Lumia 950 & 950 XL: What we want to see from Microsoft's next flagship phones

We'll know everything about the Lumia 950 and Lumia 950 XL at Microsoft's launch event in New York, but leaks give us a pretty good idea of what is coming. It feels like it has been a long time since we've seen a new flagship Lumia device, so expectations are high. We figured we'd get a good old-fashioned round table going and see what everyone is looking forward to!
Lumia 950 or Lumia 950 XL?
Dan: For looks, design, and the larger display I'll have to go with the Lumia 950 XL. Having said that, I think I'd appreciate the smaller size of the Lumia 950 on occasion.
Derek: Considering that the two devices are expected to be practically identical internally, I'd go with the smaller Lumia 950 (I tend to carry two devices on most days). But… the thick shiny washer they've glued onto the back of the Lumia 950 looks just terrible, at least based on the leaks we've seen so far. So I'll probably be picking up a 950 XL because I'm a diva like that.
George: I'm going big screen this time. The 950XL should be scaled back enough so I can enjoy the 5.7" screen without having the large form factor we saw with the Lumia 1520. I'm hoping it ends up being the best of both worlds. A large screen Windows Phone in a pocketable form factor.
Jez: I switched from a Lumia 1520 to a Lumia 930, having decided that the larger screen was impractical. In practice though, I ended up sorely missing the 1520's battery life, particularly when traveling. Should the 950 XL pack similar longevity, that's where I'll be headed!
John: I definitely am more interested in the larger screen that the Lumia 950 XL will reportedly have.
Mark: I like bigger displays, so I'm more interested in the Lumia 950 XL. Big screens for me mean more real estate for watching videos and browsing the web. From the leaks, it seems the 950 XL isn't too thick, so I probably won't have any issues holding it. We'll see.
Richard: I've succumbed to the fact phones are getting larger and so I'd go with the 950 XL.The extra screen size works great when traveling for reading and watching movies without needing to carry a tablet.
What are you looking for in the Lumia 950 or 950 XL camera?
Dan: I think the hardware will be spot on for the new cameras. Improved OIS, low-aperture for night imaging, large 20 MP sensor for better cropping. My concern is whether the camera app and supporting software will be good enough. It needs to be fast, have HDR, Panorama and more to be worth it. Microsoft's competition, including LG, Apple and Samsung have all stepped up their game here.
Derek: Lumia cameras have always taken solid photos, and I'm not concerned that the Lumia 950 will disappoint when it comes to quality results. What matters is the experience of using the camera — it needs to be faster and easier to use. Apple and Google have made serious steps forward here and cameras are becoming one of (if not the) most important parts of a phone. Hardware quality is great — but the interface makes all the difference in the world.
George: It's been a long time since I've seen a terrible camera on a Windows Phone and expect the 950/950XL to sport an outstanding camera. I am curious to see how the f1.9 camera can handle low-light situations.
Jez: Speed is key when it comes to imaging, and I'm hoping the new handsets can deliver on that front. It would be cool if the new phones pack more features for video, borrowing the iPhone's slow-motion capabilities perhaps.
John: Solid image stabilization combined with good software for editing
Mark: I want great-looking images from a camera that isn't going to take a few seconds to load. The built-in Windows Camera is also already great at giving me manual controls and built-in HDR, so I'm not really asking for too much.
Richard: It has to be fast. One of the best things about the iPhone camera is how quick you can launch the camera app, snap a good picture and put the phone back in your pocket. Lumia cameras do just fine on quality, but they just take too long for me. I have a young child, so speedy shooting is a necessity.
Do you need Continuum?
Dan: I do not need Continuum because I have so many different computers laying around. However, I think it could prove to be useful on occasion, and it is certainly a unique differentiator. For enterprise users I think it could be tremendously useful. I like the idea of using it in a commercial as that is a visual "easy sell". It remains to be seen, however, if people will see it as an actual selling point versus gimmick.
Derek: At this point, I do not. I use my phone differently than I use my computer, and I'm not certain that plugging my phone into a dock will solve that, not to mention the raw power deficit here. But… I'm not a typical user, nor is Dan or Mark or anybody else you're reading right here. I know plenty of people that use their phones as their primary internet portal and barely touch a computer. They do that for the convenience and portability, and I'm not certain they need or want to sit down at a desk and plug in to do that either. It's a really neat concept for things like switching from tablet to laptop (but I can see it being confusing for users), but for phones it's questionable.
George: It's one of those features that I'd rather have it and not need it, than need it and not have it.
Jez: If continuum is as good as it seems, I will switch to a Lumia 950 XL set-up for traveling and perhaps trade my nimble Surface Pro 3 for something larger and more powerful. Hopefully, Microsoft will iterate on the travel accessories to make this feature great, like the foldable Bluetooth keyboard we saw earlier in the year.
John: Yes; it would be great to hook up a smartphone to a big monitor and use it like I would a regular desktop PC
Mark: Continuum seems like a great feature to have, but I don't know if I'll be using it often. The idea of using a mouse and keyboard with my phone makes me cringe. It would have to be an amazing experience to make me go out of my way to set up, instead of just powering up my laptop.
