Microsoft’s presence in the phablet space is still widely regarded as insignificant, especially when there are only two giant sized Windows Phones in circulation. One of them is none other than the Nokia Lumia 1520, which impressively continues to be relevant in the space – despite being a model that’s a year old. During that time, it has seen significant competition from the Android side, but it surely has a lot to be worried about now that the Samsung Galaxy Note 4 is embarking on its quest for domination.
Design
Both have phablet size, but the Lumia 1520 is significantly larger.
Obviously, we’re dealing with phablets here, due to their hand crushing sizes. However, the Lumia 1520 is significantly harder to manage due to its even larger overall size and heavier weight – and it doesn’t help either that its corners are a bit pointy. Despite that, it still has a stylish edge over the Note 4, thanks in part to the way it’s tapered around its edges. On top of that, it has a more profound solid construction as well.
Certainly, some folks will appreciate the new, more premium design of the Note 4, which is accentuated by the metal trim bezel that’s hugging the edges of the phone. It might lack the style that’s needed to win over fashionistas, but its refined and classy demeanor fits the mold of a sophisticated looking smartphone.
There’s no denying that the Note 4 is outfitted with an arsenal of geeky tools, which the Lumia 1520 lacks – so we very much appreciate the amenities that Samsung is so kind to offer with its device. Specifically, the Note 4 features a finger print sensor, pressure sensitive S Pen stylus, heart rate sensor, and an IR blaster.
The Note 4 has ultra high-resolution and accurate colors while the Lumia 1520's display is slightly larger.
We tip our hat to the Note 4’s display, which not only stands out for its impeccable detail, but also for its accurate color reproduction, wide viewing angles, and showroom wow factor. Donning a 5.7-inch 1440 x 2560 Super AMOLED display, there’s no denying the amount of detail it’s able to deliver with its pixel density count of 515 ppi. In contrast, the Lumia 1520’s larger sized 6-inch 1080 x 1920 IPS LCD display is still pretty sharp with its 368 ppi pixel density, but we’ve been spoiled by the Note 4’s quad-HD resolution. However, we will mention that the Lumia 1520’s display is more visible outdoors, since it achieves a maximum brightness output of 707 nits – beating out the Note 4’s tally of 468 nits.
The numbers below represent the amount of deviation in the respective property, observed when a display is viewed from a 45-degree angle as opposed to direct viewing.
The CIE 1931 xy color gamut chart represents the set (area) of colors that a display can reproduce, with the sRGB colorspace (the highlighted triangle) serving as reference. The chart also provides a visual representation of a display's color accuracy. The small squares across the boundaries of the triangle are the reference points for the various colors, while the small dots are the actual measurements. Ideally, each dot should be positioned on top of its respective square. The 'x: CIE31' and 'y: CIE31' values in the table below the chart indicate the position of each measurement on the chart. 'Y' shows the luminance (in nits) of each measured color, while 'Target Y' is the desired luminance level for that color. Finally, 'ΔE 2000' is the Delta E value of the measured color. Delta E values of below 2 are ideal.
The Color accuracy chart gives an idea of how close a display's measured colors are to their referential values. The first line holds the measured (actual) colors, while the second line holds the reference (target) colors. The closer the actual colors are to the target ones, the better.
The Grayscale accuracy chart shows whether a display has a correct white balance (balance between red, green and blue) across different levels of grey (from dark to bright). The closer the Actual colors are to the Target ones, the better.
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