Mircosoft Lumia 950: By far worst experience with a smartphone

[wing-a-ding]

I would imagine just about anyone would be a little miffed if the new device they bought (and spent a pretty penny on) could not be updated properly. However, I don't think that simply returning the device in exchange for another phone will "fix" the issue. When a device fails, you get to see the phone at its worst. Your reaction is, your reaction. If you are quick to anger, a smartphone in general may not be the best option for you.

What do you think is going to happen when a convergence device has a software update that won't take. You spend hours trying to come up with a solution. You ask for help, and maybe that help isn't too helpful or it is simply non-existent. Then you stop and think if you should have bought this particular device to begin with.

The 950 / 950 XL will have bugs. Microsoft will stamp them out and new ones will arise. Those will be addressed in time. It's the natural cycle. You are more apt to get bugs on newly released devices around launch than you are 5-6 months in the product life-cycle. If you want to try another phone and see if the issues persist, more power to you. I think what you should do is get a device that you know works / works for you and use that until the 950 has been on the market longer. Perhaps the 950's will be cheaper, perhaps not. Perhaps all of the bugs will be fixed by then, perhaps not. But by then you will see competitive offerings from other companies and you might decide to take them for a spin.

Just because you spent $xxx on a smartphone doesn't mean you are stuck with it. In the end its just a smartphone and you should not lay awake at night debating whether or not you should keep it.

Thanks for posting.

I have used WM phones in past, currently use a iPhone 6 Plus as my daily driver and used various Android devices and have never had this much "out of the box" issues as I've had with this 950.

I'm not losing any sleep over this. I chose this device for it's convenient size, camera quality, to try out the OS and a few other reasons and am willing to give the device and OS a chance.

I will definitely be returning this device as it seems to be stuck in airplane mode, and will probably be trying another 950 in the hopes that the next device will function properly.

 

[RUCKUS_US]

Windows Insider gives me this error:

"Sorry, we cannot configure your device because it is currently preparing an update. Please install the update (Settings - phone updates) then try again"

That's perfect now in the settings it is downloading the update and will update your phone. Go to the update sections of the settings and you should see it downloading

 

[wing-a-ding]

Honestly, you shouldn't have to put this much work in getting *A BRAND NEW PHONE, OUT OF THE BOX* to operate correctly.

Factory resets and device recovery tools, on a brand new phone?
Pssh, get outta' here with that noise.

For me, if it wasn't working right the first day of use, it would have been returned to the store the following day. I would try another unit, and if it keeps doing it, then choose something else.

You're a consumer, you don't owe Microsoft anything other than your money in exchange for their product.

Unfortunately I was unable to test the phone with my sim in the store as I had a micro sim previously and needed a nano sim for the 950 which the store replaced but needed time to activate.

I have not been able to return to the store today but will definitely be returning tomorrow for a replacement device.

 

[wing-a-ding]

That's perfect now in the settings it is downloading the update and will update your phone. Go to the update sections of the settings and you should see it downloading

Trouble is I've been here before and takes an age to download, then attempts to install but fails giving the error code.

This will be my final attempt and if it fails this time, I will box it back up and return to the store tomorrow.

 

[RUCKUS_US]

Trouble is I've been here before and takes an age to download, then attempts to install but fails giving the error code.

This will be my final attempt and if it fails this time, I will box it back up and return to the store tomorrow.

Fingers crossed

 

[wing-a-ding]

Fingers crossed

Thanks RUCKUS_US.

If it succeeds, it'll save me a journey tomorrow

 

[RUCKUS_US]

Thanks RUCKUS_US.

If it succeeds, it'll save me a journey tomorrow

And you can finally play with your new toy properly

 

[wing-a-ding]

Because only the .29 release has been released to the recovery tool.

I'd suggest calling support, or returning the 'worst smartphone ever'.

I never said this was the "worst smartphone ever", just the experience of owning it. It seems for many, the 950 has given no trouble at all, with easy updates, good call quality, quality photo's etc.

Looks like I will be returning this particular device, and in all likely hood will be testing another 950 in store first.

 

[wing-a-ding]

And you can finally play with your new toy properly

Was hoping to replace my iPhone 6 Plus with the 950 as my daily driver, so no, it wasn't going to be a toy, but something of great use.

 

[wing-a-ding]

I'm no ****** of any device/OS. I have used Windows Mobile devices, iPhones and Androids. I decided that I fancied a change from my daily driver and thought I'd give the Lumia 950 and Windows 10 Mobile a try.

It is just a shame that the device I was given doesn't appear to be functioning properly, be it a defective hardware or buggy software.

I think I will be returning it and hopefully I can get a replacement that works as it should.

 

[Dewg]

When you take it back and get a replacement, swap the SIM in the store and fire up the new phone - set it up, and don't restore a backup when you sign in. Make a test call and make sure it's working on your carrier before leaving the store.

