What is a flagship phone to you

[pankaj981]

I think though with SD810, 2GB RAM, 5" screen, 1080p, Glance, 2750 mAh battery, 5MP selfie camera, 20MP main camera with OIS, xenon flash, physical camera buttons, wireless charging, metal band frame (like the 830) and multi-color/material finish back would make a very nice device.

Waterproofing would be nice but not a dea lbreaker.

I would agree with all your specs, adding/modifying it a bit though...processor...I really don't care if its a 810 or a 410...Microsoft should make sure the drivers are tweaked enough to allow games/applications to run smoothly, app devs are equally responsible. The less powerful processor might provide a better battery life but I guess a 810 w/ 3000 mah should suffice. Also I would like the body to be more like the 830, curved glass like the iPhone 6, sides like the Lumia 925, back like the 930, camera from the 1520 (it should be wicked fast) and tough as the Lumia 920. 2 versions to be released, one 5 inch and one 6, the 5 inch would be 1080p and the 6 inch would be QHD. And software wise, I believe the WP OS does need a refresh to some UI/UX elements. Windows 10 does look promising but its better to wait till things get ironed out. And the way the OS handles resuming screen, that definitely needs to change.

 

[Alain_A]

Its not about specs, its about functionality

Yup, Agree

I would like to see stylus support on the larger phones and waterproof models

that too would be nice

I don't need a flagship, i need a tank.
Durable, trustworthy and above all.....functional

If it become a tank than it is a flagship to me.

And yes to the last sentence

 

[Prathamesh Tambe]

Premium build, premium features, top of the line camera, if it performs buttery smooth, i don't care about its cpu etc

 

[MarkusDindu]

I saw mention of the iPhone being a flagship phone, and in part it is the best they produce but it is the only phone they offer and even they could have offered higher spec's but chose not to.

Apple release two flagships last year, and they have terrific specs.

 

[Robinsonmac]

The only thing I'm looking for in a successor to my Lumia Icon is a Windows flagship that has killer battery life. The Icon simply does not deliver in that category which is very disappointing to me.

As far as everything else goes (hardware wise), I'm glad that Microsoft will be using the latest and greatest Snapdragon CPU/GPU. That alone I think can go a long way in wowing people, as well as a good amount of RAM. If the phone is 5", stick with 1080p. There's zero sense in going to a 2K display. If it's a 6" phone, then go with 2K. Microsoft also needs to hit it home with the camera and they need to let everyone know that no one in the business does it better than them.

I also hope hope HOPE HOPE HOPE HOPE they go with a polycarbonate unibody design like the "classic" Nokia Lumia devices (800, 900, 920, 1020, etc). I'm a huge fan of that design for a lot of reasons like that it feels wonderful in the hand, and it's FAR from feeling or looking cheap. The way that the curved edges flow with the curved sides is amazing. I'd take it over a metal design. It's something that sets Lumias apart, and when you see a device with that styling, you immediately think of a Lumia. Though I won't hold my breath that Microsoft will go with this design

The only problem with using the SnapDragon 810 is by the time a WP devise with is available it will be the last flagship phone to use it & it will be 6 months old & the next version right around the corner. Even though it will be plenty fast, the phone will have the perception of having "old" hardware as crazy as it sounds the same thing was said about the 1520 & the SnapDragon 800 it has.

I personally don't think it matters what the next flagship is, it will not gain mind share with non-WP users if it isn't available on all carriers at the same time at launch.

To stay on topic I would like to see Surface & Surface XL styled phones, the XL with a stylus USB C connectors, waterproof, improved 20 megapixel camera, latest & greatest guts & big battery. More importantly W10 needs to run flawlessly out the gate. Oh, did i mention market the hell out of it & W10 of the likes we have never seen for at least 6 - 8 months continuously.

 

[CosmicPoweR]

Consider a flagship to me is top notch hardware with best combination of hardware compatibility. Long battery life and battery lifespan. Able to handle few major update like what WP having now(not like android update). Phone should ergonomically design. Stick with what makes the phone stand out from the crowd, innovate, enhance or add something innovative that it's not available on the phone yet.

