The Lumia 950 and 950XL are Microsoft’s hottest new flagship handsets but will they be enough to tempt customers away from Android and iOS?
Microsoft’s Windows 10 Mobile operating system is finally finished after a long preview period, with the complete OS debuting in two flagship handsets from the company. The Lumia 950 and 950XL are supposed to represent the pinnacle of what the new software is capable of, with various new features such as Windows Hello, flagship level processors and a much improved camera. Since the handsets are quite similar overall, we’ve decided to compile both reviews into a single one. The thing is, will all of this new technology be enough to pull people away from Android and iOS?
Design
The Lumia handsets are pretty unmistakable from a visual perspective, with a familiar design theme that makes them very easy to pick out in a crowd. Unfortunately, you can hardly call them premium. Both the Lumia 950 and 950XL are handsets that looks mid-range, perhaps even less. While they may be functional, there just isn’t anything to really elevate them into the same level as the HTCs, Samsungs and Apples of this world.
Looking at the devices from the back, you don’t really get any indication that they are different to other Lumias either, with a lone Microsoft logo the only thing standing out. The camera sensor on the 950XL carries a subtle metal trim around the edge and the 950 has its sensor encased in metal, but other than this the overall devices seem pretty barren.
Move round to the front and it is a similar story, with lone Microsoft writing above the screen being the only visual cue. It’s very minimal, which on some handsets could be seen as desirable. Here, though, it once again feels empty. That said, there are still a few positives to be made here. Both handsets are impressively thin at only 8.1mm, while the screen takes up plenty of space on the front and helps the device to feel slim and comfortable in the hand. The matte plastic may not exactly be premium but it helps with grip, making the device feel snug and safe in the hand. The inclusion of USB-C is also a nice touch, while the removable battery and microSD slot may be enough to swing it for some people.
Camera
From what we could tell, both the Lumia 950 and 950XL contain the same camera sensor. Even the lens angle appears to be the same. As such, whichever device you buy should make little difference to the image quality… and that’s a very good thing. With a 20 megapixel camera and f/1.9 aperture, it is certainly impressive on paper. The backside illuminated sensor and optical image stabilisation should certainly help with those night pictures, while the PureView technology has got a bit of a name for itself in high-quality mobile photography.
Since Microsoft has inherited the Nokia camera division, we were expecting good results with the camera. Needless to say, we were still pretty blown away by the overall quality. Detail in daytime conditions is incredible, with very impressive white balance from the go. Colour reproduction is natural, while even the most difficult shots can turn out evenly exposed. Low-light is equally impressive, with plenty of detail even in the darkest of conditions. In fact, they may well both be the best low-light cameras we’ve tested thus far.
Also included with all Lumia handsets is the brilliant Lumia Camera application, which has a plethora of manual features and one of the best interfaces we’ve encountered on a mobile app. It was one of the main reason that we personally held onto our Lumia 920 for so long and thus far we haven’t found anything on Android that compares.
Screen
Both devices come with impressive 1440 x 2560 OLED panels, which have beautifully wide viewing angles and colour depth. The Lumia 950 carries a 5.2-inch panel, which equates to 564 pixels-per-inch, while the larger 5.7-inch panel on the Lumia 950XL equates to 518 pixels-per-inch. Colour calibration is very good out of the box, with the 950 only ever slightly redder than the 950XL. Contrast is deep and colours pop thanks to that OLED display and Nokia’s ClearBlack technology. In fact, both panels look remarkably similar, which is a testament to Microsoft’s factory tweaking.
Overall brightness levels for both handsets are very good and among the brightest we’ve tested, though it can’t quite match the likes of the Xperia Z5 series, which are the brightest handsets we’ve ever tested. Still, for most users these devices should be more than good enough for bright indoor and outdoor use.
Performance
General performance from both handsets is very good and browsing through the UI is both quick and easy. The Windows OS has always been known for its speedy performance even on budget hardware, so it is nice to see that the newest iteration follows suit. Next came the benchmarking, but with no Geekbench available on the Windows App Store we searched for the next best thing, an application known as PhoneMark. The result actually put the 950 behind the 930, which isn’t too surprising considering the latter had a range-topping Snapdragon 800 at the time. As for the 950XL, it once again loses out to the 930, which is definitely unexpected given this is the current flagship processor available. We can only assume/hope that the benchmarking software is not pushing them to their limits.
