No review of Lumia 1020 yet!

[poofyhairguy]

If that's how they've designed it, then they've failed miserably. I suspect that is NOT how they've designed it.

Standalone cameras are generally built with sufficiently sized buffers to compensate. The speed of the flash media doesn't come into play until the buffer is exhausted. I don't claim to be an engineer, but for a phone I would guess they might just use RAM.

It should be noted that on the iPhone 5S, it shoots 8 MP at 10 fps. In two seconds, that 160 Megapixels.

Alternatively, it may just be that the image processor just can't deal with 41 MP fast enough. If that's the case, that's also a design fail.

Or the OS can't keep up.

 

[Eug]

Or the OS can't keep up.

I'm not sure what you mean by that. The image processing should be done by an image processor (fast) or a general purpose CPU (possibly slow).

Or are you just saying that the app built into the OS might just so bloated that it's slow as molasses? I could see that I suppose.

Either way, if it really is several seconds between shots, that would drive me nuts, because that's the behaviour I'd expect from a 4 year-old camera phone or an el-cheapo standalone camera, not a flagship cameraphone being marketed specifically for its camera features.

 

[bearxor]

Nokia had to completely rewrite the image processing stack because the Qualcomm chip can only handle up to 20MP images. So who knows what's really happening behind the scenes.

It is really slow though.

Either way, if it really is several seconds between shots, that would drive me nuts, because that's the behaviour I'd expect from a 4 year-old camera phone or an el-cheapo standalone camera, not a flagship cameraphone being marketed specifically for its camera features.

It's at least two or three. After you snap the pic the screen goes black and you see "processing" on it for a few seconds.

 

[Eug]

Nokia had to completely rewrite the image processing stack because the Qualcomm chip can only handle up to 20MP images. So who knows what's really happening behind the scenes.

Wow really? Then that suggests to me they may not be be utilizing Qualcomm's integrated image processor and instead may just be using the general purpose cores for this. This would be slow and would also be quite power hungry.

 

[uscmafia]

I have heard that delay does not exist when you use the default camera app...

again it is not mentioned in the dpreview.com

 

[bearxor]

I believe the standard camera app only shoots a 5MP crop off the sensor.

 

[OneOfTheseDays]

Seriously AT is starting to show their distinct Apple/Google bias here.

It's been months since the 1020 was released and nary a review, yet we have the 5S review up instantaneously as well as the Galaxy Note phone/tablet.

Lately their bias has been showing through and their reviews have been subpar. I think Anand needs to hire more writers, his team is woefully understaffed for the job they need to do to be the premier site for technology reviews.

 

[slackerinabox]

Seriously AT is starting to show their distinct Apple/Google bias here.

It's been months since the 1020 was released and nary a review, yet we have the 5S review up instantaneously as well as the Galaxy Note phone/tablet.

Lately their bias has been showing through and their reviews have been subpar. I think Anand needs to hire more writers, his team is woefully understaffed for the job they need to do to be the premier site for technology reviews.

Hah, it's not a bias - millions of hits for an iPhone article? Let's post that shit ASAP and make it a priority! Simple reasoning, this is a business after all.

 

[maevinj]

Seriously AT is starting to show their distinct Apple/Google bias here.

It's been months since the 1020 was released and nary a review, yet we have the 5S review up instantaneously as well as the Galaxy Note phone/tablet.

Lately their bias has been showing through and their reviews have been subpar. I think Anand needs to hire more writers, his team is woefully understaffed for the job they need to do to be the premier site for technology reviews.

Also the 1020 is a carrier exclusive @ ATT in the US, so it's market share is limited.

 

[OneOfTheseDays]

It's irrelevant how many units the 1020 has sold. It's an interesting piece of technology that is worthy of a detailed review/analysis IMHO.

If Anand's staff can't find the hours to review what is cool and interesting in the tech world, he needs to hire more writers. Simple as that. I still feel trying to split all phone reviews between himself and Brian Klugg is too much. There is simply too much to cover.

 

[slackerinabox]

It's irrelevant how many units the 1020 has sold. It's an interesting piece of technology that is worthy of a detailed review/analysis IMHO.

If Anand's staff can't find the hours to review what is cool and interesting in the tech world, he needs to hire more writers. Simple as that. I still feel trying to split all phone reviews between himself and Brian Klugg is too much. There is simply too much to cover.

To you.

 

[maevinj]

It's irrelevant how many units the 1020 has sold. It's an interesting piece of technology that is worthy of a detailed review/analysis IMHO.

If Anand's staff can't find the hours to review what is cool and interesting in the tech world, he needs to hire more writers. Simple as that. I still feel trying to split all phone reviews between himself and Brian Klugg is too much. There is simply too much to cover.

You've got to look at it from a revenue point of view. They can review the 1020 that's targeted @ the 100 million subscribers of ATT, which out of them, maybe at most 1000 visit Anandtech or you can do reviews of the Samsung Note 3 that is available on all carriers around the world. Which one do you think is going to get more clicks?? If you want reviews of it, go to wpcentral.com There's tons of information on it. Also there you can get first hand experience about how phones are covered based on what carries they're available on. You'll hardly find anything about any Verizonwireless Windows phone because it's a small percentage of the overall world market.

 

[maevinj]

It's irrelevant how many units the 1020 has sold. It's an interesting piece of technology that is worthy of a detailed review/analysis IMHO.

If Anand's staff can't find the hours to review what is cool and interesting in the tech world, he needs to hire more writers. Simple as that. I still feel trying to split all phone reviews between himself and Brian Klugg is too much. There is simply too much to cover.

On a side note, I agree I think they SHOULD do one, but I understand why that don't and only focus on Apple/Samsung products.

