view them on my future phone is another plus, adding to that I have my documents stored on SkyDrive and the interconnectivity is a nice touch to have. Like I said earlier, I'm not looking for many apps, I want quality apps that would enable me to do things I want on my phone such as browse the Internet, connect with people, watch videos, do music playback and take pictures. It seems the 1020 wouldn't disappoint on that regard. I would like to use Facebook, Twitter, Yahoo Mail and Viber at least on a daily basis, though I would welcome suggestions to what apps would be essential for a neophyte to the WP world.

OK, I would wait for a relevant post regarding battery life. But I would like it to last at least for a day under moderate usage, and scouring the Internet I have found that indeed it does last according to reviewers' claims though I would like a first-hand perspective on what it is really like as a daily driver for a user.

That's good to hear. There are times when I don't want to go fiddling into settings and just want to take a picture of what I want and I expect the camera to perform adequately. I don't mind if there's noise as long as it captures the detail of the scene correctly. Though now I'm beginning to look into the merits of tweaking the settings as means of adding creativity and fun into shots. Having two devices in one just sweetens the deal on the phone I'm considering.

I'm really impressed with Nokia phones. Having been there with their 3310, 3530, 5310, N70 and N79, I've come to trust the reliability that Nokia puts into their phones. Holding out for these past years, I've been witness to the rise of the iPhones, the issue with MeeGo, the death of Symbian and the emergence of Pureview and WP. I've been wanting to buy a phone as soon as 2 years ago, and having been intrigued by WP7 I thought of buying a Lumia 800, but decided to hold out on a better phone. I wanted something that would be as durable as my old Nokia with the imaging chops above the rest, and I've looked solely on Androids to fulfill that need but none of them have the right combination of what I was looking for. Yes, Nokia has many Care Centers here in the Philippines and the nearest near my home is a bus ride away. Plus they have been prompt and effective in the past, having my past phones repaired there so I know their quality of service. It's a relief to know that if I buy a Lumia I'll be getting the 8.1 update, never been treated to an update like that as I'm new to the smartphone world (This would be my 1st after all).

Again thank you all for those wonderful replies and additional comments would be helpful!

 

[Laura Knotek]

Hi and welcome to WPCentral. Yes, both Metrotube and myTube allow one to sign in to a Google account. Metrotube | Windows Phone Apps+Games Store (United States)
myTube | Windows Phone Apps+Games Store (United States)

 

[xandros9]

1) Why choose the Lumia over the Xperia? The Z1 Compact is equipped with a beefier chipset and a more compact form factor but I've held and played around the Lumia at a local brick and mortar store and felt it was still ergonomic enough to use and adequately fluid that even with the weaker internals, it still performed like a premium phone. What advantages can you say that are in favor of the 1020?
They aren't really on equal footing since they have different software. There are some comparisons and you will be recommended WP since what do you know this is a WP site. Do know the negatives tossed around by all sides are exaggerations.
Well, the 1020 has THE camera in any phone out there. WP is great and looks nice, but that really depends on your usage scenarios. I'm biased and you aren't me so I guess I'll let others handle this one in depth. Also because I don't want to type much on this tablet.

2) Why choose Windows Phone 8 as a starting point for those still stuck in the pre-smartphone age? I'm an avid social media user such as Facebook and Twitter, and would like to watch Youtube on the commute to university. I also need productivity and communication apps, and would love to play games on my future smartphone. I understand that news outlets have portrayed the Store as having a dearth of apps, but is it really the case with WP8?
As I said above, its an exaggeration, but still an issue. I'd recommend it because you aren't spoiled by the sheer volume of the others. All those basic needs are there. The core apps are there. if not, there may be a popular 3rd party client that works well. in the case with Youtube, the options may even work better than the official apps elsewhere. But the latest gaming fad? that one app? those aren't likely to be there. but its less of an issue given your background.

3) Is the battery life up to snuff with moderate usage? My current phone lasts days on a single charge, but I know that this is not the case with modern smartphones. Though this is a trade off I'll have to make in favor of a more flexible device, I imagine myself updating my notifications every few hours, with music and video playback in between along with the occasional game on the way to uni and back to home.
You can expect the 1020 to last a day. My 920 is similarly equipped and lasts somewhere between most of a day to a day and a half. maybe even a couple days if I turn off most things. Battery life isn't stellar, I still long for the days of me charging my Palm LifeDrive once every one to two weeks, but its on par with the standards of today.

