Review Nokia Lumia 1320 Smartphone
For the original German review, see here.
Nokia introduces the Lumia 1320, which is the sister model of the Lumia 1520 that was the first phablet powered by Windows Phone 8. The Lumia 1320 also fits in this category with a 6-inch HD IPS screen and Windows OS. But those are the only things they have in common, as the price clearly indicates. While the Lumia 1520 had a price of just under 600 Euros (~$832) at the time of writing, the Lumia 1320 was only half as expensive with 300 Euros (~$416) in online shops.
A look at the Nokia 1320's innards reveals the reason for this price difference. The little-sister model uses the Qualcomm Snapdragon 400 8930AB dual-core processor rather than a swift quad-core SoC. Other features have also been lowered. The RAM configuration is only half the size (1 GB of RAM rather than 2 GB), the storage capacity is 8 GB rather than 32 GB, the screen resolution is now 1280x720 pixels rather than 1920x1080 pixels, and a 5 megapixel primary camera is installed rather than the one with a lush 20 megapixels. However, the phablet still has a lot to offer despite that. The Lumia 1320 not only convinces with a solid build and good screen qualities in the test, but also with its swift responsiveness and long battery runtimes.
Case
Nokia's Lumia 1320 casing is available in orange, yellow, white, and black. Its surface area of 164.2 x 85.9 millimeters is slightly larger than that of the Lumia 1520, and it is also 0.9 millimeters thicker with a height of 9.8 millimeters. The most striking difference: The corners of the review sample's casing are considerably rounder than the big sister's more angular ones. However, the outstanding build quality has not been altered. The Lumia 1320's polycarbonate back closes flush and evenly on the Corning Gorilla Glass 3 protected touchscreen. Together, both components create a very rigid and stiff unit that is also noticed in a weight of 220 grams. The battery is non-removable.
Connectivity
Nokia's Lumia 1320 is based on Qualcomm's Snapdragon 400 8930AB dual-core SoC, and its cores clock with 1.7 GHz. It is supported by the integrated Qualcomm Adreno 305 graphics chip, 1 GB of RAM, and a tight 8 GB of storage capacity of which only 4.6 GB is available in state of delivery.
There are only two exterior ports on Nokia's Lumia 1320: A 3.5 millimeter jack for connecting the included in-ear headphones, and a micro-USB 2.0 port. It can be used for both recharging the phablet and for data sharing with a computer. Slots for the micro-SIM and micro-SD card are hidden underneath flaps on the casing. The latter supports up to 64 GB. Wireless recharging (Qi standard) is also possible, and is fully compatible with Nokia's existing chargers.
Software
Nokia's Lumia 1320 includes a number of interesting features with the third update of Windows Phone 8, and the proprietary Lumia Black firmware. The OS now enables placing up to six tiles beside each other on the home screen. The latest Windows Phone 8 upgrade also includes extended ringtone settings for contacts, reminders, and messages, for example text messages or emails.
Nokia pre-loads a range of apps on the Lumia 1320. Among them is the preview feature Glance Screen 2.0 ("Glance" in the settings) that displays new messages in addition to the time on the disabled screen. A portable version of Microsoft Office also belongs to the included software. It allows creating, opening, and editing Excel, Word, PowerPoint, and OneNote documents. Beyond that, there is also the navigation tool HERE Drive and HERE Maps, the DB Navigator (Deutsche Bahn), Adobe Reader, iLiga soccer app, and the detailed support software Nokia Care. Why the practical Nokia app Application Folder, with which several applications can be placed in a tile on the home screen, first has to be installed from the Windows Store is beyond us.
Communication & GPS
The wireless interfaces of Nokia's Lumia 1320 are solid but not exceptional. The Wi-Fi module supports 802.11 b/g/n, which is complemented with the GSM quad-band, UMTS with W-CDMA for transmission rates of up to 42.2 MBit/s, LTE in the 3, 7 and 20 bands, as well as Bluetooth 4.0. The review sample does not, however, support NFC. The Lumia 1320 connects to positioning satellites via A-GPS and GLONASS quickly, and its remarkable accuracy convinced in the test. The phablet scored even better than the professional Garmin Edge 500 navigation system in our bicycle test course.
Making calls with Nokia's Lumia 1320 works perfectly despite its gigantic size because the speech quality is excellent. However, both hands are needed for using the default telephone app although the numpad buttons are very big.
Cameras & Multimedia
The webcam in Nokia's Lumia 1320 has a resolution of 640x480 pixels (0.3 MP), which is just still enough for video telephony. The 5 megapixel primary camera offers more application possibilities, and shoots pictures in a 16:9 format with up to 2592x1926 pixels. Beyond that, the camera can record Full HD videos with 30 frames per second.
Pictures taken in good light conditions are definitely impressive, although they are a bit unfocused and low in contrast compared with Sony's Alpha 57 DSLR reference camera. The Lumia 1320 is nevertheless on par with other good smartphone camera lenses. Our review sample cannot compete with the pictures taken with Nokia's Lumia 1520 phablet, which sports a superb 20 megapixel camera.
