Microsoft Lumia 950 review: Legendary Edition

02 December, 2015
Microsoft Lumia 950 is the firstborn of the new Lumia series, following the company's strategy shift. It's a precisely designed smartphone with clear ideas for its future, sharp hardware choices and groundbreaking software innovations. It's an epic device based on Nokia's legacy and reborn under Microsoft's custody.

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  • I
  • ICE
  • NHr
  • 04 Dec 2015

AnonD-167064, 04 Dec 2015I hope that Kyle or someone from GSMArena will be so kind t... moreI agree. Also if they can do an official test by updating one of the WP8 handsets to Windows 10 and compare battery performance. Of course renew the battery first, so you have a fair comparison from when the phone was new.

    • I
    • ICE
    • NHr
    • 04 Dec 2015

    AnonD-459976, 04 Dec 2015nope ! old IPS draw more power ! your information a... moreInteresting, I read multiple reports published this year that IPS draws more power than AMOLED.

      • D
      • AnonD-362866
      • NHU
      • 04 Dec 2015

      So much potential that will lead absolutely nowhere. Good luck, nonetheless Microsoft :)

        • s
        • sundae
        • PT}
        • 04 Dec 2015

        This line."LUMIA 950 lacks nothing".

          • h
          • heynekko
          • IV8
          • 04 Dec 2015

          Off topic.. But please please please add the Nokia 808 for the new studio comparison.. The Nokia 808 still is the benchmark.. I can lend you mine if you don't have any at your office

            • ?
            • Anonymous
            • IV8
            • 04 Dec 2015

            AnonD-167064, 04 Dec 2015I can't deny the fact that using any other displays than AM... moreThis lumia is not using Samsung Amoled.. It is Clearblack amoled.. So Samsung amoled is not at fault here

              • h
              • heynekko
              • IV8
              • 04 Dec 2015

              Xenyth, 03 Dec 2015Now, I think I can retire my old Nokia 808 PureView after 4... moreNot yet for me.. It's close but still behind the 808 pureview.. And the speed of 808 in taking extra large pics is a whole nother realm.. Probably by lumia 980 or 990 only they will be able to beat the 808

                • d
                • dasman
                • Yc3
                • 04 Dec 2015

                Kyle K., 03 Dec 2015No liquid cooling for the Lumia 950, the review is now upda... moreRare appearances

                  • ?
                  • Anonymous
                  • J7S
                  • 04 Dec 2015

                  I really don't know why Microsoft still think it has a chance against all this massive branded phones with a lot better software and OS. Just the battery lifetime is more than enough for me to dump any phone with the damn OS.

                    • D
                    • AnonD-167064
                    • mT7
                    • 04 Dec 2015

                    [deleted post]I don't know if you should realy count it as an disadvatage.
                    I would say 50/50.
                    Headphones that generally come with phones are not of a very good quality and don't fit or please to everyone.
                    The majority already have headphones and the most of the time better ones than those included.
                    I personnally see no reason to pay a higher price tag for this.
                    So I prefer to keep using my Sennheiser headphones that I already have with line-in controls and microphone and rather save a few bucks.

                      • D
                      • AnonD-167064
                      • mT7
                      • 04 Dec 2015

                      I hope that Kyle or someone from GSMArena will be so kind to retest Lumia 950 for battery endurance with a newer build in order to solve the problem with the current shameful battery score as this score wont reflect the reality anymore very soon. I hope so at least.

                        • D
                        • AnonD-167064
                        • mT7
                        • 04 Dec 2015

                        You've asked for accurate comparison with same OS and same hardware (display + CPU + GPU)?
                        Here it is!
                        What can you say about the fact that My Lumia 1020 with Windows 10 Mobile drains 30% more battery than this same phone with Windows 8.1 Moble?

                        SOFTWARE!!!

