I'm a phone junkie. I've tried everything, you name it, I've owned it. iPhone 6S, Nexus 6P, Edge Plus, Blackberry Priv just from the current generation. I got the Lumia 950XL on Monday. It's the best Phone I've ever used.
So why was it panned by reviewers?
Maybe because it was bad before the updates.
Also though I'm noticing two really problematic perspectives shadowing reviews (1) Critics hating it because it's not what they're used to and (2) People disliking it because it's not where they see Windows phone ultimately going.
In relation to (1) A review I saw was raging about the swipe down menu not rotating when the phone is in landscape mode. Why would it? Why would it move from where it always is? It's not particularly easier to access. He was ridiculing it though because of this. In reality he was lamenting that he was expecting it to behave like his android and it didn't so he got upset! So too reviewers speak about things being hard to find, basically because they aren't where they would be in Android or iOS! This is bizarre. Basically people are "institutionalized" by the dominant platforms are part of their problem is that they can't handle difference. I've sat with my mother in law in restaurants outside the US as she says "this isn't real 7UP" because as water is different there's slight variations in the taste of soft drinks. It doesn't mean "it isn't real"! But this attitude prevails among reviewers too - different is assumed to be inferior when it conflicts with expectations about where a menu should be or how the phone should respond. Yes, when you click on updates in the store it takes a few seconds checking. Why? because it doesn't do this in the background drawing battery and data assuming that you want to update everything and pushing you to do so. It leave it up to you, an adult, to check when you want and so Windows App store takes a few seconds longer than the Play store. Is this different? yes. Does it mean the Lumia 950XL sucks? of course not.
In relation to (2) people seem to complain that some apps don't work in Continuum. They complain that the Lumia 950XL is not a full high powered PC as well as a phone. Really? It is a solid little PC in your pocket, you can run the office suite via continuum and many other apps. This is AMAZING! And yet people rag on the 950XL because it's not a Thinkpad P50? Insane.
The Lumia 950XL, now, is amazing, it's fast, beautiful, powerful. The core apps (email etc) are superb, the interface echoes my PC experience, Edge flies! The screen is super sharp and the "metro"(sic) interface looks incredible on it. The camera is the best smart phone camera in any 2016 phone. The body doesn't feel premium? Really? Mine feels great, I like the 6S, I like the 6P, but I'd prefer the customizability, battery replacement etc I have with the removable back. The phone may have been a dog on earlier versions - I don't know - but now it's amazing and the best phone I've ever used.
In sum, the Lumia 950XL is great, but Microsoft have been shortchanged by a reviewer community that is not like a travel writer visiting other countries, but like my Mother in law claiming "this isn't real 7UP". We the consumers are shortchanged by a reviewing community that, after a few years of Android iOS dominance may no longer be fit for purpose.
So why was it panned by reviewers?
Maybe because it was bad before the updates.
Also though I'm noticing two really problematic perspectives shadowing reviews (1) Critics hating it because it's not what they're used to and (2) People disliking it because it's not where they see Windows phone ultimately going.
In relation to (1) A review I saw was raging about the swipe down menu not rotating when the phone is in landscape mode. Why would it? Why would it move from where it always is? It's not particularly easier to access. He was ridiculing it though because of this. In reality he was lamenting that he was expecting it to behave like his android and it didn't so he got upset! So too reviewers speak about things being hard to find, basically because they aren't where they would be in Android or iOS! This is bizarre. Basically people are "institutionalized" by the dominant platforms are part of their problem is that they can't handle difference. I've sat with my mother in law in restaurants outside the US as she says "this isn't real 7UP" because as water is different there's slight variations in the taste of soft drinks. It doesn't mean "it isn't real"! But this attitude prevails among reviewers too - different is assumed to be inferior when it conflicts with expectations about where a menu should be or how the phone should respond. Yes, when you click on updates in the store it takes a few seconds checking. Why? because it doesn't do this in the background drawing battery and data assuming that you want to update everything and pushing you to do so. It leave it up to you, an adult, to check when you want and so Windows App store takes a few seconds longer than the Play store. Is this different? yes. Does it mean the Lumia 950XL sucks? of course not.
In relation to (2) people seem to complain that some apps don't work in Continuum. They complain that the Lumia 950XL is not a full high powered PC as well as a phone. Really? It is a solid little PC in your pocket, you can run the office suite via continuum and many other apps. This is AMAZING! And yet people rag on the 950XL because it's not a Thinkpad P50? Insane.
The Lumia 950XL, now, is amazing, it's fast, beautiful, powerful. The core apps (email etc) are superb, the interface echoes my PC experience, Edge flies! The screen is super sharp and the "metro"(sic) interface looks incredible on it. The camera is the best smart phone camera in any 2016 phone. The body doesn't feel premium? Really? Mine feels great, I like the 6S, I like the 6P, but I'd prefer the customizability, battery replacement etc I have with the removable back. The phone may have been a dog on earlier versions - I don't know - but now it's amazing and the best phone I've ever used.
In sum, the Lumia 950XL is great, but Microsoft have been shortchanged by a reviewer community that is not like a travel writer visiting other countries, but like my Mother in law claiming "this isn't real 7UP". We the consumers are shortchanged by a reviewing community that, after a few years of Android iOS dominance may no longer be fit for purpose.
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