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Microsoft Lumia 950 Windows 10 Smartphone 32GB GSM Unlocked - Black

Brand: Microsoft

3.9 270 ratings

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Brand	Microsoft
Model Name	Lumia 950
Operating System	Microsoft Windows
Cellular Technology	4G
Memory Storage Capacity	32 GB
Connectivity Technology	Wi-Fi
Color	Black
Screen Size	5.2 Inches
Wireless network technology	LTE
SIM card slot count	Single SIM

About this item

DOES THIS DEVICE NEED A SIM CARD: Yes this device needs a micro size SIM card, (not-Included though Free from most GSM Networks with activation of an account).
WHAT NETWORK FREQUENCIES ARE SUPPORTED BY THIS DEVICE: The Phone will support the following Technology Bands: GSM 850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900 3G bandsHSDPA 850 / 900 / 1700(AWS) / 1900 / 2100 LTE band 1(2100), 2(1900), 3(1800), 4(1700/2100), 5(850), 7(2600), 8(900), 12(700), 17(700), 20(800), 28(700), 38(2600), 40(2300), 41(2500). With enhanced back-haul with Global roaming supported. Please contact your Network provider (prior to purchase) and inquire if they support these bands in your area.
WHAT CAN I EXPECT OUT OF THE BOX: A removable 3,000mAh battery that lasts for 18 hours of continuous streaming and67 hours of continuous music playback the device comes with a Qualcomm MSM8992 Snapdragon 808 (20 nm) processor as well as 3 GB o RAM the Screen features a Corning Gorilla Glass 3 LCD for utmost protection.
WHAT DOES UNLOCKED REALLY MEAN: Unlocked devices are compatible with GSM carriers the kinds that Use SIM Cards for Service like AT&T and T-Mobile as well as with GSM SIM cards (e.g. H20, Straight Talk, and select prepaid carriers) Unlocked Devices will not work with CDMA Carriers the kinds that dont use sim cards for service like Sprint, Verizon, Boost or Virgin (contact your network provider prior to purchasing for verification that they support GSM frequencies).
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! WILL NOT WORK ON VERIZON OR SPRINT !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Important information

Visible screen diagonal

6" / 14 cm

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What's in the box

Lumia 950 Smartphone

AC-100U Charger

CA-232CD data cable

BV-T5E 3000 mAh Battery

SIM

Product and Safety Information

QSG

AT&T Mobile Transfer Insert

From the manufacturer

Microsoft Lumia 950

High-end features, premium design, and the best Windows 10 experience – get the phone that works like your PC and turn an ordinary moment into your biggest accomplishment.


Powered by Windows 10 Discover the benefits of one Windows experience. Office documents and photos are in sync across devices and your favorite apps, games, music, and videos are in one place with the brand new Windows Store. And with Cortana for Windows 10, you can use your PC to set a location-based reminder that will arrive just in time on your Lumia.*	Built to do great things Unleash the potential of your digital life with a stunning Quad HD display. Run the most demanding apps without missing a beat and power up quickly with USB-C Fast Charging. With a super-fast processor, a large capacity battery, and wireless charging, the Lumia 950 has the power and performance that you'd expect from a premium smartphone.**	Windows Hello Beta We’re proud to bring state-of-the-art technology to our Windows fans. Windows Hello Beta is an incredibly personal and secure way to unlock your Lumia 950 – simply wake up your device, look directly at the screen, and our infra-red camera technology automatically authenticates you.	Windows Continuum Connect the Lumia 950 to a Microsoft Display Dock and Windows apps like Word, Excel, and Microsoft Edge scale up for a PC-like experience on an external monitor. It’s a quick and easy way to get the productivity benefits of a mouse and keyboard – leave your laptop at work and relax knowing that you have a convenient way to get things done. ***


Perfect pictures With powerful camera features like Rich Capture, a triple LED natural flash, and a 20 MP sensor that has been engineered to virtually eliminate motion blur, you’ll have the confidence to capture anything. Want your pictures in sync across devices? Use the new Photos app to keep your precious memories safe and always available on your phone, PC, and tablet.*	Light up the night Take incredible pictures without adjusting your settings – the 20 MP sensor automatically takes sharper images of fast-moving subjects and a triple LED natural flash helps create accurate lighting in darker environments. Rich Capture lets you quickly adjust the color saturation level of bright or dark areas and add or remove the flash afterwards.	4K video capture With higher resolution and better fast-action capture, 4K video lets you preserve precious memories in stunning quality. And with advanced Optical Image Stabilization and virtually seamless auto focus, the Lumia 950 is always ready to take super-sharp and silky-smooth videos. 4K video capture is an exciting new way to record the magic moments that make life special. ****	Quad HD Display With 564 pixels per square inch, it’s the most detail we’ve ever had on a phone. The 5.2-ich Quad HD AMOLED display is easier to read in bright sunlight, and with Gorilla Glass 3 for extra protection, the screen is scratch-resistant and tough enough to let you relax and enjoy your Lumia 950.



