The camera-centric Nokia Lumia 1020 smartphone has already released in some countries and is gradually making its way to more regions worldwide. This is a notable smartphone with the highlight undoubtedly being its 41-megapixel camera featuring PureView technology. However it’s possible that the Nokia Lumia 1020 price is somewhat shocking for some.

We’ll start with a brief rundown on some of the specs that you’ll get for your money. The Lumia 1020 has a 1.5GHz Snapdragon dual-core processor, a 4.5-inch AMOLED display with resolution of 1280 x 768, 2GB of RAM, and 32GB of internal storage (non-expandable).

It also totes a 41-megapixel rear camera with Carl Zeiss optics, optical image stabilization, Xenon flash and much more, as well as a 1.2-megapixel front-facing camera, and 2000 mAh battery. It runs the Windows Phone 8 operating system.

Obviously prices may vary according to retailer and any particular deals available, but this is a guide on the price you can expect to pay for the Lumia 1020. The US price is $299 on a two-year contract or around $700 for the non-contract price, or around £600 in the UK. The price on contract is actually $199 more than the average price of a Windows Phone handset and also puts it at the top end of the pricing we would normally expect to see,

For example the new Apple iPhone 5S starts at $199 on contract, the same as for the flagship Samsung Galaxy S4, LG G2 and many other high-end devices. The Samsung Galaxy Note 3 is a recent addition to the market and also has a starting price tag of $299 with a contract, but other phones costing that much are pretty thin on the ground.

However we should take into account that the $299 Lumia 1020 has 32GB of built-in storage, whereas the iPhone 5S with the same storage costs $299 while the Galaxy S4 with 32GB costs $249. Also of course the Lumia 1020 has that whopping 41-megapixel camera and Pureview technology, whereas the rear cameras on the iPhone 5S and Galaxy S4 are 8-megapixels and 13-megapixels respectively.

All three phones have impressive camera set-ups though with plenty of extra features, so some may feel the $100 extra on the contract price for the Lumia 1020 makes it simply too expensive when compared with starting prices of other top-end phones. However, those particularly interested in smartphone photography might think the price of the Lumia 1020 is well worth it for its camera capabilities.

The Lumia 1020 will soon be released in more regions such as Canada and India so it will be interesting to see how the price is set for other regions. Nokia has already announced accessory pricing for the Lumia 1020 in India but will not give an official price until the day before it releases later this month.

It would be good to know what our readers feel about the pricing of the Nokia Lumia 1020. Do you think this is a fair price for this Windows Phone device, especially given its camera set-up? Maybe you’re surprised at the high pricing of the Lumia 1020 and think the camera capabilities don’t make it worth the extra expense? Send your comments to let us know.