I can't decide: Lumia 1020 or iPhone 5S?Pr

[unity04]

I've been reading through these forums for the past few days, and watching tons of YouTube videos on both phones, and I can't decide which phone to go with.. Hoping someone can help me out who has tried both phones, or even the iPhone 5 with iOS 7.

What I like/dislike about both phones:


Lumia 1020

Pros:​

• Wider construction (about 71mm - the 5S is 58mm which is way too narrow)
• Excellent camera (only thing I don't like is the lag when pressing the menu button in the camera app)
• Application ecosystem is more than enough for me (only apps missing are BlackBoard for school and PC Financial for my banking)
• Fluid, fast, love the social integration across the platform

Cons:​

• Not so big on the Adreno 225 and S4 processor - worried how applications will perform with these older specs
• AMOLED displays don't produce pure whites, more washed out/gray
• IE performance: takes a little longer than Safari to load web pages
• No Google Drive application

iPhone 5S

Pros:

​

• 
  [*=1]Developed ecosystem
  [*=1]Fasted browser performance
  [*=1]Bright display
  [*=1]Fast camera
  [*=1]+ More future proof than the 1020

Cons:

​

• 
  [*=1]Weak social integration (contacts)
  [*=1]Phone is too narrow, smaller screen than 1020
  [*=1]iOS 7 isn't that appealing to me

​

Off the bat it seems the 1020 is the better choice for my needs, but I'm just worried about performance with the older chipset. Also, the AMOLED display bugs me in terms of whites and possible burn in.

Lastly, I have a Lumia 710 I use as a back up phone, and the latest version of the Facebook app is unbelievably slow. Is this the same on the 1020 with Windows 8?

Honestly.. I can't decide which phone to pick.. the 5S seems like it'll be more future proof, where the 1020 feels like a successor will be announced in Q1 and I'll regret the 1020 because of the older chipset (not sure how it translates into real life performance). Any feedback is appreciated to help me out.

 

[vaultsurvivor]

To be honest a lot of this comes down to two areas (if i was choosing). Firstly, which os do you prefer. By that i don't mean apps etc, i mean which one would you prefer to use every day? Personally, i cant stand ios anymore, and I love the wp one. I find it a joy to use, and love the fact that its something a bit different... Secondly, it comes down to the camera. If youre a bit of an amateur photographer, then go for the 1020, if youre a happy snapper then get the iphone; its fine for point and shoot, and if youre not that bothered about quality then the 1020 would be a waste. I saw you mentioned google services, i don't particularly use them (other than youtube via metro tube) so i havnt really been affected by the google/microsoft argument...

 

[vaultsurvivor]

And ive just noticed you mentioned the processor. I have a 920 and wp8 zips along... Plenty of people have moaned about the fb app too, but ive never seen the problem. The feed updates, you can post. Im not a power user but it seems fine to me...

 

[antiochian2010]

I think it's just what 'feels' better to you. Phones have become very personal so no one thing's right for everybody. There are some things (but not many) I like about Android; to me, iPhones are pretty and well made, but feels like something's missing. I used to think I was completely camera oriented - and for 6 mos was happy enough with the 808 Pureview. But after that time, I really found myself missing the WP OS. So much so that before the 1020 came out, I had switched to using the Lumia 521 as my daily driver then hauling along the 808 for weekends or special trips. I might have stayed with the 808 much longer as in spite of missing WP, I didn't mind the Symbian format. Unfortunately, since Nokia stopped supporting Symbian, the web client felt ugly and clunky. Switching to Opera Mini helped somewhat but I still found it limiting. The inexcusable shortcoming was how emails displayed - particularly from my Outlook.com server. Had I been more gmail oriented it wouldn't have mattered as much. It was also depressing witnessing all of the photography software innovations Nokia was putting out for WP and feeling left out. I guess in a perfect world had Nokia dual path-d Symbian and WP, I would have remained very happy with the 808. Nice, solid phone and still in my opinion the best camera hardware ever built for a phone.
That said, I think the 1020 is really overall the best phone I have owned giving me the best of both worlds - and taught me that while in my case 90% of my choice might be the camera, turned out it wasn't 100% of what I really need. Since they updated the camera, I am very happy with some of the shots I am getting now, I love the editors which are far more advanced than any available with the 808 (not being a photoshop subscriber, 90% of my editing is in-phone and sometimes minor from Aviary accessed through Flickr). I believe when Black is finally out, the 1020 camera in spite of not sporting as good hw as the 808 - will in fact be the overall superior camera where normal 5MP shots are concerned.