 

[bearxor]

It's irrelevant how many units the 1020 has sold. It's an interesting piece of technology that is worthy of a detailed review/analysis IMHO.

I completely disagree. The phone itself is essentially the same as the Lumia 920. The camera is the only really interesting piece and I don't really come to AT for camera reviews, I go to dpreview.com for that.

Having said that, I think they'd be in a better position to slide on it if they had reviewed the Lumia 920. But they haven't. I think in another thread someone pulled the last Windows Phone review as the Lumia 900 in early 2012.

 

[poofyhairguy]

It's irrelevant how many units the 1020 has sold. It's an interesting piece of technology that is worthy of a detailed review/analysis IMHO.

Why? Because its a better camera attached to the phone?

Nokia did that YEARS ago with the 808:

And Samsung did the same last year with the Galaxy Camera:

And this year with the S4 Zoom.


So tell me, what makes the 1020 special?

 

[pandemonium]

What makes it special?

• Form of digital optical zoom
• OIS
• Tons of situational camera apps/tricks, some exclusive to it
• WP8 (which means at least a few integration things to note, performance, OS lay-out, etc.)
• First PureView phone on WP
• Screen density is 332ppi
• Dolby Digital Plus
• More manual controls that camera buffs use and smartphones don't have
• Barometer (the only other phone to have that is the Nexus)
• Optional camera tripod mount/additional battery form-factoring mold

If you need more reason than that to be considered review worthy, you clearly aren't into technology, and are only into what all of the hipsters have in their pockets.

 

[pandemonium]

Duplicate

 

[bearxor]

So... Basically the camera, right?

I mean the L920 has OIS. And WP8. And is getting the pro camera app.

I don't think anyone disagrees that it shouldn't be reviewed, especially since AT has yet to review a WP8 device, but the L1020 doesn't bring a whole lot new to the line other than the camera.

 

[podspi]

Anand and Brian did talk about the 1020 in today's podcast. Brian stated if he does a review on it will not be a phone review but instead a camera review. Microsoft is not taking windows phone seriously and thus it should not get any coverage, the lumina camera though is the best in the business, Brian loves it, and he would recommend the phone to people who only take pictures and texts, but for other things windows phone is still lacking and Microsoft simply does not care.

What makes you say Microsoft isn't taking WP seriously? I just picked up a 520 and I have to say that I love the thing. It certainly isn't perfect, but it is a decent mobile OS.

 

[elitejp]

the thing that im interested in is in the sensor size of the camera and the pic quality. So for me the camera is one of the most important things on a phone. Its probably one of the most used features on any phone. I really dont think theres anything terribly new on any phone however reviews are helpful when looking at the differences.

 

[poofyhairguy]

What makes it special?

• Form of digital optical zoom
• OIS
• Tons of situational camera apps/tricks, some exclusive to it
• WP8 (which means at least a few integration things to note, performance, OS lay-out, etc.)
• First PureView phone on WP
• Screen density is 332ppi
• Dolby Digital Plus
• More manual controls that camera buffs use and smartphones don't have
• Barometer (the only other phone to have that is the Nexus)
• Optional camera tripod mount/additional battery form-factoring mold

If you need more reason than that to be considered review worthy, you clearly aren't into technology, and are only into what all of the hipsters have in their pockets.

No I am hugely into mobile tech, its just that the camera is maybe the fourth most important thing to me on a phone and your list basically boils down to the camera.

I would put the OS, the SoC, and the screen tech before the camera. And the 1020 is boring on that side of the technology spectrum.

In fact I don't get your implication that only a hipster wouldn't care about the camera. If anything a hipster cares so they can take crystal clear pictures of their meals to post on tumblr.

I care about how fast it is, how many apps I can install, how many pixels are shoved on the screen. THAT is technology. What you want belongs on a photography site...

 

[uscmafia]

The top 5 things 'I' care about when I buy a cellphone

1. Web/Email on the go (so LTE,3G etc etc along with a solid browser)
2. Camera
3. Maps
4. Good screen
5. Quick app switching.

any phone that can do those things properly is a primary candidate for a buy... Lumia checks all the five for me... and I love anandtech reviews a lot... feel bad that they are not covering it....

and yes the Camera on this thing looks awesome...

 

[slackerinabox]

The top 5 things 'I' care about when I buy a cellphone

1. Web/Email on the go (so LTE,3G etc etc along with a solid browser)
2. Camera
3. Maps
4. Good screen
5. Quick app switching.

any phone that can do those things properly is a primary candidate for a buy... Lumia checks all the five for me... and I love anandtech reviews a lot... feel bad that they are not covering it....

and yes the Camera on this thing looks awesome...

Hi Microsoft intern - welcome to anandtech! I noticed that you didn't mention "great app selection," quick give away that you work for MS

 

[foghorn67]

No I am hugely into mobile tech, its just that the camera is maybe the fourth most important thing to me on a phone and your list basically boils down to the camera.

I would put the OS, the SoC, and the screen tech before the camera. And the 1020 is boring on that side of the technology spectrum.

In fact I don't get your implication that only a hipster wouldn't care about the camera. If anything a hipster cares so they can take crystal clear pictures of their meals to post on tumblr.

I care about how fast it is, how many apps I can install, how many pixels are shoved on the screen. THAT is technology. What you want belongs on a photography site...

That's you though. A lot of people want a comprehensive review, and would appreciate it.
Why does you=everyone else?

 

[poofyhairguy]

That's you though. A lot of people want a comprehensive review, and would appreciate it.
Why does you=everyone else?

I am not the master of the world or something. I am just saying given Anand's review history the camera on a phone isn't a priority. The 5S review had six pages for the SoC and one for the camera for example, even though the 5s camera is its biggest upgrade.

Seems if you want a comprehensive review of the only standout feature of this phone, it would come from a photography site.