4) Would the Pureview camera suit me as a novice photographer? I really like taking pictures of the environment and family gatherings but the cost of dedicated camera setups is prohibitive. The one I take with me is the family camera, but it has long broken down and I've been using my phone's 5MP camera for taking necessary snaps. I'm eager and willing to take up another hobby such as photography, and the 1020 seems a great device to take for those times.
It is the camera to best these days. It would probably even serve a semi-pro user just fine. Its still no DSLR, but its still the best smartphone snapper under the sun for the most part. My less awesome 920 has given me some great shots, I expect the 1020 to be insanely better.

5) Is the Lumia 1020 built to last? I have been buying my phones unlocked, and push them to the limit in terms of their life cycle. As you can see, my previous phone lasted me a good number of years and I would like it to be the same with my next phone. Also, I want it to be upgradeable to at least the next version of the OS, not like my current one which is confined to the version it was released in.
Nokia's are generally built very well, but theres a chance of a bad unit as always. A sticking point is the nonremovable battery. technically its swappable, but not easily if you aren't technically inclined. it will be upgraded to the next version which is due out around April, but after that we dont know for sure. As for strength, the Lumia's are no 3310, but I think they hold up well against the competition I can say. you will get 3-4 years out of it, although a battery swap will be required eventually. I cant say as I have no numbers though.

Thank you all for your time reading this, and I hope to receive helpful inputs in resolving my purchasing dilemma. More power!

Welcome! Always nice to see new people.
As per my usual working with numbered posts like this, my inputs are. in bold above.

 

[dznk]

As I've said, I'm not that completely into Google services, turning to them only when the situation demands it, with my main app movers being Facebook, Twitter, Skype and Yahoo Mail.

You should be fine if you get a Windows Phone then, as all of those have official apps. Yahoo Mail doesn't have an app, as it's not needed or expected really. Windows Phone has built in support for nearly all major email providers including Yahoo Mail and Gmail. In WP you can have multiple email accounts setup on your phone and each can have their own separate Live Tile and sync settings, so you can check these accounts when you like and see new emails for each account on their own Live Tile, which is nice. (You can link them together and have your email in one place if you wish to though).

It seems the 1020 wouldn't disappoint on that regard. I would like to use Facebook, Twitter, Yahoo Mail and Viber at least on a daily basis, though I would welcome suggestions to what apps would be essential for a neophyte to the WP world.

Viber also has an official app for WP. As for essential apps for new users on WP. As it sounds like you would get a Nokia if you were to get a WP, I would say take advantage of all the great apps and services that Nokia themselves do for the platform. HERE Drive, HERE Maps, HERE Transit and Nokia MixRadio are all very useful to have. Also, make sure you check out Nokia's imaging apps. Nokia Refocus and Nokia Cinemagraph can create some unique images, especially on a 1020 with it's camera. The other set of apps I would say to have a look at, would be the Bing apps. Micrososft have brought out several Bing branded apps now for both Windows Phone and Windows 8/RT. Bing News, Bing Food & Drink and Bing Health & Fitness are actually very well made apps. These apps can now sync with their Windows 8/RT versions as well. So say if you go for a run and track your route and calories burnt on your WP using the Bing Health & Fitness app. This data would be seen if you opened up the app on a Windows 8/RT device (whilst logged into your account). These are just a few examples really. There are some great apps to play around with.

That's good to hear. There are times when I don't want to go fiddling into settings and just want to take a picture of what I want and I expect the camera to perform adequately. I don't mind if there's noise as long as it captures the detail of the scene correctly. Though now I'm beginning to look into the merits of tweaking the settings as means of adding creativity and fun into shots. Having two devices in one just sweetens the deal on the phone I'm considering.

Yep, the 1020 covers all areas really. Nokia do some great tutorial videos on getting the most out of the manual camera controls on the 1020. Have a quick look at these videos on Nokia's YouTube page for some great tips on using the manual controls.

 

[BIGPADDY]

Welcome to WPC great post!

 

[DennisvdG]

Since you are already very familiar with Nokia, are not spoiled with niche apps by android and aren't heavily invested in google apps, I think you will absolutely love wp and the 1020