                          • D
                          • AnonD-167064
                          • mT7
                          • 04 Dec 2015

                          AnonD-459976, 04 Dec 2015you are a paid troll . stop repeating the same nonsense . Ho can you say, that I'm a paid troll when I just mention my observations concerning drasticly decreased battery life with Lumia 1020 vs. Lumia 1020 @ Windows 8.1 Mobile vs. Windows 10 Mobile?

                          This is the most accurate comparison I would say.

                            • D
                            • AnonD-167064
                            • mT7
                            • 04 Dec 2015

                            I can't deny the fact that using any other displays than AMOLEDs from Samsung would have given a better battery life to HTCs and Lumias, but there is also something you can gain in optimizing the software, because the AMOLED is already there and you can't do anything about it. So just the software is the only thing you can try to squeeze some more battery life from.

                              • D
                              • AnonD-459976
                              • LbX
                              • 04 Dec 2015

                              AnonD-167064, 04 Dec 2015Just remember Windows 8 Mobile battery life, stability and ... moreyou are a paid troll .

                              stop repeating the same nonsense .

                                • D
                                • AnonD-167064
                                • mT7
                                • 04 Dec 2015

                                Just remember Windows 8 Mobile battery life, stability and smoothness and compare it to latest Windows 8.1 Mobile build and you'll have your answer on the what to expect from battery life, stability and smoothness of upcoming builds and updates of Windows 10 Mobile

                                  • D
                                  • AnonD-459976
                                  • LbX
                                  • 04 Dec 2015

                                  AnonD-167064, 04 Dec 2015I can't totaly share your point of view in giving all the f... moresorry , when you compare , use the same OS okay ?

                                  stop replying biased !

                                  here is a perfect example :

                                  HTC M8 Windows

                                  Battery 2600
                                  CPU 801
                                  screen IPS
                                  Battery life : Endurance 79h , Talk 28h ,web 12h , movies 11.1h

                                  http://www.gsmarena.com/htc_one_%28m8%29_for_windows-6589.php

                                  NOW with AMOLED in Lumia 930

                                  http://www.gsmarena.com/nokia_lumia_930-6227.php

                                  battery 2420
                                  cpu 800
                                  screen Amoled

                                  battery life : 46 , 16 , 5 , 5

                                  GARBAGE

                                  EVEN when HTC moved to AMOLED , they GOT BAD Battery life , it seems samsung does not sell good AMOLED outside

                                  look at the HTC A9 , they switched to AMOLED and got crappy battery life

                                  http://www.gsmarena.com/htc_one_a9-7576.php

                                  the same TRAP from samsung !!!! they are giving them bad AMOLED !

                                    • a
                                    • avno7xp
                                    • uux
                                    • 04 Dec 2015

                                    AnonD-167064, 04 Dec 2015If you install the current Windows 10 Mobile (build 10586) ... moreI have build 10586.11 on my 630. Is this the exact build that 950 has?
                                    Battery life is not bad on my 630. The battery life on build 10581 was way better.
                                    Standby times have decreased.
                                    Hope it's a software problem for the 950

                                      • D
                                      • AnonD-167064
                                      • mT7
                                      • 04 Dec 2015

                                      And there is certainly much that Microsoft have/can (to)optimize on software level concidering that my Lumia 1020 on Windows 8.1 Mobile is 30% less power hungry than on Windows 10 Mobile and being fare more stable even if with less features and with a way more basic/raw OS UI.

                                        • D
                                        • AnonD-167064
                                        • mT7
                                        • 04 Dec 2015

                                        I can't totaly share your point of view in giving all the fault to the hardware, because you should specify from the begining that when you're talking about hardware, you explicitly mean the display difference only.
                                        Because if you compare Lumia 930 (46 hrs) with Sony Xperia Z Ultra (52 hrs) or Xperia Z1 (52 hrs) with the same processor and graphic card, they barely score better battery life compared to Lumia 930 and it's mainly due to their bigger battery of 3000 instead of 2400 as in Lumia 930 and not that much due to their TFT and IPS displays and this even with a more stable/mature Android OS.
                                        So there is much you can do in optimizing things on software level.