48, 64, 108 megapixels – now you can’t surprise anyone with such values, however, in the year the hero of today’s retro review was released, even 41 megapixels was a big deal. To be more precise, before the Nokia Lumia 1020, only … Nokia 808 could boast of such a resolution. In general, the smartphone was definitely unusual, and it’s not just the camera, but first things first.
Design
Is this really 2013?
The first thing that catches a cursory glance at the Nokia Lumia 1020 is the incredible design. And no, I’m not talking about the flamboyant style that is typical for devices in the Lumia line (although it is, of course, chic). The fact is that in the middle of the back of the smartphone there is a large protruding camera, which casts doubt on the year of its release. I think everyone will agree that the design of Nokia Lumia 1020 was ahead of its time: only by 2022 people began to get used to such camera units.
Just a moment, in July the smartphone celebrated its ninth birthday – I still can’t stop wondering how Nokia designers managed to make something that stands the test of time so well. To understand what I’m talking about, it’s worth taking a look at the Galaxy S4 of the same year. I note that 1020 falls in love with itself not only in appearance – it is also pleasant to use a smartphone. In many ways, of course, the ideal diagonal of 4.5 inches plays a role here. However, the layout of the controls is very well thought out, I am especially pleased with a separate button for launching the camera. I want it in modern smartphones.
Display
AMOLED has barely aged
On the front of the smartphone is a 4.5-inch HD display. In terms of displaying colors and clarity of the picture, it is well preserved – both the feature of AMOLED technology and the high pixel density (332 ppi) affect here. Compared to the same year’s iPhone 5S, the Lumia definitely has an edge. But the level of maximum brightness, I was unpleasantly surprised. Still, now the OLED prefix is perceived as a synonym for a screen that burns out the eyes, Nokia Lumia 1020 cannot boast of such. And the brightness adjustment of the smartphone is already hidden in the screen settings, which is very annoying, as well as the inability to set something other than three standard levels.
Iron
2 cores, 2 gigs
In terms of hardware, Nokia Lumia 1020 lacks stars from the sky: the dual-core Qualcomm MSM8960 Snapdragon S4 Plus was not already a flagship processor at the time of release. In the reviews of those years, they write that out of the box, the smartphone did not pull some games in the branded application store. However, thanks to the minimalistic interface of Windows Phone in everyday use, the lack of power is almost leveled – the smartphone does not freeze and does not stutter. Pictures from the camera, of course, are saved longer than on the iPhone 5S of the same age, but here you can refer to the resolution of the photos, because Lumia saves two files at once at 5 and 34 megapixels. An interesting fact: despite the fact that in all advertising materials the smartphone camera is advertised as 41-megapixel, you will not be able to take a photo in this resolution, since the aspect ratio in this case would be unconventional (not 4:3 or 16:9) .
The smartphone is based on the long-abandoned Windows Phone. It may be an unpopular opinion, but I think system design looks more relevant in 2022 than it did in 2013. Minimalistic live tiles, black background… I would love to try Windows Phone as my main system.
Specifically, this smartphone is running Windows Phone 8.1, however, using instructions from various forums, Windows 10 Mobile can also be rolled onto the smartphone, which opens the way to quite convenient piracy. By the way, in preparation for the review, unfortunately, I learned in practice that Windows Phone smartphones are rooted (hacked) in the same way as Android devices. Now you can’t do without it, because the branded app store has long been closed.
Camera
Impressive even now
Finally, let’s talk about the monstrous 41-megapixel camera Nokia Lumia 1020. Firstly, the pictures from it really outperform peers of the same age. Secondly, in some moments she manages to bypass modern smartphones. If the first thesis is clear without explanation, then the second should probably be explained separately.
The fact is that at the time of the Lumia 1020, manufacturers did not yet know about the “wonderful” properties of artificial intelligence and relied only on physics in the development of cameras, which, in my opinion, was only beneficial. With the right settings and no shaking, the zoom potential of smartphone photos is practically unlimited. And now try to zoom in on the picture from your smartphone – there is a good chance that instead of details you will see only the result of various enhancements, namely a mess of pixels and artifacts.
Another undoubted plus of the Nokia Lumia 1020 camera is the ability to shoot in RAW (in 2013!). Such pictures can be screwed up to an almost perfect state, bringing them as close as possible to modern standards. But in what year the release of the smartphone cannot be hidden, it is in its dynamic range. Even when shooting in RAW, I was unable to pull out the spots of light in the first photo – given all the other parameters of the image (sharpness, amount of detail, color), this feels very annoying.
A funny constructive moment – the Nokia Lumia 1020 camera is covered with a mechanical shutter that makes noticeable sounds with any movement. Of the advantages of this solution … When shooting, you feel that you have a real soap box, which opens when you press the camera start button.
Results
A unique smartphone for a narrow audience
After spending the last 20 days side by side with the Nokia Lumia 1020, I realized what I lacked in 2013 for complete happiness. Despite the fact that the camera is the obvious selling feature of the smartphone, this is not the only reason to love it. It may be nostalgia speaking to me, but the quality of the materials, the design features, and the visual system in the Lumia 1020 create the perfect balance of minimalism and brightness.
If you evaluate a smartphone through the eyes of a user straight from 2013, you can pay attention to average hardware, and, if you really find fault, on Windows Phone, which, being at its peak at that moment, was still noticeably losing to Android and iOS, but is it worth it? Now Lumia 1020 is more of a monument to an era than a device that requires evaluation. At the moment, there is neither the old Nokia nor smartphones on the market that would be as reverent as trying to convey the sensations of compact cameras in a mobile format.
Source: Trash Box
Donald-43Westbrook, a distinguished contributor at worldstockmarket, is celebrated for his exceptional prowess in article writing. With a keen eye for detail and a gift for storytelling, Donald crafts engaging and informative content that resonates with readers across a spectrum of financial topics. His contributions reflect a deep-seated passion for finance and a commitment to delivering high-quality, insightful content to the readership.
