Questions for Lumia 1020 owners. Unbiased opinion/review requested

[hary536]

Folks,
I am highly interested in Nokia Lumia 1020 and have been following the entire history here and elsewhere online.
I went to check out 1020 at ATT store.
Nokia Pro Cam was set as default camera app on the demo unit in the store.
I took pictures of the demo object scene they have placed in the store plus took some other pictures.
Zoom really didn't look much better compared to my iphone 4S. I was expecting totally different results.
Not sure what I did wrong or if it was something with the demo unit.
The colors were also over-saturated which is okay if the zoom was better.
I then took some pictures using front camera and my iphone 4S seemed to produce better picture than 1020.
My blue color t-shirt was too off in 1020. I was disappointed with 1020. Plus the swiping between pictures in Nokia Pro Cam
appeared jerky, didn't give a good feeling.
There were three demo units in the store and all of them had scratched back. Scratched means severely scratch as-if something was rubbed
against them. They were scratched top and bottom, different location on each unit.
The display also had some noticeable scratches. ( I haven't managed to scratch my 2 years old iphone 4S so bad so far without any screen
protector).

So my questions:
Is Lumia 1020's camera really good as hyped up everywhere? (Please honest answer, since I may end up buying Lumia 1020 just based on feedback here from
fellow forum users). I have seen several stunning pictures posted here, but my eyes couldn't believe what I personally saw today. Hence asking again here.
How is Lumia 1020's front cam? I haven't seen many people talking about it?
How is the polycarbonate body? How is it holding up for you? I see that 1020 is matte whereas 920 yellow was glossy. My co-worker has 920 and glossy looks more attractive to me.
How is the lens holding up? Does it have tendency to scratch or attract fingerprints?
How is the speakerphone experience during calling? I compared 1020's to my 4S in the noisy store and found 4S louder than 1020.
Nokia used to have loudest speakers. I have my Nokia 5800 which is louder than 4S. I made sure volume was set to max.
How is the speakerphone in music playing? (I couldn't compare this in the store)

These are all hardware questions. I will ask my software/apps related questions in separate thread.

I request honest feedback/opinions based on your experience since I don't want to get stuck for 2 years with it if it is not really so good as hyped up in the tech blogs.

Thanks.
PS: I also noticed the bug in demo unit that some have reported here where the camera view finder image is opposite of what it should be in portrait/landscape mode. But exiting out of camera app and going back seemed to have solved it. All this was using Nokia Pro Cam.
Btw, FYI: not a single AT&T employee approached me while I checked out 1020 for about 15-20 minutes and left the store.

 

[crash1989]

Since you've seen not one or two but hundreds of users posting stunning images be assured the 1020 is the best camera phone at this moment.

Nokia's have a very good build quality , I so wish my 920 was matte. People yearn for matte finishes, personal preference I guess.

I leave the others questions to users with 1020. Ya, we have heard reps sometimes interested and sometimes neglect WIndows Phone in AT&T stores.

 

[wamsille]

Is Lumia 1020's camera really good as hyped up everywhere?

There is a learning curve with the 1020's camera. You won't take gorgeous shots with a demo unit inside an AT&T store with the lighting they use. Confession, I took a picture with a 1020 inside an AT&T store and wondered what the fuss was about myself. I passed on the 1020 originally and went with a Galaxy S4 Active. Fast forward a week and I have a Lumia 1020. The reason - real world usage of both devices.

Every shot I take with the Lumia 1020 is a learning experience. I'm still getting the hang of using manual settings, when to use Smart Cam versus Pro Cam, Pro Shot, etc. I have gotten lucky a few times, other times not so much. This isn't my first smartphone, nor is it my first camera. Since there are no many variables in play, including many conditions that cannot be controled, you aren't going to get an apples to apples comparison between devices. I'd easily put shots I've taken with a Lumia 1020 against other devices. I've won in my side by side comparisons with various Android based phones. The lossless zoom is a great feature - especially when you show someone how you can take one photo and create multiple versions zooming in and out for different points of view.

