We waited two Years for This! #nomicrosoftflagship

[Nogitsune Micah]

Well, it's deserved speculation. Given how poor the Microsoft hardware has been so far, and how half-assed everything has been in Windows 10 thus far, I'm all good with railing on Microsoft until it actually does something right.

Poor hardware? The 640 and 640 XL may not be flagships but they are getting excellent reviews. So they are far from poor considering the 640 is selling well.

 

[worldspy99]

All right folks, no name calling....
Please keep the conversation on topic....

 

[jlzimmerman]

In the end, it really shouldn't matter because most people put their phones in cases. But looks are a selling point so on looks alone they will not do well. My only gripe is the wasted space on the tops and bottoms of the screen, especially at the bottom. Such a waste.

 

[tgp]

Poor hardware? The 640 and 640 XL may not be flagships but they are getting excellent reviews. So they are far from poor considering the 640 is selling well.

Yeah well, considering what we've been seeing from Nokia/Microsoft the last couple years, our standards have been subconsciously lowered.

 

[Keith Wallace]

In the end, it really shouldn't matter because most people put their phones in cases. But looks are a selling point so on looks alone they will not do well. My only gripe is the wasted space on the tops and bottoms of the screen, especially at the bottom. Such a waste.

On a personal level, you're right. These things usually end up in cases, so it's not a big deal. However, when you go into a store, you see the phone in its naked state. You don't know what your case will look like. In the instance of these things, as they are Windows devices, we don't even know what the options will be--case options were quite poor for the 822 and ICON my sister got. All we can base looks on is what we're presented with.

Besides, the horrid looks for these things, to me, is based just as much on how ugly Windows 10 Mobile is. The thing's still in beta, I get it, but the basic UI of apps is a nightmare.

 

[Leonel Funes]

-

Nobody will pay luxury money for a Toyota Camry not matter what you put inside. It is still and midrange car. And we are supposed to pay $700 for these.. Are you joking? Premium whatever has to look good, feels good and works good. Would you pay $40,000 for Nissan Maxima? I don't think so. I am sure you would for a Lexus or Mercedes Benz, right? So, no I am not happy with the designs. And please, this has nothing to do with the OS. I love the OS. I may get a new 1520 if I have to.

If you change the guts of a Camry to outdo other cars, people will certainly pay a pretty penny for it. Same with a Maxima. Change what's under the hood and see if people still only car for what it looks like. Sure, there are luxury cars (just like iPhones and some Androids for the smartphone area), but the performance at most times are not that great (just like iPhones and some Androids). There are also not-as-luxurious-but-still-good-looking cars that perform even better than the pricier competition (like Microsoft's #RealFlagships). People are likely going to slap a case on it, so the design is hidden, wonderful or not.

PS - On day 1, I'm getting me the 950 in black, very conservative yet elegant.

 

[neo158]

Besides, the horrid looks for these things, to me, is based just as much on how ugly Windows 10 Mobile is. The thing's still in beta, I get it, but the basic UI of apps is a nightmare.

That's a very "matter of fact" statement and I'm not so sure that EVERYONE agrees with you!!!

 

[neo158]

If you change the guts of a Camry to outdo other cars, people will certainly pay a pretty penny for it. Same with a Maxima. Change what's under the hood and see if people still only car for what it looks like. Sure, there are luxury cars (just like iPhones and some Androids for the smartphone area), but the performance at most times are not that great (just like iPhones and some Androids). There are also not-as-luxurious-but-still-good-looking cars that perform even better than the pricier competition (like Microsoft's #RealFlagships). People are likely going to slap a case on it, so the design is hidden, wonderful or not.

PS - On day 1, I'm getting me the 950 in black, very conservative yet elegant.

Exactly, I'll be going with the 950 XL. Looks aren't everything, although judging by the crying, whinging and whining that some people are doing in this thread you wouldn't have thought so.

We seem to have a bunch of people in here who won't be happy unless they have form over function i.e. they won't be happy until they get an iPhone running Windows 10 Mobile. We also have those who seem to value specs and gimmicks over everything else i.e. they won't be happy until they have a Galaxy S6 Edge+ running W10M. Then we come to the last group, people like me, who just want a phone that works so they want one of the phones shown in the OPs post.

Microsoft are damned if they do and damned if they don't. Well, as the saying goes, you can please some of the people some of the time, you can't please all of the people all of the time.

 

[Alfa Kapa]

- Top notch hardware by any mesurment.

There is not even a single point spec-wise that it didn't deliver..
While the major players sacrifice futures in the name of design (which is really subjective), MS for the first time delivers in every single aspect..
Making nerds allover Windows and Android comunities cream their pants!


- REFRESHING design for a flagship.

Take a moment and think of the flagship phones of 2015, then you'll see that every single one (or the majority) is metal, expensive looking and FRAGILE.

