From iPhone to Lumia 950: One man's quest for something new (review)

plandyman

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I have been an iPhone user for the past 5 years and began searching for something new after my last contract expired (Verizon). I started exploring new phone hardware and OS's and came across WP a while back on a friends 8.1 phone. I was impressed with it from the start. I was just getting bored and tired with iOS which has remained largely the same since birth.

I am an avid mac/iphone user but use windows daily as well and am impressed with windows 10 so I started following WP10 shortly after.

I finally settled on the Lumia 950 with WP 10 after researching it and waiting for weeks. I read the forums and reviews. I asked friends and mobile reps. It was barely positive but I had hope for something coming from MS. I wanted it enough that I even jumped carriers.

I've heavily used the phone since it's release on Friday and I am pretty impressed so far. The phone gets warm just like my 5S but it's a non issue. Here are my thoughts.

Pros:
Gorgeous UI and design
Love the live tiles
All the apps I regularly use are available except Chase banking and snapchat
Unique windows apps like baconit are great
Phone itself is nice. Getting used to the big screen still
The plastic design doesn't feel like an apple device by any means but it feels more solid than Samsung and some others. It's definitely not cheap feeling
Camera is awesome
Cortana works as well as Siri for what I do
Screen is great
Battery life after a day of heavy use leaves about 30% remaining
Ease of transferring contacts
Removable back cover
Hello or the iris recognition works better than expected

Cons:
New keyboard not easy to get used to
Keyboard is laggy at times
Some apps seem a bit laggy and slow
Speaker is underwhelming
Touch screen not as sensitive or accurate as iPhone but it works well enough
Some live tiles/apps don't seem to update their notifications very quickly

Overall:
I am a bit of a techy but I think anybody can pick up and use WP easy enough. I picked up my iPhone after two days and it felt so outdated! I am willing to wait for MS to work out the kinks and have high hopes for snapchat to arrive. I also want my fantasy football apps (yahoo)! Making the switch has been easy enough and I'm sure I've made the right decision so far.
 
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TLRtheory

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This was a very good little review. A lot of long time users forget to mention the good part of the ecosystem and you saw the value of it in just a little while.
 

jaimeastin

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I have been an iPhone user for the past 5 years and began searching for something new after my last contract expired (Verizon). I started exploring new phone hardware and OS's and came across WP a while back on a friends 8.1 phone. I was impressed with it from the start. I was just getting bored and tired with iOS which has remained largely the same since birth.

I am an avid mac/iphone user but use windows daily as well and am impressed with windows 10 so I started following WP10 shortly after.

I finally settled on the Lumia 950 with WP 10 after researching it and waiting for weeks. I read the forums and reviews. I asked friends and mobile reps. It was barely positive but I had hope for something coming from MS. I wanted it enough that I even jumped carriers.

I've heavily used the phone since it's release on Friday and I am pretty impressed so far. Here are my thoughts.

Pros:
Gorgeous UI and design
Love the live tiles
All the apps I regularly use are available except Chase banking and snapchat
Unique windows apps like baconit are great
Phone itself is nice. Getting used to the big screen still
The plastic design doesn't feel like an apple device by any means but it feels more solid than Samsung and some others. It's definitely not cheap feeling
Camera is awesome
Cortana works as well as Siri for what I do
Screen is great
Battery life after a day of heavy use leaves about 30% remaining
Ease of transferring contacts
Removable back cover

Cons:
New keyboard not easy to get used to
Some apps seem a bit laggy and slow
Speaker is underwhelming
Touch screen not as sensitive or accurate as iPhone but it works well enough
Some live tiles/apps don't seem to update their notifications very quickly

Overall:
I am a bit of a techy but I think anybody can pick up and use WP easy enough. I picked up my iPhone after two days and it felt so outdated! I am willing to wait for MS to work out the kinks and have high hopes for snapchat to arrive. I also want my fantasy football apps (yahoo)! Making the switch has been easy enough and I'm sure I've made the right decision so far.

Nice reviews a perspective ....
I have felt IOS to be boring for a long time... I dont care for all three social apps. I have gotten by with WP for years now...

I just want. A phone do what I need need and windows has been very good to me while not being so cookie cutter.