Battery1	Replaceable battery: Yes	Battery capacity: 3000 mAh
Memory	Mass memory2: 32 GB	RAM: 3 GB
Camera	Main camera: 20.0 MP	Front camera: Full HD 5 MP
Disclaimers	*App availability and experience varies by market and device. Some apps and content sold separately. Microsoft account and Wi-Fi or data connection required for some features; carrier fees apply.	**Charge wirelessly with wireless charging accessory (sold separately). USB-C Fast Charging applies when charging from 10% capacity (battery critically low) with Microsoft USB-C Fast Charger (included); actual results will vary based on usage.
	*** Screen simulated; appearance may vary. App availability and experience varies by device and market. Office 365 subscription required for some Office features. External display with DisplayPort, HDMI connector or compatible adapter required. Microsoft Display Dock, accessories and some apps and content sold separately.	****Screen simulated; appearance will vary.
	1Talk, standby and playback times are estimates only. Actual times are affected by, for example, network conditions, device settings, features being used, battery condition, and temperature. Battery has limited recharge cycles and battery capacity reduces over time. Eventually the battery may need to be replaced.	2Pre-installed system software and apps use a significant amount of storage; less internal storage will be available to users.

Product Description

High-end features, premium design, and the best Windows 10 experience � get the phone that works like your PC and turn an ordinary moment into your biggest accomplishment.

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Product information

Product Dimensions

0.32 x 2.88 x 5.71 inches

Item Weight

5.3 ounces

ASIN

B017V4OEYA

Item model number

RM-1105

Batteries

1 Lithium Ion batteries required. (included)

Customer Reviews

3.9 270 ratings

3.9 out of 5 stars

Is Discontinued By Manufacturer

Date First Available

November 20, 2015

Manufacturer

Microsoft

Memory Storage Capacity

32 GB

Standing screen display size

5.2 Inches

Item Weight

5.29 Ounces

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Customer reviews

3.9 out of 5

270 global ratings

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Great Phone for AT&T

Reviewed in the United States on December 5, 2016

Verified Purchase

Windows Phones have a unique quality about them. They have always run quite well even on the most minimal hardware specs. You don't have to worry about minimal specs with this phone though. It is very much a powerful phone.

This phone has 3GB of RAM, a 1.8 GHz six core processor, and 32 GB of storage. Because Windows Phone is so well optimized though, all this power doesn't really feel that fast when compared to lower-spec’d Windows Phones. It's not a bad thing really, it's just that Windows Phone seems to run well on any hardware. It runs very fluidly, aside from the occasional loading ellipses and circle of dots that Microsoft uses in Windows Phone. Sometimes this phone gets warm on the back, especially if you use it while charging.

Considering Windows Phone’s biggest flaw is the so-called "app-gap" (lack of apps), this 32gb of internal storage is more than enough. For me, as little as 8gb suffices. Installing games may eat up a lot of your space though. Luckily, the storage is expandable to 200GB for apps, videos, music, photos, and offline Maps downloads using a micro sd card. I place everything but the apps on the micro sd card.

The 20 megapixel camera’s photos have a unique look that separates them from other phone photos. You’ll notice when you take a photo, that the app says its “applying finishing touches.” These seem to provide the uniqueness. The camera can record 4k video HD if you prefer.

This phone is the AT&T model, which came in a custom AT&T box, that included a hardwired charger (non-removal USB C cable) and a separate USB A to USB C cable.

There are nicely placed volume and power buttons on the side. The removable back panel is quite easy to take off too. There is a slot in the bottom where you insert your fingernail to pry it open. Overall this phone feels well made, but is all plastic, and it creaks if I squeeze it or push on the back cover. Even though this is a high-end phone, I don't feel like I need to baby it, which is probably a result of it being plastic. It is lightweight and feels good in hand. At 5.2 inches, the screen looks only slightly smaller than my Galaxy Note 5, which is what I use daily. This screen is super sharp at over 500 pixels per inch.

Windows Phone 10 version 1607 is much, much more reliable and stable than earlier builds (like Windows Phone 8.1 and Windows Phone 10 v1511), which I experienced using other Windows phones. This phone ships with Windows Phone 10 version 1511 installed. Once you are set up and running, you should update to the current OS version as soon as you can. Version 1607 is current at the time of this review.

