Terribly unfair review from Gizmodo

[tangledW]

Android: http://mobile-pixels.com/pin-webapp-website-android-homescreen/
iOS: iOS - How to pin websites to the home screen

Oh... Wow websites.

 

[Ten Four]

I didn't bother to read the review. Frankly, if I know a product well I find that reviews are often at odds with my own opinion--and crowd-sourced ones are the worst! We can harp all we want about journalists with axes to grind, but they generally try to get the facts straight, even if they sometimes fail. On the other hand, I read the star-rating reviews on product sites like Amazon or Newegg and they are often so far off the mark as to be worthless, if they are even for the correct product, which they often aren't. Not sure what the answer is, other than to check things out in a store, if possible, talk to people you know that actually have the devices, and be sure to purchase from a reputable place that will take it back for a full refund within a reasonable amount of time. A perfect example of this is the Windows phone world. Most people own and are familiar with Android or iPhone, so right there you have an instant bias against the operating system. I have the same feeling when I have to use someone else's Android or iPhone--frustrating, and I keep thinking how much easier my system of choice is--because it is familiar and I am comfortable with it. It's like all the car reviewers who drive high-end sports cars so much they can't objectively report on a low-end budget car.

 

[TLRtheory]

Um... when has Gizmodo been considered anything more than the Kotaku of the tech world?

Yeah the review is incomplete and poorly-educated, but it's nothing we haven't learned to expect from Gizmodo by now.

 

[ACF1]

I didn't bother to read the review. Frankly, if I know a product well I find that reviews are often at odds with my own opinion--and crowd-sourced ones are the worst! We can harp all we want about journalists with axes to grind, but they generally try to get the facts straight, even if they sometimes fail. On the other hand, I read the star-rating reviews on product sites like Amazon or Newegg and they are often so far off the mark as to be worthless, if they are even for the correct product, which they often aren't. Not sure what the answer is, other than to check things out in a store, if possible, talk to people you know that actually have the devices, and be sure to purchase from a reputable place that will take it back for a full refund within a reasonable amount of time. A perfect example of this is the Windows phone world. Most people own and are familiar with Android or iPhone, so right there you have an instant bias against the operating system. I have the same feeling when I have to use someone else's Android or iPhone--frustrating, and I keep thinking how much easier my system of choice is--because it is familiar and I am comfortable with it. It's like all the car reviewers who drive high-end sports cars so much they can't objectively report on a low-end budget car.

The difference between Amazon reviewers and Gizmodo, is that the latter is a professional reviewer, which is tasked (and paid) to do an objective review as much as possible without spreading FUD. I am not saying they cannot insert their opinion, but they have to contrast it so readers can tell between findings and personal preferences from the reviewer.

You can read the tone of his review, and that was unequivocally to bash the windows phone, so it never stood a chance.

On the other hand, Engadget seemed fair except for the "expensive for what it is" comment. It is priced to market.

 

[DoctorPizza]

Like many, as a WP fan, I would like the L950 to be praised and I wouldn't mind the phone to be criticized on its weaker points, that is fair game. I for sure want to pay a lot less, but saying it is in the wrong price bracket baffles me.

Look at the price of the Nexus 5x and 6p, then get back to me.

 

[Laura Knotek]

Look at the price of the Nexus 5x and 6p, then get back to me.

I got a 64GB Moto X Pure Edition for $499. No it doesn't have iris scanning, but I wouldn't be able to use that feature anyway with my glasses.

 

[920Walker]

The Gizmodo article is so poorly written it loses all credibility on that point alone. Add the "forced to use" statement from the first paragraph and it's already burnt toast.

 

[DoctorPizza]

I got a 64GB Moto X Pure Edition for $499. No it doesn't have iris scanning, but I wouldn't be able to use that feature anyway with my glasses.

Yep, that's another phone with a great price.

Comparisons to the iPhone and Galaxy S6 just aren't appropriate; both of those phones are at least half a generation, possibly more, ahead in terms of processor, and both have mass market appeal that enables premium pricing. The Nexus pair and Moto's phones are much more relevant benchmarks; they're phones that have to compete solely on their merits, not on their names. The 950 just doesn't impress the way many hoped it would.

 

[Krystianpants]

The one thing most people agreed in any review is that continuum is cool and it has a futuristic vibe to it. Now if enough of these UWP apps come out in the next few months that could get people to buy these phones. It's a cool enough feature that it could make some ignore the look. And of course accessories will come out and people will find out about them. It's possible it can steer some people towards wp. At least those who don't depend on snapchat.

And I have the black 950XL it looks nice and premium. Don't know how the white one is. But it creates this really deep black phone due to the screen. It's really nice looking. Then the Microsoft logo is contrasted well including the ring around the lens.


Side note: I don't know a single person that uses snapchat and I know a lot of people. Maybe it's just not popular in Canada. Who knows. Everyone seems to be using instagram/twitter or facebook.

 

[ACF1]

Look at the price of the Nexus 5x and 6p, then get back to me.

spec wise, the L950 is closer to the LG G4 than it is to the 5X. L950 is $80 cheaper. Nexus 5X is discontinued and android people didn't like it too much. the nexus 5X launched $80 cheaper than what L950 is launching today. They only shared the same processor and the 5X has the laser autofocus. Other than that, the L950 seems better in every other way.

