#AskDanWindows Episode 7 - How will the Lumia flagships stand compared to the new iPhone?

For the last few weeks, we have been moving to our new office, setting up equipment and then IFA happened. As a result, our #AskDanWindows series had been on hiatus, but this week we return with a vengeance.

As I usually do in these cases, I try to make up for it by dishing up a few more questions and answers over the normal lot. So for this week, we have a solid nine questions to tackle. Let's get to it!

AskDanWindows Episode 7 Questions of the Week

  • With so many OEMs struggling to make a profit on Android, why haven't more attempted to make high-end phones for WM/WP? @ltjordan24
  • How well the leaked specs & designs of upcoming Lumia flagships stand when comparing it with iPhone & Samsung Note/S series @YashHarf
  • Will MS remove its beta apps (Gestures, Instagram..) or later re-release its stable version after w10 phone? @Aman_Singh14
  • Earlier rumours mentioned a metallic band rather than fully polycarbonate, is this a Nokia pipeline remnant? @Strider_BZ
  • What's your take on non-Microsoft flagship windows phones coming into the market and what does it mean for us and MS? @nwoodby
  • Should I wait for Windows Mobile 10 to get a Windows Mobile device, or can I shoot for 640 XL right now? @preisteichon
  • What are your thoughts on Skype Messaging Preview? @GoodThings2Life
  • Do you think Facebook will release a universal app for Windows 10? @loft_james1984
  • Consider the negative opinion to the leak 950/XL render, do you think MS will change their design at last min? @lianglqufo

So there you have it! Remember, if you have a question use the hashtag #AskDanWindows on Twitter, and maybe we'll pick yours.

New email!

Don't use Twitter? Well after much feedback we are happy to announce you can forward your questions to AskDan@WindowsCentral.com to submit your requests!

About that office…

For those of you wondering about our office, we are in the final stages of setting it up. Once completed, we'll do a video office tour and also highlight some of our equipment (like the 32-inch 4K monitor by HP in the back), so stay tuned!

Missed previous episodes? You may be surprised what I have revealed. You can find previous episodes of #AskDanWindows here on the main landing page.

Daniel Rubino
Editor-in-chief

Daniel Rubino is the Editor-in-chief of Windows Central, head reviewer, podcast co-host, and analyst. He has been covering Microsoft since 2007 when this site was called WMExperts (and later Windows Phone Central). His interests include Windows, laptops, next-gen computing, and for some reason, watches. Before all this tech stuff, he worked on a Ph.D. in linguistics, watched people sleep (for medical purposes!), and ran the projectors at movie theaters because it was fun.

148 Comments
  • If the digitizer supports both Wacom and N Trig, I'm very good with it. Otherwise I'm just fine with it
  • Yash Harf here...Well.. My question got answered.. Convinced.. And I should say.. This is one of the best thing about WC "#AskDanWindows" ... Appreciated:)
  • Some how, some way, I can get my N Trig Pen to work with my 1520. Only sometimes though. It is not the Lumia that is doing it, it is the pen activating. I don't know how exactly I do it when it works, but it is after using the buttons on the side. I would say it is the Lumia display, but it very rarely works.
  • Its the super sensitivr touch in your phone that sometimes picks it up, the reason its not all the time is because the phone activates this feature on large scale presses like a finger through gloves, I'm willing to be that when you used it you maybe used it with an angle when it worked.
  • Iphone piPhone...
  • Capacitive buttons > buttons on display . I don't like the design of Lumia 950
  • I think the opposite, and it's because with these phones you can use a mouse and keyboard with them, even if you don't have a second display. How will you go back if you have captive buttons? I don't see that possibility with the current Windows 10 (unless your mouse has a back button, heh).
  • Ohhh...I never thought of that. I wasn't sure how I felt about them, but I wasn't opposed. But that is a great point!
  • Since they are software just render them onscreen? No need to permanently deprive people of the quoted screen real estate for occassional usage like this.