Accessories
Nokia includes a modular power supply, a micro-USB cord, in-ear headphones, and a printed quick-start guide in the Lumia 1320's box. The manufacturer offers a wide range of optional accessories for the smartphone on its website, which covers cases and covers, headsets and speakers.
Warranty
A 24-month warranty with two exceptions is included on the Lumia 1320. The battery and the accessories are only covered for twelve months, and the power supply is only protected for six months. The warranty cannot be upgraded or extended.
Input Devices & Controls
The 6-inch, capacitive touchscreen in the Lumia 1320 processes up to ten simultaneous inputs, and convinces with a pleasant and smooth to the touch glass surface that implements all inputs without delay. The large display also allows using the virtual keyboard easily, for example when inputting web URLs or typing short texts. Single keys are displayed in a comfortable size in portrait mode, and there is enough room for notes on the left and right in landscape mode because the screen's width is not completely used.
Display
Unlike Nokia's Lumia 1520, the Lumia 1320 does not rely on a Full HD resolution, but only reproduces the "small" HD resolution of 1280x720 pixels. Despite the massively lowered pixel density (from 367 ppi to 245 ppi), all content is sharp and with a more than sufficient brightness. Its average brightness of 449.7 cd/m² even surpasses all comparison devices, including its bigger Lumia 1520 sister that achieved only 398.9 cd/m². The very even illumination of 92%, the black level of 0.89 cd/m², and the contrast ratio of 516:1 speak for the screen.
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Brightness Distribution: 92 %
Center on Battery: 459 cd/m²
Contrast: 516:1 (Black: 0.89 cd/m²)
ΔE Color 4.37 | 0.5-29.43 Ø4.91
ΔE Greyscale 4.99 | 0.5-98 Ø5.2
Gamma: 2.27
Invisible to the eye, uncovered with the colorimeter and CalMAN software. While the Lumia 1320's screen in its default color profile clearly does not reproduce red colors with enough strength, the shifts in green and blue colors are still within an acceptable limit. This leads to a relatively moderate deviation from the ideal rates (DeltaE of 4.37) in the sRGB color space. This looks almost the same with the grayscale reproduction figures - particularly the light-gray hues are emphasized a bit too much (DeltaE of 4.99).
The color saturation and temperature can both be adjusted in nine levels in the screen settings according to visual preferences. The most natural result is achieved when the saturation is set to the minimum, and the temperature is set to level six.
The ClearBlack technology allows reading content well even in direct sunlight because the image is automatically rendered with an extremely high contrast. Consequently, there is nothing standing in the way of outdoor use. The biggest factor that restricts the legibility is the highly reflective screen though. It might be the distracting component especially in adverse light conditions, and impair the view.
The IPS screen in the Lumia 1320 ensures that content always remains legible even from extreme side views. A minor loss in brightness only occurs in narrower viewing angles. It is almost always the reflective screen that actually causes problems with the image.
Performance
Nokia's Lumia 1520 sports one of the currently fastest SoCs on the market with Qualcomm's Snapdragon 800 MSM8974. This performance remains out of the Lumia 1320's reach because it features a much weaker processor in the form of Qualcomm's Snapdragon 400 8930AB dual-core SoC. Alongside Qualcomm's Adreno 305 graphics chip, and 1 GB of RAM, the review sample nevertheless achieves an impressive smartphone performance.
The Lumia 1320 loses out to other 6-inch phablets, although the difference to the Lumia 1520 is relatively slight in some cases. It is overall only enough for a place at the rear though. This is not particularly noticed when used under Windows Phone 8, in Internet browsing, or in games with different performance requirements - there are no delays, dropouts or stutters.
| GFXBench (DX / GLBenchmark) 2.7 - 1920x1080 T-Rex Offscreen (sort by value) | |
| Nokia Lumia 1320 | |
| Acer Liquid S1 | |
| Acer Liquid S2 | |
| Nokia Lumia 1520 | |
| Samsung Galaxy Note 3 SM-N9005 | |
| Sony Xperia Z Ultra | |
| Peacekeeper - --- (sort by value) | |
| Nokia Lumia 1320 | |
| Acer Liquid S1 | |
| Acer Liquid S2 | |
| Nokia Lumia 1520 | |
| Samsung Galaxy Note 3 SM-N9005 | |
| Sony Xperia Z Ultra | |
| Octane V1 - Total Score (sort by value) | |
| Nokia Lumia 1320 | |
| Acer Liquid S1 | |
| Acer Liquid S2 | |
| Nokia Lumia 1520 | |
| Samsung Galaxy Note 3 SM-N9005 | |
| Sony Xperia Z Ultra | |
| Sunspider - 0.9.1 Total Score (sort by value) | |
| Nokia Lumia 1320 | |
| Acer Liquid S1 | |
| Acer Liquid S2 | |
| Nokia Lumia 1520 | |
| Samsung Galaxy Note 3 SM-N9005 | |
| Sony Xperia Z Ultra | |
| Browsermark - --- (sort by value) | |
| Nokia Lumia 1320 | |
| Acer Liquid S1 | |
| Acer Liquid S2 | |
| Nokia Lumia 1520 | |
| Samsung Galaxy Note 3 SM-N9005 | |
| Sony Xperia Z Ultra | |
* ... smaller is better
Games
The Lumia 1320 renders current games, from Solitaire to Dungeon Hunter 4, smoothly. The responsive screen greatly contributes to the gaming fun, as it implements inputs accurately. However, Qualcomm's Adreno 305 graphics chip does not have abundant performance reserves. The next generation of smartphone games might push the phablet to its performance limits.
