Lumia 1520by Nokia

The 1520 is a classy phone all round, though, and even trumps the metal-bodied HTC One Max for build quality. It's a unibody design with a s…

The 1520 is a classy phone all round, though, and even trumps the metal-bodied HTC One Max for build quality. It's a unibody design with a single piece of polycarbonate wrapping around the back and screen, and just feels lovely to hold.

To cut straight to the point, we love the 1520's display. It offers vibrant colors for an LCD and has brighter whites than the AMOLED panel …

To cut straight to the point, we love the 1520's display. It offers vibrant colors for an LCD and has brighter whites than the AMOLED panel on the Samsung Galaxy Note 3, although its darker shades aren't quite as deep.

The Windows App store remains a work in progress.

The Windows App store remains a work in progress.

Proportionally, the 1520 feels tall rather than squat, though the device is still far too massive for my hands and I had to strain my finger…

Proportionally, the 1520 feels tall rather than squat, though the device is still far too massive for my hands and I had to strain my fingers to (try to) perform some tasks one-handed.

To sweeten the smartphone camera experience, Nokia has been developing several interesting dedicated apps as well.

To sweeten the smartphone camera experience, Nokia has been developing several interesting dedicated apps as well.

Where the Lumia 1520 fails as a camera, and it's the same area where we faulted the 1020, is in speed. It requires about 3.6 seconds to laun…

Where the Lumia 1520 fails as a camera, and it's the same area where we faulted the 1020, is in speed. It requires about 3.6 seconds to launch the camera app from the home screen and fire an in-focus shot.

There's that word again. Big. The Nokia Lumia 1520 is big in every way. Opening the box drew a genuine gasp from this typically stony-faced …

There's that word again. Big. The Nokia Lumia 1520 is big in every way. Opening the box drew a genuine gasp from this typically stony-faced writer, who moments before had been typing out an email on his teeny-tiny iPhone 5S.

You don't need us to tell you that the screen on a phone is important, and clearly Nokia doesn't either. The Lumia 1520's screen is a triump…

You don't need us to tell you that the screen on a phone is important, and clearly Nokia doesn't either. The Lumia 1520's screen is a triumph.

Phablets, when done right, are a marvel, and the Lumia 1520’s bodywork, build quality, display, performance and camera certainly all live up…

Phablets, when done right, are a marvel, and the Lumia 1520’s bodywork, build quality, display, performance and camera certainly all live up to such a label, but it’s all tainted by the fact that if this phone was just half and inch smaller on the diagonal it would make a world of difference to how it handles and how practical it is.

Windows Phone's UI is curious because for all the times it's good, it's also frustrating. WinPho is painfully simple, which makes it easy fo…

Windows Phone's UI is curious because for all the times it's good, it's also frustrating. WinPho is painfully simple, which makes it easy for Mom to use, but it also means that basic features like a notification center are missing.