  • It's already there, onscreen buttons on phones that don't have them, on the w/wp USB presentation software released by MS last year.
  • You could press backspace on the keyboard? Or Esc?
  • I'm with you on the looks. But I'm going hold off until I can hit the Microsoft store and hold it for real. I'm leaning on the XL but it probably will be out of the question as I'm not on at&t.so the lower end high end is going to have to really blow me away.
  • I dislike on screen buttons immensely, then I used them on the Nexus7 and can see the use. I still prefer the capacitive buttons but am not totally opposed to on screen.
  • Yeah, but those capacitive buttons are static and the onscreen ones will twist and turn and shift according to your orientation...that pretty slick if you ask me, but you didn't so I said it anyway. I will say that maybe just one Start button like other Windows devices might have been keen. =[
  • i just hope they can be hidden like on the HTC M8 for windows! I havent seen any signs that you will be able to hide them!
  • They can already be hidden even on the Lumias :/ Not sure about W10 thought... Cant imagine why they would take away a nice feature that already exists
  • How do you do that then?
  • I don't mind on-screen button either. I think its better since in any-case there is a changes in navigation bar of W10M, it will show the changes. Like Cortana icon instead of Search, or maybe it will be customizable in the future, who knows. I wish that the bezel at the bottom is bit smaller though.
  • I still say the renderings don't do them justice. The back shots are shadowed in an odd way which implies the back is rounded. But the side shots show a different story. They are flat on the back and cut on the sides like the surface. As well, the corners are rounded just like SP3. Other than the shitty shadowing, I see Surface Phone here... I could be way wrong though, and I typically am. So.. who knows. Hope we find out soon though.
  • You're right. There's no evidence of the radius on the side view, no shadowing at all which makes me hope they're squared off. I think they've used a Photoshopped 640XL as the template for the 950XL from the front for whatever reason. Anyway, just 29 days to go... 10/10
  • Frankly, I don't think those phones are so bad looking. If I remember correctly, there was a smart cover? coming with the XL anyway and I for once will probably go for it, just to clip the pen on.
    I think what is most important is that Tue features are there. There need to be features and/or apps that really blow people's minds.
    Nobody is talking about how the new iPhone looks (why would they, rose gold isn't all that awesome) but rather what it does.
    This is where Microsoft missed the train before. Living images - we all knew they were there, but I haven't seen a single ad showing them. You can bet that Apple will advertise the heck out of them.
    It's about features and apps and I hope that this time, Microsoft really gets it with their marketing.
  • Good to see your optimism!
  • Wondered where you were! Love these. I'd love to know how the camera tech has improved.
  • Note just screems for W10m...though I guess it depends if Samsung is still dreaming of Tizen.  
  • I thought they decided to give up on Tizen for phones (pressure from Google) and make Tizen only for household appliances.
  • Yeah but so many people jumped from Samsung, and Google in general to iPhone last year/early this year people are rethinking much. I hear a lot more, from people who used to be diehard Android fans, that they are just over the lack of support and updates for the OS, and phones.
  • That's because Samsung is stupid.  Carriers need Samsung, more than Samsung needs carriers to retail their product.  Samsung simply should stop allowing carriers to rebrand their phones or add software to them.  Unfortunately, Microsoft doesn't have such clout.  Carriers can't touch iPhones.  
  • The iPhone equals same old screen resolution, same pathetic battery capacity, same old icons(but the apps we want),still great camera quality, still solid and premium feeling hardware, and still solid support. 3D touch is what Mix View could've been with the live tiles and we all know how they "reinvented living images." It's all in the brand I guess. Posted via the Windows Central App for Android
  • Its just mind boggling that Microsoft still hasn't done anything exciting to live tiles.
  • You say that but there are still so many ppl out there saying how @ugly@ they are and that they were a bad idea...I love the tiles, and think they might still try to shake it up a bit after they've gotten things established. =\
  • Well dont blame apple for showcasing something WP already had when its Microsoft who have staunchly refused to promote the OS.
  • True.
