At the moment, it seems like you cant open Metro or Evening Standard without seeing an ad for the new Lumia 1020…being billed as the photographers phone.
Given the chance to test drive one was too good a chance to miss and most unlike me, I waited patiently for it to drop through my letterbox.
To cut to the chase, I wasn’t disappointed – at least with the camera aspect. I’m no fan of any phone other than my precious iPhone. I love the OS, the interface, the size, its so simple and intuitive. So, I struggled with this handset as a Windows phone. I am not keen on the interface, the way it works, etc is not my cup of tea at all – but can see how it appeals to some.
I actually grew to love the bright yellow casing and the massive screen – coming in at around 130mm high and 71mm wide. It weighs a mere 158 grams and feels good to handle. The matt case (available in yellow and black) is good to hold – vital in any camera… or phone.
And there lies my issue. There is nothing amazing here in terms of a phone but it is one hell of a camera. This is a true case of a brilliant camera with a phone attached. It has a unique cushioning system around the camera that has suspended optics so you can take blur free photos and stable videos. You can hear this in action as its ball-baring based.
All the usual phone functions are here, messaging, email, games, music, social networking and on occasion even phone calls…but it’s an amazing camera.
This is a 41 mega pixel camera – there are stand alone cameras out there that don’t have that many pixels! It has a Xenon flash that illuminates for days and a screen that shows you the results instantly and at a decent size.
There are numerous additions on this phone, including panorama mode, creative studio that allows you to edit on the go, smart cam that allows you to shoot sequences simply and easily, and a good, old fashioned basic camera, but with one hell of a massive screen.
What camera on the market today has a screen of this size? Regardless of the extras or the phone options, the screen alone is a deal sealer! How many times have you taken an image but cant see it on your teeny tiny screen and its not until you finally manage to download to your computer that you realise how crap they are? And by then its too late to take another, but with this little beauty…
I have several cameras including a Canon DSLR and a handy little pocket seized Leica but this camera/phone is wonderful. It has one hell of a camera, simply taking beautiful images with the added advantage of having a camera included. You can snap, edit, upload and share in one easy piece of tech.
I may not be a convert to Windows phones (it needs so much work on its interface) but I can forgive that because of the possibilities this camera offers….
Buy one, now!
Available from: Three, O2, Vodafone, EE, Phones 4U, Carphone Warehouse
RRP: £549.99