 

[Motor_Mouth]

"What is a flagship phone to you"? Easy, it's a device that allows me to see who the wankers are when I walk into a room.

 

[Motor_Mouth]

In my mind the first sentence here is an excellent description of a flagship. That's where the iPhone excels. The specs are average at best, but the overall experience is top notch. Indeed, it is "a harmonious blend of design, software and features".
I think WP's biggest weakness is described in your 2nd sentence. Hardware is not WP's problem; had that been the case, the partnership with Nokia would have solved it. WP's current Achilles heel is software, both the OS and the app ecosystem.

I can't agree with either point. I've never really liked much of Apple's design, the one real exception being the iPhone 4, which looked fantastic but was deeply flawed from an engineering perspective. The current iPhone actually looks cheap and nasty, like most of the smaller iPods have always done. As for the OS, iOS 8 is actually hideous to look at and anything but intuitive to use, unless it's what you are used to. For most of us, though, the lack of a back button makes it really confusing a lot of the time.

OTOH, Windows Phone just made sense to me from the get-go. It's simple, elegant and deceptively powerful. I spent about half-an-hour in a store with an iPhone 4 and an HTC Mozart and the Mozart just seemed so much slicker and at the same time deeper. e.g. I was able to get it to plot me a route home from the store much more easily than I could with the iPhone. Even scrolling the maps themselves was much smoother. I ended up with a Samsung Focus, not the Mozart, but I've not seen anything in iOS since that makes me regret my choice. Quite the contrary, in fact - I couldn't believe what I was reading when I found out that iOS only got predictive text a few months ago. That's one of the biggest things I love about my smartphone and being able to tap out a whole sentence with just two or three key presses is central to the overall experience.

Even the much maligned app experience in WinPhone is great. I recently bought an Android powered Walkman and I didn't like Sony's music app so I went onto Google Play to find a better one and discovered it full of all the same rubbish we have to wade through. Even their version of X-Box Music isn't as good as ours. I also see it at work all the time, where I'm the "app guy". Whenever I show someone some cool app I've discovered, they'll go and look for it on the App Store or Google Play and half the time they can't find anything as good. OTOH, no-one has ever shown me an app on their iPhone or Android handset that's made me wish I had either of those OSes on my phone.

 

[Angry_Mushroom]

Flagship should be as the word implies, the standard bearer for the OS. It should represent the fullest extent of a device. Basically use the highest end available to a company. The new Galaxy S6 is a great example of a flagship device. Uses a top end chipset with a top end display from yours truly, Samsung.

Bascially... from a more consumer point of view. A flagship is something the consumer will know as "the best." The iPhone is in a field of one. It's a flagship alone. Android is a bit more fluid, but you tend to eventually find "the best" in the field of competition. Either a marketing failure, or just a general failure, but there is no WP8 device that screams "the best." 930 seems to have fallen flat to say in the least.

 

[swedishdude]

A flagship is simply something that does everything really well, and will still be useable in a couple of years. Same goes for cars, PCs, guitars...

 

[swedishdude]

So, a quicker cpu, a little more RAM, a fantastic camera, great screen, nice look and feel....

If you want to be a little more ambitious, sell some cool accessories, free Office 365, 50$ Windows Store gift card...

Or maybe put some decent speakers in it. Why is HTC the only company that gives a damn about this?

 

[MDMcAtee]

So, a quicker cpu, a little more RAM, a fantastic camera, great screen, nice look and feel....

If you want to be a little more ambitious, sell some cool accessories, free Office 365, 50$ Windows Store gift card...

Or maybe put some decent speakers in it. Why is HTC the only company that gives a damn about this?

I guess because they have some folks who work for them who enjoy listening to music without earphones. The boom sound speakers are the best on any smartphone. Many can get as loud but none sound as good. Sony's get close though.

