950/950XL are underestimated

[N_LaRUE]

I dont think anyone was saying they were offended, rather it is odd that flagship phones came out beefed up and WP mobile was offended by the perceived delivery. I agree the phones will not take 50% of market share or something like that but I dont think that is they're intention.

Have you seen their other posts? Maybe offended might be wrong but I've never seem someone act so uptight except when they are offended so I didn't know what other word to use.

 

[Citizen X]

Not me. I'm on contract with at&t on an unlimited data plan. If I can't get a phone on contract that's a problem. Unfortunately no month to month LTE unlimited plans.

Protip: Use your upgrade to buy a honking new iPhone. Sell it. Buy the phone you want. Problem solved.

Why would someone buy a contract phone from me versus buying a noncontract phone directly from at&t? Believe me I thought of this option but that's a lot of money we're talking about. An iphone 6s Plus 16 GB costs $299 upfront even on contract.

 

[christenmartin]

Have you seen their other posts? Maybe offended might be wrong but I've never seem someone act so uptight except when they are offended so I didn't know what other word to use.

I have not seen other posts. I started out on crackberry and migrated to wpcentral and i can say that there are alot of uptight people on these forums. You are probably correct on that.

 

[MikeSo]

These phones have everything but the kitchen sink - dual SIM, Qi, 32GB + SD card, 20MP camera, Glance, double tap to wake, replaceable battery, replaceable back, iris scanner, seemingly a fix to the Snapdragon 810 heating issue. It's like Microsoft checked off a Windows Central forum wishlist!

And yet we're not happy. I guess we can blame Windows 10 Mobile for that? Because the phones are as good as it gets.

 

[mythos13]

I don't think Microsoft tried very hard with these phones. All they did was throw a bunch of high-end components into bland handsets with no design motif whatsoever. There is not even a color choice. I would almost sooner have a yellow 1020 with a Camera Grip than either of these 2. I can't imagine how good the phones would be if Nokia had 3 years and Microsoft's budget to improve on the 1020. I may be still buy the 950 but I may hold off a bit to see if something better might be on the horizon.Nokia used to complain Microsoft didn't seem to have fire under its *** when it came to Windows Phone--same old.

 

[ALpHa.Q.RoUgH]

These phones have everything but the kitchen sink - Qi, 32GB + SD card, 20MP camera, Glance, double tap to wake, replaceable battery, replaceable back, iris scanner, seemingly a fix to the Snapdragon 810 heating issue. It's like Microsoft checked off a Windows Central forum wishlist!

And yet we're not happy. I guess we can blame Windows 10 Mobile for that? Because the phones are as good as it gets.

No, because we wanted a metal phone with Qi, 64gb of storage, Micro SD slot, 41MP camera, fingerprint scanner & Iris, replaceable back, 12MP FFC, notification light, snapdragon 820 and the ability to be able to use it with a selfie stick.

 

[ArtificiallyYours]

IMO the 950XL looks more genetically traced to the Surface than ever before.

 

[christenmartin]

These phones have everything but the kitchen sink - Qi, 32GB + SD card, 20MP camera, Glance, double tap to wake, replaceable battery, replaceable back, iris scanner, seemingly a fix to the Snapdragon 810 heating issue. It's like Microsoft checked off a Windows Central forum wishlist!

And yet we're not happy. I guess we can blame Windows 10 Mobile for that? Because the phones are as good as it gets.

I think that some WP fans wanted a whole line of phones. My understanding of MS strategy, and I believe to be a good one, is trickle out good product and let that turn into a flood. As apposed to a shot gun approach of 8 different phones all with different forms and capabilities and just keep spending in no direction hoping something sticks like what has been going on.

 

[ayejay0601]

The only thing wrong with these phones is their physical appearance. Make it look like a Galaxy 6 Edge and I would buy it.

 

[scottmac 1]

Damn you must fear Microsoft. why write all that?:asleep:

 

[scottmac 1]

agree

 

[colinkiama]

The only thing wrong with these phones is their physical appearance. Make it look like a Galaxy 6 Edge and I would buy it.

You can change the design yourself you know

 

[PepperdotNet]

The Lumia 950XL is without a doubt the best Windows-based phone ever made, and the 950 is a very close second. I am really tired of hearing complaints.

"It's not a flagship because it's not metal."
Really? You can get a replacement back cover with metal trim. Or leather. Or any number of things to change its appearance.

"It's not a flagship because not unibody, removable back, removable battery, etc."
Really? To me a flagship has more features, not less. I do not consider a phone more valuable because it can't accept an SD card and has to be professionally repaired if the battery goes bad.

I consider it an honor to live in a time when I am able to buy such an advanced device. As MikeSo eloquently said, "it's like Microsoft checked off a Windows Central forum wishlist." It literally has every feature I wanted, and several I never expected to see on a device sold in the United States where carrier devices abound, stripped of any feature that a carrier thinks might affect their bottom line somehow. Unlocked, unbranded, dual-sim, LTE that works worldwide and even in North America, QI, SD, removable battery, replaceable covers. Fantastic!