  • How so dam true Microsoft could have done and still could do amazing things with live tiles. But the again I've never seen them promoting it. Like just imagine the possibilities of live tiles. Then they could've added " Coming soon"
  • Heck today I read that Apple brought the Stylus back. Those tech writers must have been in a coma for the last few years
  • 3d touch on phones is what right click is for mouse on desktops.. I don't know if it will have an effect elsewhere, but it will surely change the way mobile games are played.. Imagine playing with a mouse that has only one button.. That's what we are doing now on mobiles.
  • finally, thought this video series had been cancelled.
  • Got busy with moving to the new office and covering IFA. Should be back on regular schedule now.
  • I don't know, I think neither of the phone can stand. I think they just lie there.. "budum bump" Microsoft may have something up thier sleave, but given the continum and Hello, Microsoft be best to focus on the numbers of features that differ from iPhone, but apps are really important, Windows phone needs apps and I am talking popular apps. Also, they need to get advertise apps being available on Windows phone, not just iphone and Android. There are a number of apps that are on Windows phone and you see available on iPhone and Android it their commercials.
  • I would like to see 4k video of the new bathroom
  • Lol. With the pee and poop or without?
  • Dan, not sure if I understood your stance on plastic vs metal. My understanding is that a metal phone - because metal is a better heat conductor - would radiate heat out more efficiently and uniformly and therefore keep the device running cooler. A plastic phone - because plastic is such a poor heat conductor - isolates the heat inside and creates hot spots (e.g. the 930 gets exptremly hot around the bottom of the device). 
  • Yeah, it's a combo of both. Metal definitely creates 'hot spots' (literal) that make it less comfortable to use, whereas polycarb tends to insulate. The question is, which is better? Keep the heat in or let it freely dissipate? Keep it in is fine if the hardware can handle it, so if that is the case I think it is the way to go.
  • I guess thats why you have a metallic band made out of multiple pieces instead of just a single, solid one. Helps with designing the phone in a way that heat-output is handled by 1 piece while the rest handle mobile reception. Metal phones are better than plastic ones, because the metal serves a purpose and as an added bonus makes the phone look better/premium.
  • For sure it is much better to have the heat dissipate out. When heat is confined in a small space it will thus get hotter creating a oven effect
    where everything within the device would start to bake.with in turn could reek havoc on software. Even if the components can stand up to the heat. The software will most Likely suffer from it.
  • Never used an iPhone personally but how does it handle the heat? Does it even get hot? With it as thin as it is you would think it would melt (not literally) with all the power Apple claims it has.
  • They get warm with use, but I've never had one I'd say was hot, or uncomfortable to handle. 
  • Great vid, thanks. What are those HUGE screens in the background??? I think I see twitter feeds on one of them..
  • I like the case too. Who makes it Daniel?
  • We'll cover all that soon, no worries ;)
  • Dan, PLEASE mention ""SONY Xperia Z5 4K"", and ""Oppo"" Phns too in your videos, as they dont get any recognition for their superior quality and performance. These phns MUST come in Windows 10 phn too( I i'll pray). I LOVE the Samsung phns, however, SONY, OPPO are amazing phns as well. Keep in mind, CrApple COPIED Sony's design and fooled the world that it was all their idea. (Search """"APPLE COPIED SONY"""" and click on  the images and take a look at Sony's device they had way before iJUNK came out). Even iJUNK 6 was a COPY from Xperia Z phns(and HTC). However, SONY is 10000000000x more superior in its design and hardware, compare to the iJUNK 6 or 6+. Of course if you have the Sony and iJUNK next to each other from 30+ feet away, they look very similar, until you hold both in your hand, and right away you can see the outstanding quality and workmanship used in SONY, with its glass back(which they had since the original Xperia Z phns came out), and iJUNK 6 wannabe Sony with its cheap aluminum foil body, with cheap hardware, with only 720 res screen that most brand used 4+ years ago. SONY ROCKS. and i would LOVE to see it in Windows 10. """""""""Xperia Z5 Premium 4K, windows 10 Phn"""""""""", boy that sounds good. I can gurantee if SONY, SAMSUNG, LG, OPPO, SHARP, LENOVO, ACER(Predetor phn), ASUS,........ ALL have Windows 10 phns too, it will be a game changer, and you will see Win phn market share will hit the roof. The only reason Android is at 80+%  market share, is cuz there are MANY MANY MANY Android brand phns offered by all those comp i mentioned and A lot more. Ok now, how many windows phn can you name? 2 or 3 maybe? These comp need to give people choices and let them pick between "Windows" or "Android" phns, i can tell you Windows will WIN. 