How is Lumia 1020's front cam? I haven't seen many people talking about it?

The front facing camera is fine. I don't use this that often. Maybe someone that uses Skype can chime in. Is it nice? Yes. The best? Compared to?

How is the polycarbonate body? How is it holding up for you? I see that 1020 is matte whereas 920 yellow was glossy. My co-worker has 920 and glossy looks more attractive to me.

Matte all the way. I love it. The phone holds up incredibly well. Lumias are built like tanks and take a beating. Get a case to preserve the good looks, though.

How is the lens holding up? Does it have tendency to scratch or attract fingerprints?

In and out of my pocket all day, every day. Holds up just fine. I keep a lint-free cloth with me to wipe down my screen and the lens. Do I have to? Not really, but why not have it in case you want to take the most amazing photo in the world?

How is the speakerphone experience during calling? I compared 1020's to my 4S in the noisy store and found 4S louder than 1020.
Nokia used to have loudest speakers. I have my Nokia 5800 which is louder than 4S. I made sure volume was set to max.

I can't compare a Lumia to an iPhone 4S. I never owned one. I think the Lumia 1020 is loud, but again that is based on what I've used in the past. Very little distortion.

How is the speakerphone in music playing? (I couldn't compare this in the store)

I've heard louder. Shoot, my Atrix HD (retired) was great for playing music through the speaker. You won't get the best playback quality though. Use headphones.

 

[antiochian2010]

So my questions:
Is Lumia 1020's camera really good as hyped up everywhere? (Please honest answer, since I may end up buying Lumia 1020 just based on feedback here from
fellow forum users). I have seen several stunning pictures posted here, but my eyes couldn't believe what I personally saw today. Hence asking again here.

In general - YES. Camera is excellent and phone OS is butter smooth and a real pleasure to work with as my daily phone. I came from using an 808 Pureview (that I think arguably had a better cam, but the 1020 is close enough and I think a couple of algorithm updates could close the gap) with a Lumia 520 because I didn't like the Symbian OS especially working with both web and email. Now I just carry the 1020 - best of both worlds. And I love the camera!!

How is Lumia 1020's front cam? I haven't seen many people talking about it?

Judge for yourself:


How is the polycarbonate body? How is it holding up for you? I see that 1020 is matte whereas 920 yellow was glossy. My co-worker has 920 and glossy looks more attractive to me.

Nokia really did their homework on this one! The "matte" feels much smoother than other matte finishes, and I think it's better than straight glossy. Albeit I always use with a case (AGF) or holster, or both, after 3wks-1 month there are still no stains or marks on the finish. I have the Yellow BTW; to date it is really the most beautiful phone I have ever owned.

How is the lens holding up? Does it have tendency to scratch or attract fingerprints?

No, but again I use with case and holster - and I also 'cheat' by carrying a small square of microfiber cloth in my pocket to clean before taking an important photo. Also, Nokia purposefully made the phone to not lie flat, so there is some stress taken away from the back lens there. Furthermore, if you attach the lanyard, you can insert the entire phone into the loop and position it to cover the lens when you are laying it down somewhere. On top of everything, the lens is covered by Gorilla Glass as well. In short, after 1 month, my lens is stil perfect.

How is the speakerphone experience during calling? I compared 1020's to my 4S in the noisy store and found 4S louder than 1020.

Very clear!
Nokia used to have loudest speakers. I have my Nokia 5800 which is louder than 4S. I made sure volume was set to max.
How is the speakerphone in music playing? (I couldn't compare this in the store)

Volume - very good - this is my daily alarm clock. Music - on a PAR or better with an old transistor radio. Pretty good considering it's from a little phone..

.

 

[humdinger]

Most people have addressed your concerns so I'll chime in on a few things.

