Lumia 820 or Ativ S?

[athosbr99]

Same standard navigation apps that are on WP8. Nokia Drive is available. Not sure if you will get Drive + as you may have to pay for it. The Nokia Maps is there along with Nokia transport. Again, what exactly about Samsung do you hate so much? Remember, you can still choose to go buy a 820...

I hate Samsung because corporate stuff. Since ever they only cared abour high-end Android devices, made a billion low-end/mid-end every month and 95% never got updated. Along with that Touchwiz AIDS. Since Android is the big wagon they like and its that mess, I have fear on whats left with Ativ S.

However I always liked Nokia even before smartphone trend, and they are the lead on WP. But I don't know if I can give a free pass on the 820 just because its Nokia and ignore the other qualities of Ativ S just because its Samsung.

Others have mentioned GDR2. Is this available to everyone now or being dropped slowly? And Amber Update? Sorry for all the questions but I'm really on a lockdown on this.

 

[athosbr99]

The thing is the 820 cannot hold a candle to the Ativ S hardware wise. So, if we accept the screen res, expandable memory, and removable battery all favor Sammy, then let us look at what Nokia 820 brings:

-In 18 months time, I will put my second million dollars I intend to make (still 900,000 off my first Million, but details, details) that Nokia will still be supporting the 820, especially the international version. I am not sure if Sammy will even be making WP's in 18 months.

-Nokia will continue to get exclusive apps and exclusive releases because they are FIGHTING for them in survival mode. Okay, a good portion of them will be relaesed to other devices, but Nokia will get them first, more often, and most likely for the life of the device.

-Nokia has MS's ear right now and MS's mobile phone future in their hands. If MS is working to make a seamless OS, Nokia will be the first to say "yep" or "nope" on updates.

-Nokia fixes problems with their devices. They send out firmware. They upgrade camera performances. Sammy does a decent job of this ON THEIR BEST SELLERS. Also-rans do not get love, period. Sammy has too many devices to worry themselves over a small % seller. So, as the Ativ is not a homerun in sales, I would be surprised to see fixes come down the pick for these devices if they need them.

I do like Samsung. But, this is actually an easier choice then it sounds:

If hardware is more important, push the 820 out of your mind, go get the Ativ S which is a great device, do not look back or regret it ever.

If software and support is more important, push the Ativ S out of your mind, go get the Nokia 820 which is a great device, do not look back or regret it ever.

Let us know what you decide!! I am dying to know.

Thats clarifying.

A friend said that hardware on Windows Phone doesn't matter so much. If this is true, I may have to change my mind.

Also, good luck trying to make that second million.

 

[X0LARIUM]

to the person suggesting 720..I have two 720s and my own 820, it doesnt even stand close. LCD sucks on the 720. 820's AMOLED is G.O.R.G.E.O.U.S. The colours are right and the form factor is perfect. Feels like a really great device.

The 720 looks exactly like the HTC 8X, the black one. But is anything but that. Plus, lesser RAM. My wife already stares at me in anger when I say "Hey..NEW APP!" looking through my app store as the VERY SAME app is missing from her Store.

But more or less, I +1 everything my good friend SnowMutt said.

 

[ptrkhh]

For me, in my opinion, 820 brings no advantage over the ATIV S, other than the HERE Drive+
In my country it cost around $50 to get HERE Drive+, but if you live in some countries, NOKIA offers HERE Drive for other WP8 devices like the ATIV S. Check it first.
The problem is, there is no substitute for HERE Drive in WP8 that is able to offer turn-by-turn navigation with offline maps.
If you are really curious, here are apps from Nokia Collection:
HERE Maps, Drive, City Lens, Transit (available for free for all WP8 except Drive, explained above)
Groupon
AccuWeather
Nokia Ringtone Maker
Nokia YouSendIt
World of Red Bull
Nokia Glam Me
#2instaWithLove
My Nokia
CNN
Nokia Creative Studio
ESPN Hub
Nokia Xpress browser (something like Opera Mini)
Man of Steel
The Weather Channel
Nokia Smart Shoot
Nokia NFC Writer
Nokia Cinemagraph
Nokia Panorama
SophieLens
Nokia PhotoBeamer
Nokia Trailers
Nokia Music
Nokia Climate Mission game
100th Day of School (Sesame Street) game
Nokia Phone Recycler game
Zuma's Revenge game
Yahtzee game
iBomber Defense game
Bejeweled game
Angry Birds game family (Star Wars, Rio, etc)
Real Racing 2 game
Vampire Rush game
NBA JAM game
The Sims Medieval game
Mass Effect:Infiltrator game
Monopoly Millionaire game
FIFA 13 game