 

[Del Rei]

I had iPhone for 3 years... But I love photos... So changed the iOS for the WP... Couldn't handle it for 1 month... Sold mine Lumia 1020 and got back to mine 4S.

The Lumia pictures are best... But the iOS on daily use is much much complete. A lot of things I needed, couldn't have in WP.

Maybe in 1 or 2 years it will be a solid OS, but now, the WP is very limited.

 

[6029KingStephen]

I also had the same choice to make, having been iPhone since the original device.

For me, the most important features on my phone are 1. Screen readability 2. Photography 3. Keyboarding, for emails and texts mostly. 4. Facebook

To me, the 1020 wins all four, despite what you read about FB on this forum. I made the switch, and have had no regrets, the 1020 is everything I hoped (camera lag aside!) I wish its low light video was better, but I guess you'll never have everything 100% in one device!

 

[vlad0]

Wider construction (about 71mm - the 5S is 58mm which is way too narrow.

I think that the iPhone 5/5s is in fact very close to the perfect size when it comes to a smartphone. Anything over 62-65mm will be a bit too wide to comfortable use with one hand on the go, which I think is essential for a smartphone.

I am hoping that Apple can squeeze a 4.3 - 4.5 incher in a 63mm wide body at some point.. that would be great.

I think that Nokia nailed the dimension with this

Nokia N9 - Full phone specifications

116.5 x 61.2 x 12.1 mm

12 mm should be enough to fit a nice fat camera sensor and maybe a xenon flash.

they can slim down the bazel and go up to 64mm to fit a bigger screen.

I believe when Black is finally out, the 1020 camera in spite of not sporting as good hw as the 808 - will in fact be the overall superior camera where normal 5MP shots are concerned.

I agree. From what I can see on the 1520... the jpeg algorithms are very close to the Symbian ones

As far as the 808.. I still use it as a main smartphones on AT&T and I really don't miss anything. The browser is the only thing but you can't beat $15/month unlimited data ... so its a good trade off. I use it as a hotspot for my tablet all the time.

Everything else pretty much overlaps with all the other platforms.

 

[Del Rei]

Hum... Have you already used the iPhone?

Does lumia wins on Keyboard and Facebook...? For sure not. Absolutely not!
The iOS keyboard is way smarter, no comparison to WP... On Lumia it is bigger, yes, but not better.
And the Facebook app, not even close. Slow and a lot of missing features.

But screen (size and colors) and photos, yes, Lumia sure wins.

Something that I didn't like on WP comparing the camera... Lumia camera is really slow. Take a long time to open the app, and take even more to save the picture. About 4 seconds. On iPhone it's almost instantaneous, you don't miss the moment. Try it on Lumia... Never.

 

[troylytle]

I think you should definitely try out both in person if possible. I absolutely hate the ios ecosystem but have previously been a fan. I really like the direction they are going on software. I had a 920 and now a 1020 and there are some trade offs but I think it is 100% worth it. Facebook speed never gives me trouble. Faster than my friends on ios or android. HERE GPS services are far greater than my recent experiences with google maps. The AMOLED on my 1020 looks great and Nokia's on-board correction system works amazing. I have no trouble with speed of photos and it takes amazing and fast 5MP pics if you are in a hurry or use smart cam built into the Nokia cam app. In most cases you won't miss browser speed and there are a couple different options to test for your liking as well. The feel of the phone is good too. The hump is more of a pivot point for you to reach the extremities of the screen. I, however, use the camera grip at all times now because I like it. I also feel if you are consistent with your keyboard over a few days, it is very good at predicting what you want to say.

 

[_Emi_]

Hum... Have you already used the iPhone?

Does lumia wins on Keyboard and Facebook...? For sure not. Absolutely not!
The iOS keyboard is way smarter, no comparison to WP... On Lumia it is bigger, yes, but not better.
And the Facebook app, not even close. Slow and a lot of missing features.

