Why *haven't* you bought a Lumia 950?

[Josh Harman]

I did buy one and regret it. Worst battery life and bugs of any phone I have ever had. Tried all recommendations and it gets better then worse. I could not imagine a typical person owning this phone. Shameful from Microsoft.

I bought one too and love it. Best phone I've ever owned. I haven't done anything special, it just works. Thank you Microsoft. LOL

 

[NutmegState]

(a) Waiting until W10M is properly released and is more stable

• I need a stable phone because I use it for work
• There are always initial issues and I don't want to deal with them
• Navigation apps have to be better than what they are now; Lumia/Microsoft Apps all suck at the moment

(b) Expecting the price to drop soon (or simply consider it to be too expensive?)

• A price drop or some incentive like bundling a discounted Microsoft Band would definitely make me purchase sooner
• It is expensive, but not have a great deal of carrier choice sucks even more at the moment
• Item (a) is a bigger factor than cost at the moment

(d) Expecting the Surface Phone to be out quite soon

• We know it is coming, I see no reason not to wait at this point unless your current phone is broken or has issues
• I believe the 950/XL where a stop gap because they needed something. Something better is coming
• The 950/XL do not have a wow factor although I like continuum it is not fully cooked at this point.

 

[Steve Walden1]

I have been a Windows Mobile user since the first Pocket PC running Windows CE 3.0. In full disclosure, I worked for Microsoft from July 1998 to December 2009. I have owned dozens of Windows Mobile devices, culminating in my Lumia Icon running Windows Mobile 10. This past weekend however, I traded in my Icon for a Galaxy S6 Edge Plus and, as much as it pains me to say this, I couldn't be happier. It feels like I am entering the rest of society for the first time. Things that were not available to me before are now just an app away! Not to mention, all the MS apps that I have come to rely on, are not only available on my new Adroid phone but, from what I have seen so far, are much better (i.e. Outlook). I was actually at MS when Googles first phone came out and Steve Ballmer sent out a company wide email, telling us all, just as he had done with iPhone, how MS phones were so much better and how business would never move away from MS phones and how they do not have the developer support that MS has for it's phone, blah, blah, blah. When it came to technology, at least mobile technology, Ballmer was VERY short sighted. At least when a nerd was in charge of the company, he focused on the tech but once business man Ballmer took over, his focus was on the bottom line. In my opinion, Steve Ballmer represents the luckiest dorm room assignment in history, at that's about it. So, if you are pissed about how other platforms are out performing Windows Phone, you should look no further than his leadership. It is my hope that Satya will doe great things and that Panos will make an amazing device that will make me want to come back but until then, I will enjoy being included in the mobile revolution, for the first time in a long time.

Now, having said all that, there are some things that I am NOT digging about my Android, some of which may be that I am just not experienced enough on the device to know how to do it. Here is a list so far:

1. Bluetooth integration with my car. Ok, so I have paired the phone with my 2013 Altima and I am able to receive phone calls and make calls via the phone button on my steering wheel. Text messages, on the other hand, are a different story. Whenever I get into my car, the phone goes into something called "Mobile mode" and what this does is basically block notifications of any text messages and sends an automated reply, letting the sender know that I am driving. I LOVED the way Cortana on my Lumia handled this (though it was a bit buggy since Windows 10 to be honest). I have found some apps that do this but it seems that they just read the text to me but do not allow me to reply. I will continue to investigate this.

2. games do not automatically pause when a call is coming in. Granted, the incoming call notification is not that intrusive and still allows me to see most of the game screen but the sometimes covered the pause button. Again, there may be a setting somewhere that fixes this.

3. I do not like the way it handles contacts. So, I connected my 2 live accounts and it imported my contacts and I can see them and use them but, when I took a pic and tried to attach it to a contact, I discovered that it would only show me those contacts that were stored on my phone. Even if I went into the contacts, it would not allow to add a photo to any of them. I did find out how to fix this, sort of. You have to connect the built in mail client to your accounts, not just outlook. Once you do that, you will be able to edit the contacts as you would expect.

4. I loved that when I took a photo, it automatically went to OneDrive. That does not happen now. I did just discover that it does go to the cloud but it is going to the Verizon cloud and I have no idea how to make it go to OneDrive.