Posted from my HTC M8

 

[final_fantasy781]

I always see those Samsung commercials, saying, "The next best thing, is here." The next best thing to me, is the best phone on the market. The one that can work with all apps, games, tools, etc., without bogging down my phone. I currently have a Lumia Icon and it works incredible now. My only issue is having a limited storage of 32gbs and no memory expansion slot.

I have an old iPhone, 1st generation. I couldn't stand that the phone wasn't useful after a certain point. A few games still work on it, due to no upgrades but it's a worthless brick now. My only option is to toss it.

Anyways, so yah, staying current with the technology but being able to use it, too, is big to me.

 

[swedishdude]

I had a listen to an HTC with boomsound, and I couldn't believe it! Why no one else is paying attention is beyond me. It's like Dells xps13. We have wanted thin bezels for years, they make one, everyone loves it, but all the other laptop makers are just not interested.

 

[wuiyang]

Let's make a flagship called:
Nokia Lumia Perfection (or Nokia Lumia Future, Nokia Lumia 2K16)

Specification:
Device size is about 5.2 ~ 6.2 inch

• 50MP++ Rear Camera
• 10MP Front Facing Camera
• Dual SoC (Intel Core M [for everything] + SnapDragon 810 [for 8K recording [when necessary] and 4G LTE and VoLTE etc])
• 128GB ROM, SD card up to 128GB
• 4GB RAM
• Dolby Headphone sound enhancement with Loudspeaker
• Noise cancellation microphone
• feature Dual Screen, 5 ~ 6 inch 2K front screen, back screen is about 4 ~ 5 inch e-ink screen, use it as a second glance screen, selfie/taking picture without people using rear camera
  - the back screen display only when the user set it, quick setting can enable it
• the back screen is the new Dual kickstand, portrait mode use back screen as the kickstand, landscape mode use the second kickstand (see picture, green is the screen, red is the second kickstand)
  
• amazing 9000mAh using three lightweight 3000mAh, 2 of them are non-removable, it was able to hot swap battery without let your phone goes off
• with Qi charging tech
• waterproof design, every connectors has its cover
• with micro-USB 3.0/type-C USB, HDMI, magnetic keyboard connector (like Surface keyboard connectors)

 

[Joshwin]

"Microsoft Surface phone" is the true flagship to me.http://forums.windowscentral.com/windows-phone-concepts-dream-devices/345796-surface-phone-windows-10-true-flagship.html

 

[T Moore]

As you can see it a meaningless overused term. It doesn't have the same meaning for all as you can see in this thread.
My flagship phone did not get the update first.
My flagship phone does not have xxxxxx.
The 520 is the flagship of low cost phones.
and on and on

 

[fatclue_98]

As you can see it a meaningless overused term. It doesn't have the same meaning for all as you can see in this thread.
My flagship phone did not get the update first.
My flagship phone does not have xxxxxx.
The 520 is the flagship of low cost phones.
and on and on

Couldn't agree more pal. For a "true" flagship to exist it would probably be as thick as a paperback novel, weigh as much as a laptop and cost as much as a Surface Pro 3. My thoughts? Have different lines to cater to certain needs. Gamers and video junkies can have the lightning bolt processors and the 30 gigs of Ram, power users don't need such raw processing power and 8000mAh batteries to run Office, Adobe or Twitter while the Social Media crowd can have the big, bulging 2000MP sensor and the 2TB onboard storage.

For my tastes, the 1520 is more than sufficient. If Windows 10 requires a better SoC or more RAM, so be it.

 

[someone2639]

What's a flagship to me? Not an iPhone! Has great fast (emphasis) camera that shoots (get it?) the competition out of the water

 

[oviedofreak82]

5" screen full HD screen, quad core processor (Qualcomm Snapdragon 805 or 810), glance screen wireless charging Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n, USB OTG 20 MP camera with Carl Zeiss optics and HDR with a 8 MP front camera both 4K video recording & OIS on both cameras, Bluetooth 4.0 LE. I might be overboard with these specs knowing such a phone will cost over $800 but if it destroys the iPhone and flagship Android devices, I'm all in. Basically completely redesign the 930 and make it a world class phone.