  • "i can tell you Windows will WIN" Windows has already lost which they've all but said outright. Not that Android or iOS are superior, but because of MS' perpetual bungling. Btw, you'll have much more credibility if you stop with the adolesent use of such terms as iJUNK, CrApple, etc. and over use of caps.
  • I think this is a perfect time for Samsung to put WP10 on a Galaxy and instantly own the WP market.
  • If they put full effort towards it, I think they could very easily. And be some pretty sharp hardware. (we're not talking Focus effort though)
  • Now Microsoft are appearing at Apple presentations to introduce the new Office suite on iPhone and iPads, Apple will be appearing at the next major Microsoft presentation to introduce their new W10 iPhone.
  • If they do, it'll be an iWindow going by their naming scheme. One from LG or Sony would be neat too
  • I don't want Samsung to own the market for windows phone. Not a fan of their designs find them to be honest. Let Lumia dominate and Samsung and HTC be alternate choices
  • Cityman vs S6 Edge with WM10. The Samsung commercials alone would crush it.
  • I like the design of the S6 Edge. I just dislike TouchWiz. However, TouchWiz wouldn't be an issue on a Windows 10 Mobile device. Posted via the Windows Central App for Android
  • Honestly, unless Microsoft allows Samsung to put their features front and center, while making, say, Groove and others something you have to install yourself from the Store, I don't see it. There is also the issue with updates and after sales support; Samsung support for Windows phones (and even many of their Android devices) have been lacking, to put it lightly.
  • A EDGE+ with w10m. Im sold
  • +100
  • I definitely wouldn't mind that. Come on Samsung, you can do it.
  • I think you are in the minority of WP users. I owned the Focus and have handled each successive Galaxy iteration. The build quality is crap.
  • Ativ S7 with snapdragon 820!!.. Take my money.
  • Have to ask, what computer specs are you running in that green and white beast? @.@
  • I'm also curios about the screens as well, please give us the full details on the new setup! Better still, a setup video if you don't mind :-)
  • Comparing iPhone and Windows phone devices, iPhone is a lot weaker by the specs than Windows phone but it reacts and responds way much faster. Feels more stable too. I think Microsoft should work on optimizing OS core apps instead of adding CPU cores and RAM etc.
  • Not true in terms of specs. The newest high end windows phones (1520, 930, htc one) are probably just at par with the newest iPhone or maybe even less than the iPhone specswise and 8.1 blazes on these devices.
    Win 10 is not yet done so we can't use that as a yardstick.
  • IPhone 6 has nearly same specs as mine HTC 8X (which is better in some categories) but still IOS is smoother. I think its much more than specs, Windows as an OS is still not optimized as it should be or maybe its hardware requirements are more needed to run smooth.
  • I don't fully agree because the 2014 A8 chip in the iPhone 6 is proprietary to Apple and is definitely superior to the 2012 S4 chip in the HTC 8X. Try running IOS 8 on an iPhone 4S for comparison. Win phone 8.1 is probably the most optimized mobile OS out there.
  • Are you saying that Apple is like the Nintendo of Mobile? idk, it's hard to make up a good analogy on the fly...anybody..?
  • Apart from the last two generations, Nintendo was always right at the top with performance. Apple hw is very high end.
  • Nintendo has been behind for at least 3 generations (GameCube, Wii, WiiU) which covers more than 10 years. That's not a blip, that's policy.
