Nokia has its own tablet now for the very first time ever. Nokia Lumia 2520 was announced during Nokia World 2013 two days ago. We also have published a hands-on preview straight from the event.
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Nokia Lumia 2520
8.9mm thin tablet, Running Windows RT 8.1, is sized at 10.1” display serving the full HD resolution of 1080p (pixel density ~218 PPI) while covered within is the Qualcomm’s quad-core processor of 2.2 GHz with the Adreno 330 GPU.
Lumia 2520 features an IPS LCD with Nokia proprietary ClearBlack technology for higher contrast ratio and clear view when in the direct sunlight. Gorilla Glass 2 protection has also been added.
Just a day after when Nokia World event went on in Abu Dhabi, Apple on the other side released the new upgrade to the iPad family, “iPad Air” following the iPhone 5C and iPhone 5S launch last month.
Apple iPad Air
Apple again reduces the new iPad Air in thickness making it 7.5 mm thinner. 9.7” screen size and LED-backlit IPS LCD display with resolution of 2048 x 1536px resolution serves at pixel density of 264 PPI.
Apple A7 chip in iPad Air is Dual-core 1.3GHz ARMv8 based on 64-bit architecture M7 motion coprocessor.
iPad Air will be running iOS 7.0.3 with all new flat design User Interface.
Side by Side Specifications Comparison
 Nokia Lumia 2520 |
 iPad Air |
|
| Operating System | Windows RT 8.1 | iOS 7.0.3 |
| Size/Weight | 267 x 168 x 8.9 mm / 615 g | 240 x 169.5 x 7.5 mm / 469 g (Wi-Fi) & 478 g (3G/LTE) (better for light weight) |
| Display | 10.1 inches, 1080 x 1920 pixels resolution, 218 PPI, IPS LCD with ClearBlack, Luminance: 665 nits, Gorilla Glass 2 (better for contrast ratio, outdoor visibility, scratch resistance & ant-glare) |
9.7 inches, 2048 x 1536 pixels resolution, 264 PPI, LED-backlit IPS LCD. (better for resolution/pixel density) |
| CPU/GPU | Qualcomm Snapdragon 800 MSM8974, 2.2 GHz / Adreno 330 | Apple A7 Dual-core 1.3 GHz / PowerVR G6430 |
| Memory & Storage | 2 GB of RAM, 32 GB storage on-board, microSD memory expansion supported up to 32 GB. (better for larger RAM capacity and microSD support) |
1GB of RAM DDR3 (not official info), storage options 16/32/64/128 GB, microSD memory expansion not supported. (better for different variants for more than one storage options but expensive for just memory increase) |
| Camera & Imaging | – 6.7 Megapixels camera sensor, Sensor Size 1/3.4”. – Carl Zeiss optics with large aperture of f/1.9. autofocus – Video recording at 1080p resolution and 30fps, – 2 MP camera on front with f/2.4 aperture, Capable of recording 720p video at 30fps. (better for imaging in most of the aspects) |
– 5 Megapixels camera autofocus, touch focus, HDR, Face detection – Lens aperture of ƒ/2.4 – Video recording at 1080p – 1.2 MP front camera, Facetime, Tap to control exposure on video or still images, – 720p video recording at 30fps. |
| Sensors | 3D Accelerometer, Ambient Light Sensor, Compass (Magnetometer Sensor), Gyroscope, Proximity | Three-axis gyro, Accelerometer, Ambient light sensor |
| Connectivity | 3.5mm Audio Connector, Bluetooth 4.0, Bluetooth Stereo Audio, HDMI Micro Connector, Micro USB, NFC, USB 3.0, Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n, dual-band, Wi-Fi hotspot, Micro-SM(better for standard connectivity options which are easily available for not much price) | 3.5mm audio jack, TV out to Apple TV (2nd, 3rd gen), Bluetooth 4.0, Nano-SIM. |
| Frequency Bands | GSM (all), LTE 3, 7, 20, HSDPA (850, 900, 1800, 1900, 2100), GPRS/EDGE, WCDMA |
GSM (850, 900, 1800, 1900), LTE (all), HSDPA (850, 900, 1700/2100, 1900, 2100), EDGE |
| Price | $499 for 32 GB Wi-Fi + LTE (better for very low price comparatively) |
$729 for 32 GB Wi-Fi + Cellular Other prices: – Wi-Fi only (16/32/64/128 GB): $499/599/699/799 – Wi-Fi + LTE (add 130$ for each variant) |
1- If you want us to say yes or no for each device than it would be personal choice of anyone who prefers more one over the other.
2- If you look around the market than for sure the iPad Air would be an attraction to most without even comparing it with anything else out there. That we call the trend and brand attraction.
3- If you are the one who’s not a fan of anything but prefer the better for his/her needs than according to the specifications and pricing we’ll recommend Nokia Lumia 2520 this time over an iPad.
Final Words!
The side by side comparison above tells most of the things we find better in the Lumia 2520 which expands from the standardization of connectivity to the memory and display. Standard connectivity options are always better, over proprietary components, to let the consumer use most of the accessories they already have and interchangeably with other devices.
Lumia 2520 comes in a single variant in options of only 32 GB Wi-Fi + LTE while iPad Air comes in 8 different variants, 4 Wi-Fi only and 4 Wi-Fi + LTE each having options to choose from 16, 32, 64 and 128 GB. Well having an option to choose from a much wide range of options is always better but the price factor is also noticeable there. Lumia 2520 with 32 GB Wi-Fi + LTE will be available for $499. Where the price is equal to the price of iPad Air (16GB Wi-Fi only) the lowest in options. You will get the similar variant of iPad Air (32GB Wi-Fi + LTE) for $729. Well that’s a big difference of $230.
Then what comes in the way to decide, is the overlying operating system. Windows RT 8.1 may be very less in desire of someone to have on their tablet. This could only be the reason that some would not go to get Lumia 2520. Well it again can be said as the trend has iOS roots since long but Windows RT 8.1 is the lower form of Windows 8.1 OS of PCs. Windows RT is designed for light PCs, laptops and tablets with ARM processors and includes out-of-the-box features e.g. complete Microsoft Office suite, Xbox music and SkyDrive.
Still it would struggle hard to compete the iOS especially for the in-store apps which are very far away from the numbers that Apple’s App Store has achieved. If you are a wonder guy not seeing all those apps which are available on app store for iOS devices and want to have only required and needed apps than you will be one of those choosing Lumia 2520 over the iPad Air. Well, there is a huge list popular apps Nokia has announced which are coming to Lumia smartphones/tablet including Instagram, Vine, Flipboard etc.
So in final words, we’ll give Lumia 2520 the positive remarks for better features and better price. Windows RT will be a good Windows like experience with productivity easiness.