Because it didn't fit into many people blinded (mainly by the bling bling on other devices) and distorted minds doesn't mean that such a design isn't damn nice for the people that want a TOOL and not a JEWELRY for phone, including myself .
I throw around my 730 (tables, long throws on beds, chairs, etc), because I know that it won't damage in any way. On the other hand my friends (with iPhones) are extremely cautious with they devices, the put covers, sleeves, screen protectors front-back and if the phone slips from the hand from a hight of 5cm on a table, they think this is the end of the world! (especially the once with 4s/5s)

The design highlights the camera and nothing else.
Instead of sitting there and admiring the subtle curves and uniqly crafted shell with revolutionaly 3.5D glass which wraps around the body,
MS left all that for the competition *cough* iphone.
And took the Function over form way, that every single manufacturer (instead of Apple) once took.


But why every single manufacturer went the ''luxury'' way??

-Because Apple showed them that form is the top priority in order to buy a thing in the first place!
And hardcore ''function over form'' manufacturers such as Samsung, distorted their series like the Note and S, in order to be more iPhone-y..

With this move MS put the moto ''for people that do'' into their flagship devices and I think this is the best move!

So in the end, I'm really pleased that MS didn't fall in the ''luxury'' trap and will deliver a top notch device that will carry the ''Lumia'' badge and every singe perk of the brand with pride!

 

[Panathas]

But you're the 1% dude. Most people want bling bling.

 

[neo158]

But you're the 1% dude. Most people want bling bling.

That's why the iPhone exists, to cater to the "bling bling" crowd!!!!

 

[sunrat39]

Stopped reading after the first couple of sentences from the op. Microsoft's new flagships look definitely better then your English. That's for sure. Like one of the posters said, stop crying, slap an otter box on that bad boy, and move on.

*than

Come on now.

Sent from my VS986 using Tapatalk

 

[Leonel Funes]

I throw around my 730 (tables, long throws on beds, chairs, etc), because I know that it won't damage in any way.

I don't toss my Icon around like that. I might break something with the phone.

 

[to_be_announced]

We seem to have a bunch of people in here who won't be happy unless they have form over function i.e. they won't be happy until they get an iPhone running Windows 10 Mobile. We also have those who seem to value specs and gimmicks over everything else i.e. they won't be happy until they have a Galaxy S6 Edge+ running W10M. Then we come to the last group, people like me, who just want a phone that works so they want one of the phones shown in the OPs post.

regarding your "groups", if you only want a phone that works, why are you shelling out for a flagship in the first place? You can get a Windows phone that "works" perfectly fine without having to pay a premium for it. People buy a flagship phone, not just because it "works", but because they get high end specs with high end design. These phones seem to be lacking the latter.

As for those mentioning slapping a case on the phone right away as a reason the design doesn't matter, many people don't use them. I for one don't for the fact that I like to see the actual design of my phone and I'm careful enough to treat my phones well that a case isn't needed. So yes, I want a well designed appealing phone.

 

[Keith Wallace]

That's a very "matter of fact" statement and I'm not so sure that EVERYONE agrees with you!!!

I don't care if NO ONE agrees with me. That tasks take more steps and the layout is less convenient for me than it was in WP8, and even WP8.1, is all I'm concerned about. If you think Groove Music is an upgrade from Xbox Music, then you're bonkers. Plus, the e-mail and calendar experiences are a mess as well. Why they dumped all of my e-mail into one place and made it one tile (meaning it takes more tasks to reach various inboxes) is beyond logic. They've also thrown a crapload of system apps into W10M, and now the app list is cluttered with junk I have no interest in, like a "Customer Support" app and a the FM Radio and Podcasts apps.

WP8 was something like 1.71 GB on my phone, last I looked. W10M takes up 3.77 GB. It's bloated and clunky for many basic functions, and I don't know how anyone can reasonably argue otherwise, unless you LOVE having to hit a pop-out menu button to accomplish anything.

 

[to_be_announced]

They've also thrown a crapload of system apps into W10M, and now the app list is cluttered with junk I have no interest in, like a "Customer Support" app and a the FM Radio and Podcasts apps.

Do you own a current Windows Phone? I ask because my phone running WP 8.1 also came with all 3 of those apps you mention above. So nothing new in WM10. Android and Apple bundle more than that in their phones. It's been a while since i've owned an android phone, but when i did, some of those apps couldn't be uninstalled either. On my WP, i removed all apps i didn't want without issue.

 

[Keith Wallace]

- Top notch hardware by any mesurment.

- REFRESHING design for a flagship.

-Because Apple showed them that form is the top priority in order to buy a thing in the first place!
And hardcore ''function over form'' manufacturers such as Samsung, distorted their series like the Note and S, in order to be more iPhone-y..

With this move MS put the moto ''for people that do'' into their flagship devices and I think this is the best move!