  • GameCube was more powerful than PS2, which "won" the generation, though, but yeah, they have officially changed their policy since Wii.
  • I just read a bunch of techincal articles to refresh myself (I am  professional programmer specializing in games and 3d graphics), and the consensus was that GC and PS2 were on par with each other in eventual processing power, with PS split across a CPU and two specialized vector units, while the GC had a traditional CPU and GPU combo. Higher clock speeds on the GC, but that isn't the final answer. The Xbox, of course, was more powerful than either of those two.  In addition, with the GC coming out over a year after the PS2, it is clear that Nintendo was already going for a less powerful (than current bleeding edge), less expnsive approach in that generation.
  • So if 950/XL have been in development for 9 months (or even 12 mo), how are they "carried over" from the Nokia portfolio? :) They are , IMO, 100% MS phones and MS could have designed them differently if they had wanted to. Posted via the Windows Central App for Android
  • I'm sticking to my statement here. They have been in planning for awhile.
  • No argument there. Any phone takes a good while to develop, and high end phones even more so. However, they were likely entering to actual productization stage well after MS already owned Nokia devices, and, IMO, there would have been time for MS to change the design if they wanted to. :)
  • Is it possible to make microsoft change the design for lumia 950 ?!!
  • No, unless you want to wait another year for its release.
  • Yeah, I'm not sure I buy that either.  It comes off like making excuses for the devices, given their 'meh' reception.
  • You don't think these look a lot like the 640 and 640 XL? Where do you think those came from...
  • Well, let's for arguments sake say that the 640/XL were designed before MS bought Nokia devices (they may well have). That would by no means prove that the 950/XL were also designed by Nokia to a "point of now return" before MS acquisition, or that MS could not have changed the 950/XL design. My guess is that they could have, but simply  did not want to or see the need to - perhaps as they wanted to have the continuity of the Lumia design language retained, including so as to make it easier to market in those markets where WP has had reasonable success. It is even quite plausible, that the 950/XL design was largely only defined through design studies and finalized during the MS era. Anyway, its rather academin anyway - the 950/XL continue the Lumia family, for good or bad. :) I personally think they are not bad at all, other than being a bit pedestrian looking at least in the renders, for a flagship device.
  • Yes, I agree with Daniel that these have been "in the works" for a while. Even the naming smacks of the old Nokia way that I hope will end with this iteration. You need a much clearer and unified brand with an easily-understood numbering system. Surface Phone 2, etc.
  • i am actually quite liking the devices now! i prefer the 950xl camera module on the back and wonder why they design isnt the same for both?   even the volume and power buttons are different between devices!
  • Good video. Please fold your left breast pocket down.
  • Clothes Nazi!
  • enh, I think that's just a regular Nazi... =s
  • He's trolling OCD people...  :P
  • You leave my CDO out of this! (so OCD that it has to be in alphabetical order LOL)
  • After the Apple announcement I was feeling really disillusioned with WP and MS. After this video however, I am probably just gonna buy a 6S and wait to see if the Surface Phone happens next year. I had this same battle with BlackBerry and I gave up after the constant "the next one!". At this point I am sick of not having banking apps, sick of waiting for carriers to allow OS updates and sick and TIRED of hearing "just wait!". I held on to a BlackBerry way too long and watched the wheels fall off. In the end, I was the only one who missed out. I feel like I'm experiencing the same thing again on WP. I ADORE MS, but I may just have to settle with iPhone, Band 2, SP4. Giving up Cortana on my phone will suck, but at least I'll be able to check my bank account balance and use mobile payments. Oh yeah, any one notice that there isn't a single rumor about a mobile payments platform!? Yet here we are, supposedly weeks away from an announcement?
  • Mobile payments (NFC + Wallet) are allready in Windows 10 Mobile. It just needs the back end.
  • Those things are in 8.1 as well and cannot be used for mobile payments.
  • Not yet. That's why it still needs the back end so it can be used to pay by NFC not only for shop payments but bank payments too.  
  • Backend backend backend. Mate, it's NOWHERE TO BE SEEN. That's his point. It's useless.