But screen (size and colors) and photos, yes, Lumia sure wins.

Something that I didn't like on WP comparing the camera... Lumia camera is really slow. Take a long time to open the app, and take even more to save the picture. About 4 seconds. On iPhone it's almost instantaneous, you don't miss the moment. Try it on Lumia... Never.

you used WIndows Phone OS for ONE month and now you are an expert? I would love to know how...
I know this is a forum but sometimes I wonder why if someone doesnt even use the device why still keep around spreading words like if they were true, especially when they didnt even use the OS for more than 4 weeks.

oh, and everyone knows 1020 takes slow pictures because of the size of the pics it has to process. in my phones it doesnt take million seconds to take a picture, but of course im talking of 8mp (and others) WP cameras

and again, I would love to know how do you even know if "facebook app" sucks or not if you dont even use it? you said you sold your 1020 and you went back to iOS. do you think the facebook updates stopped the day you sold your 1020 (if you ever has one in the first place), how do you even use the app if you dont even have a Windows Phone?

and then you come here replying to someone and their experience and how this person thinks WP (1020 in this case) is better, and then asking if he even used iOS only because it doesnt share your experience... so I guess you really think your words are the only truly ones? and if someone doesnt think Windows Phone OS sucks compared to iOS hasnt used the device... right?
Windows Phone is not perfect, but it doesnt mean iOS is the superior ultimate experience only because YOU think so.

 

[Del Rei]

Can't understand why so angry, Amy.
I came back to iOS in about 2 days ago. It is a recent move. WP didn't become a wonder OS in so little time after that. I know what I'm saying.

But, ok, let's go:

"oh, and everyone knows 1020 takes slow pictures because of the size of the pics it has to process."
Fine, set the c?mera configuration to 5MP and you will see that it keep slow to save the picture.
It's not about the size. You should know that.

and again, I would love to know how do you even know if "facebook app" sucks or not if you dont even use it?
Again, I came back to iOS a few days ago. It is REALLY slower. And it is not a internet connection problem. The app is very slow.
And it is very outdate compared to iOS Facebook, have some missing features. No one needs to be an expert to realize that. You just need to use.
Facebook app is not an application you need 3 years to understand.

do you think the facebook updates stopped the day you sold your 1020
Of course the updates will continue to happen. But so far, the fact is that the app is slower and have some missing features in comparison to iOS. Simple as that.

if you ever has one in the first place
I have nothing to prove you. But if you want, you can check my profile and see the threads I created and all my answers to this forum.

so I guess you really think your words are the only truly ones?
They are the only for me, yes. But no one need accept that. Just like your words are truly for you. Each one have your own experience. I'm not trying to convince you. Just wrote my opinion and some facts about comparing some OS apps.

Windows Phone is not perfect, but it doesnt mean iOS is the superior ultimate experience only because YOU think so.
Did you read it somewhere? Because I didn't write it.


Okay, I'll explain better why I came back to iOS:

1) Can't send videos in original resolution by email. The phone automatically compress it to a terrible resolution. Why????
2) Can't send 41MP pictures by email/Whatsapp.
3) Can't send videos on camera roll to Whatsapp, Facebook or other apps. Seems like it is a OS limitation of WP but I think it will be solved soon.
4) Needing to connect the phone to PC to extract high resolution video/picture sucks!
5) Can't add favorites to phone app, to fast access some contacts.
6) There's no way to add shortcut on keyboard. I really miss that. I use it a lot on iOS, it's faster to write. Maybe you don't even know what is that.
7) Can't save some kind off attachment on e-mail that you received.
8) There is no control center (as iOS or Android) to have fast access to brightness and some other features.
9) The sound (on ears/headphone) of iPhone is much better.
10) Battery is terrible worse than iOS. My iPhone 4S is 2 years old, and still lasts longer.
11) Although the photos are good, the camera is very slow. Slow to open the camera app and slow to save the photo. Compared to iOS speed, it is very slow. See this:



On "Capture image", iPhone is almost 11x faster than Lumia 1020 (!!!!!!!!!).

I haven't come back to iOS because one or two points. I came back because all of it.
In daily use, I missed a lot of features I used to do.