Let me compare the specs:
Screen: they are AMOLED, but ATIV S is HD
Battery life: Really bad on 820, I think it is better on ATIV S given the larger battery
Storage capacity: 16GB on ATIV S, 8GB on 820
Camera: If you really care about the camera quality, check the Nokia 92x or 1020
Front camera: 820's front camera is almost unusable
expandability: the same (removeable SIM, microSD, and battery)
Processor+RAM: pretty much the same

So, unless you really use turn-by-turn navigation and HERE Drive cost $50 in your country, get the ATIV S. I'm an 820 owner though, I bought it in late 2012, when there was no single information about the ATIV S in my country. If I could turn back time, I would get the ATIV S.

 

[th0mas96]

Can you get your hands on an S3? It has the same display as the Ativ afaik, and it's about the same overall size. For the Lumia, the S2 has the same resolution and size. However, I find the colors on the Lumia a better, they have an additional filter on the display. But with these two phones to compare, you should be good to go. For the rest, the 820 performs a bit better in Graphics (that's the weakest point of Windows Phones, the CPU is pretty fast) due to the lower res, the Ativ is a lot lighter, and it feels completely different.
To the storage thing, with the maps, music, pictures and videos on the SD I have no problem with the internal storage. "Other" is about 1GB, I have plenty of space left..

But in the end, Windows Phones are pretty similar. The main differences are the size, the storage and the support. I would test the size, get what you're comfortable with..

 

[MSFTisMIA]

I hate Samsung because corporate stuff. Since ever they only cared abour high-end Android devices, made a billion low-end/mid-end every month and 95% never got updated. Along with that Touchwiz AIDS. Since Android is the big wagon they like and its that mess, I have fear on whats left with Ativ S.

However I always liked Nokia even before smartphone trend, and they are the lead on WP. But I don't know if I can give a free pass on the 820 just because its Nokia and ignore the other qualities of Ativ S just because its Samsung.

Others have mentioned GDR2. Is this available to everyone now or being dropped slowly? And Amber Update? Sorry for all the questions but I'm really on a lockdown on this.

What snowmutt said is right. Nokia because of the 4 year deal HAS to offer better OEM support. There is no guarantee that MSFT will reup with them. MSFT needs 2 OEMs to move WP units well, because, quite frankly, they want the OS brand in the mind of the consumers, not Nokia = WP.

No question, Samsung is about getting their hands into whatever makes $$$ and bleeding it dry. Most corporations that size are. Trust us, if WP was making money like Android, Samsung would have like 40 WP handsets. Apple, in some ways is no different. I like Apple hardware but don't like the company policies. That wouldn't stop me from using the hardware, I would just show my displeasure in different ways if I used Apple products. Again, WP is a little different from Android in that because the hardware is standard, everyone will get the updates. Now, if you buy a carrier branded phone (like me and the 810), then the carrier has you by the nuts in terms of pushing the update.

I guess for me, superior hardware I can manipulate to fit my current needs trumps all. At this point, this would be a closer argument if the 822's 16GB internal and its 1800mah battery was in the 820 as the standard version. Nokia has good low end and high end WP8, but their mid range right now isn't enterprising in the bang for buck department. The issue is that their high end phones won't lose much value, i.e. the prices won't drop enough to be seen as mid range value in the following year.
It is always about buying a phone for what your needs and and how you plan to use it. You've gotten enough good points for each device. We are all curious about what your final choice is.

 

[Jonathan Piferrer]

I would feel "strange" using WP in a NON NOKIA device...

But i think you should go for the L920, instead L820

Regards from Argentina (neighbours)!

 

[mary beth hale]

i don't have a nokia but can share my experience with ativ s. re: support...i recieved gdr2 last week. samsung has added 4-5 apps past 2 months and i have recieved at least weekly updates for the current samsung apps on my phone. ativ s feels great in hands. despite screen size(which has beautiful display,by the way) it is very thin and light. battery is between 55%-65% at the end of the day for me. i am not a gamer so cannot comment on that aspect of phone. the recent frequent app updates and gdr2 may be due to the fact that Sprint here in the u.s. will be carrying an ativ s variant (ativ s neo) in a few days/weeks. my first windows phone was a samsung as well(the 1st gen focus) and i loved that one,too.call quality and speaker very good. you may want to go to gsm arena or phone arena where you can pull up both phones and compare specs side by side. good luck.

