Nokia’s first phablet, the Nokia Lumia 1320 combines great performance, affordable price and a big screen. It’s everything you want from a smartphone-tablet crossover, and at a very reasonable price tag. Launched in the Autumn of 2013, these were the first phablets to arrive on the Windows Phone 8 mobile operating system. They’re great all round phones, and you won’t regret opting for one.
Windows Phone 8
For most considering the Nokia Lumia 1320, the major stumbling block is the operating system. Windows Phone 8 isn’t as popular as Android or iOS yet, and many haven’t used it. Rest assured that it’s just as powerful as its more popular rivals, and has if anything more features. The Metro style user interface utilises tiles to both display information and for navigation. This is the perfect use for a phablet sized screen, allowing you to very quickly get updated on everything that’s going on right from the home screen.
Most of the big name and popular apps for iOS and Android are also available in the Windows Phone 8 app store. If you’re at all unsure if an app you need is available, Microsoft provide a really useful tool for checking which can even find comparable alternatives for apps that haven’t yet been ported over. Many of those who switch to Windows Phone 8 evangelise about the operating system, and it’s easy to see why. Plus for business users and students and additional bonus feature is that Microsoft Office apps are included.
Display
Six inches of high definition screen is something to behold on any phone. On the Nokia Lumia 1320 the 720p display is crisp and thanks to Corning Gorilla Glass 3 is also protected from scratches. The pixel density is 245 pixels per inch, giving it a great look where you can hardly tell the pixels apart.
Performance
Nokia has opted to use a chip from market leaders Qualcomm for processor, choosing a Snapdragon S4 dual-core chip which is powered at 1.7 GHz. This is combined with graphics from Adreno (the 305 GPU) and 1 GB RAM. All combined this leads to a snappy and fast device that won’t slow down no matter what task you put it to – whether it’s browsing graphics intensive websites, playing games or editing complex spreadsheets.
Internals
Storage space is provided by an 8GB internal chip, plus an extra 64 GB can be added by inserting a MicroSD card. MicroSD cards are incredibly affordable these days, with 32 GB ones selling for around £15 and 64 GB ones available for about £35. There’s also a really powerful battery, rated at 3400 mAh, which means the phone will last all day on a single charge despite the gigantic screen. Nokia claims you can get 21 hours of 3G talk time out of the battery.
Connectivity
The Nokia Lumia 1320 connects to 4G LTE, 3G and 2G networks, meaning whatever kind of contract you are on you’ll get the fastest speeds available. There’s also all the common connectivity such as Bluetooth 4, WiFi and GPS, as well as all the usual sensors.
Camera
The Nokia Lumia 1320 packs in a great camera with a quarter inch sensor that shoots photos at 5 megapixels. It includes an autofocus, as well as the ability to change the focus in the camera app. There’s a dedicated LED flash and you can capture 1080p Full HD video at 30 frames per second. The secondary camera is great for calling friends and family on and is VGA quality.
Our Verdict
The Nokia Lumia 1320 is an amazing phablet and a great phone, all at a great price point. If you’re in the market for a device that you can use both as a phone and as a tablet look no further. The Nokia Lumia 1320 gives you one of the best video watching experiences of any smartphone, plus is amazingly good for web browsing and document editing. It’s also enclosed in an incredibly attractive package with colour options of red, yellow, black and white.