The "app gap” situation is not as bad as everyone makes it seem. Everyone seems to point out that Snapchat is missing. I don’t use Snapchat. Besides built-in Microsoft apps, I have Adobe Photoshop Express, Facebook, Flixster, Hulu, Instagram, Netflix, Starbucks, UPS Mobile, VLC, WWE Network, Swarm, and Twitter to name a few of the big ones you might be wondering about. There's even the Alarm.com app for supported home security systems. You won't find Gmail, Youtube, Google Maps, etc. Microsoft does have its own alternative apps for maps, news, weather, music, and email, and you can freely configure any email account in Outlook (Gmail, Yahoo, your business account or school account, etc). There is always the ability to pin a webpage to the Start Screen, simulating the app experience. I do this for Nest and Youtube.

The concept of developers building universal apps needs to gain some momentum and the “app gap” will start to shrink quickly.

This phone supports Continuum, which allows you to use miracast to turn this phone into a PC by using a miracast capable monitor or tv, and a blue tooth keyboard and mouse. Otherwise, you can use Continuum with Microsoft’s Display dock, which I have on order, but have not received yet.

I use my Note 5 everyday, but want to Give Windows Phone a try as my daily driver. The most important app for me is Google Voice, for which there is no app on Windows Phone. Google Voice is accessible via the browser though, but it is clunky trying to use it this way. Regardless, Windows Phone 10 is a good change of pace from IOS and Android, and fun to play around with and explore.

19 people found this helpful

Helpful

brdavis9

Lumia 950 from the WP fan & techie perspective

Reviewed in the United States on December 2, 2015

WARNING: This is a LONG, complicated review. If you just want to know if I like the 950 ..."Yes". I've included caveats first, before any other details.

UPDATES: New updates (12/04, 12/05) are posted @end of review.

-----------------
::RECOMMENDATION:
I'll get the recommendation I have at this point out of the way (which is really way too early to place much stock in).

If you wouldn't even consider a different phone OS than Windows Phone, and you've been waiting to upgrade your Nokia 1020 for a while (this describes me), and if you're concerned that your 1020 isn't able to support all the upcoming W10 upgrade features (the dual core cpu on the 1020 simply isn't powerful enough to support "Hey Cortana" for example), and you want the iris scanner (just because), yes I'd recommend the 950 (and/or the 950XL). That includes the AT&T 950 (which I purchased), or the unlocked versions direct from Microsoft Store.

I do not know if that rationale holds for Nokia 1520 users. I'm pretty sure if I had a 1520, I would wait at least until *after* the W10 update (the 1520 is a quad core, so it should support most or all W10 features).

...for other phone owners of the lesser Lumia HW platform models (who'd like a much better phone), the 950 upgrade is pretty much a no-brainer.

The ONLY caveat emptor to this blanket recommendation is: I'm concerned that there MIGHT BE issues with QC (quality control) with at least some of the first batch of 950's (dunno about the 950XL's). Beyond the two highly negative early reviews posted on Amazon, I also came across a review at a major online tech publication which said Microsoft replaced the MS provided review phone at the reviewer's request (and the problems the reviewer was having weren't evident in the replacement).

The good part seems to be that you'll know pretty quickly if you got a lemon or not (within a day). So if you're unfortunate enough to be in the lemon phone group, just return it and ask for another (AT&T gives you 14 days to return for any reason with a $35 restocking fee, and I'd guess that charge won't figure into manufacturing defects).

I dunno when or IF Microsoft is going to release a "true" flagship phone, like, say a so-called Lumia 1050-series (I've read some unhappily discouraging speculations on the subject the last few months). So, for now, this recommendation applies to all Lumia purchasers wanting to upgrade, but especially for 1020 owners.

-----------------
::BACKGROUND:
This is a reluctantly posted review. It will probably be a long review (because I'm a bit passionate about the tech). It may be more than you ever wanted to know about why I like this phone. You have been warned lol.

... the "reluctance" bit is because you might say the review's merely a counter to some overly negative too-early reviews.

-----------------
::FULL DISCLOSURE:
I'm a Windows Phone OS fan and a "true believer" (tongue firmly in cheek).

I replaced my [last] Google Nexus with a Nokia Lumia 1020 a couple of years back (when I changed carriers) and never looked back (i.e., I have no desire to ever own an Apple or Android OS phone again ...none at all: been there, done that, got the scars).

Actually, I still own three 1020's (with no plan to sell any of them, ever lol).