 

[zack251]

Im stuck with 820 because I need Here Drive +. There is no comparable offline voice guided navigation to Nokia Here Drive. It is excellent if you travel a lot and dont want to use data or roaming plan. I have not found comparable solution in Google Android that is free and offline. Here Drive+ even has a voice guided navigation in my native language and I can download maps of other countries. I understand that non-Nokia WP devices will only get Here Drive which ties to one country map.
I agree however that Ativ is a better hardware especially bigger battery and more storage memory. You will soon find that 8gb in 820 will not enough for all your apps needs.
However, the 820 also holds the advantage by having a wireless charging function which I use a lot.

 

[m3kk]

You are. OP is getting both at the same price.

I believe you failed to read my post correctly buddy

 

[m3kk]

Same standard navigation apps that are on WP8. Nokia Drive is available. Not sure if you will get Drive + as you may have to pay for it. The Nokia Maps is there along with Nokia transport. Again, what exactly about Samsung do you hate so much? Remember, you can still choose to go buy a 820...

where is this drive everyone is talking about?

 

[George Jenkinson]

Whilst I haven't had the phones you ask about, I have had a Samsung and do have a Lumia.

Based on my experience, I would say there isn't any question that Nokias are better. They are better built and, in my eyes, look so much better than anything Samsung has produced to date. Get the Lumia!

 

[athosbr99]

I would feel "strange" using WP in a NON NOKIA device...

But i think you should go for the L920, instead L820

Regards from Argentina (neighbours)!

L920 has a huge difference here on price than the 820. God bless Dilma and the taxes, I guess.

 

[athosbr99]

Whilst I haven't had the phones you ask about, I have had a Samsung and do have a Lumia.

Based on my experience, I would say there isn't any question that Nokias are better. They are better built and, in my eyes, look so much better than anything Samsung has produced to date. Get the Lumia!

Even if the Samsung hardware better, you mantain your position?

 

[z33dev33l]

Even if the Samsung hardware better, you mantain your position?

Windows Phone was always more about software than hardware and Nokia wins 1000 times over on that front.

 

[crispy514]

I had an ativ s and just traded it in for a 920.. The battery life on the Samsung is absolutely awesome! The screen is fantastic. Only issue for me was the lack of support from Samsung in terms of apps and customisations that Nokia are producing in the amber update (double tap to wake, peek/glance etc) and the Nokia apps. Moving to the 920 I'm missing the removable sd card but you will get that on the 820. The camera on the Samsung is pretty good as well..
Its a tough choice.. Better screen and way better battery life, few less apps and lack of vendor support..
That said the Samsung does have a few good samsung only apps..

 

[migueli2]

Windows Phone was always more about software than hardware and Nokia wins 1000 times over on that front.

In this specific case, Ativ S wins by far.
Only thing that could be better, and I personally don't think so (cause I have both) is the cam.
Else looses in display, resolution, internal memory, battery, weight, frontal cam... As you can see, in this specific casa Samsung wins (I hate Samsung but I have brains and I'm not a fan boy)

 

[George Jenkinson]

Even if the Samsung hardware better, you mantain your position?

Yes, my experience is that the build-quality of Samsung hardware is inferior to Nokia's, so I would maintain my position. I look after my phones so haven't done a practical test (!), but I believe that a Nokia will outlast a Samsung. Samsung are generally more flimsy with poorer quality materials, but Nokia are bulkier as a result.

However, the specifications of the Samsung phone might be better than the Nokia 820, I don't know and that is a different matter.

 

[blackhawk556]

Ativ S. Now if you were to have a 1020 as your choice, I would pick that one. Nokia just supports the platform in a way Samsung never has and probably never will.

 

[crispy514]

Yes, my experience is that the build-quality of Samsung hardware is inferior to Nokia's, so I would maintain my position. I look after my phones so haven't done a practical test (!), but I believe that a Nokia will outlast a Samsung. Samsung are generally more flimsy with poorer quality materials, but Nokia are bulkier as a result.

However, the specifications of the Samsung phone might be better than the Nokia 820, I don't know and that is a different matter.

Having owned both an ativ s and a Nokia lumia 920 i can say that the build quality of the Samsung was on a par with Nokia and it lasted me over a year with no marks or scuffs despite several drops.. however it is a much lighter phone than the heavy Nokia.

I personally think it comes down to Nokia apps and support vs better screen/battery life as these will be the only two distinguishable differences.

Except if you are planning on wireless charging or need after market accessories other than a case in which case go for the Nokia which has far better support for accessories...