- 450 Posts
- 41 Topics
- 3 Solutions
Lumia 950 – Testing the Tech
I promised this to @Toby a long time ago – when the Microsoft Lumia 950 appears (I might have alluded to an XL but we'll gloss over that), I’ll get one and write a review. A proper one. With no tomfoolery or silly jokes or mentions of how to play Aeroplanes using a wheelchair in Tesco.*
Then all manner of things happened and Toby got cold feet. He wasn’t nervous, he was just foolhardy enough to go out in sandals without socks. I understand @Anonymous is now knitting him some socks.
More info
*Other supermarkets are available
Until one day, I received a letter. It read:
Dear Mr so-called Doink,
Why do you insist on reviewing such affordable technology like the Lumia 640 and Microsoft Band 1? Can you please review something more high end that isn’t Apple or Samsung.
Signed
Mr Mourhino
Chelsea (not for much longer, I’m thinking of moving)p.s. I’d go to a shop but I’m busy with my C.V.
Having read this, I got straight to work.
The Phone
The Lumia 950 comes in a box which is square and about an inch and a half tall… or four centimetres in roman. Inside is the phone on the right, charger and USB on the left. It doesn’t come with a headset (an omission that isn’t too bad, given many of us either use our own headphones or have something we like) but does come with a charger – a wholly positive thing, given it has USB-C.
It also comes with a USB cable – useful if you have a USB socket in the car. Mr Mourhino doesn’t say in his letter what car he is driven around in although I do expect that his Ford Focus or Fiat 500 will have a USB plug in it somewhere.
The phone has a USB-C dock on the bottom of the device, a 3.5mm jack socket on the top and an impressive array of cameras, readers and interface options. Technical specs shortly, this phone comes with Bluetooth 4 LE (capable of beacon interface), NFC, QI charging, Wifi, 4G and USB.
The Specs:
More info
(Hidden for your benefit)
| Operating system | Windows 10 |
| Processor | Qualcomm Snapdragon 808 Hexa-core 1.8GHz Clock rate: 1800 MHz |
|
Display |
5.2" WQHD (2560 x 1440) |
| Memory | Mass memory: 32GB RAM: 3 GB Maximum memory card size: 200GB Expandable memory card type: microSD Microsoft OneDrive cloud storage |
| Battery | Replaceable battery 3000mAh 3.8V Built-in wireless charging, fast charging Wireless charging standard: Qi Max standby time: Up to 275 hr Max talk time: Up to 18 hr Max music playback time: 63 hr Max Wi-Fi network browsing time: 11 hr Max video playback time: 10 hr |
| Networks |
GSM network: 850MHz, 900MHz, 1800MHz, 1900MHz |
|
Maps and navigation |
Location technologies: A-GLONASS, A-GPS, barometer, cellular and Wi-Fi network positioning, sensor enhanced positioning, gyroscope, A-BeiDou Maps: Free maps, online and offline favourites, pin places to Start screen, real-time traffic information, reveal the surrounding places, turn-by-turn walk directions, public transport and drive directions, free global voice guided turn-by-turn drive navigation, offline maps and navigation, speed limit information, map views: satellite, street maps, public transport |
|
Main camera |
20MP auto focus with two-stage capture key Digital zoom: 2x 6-lens optics Optical image stabilization Sensor size: 1/2.4" F-number/aperture: f/1.9 Focal length: 26mm Flash type: Natural flash Features: Backside-illuminated image sensor, High-resolution zoom 2x, PureView, True 16:9 sensor, Fast Focus Minimum focus range: 10cm |
|
Front-facing camera |
Full HD 5MP wide angle |
|
Video recording |
Main camera video resolution: 4K (3840 x 2160) Video frame rate: 30fps Video zoom: 3x Video recording features: Video zoom, optical image stabilization, Continuous autofocus, Video light, Lumia Rich Recording with four microphones, Lumia Video Trimmer app Video recording formats: MP4/H.264 |
|
Audio |
Recording codecs: AAC LC, AMR-NB, GSM FR Recording: Lumia Rich Recording with four microphones Playback: Graphical equalizer, virtualized loudspeaker listening |