  • +1. By the way, I do cell phone repair for a living, so I am one of those buys-a-new-phone every year kind of guys. Last phone I bought? A 1520, 2 years ago on Christmas. So to say I've been patiently waiting is BEYOND an understatement. All that waiting and the head of Windows Central can't even pretend to be excited about the so-called flagship devices. By the way, launching with features that exist but wont be enabled? Gtf outta here.
  • I was also a great fan of Windows phone for the last 6 years but the lack of apps and constant waiting is putting me of more and more. I don't se nothing new in the new flagships that would be if any use to me. Continuum and Halo has no wort to me. They are putting out these 2 "flagships" just because they have to buy they have no WOW factor. Is sad to see some of MS apps working better on IOS and Android then on WP. I will stick to my 930 for a half of a year to se the Windows 10 but I think I will eventually move to Android if a LG G4 note really comes out.
  • Don't worry, the features are, you guessed it, Coming Soon© !
  • @rjansen3 - I agree with you 100% I live in New Zealand and support for anything Windows Phone here is non-existant. We don't even have Cortana which is central to the WP user experience. After having a Lumia 820 for 2 years I just got sick of not having apps that I wanted to use and just lack of any customer support, and like you, the promise of better things to come and always hearing "just wait, WP10 will be here soon" wore incredibly thin. The final straw came when my trusty Lumia's battery stopped holding a charge. I contacted MS support and asked where/how I could buy or get a new battery, their answer: try Trade Me (our version of ebay) or somewhere online. MS support didn't know where I could buy or source a replacement battery! Disgruntled and fed up I went out and got an iPhone 6 and to be honest, I don't miss WP at all. 
  • Great episode as usual.
  • heh, awesome avatar!
  • Thanks for the video Dan. I liken your comments on the Lumia 950/XL renders to my opinion on Audis. Some of their cars are just fugly when it comes to photography and renders. But when you see the same car in person you see their beauty.
  • Even though they might be better specs vise new lumias wont be able to compete iPhone same as previous Lumias couldnt compete. Apple has marketing and bling and sadly that is what sells phones these days no top notch specs.
  • @Dan why do you not release #AskDanWindows as a Podcast?! Now that we have finally a Podcast client build into WP, your #AskDanWindows would fit perfectly!! ;-)
  • I have been asking him about it.. And he said there are some plans and we may see it soon..( that conversation happened more than one month before though )
  • Will try to do that this week now that we have some time.
  • Wait for the new build before you go for it ;)
  • Great News Dan!! I'm glad you listen to your fans!!
  • Awesome new office, congrats everybody!! I thought #AskDanWindows was cancelled, but I'm glad it was not. The video is very insightful and you guys picked the right questions.
  • For sure it is much better to have the heat dissipate out. When heat is confined in a small space it will thus get hotter creating a oven effect
    where everything within the device would start to bake.wich in turn could reek havoc on software. Even if the components can stand up to the heat. The software will most Likely suffer from it.
  • Sure, but when the device can handle it, you want hot spots (metal) or a mild warm phone (polycarbonate) feel in the hand. Personally, that's why I sold my Lumia 930 and got a Lumia 735. And that's why I like Microsoft using a polycarbonate back on the Lumia 950.
  • But, Lumia 930 with removable back cover like Lumia 830 and full polycarbonate body like Nokia 215 would be great than fully removable back cover than these renders.
  • Yes, heat should always have a path/mechanism to exit the phone. Processors slow down to protect themselves when "baked".
  • But, just a very few phones get "baked". So really it's a lame excuse ;)
  • I want to see Lumia 950 beat the G4/S6/Z5/6S in camera department....
  • I'm just not excited about the OS anymore... actionable live tiles would go a long way... something similar to what apple showed with 3d touch for example. But right now, windows 10 hasn't come with any new features... nothing I can really brag about. Maybe continuum will do it, but that seems pretty niche to some hard core users only... Maybe Hello is the answer, but others can do similar with fingerprint scanner, and I find myself wishing the next windows phone would just have one of those... I'm bummed but i'll still buy one. :). Really I just need to decide if I wait until May for the "Surface Phone" or get one of these... My 920 needs a serious upgrade.