Good luck to you
 

trev81uk

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Great review from someone who has just joined WP and can see the many positives there is!
Good luck, and it'll be nice to hear from you in a couple of months to see how you're getting on.
 

plandyman

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It's crazy how every ATT rep tried to downplay the phone and talk me out of it! The rep didnt know anything about the phone and told me they had none in stock. A manage ran after me after I was leaving to lmk they found one in the back. MS needs to rectify that if they want growth.

And I agree with you jaimeastin. As long as the phone does what I need with minimal issues I'll be ok.
 
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jmoney05txst

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It's crazy how every ATT rep tried to downplay the phone and talk me out of it! MS needs to rectify that if they want growth.

And I agree with you jaimeastin. As long as the phone does what I need with minimal issues I'll be ok.

They didn't even know what I was talking about when I went in there. After the dug around and found one in the back, yes 1, I got everything up and running. I have never even held a WP before but got everything off and running. All of them were blown away that the phone was made by Microsoft, how light it was, and how great the screen looks. They might need a little bit of training on the stuff they sell...
 

HoosierDaddy

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It's crazy how every ATT rep tried to downplay the phone and talk me out of it! MS needs to rectify that if they want growth.
And so should existing and potential AT&T customers. A lot of individuals complaining in ways a decision maker hears can go farther than Microsoft saying the same things. After all consumers don't have as conflicting objectives as MS does.
 

etphoto

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I hope when you switched carriers you let them know why. I've been with Big Red since my first mobile phone back in the late 90s. I don't plan on getting the 950 soon but when I do finally get a new phone I will also switch carriers.
 

Jonnie LasVegas

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I picked up a 950, just to try it out. And man am I disappointed! After using a 1520 for so long, this phone feels like a cheap toy. Definitely taking it back! Also W10M runs better on my 1520 than it does in this hardware that is made for W10M.
I really hope Microsoft gets their **** together for their next "flagship" phones. This phone is a literal punchline! Keeping my 1520 & 6+ as my two main drivers.
 

astondg

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Cons:
New keyboard not easy to get used to
Touch screen not as sensitive or accurate as iPhone but it works well enough

Some of this might be attributable (and I mean might, I'm only speculating) to the way iOS handles touch inputs. I know I have taken time to adjust to this going from an iPhone 4 to a Lumia 920 and then using my wife's iPhone 5S every now and then. I now don't think any are better, but they are different.

iOS tends to shift the touch target down slightly from the UI element it relates to. You can really see this if you try to use an iPhone upside down, the touch target isn't where you expect. This is done on purpose based on Apple's research of how users hold and interact with phones, but other OSs might not do this. I know Android didn't around the time of the Galaxy S4 and I'm not sure about Windows Phone.

Anyway I'm not certain if iOS, Android & Windows Phone still differ in this way and I'm not saying which is better, but maybe give it another couple of weeks to get used to the 950 and see if it's still noticeable.
 

Pratik Drawade

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Even when I suggested lumia to my friend. He went into store to buy one & the ignorant sales rep. tried as much as he can to downplay the phone & persuade him from buying a lumia..,!!! But he stayed determined & eventually bought one. General lack of awareness is the biggest problem microsoft has to address to.
 

KimRM

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I picked up a 950, just to try it out. And man am I disappointed! After using a 1520 for so long, this phone feels like a cheap toy. Definitely taking it back! Also W10M runs better on my 1520 than it does in this hardware that is made for W10M.
I really hope Microsoft gets their **** together for their next "flagship" phones. This phone is a literal punchline! Keeping my 1520 & 6+ as my two main drivers.

If you're happy with your 1520 just keep it. Nobody's holding a gun to your head.. Let the ones that like the 950 enjoy their new phone without all the negativity.
 

Jonnie LasVegas

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Sounds like a hater that's probably never touched a 950.

Hater on the 950, yep. Typing this comment with it. So I'm touching it, and it still feels like a cheap toy. You made such a dumb comment, lol. But I'm definitely keeping my 1520, just had to share my opinion. You don't have to like it, but it's still gonna be there.
 

Jonnie LasVegas

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If you're happy with your 1520 just keep it. Nobody's holding a gun to your head.. Let the ones that like the 950 enjoy their new phone without all the negativity.
Like I said in the original comment, I am keeping my 1520. And I'll feel free to post my opinion, deal with it.
 

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