[Quick Impressions] Who Just Got The Lumia 950 XL?

[Paolo Cardelli]

Lumia 950 XL 2-full-Days-Usage Review

 

[greynightshirt]

Just received the phone 3 hours ago. The XL in white, directly from Microsoft Germany. I immediately liked how it feels in the hand and appreciated how much better it looks in reality! I also think 5.7 is a good compromise between size and practicality. I also love the display! It somehow seems soft to the touch and simply looks beautiful! But I also noticed this strange reddish hue when on white backgrounds when I look directly at it. So I turned everything to black and now it looks alright again... Hope this isn't a general hardware problem that Microsoft has on their hands here.

So far I really love it, it's really fast!

 

[WPuser2012]

Camera sucks, Nokia gone , Clarity and Build quality Gone , RIP Microsoft mobile.... I expected at least like 1520 camera, But new 950 and 950 XL has poor zoom quality and lot of grainy pixels , Microsoft mobile division will close very soon if they continue to make **** phones like these

 

[Musicman247]

Camera sucks, Nokia gone , Clarity and Build quality Gone , RIP Microsoft mobile.... I expected at least like 1520 camera, But new 950 and 950 XL has poor zoom quality and lot of grainy pixels , Microsoft mobile division will close very soon if they continue to make **** phones like these

HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!

Please post some kind of proof if you want to say something like that. There are lots of photos and videos just on this forum that completely refute what you're saying.

 

[Ben Schmidt1]

HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!

Please post some kind of proof if you want to say something like that. There are lots of photos and videos just on this forum that completely refute what you're saying.

You're absolutely right! I brought my phone into work today, and people were ooo'ing and awe'ing over how awesome the pics were. "Wow, such high detail!" "Look at how sharp that is!" "That contrast is amazing!" "I've been looking for a better camera on a phone, to take pics of my dogs, and to replace my iphone, and looks like yours is a good option!"

The ONLY thing I don't like, but is easily replaceable, is the replaceable backplate... which is fine, doesn't really bother me at all since I can change it... plus, I bought a case for the phone anyway.

 

[Akira X]

I got the the white 950xl with a clear "jelly" case, allows full view of phone.

 

[tpesa]

I've had my 950XL since day before Thanksgiving. I think the phone is solid. Fit and finish are great. It's not as monocoque and one firm brick like piece as my old 1520 but is a big leap forward into a premier type phone compared to the 640XL I had prior to this. But, what is under the hood when putting it through its paces and multi tasking continuum while remaining a phone.. That's the big deal. And the camera is inarguably one of the best around on a mobile device. Stop comparing it to other platforms and maybe think about the platform Microsoft is creating on its own.. And this is the infant stage. I think it's a great device. Solid in hand. Customizable with more back covers to come. I see nothing wrong. Killer phone.

 

[dKp1977]

I've had my 950XL since day before Thanksgiving. I think the phone is solid. Fit and finish are great. It's not as monocoque and one firm brick like piece as my old 1520 but is a big leap forward into a premier type phone compared to the 640XL I had prior to this. But, what is under the hood when putting it through its paces and multi tasking continuum while remaining a phone.. That's the big deal. And the camera is inarguably one of the best around on a mobile device. Stop comparing it to other platforms and maybe think about the platform Microsoft is creating on its own.. And this is the infant stage. I think it's a great device. Solid in hand. Customizable with more back covers to come. I see nothing wrong. Killer phone.

Not judging the phone here, as I don't have it yet. Still waiting for my order to be processed. I've been a WP user since 2010, and using WM prior to this.. But this "infant" argument doesn't cut it anymore. It's been 5 years now and Windows 10 is the 2nd complete reboot and overhaul - not counting the shift from WM to WP - so as an OS it should've matured a long time ago already.


WP ain't bad, it's still my favorite pick over iOS and Android, but that's mostly due to its aesthetics. In terms of speed and reliability, it's not better than iOS. In terms of customizability it's behind Android. And in terms of apps and built in features, it's behind both.


Microsoft introduced unique features and abilities, but slowly removed each of them with every new version they provided. Many of them were ditched in favor of a more app centric approach that would allow updates on an app basis without having to deliver entire OS updates. But many others have been removed for no comprehensible reason at all. Live tiles for data sense, storage sense and battery sense? All gone. Geo fencing for automatically turning WiFi back on when you're near any favorite places? Gone as well.


If Microsoft keeps on rebooting WP or WM over and over, it'll never grow out of its infancy and turn into the real competitor for Android and iOS it's desperately trying to be.


For us die hard fans, WM 10 and the 950XL may be great, but they're obviously not a reason for any Android or iPhone user to switch from their ecosystem to ours.