 

[Karen LePage]

Can't wait to customize my own

Agreed .... This phone is perfect.

 

[d33pth0u9ht]

Curious... what features were left out in your opinion? I have held one at the Microsoft Store and the 950xl is superb. The camera was fast and amazing. I saw a post comparing a 1020 and the 950xl in the store and the improvement was shocking. The store sample was running a pre-release OS and was still quick. This will only get better with refinement. The employee I was speaking with demonstrated Hello and it worked flawlessly. No other phone can match an iris scanner. I think MS also is getting it right with providing a plain plastic back and allowing the customer to decide on what back cover style they want. If MS would have designed a non-replaceable black leather back, half of the customers would not have liked it. Same can be said for a metal back. Tastes are unique to the individual and having a partner, like Mozo (mozoaccessories.com), will provide a number of back cover options that look incredible.

I am just having a difficult time finding fault with the feature set of these phones. They appear to have everything anyone could want and more than most of the smartphone market has.

 

[d33pth0u9ht]

I have been questioning the reaction to these phones, not only by Daniel, but also by other for a while now. Especially the opinion that they are a Nokia holdover and an afterthought.

1) First phones with W10M. The development has been costly and time intensive for MS. This amount of effort is not the behavior of a company that does not want to be in the mobile market.
2) Packing an iris scanner into the phone, something nobody else has, took significant effort.
3) These phones are using the top processors (Same as s6).
4) The display is equivalent (2560x1440) to S6 and much higher than i6s (1920x1080)
5) Wireless charging (not available on s6 or i6s)
6) Continuum (not available on s6 or i6s)
7) 20MP camera (12MP on s6 and i6s) with Optical Image Stabilization
8) Removable battery
9) SD card slot (not available on s6 and i6s)

The point is that MS put significant effort into a phone that is at the top of the market right now. The phone (XL) will sell for $100 less than the base i6s with only 16GB of ram vs. 32GB for the 950XL.

This phone is anything but an afterthought. As fans of the platform, we have arguably the best phone on the market. We should start acting like it...

 

[missionsparta]

I have been questioning the reaction to these phones, not only by Daniel, but also by other for a while now. Especially the opinion that they are a Nokia holdover and an afterthought.

1) First phones with W10M. The development has been costly and time intensive for MS. This amount of effort is not the behavior of a company that does not want to be in the mobile market.
2) Packing an iris scanner into the phone, something nobody else has, took significant effort.
3) These phones are using the top processors (Same as s6).
4) The display is equivalent (2560x1440) to S6 and much higher than i6s (1920x1080)
5) Wireless charging (not available on s6 or i6s)
6) Continuum (not available on s6 or i6s)
7) 20MP camera (12MP on s6 and i6s) with Optical Image Stabilization
8) Removable battery
9) SD card slot (not available on s6 and i6s)

The point is that MS put significant effort into a phone that is at the top of the market right now. The phone (XL) will sell for $100 less than the base i6s with only 16GB of ram vs. 32GB for the 950XL.

This phone is anything but an afterthought. As fans of the platform, we have arguably the best phone on the market. We should start acting like it...

16GB of ram? That is amazing...

 

[colinkiama]

I have been questioning the reaction to these phones, not only by Daniel, but also by other for a while now. Especially the opinion that they are a Nokia holdover and an afterthought.

1) First phones with W10M. The development has been costly and time intensive for MS. This amount of effort is not the behavior of a company that does not want to be in the mobile market.
2) Packing an iris scanner into the phone, something nobody else has, took significant effort.
3) These phones are using the top processors (Same as s6).
4) The display is equivalent (2560x1440) to S6 and much higher than i6s (1920x1080)
5) Wireless charging (not available on s6 or i6s)
6) Continuum (not available on s6 or i6s)
7) 20MP camera (12MP on s6 and i6s) with Optical Image Stabilization
8) Removable battery
9) SD card slot (not available on s6 and i6s)

The point is that MS put significant effort into a phone that is at the top of the market right now. The phone (XL) will sell for $100 less than the base i6s with only 16GB of ram vs. 32GB for the 950XL.

This phone is anything but an afterthought. As fans of the platform, we have arguably the best phone on the market. We should start acting like it...

the S6 has a 16MP camera and it does have built in wireless charging.

 

[hemanlive]

In reply to Reading between the lines: What Panos was telegraphing about those new Lumias | Windows Central

Daniel, I disagree with you. Are you telling me Microsoft had no input and that these are Nokia leftovers? That's ridiculous because it would mean we are talking about tech that is more than a year old. That is not the case. Nokia ended long ago. It would mean there was no development for over a year. This phone is largely developed by Microsoft! Of course they used leftovers from Nokia, who wouldn't? They had great tech. Microsoft has had over a year to have had a large input on these devices. And you can see it. You are all interpreting it wrong.

