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.

Interface and Functionality

We know that Windows Phone 8.1 is on the horizon for the Lumia 1520, and it’s going to be filled with some new goodies, but since it’s not officially out, Windows Phone 8 with the GDR3 update is what we’ll be comparing here. Sammy has tweaked the look of its latest TouchWiz Nature UX interface on top of Android 4.4.2 KitKat a little bit, however, we don’t find it aggressive enough to match the dynamic look of Windows Phone 8 running on the Lumia 1520.
Nevertheless, where the Galaxy S5 is lacking in the visuals department, it makes it up in other areas. Particularly, it’s evident with its superior handling of notifications and multi-tasking. There’s just no comparison, as we find the implementation of the Galaxy S5 to be vastly more superior – especially with the real multi-tasking experience using its multi-windows feature.



Against other Windows Phones from other manufacturers, the Lumia 1520 has additional depth thanks to the various Nokia-branded apps that can be downloaded to enhance the experience. However, the Galaxy S5 is filled to the brim with some secondary features, like it diverse Air View and Air Gesture features, that complements the phone’s already outstanding productivity element.

When it comes down to it, Windows Phone has made some tremendous improvements since its inception – and the Lumia 1520 is a testament to that! For all of its acclaims, we find the experience from the Samsung Galaxy S5 to still be more rewarding. That’s despite the fact that TouchWiz lacks the visual eye candy of the Lumia 1520’s Windows Phone 8 experience.

Processor and Memory

The Nokia Lumia 1520 ushered a new age for Windows Phone, seeing that it was the first to rock a modern quad-core 2.2GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon 800 SoC with 2GB of RAM. Although surpassed by the Galaxy S5’s newer quad-core 2.5GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon 801 CPU coupled with 2GB of RAM, the Lumia 1520 still delivers a punch. In fact, it’s almost difficult which of the two possess the superior performance, since they exude smooth actions with all the basic operations, but there’s slightly more snappiness with Samsung’s flagship. Both are stuffed with 16GB of memoryand microSD card slots for some extra flexibility.

Internet and Connectivity

Both excel exquisitely in this area, not surprisingly at all considering that both have fantastic looking displays, fast 4G LTE speeds, and buttery smooth navigational controls. Depending on your preference, the larger real estate we’re dealt with the Lumia 1520 can be seen as a benefit, but the Galaxy S5 has a large enough screen to work with as well.



All the usual connectivity features are in tow here, like 4G LTE connectivity, so there’s no shortage of lightning fast speeds for all our web surfing needs. In addition, they feature aGPS with GLONASS, Bluetooth 4.0, dual-band 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac Wi-Fi, and NFC. Yet again, the Galaxy S5 displays its diversity with its IR blaster, video-out functionality, finger print sensor, and heart rate sensor.

Camera

Shutterbugs will drool over the hardware that’s in tow here, making them worthy point-and-shoot replacements. Over on the Galaxy S5, it’s carrying along a 16-megapixel 1/2.6” sensor with an f2.2 aperture lens, LED flash, fast phase autofocus system, and 4K video recording. Meanwhile, the Lumia 1520 is an established pro in the space with its beefier 20-megapixel 1/2.5” sensor that’s complemented by its f2.4 aperture lens, BSI, optical image stabilization, dual-LED flash, and 1080p video recording at 30, 25, and 24 FPS.

There’s a sense of fun seen with the Galaxy S5’s shooting experience, mainly because it’s packing a wealth of shooting modes that applies cool effects on the fly. In comparison, the Lumia 1520’s camera interface mimics the styling we’d typically find on any digital camera, so it’s more presentable than the menu driven style of the Galaxy S5’s interface.



Wow! Sammy isn’t messing around one bit whatsoever, due to the fact that the Galaxy S5 easily carries its load in the camera quality department against the always formidable Lumia 1520. Comparing the Galaxy S5’s 16-megapixel samples against those of the 19-megapixel ones from the Lumia 1520, there’s no hiding the amount of detail they’re both able to capture – though, there’s more sharpness attached to the Galaxy S5’s shots. We also like S5's exposure and color representation better, giving them overall better look, compared to 1520's samples. Under low lighting, we can’t complain about the results from the two, as they’re properly exposed to reveal details, but we slightly prefer the Lumia 1520’s samples for its richer color reproduction and less noisy looks. Its optical image stabilization also helps to avoid blurry pics when the shutter speed is lower.