  • Not well since they're plastic; people Are associating plastic with cheaply designed devices; just ask Samsung why their newest devices are aluminum (to be seen as high-end like the iPhone). If Samsung can learn, why doesn't Microsoft and Satya who's a genius? Let Lumia be middle of the road and low-end because Nokia wanted to tackle the low-end segment. At minimum, the newest Phineas Microsoft should have been true high-end Surface devices, not what we're getting shown; we've had 4 years of these, it time to shift gears. But as old timers say, "Hard head makes a soft
    A$$". Satya just doesn't get it when it comes to hardware. Microsoft also needs to enjoy the same advertising team Samsung uses. Has anyone seen their latest ad comparing the new galaxies to the latest iPhones? They show all of the features we've had for years like wireless charging, beautiful displays, camera while showing what the iPhone doesn't have without saying one word with elegance. Saw it during the Patriots vs Steelers game last night.
  • I didnt see anything special with apple announcement. The only problems will be more hard to port the apps that uses the technology to other platforms like Windows
  • No way Those phones are big joke
  • I agreed!
  • Recycled models with some new specs. No wow factor.
  • I'm happy for the polycarbonate construction.  I'm not a fan of all metal phones due to a lack of bendiness and springiness.  While it does creak a bit more, I've always felt they are a bit more durable.  It's partially why I got an LG G3 over the other metal android choices.  Design prefences aside, I'm happy to see plastics are still in vogue somewhere.  I'm a bit more hyped for the 950 now.  woohoo
  • The problem is, is that it's not about what we think as we're only a small segment of the consumer population who minds and hearts Microsoft needs to capture to gain market share. Consumer phone purchasing trends showed that they preferred aluminum after Apple switched to it and Samsung stopped using plastic and switched to aluminum with the edge and a combo of glass/aluminum on the other and the phones are doing well. Both of these materials were use by Apple; Samsung said basically if you can't beat them, join them! Again why isn't Microsoft using the common logic Samsung did when it comes to seeing purchasing trends as to what sells now????
  • While the majority of people are buying phones that have a metal construction, a rather sizable and growing popluation has shown to be fine with polycarbonate/plastic.  This is the case with LG phones.  I personally believe that if a phone maker can offer a compelling mix of features and styling, material will take a backseat to purchasing choices.     Remember, Samsung was dinged not for using plastic, but for making the phone feel cheap.  I don't recall MS ever having had that issue with their phones.  They were polycarbonate, but few complained about the 920 or other phones feeling cheap.  You can make a permium device out of plastic, you just need to style it, and build it right.  I also feel compelled to point out that quite a few people felt betrayed by Samsung's move away from removable SD slots as well as removable batteries.  Goes to show there is a market for more functional phones as well as various materials.  MS shouldn't be looking to caputure the entire market since that is pretty much impossible.  Instead they should be looking to build a truly competent, and competitive device that can actually build on the foundation set by the 920, and uhh... maintained by the 1520/930.     But that's just me. 
  • I actually have no problem with polycarbonate phones, but these 2 phones look "cheap" ... Lumia 800 was also polycarbonate and was a beautiful phone people asked me constantly about it. Lumia 730 has a similar design and looks good to, but Lumia 800 definitely looked better with the curved glass edge and without onscreen buttons.
  • Where can we see the answers to the questions?
  • You have to watch the video, sorry.
  • Samsung Galaxy Edge with Windows phone...   I'm going to need a few minutes.. and a towel. 
  • How about tissues?  ;)
  • They should have increase its front camera pixel.
  • I wanna see HTC M10 For Windows
  • Folks, look at this iPhone 6 survey by Kimel, it's an eye opener to the minds of average iPhone user.
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sfkbxzilVC4
    Most of them know nothing about the phone and just goes withe power of suggestion.
