Review: Microsoft Lumia 950XL Is All About the Carl Zeiss Camera
This is the first Lumia smartphone made by Microsoft that falls in the flagship segment.
advertisement
The Lumia 1020 from Nokia (before Microsoft bought them) was one of the best camera smartphones in the market. The phone managed to match Apple iPhone in the imaging segment and in some aspects, it outdid the Apple smartphone.
Last year, Microsoft-owned Lumia did not focus on the flagship side of mobile affairs. They, instead, focussed on improving the brand goodwill for Lumia first. Now, you have the Lumia 950 and 950 XL that’s powered to fit in the flagship profile and tailored to serve people who aren’t loyal to either Android or iOS.
Key Specifications: Microsoft Lumia 950 XL
- Display: 5.7-inch 2560x1440 pixels with Corning Glass 4
- Operating System: Windows 10 Mobile
- Processor: Octa-Core Snapdragon 810
- RAM: 3GB
- Rear Camera: 20-MP with Carl Zeiss optics
- Front Camera: 5-MP
- Battery: 3340mAh
- Price: Rs 49,399
What’s Good?
I’ve extensively used the Lumia 1020 and loved the camera quality of the Carl Zeiss optics that was offered on the phone. We are pleased that Microsoft Lumia 950 XL has a 20-megapixel camera with Carl Zeiss lens. Here’s what we mean.
In addition to the camera, Lumia 950 XL has the right blend of hardware with the top-of-line Quad-HD display. Lumia 950 XL offers bright colours, clear blacks when the screen gets turned off and viewing angles that are hard to go wrong with in a 5.7-inch device.
That’s not all, the Lumia 950 XL gets powered by an octa-core processor with 3GB memory that manages multi-tasking with ease. The display dock feature embedded to the device via Continuum software is a big addition to the Windows ecosystem.
The next best thing about the Lumia 950 XL is its battery life. We felt the 3340mAh unit might not suffice to support a 2K display quality and high-power hardware, but the Windows 10 mobile manages it quite well.
What’s Bad?
Microsoft’s biggest problem from day 1 has been the software and this time, it’s no different. The Windows 10 Mobile version is yet to reach other existing devices in the Lumia range and it seems Microsoft wants to fix the loose ends before doing it.
It has been repeatedly said that Microsoft has failed to capture developers attention, resulting in less number of native apps for the ecosystem. You still have a hard time looking for apps like Instagram for Windows 10 mobile and that explains the main reason for Windows as a failure in comparison to Android and iOS in the mobile space.
Last year, we heard that Microsoft has opened up the Windows ecosystem for other platforms but the results are yet to be seen. And finally, Rs 49,399 for a Windows powered mobile does not make sense when you can get an Android-powered Galaxy Note 5 from Samsung at around Rs 46K.
Why Buy It?
Microsoft Lumia 950XL has got the quality, hardware and camera to be ranked as a flagship phone right now. They’ve finally updated themselves to the reality which shows up in the form of a 2K display, 5.7-inch form size and use of an octa-core processor. We love the 20-megapixel Carl Zeiss optics powered camera that captures crisp-clear details and stunning pictures.
The battery life’s good too. However, for Rs 49,399 the Lumia 950 XL might never make it to a buyers list, if and when he’s looking for a high-end phone.
(At The Quint, we question everything. Play an active role in shaping our journalism by becoming a member today.)