Three weeks. It's verdict time.

cocotutch

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Hi all. I would like to provide my general verdict on the Lumia 1520 after owning one for three weeks.

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.​

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.​

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
 

cocotutch

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Because it's not ready yet. My device doesn't have the "Tap Sensitivity" issue, and I don't want to run the risk of installing Lumia Cyan/Windows Phone 8.1 early and winding up with issues. I'm the same with all Beta OS' though. I refuse to install OS X Yosemite or iOS 8 on my iPod Touch until they're good and ready.

Guess it comes down to personal preferences. :)
 

MDK22

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...
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.
cocotutch

ONLY addressing this issue (quoted, above) ...

For app notifications that are important to you, pin the tile to the start screen (lotsa room, make them prominent) The tile will (minimum) display a number (of notifications) or some indicator of a new notification (though I don't know which apps you use).
This way you can enjoy the goodness of the Lumia 1520, shake out the phone (while there's still an option to return it) & familiarize yourself with the device (& Windows Phone).

Depending on where you are, which version of the Lumia 1520, you can expect WinPhone 8.1 anywhere from 3 weeks to 3 months (a long time to wait). I understand your position on beta software, BUT, this latest version is very stable - only waiting for the firmware updates included in Lumia Cyan (& resultant integration) ... and it's created a whole new experience.
Love the notification center, speed dials, etc. all the tweaks that came with it - and it seems right sized (happened after the first week), after having it for 4 months.

Good luck w your decision ...
 

Geddeeee

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Because it's not ready yet. My device doesn't have the "Tap Sensitivity" issue, and I don't want to run the risk of installing Lumia Cyan/Windows Phone 8.1 early and winding up with issues. I'm the same with all Beta OS' though. I refuse to install OS X Yosemite or iOS 8 on my iPod Touch until they're good and ready.

Guess it comes down to personal preferences. :)

The 'tap sensitivity' issue has been fixed. I had it on my 1520 when I first installed the DP, but subsequent updates of Touch, Glance etc have fixed this entirely. The only app it happens on from time to time is WP Central, funnily enough....
Apart from that little niggle, WP is light years ahead of Android and iOS. Simple as that!!!!
The app gap, is bulls**t... It doesn't really exist, as you have found out. The other platforms may have a million plus apps, but most of these are rubbish 3rd party offerings (fart sims, cracked screen etc...)
Android in particular, has loads of options to mask the fact that it hasn't really changed in 5 years. Still the same 'widgets' (Ugh!!!) and grids of icons. I tried Android for 8 months, and had to get rid of it, because it was counter productive and ultimately unsatisfying.....
I was an early adopter of WP7, and haven't looked back. the media doesn't like Microsoft, so will try any slur to lay into them. i remember the same journos saying that WP would disappear within a year. Now 4 years on, MS and Nokia are pushing the beauty that is WP to the forefront, where it deserves to be.......
 

buxz777

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The 'tap sensitivity' issue has been fixed. I had it on my 1520 when I first installed the DP, but subsequent updates of Touch, Glance etc have fixed this entirely. The only app it happens on from time to time is WP Central, funnily enough....
Apart from that little niggle, WP is light years ahead of Android and iOS. Simple as that!!!!
The app gap, is bulls**t... It doesn't really exist, as you have found out. The other platforms may have a million plus apps, but most of these are rubbish 3rd party offerings (fart sims, cracked screen etc...)
Android in particular, has loads of options to mask the fact that it hasn't really changed in 5 years. Still the same 'widgets' (Ugh!!!) and grids of icons. I tried Android for 8 months, and had to get rid of it, because it was counter productive and ultimately unsatisfying.....
I was an early adopter of WP7, and haven't looked back. the media doesn't like Microsoft, so will try any slur to lay into them. i remember the same journos saying that WP would disappear within a year. Now 4 years on, MS and Nokia are pushing the beauty that is WP to the forefront, where it deserves to be.......

the app gap might be rubbish to you but it is there and a real problem ..... yes there are apps there and they continue to pop up from the big hitters but the question remains why are Skype , whatsapp , twitter , facebook and instragram lacking so much compared to their other o/s counterparts?? so the store has the app names but the apps don't offer the same features as other operating systems I mean cmon you cant even send a file in Skype and its owned by Microsoft ;-) do you see what I am saying? this is without the little apps people use like particular banking/social/shopping/dating related apps that wont hit until the o/s hits a certain market share as its deemed not worthwhile otherwise

its not all fart apps and silly little apps that people are missing , its features from big apps and also the little apps that are particular to their daily routines etc ;-)

so for you it is not a problem but for anyone switching from another operating system that's a big Skype , whatsapp , facebook user who also uses a certain selection of smaller apps for other needs that have no other options ........ well they are going to notice them big time ;-)