Richard: No, I don't. That doesn't mean I'm not interested in it, though. It's a possible selling point for enterprise and developing markets though for sure. One device that can be your entire computing world is an exciting prospect.
Are you excited about the Iris Scanner?
Dan: An iris scanner seems to be truly unique here but, once again, it has to perform well e.g. be fast and consistent. Apple's new fingerprint ID on the iPhone 6s and 6s Plus is crazy fast. Therefore, the burden is on Microsoft to tell us why an iris scanner is a better choice than a fingerprint one.
Derek: I was questioning this at first. I have multiple phones with fingerprint sensors that work fine, and the new iPhone 6s and Nexus phones are absurdly fast. Why go for something like iris scanning? And then I realized that I look at my phone every time I'm unlocking it anyway — why wouldn't I be looking at it? The only thing that concerns me is using it in the dark or shade or wearing sunglasses. Then again, fingerprint sensors don't work when I'm wearing gloves.
George: Same as with Continuum. Nice feature but I'm not sure how often I'll use it.
Jez: Features like this often strike me as a gimmick. It needs to be as fast, if not faster than punching in a pin - otherwise what's the point?
John: It depends on how it performs. It sounds great but, as we have seen with Kinect, great technology has to be backed up with great performance, or it will fail to reach an audience.
Mark: Seeing a demo of Windows Hello on a PC makes me excited about the Iris Scanner on the Lumia 950 and Lumia 950 XL. Logging into a machine happens instantly after stepping in front of it. If that's how iris scanners work on the new Lumia devices, then it'll be a lot more convenient and faster than entering a pin code.
Richard: I've seen a phone with an iris scanner before from ZTE. While cool as hell it was still a delay I wouldn't want unlocking my phone. But if Microsoft can make it work as fast as Windows Hello on the desktop I'm sold. Hello on Windows 10 PCs is secure and fast. I want the same for Mobile, too.
Any new colors you would like to see?
Dan: I think Microsoft is missing an opportunity to use their new Windows 10 blue color on these phones. The good news is with removable backplates they can always create and add color variants to their product line. Just because you buy a white Lumia does not mean it has to stay that way. Fingers crossed they offer blue, green, orange and yellow.
Derek: Eh… I've never been big on colors. The phones I buy are typically black-on-black or white-on-metal. I tend to be conservative like that. The only real exceptions I make are with the Moto X series — there's something about a phone with a sexy real wood teak or rosewood back that gets to me (and my wallet). Apart from that… polka dots?
George: As long as it comes in matte black, I'm fine.
Jez: All the best looking Lumias are red, fact!
John: Plaid :)
Mark: I want to see them in red or yellow! I hope we'll see more than just white or black for these phones.
Richard: I'd love to see them bring red back like we had on the 1520. My team plays in red, so why wouldn't I want that?!
Anything else, no matter how unlikely, you're still hoping for in the next Lumia phones?
Dan: I'm less concerned about the hardware and more worried about the state of the OS at this stage. Hardware is in some ways easy compared to the OS, APIs and supporting apps that Apple and Google have amassed through their years of mobile OS maturity. Windows Phones have always done more with less for hardware, but I'm worried that the Windows 10 Mobile OS experience is years behind their competition.
Derek: What I want has nothing to do with the hardware. I have no doubt that Microsoft will be able to execute on the hardware front — they've been making good stuff since the days of the Zune! Which is odd, since Microsoft is still considered to be primarily a software company that just happens to make some decent hardware. But what they really need is support for that software from third party developers. We saw the awkward reversal of fortunes just a month ago at the announcement of the iPhone 6s and iPad Pro — Microsoft was on stage at an Apple event showing off how well their Office productivity apps work with Apple's fancy new tablet.
Microsoft's been able to flex their muscle to get apps onto Windows Phone/Mobile, yes, but they need to keep flexing that muscle to make sure the apps stay on and stay updated. Building an app for a developer is just part of the workload that Microsoft's taking over. There's the overhead of supporting a new platform and those additional users and making updates to the app to support both new features in the platform and new features in the developer's own product. Microsoft's having the hardest time cracking this chicken-egg problem, and new hardware isn't going to solve it unless Microsoft can put these phones into the hands of millions and millions of customers. And they have to be the right customers with the spending power that the developers crave (which is to say, app support's not going to happen without major American and European adoption of Windows Mobile). And even then, they'll need to get up-to-date versions of all the apps people want on them from day one.
Windows Phone 7 wasn't great, financially or technically. Windows Phone 8 took what was good about it and brought it to a modern platform that's at least reached a broader audience, and that's been aided by Windows 8 and 10. I won't say that Windows 10 Mobile is Microsoft's last chance at smartphones — they have the perseverance, talent, and resources to keep plugging away until they succeed (see: tablets, which Microsoft started doing a decade before Apple). But Microsoft needs to make a statement with Windows 10 Mobile, and that statement needs to be that this platform isn't just as capable, robust, and support as iPhone or Android — it's better.