Emissions
Temperature
The Lumia 1320 reaches a maximum idle temperature of 30.0 °C, and is thus very cool. The temperatures climb up to 39.4 °C in permanent load, which is still an absolutely uncritical rate. Acer's Liquid S1 (38.5 °C) and Samsung's Galaxy Note 3 (39.1 °C) present equally low temperatures. However, Nokia's Lumia 1520 gets very hot with peak temperatures of 49 °C.
(+) The maximum temperature on the upper side is 39.3 °C / 103 F, compared to the average of 35.1 °C / 95 F, ranging from 21.9 to 63.7 °C for the class Smartphone.
(+) The bottom heats up to a maximum of 39.4 °C / 103 F, compared to the average of 33.9 °C / 93 F
(+) In idle usage, the average temperature for the upper side is 28.9 °C / 84 F, compared to the device average of 32.8 °C / 91 F.
Speakers
Despite the mini-size, the speaker produces a decent sound, which is also true for the included headphones. The Lumia 1320's membranes reproduce trebles quite clearly, mids are inconspicuous, and even the bass can be discerned quite well. The sound does not at all distort in maximum volume. Only the speaker's position on the back is adverse. A hand will likely unintentionally cover the speaker when the phablet is held in landscape mode.
Energy Management
Power Consumption
The Lumia 1320 belongs to the energy-efficient phablets with an idle power consumption of up to 2.9 watts, and a maximum of 4.6 watts during load. It is only undercut by Acer's Liquid S1 (3.7 watts) and Acer's Liquid S2 (3.8 watts). Sony's Xperia Z Ultra (6.1 watts), Samsung's Galaxy Note 3 (6.5 watts), and Nokia's Lumia 1520 (6.8 watts) consume a bit more power, but they are still within a normal range.
| Off / Standby |   0 / 0.1 Watt |
| Idle |  1.5 / 2.6 / 2.9 Watt |
| Load |
3.1 / 4.6 Watt |
    
| |
Key:
min: ,
med: ,
max: Voltcraft VC 940 | |
Battery Runtime
Using the app WP Bench to simulate full load (maximum screen brightness, all communication modules on), Nokia's Lumia 1320 achieved a battery runtime of 3 hours and 36 minutes - a common rate for smartphones. Samsung's Galaxy Note 3 (3 hours, 29 minutes), Acer's Liquid S1 (3 hours, 22 minutes), and Nokia's Lumia 1520 (3 hours, 14 minutes) have comparable runtimes.
The Lumia 1320's battery indicator thwarted our other battery test runs. For example, the battery status was only at 89% after 6.5 hours in the Wi-Fi test. According to the manufacturer, the smartphone should have a maximum Internet runtime of 11.5 hours via Wi-Fi. The same thing happened in the script-controlled test for the maximum runtime. Then again, realistic rates were achieved when we played the reference video Big Buck Bunny H.264 1080p - here, the phablet achieved 15 hours and 30 minutes, which is a bit longer than from Nokia's Lumia 1520 that sports the same battery, but also a stronger SoC and a higher resolution screen. Thus, it should certainly be possible to easily survive a day with one battery charge of Nokia's Lumia 1320.
Verdict
Pursuing the Lumia 1520, Nokia has launched another good 6-inch phablet with the Lumia 1320. Just like its twice as expensive sister model, the Lumia 1320 convinces with an excellent build, an LTE wireless module, a very accurate GPS that even outperforms professional navigation systems like the Garmin Edge 500, and it comes with a very good screen.
In contrast to the Lumia 1520, Nokia's phablet has to make concessions in some regards, above all in the SoC's much weaker performance (dual-core rather than quad-core). It is absolutely sufficient for current games and apps, although the performance reserves will be rather tight for future applications. Nokia also slimmed down the phablet's camera equipment. Instead of a 20-megapixel lens, it now only sports a 5-megapixel camera that, nevertheless, provides good quality pictures. The manufacturer also makes cutbacks in storage capacity and screen resolution, which has shrunk from Full HD to the 1280x720 pixels 720p format. Buyers looking for a 6-inch smartphone powered by Windows Phone 8 should definitely put Nokia's Lumia 1320 on their shortlist considering its many good properties.
