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Nokia Lumia 1020 announced; advanced 41 megapixel camera at $300 contract price

The Nokia Lumia 1020 is the best camera in a phone ever released and it will be available soon on AT&T. Are consumers seeking even better photography and willing to shell out the money to go to a Windows Phone device?
Written by Matthew Miller, Contributing Writer
Nokia Lumia 1020 announced; advanced 41 megapixel camera at $300 contract price
Image: Nokia

Thanks to all the leaks, there wasn't much left to be revealed at today's Nokia Lumia 1020 event in New York, but we did get the official announcement and I know some ZDNet folks, like Mary Jo Foley, are getting some hands-on time. The entire event was focused on incredible imaging technology and the real test for Nokia will be to see if consumers find it worth the $300 contract price in a couple of weeks.

I bought a Nokia 808 PureView and found that it was easily the best camera in a phone ever made, with a focus on the camera. I took quite a few photos for a month or so, but since I don't focus on photography in my life and just take snapshots as things happen most any 5-8 megapixel camera in a phone really has been found to be acceptable.

The pictures I see people posting from most phones are terrible, but consumers don't seem to care that much as it shows the event and the people in them. It still drives me crazy and I wish they would make some attempts to take a decent photo.

People aren't zooming in to look at fine details or printing out their photos. They also aren't connecting to a PC to manage their photos and just keep snapping and sharing away. I agree that the best camera is the one that is always with you for the most part, but then again I do appreciate a great photo as well.

You can buy a solid point and shoot camera, but again I just don't see people having the time to manage those photos and the convenience of having a "connected" camera outweighs image quality. The Nokia Lumia 1020 is a device where you don't have to compromise quality for connectivity and it is a great option for the photographer.

There is no argument that the Nokia Lumia 1020 is the ultimate camera in a phone with specifications that can't be matched in the camera. I think 808 PureView fans may be very interested in the device and those who can get by with Windows Phone may appreciate it as well. I personally like Windows Phone a lot, but there is still too much missing to make it my only smartphone. The Lumia 925, $50 up front on T-Mobile, appeals to me more due to the form factor while still having an excellent camera and I will probably pick one of those up next week.

The confirmed primary specs of the Nokia Lumia 1020 include:

  • Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 dual-core 1.5 GHz processor
  • 4.5 inch 1280x768 pixel resolution display
  • 41 megapixel camera with Xenon flash
  • 2GB RAM
  • 32GB integrated storage
  • 2000 mAh battery
  • Dimensions of 130.4 x 71.4 x 10.4 mm and 158 grams

You can purchase a battery/camera adapter accessory and Qi charging cover as well. The 1020 will come in black, white, and yellow.

If the 1020 was available on T-Mobile I would definitely buy it, but I recently dropped AT&T to save some money on services I wasn't using. I hate the carrier exclusives, but may get a 1020 in the future when it becomes available elsewhere or I may just stick with the expensive 808 PureView I still have for photos.

Is the high end camera of the Lumia 1020 enough to get you to pick one up or are you satisfied with the camera you have now in the phone you prefer?

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