The Lumia 1020 is one of better Windows phones out there, and its 41-megapixel camera is arguably the best you can get on a mobile device. But its $ 299 on-contract starting price was a bit steep, with most other phones retailing for $ 199 or less. So if you’ve waited to buy a 1020 you’re in luck, as Nokia has just given the phone a permanent price cut to a much more reasonable $ 199. And if you need some more incentive, the phone now comes with a free camera grip that retails for $ 79.
This price places the 1020 in line with other top phones on AT&T like the Moto X, LG G2, iPhone 5, Galaxy S 4 and the HTC One. It also helps to keep it competitive against other Windows phones, though the 1020 is still the priciest of the bunch. After all, you can get the Lumia 928 on Verizon for free with a contract, and aside from the camera, that phone is very much comparable to the 1020. And back on AT&T you can get the Lumia 925 for $ 100 less, but again, you’re losing out on the 41-megapixel camera. Even $ 100 is a pretty high premium to pay for a better camera, which is what made the 1020′s initial $ 300 pricing seem so high.
This is probably the price the phone should have started at if Nokia was really hoping for it to be competitive in the market. Perhaps we’ll see more lower-priced Lumias once Microsoft takes over Nokia. Or maybe this was just a last-ditch effort to move some phones before Apple announces two new iPhones next week.
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