Gaming was a mixed affair, with Halo: Spartan Assault refusing to work outright on both devices. Asphalt 8: Airborne did manage to work, though the performance on the regular 950 was less than stellar. A stuttering frame-rate caused issues playing the game, which is unsurprising considering the Snapdragon 808 is powering a full 1440p panel. Performance on the 950XL was much better, with a smooth frame-rate even on the highest settings. All-in-all, if you want to play the latest games, you’ll need to opt for the 950XL.
Software
Windows 10 Mobile is the newest evolution of Microsoft’s mobile operating system, which last saw light as version 8.1. That update brought a number of notable features, though this is the first true major overhaul we’ve seen since the debut of Windows Phone 8.
Since the preview version we tested in an earlier version of What Mobile, it really come on in leaps and bounds. Performance is speedy and quick, major bugs have been successfully ironed out and the whole experience feels much more fluid.
That said, is still far from perfect. While the big issues have been solved, there’s still numerous smaller niggles that need fixing. One of which is the Windows Store, which quite simply doesn’t work. The application seemed to stall miserably when there was lots of apps to update and we got strange error messages after installing certain ones. That and the general lack of apps managed to dampen the experience enough that I got a little frustrated… And this is coming from somebody who used to be a big advocate of the platform.
Windows Hello is one of the big new features on these flagships and was also recently debuted on the Surface Pro 4. The basic principle is the same – unlocking your device by simply staring at the screen. Setup was blisteringly fast and once it was done, we had very little issues with the device recognising our eyes. The little infrared light in the top right corner of the handset will illuminate when Hello is actively trying to scan your face, with the whole process taking little more than a half second to achieve. It is a really great feature and one that we think feels more intuitive than using the conventional fingerprint sensor.
Battery
The battery on the Lumia 950 is a large 3,000mAh, while the 950XL has an even larger 3,340mAh battery. Our battery drain test during an intense 30-minute gaming session on Asphalt 8 was somewhat surprising, as both handsets lost more than 20% of their overall charge. This is not a great result and is somewhat inconsistent with the day-today performance, which felt a lot better. A day of moderate use was comfortably achievable, so long as you didn’t overdo it with the power-hungry applications. The heat generated from both of these devices was noticeably hot under long sessions that taxed the hardware, so we can only assume that this is somewhat affecting the battery in some way.
Both phones carry quick charging features, which claim to charge the devices from 10% to 50% within half an hour. In testing, we found this to be about true, with a full charge almost capable within under two hours.
Conclusion
A couple of good handsets with some truly excellent features but the software side really lets them down. Windows 10 Mobile is a great operating system to be sure but in places the overall experience still feels unfinished. We’re also not sure about the design of both devices, which don’t really live up to the premium claim that the internal components strive so hard to back up. There’s plenty here to satisfy the Windows fans out there but appealing to the mass market will still take a bit more refinement, which is why we are currently on the fence. Two good devices that could have been greats.
Continuum
The other big feature is of course Continuum, which is really the crown jewel of Windows 10 Mobile. With the Display Dock connector, it is possible to scale the experience onto your desktop monitor. What you get is something that looks like a halfway point between Windows 10 and Windows 10 Mobile. Setup is easy, with three cables and nothing to install. It just works.
You also get the advantage of fast charging your phone while it is connected to the display dock, a nice additional feature. Although most apps are not optimised for Continuum, those that are work very well. Seeing a full-screen desktop equivalent running on your monitor is really something special, while being able to check your phone while doing so is even cooler. It’s not all smooth sailing though, as certain apps such as the browser will stutter at points and struggle to run. Still, for an early taste of what we can expect as mobile processors get more powerful, we were impressed.
Verdict
A couple of good devices from Microsoft that are harboured by some performance woes and dodgy battery life that veers on inconsistent. If you’re a Windows fanboy waiting for a flagship, there’s a lot to like in these devices. A great camera, Windows Hello and Continuum are standout features, but the overall experience still isn’t up to standard. For the rest of us, there really isn’t enough to pull you over.