Microsoft Lumia 950XL Smartphone Review.

The Microsoft Lumia 950XL sits in the middle of Microsoft Lumia’s current high end line.  It actually leads the lineup  as the most premium Lumia device on offer right now.  You will remember I did a review of Microsoft Lumia 550, its smaller sibling, sometimes back here.

Damage

Anything from about KSHS 76,500.

What You Need to Know

• Windows 10 phone Operating System
• 5.7-inches,(2560 x 1440) pixels
• 20 MP Rear Camera with triple flash and autofocus
• 5MP Front camera, video resolution: 1080p (Full HD, 1920 x 1080)
• Connectivity-wifi ,Bluetooth 4.1, USB-C ,3.5mm headphone jack.
• Processor- Qualcomm snapdragon 810, Octacore,2000 MHz
• MEMORY – 32GB memory card (up to 200GB) and 3GB RAM, OneDrive cloud storage
• Cellular connectivity-GSM, WCDMA LTE
• Battery- 3340mAh

What We Think You Need to Know

Design and Display

The  Microsoft Lumia 950XL  just like its sibling 5.2′ Lumia 950, It has a serviceable and unimaginative design that puts function above form. The phone’s back cover is removable granting access to two Nano Sim card slots , a MicroSD and a removable battery. You will agree with me this is a valuable feature thats fast disappearing from the trendier hand sets from Infinix, tecno, samsung and Iphones and other devices in Android and IOS worlds. The volume and power buttons are on the right side of the body with the power button in the middle. oops! you may accidentally power of the device while trying to reduce or increase the volume.

The USB-C port is at the bottom.The port also supports fast charging capability which is an important feature  you would find in most recent smartphones. In the box also is a USB-C tO USB-A adapter you can use for file transfer files to PC-windows only( Mac has issues with transferring files unless you explore other options like one-drive. ) The has the usual 3.5mm earpiece jack on top and a dedicated camera button which I love. This phone was  built for capturing the moments. The Lumia 950XL is a double Sim and comes with 4G LTE Capability. Its available in Grey& Black Colours. 

Lumia 950XL has a 5.7′ QHD 2560X1440 AMOLED clear black display that matches other Phablets in sizes. Given that its AMOLED, it has rich black and infinite contrast along with vibrant colours that will likely be most folks. It has an outdoor brightness mode though the display isn’t that bright.

 Performance

The Lumia 950XL runs on qualcomm snapdragon 810 and 3 gigs of RAM. of course you would expect with much muscle behind it, the Lumia 950XL runs as expected-everything runs smooth..

Camera(s)

Microsoft Lumia 950XL  Camera(s) is one of the best smartphone cameras I have come across so far if not the best. The rear camera has 20 Megapixels with Microsoft’s traditional PureView imaging technology and a tripple LED flash. I have really been impressed by the 950XL camera(s). I intentionally Carried with me the 950XL during my trip in The Netherlands to capture the moments in the beautiful Amsterdam.

Here are some of the photos I took.

The selfie camera is at its best, snaps selfies at 8MP resolution. Video also stands out.

Battery

Microsoft Lumia 950XL  battery life has had mixed judgements for me. While the phone packs a massive battery, which should give an equivalence in battery life. For example one of the days I charged it in the morning and took photos all through and by the end of day around 2pm the battery was running low. On other occasion I used data only the power dint run out that easily. -May be the camera uses more power, may be….

Just like performance, the Lumia 950XL has a gap between how it should be performing and how it really performs in real life. The battery life is good, but it should be excellent.

Well, as I always say, For as long smartphones are a way of life, battery life will always be a major area of contention for most consumers until they find a technology approach that solves it permanently.

Bottom-line

With an excellent camera, very lovely screen and smooth performance,the Microsoft Lumia 950XL is  a go for phone for the windows faithful or anyone looking for a great smartphone camera. The only issues are about Apps and Inconsistent battery life. If you can live with that, then you are good to go.

        So Rad

• Great display
• Fantastic Camera
• Compact design
• Good battery life
• Fast performance

         Makes Us Sad

• App problem still exists
• Many bugs still exist.
• Inconsistent battery life.

Disclaimer: This Lumia 950XL Review was conducted on a review unit that was returned to Microsoft Lumia East Africa.