Samsung Galaxy S5 vs Nokia Lumia 1520

Introduction

Sammy’s revving up and poised to have yet another blockbuster year, especially now that its latest flagship is making the rounds. Looking at the field, Windows Phones in general have been in short supply. Despite that, the Nokia Lumia 1520 continues to be the shining force for the platform – giving its rivals something to worry about. In this next comparison, we’re going to dive in and figure out exactly how the Nokia Lumia 1520 can contend against the Samsung Galaxy S5.

Design

There’s little doubt who has the superior design just by looking at these two phones. Even though Sammy has tried to sprinkle a dash of sophistication to the Galaxy S5’s design, it still can’t match the stylish and more solidly constructed design of the Lumia 1520. Sure, they’re both donning polycarbonate plastic with their housings, but the Lumia 1520’s chassis has more of a stylish edge capable of attracting attention with its tapered design, unibody construction, and colorful options.

Whereas the Lumia 1520 takes the checkered flag for its beautiful looks, Sammy’s flagship captures the race with its more comfortable feel – thanks in part to its rounded edges, smaller footprint, and lighter weight. Furthermore, we have to point out that the Galaxy S5’s IP67 certification makes it water resistant, so that’s an extra perk not available with the Lumia 1520.

Of course, there are many common ports and buttons shared by these two beasts, but the Galaxy S5 is outfitted with a few more to extend its worth. Specifically, they include a microUSB 3.0 port for faster charging/data connectivity, an IR blaster that transform the phone into a universal remote, a finger print reader for added security, and a heart rate sensor to measure our pulse.

Display

The Samsung Galaxy S5 features a 5.1-inch 1080p Super AMOLED display, while the Nokia Lumia 1520 flaunts a larger 6-inch 1080p IPS LCD display. On paper, the Galaxy S5 produces the higher pixel density figure, 432 ppi versus 369 ppi, but it doesn’t make for a substantial difference when we’re looking at the two from a normal viewing distance. Quite frankly, they’re sharp and detailed enough.

In the past, AMOLED panels couldn’t match the brightness output produced by LCD based displays, causing them to be almost unusable outdoors with the sun present. To our own amazement, the Galaxy S5’s AMOLED panel produces a brightness output of 442 nits, edging out the Lumia 1520’s 420 nits mark – permitting the Galaxy S5’s display to be viewable outdoors like its rival. Vastly showing improvement, the AMOLED panel of Sammy’s product also delivers the better viewing angles as well, so it maintains its clarity more. And finally, there’s just something about the iridescent glow of the AMOLED display that catches our attention more.

Also worth mentioning, the Galaxy S5’s display is able to track our finger as it’s hovering over the display – a useful thing that works in conjunction with its various Air View functions. Overall, we’re going to have to stick with Sammy on this one for having the better display.