Microsoft Lumia 950

Tech Report

By: Nick Gambino

At an event on Tuesday Microsoft announced two new Windows phones, the Lumia 950 and the Lumia 950 XL, to compete in the ever aggressive mobile market.

If you’re going to release a new phone to compete with iOS and Android then you have to really bring it. In a recent study released by Gartner it was found that Windows Phone only holds 2.5% of the global smartphone market. For comparison iOS and Android take up 14.6% and 82.2% respectively.

While I’m not sure that the Lumia 950 series is going to be a hit, they’re at least bring some interesting features to the table. Now the only real difference between the 950 and the 950 XL is the size and a slightly different processing speed.

Microsoft Lumia 950
Microsoft Lumia 950

The 950’s screen is 5.2 inches with a 2560 x 1400 resolution and the Snapdragon 808 processor. The XL has a 5.7-inch screen, same resolution and the Snapdragon 810 processor. Both phones have 20 MP cameras while the selfie camera is 5MP. They also have the ability to play 4K videos.

Microsoft Lumia 950
Microsoft Lumia 950

Now something unique about these phones is that they run on Windows 10 and contain a feature called Continuum. What this does is allow you to use either of the Lumias as if they were a PC. Just plug them into the Microsoft Display Dock and you can throw the phone display onto your computer monitor and type on it like it was a desktop computer.

Another cool and unique feature is called Hello. This is Microsoft’s solution to the fingerprint scanner that several other phones like the iPhone use. Microsoft had to do it different to stand out. Basically you can unlock your phone using your eyes. The front-facing camera has a little infrared light camera which uses iris facial-recognition software. You simply bring the phone up to your face and let it scan your eye.

This might prove to be tiresome after a while but is at least a unique feature that stands out among other smartphones.

The truth of the matter is I’m not going to be buying the Lumia 950 or 950 XL. But that’s because I’m satisfied with my iPhone. For others out there on the eternal quest for the right smartphone that meets their needs, this might be the one for you.

It’s worth a shot anyway. The Lumia 950 and 950 XL will be available in November for $549 and $649 respectively.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Nick Gambino is a regular script writer and tech beat reporter for NewsWatch.  He lives in Northern Virginia with his wife and daughter.

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