Microsoft's new Lumia 950 is an excellent smartphone. It has Windows 10 Mobile, has a good list of specs, and is even competitively prices. However, we have discussed before how the handset being a success will be a tall order because of hoe limited it is. In the United States the Lumia 950 will be available only through AT&T, with the carrier announcing that the handset will be available from November 20th.
Lumia 950
Of course, having the second largest carrier in the United States selling the Lumia 950 will help Microsoft?s cause, but we would have liked more support from Sprint, Verizon, and T-Mobile. It is hard to see how the 950 will not just become another Windows product that goes largely unnoticed by the consumer.
Of course, having the second largest carrier in the United States selling the Lumia 950 will help Microsoft?s cause, but we would have liked more support from Sprint, Verizon, and T-Mobile. It is hard to see how the 950 will not just become another Windows product that goes largely unnoticed by the consumer.
The device will also be available in Microsoft Stores. As for the Lumia 950 XL, the higher spec?d and larger 950 will only be available through Microsoft, limiting its availability even further.
Here we got up close with the Lumia 950, so here is what the device brings:
Platform: Windows 10
Dimensions: 82.1 x 145 x 73.2 mm
Screen: 5.2-inch AMOLED screen with a resolution of 1440 x 2560 pixels Quad HD (564ppi)
SoC: Qualcomm Snapdragon 808 clocked at 1.8GHz, with liquid cooling
Internal Storage: 32GB, with microSD card slot
Main camera: 20 MP with triple LED flash and 4K video with 5th gen OIS
Front cam: 5MP selfie cam
Connectivity: 4G LTE, dual-band antenna, and USB Type C connector
Battery: 3000mAh, supports rapid charging and wireless charging
Microsoft has delivered a device that matches up to its flagship rivals in almost every aspect, with Quad HD display resolution, a high end camera (complete with dedicated shutter button), a larger than its class average battery, and storage options. Even the Snapdragon 808, which is not Qualcomm?s flagship processor, it is a chipset we have seen deliver solid performance in the LG G4.
Of course, the point of this smartphone is to show off Microsoft's brand new Windows 10 Mobile platform that was rolled out alongside the new handsets. While aesthetically the link to Windows 8 remains, the overall design has been updated and the features and functionality have moved forward significantly.
Continuum is one of the new features that Microsoft is eager to talk about and with good reason as it is an interesting software idea. Because Windows 10 is a universal system across form factors, Continuum lets you connect your smartphone to a television and use it as a full PC. We are not sure what limitations there are, if any, but Microsoft says you can use a dedicated dock to connect to the PC, while you can still use the smartphone while it is hooked up. We will be hearing more about Continuum in the coming days and we guess it will be a major deal when we review the Lumia 950 and 950XL.
Windows Hello is a new way of unlocking your smartphone, taking advantage of the iris scanner that the Lumia 950 and Lumia 950 XL possess. They are both the only flagship smartphones boasting this technology and Microsoft is hoping it will become as popular as the fingerprint sensor has become. The infra-red scanner works in low light too, allowing you to unlock your 950 in the dark.
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