Hi all. I would like to provide my general verdict on the Lumia 1520 after owning one for three weeks.
And...here goes!
And...here goes!
The Initial Shock:
Picture this. It's 7:45AM. You're in the middle of your University exam period, and despite staying up late frequently to both study and at least ensure yourself three somewhat-adequate meals a day, you're lying in bed awake, waiting for the moment the intercom rings.
7:58AM. The intercom lets off a blast, I'm up and at it in half a heartbeat. I have slippers, a robe and tracksuit pants on (what an image!) and I dart to the receiver. It's the FedEx man alright, and he's delivering my Lumia 1520.
I have an exam later that evening but do I care? No. I race down, collect the box and sign for the package and run right back upstairs to my apartment and resume (loudly) unboxing the ridiculously secure and over-taped shipping package. Inside, I find that item that seems to linger in your cupboard for many years to come - the phone box.
A pause. For I admire the box for a moment, and read the information detailed on the rear. Qi Wireless, RM-937 from Hong Kong, 32GB...all that jazz. This seemingly fulfilling my momentary lapse in eagerness, I proceed to almost destroy the shrink-wrap.
I pull out the "inner box" that holds the phone.
My mouth looked something like this:
:shocked:
I was appalled and throughly amused at the size. I turn it on and have a play, immediately falling in love with the bright, simple UI on the equally as bright device.
7:58AM. The intercom lets off a blast, I'm up and at it in half a heartbeat. I have slippers, a robe and tracksuit pants on (what an image!) and I dart to the receiver. It's the FedEx man alright, and he's delivering my Lumia 1520.
I have an exam later that evening but do I care? No. I race down, collect the box and sign for the package and run right back upstairs to my apartment and resume (loudly) unboxing the ridiculously secure and over-taped shipping package. Inside, I find that item that seems to linger in your cupboard for many years to come - the phone box.
A pause. For I admire the box for a moment, and read the information detailed on the rear. Qi Wireless, RM-937 from Hong Kong, 32GB...all that jazz. This seemingly fulfilling my momentary lapse in eagerness, I proceed to almost destroy the shrink-wrap.
I pull out the "inner box" that holds the phone.
My mouth looked something like this:
:shocked:
I was appalled and throughly amused at the size. I turn it on and have a play, immediately falling in love with the bright, simple UI on the equally as bright device.
The Good:
At first, I was unsure of the size being a good thing. Despite wanting the Lumia 1520 because of its enormous, comical size since I saw the initial model in the tech show at which it was demoed, via YouTube, I was hesitant upon using it. I have large hands. I can easily hold my Samsung Galaxy S3 in one hand with my fingers wrapping around it at least 85% of the way. This thing, was impossible to use one-handed.
I was a little disappointed by this, because aside from holding the phone one-handed while on a call (up to your head and doing whatever while speaking) being possible, there are certainly some cases where you have to juggle your phone and other things. An example being Online/Mobile Banking and carrying shopping bags. You would have to put your bags down, and use your Lumia 1520 with both hands to get the job done.
Despite immediately finding everything wrong with the size, I began (after a few hours) to appreciate it. Yes, it's huge. Yes, it's bright as all heck. But, the resolution is brilliant. The screen is beautiful, and the fact you can't use it one-handed while walking (safely) is one of the biggest pluses.
Think of it this way. How many times have you been told NOT to text-and-walk? This is inclusive "Facebooking" and "Tweeting" and every other social service including E-Mail. By being forced to use two hands, I will pull myself aside if walking through the city and text/call with the Lumia 1520, before continuing on. Not purely for my own safety, but to also avoid destroying such a lovely device.
Size: Good.
The "App Gap." Ahh, that magical argument of iOS and Android users alike to slam Windows Phone was stuck firmly in my head the first time I opened the store. While being a longtime reader of WPCentral, and short-time Forum-member prior to the purchase of my device, I really had no idea about any apps that could replace my ultimate, super-mega-fantasically important, cannot-live-without-ever apps that I use on Android.
Until I found Rudy Huyn. His apps for Instagram, Snapchat...etc, have been a lifesaver. In fact I prefer some of them to the Android counterparts, they are, almost, on par with the iOS versions developed by the companies themselves. Thus, I found the so-called "App Gap" to be nearly non-existent. As with iOS, the App Store on Windows Phone will continue to grow and attract better content as the OS matures. If I hark back to the days when iOS' App Store first debuted (I'm so old) I remember thousands of junk apps--fart simulators, screen-crack simulators and whatnot--proliferating the place more and more, every single day. Very rare would you find a good, well-made App. You would honestly find more good work on Cydia and Installer (Jailbreak App Stores) until the system matured a bit and began to attract good apps.
It's the good little apps on Windows Phone that make up for the rest. Now the system is maturing and attracting more users, I'm sure that more apps will slowly but gradually appear and take precedence over the junk, closing the "App Gap" even further.
