Is 950XL better than 950?

[anon(8911628)]

Hallo,

I use Lumia 950 every day but day after day this device gets problems. Battery life is very poor (1 day is absolutely maximum) and sometimes the phone is getting hot. Now I am thinking about XL version because I found very interesting offer for it but I would like to know if it is worth or not. Moreover, would you like to tell me please in which cases XL is better than standard version? I heard glass that protect the screen is better (newer). What about overheating? Camera? Sound? Thanks.

 

[xandros9]

I think the battery life and performance is a bit better but I'm not sure if that battery life is normal for the 950 so its possible we may want to check that out too.

But that's off the top of my head, others may know more so stay tuned.

 

[WillBthr]

Same camera. XL-Faster processor. Battery life: both phones require configuring for best battery life (ie. turn off unnecessary background apps-all start in ON mode, after update they seem to turn back to ON mode too. Brightness settings etc etc.) in order to maximize the battery for the day.

 

[anon(8911628)]

Thanks. And what about overheating? I know the XL versio has liquid cooling but does it work fine? 950 sometimes can be really warm.

 

[Joe920]

Honestly I was under the impression that the 950XL had more problems than the 950. Maybe by now things have been fixed, but my 950XL on Insider Preview Fast Ring still gets the occasional crazy overheating. If it's battery life and stability you're after I don't think 950XL is much better than the 950. Just my impression, no hard data to prove it.

Sent from mTalk, a great Tapatalk alternative

 

[Kot Prada]

I have the same question. And the only problem with XL for me is it's dimensions. Also, the lock button location is confusing (unlike in 950). The rest is better in XL.

Also, I have this question choosing between 950 and 950 XL before purchasing. If You already have 950, I'm pretty sure that difference will be not worth.

 

[miodrage]

After almost a year now with XL (after 930) I can say that my battery last a day (7-23) depending also on my usage. If I surf a lot, or play games, i have to charge it twice. If I do not surf, the battery can have 40% at the end of the day. I charge it every night overnight.
The sound is good, not the loudest, but satisfying.
I never had problems with overheating, but the phone can get warm occasionally, after playing some games, or while charging AND playing games (then can get really warm, not as hot as 930 though).
Now about the camera, it WAS good. After the AU, the focus got stuck. I didn't do a HR, am very lazy about doing it. Will see these days, because my warranty is running down, and if the HR doesn't help, then I can ask for a warranty repair.

 

[Indistinguishable]

I upgraded to the 950 from my Icon, then switched to the 950 XL after about three weeks. I've had the 950xl for about two weeks now. Here's my take.

I don't notice a significant speed difference between the two. Both displays are beautiful. The exchangeable backs on both are nice. I currently have a Mozo case on my 950 XL and it feels fantastic.

Pros of the 950

• It's more manageable with one hand.

Pros of the 950XL

• The increase in screen display is really quite nice. I don't want to go back to a smaller display after using this device.
• It's marginally faster - not much. But there is a slight increase in speed.
• The design of the device is much more aesthetically pleasing. I don't like the ring around the camera on the 950. I much prefer the way the camera bump is done on the 950XL. (This is definitely subjective)
• The design of the device is better for keeping it clean. The 950 has a little divot between the display and the body itself. It's perfect for little pieces of dust getting stuck in there. Wiping the screen is basically wiping dust into that divot. The 950XL doesn't have the divot, it feels much more like a unibody device than the 950 does.

 

[Minh Junior Dinh]

If we're talking continuum, then the 950xl performs a lot better (with the faster processor.) Also, the 950 has a higher pixel density with the smaller display.

 

[Minh Junior Dinh]

Oh, and the 950xl has Gorilla Glass 4, which is more scratch resistant. However, it's more prone to shattering when compared to the 950's display.

EDIT: Sorry, this is wrong. The Gorilla Glass 4 is actually less prone to shattering as it has a chemically strengthened layer. It's also thinner than the Gorilla Glass 4. Science: how does it work?