The L950 could be $50 cheaper to make it more competitive, but its current launch price hardly an amount to claim it is too be considered "expensive for what it is" relative to other phones in the market.

 

[920Walker]

The one thing most people agreed in any review is that continuum is cool and it has a futuristic vibe to it.
.

You had a very objective and clear rebuttal on Gizmodo or Engadget's 950 review, unless someone stole your thunder via screenname.

 

[Ten Four]

And I have the black 950XL it looks nice and premium.

I personally care more about the function, since the looks are nearly entirely a result of the case the phone is buried in. I can't tell what most phones really look like (or even what phone it is) because virtually everyone I see uses a case, and those that don't have a cracked screen ruining any premium look. In any case, I was raised to ignore what other people think about what you are wearing or using. The only important thing is whether it suits you. On that note, polycarbornate backs and/or the case feel much better, provide better grip, and offer protection. I am old enough to remember when cameras were all metal and one drop would often do them in, whereas today's mostly plastic cameras will survive the same drop unscathed. Very thin metal is not always the best practical choice.

 

[DoctorPizza]

spec wise, the L950 is closer to the LG G4 than it is to the 5X. L950 is $80 cheaper. Nexus 5X is discontinued and android people didn't like it too much. the nexus 5X launched $80 cheaper than what L950 is launching today. They only shared the same processor and the 5X has the laser autofocus. Other than that, the L950 seems better in every other way.

The L950 could be $50 cheaper to make it more competitive, but its current launch price hardly an amount to claim it is too be considered "expensive for what it is" relative to other phones in the market.

Discontinued? https://www.google.com/nexus/5x/

It's barely even a month old. It hasn't been discontinued. The 950 has the edge in RAM and screen resolution when compared to the 32 GB 5X, but I'd much rather have the fingerprint scanner than iris recognition (more reliable, easier to use, etc.), and then there's the whole ecosystem thing. 950 is overpriced.

 

[ashram]

I got a 64GB Moto X Pure Edition for $499. No it doesn't have iris scanning, but I wouldn't be able to use that feature anyway with my glasses.

You must have significantly worse eyesight than I do.... And the iris scanner worked fine for me.

 

[Laura Knotek]

You must have significantly worse eyesight than I do.... And the iris scanner worked fine for me.

-9.0 diopters, so I have high index plastic lenses with rolled and polished edges.

 

[RumoredNow]

Tale of the tape: LG Nexus 5X vs. Huawei Nexus 6P vs. Microsoft Lumia 950 - GSMArena.com

 

[hack14u]

I'm ordinarily one to take reviews with a grain of salt, but this one from Gizmodo is terribly unfair:

Lumia 950 Review: Microsoft's Best Ideas Still Don't Fit In Your Hand

I mean, the Lumia 950 is not perfect. It's a great phone, but has serious shortcomings: the app gap, of course, some performance issues (app crashes, heat). Still...this reviewer clearly had an axe to grind. For instance: the camera button often doesn't launch the camera app? The camera app is sluggish? The screen is "small" (while the iPhone 6s's 4.7" screen is seemingly alright)? The battery life is terrible? Puh-lease.

Also, no mention of Windows Hello, which -- love it or hate it -- is a differentiator. No mention of wireless charging. No mention of...well, anything positive outside of the screen's resolution.

Just a badly-written review, obviously coming from someone who hated the assignment (and hated carrying the phone for a week). Grrrrr.

Wait, you yourself said the phone has shortcomings including temps too hot, and apps crashing. I will not include app gap because that isn't fair since devs haven't had the chance to finish universal apps. BUT, those first 2 aren't enough reasons to stay away from a phone? Stop being so forgiving to MS, either they get it together, or they give up.

 

[hack14u]

The difference between Amazon reviewers and Gizmodo, is that the latter is a professional reviewer, which is tasked (and paid) to do an objective review as much as possible without spreading FUD. I am not saying they cannot insert their opinion, but they have to contrast it so readers can tell between findings and personal preferences from the reviewer.

You can read the tone of his review, and that was unequivocally to bash the windows phone, so it never stood a chance.

On the other hand, Engadget seemed fair except for the "expensive for what it is" comment. It is priced to market.

It can't be priced to market. MS opened the doors on cheap feeling, low cost devices, and that is what everyone expects now. They shot themselves in the foot with that strategy and now they expect people will pay $600 USD for a phone. Not. I too am waiting for E-Bay sales at around $100 for the 950 and then maybe I will buy in. Otherwise, it's just another screen that may or may not be better than my less than $50 640. The OS seems to run pretty well on a cheap device, so why spend the extra $$$?

 

[Jonnie LasVegas]

For instance: the camera button often doesn't launch the camera app? The camera app is sluggish? The screen is "small" (while the iPhone 6s's 4.7" screen is seemingly alright)? The battery life is terrible? Puh-lease.

I have all of these problems on my 950. Camera button works to open the app 1 out of 5 tries. Camera is also very sluggish. And battery life is embarrassingly bad.

 

[oldpueblo]

I have all of these problems on my 950. Camera button works to open the app 1 out of 5 tries. Camera is also very sluggish. And battery life is embarrassingly bad.

And you're sure you're not covering/shadowing the proximity sensor which makes the phone think it's in your pocket?