The reason why not much attention was paid to the phones was because:
A. We already knew everything about them.
B. Windows mobile is not ready, too risky to show stuff.
C. Nobody except windows phone fans are interested in their phones, it doesn't matter how great they are. Ther are not going to sell. So why waste time on presenting them? Read: Microsoft Lumia 950 and 950 XL: Power has never been so light People who use iPhones or Galaxies won't jump ship. But people do jump ship for a surface. Why? Because windows 10 has a mature ecosystem and because Surfaces are kind of revolutionary. Windows 10 mobile has the app problem and phones allow for no more revolutions for a while to come. The reason why they don't pay much attention to phones is because they want to grow the phone business in a later stage. They take a reverse path to finally, in the end lead people to using their windows phones. Maybe in 4-5 years. Until then they will focus on apps everywhere and on surfaces because that is a hole in the market and businesses have demand for them.

This all stands apart from the Lumia 950 and 950XL being top flagship premium phones. They are! They have almost everything you could wish for. Except no metal housing. Are you kidding me? Metal sucks. Specwise they beat every other phone out their. The camera is supposed to be better than the 1020! It has glance, wireless charging, everything in 1 phone. In the past there have always been sacrifices. It's even very light, not heavy. And now that's suddenly a problem because it doesn't feel premium? What a nonsense. The 920 had so many complaints it was too heavy. Another website says "Power has never been so light" Microsoft Lumia 950 and 950 XL: Power has never been so light

You are talking this phone down for no reason. Because of articles like these even fans won't buy these phones and Microsoft will have another reason to invest less in these kind of phones. I really don't understand why you would write articles like this. Even anti-MS sites like The Verge and Cnet are interested in these phones. Maybe these phones come unusual to us because of the non-mindblowing design, but that is just a Windows-phone-fan thing. Android users (over 80%) don't care much about design. They all use ugly phones and an ugly Android software.

Wait until you get these phones with a more polished w10m. They will blow your mind. And the best thing is, these phones will improve over time like no other phone before at insane speed. Windows 10 and its apps will develop over time to make the phones even better.

You fans out there better buy one of these because I promise you, the 'surface' phones are not going to supersede these flagships. They are not what you should wait for. They will fit a different category. They will sacrifice on camera quality and several other things. Yes they might look better, but might also be metal and break/damage more easily. People will regret not getting a 950 when they find out. By that time if you still decide to buy a 950/950xl they will be old and not feel so cool anymore. At that point you will have to wait another year for something to come or have a less satisfying purchase of a 950/950XL.

Relax, these phones are worth it, they are really underestimated.

Common Mate. I think you completely missed the point that Dan made in his article. Nowhere did he say that these are not good or just average phones. He did mention that he likes the Windows mobile OS much more than Android and the phones will give the best experience. His reference to short time spent on Lumias and the fact that Panos has been there only since July, by when the phones were ready, was to show that he did not have time to make something as drastic as the Surface book with the Lumias. By the 'Nokia DNA' the reference was not about medicore phones at all. But Nokia had a design philosophy and even after the acquisition, the philosophy continues. We can see it in design of the Lumias now vs. the first Lumias that were launched by Nokia. Panos has a very radical view of hardware and all that Dan said was that he would transform the way Microsoft phones look as of now. That is not to say that these phones are bad, but to say that these could be improved a lot, which is likely to happen by next year.

 

[a5cent]

Daniel, I disagree with you. Are you telling me Microsoft had no input and that these are Nokia leftovers? That's ridiculous because it would mean we are talking about tech that is more than a year old. That is not the case. Nokia ended long ago. It would mean there was no development for over a year. This phone is largely developed by Microsoft!

On average, it takes an OEM around 12 to 18 months to bring a smartphone to market from scratch. You do the math.

Given those lead times, the folks in Redmond will not have had much (if any) say, at the time the most important decisions for these devices were being made. Once design objectives are set and work has commenced, you can't change things around without throwing the schedule overboard. If MS had, we'd now still be months away from a high end WM device.

My point: That idea that Redmond had little to no input on these hardware designs is not as ridiculous as you think it is. It's very likely 100% accurate.

On the other hand, calling these devices "leftovers" is probably a poor choice of words, as that implies they were unused designs that are only now being "served". That's not a good way of expressing that these products were just the latest additions to Nokia's development pipeline at the time MS took over.

Implying that the ex-Nokia team requires help from Redmond to develop good hardware also seems a bit galling to me. Hardware is the one area where almost everyone agrees (including WP critics) that WP devices were very good (read the Verge's original review of the L900). IMHO the Nokia hardware guys always made the most out of the software and ecosystem capabilities that were given to them... it's the OS and the ecosystem which has been tripping WP up. Not the hardware. If anybody needs help, it's the mobile OS group in Redmond.

Anyway, I agree. The 950/XL are underestimated. They are great successors to the 1520 and 930.