Here are some threads I created trying to find answers on some issues I had.

http://forums.windowscentral.com/no...illing-image-quality-samples.html#post2243867
http://forums.windowscentral.com/no...t-video-true-my-1020-damaged.html#post2223643
http://forums.windowscentral.com/no...-some-help-my-1020-specifications-please.html
http://forums.windowscentral.com/nokia-lumia-1020/251869-how-send-full-video-1020-a.html

Anyway, I think you should receive better others opinions. Seems like I hurt you little enchanted world.

 

[FinancialP]

^

3.) has been addressed in latest whatsapp update.

5.) it's just done differently on windows phone. Although adding to the phone app instead of start screen would be nice.

Sadly I have to agree with everything else.

 

[explosive0]

Can't understand why so angry, Amy.
I came back to iOS in about 2 days ago. It is a recent move. WP didn't become a wonder OS in so little time after that. I know what I'm saying.

But, ok, let's go:

"oh, and everyone knows 1020 takes slow pictures because of the size of the pics it has to process."
Fine, set the c?mera configuration to 5MP and you will see that it keep slow to save the picture.
It's not about the size. You should know that.

and again, I would love to know how do you even know if "facebook app" sucks or not if you dont even use it?
Again, I came back to iOS a few days ago. It is REALLY slower. And it is not a internet connection problem. The app is very slow.
And it is very outdate compared to iOS Facebook, have some missing features. No one needs to be an expert to realize that. You just need to use.
Facebook app is not an application you need 3 years to understand.

do you think the facebook updates stopped the day you sold your 1020
Of course the updates will continue to happen. But so far, the fact is that the app is slower and have some missing features in comparison to iOS. Simple as that.

if you ever has one in the first place
I have nothing to prove you. But if you want, you can check my profile and see the threads I created and all my answers to this forum.

so I guess you really think your words are the only truly ones?
They are the only for me, yes. But no one need accept that. Just like your words are truly for you. Each one have your own experience. I'm not trying to convince you. Just wrote my opinion and some facts about comparing some OS apps.

Windows Phone is not perfect, but it doesnt mean iOS is the superior ultimate experience only because YOU think so.
Did you read it somewhere? Because I didn't write it.


Okay, I'll explain better why I came back to iOS:

1) Can't send videos in original resolution by email. The phone automatically compress it to a terrible resolution. Why????
2) Can't send 41MP pictures by email/Whatsapp.
3) Can't send videos on camera roll to Whatsapp, Facebook or other apps. Seems like it is a OS limitation of WP but I think it will be solved soon.
4) Needing to connect the phone to PC to extract high resolution video/picture sucks!
5) Can't add favorites to phone app, to fast access some contacts.
6) There's no way to add shortcut on keyboard. I really miss that. I use it a lot on iOS, it's faster to write. Maybe you don't even know what is that.
7) Can't save some kind off attachment on e-mail that you received.
8) There is no control center (as iOS or Android) to have fast access to brightness and some other features.
9) The sound (on ears/headphone) of iPhone is much better.
10) Battery is terrible worse than iOS. My iPhone 4S is 2 years old, and still lasts longer.
11) Although the photos are good, the camera is very slow. Slow to open the camera app and slow to save the photo. Compared to iOS speed, it is very slow. See this:

View attachment 51565

On "Capture image", iPhone is almost 11x faster than Lumia 1020 (!!!!!!!!!).

I haven't come back to iOS because one or two points. I came back because all of it.
In daily use, I missed a lot of features I used to do.

Here are some threads I created trying to find answers on some issues I had.

http://forums.windowscentral.com/no...illing-image-quality-samples.html#post2243867
http://forums.windowscentral.com/no...t-video-true-my-1020-damaged.html#post2223643
http://forums.windowscentral.com/no...-some-help-my-1020-specifications-please.html
http://forums.windowscentral.com/nokia-lumia-1020/251869-how-send-full-video-1020-a.html

Anyway, I think you should receive better others opinions. Seems like I hurt you little enchanted world.

Haven't seen a well thought out response like this in a long time. I'm all for the success of WP, but it's annoying the attitude of some on here. Once anyone has a different opinion, OMG, iSheep.