I personally followed some advice I read in this forum about even factory resetting a brand new phone. Once you've confirmed the SIM is working and calls are operating normally, do the following:

Power the phone off
Hold down the Volume Down button
Power the phone on
When you get an ! mark, release the Volume Down button
Press Volume Up, Volume Down, Power, Volume Down

That will do a factory reset on the phone - then set it back up, again, not restoring any backup. Now download the store apps and new OS update.

 

[RUCKUS_US]

Am a ******, as far as phones are concerned the Apple iPhone and iOS are the best. But I went out and bought a Windows 10 mobile device to get onboard with microsofts universal apps because I own a PC and XBoX. And I'm really digging it so far. I'm sorry if it's been buggy or a mess for you but I haven't had a problem with it at all. You may be thinking of android when speaking of a buggy mess my friend

 

[ninny1176]

I received my 950 (AT&T) yesterday and noticed that when trying to update to .29, nothing would happen. I had to mess around with turning off the cell data and wifi, and only turning wifi back on to get the update working...after that it took about 45 minutes to complete.

It seemed like something in the phone doesn't handle having cellular data and wifi on at the same time very well - a problem similar to one that was in the Focus S (WP7.5). After the .29 update I have yet to have the same problem, but I'm still on the fence with this phone - I'll make my final decision in 2 weeks.

 

[RUCKUS_US]

Give it a fair shot. I had a 950 for 5 days and went back to my iPhone and returned the 950, but I still had an itch for W10M so I went out and got a Lumia 640 and I'm actually using it for he time being. For 60$ it's a crazy good phone.

 

[MiloTheOne]

I received my 950 (AT&T) yesterday and noticed that when trying to update to .29, nothing would happen. I had to mess around with turning off the cell data and wifi, and only turning wifi back on to get the update working...after that it took about 45 minutes to complete.

It seemed like something in the phone doesn't handle having cellular data and wifi on at the same time very well - a problem similar to one that was in the Focus S (WP7.5). After the .29 update I have yet to have the same problem, but I'm still on the fence with this phone - I'll make my final decision in 2 weeks.

You might have received a defective unit or an old sim card. If its the sim card, instead of the old one use the one that comes in the box. Also, an old sim card that's provisioned for android or IOS give issues. When I left apple to droid I found that out the hard way :-\

If it's a defective unit then all you need to do is return it and get a new one. I've had my att 950 and yes I've had a hiccup here and there but I had battery issues, that fixes it self with time btw (I would recommend battery saver mode, it gives me about 16 hours of battery life at moderate use).

 

[xXxmEgAsxXx]

I believe I may have located the issue, although it was quite a crazy solution to even think of that worked for me.

Instead of connecting to a router on your home network, try connecting to a public WiFi.

Here is the process that worked for me after having tried everything else on this site. I hope this helps.

1. Reboot device and shut down all actions in Action Center, except "Cellular Data"
2. Open the WiFi in Action center and select a WiFi that is public. "Starbucks, TWCWiFi (If you have Time Warner Cable), or any other public WiFi.
3. TEST the internet to ensure you have a stable connection.
3. Navigate to "Settings" and select "Phone Update"
4. Wait approximately 1 Hour and verify the progress.

If this does not work, I would agree to either contact Microsoft or return the device in exchange for a new one with the .29 updae already installed.


Good Luck

mEgAs

 

[wing-a-ding]

When you take it back and get a replacement, swap the SIM in the store and fire up the new phone - set it up, and don't restore a backup when you sign in. Make a test call and make sure it's working on your carrier before leaving the store.

I personally followed some advice I read in this forum about even factory resetting a brand new phone. Once you've confirmed the SIM is working and calls are operating normally, do the following:

Power the phone off
Hold down the Volume Down button
Power the phone on
When you get an ! mark, release the Volume Down button
Press Volume Up, Volume Down, Power, Volume Down

That will do a factory reset on the phone - then set it back up, again, not restoring any backup. Now download the store apps and new OS update.

Thanks for the advice

 

[midnightfrolic]

Might be faulty hardware. May want to exchange it. At least it's not catching fire like the iphones did a few generations back.

 

[wing-a-ding]

Well, it's been 4hrs since the update process started and it's only now preparing to install.

Not sure why it would take this long to download an update. Even downloading the OS on the Windows Device Recovery Tool and re-installing the OS doesn't take half this long.

Not holding out hope that the process will succeed.

 

[wgs84]

I agree with what Johnny said. Unless you like tinkering around with stuff, I gotta say, if you find yourself doing all these resets and recoveries, get rid of it and get a new one or try something different. It's a phone, a tool. It serves you, not the other way around.

Honestly, you shouldn't have to put this much work in getting *A BRAND NEW PHONE, OUT OF THE BOX* to operate correctly.

Factory resets and device recovery tools, on a brand new phone?
Pssh, get outta' here with that noise.

For me, if it wasn't working right the first day of use, it would have been returned to the store the following day. I would try another unit, and if it keeps doing it, then choose something else.

You're a consumer, you don't owe Microsoft anything other than your money in exchange for their product.