My View of the Nokia Lumia 1320

I have been lucky enough to have been allowed a trial of the Nokia Lumia 1320 handset from the lovely people at Nokia Connects. The 1320 is basically a lower spec version of my Lumia 1520 but rather than using the one piece 'Fabula' design it has a similar , removeable back like the Lumia 625 and it falls into the more affordable 'mid-range' price region. The phone can be found on line for less than £200 sim free , which for what you get is frankly a steal !!

Now the fact that the 1320 is aimed at a different market to its more expensive phablet sibling you really do not lose 50% of the functionality or media experience of the 1520 and to be fair almost any user of either phone would NEVER use both at once and so some comparisons are frankly pointless. One of the best things about these Lumia phones with their 6” screens is the quality of media consumption , it is stunning, sure the full HD of the 1520 is better than the 720p of the 1320 but as always in life, you get what you pay for and with the 1320 you get a lot, in fact there are a couple of things I prefer on the cheaper phone (apart from the lower cost). The actual design of the 1320 is more 'comfortable' in some situations, with its pillowed back and rounded corners it is easier to hold for prolonged periods either viewing video or playing games without the corners digging into your hand, which has happened to me sometimes with the 1520. Also when comparing the red 1520 I have to the orange 1320 I have been loaned, I find the matt finish on the 1320 more pleasant to hold and also prefer the finish which is less shiny and shows marks less.

Full Lumia 1320 specs HERE

The other thing that both BIG Lumias give you is great battery life, I have been impressed with the 1520, but the 1320, as I have mentioned a couple of times on Twitter, is frankly ridiculous !! The 1320 has been on 80% plus battery level on what I would describe as a medium to heavy usage day and with light use , running 3G and syncing mail, OneDrive, Twitter and Facebook etc but not being checked regularly it can still be on 60%+ after four days . Now maybe the slower processor and lower resolution screen may explain some of this, but I believe it is some sort of Nokia VooDoo !!.

So the overall experience of using the Lumia 1320 over a period of two weeks has been an absolute delight, it has been capable and quick throughout, consuming media has been superb and the phone has produced some really nice photos. It's bright orange polycarbonate shell has attracted both comment and attention , the positive kind and I have been able to do whatever I wanted to with the phone for as long as I want knowing I couldn't kill the battery, even playing Hill Climb Racing for a couple of hours won't flatten the battery, which it pretty much does on the 1520.

I really cannot fault the 1320, anyone who likes Windows Phone or has moved from a feature phone could be very very happy with this handset in fact anyone who likes to do a bit of web browsing, youtube viewing, gaming or just prefers a big screen experience would simply love this handset and certainly many people could afford it. The 1320 falls into a fairly new area of the mobile phone world, and it appears to be expanding, I thing the 1320 will prove itself to be quite competitive as a value for money phablet that punches well above its weight .

Well that's about it, thanks for reading, thanks to Nokia Connects for the loan of the phone and I hope this isn't the last Nokia phone I try, if it is, then I hope the Microsoft phones produce the same quality and enjoyment :)

Stephen Quin

04/03/2014