Considering purchase of 950XL, but have some questions....

[eldeestephens]

Hi Folks!

I've been fascinated with Windows Phone for years and years, but was always a Blackberry addict, so never got one. After my company abandoned BES I had to (unwillingly) transition to a Blackberry Priv -- but I really dislike Android. So now that the Lumia 950XL can be had for less the $300 in the US, I am seriously considering purchasing one as a second phone. However reading reviews and forums have led to some questions, so here they are:

1. how bad is the 950 XL battery in real-life? it's about the same capacity as my Priv's, but people seem to have an issue getting through a full day
2. are there larger capacity, third-party batteries that could eliminate this concern?
3. how dim/bright is the display? i prefer very bright screens, and what i've read gives me serious concern
4. with the latest Windows 10 builds and firmware patches, is the phone mostly stable at this point?
5. how performant is continuum? will i notice lag when using the phone paired with Microsoft's dock?

-- eldee

 

[anthonyng]

@eldeestephens I invite you to meet your fellow blackberry refugees

Otherwise, My battery gets me 12-14hrs, my buddy goes into the next day. So totally depends how much you're looking at the phone

I find the 950XL can be very bright, and almost dim enough for pitch darkness

Phone is mostly stable yes on production/release preview.

Continuum not like super incredible speed wise but I find it acceptable. The X3 was noticeable in terms of over smoothness from what I tried. I found what I could do in edge in continuum was unexpectedly good.

 

[Cryio]

My L950 XL was (lost it unfortunately) super fast, super stable, camera was a dream. The screen was a freakin' reactor. It would get extremely bright in direct sunlight and it was awesome.

Never tried Continuum but I guess it's fine. You can watch 4K video and the phone is 2K. Via Continuum, you get only 1080p image, so performance should be great.

 

[Rupert Holmes]

No problems real for me, but I use it as a phone. Battery last the day for me, mostly a few texts, photos and calls. Bright enough screen. Camera is good, but not a 1020. Best $300 phone you will find. I keep it in a rubber case with glass protector. I also run the insider previews. Never opened the Continuum stuff, but have projected to a Roku, Just to show off. Carry my SP3 for a real computer.

 

[Awhispersecho]

Battery life on all these devices can be extended by stopping apps you don't need or use from running in the background and even more so by disabling "hey Cortana" if you don't use it. But managing background apps are a key to getting the most out of your battery

 

[eldeestephens]

Battery life on all these devices can be extended by stopping apps you don't need or use from running in the background and even more so by disabling "hey Cortana" if you don't use it. But managing background apps are a key to getting the most out of your battery

that sounds familiar... i have to do the same with my android-based priv. that was the nice thing about my passport -- long battery life, never had to worry about how many applications were open.

-- eldee

 

[Awhispersecho]

Don't get me started on the Passport. I have 1 and I absolutely love it. I have posted on here several times how bad I wanted a Windows Phone version of the Passport. Live tiles across that square screen. Hardware keyboard for Office programs and the touch sensitive keyboard for scrolling. Love that phone. I don't ever use it, I simply got 1 to play with and it still looks brand new, it's never left my house though I have been tempted to use it recently. (I have also been tempted to sell it and then I look at it and I just can't) I have the dock and all. But man, what an amazing phone and yes, the battery lasts forever.

 

[raycpl]

I have the 1520, and moved on to the 950XL.
The main thing about the1520is the large screen for great viewing. ..
which it's size is also a hindrance when handling, keeping on your person, etc

Battery issues - I set up the 950XL just like I did with the 1520 ( 2¾yr old, with a replaced 6mth battery)

Guess what, both last just the same. 10-12hrs. No gaming/movies/music... near identical battery duration, although the 1520 seems to last a bit longer, and without getting hot.
My main battery usage - Edge (20%) WhatsApp (18%, 5-6 very active chat groups), Start (9%) MTalk (8%) WCentral (8%) Telegram (5%) FB (7%)

... !!