 

[lankylars]

Picked up my black 950XL from a Microsoft store around 11:30am Black Friday. First impressions are as follows:

-Purchase at store was fast and easy, though there were no 950XL display models and the rep had to see if the phone was in stock
-Before initial setup, I inserted my micro- SIM and SD cards into the phone before powering on
-SIM recognized without issue (including LTE bands), but SD card wasn't recognized during setup and I had to restart phone in order to recognize it
-Downloading all my synced apps and the updates takes some time (~120 apps to sync)
-Some apps exhibit bugs/quirks under Windows 10 (eg. Pocket Casts, Age of Kings Castle Siege) that didn't exist under Windows Phone 8.1. Restarting and/or reinstalling the app helps in some instances, in others it does not. As more apps are made for Windows 10, should become better
-Hello iris recognition works very well, generally, with approximately 1 second wait time when holding 6-10 inches from my face. It has recognized me while wearing sunglasses, as well. Spend time during it's initial setup (or soon after) to use the "training" feature in various light conditions (incandescent, natural light, darkness/shadows) and from various distances
-Phone gets a distributed warmth, but not hot, while under load (ex. downloading many app updates)
-Camera seems excellent in the limited tests I have done thus far
-Back plate is very difficult to pry off during initial insertion of SIM/SD cards
-Back plate doesn't feel too flimsy, but it does not lend a premium feel either. Will replace with Mozo backplate
-Phone is only 0.2oz heavier than my HTC One M8 (weighed on scale). It feels lighter though because it is larger
-Narrow bezels keep the overall footprint down; not too much larger than the 5" HTC One M8
-Windows 10 still has a few hiccups (mostly with Windows Phone 8.1 apps) but offers many improvements in day-to-day activities; Windows 10 universal apps are welcome
-Battery life seems good but it is hard to judge as during the first few days of setup there are many app downloads and updates to run
-USB-C charges much faster than standard micro-USB phones

I will make sure to post a more comprehensive review after a few more days of use, but I wanted to get some info out there for those still trying to decide. I am definitely pleased with my purchase thus far.

 

[kiteless]

Got it, love it, wanna marry it! Oh and I did get in on the Display Dock offer. Will be at least a week or three before it shows up I imagine. I know some of them are shipping already. It's great news.

 

[Witness]

Picked up my 950XL at Microsoft Store along with the Lenovo PC stick on Saturday. After restoring a backup from my 920, it's been running pretty good. It is a little buggy, scrolling isn't as smooth as it should be and sometimes it takes a while just load the Start or launcher screen. Somewhat happy with it. Will post more later, but just wanted to add my $.02 for now.

 

[Mark Kaplan]

I just set up my 950 XL. Because of what I've read with the AT&T LTE issues, I installed my SIM before turning on and setting up the phone. I am happy to report that I DO have LTE service on my 950 XL with AT&T.
I had an issue ordering the free dock. The Lumia Offers app would not complete my request. I called customer service and they processed my free order on the phone. No issues.
Visual Voicemail is not working. I can retrieve voicemail and get the icon that I have one waiting, however no VVM.
SMS message indicator does not go away from the live tile after message is read.
Missed call indicator on the live tile doesn't go away when I open the phone app.
I am now installing and updating apps. More to come....

 

[TheDvlsAdvc8]

Re: 950XL Initial Impressions

Your couple niche issues mean the 950 is not ready for users? Get real. I have none of your issues. Quiet hours wasn't on by default, I don't want separate email ringtones, my phone doesn't get hot (I had a 920, I know hot), I like Cortana and don't see a large change in battery life with or without it, and Cortana works fine with my car's mic. Why would you need to look at any display of SMS when Cortana will read the text aloud?

Your issues are pretty specific to you, not "users".

 

[TheDvlsAdvc8]

You lost all credibility at "Camera sucks". This camera is downright awesome and I've already killed my friend's photos in the same conditions. It wasn't even as close as reviews suggested. Each time, EVERYONE involved has preferred the 950's photos.

 

[Musicman247]

Have only had the phone for about an hour, and I absolutely love it!

Build is great, performance is snappy, love the camera and screen. It's like my dream device!

 

[camptime]

Camera sucks, Nokia gone , Clarity and Build quality Gone , RIP Microsoft mobile.... I expected at least like 1520 camera, But new 950 and 950 XL has poor zoom quality and lot of grainy pixels , Microsoft mobile division will close very soon if they continue to make **** phones like these

Don't normal use this word but feels like the forums are full of trolls ATM ffs. Going buy this review the camera is very good.
Lumia 950 compares favourably to DSLR camera in camera comparison test - WMPoweruser

 

[TennisGuy45]

There are some pretty negative opinions being posted right now.

As for the post about the grainy pics and a camera "at least like the 1520" what a load of crap.

I had the 1520 before the 950xl.

The 950xl camera murders the one in the 1520 in all scenarios. Not really much of a comparison to be honest.

 

[Babs75]

I I hear a lot of grumbling from previous Windows phone users about the 950XL. This is my first Windows phone so I don't have anything else to compare it to except my Android phones. The 950XL is a huge improvement over my last phone. I really like the operating system and have had no problems at all.

 

[jmajid]

I I hear a lot of grumbling from previous Windows phone users about the 950XL. This is my first Windows phone so I don't have anything else to compare it to except my Android phones. The 950XL is a huge improvement over my last phone. I really like the operating system and have had no problems at all.

what were you using previously?

 

[Deaconclgi]

Man, the Iris scanner is a major disappointment. It hasn't been able to recognize me once with glasses on. It took nearly 5 minutes to get the improve recognition setting to even work with my glasses. Way worse than the SP4 facial recognition which will recognize me instantly.

Make sure you look at the front facing camera instead of the screen. I have a 950 and when I look right into the camera, it works nearly every time. There are times where the beta software bugs out and I retrain it and it works faster than ever. I wear glasses as well, but all the time as I cannot see without them.