Nokia Lumia 1020 Reviews: Tech Critics React Positively to Phone's Camera and Durability

After being leaked and rumored nearly to death, the Nokia Lumia 1020 was finally unveiled by the company on Thursday. The new phone, powered by the Windows 8 operating system, is a stunning marriage of smatphone technology and high-end camera technology.

Sporting a 41-megapixel PureView camera, the Nokia Lumia 1020 is not entirely a new product. The smartphone and digital camera hybrid's proof of concept came with the Nokia 808, which came with a similar 41-megapixel camera. Unfortunately the device never really caught on as users had to sacrifice too much convenience and pocket friendliness to accommodate the phone's bulky size. However, as The Inquirer states, it was largely recognized as an indicator or proof of what Nokia could do in the future with Windows Phones.

Now that a few years have passed Nokia was able to perfect all the things that made its proof of concept phone a failure and turn them into successes. Visually the Nokia looks a lot like the Lumia 920. It ditches the metallic trim and plastic back plate of the newer phones for a unibody polycarbonate design that gives a look similar to the older Lumia models. However, don't let the lack of a metallic backing fool you, both CNET and the Inquirer point out the phone's robust and durable feel in one's hand.

Although the high end camera and sleek design are the device's obvious selling points. CNET insists there's more to it than that.

"Yes, the 1020's camera has a 41-megapixel sensor and, yes, it can take photos at that resolution, or at least close to it depending on your photo's aspect ratio: 38 megapixels for 4:3 or 34 megapixels for 16:9. But, as with the 808, that's really not the whole story," the site writes in its review. "The main reason for such a high-resolution sensor is for pixel oversampling. Nokia's algorithms collect data from multiple pixels to create what it calls a superpixel. These superpixels deliver a more accurate representation of the subject while also helping eliminate image noise in low-light conditions and make noise virtually nonexistent when shooting in good lighting. The end result is some really good 5-megapixel photos."

In addition, the 1020 has a better digital zoom as a result of the pixel oversampling. This means, as you zoom in with the device, the oversampling reduces until you've reached its resolution limit. After that it will simply be shooting at that pixel rate. There is no upscaling or interpolation.

Overall the device is a slim but practical way for the slightly above amateur photographer to have the functionality of a nice digital camera combined with the elegance and style of a Windows Phone.

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