Pro Cam takes a little bit of time to get used to. I guess from a point-and-shoot quickly perspective you may be better suited using the default camera app or Smart Cam.

I had the 920 in a glossy red and have the 1020 in the matte white. While the red glossy felt great at the beginning, it attracted a lot more scratches. My white still looks like the day I got it. Granted this may be slightly unfair because I have the wireless charging cover on about 90% of the time.

The speakers of the Lumias I've owned (900, 920, 1020) have generally been a lot softer than other phones I own. In fact, when I switched from the iPhone 3GS to the Lumia 900, I actually kept my iPhone around as an alarm clock because the 900 was too soft. The 920 was louder but I think the 1020 is between the two of them. Either way, I'd love to be able to crank the volume up at least 50% more than I can right now.

 

[antiochian2010]

The speakers of the Lumias I've owned (900, 920, 1020) have generally been a lot softer than other phones I own. In fact, when I switched from the iPhone 3GS to the Lumia 900, I actually kept my iPhone around as an alarm clock because the 900 was too soft. The 920 was louder but I think the 1020 is between the two of them. Either way, I'd love to be able to crank the volume up at least 50% more than I can right now.

..

Good points here regarding the volume.

The worst was my HTC HD7. But it makes a lovely doorstop..

The 1020 is decent enough - I mean it wakes me from a dead sleep even with a music alarm.

But that said, one of my emergency phones - an old Sony Ericsson T637 has way louder volume for alarms, ringtones and whatnot.

 

[wamsille]

The ****iest cell phone in the world is a miracle. Your life sucks...around the phone.

 

[Alfreo]

I know how you feel. I've been an iPhone user for awhile (couple years but I've had an ipod touch since day 1) so my opinion is not bias but just an understanding of what you want in a phone. I just recently switched to the Nokia Lumia 1020 last week.

Main camera:
If the main feature you want is a camera, then YES! Now I'm one to go to concerts, and love taking photos of the performers. With my iPhone 5 they always came out dark, and blurry (performers never stand still so the picture quality isnt there). This past Saturday I went to the Sevendust concert and right away, after my first picture, I noticed a HUGE improvement. Now if you're one to take close up, still pictures in well lit spots then meh... iPhone 5 has a great camera, so does the S4 for those very perfect conditions. But how often can you get all perfect senerios?

Front camera:
Meh who cares about the front cam... it's like any other smart phone - just used for facetime chatting. Quality is all the same between any front camera on any phone "decent" but not great.

Scratching - fingerprints.
As long as you don't live on a beach (quarts in sand scratches gorilla glass) you're fine 99.9% of the time. Yeah it gets fingerprints but a quick swipe from your shirt and you're golden - just like with any touchscreen device. I've already dropped it once at the concert (too much to drink) and nothing happened. But now I have it in my otterbox case (which is another review in itself) The camera seems to be doing just fine - the case does not cover it at all and doesn't seem to be getting scratched or fingered up.

Internal Speakers:
Now if this is your main concern because you may watch a lot of videos (without headphones) then the sound is decent, often I have to turn it up to near full volume to get it where I like it. If you want sound quality the HTC One has the best speakers for a smart phone out thus far. I do notice that the ear speaker when making a phone call is pretty quiet and I have to turn it up all the way. (could be the concerts are making me deaf) But I'm more of a texter anyways so no big deal there.

Overall:
I am very satisfied with the switch from iPhone 5 to Lumia 1020 - the only thing I miss is some app selections (I still keep my iphone 5 as an ipod touch) but I wanted a better camera and THIS PHONE HAS IT!

 

[yaguchi]

I know how you feel. I've been an iPhone user for awhile (couple years but I've had an ipod touch since day 1) so my opinion is not bias but just an understanding of what you want in a phone. I just recently switched to the Nokia Lumia 1020 last week.