5. Another Bluetooth issue. I does not seem that I am able to simply push the button on my Bluetooth headset(LG Tone + Platinum) and have it activate voice dialing on the phone. Again, this may be user errro but I feel like, it should just work, like it did on my Windows Phone. I just connect my Bluetooth device and bam, I can voice dial. This is not the case. This is another one I will need to investigate further.

All in all, the experience with the Galaxy S6 Edge Plus has been a VERY good one and the switch from Windows has been extremely refreshing. It's nice to swimming in a deeper app pool. Now when I see an advertisement or a sign that says, "Download our app," I can now say, with confidence, that they are talking to me and that has not been the case for a very long time.

 

[ymcpa]

I bought one when it came out and got my continuum dock. Then I realized that the dual sim version doesn't have visual voicemail. I noticed amazon is selling a single sim international version. I returned the phone to the Microsoft store and bought one from the Amazon store for $589. Opened an Amazon credit card and got $80 off. I wanted to get the Amazon 6 month finance offer with 0% interest. Realized that my old amazon store credit account was closed for lack of use. Opened a new one and got an additional $20 credit. So, the phone cost me $489 with no tax and free shipping. For that price, I got a hell of a phone and visual voicemail now works. The plastic battery cover was pretty cheap looking. Bought a Mazo case and now the phone look fantastic. The screen and camera are awesome. My daughter, who has an iphone 6 keeps saying how much she wants the phone. Off course, the only thing stopping her is the lack of snapchat and a few other apps. If Microsoft can ever solve the app gap and make covers that look like those Mazo covers, they will have a real winner.

 

[chasvs]

You should have gone with an iPhone 6s PLUS!

I'm pretty much in the same boat as you are when it comes to Windows Phone use except that I started with an HTC Windows Phone 7.0 device. Loved the way Cortana handled text messages, etc.

I sold my Icon when the 950XL wasn't available on Verizon and I am very happy with my decision. I too hope that Panos Panay does a REAL Windows Phone this year that's good enough to return me to the fold! Until then I'm liking my iPhone and use Outlook for Email, Calendar and Contact management. Cortana on IOS is still evolving but I find myself using Google app more frequently right now.

Let's hope Microsoft hits a home run this time and that ALL Carriers will be offering or at least allowing those devices on their networks!

 

[Robert Heinrich]

I have an AT&T 950 and I love it. I am coming from a Sprint 8XT wp 8.1, and I find the w10 950 to be outstanding. No issues at all, and the app thing has never affected me since I am not a social media person.

I recommend this device to anyone. My battery life is great and in a bit over a week with the device, I have had no freezing or glitches or reboots. W10 seems just as stable and fluid as 7 and 8 were.

 

[chris_gt]

I figured that reasons might be:

(a) Waiting until W10M is properly released and is more stable
(b) Expecting the price to drop soon (or simply consider it to be too expensive?)
(c) Hoping for a 1020 style version
(d) Expecting the Surface Phone to be out quite soon

Or anything else?

Simple, I won't get a 950 for the same reason I didn't get a Galaxy phone all these years. Top end hardware with a half baked OS is a waste of my money. Will keep using my trusty 930 until it dies, and see from there.

 

[Anup256j]

WoW. What a thread." Why havent you brought a L950" . Its simple. Its too costly.
When will a Lumia 750 or Lumia 850 midrange phones be launched. Or will it ever come. I guess am the only one who is still waiting to upgrade my L720. . I will wait till July 2016. Then will move to Dildroid phones.

Microsoft destroyed Lumia brand..

 

[handson exp]

Waiting for single sim version in UAE. will buy for sure if avalable

 

[Flan Tamarind]

x86 Surface Phone PLS

 

[William Bergmann]

1) It's $600+ dollars.
2) It's have to set up new (more expensive) service, as it's not usable on Republic Wireless.
3) I'm not sure I'm ready to invest back into an ecosystem that will cut down on what I can do with my phone on a daily basis.

If I win one for free, it makes all of my complaints seem far less important. I love the core experience of Windows Phone, and I can't wait to have a phone that has a camera on it again. (The Moto X 2014 supposedly has a camera, but the images it takes... I can't really describe them as 'photographs'.)

 

[anon(5981118)]

I'm cheap.

I've had an 820 almost since they came out. Nice screen. Wireless charging. Heavy, short battery life. I *was* thinking of trying an Android phone, but after playing with a tablet, no, thanks. I considered an iPhone.

