Albeit rumors of "end of life" status this fall, Microsoft is now offering an unlocked edition of Nokia Lumia 1020 for $549.

"The popular Nokia Lumia 1020 now comes unlocked to give you the flexibility you need. It's the perfect solution whether you're an international traveler looking for reliable coverage in-country or someone who doesn't want to be tied to a contract," the Microsoft Store product description reads.

The unlocked version can be activated by purchasing a SIM card to use in either AT&T or T-Mobile networks, since it does not support CDMA grids of Sprint or Verizon.

The Windows Phone 8.1-ready smartphone sports a 4.5-inch screen with 1280 x 768 resolution, 32GB internal storage and a 41MP rear-facing camera with Carl Zeiss lens.

Nokia Lumia 1020 has been praised for coming close to a DSLR when it comes to snapshots.

Stephen Alvarez of National Geographic photographer said, "The Nokia Lumia 1020 performed like a DSLR under every condition, from low light to moving airplanes."

However, Nokia Lumia 1020 could also face the same fate as its predecessor, PureView 808, and be killed off on September 14, 2014.

This rumor was sparked by a tweet from the notorious industry leakster @evleaks.

The "end of life" status would mean that Nokia will stop manufacturing units of this model, but retailers can still sell Nokia Lumia 1020 until they clear their inventory.

Nokia had its fair share of struggle for not embracing Android, but when it comes to camera technology, they were top-notch.

"We want to take people on a journey from capturing pictures to recording and sharing their lives," said Stephen Elop, President and CEO, Nokia. "The Nokia Lumia 1020 will bring new meaning to pictures and continues to strengthen Nokia's leadership in imaging."

Thanks to PureView, Lumia 1020's 41-megapixel became highly capable of stunning results and has become a gold standard of smartphone cameras today.

It was so good, Apple had to poach the PureView camera design head Ari Partinen in May to work with the image technology of the upcoming iPhone 6.