Lumia 1020 Replacement
Well, with the recent leaks of the device code named "McLaren" many are pining for the device which would be the true successor of the Lumia 1020. Frankly, I don't care.
All Microsoft really *needs* to do is refresh the firmware. This device is still available through Microsoft unlocked, and with the aging hardware, it should be able to re-launch it at a cheaper selling point and STILL have a higher end device in many respects than some newer Lumia's.
Alternatively, they could simply look into beefing up a few of the components. Many have argued that the processor is dated, I largely disagree, but keeping most things the same and upgrading the SoC and perhaps even the screen and you get a device that still beats out a lot of others on paper.
While I think such a move would see as much success as the original launch (the device already has 2GB of RAM and a decent amount of internal storage, and we know for a fact there is no need/reason to update the camera), I'm still of the mind that giving the phone the same attention later Lumia's are getting would be a helpful move.
The argument is this; truly, the biggest problem with the Lumia 1020 was also its biggest selling feature. The 41MP camera. It was a problem because the thing is SLLLLLOOOOOOWWWWWW. 41MP is a butt load of data to process. The Denim firmware update is supposed to be speed up algorithms and move processing to a background thread. But the problem is, none of this goodness ever explicitly mentions the 1020 and does explicitly mention other devices.
What they need to do is find a way to get the same level of performance improvements into the 1020.
Sure, the screen res is outdated and the processor is only a dual core. I'd gladly take Glance over a better resolution and the while it may have fewer cores, the cores in there are well over 2GHz whereas most quad-cores in phones (except a few super high end ones) are well under 2GHz. And, as I've said in the past, very few things make efficient use of multiple cores. The higher clock rates on the dual core may actually give it advantages in real world scenarios.
The lack of a GPU upgrade is a little more tangible. But then, Windows Phone is actually a pretty damn fast little OS and differences in specs mean less (not nothing however) than they do on competing platforms.
The 2GB of RAM was added as a necessity dues to the ridiculous camera, but it remains a top of the line spec. It doesn't need to be touched. The camera also doesn't need upgrading hardware wise. The iPhone 6 came out around 2 years after the 1020 and still by many standards doesn't beat the 1020. That thing probably still has a few years before it is knocked out of the top 10 phone cameras.
Screen res is another thing that matters to some... but to most, I don't think it really does. Most people I know couldn't tell you the screen res on their phone if their lives depended on it. Not even those that own iOS devices. "Retina" is not a screen resolution.
None of this will make Windows Phone a shooting star. Just that I think such a device would be at least as successful as the original.
All Microsoft really *needs* to do is refresh the firmware. This device is still available through Microsoft unlocked, and with the aging hardware, it should be able to re-launch it at a cheaper selling point and STILL have a higher end device in many respects than some newer Lumia's.
Alternatively, they could simply look into beefing up a few of the components. Many have argued that the processor is dated, I largely disagree, but keeping most things the same and upgrading the SoC and perhaps even the screen and you get a device that still beats out a lot of others on paper.
While I think such a move would see as much success as the original launch (the device already has 2GB of RAM and a decent amount of internal storage, and we know for a fact there is no need/reason to update the camera), I'm still of the mind that giving the phone the same attention later Lumia's are getting would be a helpful move.
The argument is this; truly, the biggest problem with the Lumia 1020 was also its biggest selling feature. The 41MP camera. It was a problem because the thing is SLLLLLOOOOOOWWWWWW. 41MP is a butt load of data to process. The Denim firmware update is supposed to be speed up algorithms and move processing to a background thread. But the problem is, none of this goodness ever explicitly mentions the 1020 and does explicitly mention other devices.
What they need to do is find a way to get the same level of performance improvements into the 1020.
Sure, the screen res is outdated and the processor is only a dual core. I'd gladly take Glance over a better resolution and the while it may have fewer cores, the cores in there are well over 2GHz whereas most quad-cores in phones (except a few super high end ones) are well under 2GHz. And, as I've said in the past, very few things make efficient use of multiple cores. The higher clock rates on the dual core may actually give it advantages in real world scenarios.
The lack of a GPU upgrade is a little more tangible. But then, Windows Phone is actually a pretty damn fast little OS and differences in specs mean less (not nothing however) than they do on competing platforms.
The 2GB of RAM was added as a necessity dues to the ridiculous camera, but it remains a top of the line spec. It doesn't need to be touched. The camera also doesn't need upgrading hardware wise. The iPhone 6 came out around 2 years after the 1020 and still by many standards doesn't beat the 1020. That thing probably still has a few years before it is knocked out of the top 10 phone cameras.
Screen res is another thing that matters to some... but to most, I don't think it really does. Most people I know couldn't tell you the screen res on their phone if their lives depended on it. Not even those that own iOS devices. "Retina" is not a screen resolution.
None of this will make Windows Phone a shooting star. Just that I think such a device would be at least as successful as the original.
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