Nokia Lumia 1020 vs. iPhone 5s Comparison, Specs, and News
The Nokia Lumia 1020 is an amazing phone. It has what Nokia calls "reinvented zoom with 41 megapixels." Basically that means it's a point and shoot camera inside of a smartphone. The Lumia 1020 uses a simple yet powerful live tile interface to display your content and runs Windows Phone 8 from Microsoft. How does the Nokia Lumia 1020 super phone stack up to the 64-bit, fingerprint scanning iPhone 5s? Look at our feature set breakdown below to decide which of these two beautifully designed handsets is a better fit for your lifestyle.
Camera
The Lumia 1020 offers unprecedented control over your images for a mobile device. You can control ISO, shutter speed, or exposure settings inside the camera app. This is a great feature set for the aspiring pro photographer. With 41 megapixels, you are essentially getting medium format (4x5) photography resolution. Pro DSLRs don't even exceed the 36mp sensor offered up in the Nikon D800E. With all that resolution you can snap away and crop your photos later. A recent update allows provided RAW image capture for maximum detail.
The iPhone 5s on the other hand has a seemingly barebone feature set. However it's a speed demon. The iPhone camera app launches much more quickly than the Nokia Lumia. And while the iPhone doesn't offer OIS -- Optical Image Stabilization -- it does have a handy burst feature that intelligently selects the sharpest shot. The video features are robust too with up to 120fps shooting for slow motion capture.
Software
Everyone knows iPhone 5s uses iOS 7. It's a great operating system because it's easy to use. In under an hour you can have your iPhone fully set up with email, apps and iCloud. iOS 7 is also touted by Apple as being the most advanced mobile operating system. That is probably accurate, but iOS isn't really customizable. You can change the font size, add a custom ringtone and change your background. Anything more really requires the user to jailbreak the device. Doing so will void your Apple warranty, but the customization benefits may be worth it for you.
The Lumia 1020 counters with Windows Phone 8. Windows Phone is a fledging system and, really, without Nokias great phones would be dead. It's got a very limited selection of apps when compared to iOS and Android. It's great if you are an Xbox Live gamer or own a Windows 8 PC, however. You can watch your Xbox friends battle it out right on your phone so you never miss a moment of the action. The user experience is much the same as on a laptop or desktop thanks to live tiles. These tiles display information such as weather, Facebook updates and email messages. They are fully customizable.
Build Quality
Both phones have an amazing fit and finish to them. The iPhone 5s has an aluminum casing that protects the back and side. Edge-to-edge Gorilla glass helps protect the gorgeous Retina display Apple is famous for. A sapphire glass fingerprint scanner replaces the old home button. It looks entirely the same except for a ring around the home button. The 5s comes in space gray, silver and gold colors.
The Nokia Lumia 1020 is no slouch when it comes to design and feel either. Made out of solid, hefty plastic the Lumia feels really good in your hand. If you're familiar with the feel of the iPhone 5c, another plastic smartphone, you should be right at home. Like the 5s the 1020 utilizes Gorilla Glass 3 to provide an amazing durable display with good viewing angles and smudge-free usage. The Lumia is available in yellow, black or white.
Price
The Nokia Lumia can be yours for $199.99 with a two-year contract from AT&T.
The iPhone 5s retails for $199.99, $299.99 and $399.99, depending on the amount of storage you choose. All four major carriers sell the iPhone.
Storage
The Nokia Lumia features 32gb of non-expandable storage. With plenty of options to store your songs, photos and videos in the cloud the lack of an SD card slot doesn't really make a big difference. If you watch the occasional show and play a few games, 32gb is more than enough storage space.
The iPhone 5s also features 32gb of non-expandable storage alongside a cheaper 16gb variant and a gargantuan 64gb model. At $399 subsidized with a two-year contract the 64gb 5s is a heavy price to pay. It's only meant for power users or those with money to burn.
Display
The Lumia 1020 sports a generous 4.5" AMOLED screen at 768 by 1280 pixels. That comes out to 334 pixels per inch (ppi) and of course it's a multi-touch display.
The 5s comes equipped with a 4" Retina screen (IPS LCD) at 640 by 1136 pixels wide. That translates into 326 pixels per inch. It's also a multi-touch display.
Battery life
Both of these phones have average battery life. The 2000 mAh battery inside Nokia's phone will grant you 13 plus hours of talking time.
The iPhone 5s battery is a tiny 1440 mAh, but remember that the screen is fairly small compared to the Lumia. You can eke out 8 hours with the battery. Thankfully charging is relatively fast on the 5s.
Which phone are you leaning towards? Let us know in the comments section below.