its a problem and so is saying it isn't , its like an ostrich sticking their head in the sand if you like ;-) its a big problem , as a avid user of Symbian which was in the same situation app wise , lack of quality apps , apps being released later then others and in a weaker state , missing features from apps , being left out all together by developers I know how much the app eco system can effect a operating system even if it is the market leader ;-) windows is in a much better position with dev tools and eco system but it needs to get companys making apps people use and also to match the quality of apps on other operating systems and get the release dates of apps more equal to other operating systems

to the op of the thread , about the preview , when it 1st came out I had battery drain even on a clean install , howver the latest dev preview updates have fixed it up and its now pretty rock solid , so much so its on the nokia 630 being sold in shops ;-) as others have said it could be a long wait before you get 8.1+cyan for your product code ;-)

hope it isn't to long and you get to enjoy the device asap its a great phone ;-)
 

etphoto

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Well written review. Thanks.

The thing that puzzles me though, banking apps. People really "need" a banking app? I mean, how did we survive without them, a mere 10 years ago? Most (if not all) banks can be accessed online if it really is that necessary. I have accounts at 4 different banks and never considered looking for an app. Just how often does one need to go to their bank? lol

To each his own.

Yeah, as you already said, 8.1 and the action center is nice. It was something I didn't miss in 8.0 but now that I have 8.1 it is a nice feature.
 

Chris_Kez

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Because it's not ready yet. ......I'm the same with all Beta OS' though. I refuse to install OS X Yosemite or iOS 8 on my iPod Touch until they're good and ready.

You're free to wait until your carrier pushes it out to you, or even later until MS releases an official Update (8.1.1?) and your carrier pushes that out- BUT do not confuse the 8.1 "developer preview" with the Beta for iOS 8 or OS X Yosemite. WP8.1 is not a "beta". Now, if you're saying you're the kind of person who waited for iOS 7.1 because you worried about bugs in iOS 7, then that's a different story. But at this late point in the development of WP8.1 you are really just depriving yourself of a largely improved OS (excluding Xbox Music).
 

cocotutch

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...Do not confuse the 8.1 "developer preview" with the Beta for iOS 8 or OS X Yosemite. WP8.1 is not a "beta". Now, if you're saying you're the kind of person who waited for iOS 7.1 because you worried about bugs in iOS 7, then that's a different story ... You are really just depriving yourself of a largely improved OS (excluding Xbox Music).

Thanks for your input. I based my "do not install 8.1" decision on the endless complaints about touch sensitivity, battery drain and bugs. I do have a "thing" regarding Beta software, as I had a serious crash in 2010 or so running an OS X Developer Preview which resulted in more than 1TB of Data flying away out the nearest open window, irrecoverable.

Ever since then, I've been extremely hesitant to install Betas or Developer Previews unless I specifically need them. iOS 8 Betas of course remain an exception. As much as I loathe doing so, I must install them to maintain my iOS apps and ensure all kinks in them relating to the new OS are solved in good time before the GP release of the software.

The app gap might be rubbish to you but it is there and a real problem ... the question remains: why are Skype , WhatsApp, Twitter, Facebook and Instagram lacking so much compared to their other OS counterparts? ...

To the OP, about the preview, when it 1st came out I had battery drain even on a clean install, however the latest dev preview updates have fixed it up and its now pretty rock solid, so much so its on the Nokia 630 being sold in shops ;-) as others have said it could be a long wait before you get 8.1+cyan for your product code ;-) ...

hope it isn't to long and you get to enjoy the device asap its a great phone ;-)

As a developer (for iOS), I can answer this for you. Windows Phone 8's SDK is very convoluted. It's uninviting to write for, and is very complicated. As is writing apps that work well for Windows itself.

Part of the problem may be that WP8 apps are written in HTML5. That's the last I heard. HTML5 cannot be natively executed on any device itself apart from inside a Browser to the extent of my knowledge. That could explain why the apps feel as though they lack something.

Personally, I feel that each and every app--bar a few--on my Lumia 1520 lacks finesse. Every app that wasn't written with support for the 1080p display feels incomplete, is actually blurry and feels rather clunky. This is rather like what happened to iOS apps around the time of the Retina Display's introduction. It will get better.

Perhaps a majority of said apps were written for lesser hardware and are thus "under-baked" to remain lightning quick on the lowest-end WP devices. Once apps designed specifically FOR the Lumia 930, 1320, 1520 (and other high end WP) devices, I think this will change.

And I don't have a SIM in my device. I purchased it outright, unlocked. I will be of course getting a SIM post-haste once Windows Phone 8.1 arrives as a "You can install a System Update!" notification. I know it'll be a while, and I'm prepared to keep using my phone as a vastly superior media player and camera until such time arrives. :)

Well written review. Thanks.