 

[Matty]

Hallo,

I use Lumia 950 every day but day after day this device gets problems. Battery life is very poor (1 day is absolutely maximum) and sometimes the phone is getting hot. Now I am thinking about XL version because I found very interesting offer for it but I would like to know if it is worth or not. Moreover, would you like to tell me please in which cases XL is better than standard version? I heard glass that protect the screen is better (newer). What about overheating? Camera? Sound? Thanks.

I would say the upgrade is not worth the money. Sure it is a little better but if you spending $300+ its not going to give you that amount of performance improvements. I wold recommend the HP Elite x3. Very solid and works well. Its got a much bigger battery, although a much bigger display. (which might be too big for some people)

The 950XL does have the Snapdragon 810 processor which definitely has some overheating issues. The 808 seems to be better with regards to heat. Probably why you only get hot sometimes. Hope this helps.

 

[Indistinguishable]

The 950XL does have the Snapdragon 810 processor which definitely has some overheating issues.

I haven't had any overheating issues with the 950XL.

 

[Fenoy]

I have no experience with the 950 but after ~6 weeks with the 950XL I'm delighted with the phone. I've encountered none of the issues discussed on this forum. I will note that I do not run either of Insider OSs - just the 14393.576 version. I don't play games but I've also not experienced any heating issues and battery life is more than adequate for my purposes but your requirements may differ - considerably. Really enjoy the screen and although I feared coming from an L928 that the 950XL would prove to be too large that hasn't been the case.

 

[Matty]

I haven't had any overheating issues with the 950XL.

Fair enough, I'm not saying the OP will get overheating issues I'm just saying that, its been a general problem with that processor for various devices that launched with it and if possible i would get a 820 / 821 or 808

 

[anon(8911628)]

Thanks for reply, guys.

I have heard that Snapdragon 810 is really "hot" but some phones (like Huawei 6P) have no problem with overheating. Now, Lumia 950 has SD808 that sometimes is really warm. I know that the XL version has liquid cooling but does it work good?

Last time I just visited a one store I just was playing with Lumia 950 and 950XL. Both of them are cool but it seems like the Lumia 950XL had brigher screen. Maybe because of glass protection (Corning Gorilla Glass 3 vs 4?). Moreover, those phones are 24 hours per day and only XL seemed to be cold.

Of course, I have never seen any information about overheating but sometimes the phone is really warm and I am afraid of this.

 

[Ntei]

Oh, and the 950xl has Gorilla Glass 4, which is more scratch resistant. However, it's more prone to shattering when compared to the 950's display.

Gorilla glass 4 us not more scratch resistant, it has the same hardness as 3 but it's thinner and more flexible

 

[Minh Junior Dinh]

I haven't had any overheating issues with the 950XL.

Wait... really? It gets very hot sometimes, even when doing light work.

Gorilla glass 4 us not more scratch resistant, it has the same hardness as 3 but it's thinner and more flexible

Yeah, there's a chemically strengthened layer that makes it possible for the screen to be thin. You can read more here: https://rhinoshield.io/blogs/news/17122293-gorilla-glass-3-vs-4

 

[patcherd]

I used a 950 XL for about a week and returned it. I would not say it is better than the 950....just bigger. It wasn't noticeably faster than my 950 to justify me keeping it.

When I was using the 950 XL the phone never heated up. It was a good device but I find the screen size to be better on the smaller sibling and ultimately i chose to keep my 950 over the XL.


Both are good phones

 

[Indistinguishable]

Wait... really? It gets very hot sometimes, even when doing light work.

Yes. really. The only heat I've experienced with it is when it's in use while charging from <40%. Besides that, no heat at all.

 

[Minh Junior Dinh]

Yes. really. The only heat I've experienced with it is when it's in use while charging from <40%. Besides that, no heat at all.

For me, personally, it has a lot of overheating issues. There are others saying it has a bit of a problem handling the heat, especially reviews of the phone. For example, when downloading a game, watching a video. I'd say the heat of the Lumia950xl is analogous to a warm cup fo coffee.