My experience with WP8.1 (and W8.1) with the inexpensive Nokia 520 model is what turned me (for the first time ever) into an MS-in-general "fan boy" of sorts. Especially with the intro of W10, my opinion of Microsoft has significantly changed.

-----------------
::INTENDED FOR:
The review is primarily for other Windows Phone OS power users: it's unabashedly and unapologetically oriented towards fans of the Windows Phone OS. If you've gone through various iOS and Android versions and phones, and were stunned when you first "discovered" just how surprisingly good the Windows Phone OS was (that's my story and I'm sticking to it lol) ...this review is for you.

Note: If you love iOS or Android, well, good for you. I did too, once upon a time. But WP OS is simply a better phone OS, in every way that really matters to my daily uses of a smartphone. Especially if you're a business user, and you need to easily and quickly *communicate* ...the Windows Phone OS is *the* phone operating system for pure and uncomplicated, powerful and feature rich, business communications use. If you're a Windows techie, an enterprise support pro', or simply a confused and clueless and "just want it to work" gramma or grampa, this is your phone OS (and review).

-----------------
::OTHER REVIEWS/REVIEWERS:
I am _NOT_ discounting (or bashing) other reviewer's [perhaps less than sterling] recently posted negative experiences, nor am I suggesting anyone should discount them: it's just that I question how useful relating the depth of personal unhappiness with such an early-in-the-manufacturing process product actually is to others, especially when it doesn't seem they'd thought to exercise the option of returning what seems obvious from their reviews was probably a lemon, and getting a replacement ...a replacement that AT&T is obligated to give during the 14 day, no-questions-asked, return period for any new phone ...I mean, seriously? You didn't even *consider* a replacement?

C'mon: why wouldn't a Windows Phone fan give it another shot, after waiting years and committing several hundred dollars for a new Windows "superphone", if it was obvious they got a bad phone?

That said ...I think it's perfectly acceptable and relevant to relate my ongoing experiences as I learn the phone and the new OS's idiosyncrasies. I do promise to modify my current five-star (and I do give the 950 five *****'s) rating as my experience with the phone broadens, in later updates to this review.

-----------------
::RAISON D'ETRE:
Because I've had the 950 only a few days, I don't think nearly enough time has passed to be praising - OR blasting ...or "highly recommending" the purchase thereof - the product. Whether you love it (and I do, so far) or hate it (as is obvious from a couple of the "other" early reviewers), it's just too early in an end-user's familiarization process to be making hard judgments about the QC (which is really the basis for their dissatisfaction) and sharing it on Amazon.

But there you go: I'm as guilty of chiming in too early as others are.

-----------------
::ABOUT ME:
I'm a business user; I don't game (no time ...and that's not being smug, or dissing gamers ...I used to be one, back in the day).

I'm currently a still active sys admin (more properly, a consultant) with 30+ years' experience in IT (and even after all this time, I'm still a kid when it comes to new tech toys lol). I'm experienced with iPhone and Android ...indeed, I support a bunch of business users of iPhone and Android (and a few select WP users).

So I know all about the dark side lol, as I've made a lucrative career out of fixing Microsoft screw-ups.

__________________________________________
::THE REVIEW::
I'll clearly label sections (and subsequent updates). I see no point in describing the phones' specifications in detail. There's plenty of hardware reviews "out there" that do a great job of describing the various permutations of the 950. Check out Techradar, Engadget, Gizmodo, Arstechnica, Phonearena, Windowscentral ...there's a wealth of both critical and glowing reviews and a plethora of videos on Youtube on the 950/950XL.

I'm only going to describe my entirely subjective impressions to the phone hardware and WP10, throwing in comparisons to the Nokia 1020 and WP8.1. This ain't gonna be science lol.

---------
:Purchase:
- I bought my 950 from a brick-and-mortar AT&T Store.

I went that route (rather than buying an unlocked one direct from Microsoft) because I wanted to be sure that my grandfathered 6GB rollover family shared plan wouldn't be affected with a new Next 24 phone.

(If my contract would have been affected, I wouldn't have gone with the $0 down, 0% APR for 30 months, Next 24 route: I'd probably have waited a bit longer, and just bought the phone full-pop after the holidays, as finances permitted. YMMV, but no up-front cash mattered to me in my decision to purchase shortly after the market release.)