The thing that puzzles me though, banking apps. People really "need" a banking app? I mean, how did we survive without them, a mere 10 years ago? Most (if not all) banks can be accessed online if it really is that necessary. I have accounts at 4 different banks and never considered looking for an app. Just how often does one need to go to their bank? lol

To each his own.

Yeah, as you already said, 8.1 and the action center is nice. It was something I didn't miss in 8.0 but now that I have 8.1 it is a nice feature.

You're quite welcome! :)

And yes I require a banking app. I can, as you pointed out so rightly, use the Browser to access my accounts and perform transfers, pay bills, etcetera with little headache. However, my partner and I frequently "Mobile Pay" each other to go pick up something--socks, dinner...-- on the way home from work. He'll often pay to my mobile number so it's instant, and I can use the cash right away.

Without the app, I won't get a notification of funds received for one, and it will likely not work (without the app) on my phone.
 

jordanzhninja

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To be fair, there is a huge app gap, but we just don't like to admit it, because there are alternatives that are almost as good
Have you seen the twitter app? It's still got the black UI from about 2 years ago instead of the new white UI.
 

EwingMCSE

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Don't really understand why people get so hung up on the lack of official banking apps. My bank doesn't have one either, but I have no trouble just using the browser interface to log in and do what needs to be done.

I certainly couldn't see that as being the deciding factor in which phone/OS I use. I'd never go back to iPhone or Droid for a slightly better banking experience.
 

Pierre Blackwell

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the app gap might be rubbish to you but it is there and a real problem ..... yes there are apps there and they continue to pop up from the big hitters but the question remains why are Skype , whatsapp , twitter , facebook and instragram lacking so much compared to their other o/s counterparts?? so the store has the app names but the apps don't offer the same features as other operating systems I mean cmon you cant even send a file in Skype and its owned by Microsoft ;-) do you see what I am saying? this is without the little apps people use like particular banking/social/shopping/dating related apps that wont hit until the o/s hits a certain market share as its deemed not worthwhile otherwise

its not all fart apps and silly little apps that people are missing , its features from big apps and also the little apps that are particular to their daily routines etc ;-)

so for you it is not a problem but for anyone switching from another operating system that's a big Skype , whatsapp , facebook user who also uses a certain selection of smaller apps for other needs that have no other options ........ well they are going to notice them big time ;-)

its a problem and so is saying it isn't , its like an ostrich sticking their head in the sand if you like ;-) its a big problem , as a avid user of Symbian which was in the same situation app wise , lack of quality apps , apps being released later then others and in a weaker state , missing features from apps , being left out all together by developers I know how much the app eco system can effect a operating system even if it is the market leader ;-) windows is in a much better position with dev tools and eco system but it needs to get companys making apps people use and also to match the quality of apps on other operating systems and get the release dates of apps more equal to other operating systems

to the op of the thread , about the preview , when it 1st came out I had battery drain even on a clean install , howver the latest dev preview updates have fixed it up and its now pretty rock solid , so much so its on the nokia 630 being sold in shops ;-) as others have said it could be a long wait before you get 8.1+cyan for your product code ;-)

hope it isn't to long and you get to enjoy the device asap its a great phone ;-)

What does 6tag lack on WP that the instagram app on iOS or Andriod provide? What can you do on Skype on iOS and Andriod that you can't do on the version on WP? I get that it might not be as kind to the eyes, but it works fine to me. A lot of apps are convenience like bank apps, but I don't usually use them because I'm still limited from the website as to what I can do. I think the Facebook Beta for WP is as good and the UI is better then iOS and Andriod. Most apps now are being released around the same time. It's all about your comfort zone. There are a lot of apps on WP that could provide you with the same services than the other OS's but if you don't try to look for them, you won't know (i.e. Bing apps can be used to replace a plethora of apps used on other OS's. I think it's obvious that MSFT priority in the grander scheme isn't WP, but that people that operate in a MSFT rich environment use WP because it enhances the experience, which it does.
 

Amrykid

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As a developer (for iOS), I can answer this for you. Windows Phone 8's SDK is very convoluted. It's uninviting to write for, and is very complicated. As is writing apps that work well for Windows itself.

Part of the problem may be that WP8 apps are written in HTML5. That's the last I heard. HTML5 cannot be natively executed on any device itself apart from inside a Browser to the extent of my knowledge. That could explain why the apps feel as though they lack something.
.

Just wanted to add that: not all WP8 apps are written in HTML5. C#/VB.NET and C++ were the norm for WP8. HTML5 was added with 8.1, iirc.
 

Skamath

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I think it is the simplicity of using an app that the OP was referring to. For ANZ bank to log in on IE it will need a 16 digit user name and 8-16 char alpha numeric pass and 2 new tabs. while the app once installed will be simplified with a 4 digit pin (hopefully).
 

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