  • Thanks for that Appendix at bottom about the office. :) I was going to ask that in comments as it looked beautiful. Looking forward for video. :)
  • Too much optimism for Lumia photo apps. No 1020 sucessor and Lumia Camera and apps shutting dows means MS is steppping out of imaging game. Devs of all those apps are probably already fired at this time. It can be that they a freeing space for some other manufacturer to play in WinMobile-cameraphone space.
  • I have an iPhone 6 plus and I recently bought a Lumia 640 XL. Both phones have their good points and their bad points. Even though we probably all agree that the 640 XL is not exactly in the same league as the 6+, I think what makes the 6+ refined compared to the Lumia is the completeness and togetherness of the OS. As you say in your video, having a samsung g6 running windows would be awesome, I think you're right. Current galaxy phones are let down by their OS. That's where Apple is really strong: the hardware is very good, and the OS is very polished and finished. A winning combination.  I wonder how much better the Lumia gets when w10 gets officially released. The insider preview is so-so. I still like that phone. I might switch completely when w10 is released.
  • Wait until the Windows 10 rom for Xiaomi leak, and then xda will port it onto Samsung, LG, ect....
  • A Xiaomi phone with w10 wouldn't scare me either... 
  • Just waiting on the first microsoft smartphone creation next year :D
  • @Dan, do IOS and Android have tue amount of testing to their new OS upgrade versions as MS does? Just wondering because it doesn't seem as if they take the amount of time to release an iteration to their OS as does MS. To me having so many builds comes across as if the OS is still in the development stages. Why does MS advertise anything when they're never close to releasing the finished product? Then wonder why the market share never increases. Hard to achieve that when you have consumers waiting so long to have rivals release 1-3 updates/upgrades to theirs.
  • I am sure Lumia 950 and XL are not the only phones they are going to launch. What about the rumored Surface branded phones? Will they be launching Surface phones on October 15? 2 years back, Lumia 1020 and Lumia 1520 were the kind of phones that could be at least near to the iPhones, Galaxy phones though and 1 or 2 departments camera and batter life where these 2 Lumias were better than the competition. I wish Lumia 950 and XL could pull off something like that which spec wise don't seem to impressive at all. Would have loved if a true successor of Lumia 1020 was launched. But I have heard of rumors that a successor of Lumia 1020 is scheduled for launch in 2016 probably in May. So fingers crossed. But MS please try to deliver something on time. Its been a while I have used words like amazing, superb for MS product. Its time to pull up your socks.
  • I don't understand the hate for the renders, because I think they look great. As long as the rumors hold true about the removable battery and microSD cards, then I'll be very happy with the Lumia 950 XL.
  • Daneil, you're a cool guy bro. You're a cool guy. Let me know whenever you're Houston, we must hang out!
  • It won't matter (sadly); even if the new WP hardware and the OS could fly you across the country and make you a ham sammich...the press will poo-poo it and they [WP] will still only have like 4% market share. We live in an iOS and Android mobile world and everyone else is simply scrambling for scraps. :(
  • Dan... fix that head man... looks like you used a salad bowl to cut your hair
  •    Thanks for picking my question. The top three phones that I would like to see running the WM10 OS would be the Galaxy Note 5, the LG Flex and the Sony Z5.
  • I've been carrying an using both an iPhone and a Windows Phone for 5 years everyday 24/7.  At one time, for about a year I had an HD2 dual boot with Windows and Android Gingerbread, plus my iPhone work phone. So I got to experience all three major OS at the same time for over a year. It is so ridiculous that Microsoft doesn't seriously invest in Windows Phone because with my experience they definitely have a superior OS in Metro UI in the active tiles. It so user friendly and practical. It's just seems that Microsoft treats Windows Phone like an afterthought. It doesn't seem to be a priority. The concept of active tiles in a mobile device just beats iPhone and Android and I think these 2 companies know it. 
  • The upcoming flagship Lumia devices will destroy the iPhones.
  • Why do I buy a flagship phone with no capacitive button? I need a good reason for that, any one?