I was a little disappointed by this, because aside from holding the phone one-handed while on a call (up to your head and doing whatever while speaking) being possible, there are certainly some cases where you have to juggle your phone and other things. An example being Online/Mobile Banking and carrying shopping bags. You would have to put your bags down, and use your Lumia 1520 with both hands to get the job done.
Despite immediately finding everything wrong with the size, I began (after a few hours) to appreciate it. Yes, it's huge. Yes, it's bright as all heck. But, the resolution is brilliant. The screen is beautiful, and the fact you can't use it one-handed while walking (safely) is one of the biggest pluses.
Think of it this way. How many times have you been told NOT to text-and-walk? This is inclusive "Facebooking" and "Tweeting" and every other social service including E-Mail. By being forced to use two hands, I will pull myself aside if walking through the city and text/call with the Lumia 1520, before continuing on. Not purely for my own safety, but to also avoid destroying such a lovely device.
Size: Good.
The "App Gap." Ahh, that magical argument of iOS and Android users alike to slam Windows Phone was stuck firmly in my head the first time I opened the store. While being a longtime reader of WPCentral, and short-time Forum-member prior to the purchase of my device, I really had no idea about any apps that could replace my ultimate, super-mega-fantasically important, cannot-live-without-ever apps that I use on Android.
Until I found Rudy Huyn. His apps for Instagram, Snapchat...etc, have been a lifesaver. In fact I prefer some of them to the Android counterparts, they are, almost, on par with the iOS versions developed by the companies themselves. Thus, I found the so-called "App Gap" to be nearly non-existent. As with iOS, the App Store on Windows Phone will continue to grow and attract better content as the OS matures. If I hark back to the days when iOS' App Store first debuted (I'm so old) I remember thousands of junk apps--fart simulators, screen-crack simulators and whatnot--proliferating the place more and more, every single day. Very rare would you find a good, well-made App. You would honestly find more good work on Cydia and Installer (Jailbreak App Stores) until the system matured a bit and began to attract good apps.
It's the good little apps on Windows Phone that make up for the rest. Now the system is maturing and attracting more users, I'm sure that more apps will slowly but gradually appear and take precedence over the junk, closing the "App Gap" even further.
The "App Gap": Acceptable
No rundown for this feature!
SD Card: FINALLY!
Nokia Camera: Amazing.
Here Drive+: Confusing, and doesn't like "old" (more than X days old) maps very much, but... Good.
The Bad:
The second thing I found I didn't like, and still do not like one bit, is the lack of real notifications on Windows Phone 8. Yes the toast notifications are pretty. They can slide away and they flip out of view when you tap them. I love that aspect. But the major problem I found, even with only stock apps aside from ON.cc (Chinese News) and iLovePhoto being inside, I had to open nearly every app on my screen/list before I found the appropriate "new" notification that was causing that round little dot in my status bar.It was frustrating to say the least, and it's one of my prime reasons for my continued use of my dog-slow, ageing and scratched-beyond-recognition Samsung Galaxy S3. Yes, I understand that Windows Phone 8.1 has Action Center, and being able to drag down the status bar and see more than Metro icons for Battery, SIM, WiFi and Time (etc) will be a great improvement, also that I can install the 8.1 DP to relieve the issue. But I won't. I will wait for Microsoft's official release before I feel ready to jump ship from Android completely, and use my Lumia 1520 as my daily driver.
Lack of Notifications: Bad.
One thing I utterly despise, is the fact Nokia's Transfer my Data seems to crash my Android device while it searches for Text Messages. The Transfer my Data app itself seems to only request for Message Access after de-pairing, and re-pairing the two devices (Pikachu--Lumia, and my Samsung S3) and even then, it fails each and every time. Leaving me frustrated. However, Contacts transferred just fine, albeit leaving duplicates for whatever reason only known to itself in my People hub.
Transfer my Data: Inadequate, incomplete, almost unusable garbage.
The "App Gap" itself leaves the OS feeling a tad empty. Though I find it (the store) adequate enough, a crucial app (my Bank's app) is missing. Preventing me from adopting the phone as my daily driver. I dislike the necessity of using the online portal through the browser as it doesn't support "Pay to Mobile." This, however is not Windows Phone's fault. It is the fault of ANZ being far, far too slow.
The "App Gap": Acceptable.
No rundown needed, but...
Xbox Music: NO. Just...no. I need Zune back.
The Music+Video hub was about 60% of the reason why I adored Windows Phone so much from the beginning.The Final Verdict:
Unfortunately, I will not be adopting the Lumia 1520 as my primary device until Windows Phone 8.1 is released. I will also likely await the ANZ app as well, before I go into the carrier store and order a Nano SIM for the phone.It's very disappointing that such seemingly small, insignificant things are preventing me from using it completely. But there you have it.
Sorry for the ridiculously long post everyone!
Hope you enjoy.
cocotutch