 

[MrockNroll]

I upgraded from a Lumia 640 to the 950XL and really love this phone. iam using the latest stable regular release build and am not on the insider release. I don't currently use any non Microsoft apps, and have absolutely no issues whatsoever. The phone is rock solid and the camera is superb, I have used continuum once and it ran fine so far. I picked mine up at the Microsoft store on sale for $288 so I think its a bargain for a flagship phone. I think you will really like this phone as long as you don't need to many specialized APPS but hopefully know that already since your here. There are a very good core of windows 10 mobile users here so ask away. don't worry too much about the few Trolls that post here: we expect them to show up here every day and complain, it gives them a purpose from there dull android/I-phone interface so don't be too hard on them.

 

[MrockNroll]

raycpl, are you still using the 1520 for your daily driver, or the 950XL now?

 

[raycpl]

Im using the 950XL. The 1520 is my backup.


... !!

 

[B T C]

I wouldn't hesitate to recommend the 950XL to someone interested in trying a Windows phone. I've had two smart phones, including the 950XL, and both have been Windows. My Lumia 920 was dying and based upon everything I had read I was worried about getting the latest Lumia. My experience has been surprisingly pleasant and uneventful. I did, however, just experience my first random reboot a couple of days ago.

 

[MrockNroll]

Ok, thanks. 950XL primary too & 640 is my backup.

 

[ananve]

I have a brand new 950xl and love it. It can have occasional heat up due to it's soc but everything else is great! Simply great!

 

[J Frost]

Im rocking a 950xl now, and before that a 1520. The battery life has been good on the 950xl, I can go all day with " normal" use, heavy use will last about 6-8 hours. The screen is awesome and bright, the colors are vivid. I find the phone stake with the occasional episode of it losing it's mind, I do a quick restart and it's as right as rain. My wife's sometimes doesn't want to wake up, and takes some extra attention to get it to go. I have had alot of Windows Phones at this point and have to say that the 950xl and x3 are my favorites with the 1520 close behind. I hope you give it a shot.

 

[Mits5139]

I normally switch between my iPhone 7 plus and my 950xl. I keep it fired up when not used to keep all the contacts and calendar in sync. I find it pulls my emails quicker than my iPhone too. As I type I'm in the process of putting all my music on offline Spotify mode. Time to switch over to the 950xl for a few months.

My 950xl works like a dream. Battery life is excellent. Get through a whole day no problem. Call quality great and gps fixes very quickly. Screen is beautiful and I'm a big fan of the live tiles. Only point as everyone knows is the app situation but I've pinned the websites to my home screen so it's no big deal in all honesty. And it plays nice with my garmin so result .

It's a great phone and I have no problems recommending it even though I'm heavily invested in the apple ecosystem. Ive definitely got a soft spot for my 950xl and windows 10. Can't wait to see that the future holds .

 

[bluekalo]

Hi Folks!

I've been fascinated with Windows Phone for years and years, but was always a Blackberry addict, so never got one. After my company abandoned BES I had to (unwillingly) transition to a Blackberry Priv -- but I really dislike Android. So now that the Lumia 950XL can be had for less the $300 in the US, I am seriously considering purchasing one as a second phone. However reading reviews and forums have led to some questions, so here they are:

1. how bad is the 950 XL battery in real-life? it's about the same capacity as my Priv's, but people seem to have an issue getting through a full day... it depends on your usage.. there is battery saver
2. are there larger capacity, third-party batteries that could eliminate this concern?
3. how dim/bright is the display? i prefer very bright screens, and what i've read gives me serious concern i like how dim it is... im ok with the brightness too
4. with the latest Windows 10 builds and firmware patches, is the phone mostly stable at this point? yes it is stable if your on the official build
5. how performant is continuum? will i notice lag when using the phone paired with Microsoft's dock?

-- eldee