Nokia Lumia 1320 – A look at the tech specs

The most recent Lumia entrant in the Indian market comes with an aggressive pricing. Looks like, Nokia along with Microsoft is finally getting ready for the game. Priced at Rs 23,999, the Lumia 1320 is a 6-inch phablet that runs on Windows Phone Black update. That’s a huge screen size but do the other specs justify its price tag? Let’s take a  closer look at its specifications to find out.User InterfaceThe Lumia 1320 runs on Windows Phone 8 along with the Nokia Black software update and Microsoft's GDR3 update. This means there's support for an additional live tile column on devices with HD displays. So the UI is identical to the one seen in the high-end Lumia 1520. Windows Phone 8's familiar UI looks just as good on the 720p display as on the 1080p one of the 1520. Along with the Microsoft improvements, the 1320 has the new Nokia Camera and updated HERE Maps suite.Cellular connectivityOn connectivity front, the Lumia 1320 supports 2G, 3G as well as 4G LTE. The handset makes use of a micro-SIM card, and users will have the ability to surf the web on HSPA speeds in India. The 1320 does not support India-specific TDD-LTE so it won't work on the high-speed networks slated for launch later this year.DisplayJust like the 1520, the highlight of the Lumia 1320 is definitely the massive 6-inch capacitive display but at an affordable price. However, unlike 1520, it comes with a 720p display instead of 1080p. The large display with 720 x 1280 pixel resolution limits the pixel density to 245ppi, but that doesn’t mean the display is bad. The company reduces screen glare  with a polarised filter called ClearBlack Display, also seen in the more expensive 1520. It’s an effort to cut down reading glare in direct sunlight and also to help keep light bounce back to a minimum indoors.[caption id="attachment_208160" align="aligncenter" width="640"] Nokia's affordable 6-inch phablet[/caption]Form factorThe Lumia 1320 isn’t the lightest at 200 grams, but it's at par with the competition in this screen size. But the Lumia 1520 is lighter than it.  The handset measures 164.2 x 85.9 x 9.8 mm, which could prove to be a bit too large for most users and it's not all that sleek either.Wi-FiThe Lumia 1320 supports Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n, and the company hasn’t included the latest “ac” draft. One will find support for Wi-Fi hotspot too.ProcessorLumia 1320 has made the same mistake that Samsung did with the previous Grand. The processing speed of the device isn’t at par with others available in the same price range. It is powered by a dual-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 400 clocked at 1.7GHz. It includes 1GB of RAM, which is good enough for Windows Phone 8, but may prove underpowered by late 2014 standards.StorageThe 1320 comes with 8GB of internal memory, which can be expanded up to a whopping 64GB via a microSD card slot. Now that’s a large storage space and should suffice most users who want to use the 6-inch screen for watching videos on-the-go. Microsoft also adds 7GB of SkyDrive cloud storage for a period of one year with the device.CameraUnlike the camera-centric 1520, the 1320 is a large screen budget phablet. Not much thought has been put into the camera, with a 5MP rear snapper taking up the main role. It's got autofocus and LED flash and there's a VGA front camera for those selfies. The camera is also capable of recording 1080p videos @30fps. Nokia has announced its Camera app for all Lumia devices, so you’ll find it here too. The Nokia Camera app is a fusion of Smart, Pro and Video modes that can be effortlessly accessed from the home screen with a single tap.[caption id="attachment_208163" align="aligncenter" width="640"] 8GB onboard storage is expandable up to 64GB[/caption]Sensors and GPSLike most other smartphones in the range, the 1320 comes with an accelerometer, a proximity sensor and a compass. The new Nokia phablet comes with GLONASS as well as assisted-GPS for the user. Keeping in mind the current smartphone trends, these features have increasingly become a must in mid- to high-end releases.NFCQuite surprisingly, the Lumia 1320 doesn’t come with NFC support. This means, it can’t take advantage of all the peripherals such as speakers and bedside sensors etc.BatteryThe Lumia 1320 comes armed with a 3,400mAh battery, similar to the one found in the 1520. Given the specs, the battery choice seems to be a healthy one. The company claims that the device offers a stand-by battery time of 672 hours and up to 21 hours of talk time on 3G. Until we get our hands on the device, though, it will be tough to validate these claims.The Bottom LineThe Lumia 1320 makes the competition in the mid-range smartphone segment fiercer. It is Nokia and Microsoft’s first phablet and a visible effort to conquer the mid-range segment. The specs are decent, but the company could have done a little better by roping in a better camera and support for NFC. On paper, it appears to have good specs, but the performance of the device, the maturity of the OS and the experience of using such a large phone will all come into play during the buying decision. Priced at Rs 23,999, it will be competing with the likes of the Gionee Elife E7, the Lenovo Vibe X, and most importantly the Galaxy Grand 2. To know how the Nokia phablet will fare against Samsung's contender, see our specs showdown of the Lumia 1320 and the Grand 2.