---------
:Hey Cortana:
- The main reason I bought a 950 so early in its manufacturing release cycle (as generally I'm *never* cutting edge on new tech mfr btw: let the early adopters feel the pain is my general rule about such things) was because of W10's "Hey Cortana" feature ...that, and "Hey Cortana" is simply not going to be supported on my 1020 when the WP10 update for it is released, because of the lack of juice in the 1020's older dual-core cpu (according to what I've read, "Hey Cortana" is going to require a minimum quad-core processor). I already use Cortana on desktops, laptops, and tablets, and it's proven a major convenience, and pleasure; I wanted it for my main phone ...and "waiting" [for the WP10 upgrade] sadly wasn't going to be an option.

As for how "Hey Cortana" works on the 950? -Superbly. You have to go through the usual "learning, getting to know you" process, but that takes all of 2-3 minutes, at which point Cortana "knows" your voice. You do have the option of letting "her" respond to ANY voice (and yeah, that option was new to me); I didn't choose that, and went through the several exercises (where you read through several sentences which lets Cortana "familiarize 'herself'" to your speaking idioms).

This is the first of what I refer to as the "sci-fi" features of WP10 and the 950. Hey, I grew up reading Heinlein and Asimov when they were still writing, so this is "flying car level" technology to me lol.

---------
:Hello iris scan:
- Anyone who doesn't think an iris-scan logon isn't about the height of techie coolness really should turn in their geek membership card. Period. (And yeah, this is the second of the "sci-fi" features.)

How well does "Hello" work? Well, I haven't had time to do all the training (you really need to let the iris scan feature "train" in several different lighting situations: I only trained once so far, and that was in a rather darkened, lamp-lit room) ...so I do occasionally have to use a PIN when the phone doesn't recognize me from the scan. I'd say I'm entering the PIN maybe 2-3 times out of 10? Maybe as often as that?

But in rooms with adequate lighting, it's been pretty consistent. I'll have more to say about that consistency in a later follow-up (after I've had further training sessions in different lighting environments).

Regardless of how consistent it's been so far ...this feature is just pretty frickin' awesome lol.

---------
:WP10 Phone UI:
- ("UI" = user interface.) Meh. The UI isn't really all *that* different from WP8.1 (which isn't my experience with W10 on the PC).

That isn't exactly a criticism though ...the 8.1 update to Windows Phone 8 was brilliant for better usability, and very welcome. WP10 is just a refinement of that, and "more of the same". If you were happy with WP8.1, you'll continue to be happy with W10 Mobile.

The settings menu has changed and is a very welcome enhancement of the earlier W8.1 menu. You have many more than the earlier 5 settings choices on the top pull-down.

Another rather welcome change is that the bottom menu (back, home, and search), can be pulled down (and hidden, and pulled down again to reveal) which frees up some screen real estate.

...admittedly, that confused the heck out of me when I first inadvertently "lost" the bottom menu for tense few head-scratching minutes lol.

Oh. Oh. And pressing the "back" icon now allows you to choose amongst the several other open apps in your active history in a miniaturized 4x4 column view ...it's a welcome refinement of the side-to-side WP8.1 history, and a bit more productive, as you can quickly return to an open app. You'll like this.

---------
:Continuum:
- Sorry. Nothing to report yet. I haven't had time to mess with it at all.

...this will undoubtedly change with a future update to this review.

---------
:General HW & Cosmetics Impressions (in no specific order):

---
"The back" - I like the polycarbonate back (versus a metal or whatever). And poly' obviously doesn't screw with wireless signals like metal does. So the techie in me doesn't think of poly' in the negative (like almost every online reviewer bemoaning the "plastic-y cheapness" does), but rather as a superior feature.

In addition, the rubberized coating on the poly' back means the 950 isn't going to slip out of your hand nearly as easy as some slick painted/anodized/whatever metal bodied "obviously higher quality" variation will (and most reviewers will refer to poly as "cheap plastic" ...but when it comes to the so-called "denotes higher quality" factor of all-metal smartphones, I demur). Flexible *non-denting* polycarbonate is way better tech than metal. And I prefer my bling in higher tech, not cosmetic fluff.

And since the back pops off, sooner or later there'll be after-market color variations to suit everyone's sense of color-coordinated taste. Yer iPhone or Galaxy ain't gonna let you do that lol.

---
"The battery" - Speaking of popping off the back ...that means you can replace the battery. By yourself. Any time. By yourself. And carry a spare? Yeah, that too. Did I mention "by yourself"?

Which other high end phones have that option? Oh yeah. None.

---
"The microSD" - And when you pop the back off, you can throw in a microSD. Up to 200GB (about $99 on Amazon).

Which other high end phones have *that* option? Oh yeah. None. Again.

So the 950 has two vital techie/road-warrior specific features that other significant notables in the genre don't bother with. Why do other mfr's pass on these? Too expensive to add another $1 in parts to their $900 phones? - Beats me. But kudos to Microsoft for catering to phone power users who care more about usable features than cosmetics.

