Nokia Lumia 1520 vs Nokia Lumia 1320

Windows Phones with less powerful dual core processors run consistently and quickly because of the excellent software optimization of Windows Phone. As a result the 1520 with the first quad-core processor for Windows Phone runs just as smoothly but quicker.

The 1520's display is pretty close to perfection. The screen is 1080p with a dense PPI of 367. Colors are bright and vibrant. The display is super sensitive and can be used with gloves. The viewing angles are fantastic and the whites are truly white. The colors (temperature and saturation) can even be adjusted in Nokia's color profile application. The display is also protected by Gorilla Glass 2. Lastly Nokia's ClearBlack technology allows for better outdoor readability with built-in polarization filters.

The camera on the 1520 is fantastic even if it is a little bit overshadowed by the 41 megapixel camera on the 1020. The camera uses Carl Zeiss optics and has OIS (optical image stabilization) for photos in low light conditions and minimal vibration during videos. Image capture responsiveness is somewhat slow but the overall image quality is excellent. Nokia's camera apps also offer powerful levels of manual control and even RAW support.

The massive size of the Lumia 1520 allows for a massive, 3400 mAh battery. As a result the 1520 easily makes it through the day but because of it's powerful specifications any more would be difficult. Unfortunately though the battery is non-removable.

The 1520 comes with either 16 or 32GB of internal storage but also for MicroSD card support. With the upcoming Windows Phone 8.1 update applications will also be able to be installed on the MicroSD card.

The 1520 supports wireless charging with the optional accessory cover.

The most differentiating feature of the 1320 from other smartphones is it's screen size. The display is enormous. Luckily though this display is more than just huge. The brightness is very strong and the display excels in outdoor visibility because of the built in polarizing filters. The 1320 also offers a super-sensitivity option in the settings that allows for the use of the touchscreen with gloves. The super-sensitive display is protected by Gorilla Glass 3. Colors are accurate although a little under saturated for some tastes. Fortunately the color temperature and saturation of the 1320 can be adjusted to a small extent with the Nokia color profile app. The only real possible disappointment of the 1320's display is the PPI. The PPI of the 1320 is a somewhat low 245 pixels per inch. Pixelation is not an issue but text does not look as crisp as higher end smartphones. Although most have not found the PPI to be an issue at all.

The 1320 shares the same battery as the 1520. Both the 1520 and the 1320 take advantage of their large size and give the user fantastic battery life. Although the 1320 is even better though with its more modest specifications. A heavy user should easily make it through the day and if you are a light user 2-3 days is reasonable. Unfortunately though the battery is non-replaceable if the battery life ever decreases over time.

The 1320 is available online unlocked and contract free for just over $300. This is a fantastic price for a phone of this size and quality.

A dual core chip with 1GB of RAM is not exactly an impressive specification in the Android world. But Windows Phone is known to run perfectly smooth and consistent on all devices from the budget Lumia 520 with 512 MB of RAM to flagships with quad-core processors and 2GB of RAM like the Lumia 1520. The 1320 handles tasks admirably with only very heavy gamers maybe needing a more powerful processor. On the SunSpider JavaScript benchmark the 1320 recieved a score of 703 which is lower than the Note III, iPhone 5s, and Lumia 1520 but higher than the Galaxy S4, HTC One, and Nexus 5.

One of the best impacts Nokia has had on the smartphone industry is the influx of color. No longer are smartphones limited to the tired colors of black and white. The 1320 is available in a bright yellow, orange, white, and black.

The 1320 has a MicroSD card slot for storage expansion. Currently with Windows Phone 8, only user files such as music and photos can be put on the card. But with the upcoming Windows Phone 8.1 update applications can be saved to the card and MicroSD cards up to the massive 128GB size will be supported.