Today, Nokia unveiled the Lumia 1020 smartphone featuring a 41 megapixel imaging sensor, ZEISS optics and an optional camera grip.
It has only been a month since Nokia launched the Lumia 925, which also featured a high-end imaging hardware and software solution. This device trend has us wondering if Nokia is launching contemporary smartphones with great imaging, or is it more focused on introducing great digital cameras that double as a smartphone? While it is probably not fair to judge the new devices solely on the camera, the imaging experience has been the primary message from Nokia itself.
What differentiates the Nokia Lumia 1020 from the likes of iPhone 5 and Samsung Galaxy S4? The camera, the audio quality, and the Windows Phone 8 platform, say Nokia executives. We find it challenging to rally behind the Windows Phone 8 platform simply because there isn’t a deep device ecosystem using the OS outside of Nokia. With increasing cries from Nokia fans as recently as today on the launch webcast attendee chatter saying, “Please switch to Android and incorporate these camera capabilities. I’d buy it immediately,” the pressure remains on Nokia for how it will compete in smartphones alongside strong ecosystems for Android and iOS.
Perhaps the strategy should not be how to compete with Apple and Samsung on the smartphone front; rather how to be better positioned against Canon, Ricoh, Samsung, and Sony in digital cameras. If you think we're off base in this observation, try a Google search for "leading digital cameras" and notice the first (sponsored) result - Nokia Lumia 1020.