AT&T's new pricing plans are ticking me off...and the phone was feeling a little old...

Then I noticed while wandering through Staples that I could get a 635 for $29 and change. I did, and set it up for WP10. So far, pretty d__n good!

I know there are things that the 9-series phones do that make them seem premium, and I know I don't have a flash or camera button, and the screen is kind of cheap-looking. I can live with that. It's an auxiliary device for phone calls, handling email when I'm away from my computer, light browsing, etc. It's not my main machine.

Having saved over $500? I can live with that.

 

[cmucodemonkey]

I'm cheap.

I've had an 820 almost since they came out. Nice screen. Wireless charging. Heavy, short battery life. I *was* thinking of trying an Android phone, but after playing with a tablet, no, thanks. I considered an iPhone.

AT&T's new pricing plans are ticking me off...and the phone was feeling a little old...

Then I noticed while wandering through Staples that I could get a 635 for $29 and change. I did, and set it up for WP10. So far, pretty d__n good!

I know there are things that the 9-series phones do that make them seem premium, and I know I don't have a flash or camera button, and the screen is kind of cheap-looking. I can live with that. It's an auxiliary device for phone calls, handling email when I'm away from my computer, light browsing, etc. It's not my main machine.

Having saved over $500? I can live with that.

I agree about the pricing plans. I looked at how much it would cost to move from Verizon to AT&T so I could get my hands on a Lumia 950. The data plans have weird step levels, so I'd either have to buy more data than I really need or cut back on my data use by more than 1 GB. Overall I found that I pay less with Verizon, even with a monthly device payment for my wife's iPhone.

 

[BeSomething]

I got bought the Lumia 950 for work and love it. I was having major problems with my Lumia 1520. I can say it's a little glitch before the updates have were applied. Even after I did the updates though the notification center doesn't always show when you drag from the top of the screen.

 

[FearL0rd]

Even the creator doesn't use. Why I will have to buy one

It's okay that Joe Belfiore is using an iPhone | The Verge

 

[mariusmuntean]

I got bought the Lumia 950 for work and love it. I was having major problems with my Lumia 1520. I can say it's a little glitch before the updates have were applied. Even after I did the updates though the notification center doesn't always show when you drag from the top of the screen.

Some simple things that MS seems unable to fix, or they simply do not care to look or read the reports.

 

[VermaEklavya]

I would like to begin by saying I have been a Mobile Insider for the better part of the last six months. However Cortana is one major reason I decided not to get the new Lumias, or any Windows Mobile for that matter, because it is not available in my region. It is pointless IMHO to judge an OS without all its features available and ready for use.

And I'm already able to use the other Microsoft services that I love on my current platform. So I do not feel the need to jump onto the Lumia bandwagon.

Is pricing an issue? Not necessarily, Microsoft can price it however they like. People who see value in the product will pay for it regardless.

Am I waiting for a Surface Phone? No, because I don't know whether such a phone will be functionally any different from the new Lumias. The entire ideology behind a Surface device is to be an amalgamation of more than one form factor, and the Lumia 950/XL are already achieving that through Continuum. I'll wait and see how it goes, if and when that device releases. Till then my current platform is doing me plenty good.

 

[Generalheed]

Verizon, nuff said

 

[Jens Ansorg]

It went back to the store just yesterday, after two months of using it. The random reboots made it too unreliable for the amount of money they ask for it. That's pretty sad I love windows 10 on the desktop and surface 3 tablet - no issues there! But on the 950 - disappointing

So I went back to my Nexus 5 for now. Android felt weird coming back after two months. I miss the live tiles, the clean look of the start screen, the synchronization with these other windows devices. I miss the dedicated camera button. I got used to the dial sim option so much that I'm now actually looking for a "Nexus 5 dual sim" android phone!

One more thing: holding the Nexus 5 again in my hands I realized that its size is the sweet spot for me, the 5.2" 950 felt always somewhat awkward to hold and in the pocket.

So, if there is a 5" Lumina or whatever coming in six months or so I will probably give it a try. I don't hold my breath for this surface rumor. If it indeed becomes a reality it will be too much high end and too big and it will be totally uninteresting for my needs.

 

[Joel Earnest]

I got one and it's working really well , but if I had it to do over again, I'd try to get one of these: NuAns | New Answer with NuAns NEO