---
"Battery" - My initial impression is that battery life appears to be roughly twice that of my 1020.

---
"Charging" - Included is a fast charger. It works brilliantly. In 30 minutes of charging at 40% initial charge, the 950 is going to be back to 85-90% charge. Yippie.

I've ordered a QI charger (due in Monday or so), so I can't report at this time about wireless charging (the 950/950XL support QI wireless charging, and the AT&T 950 variant additionally supports PMA wireless charging: maybe that's why it costs $50 more???).

---
"Power usage" - I could usually make it through an 8-hour work day with the 1020 with 20-50% power remaining by 05:00P. And I'm seeing 50-85% with the same usage mix on the 950. Since the battery capacity is greater, that might seem reasonable.

But. I have long since optimized app power settings on the 1020, and haven't really started to on the 950. Plus, the 1020 has a much less dense display compared to the 950, and a far less power hungry processor (well, "I think" ...I'm going by logic here, as the hexacore cpu on the 950 seems like it would consume more power than the duocore 1020 ...and ditto for the display ...I haven't really checked to see how power requirements on new generation tech have increased in efficiency, which I would expect: just dunno for sure, yet, as I haven't done the research).

---
"Heat" - Every smartphone I've ever had (and most feature phones back in the day), gets hot. Some worse than others. Heat is the byproduct of power at our current level of technology.

If you push your phone ...if you push ANY piece of tech (PC, laptop, or tablet) ...that device is going to heat up. Period.

It's the nature of the beast.

The 950 gets warm under load. It won't fry eggs. It doesn't get to a level I'd describe as even "uncomfortable".

Heat buildup seems on a par with the 1020 (all my 1020's would get about equally warm in the same usage scenario).

It cools quickly when the load condition is removed (i.e., you hang up, the download ends, the video ends, whatever).

IOW, I haven't had a problem with unusual heat (as in at least one other report) ...but it's a powerful electronic device. So. YMMV.

---
"Display" - The display is ...pretty awesome. I use Splashtop to remote to clients in several states ...and occasionally I'm not near a desktop, and I've only got my phone when I'm called upon for support. So clarity on a tiny screen (think about the 23 inch display on your PC being shrunk to the 5 inches of my phone as example of what I'm talking about) is important to me (and for reasons other than viewing Youtube videos on Facebook lol).

The 950 is a significant upgrade in clarity from the 1020 (roughly, over twice the pixel density) ...tiny desktops and even tinier fonts are MUCH more readable. I have no complaints about Youtube videos either LOL.

---
"Camera" - Uh, it's not the 41MP monster of the 1020?

But than ...what smartphone camera does compare with the 1020? (Hint: none.)

And: there's no camera grip accessory with additional juice like the 1020.

It doesn't have a combined Xenon and LED flash of the 1020.

:-(

OTOH.

The 950 [still] takes FABULOUS pictures.

Microsoft has done some kind of post-processing magic in software that renders point-and-shoot shots *better* (well, "in some instances", and YMMV: they look better to my non-pro/barely amateur level eyes). And, yes you still have the Nokia manual settings options to move point-and-shoot up a notch.

You can finally take shot after shot after shot without the 1020's several second shot delay (necessitated by the massive data of the 41MP taxing the dual-core cpu of the 1020 ...due to less raw sensor data, and to a more robust cpu).

It's "only" 20MP (i.e., still better than most smartphone camera specs ...it's on a par with the Nokia 1520).

It still has the awesome Nokia OIS (optical image stabilization) ...that is sooo important to getting good hand-held, off-the-cuff shots. I haven't worried about blurry, out-of-focus shots for years.

The 950 has a 3 LED flash ...auto-flash HW that won't be used as often as the Xenon one on the 1020 btw ...the 950 camera system handles low-light *much* better than the 1020 (setting auto-flash on both phones to On - and in the same low-light room and shot framing - the 950 will have a better pix while NOT using the auto-flash than the 1020 which will use auto-flash ...weird, that).

It's still a Zeiss lens system with a way-more-than-merely-decent sensor.

IOW, the 950 is probably the 2nd best smartphone camera there is. A bit less than the 1020 (for some shots, and for sheer raw data). And maybe besting the 1520 (I don't have a 1520 to compare ...I'm just speculating based on the specs, and reviews I've read).

And you still get all the juicy near-pro-level software that no other camera has access to (the proprietary Lumia software has always been one reason to buy one).