Main camera:
If the main feature you want is a camera, then YES! Now I'm one to go to concerts, and love taking photos of the performers. With my iPhone 5 they always came out dark, and blurry (performers never stand still so the picture quality isnt there). This past Saturday I went to the Sevendust concert and right away, after my first picture, I noticed a HUGE improvement. Now if you're one to take close up, still pictures in well lit spots then meh... iPhone 5 has a great camera, so does the S4 for those very perfect conditions. But how often can you get all perfect senerios?

Front camera:
Meh who cares about the front cam... it's like any other smart phone - just used for facetime chatting. Quality is all the same between any front camera on any phone "decent" but not great.

Scratching - fingerprints.
As long as you don't live on a beach (quarts in sand scratches gorilla glass) you're fine 99.9% of the time. Yeah it gets fingerprints but a quick swipe from your shirt and you're golden - just like with any touchscreen device. I've already dropped it once at the concert (too much to drink) and nothing happened. But now I have it in my otterbox case (which is another review in itself) The camera seems to be doing just fine - the case does not cover it at all and doesn't seem to be getting scratched or fingered up.

Internal Speakers:
Now if this is your main concern because you may watch a lot of videos (without headphones) then the sound is decent, often I have to turn it up to near full volume to get it where I like it. If you want sound quality the HTC One has the best speakers for a smart phone out thus far. I do notice that the ear speaker when making a phone call is pretty quiet and I have to turn it up all the way. (could be the concerts are making me deaf) But I'm more of a texter anyways so no big deal there.

Overall:
I am very satisfied with the switch from iPhone 5 to Lumia 1020 - the only thing I miss is some app selections (I still keep my iphone 5 as an ipod touch) but I wanted a better camera and THIS PHONE HAS IT!

I'm in the same position, currently have the iPhone 5 but want to give the Lumia 1020 a try. The only thing holding me back is the app selection and Siri which I do use a lot to set alarms and reminders. I used the TELLME function on both Lumia 920 and 520, but all it does it just search BING, I'm not sure if I'm using the TELLME function correctly.

 

[purefire21]

Some people just don't know how to take pictures. You can have a million megapixel and I can have 5 and I will take the better picture

 

[hary536]

Thanks everyone for your inputs and insights. That helped.

 

[hary536]

I'm in the same position, currently have the iPhone 5 but want to give the Lumia 1020 a try. The only thing holding me back is the app selection and Siri which I do use a lot to set alarms and reminders. I used the TELLME function on both Lumia 920 and 520, but all it does it just search BING, I'm not sure if I'm using the TELLME function correctly.

Here is what you can do with speech on WP than just search Bing.
Use Speech on my phone | Windows Phone How-to (United States)

 

[majortom1981]

Its been stated by att employees that scratches have been put on the demo 1020's on purpose to deter thieves . The problem with the pictures of the 1020 is not the quality. On most pc's its hard to view the 35 and 38 mega pixels images on a pc. A lot of programs will down convert them when you view them. Sky drive views them nativelyand I have noticed windows photoviewer does but I have noticed sometime IE will not display them sometimes or downconverts them. Don't go by the demo units. Look at the user pics thread of the forums here to determine picture quality . This camera has a lot of manual controls so pics can come out much better if you learn the manual controls.

 

[explosive0]

Its been stated by att employees that scratches have been put on the demo 1020's on purpose to deter thieves . The problem with the pictures of the 1020 is not the quality. On most pc's its hard to view the 35 and 38 mega pixels images on a pc. A lot of programs will down convert them when you view them. Sky drive views them nativelyand I have noticed windows photoviewer does but I have noticed sometime IE will not display them sometimes or downconverts them. Don't go by the demo units. Look at the user pics thread of the forums here to determine picture quality . This camera has a lot of manual controls so pics can come out much better if you learn the manual controls.

Your first sentence doesn't make any sense and I doubt any reasonable store manager will allow that.

 

[majortom1981]

It was stated on these forums by somebody who works at a store. Why would a thief steal a phone with a huge scratch on it?