So in the end, I'm really pleased that MS didn't fall in the ''luxury'' trap and will deliver a top notch device that will carry the ''Lumia'' badge and every singe perk of the brand with pride!

1. Maybe if you only acknowledge measurements by naming only. The 950 carries the SD 808 chip, which is inferior to the 810. The 810 tested poorly against the Samsung Exynos chips inside it S6 and S6 Edge. The 820 is also going into phones NOW, but Microsoft has opted for the older chip that's basically being replaced by every other flagship OEM within 4 months of the 950/950 XL release. The camera's not proven to be top-notch, as we know nothing of its OIS quality, nor do we know how it'll compare to the optics of the 930 and 1520 (same resolution). The 950 also isn't going to have integrated wireless charging, and you apparently have to buy some stupid flip cover (things I don't like) to add it in. We barely know anything about the true guts of these things, except that one carries a mid-range SoC and the other carries a high-end one that's about to be replaced. Other than that, it's somewhat vague stuff, from a performance standpoint (MP aren't the only thing to show camera quality, we don't know the battery life, regardless of battery size, etc.).

2. "Expensive looking?" You mean, "expensive, and carrying high-end parts and materials." I don't want a metal body phone, they always lean towards lighter colors, and I don't care for those much on my phones (I abhor gloss plastic and hate white, yellow, cyan, and pink Lumia bodies). However, there is NOTHING refreshing about these things. As everyone says, the 950 is basically a 640/640 XL retread, and those look every bit the budget device. The 950 XL's inexplicable camera ring is hideous on the black device (probably isn't AS gross on a white one, but still an eyesore). I didn't like the 830/930 design because of the aluminum bands (found them ugly--as I said, don't like light-colored metals), but I'd take them ANY DAY over these things.

3. Yeah, that Microsoft motto is a joke. If they were really about DOING stuff, they wouldn't have thrown pop-out menus into everything, making switching panes in an app slower and more cumbersome. They wouldn't have tucked all of my e-mail accounts into one app, leaving me to fumble around that pile of garbage known as "Outlook Mail" on W10M. They wouldn't have taken away multiple functions from Xbox Music (lockscreen and live tile settings). They wouldn't have thrown us an Xbox app that doesn't have toast notifications for messages. They wouldn't have cluttered the app list with a dozen or more system apps you can't uninstall, even if you don't want them. They wouldn't have bloated the OS to more than double the size of WP8.1. They wouldn't have basically done everything they could to just copy the iOS and Android designs of pop-out windows and layers upon layers of menus to be popular.

Microsoft's about profits, not doing. That's why they're copying competing UIs. That's why they're porting apps (eventually), rather than building great apps for Windows users and hiding them from the competing platforms, in the hopes of adding a few more users.

 

[Joshwin]

Nothing like the Nokia Lumia 925, 830 or 930.

not to mention lumia 520. even 520 looks premium with square corners compared to these.

 

[Keith Wallace]

Do you own a current Windows Phone? I ask because my phone running WP 8.1 also came with all 3 of those apps you mention above. So nothing new in WM10. Android and Apple bundle more than that in their phones. It's been a while since i've owned an android phone, but when i did, some of those apps couldn't be uninstalled either. On my WP, i removed all apps i didn't want without issue.

On WP8, podcasts, movies, FM radio, and music were all in the Xbox Music app. With WP8.1, they stripped out a bunch of Xbox Music features, claiming that their goal was to make a new app that wasn't part of the OS (like the original app was), so they could release more updates. With this, they broke those four things into separate apps. None were at the OS level, and none could be uninstalled anyway. With W10M, that trend continues. This is the worst part:

Despite this crap that they were trying to make the music player a non-OS app to update it more often, it ended up a sham. What we got was a broken music player that was incredibly slow to load local libraries and missed great features about the original app (like lockscreen an live tile stuff). After a few months that got us to an app that was a little better, but still slow and with fewer features than its predecessor, the Xbox Music team announced it was ending its then-weekly updates (by "weekly," they really just meant sometimes weekly, sometimes announcing a delay last-minute). So, they took the app out of the OS level, which made it a LOT slower to load music, and they took out features, so they could abandon the app and leave us with an inferior experience.

W10M is kind of continuing that with Groove Music. It's faster than the last iteration of Xbox Music, but it's slower than the original app. It doesn't have lockscreen to live tile functionality right now. The gesture-based navigation is gone, thrown into a pop-out window that just makes doing things slower and clunky. They removed the "Songs" section from artist view, meaning you can't start an entire artist's library from a specific track (my primary means of starting music, actually). It kind of epitomizes what W10M's current (read: BETA) state is: clunkier, slower, more cluttered, bloated, and inconvenient.

 

[GateCrasher84]

I think the blue 950 looks nice based on that render each to their own

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