---
"Connectivity" - Look, I had no complaints about WiFi and 4G/LTE cellular connectivity on the 1020, and I still don't. The 950 carries on with that tradition. Yaay.

---
"Internet Sharing" - And a bit off-topic (since I didn't have the 950 yet). AT&T LTE was a life saver for me during Thanksgiving week ...we were one of the 300,000+ people in Washington state without power (huge storm) ...and in our case, without power for over 8 days (yeah, it was cold). But I was able to take care of all my client support requests, and my usual tasks thanks to the WiFi sharing built-in to the 1020, and the speed of AT&T's LTE service. I used more data that week than I usually do in several months (I typically use a lot of voice and texting, but generally not a lot of data).

Other than that: it works, it's a no-brainer to set up, share, and use, and speeds depend upon your LTE tower connection as much as anything else.

---
"Apps" - The Microsoft Store is what it is. Instead of tens of thousands of variations of an app providing some service (like Facebook), you only have hundreds. Big. Whoop.

Because: for my main phone, I care more about having an integrated, reliable, and productive communications system that I don't have to futz around a lot with.

(And that's why I've never looked back, and neither iOS nor Android hardware is on my list. As business phone OS's, they are inferior. Toys, really. Yeah: IMHO. But for me, my opinion and years of experience is all that matters lol. YMMV.)

MS Office Mobile is provided by default, and is great. That inclusion is better than WP8.1.

I simply don't care about having a lot of app choices ...for one, I don't game.

Simply, I just have no horse in the race for a lot of things that are extraneous to what a superb communications device actually needs for business purposes.

The few mainstream and social apps I use - Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest and the like ...or adequate substitutes - are available, and work for me. If the Windows Phone versions have fewer bells-and-whistles than their Apple or 'Droid counter-parts, I neither know nor care about the specifics. Do I hope this improves? - Of course. But it's not the deal breaker fans of other phone OS's apparently think it should be.

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"Email" - (This is important enough to rate a separate sub-section.) Email is now provided through Outlook in WP10, and is waay better than before.

(Outlook is the PRIMARY business application I rely upon to be productive, and has been for 15 plus years. This alone would be reason enough to buy a W10 Mobile phone.)

Setting up Outlook with Exchange, Gmail, Hotmail, and POP3 accounts (I monitor about a dozen accounts) on the 950 was a breeze. (WP8.1 email setup was easy enough, but that "easy part" is even easier in WP10, and the integration with the Outlook desktop version is far better.)

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::CONCLUSION:
After this brief period, I already like a lot about the 950, and have few criticisms (well: I do wish the [great] camera system was more of an evolution of the 1020's).

I'm glad Microsoft finally came out with a phone I could use to replace my aging 1020 tech with. If the 950 is just [by some] to barely warrant being called a "flagship" phone, it's still a significant enough upgrade to warrant the appellation by comparison.

...and that's it. For now. I told you it was going to be long lol.

Feel free to ask questions in the comments btw. I'm usually pretty prompt about responding.

__________________________________________
::UPDATES: I'll update my review as time goes by.

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12/04 Update Begin

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"Hello iris scan" - I've noticed the Hello iris scan works quite consistently in well-lighted rooms, and in daylight. Oddly (because I've still not done further training of the feature), it seems to work better when I'm wearing glasses. In well-lit rooms and outdoors I'd say entering the PIN is required about 1-1.5 times out of 10 and maybe less when I'm wearing glasses (an improvement over my 1st observation). The times vary ...dunno why, but sometimes it struggles for a few seconds, other times recognition is in an instant (if I press power-off after a failure, and turn it back on, it usually recognizes me ...I really do need to do some more training here).

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"The back" - As predicted, I found alternate replacement backs for the 950 on a UK website, so they'll probably be on Amazon US shortly, too. (The leather variations were rather nice. The wood was ...not my cup of tea?)

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:Case:
- The [first] case I ordered came in; I'm in the minimalist school of best-design-for-a-case (I carry phones in my front pants pocket, display inward), so my purpose for a case is more cosmetic - to keep the phone from being scratched - than to prevent abuse or accident damage per se.

(I live a sedate life lol. That said: I dropped a 1020 a couple of times from the Jeep seat height - don't ask - onto the pavement with this style case, and neither time did the 1020 suffer so much as a scratch, so I think this design more than adequate to the task ...my nerves, however, couldn't say the same on the first occasion.)

The industrial looking case is the "Lumia 950 Case, Suensan Pc Slim Ultra Thin Lightweight Mesh Hard Defende[r] Case for Microsoft Lumia 950 (Black)" here on Amazon (http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B017GY1UO2?psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=oh_aui_detailpage_o04_s00).