|
Video playback |
30fps |
|
Design |
Design details: Exchangeable back cover Other user interface features: Glance screen, tactile feedback, voice commands, voice dictation in edit fields |
|
Keys and input methods |
Touch, volume keys, camera key, power/lock key |
|
Sensors |
Ambient light sensor, Accelerometer, Proximity sensor, Barometer, Gyroscope, Magnetometer, SensorCore |
|
Tools and productivity |
Productivity features: Calendar, interactive notifications, pin information to Start screen, reminders, voice dictation in edit fields, wired and wireless Continuum for phone, Word Flow keyboard Personal information management features: Calculator, alarm clock, reminders, phonebook, to-do list, Kid’s Corner, OneNote, social networks in Phonebook, Wallet, file manager Business apps: Adobe Reader free download, Company Hub for enterprise applications, Microsoft Outlook, OneDrive storage for documents and notes, Skype for Business, Integrated OneDrive for Business, Office apps Back-up and restore data: Yes Sync type: Exchange Active Sync, Via Windows Phone apps, OneDrive documents Device management: AirWatch, MobileIron, Symantec, Microsoft System Center, OMA Client Provisioning v1.1, OMA Device Management 1.1.2, OMA Device Management v1.2, Windows Intune |
|
Messaging features |
Text messaging, automatic resizing of images for MMS, distribution lists for messaging, multimedia messaging, conversational chat style SMS, unified inbox for SMS and MMS, concatenated SMS for long messages, integrated text messaging and chat, number screening for messaging, text-to-speech message reader, built-in RCS chat |
|
Call management |
Call types: Conference call, HD voice call, Skype video call, Skype voice call Call management features: Call waiting, call history, call forwarding, integrated hands-free speakers, speed dial, voice mail, call recording, seamless upgrade to video call Noise cancellation: Multi-microphone uplink noise cancellation |
|
Other applications |
Game features: Touch UI, Xbox Live Hub, DirectX 11 |
|
Viewing and editing of email attachments, multiple email accounts, HTML emails, inbox filtering, text-to-speech message reader, conversational view on email, linked inboxes |
|
|
Browser |
Microsoft Edge |
|
Social apps |
Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, WhatsApp, OneDrive |
|
Device security |
General Security features: Device lock, PIN code, Device lock passcode, Regular signed firmware updates, Track and Protect via Internet, application certification, application sandboxing, backup and restore via Internet, browser integrated anti-phishing, remote device lock via Internet, remote device wipe via Internet, secure boot, signed OS, consumer VPN, Windows Hello ready |
|
Connectivity |
Nano SIM 3.5mm audio connector, DisplayPort over USB-C Charging connectors: USB-C System connectors: USB-C USB, USB 3.1 Bluetooth 4.1 Bluetooth profiles: Advanced Audio Distribution Profile (A2DP) 1.2, Audio/Video Remote Control Profile (AVRCP) 1.4, Generic Attribute Profile (GATT), Hands-free profile (HFP) 1.6, Human Interface Device Profile (HID), Object Push profile (OPP) 1.1, Personal Area Network Profile (PAN) 1.0, Phone Book Access Profile (PBAP) 1.1, HID over GATT profile (HOGP) 1.0, Message Access Profile (MAP) NFC: Pairing, secure NFC for payment, sharing, tagging Wi-Fi: WLAN IEEE 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac, Wi-Fi Direct, MIMO, Wi-Fi call Wi-Fi hotspot: Up to 8 Wi-Fi-enabled devices Other wireless connectivity: Screen projection |
|
Local sharing |
Peer-to-peer sharing: Lumia Beamer, Lumia Storyteller, Play to DLNA app, Nearby Discovery |
|
Dimensions |
5.71 x 2.88 x .32 inches (145 x 73.2 x 8.2 mm) (L x W x H) |
|
Weight |
5.29 ounces (150 grams) |
Taken from: http://www.microsoftstore.com/store/msuk/en_GB/pdp/productID.326061500?icid=icid_ww_catp_modg_phn_citytalk_120315ga - errors and ommissions excluded.
