Introduction

It was almost two full years since Microsoft’s previous flagship smartphone launch when the Lumia 950 and 950XL arrived for the first buyers in late November.  It was February 2014 when the Lumia Icon (then owned by Nokia) launched as a Verizon Wireless exclusive in the United States.  The launch was pithy, at best, as it was a carrier exclusive and since international distribution seemed to have been intentionally overlooked by Nokia and Microsoft.  Prior to the Icon’s launch, virtually every flagship launch in the Windows Phone 8 era had been a carrier exclusive on AT&T in the United States.

Brief History of Lumia Devices

Nokia developed a history after their return to the U.S. market of sticking with carrier exclusives and ignoring the larger trend from top mobile device manufactures like Apple and Samsung of working towards multi-carrier releases.  Despite this, the close relationship between Nokia and Microsoft enabled Nokia to capture of over 90% of the Windows Phone market which ultimately led, in part, to Microsoft’s acquisition of Nokia’s smartphone division as market share proved harder to capture than previously imagined.

Windows 10 Glitches

Fast forward to now, the Windows 10 era, and we see Microsoft releasing the Lumia 950 and 950 XL flagship phones to coincide with the launch of Windows 10 Mobile (Build 10586).  While Microsoft is open and transparent that Windows 10 is the “last” version of Windows, which really just means a continual work in progress, the devices have received criticism for having too many bugs and glitches for launch on a high-end flagship device.  Of course, the software will be updated in the upcoming weeks and months (and into perpetuity as long as Windows 10 is around), and Microsoft also apparently delayed the launch of the Lumia 950 and 950 XL by a period of at least a month past the original desired launch window, but glitches in a mobile operating system and key apps for a flagship phone don’t bode well for sales.

Hardware Quality

When looking beyond the bugs in the software side of the new Lumia 950 line, it is clear that the hardware components of the phones are right in line with other flagship devices such as the Apple iPhone 6S and the Samsung Galaxy S6.  The 950 contains a 5.2” screen and a Snapdragon 808 processor configuration (six cores), while the 950 XL features a more robust Snapdragon 810 processor (eight cores) in addition to a larger 5.7” screen.  Both phones have 3GB of RAM, 32GB of on-board storage, a microSD slot capable of holding 200GB cards, and 20MP cameras with Carl Zeiss optics and impressive triple-LED (red, green, blue) flash technology which takes near flawless low- and no-light pictures.

Battery Considerations

The smaller 950 sports a 3000mAh battery and the 950 XL has an impressive 3300mAh battery, so battery life isn’t an issue for most users.  The batteries, like with virtually all Lumia devices, are also removable, which is a major benefit to business and traveling users.  There have been some concerns with actual battery life in the real world, but most of those can be addressed by going through Windows 10 settings and ensuring that screen settings are all properly set.

Recommendations

Having purchased a Lumia 950 XL myself, I can say that I do recommend this phone to experienced Windows Phone users who are continuing with Microsoft into the Windows 10 Mobile era.  Those who are impacted by the “app gap” on Windows most likely shouldn’t try the wait-and-see approach as previous attempts to bring more apps to the ecosystem haven’t been successful. Frankly, it will be easier to come back to Windows in the future than to continue waiting for a pretty solid trend to reverse itself, as it may never.  

Those who are cost conscious will certainly want to subsidize the cost of the phones (ranging from U.S.$550 to 650) using a carrier issued version instead of buying directly from Microsoft, but that will limit U.S. customers to adopting only the 5.2” Lumia 950 on AT&T for now.

Unlocked versions of the 950 and 950 XL purchased directly from Microsoft will work on any GSM network (AT&T and T-Mobile in the U.S.), but carrier specific options such as visual voicemail, Wi-Fi calling, and others may be limited.  Those on Verizon or Sprint (or any other CDMA network) will have to change to a GSM carrier in order to use the new Lumias.

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‍Conclusion

It is true that Microsoft is working on prototyping an eventual Surface Phone device, but we have very few actual details on that device’s progress, and a release isn’t likely until mid-to-late 2016 (let’s be honest… very late 2016), so those who replace their phones annually likely have no need to hesitate in upgrading from older devices to the Lumia 950 or 950 XL.  Those with two year contracts will have to think long and hard, however, but as always, when possible to buy a device outright or acquire with 0% interest monthly payments and no early payment penalty, we at Multi•New•Media always suggest doing so in the interest of preserving good fiscal health and responsibility.

Your Thoughts?
What do you think about the Lumia 950 and 950 XL?  What are your experiences?  This article may be ending, but the conversation is just beginning!  Let us know below in the comments section.