It's thin, attractive, and inexpensive (and hopefully I'll never know how effective it might be).

Recommend!

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:QI Charger:
- I also received the QI wireless charger. Though it's considerably slower than the [brilliant] fast charger AT&T included with the 950 - it seems to charge about as fast as the 1020 with the 1020 charger I have it plugged into - QI wireless charging works flawlessly ...and works with the above-mentioned case on (yaay).

You don't have to futz around with it either; charging is not finicky about the phone's placement (you kind of line the power-switch of the 950 to the LED indicator on the QI puck, and the LED turns from green to blue ...and starts charging). The 950 notifies by sound when the charge is full (and the puck's LED turns back to green).

So. QI charging is already proven very convenient for keeping the phone topped off, while laying on my desk. (And reserves a little desk area for the phone, too.)

The QI unit I bought is the "PowerBot® PB1020 Qi Enabled Wireless Charger Inductive Charging Pad Station for All Qi Standard Compatible Devices Including Samsung, iPhone, Nokia, Google, Nexus, LG, HTC and Other Smartphones with Receivers (AC Adapter Excluded. 2 x Micro USB Cable Included), Blue on Black" here on Amazon (http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00F6SQ1D6?psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=oh_aui_detailpage_o04_s00), and was a buck more than the case.

I'm going to buy a couple more, to place around the office and the house for convenience sake.

Recommend!
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End of 12/04 update
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12/05 Update Begin

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:Screen Protector:
I went with tempered glass for display scratch protection this time.

There seems to be a LOT of relatively inexpensive choices for tempered glass protection these days (compared to a couple of years ago, when the product was on the pricey side). I ended up choosing someone who could ship and deliver in the two-day Amazon Prime period (other Prime sellers were a week plus out for delivery).

The product was "Microsoft Lumia 950 Screen Protector - Tempered Glass Screen Protector - by TruShield" (http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0179SET34?psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=oh_aui_detailpage_o00_s00) and it worked ...well, "as detailed below" lol.

The trick to applying tempered glass includes all the usual clean-room prep. But since this is a rigid glass, there's a trick in getting the exact placement of the protector just as you'd like [centered] on the display. Basically, you lay the protector down on the display (don't bother cleaning anything yet, and do NOT pull off the bottom film of the protector), put a few short pieces of some tape (I used that blue, non-sticky, painters "masking" tape stuff) on the top of the protector along ONE side with a length hanging over the edge (i.e., not touching the case), wiggle the protector into position, and only then push the tape to the case. If you don't get it perfect, readjust as necessary. When you're good, flip the protector over (the tape will keep it in place on the case if you did it right), clean, pull the protector film off, flip it onto the display, and apply. The screen kind of oozes air out from underneath (it's kind of fascinating to watch it, as it slo-mo's the air out). You hardly have to do anything at all to get the thing to adhere to the display. Very cool process.

...and after putting it on, I'm still a klutz with this stuff. I mean, how do you people not get at least one stinking piece of dust under your screen protectors? Sigh. On the good side, at least this time I managed to only let ONE nano-sized piece screw things up. Considering what I've put up with previously - and I learned long ago to not try again: the 2nd attempt always results in more dust, or worse lol - this was a huge improvement though, so I'll live with it (in my defense: you'd have to use a magnifying glass to see it ...but I'm kind of anal, so there you go).

Regardless of my [lack of] mad application skillz, the fit and finish (and the process) was excellent. And that stinking one tiny spec' of dust is barely noticeable. Even my wife thought it looked way better than my previous efforts ...enough so that she wants tempered glass for her 1020 (she's staying with the 1020 for now, not being nearly the phone nerd that I am).

(Previously, I've only used the film stuff, and always the Armor Suit product; they've always been great about their no-questions-asked warranty replacement, which I exercised on more than one occasion. And dropping the phone onto pavement from Jeep seat height didn't do any damage at all, which, well, it did have the film protector to cushion the blow.)

Recommend (for price, delivery, and fit-and-finish ...because you guys all have to better than me at applying this stuff, right?

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End of 12/05 update
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87 people found this helpful

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Henk van Meijel

High value for money

Reviewed in Canada on October 18, 2019

Verified Purchase

I'm very happy with this phone. it is high quality and syncs perfect with my Microsoft Windows computers. It is an ideal phone for persons who use it mainly as a business phone and are not interested in the latest game apps etc. Matter of fact we just ordered another one for a friend of mine.

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Microsoft Lumia 950 Windows 10 Smartphone 32GB GSM Unlocked - Black

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