Is it big enough for my ego?
I hope so. The screen is 5.2 inch (or 1.3208 decimeters in lunar), big enough for you watch a short film on. Your hands might tire of holding the phone at the right angle though, so consider a case like I have. I purchased it through The Amazonian App on my Lumia 950, which was delivered immediately to my Kensington home. Other rainforests are available to buy things in.
Is it powerful?
The 3GB of RAM is very sufficient, too. The phone doesn’t stagger or wobble under strain.
If this isn't your thing of course, you can download World Cup Football 2014... or even Sky Sports News.
Will it find me a new job?
No.
Really?
Well, you can use Cortana to help you find things. You could just ask her to look up a jobs website or something or search for the nearest job centre, to help you find gainful new employment. You can even use the included Microsoft Word to polish up that CV of yours. Of course, if you're not in a rush, you could ask her to point you towards a holiday booking app instead...
Can I use my phone to listen to my banging tunes by Bach or the excellent Spanish composer, Pablo Casals?
Of course. Windows Phone 10 comes bundled with Microsoft Groove, the music service much akin to iTunes or… the other one. The Lumia 950 has 32GB of storage and if you feel like you might run out, you can add in an SD Card of up to 200GB.
Groove costs £8.99 a month (other subscriptions available) and offers pretty much all the music you could ever want... although I'm not sure about your mate Pablo.
Will it recognise my distinguishing features even when I’m shouting angrily at someone?
Yes. It has the latest “Windows Hello” function, which enables it to look into your eyes and work out if you are, well, you. This is enabled through the settings and although in Beta stage, it works very well... except it slows down the turn on from Glance to the pin/start screens. The Hello Iris Scanner is located on the top right of the phone and glows red when scanning your eyes.
Will it cook dinner for me?
Yes. (Other apps are available)
What if I want to take a photo of some mates playing sport?
Well, if you have friends, you can take photos anywhere – the camera is very decent, with 20MP and lots of features. Of course, you’ll need to be able to find your mates… I'm just kidding! Your entourage will find them for you.
What if I like a desktop PC but can't be bothered with all the fuss?
Microsoft have a magic box for you called Continuum. It's on Amazon for £60 at the moment (when I checked last weekend) and if you plug it in to your TV HDMI port, add a keyboard and mouse - it uses your phone's OS to put Windows 10 on your TV, where you can use universal apps (i.e. apps designed for both Continuum and Windows 10 Mobile) on the TV too, including Edge, Word, Excel, Powerpoint... (get an Office 365 Subscription though).
Is it the perfect phone for me?
Well, that’s a good question. It does still suffer from one or two bugs, like the calendar crashing when you look further ahead or integration or just the lack of all the apps. However, if you like to be grumpy, maybe this is the phone for you.Microsoft have obviously listened to the need for Office 365 when using Word/Excel/etc on the phone - they are giving away a one year subscription for those buying a 950/950XL. Perhaps they should just revert back to bundling it though - it's a £500 phone though, after all.
The phone undoubtably has power though - it skips along and doesn't falter when asked to do something. It's almost the Prince Regent in waiting, the Ronaldo Junior, the Range Rover Sport... you get the idea. Would I recommend buying one now?
Only if you use Office 365/Exchange - it still does that pretty nicely. In six months? Only if the App Developers get their app in gear and produce the Windows version.
Phone cases - you can get a perfectly decent phone case from Amazon for about £7. I've done that and shunned the more expensive Mozo cases which are £30 upwards.
Links:
Buy it from O2: https://www.o2.co.uk/shop/phones/microsoft/lumia-950/#contractType=paymonthly
More info
Toby,
This is what you demanded - now please destroy those photos. We did pinky promise and you gave me your word and excel user agreements.
12 Comments