Their still shot qualities might have been a close call, but there’s a clear winner when it comes to recording video. Unfortunately, the Lumia 1520 delivers underwhelming results, so after looking at the Galaxy S5’s 1080p video sample, it’s undeniably the superior one. Not only are the visuals sweet and the audio recording is richer, but we even have the option to capture high-resolution 4K video – a feature that’s still regarded as a rarity.

Multimedia

Samsung may have given its updated music player a fresh and inviting look, but it still can’t compete against the even more lively and dynamic presentation of the Lumia 1520 various music players. However, when it comes to audio quality, the two are undoubtedly strong with their outputs, but there’s a smidgen more power out of the Galaxy S5’s internal speaker. Thankfully, they exhibit deep and commanding tones that are pleasant to the ear – without being overly sharp.



Video playback is superb with these two as well, something we expect to get from high-end devices. On one hand, the Lumia 1520’s larger display provides more comfort to share with friends, but we can’t count out how we’re mesmerized by the saturated color tones produced by the Galaxy S5’s display. At the same time, its multi-tasking element is another feature that allows us to watch something while doing something else entirely different on the phone.

Doubling as a universal remote too, thanks to its included IR blaster, the Galaxy S5 has another weapon in its arsenal to show us that it has a balanced features set. More than a channel changer, the smart remote app of the Galaxy S5 also has a social element that attunes content based on our preference.

Call Quality

Neither handset manages to pique our interest with their call qualities, mainly because they amount to nothing more than being average performers. Generally speaking, there are few qualms regarding our ability to comprehend callers through their respective earpieces, but the Lumia 1520’s lower volume output makes it challenging in noisy environments. Meanwhile, there’s a muffled tone exhibited by the Galaxy S5’s earpiece.

Battery

Qualcomm’s newest chipset has surely shown its worth, since it has a key role in giving Sammy’s pride and joy the longer lasting battery. Sure, the 3400 mAh battery of the Lumia 1520 makes the 2800 mAh one in the Galaxy S5 look small, but the optimizations found with the newer Snapdragon processor, in combination to some other battery optimizations and smaller display of the Galaxy S5, gives Sammy’s product the superior battery life.

Conclusion

When the Nokia Lumia 1520 first launched here in the US through AT&T, it astounded us with its aggressive $100 on-contract cost – giving it plenty of value for the buck. Strangely enough, after looking at its existing offering through the carrier, it has been increased in price to $200, the same cost as the brand spanking new Samsung Galaxy S5. However, if we’re to look at their off-contract prices, the Lumia 1520 is lower at $585 – whereas the Galaxy S5 is set at $650.

If we’re to pick up a phone with a 2-year agreement, we’d totally recommend picking up the Galaxy S5, mostly for its diversified offerings, supreme performance, and freshness to the scene. Conversely, we can honestly mention picking up either phone if we’re forgoing signing a contract. Indeed, the Galaxy S5 is priced higher than its rival, but considering that it’s significantly newer and packs some additional hardware not present with the Lumia 1520, the higher pricing is more than justified.

Ultimately, though, the platform experience between these giants will play a large role in what device you should choose. Android, as a whole, has a deeper and more connected experience than Windows Phone. Throw in Sammy’s updated TouchWiz Nature UX on top of Android 4.4.2 KitKat, it only extends the experience more with its myriad of software features. It’s not to say that Windows Phone 8 is handicapped, it’s just hasn’t matured to the level of where Android is currently at. Of course, Windows Phone 8.1 will bring some additional enhancements that will no doubt bridge the gap, but Android continues to be one step ahead.

Whatever your decision folks, we’re certain you won’t be disappointed in what you select. There are valid reasons why these two are highly prized in the space, but as we’ve shown in this comparison, they excel in several key areas to make them fantastic offerings you won’t regret picking up.