George: I've been using Windows Phones for a long time now. Each new model seems to build upon the last and I expect the Lumia 950/950XL to follow suit. I would like to see better battery life (not that what we have sucks by any means) and fewer "resume" screens. Oh… and I wouldn't mind a tooth-rattling vibrate alert. Something that you can feel when the phone is in your pocket.
Jez: These phones could have a levitation feature that saves you from even having to hold the phone, but when it comes to the bigger picture, simply having Snapchat would bring more benefits to the platform. As a Lumia fan, I've done my part urging friends and family to give the platform a try - but I've seen the vast majority of them slip away after their first Lumia contracts expire. Sad to say, the reason is always apps. We might have 6Tag, MyTube, and 6Tin, but consumers want to feel confident that their phone will always be up to date with the latest and greatest. Third-party developers, regardless of how good, can't be relied on for every video game companion app, every banking app, latest social craze, etc..
As Windows transitions into a service model, the app store is going to be increasingly important for Microsoft's bottom line, and they need to showcase some powerful third-party support for the universal Windows platform as soon as possible.
John: Would love it if the battery life were longer than most smartphones
Mark: I want to see more apps. Would love it if Microsoft announces that Snapchat will be available on Windows 10 Mobile. I also would like to see the official Instagram app for Windows Phone get out of BETA and offer the same features that are available on their iOS and Android platforms.
Richard: Apps and services. While most of what I use daily is already available, you won't attract new customers without being able to say you have the likes of Snapchat. Oh, and if Microsoft could make it so we can stream Xbox One games to the phones, I'd be very happy indeed!
Your wish list
So, we told you what Dan, Derek, George, Jez, John, Mark, and Richard are looking forward to with the Lumia 950 and Lumia 950 XL. What would be on your wish list and, more specifically, what would the details be? What kind of camera improvements? Which new color options? Let us know in the comments.
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They can show whatever they want, if app support isn't there, this new effort will be useless
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That is me, fed up of lack of support in the app department. The IOS and Android app bridges need to be fined tuned. Microsoft needs to announce some silly number of apps due to these bridges. I wont buy on day one, I want to, but no local apps then no phone. As a family, I also want to use a selfie stick. I don't have many pictures of the three of us. So I need Bluetooth or wired selfie sticks to work.
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As a personal dislike of silfie sticks: You could ask someone to take a photo of the three of you if there are others around. If not, then yes I can userstand this. The Lumia Selfie app supports selfie sticks, and Windows Central sells this stick on their shop.
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What MS needs to get App developers are the below two: 1) Price the 950/950XL aggressively. 2) Waive fees for apps sales for 2 years. Or Waive for year 1 and 75% off for years 2, 50% off for year 3.
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https://dev.windows.com/en-us/bridges/android
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I know this has probably been mentioned before, but how well is MS getting this information to android developers? I wonder because I haven't seen much of a jump (in a positive way) of new apps in the store in the past few months since this program was announced.
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The store isn't publishing any Android apps yet. Shouldn't be long now though.
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Thanks! Maybe will happen soon after tomorrows clambake?
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The store won't be publishing ANY Android apps. It will publish Windows 10 apps ported from Android. You can't just slap an APK on your phone, it doesn't work like that.
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I don't believe that the lack of Android apps is the reason why Windows Phones have low share in the smartphone race. Blackberry have already included Android apps to run on Blackberry but that has not changed anything. App gap is just the complaint of mostly Android fans because numbers are very visible but they don;t actually feel if it really matters for Windows Phone users. The worst part, they are louder, so other people immediately think that "yeah, maybe there's a problem if I get Windows Phone, I might not get this app or that." The main problem of Windows Phone is impression. And (Windows Phone) sellers have to show the people how easy is to navigate on Windows Phone,
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Windows Phone, and Windows 10 Mobile navigation is NOT the same. W10M navigation style is no different (and therefore, just as crappy) as Android. This is so porting app is easier, users moving over find it more familiar. Windows Phone nav is far superior. Pivot and Panorama RIP. Hamburgers, go barbeque in hell.
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They need to promote the bridges as much as possible and offer developers long term support. Even to the top Android app developers Microsoft should just show them how well the app works on Windows without waiting for them to take the steps themselves. If the developer is concerned about support as their app updates, perhaps MS can make some support assurances depending upon the popularity of the app in question. They should make sure that the apps of all wireless carriers and retailers who sell Windows products are well supported on Windows. If you expect retailers to promote and sell Windows devices then their apps need to exist and work well on Windows devices. Microsoft should also recognize that customization themes are key to a consumers attachment to a device. Add themes to the Windows 10 store. Let creators package up wallpapers, sounds, taskbar and menu customizations and add a personalization section to the store.
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Yep. Ultimately if you're going to spend £400 on a flagship then you'll want the big name games and apps to actually appear on the platform.
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Not if you dont actually care about games
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Phone games are trash! Get a console for the real experience Posted via the Windows Central App for Android
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Games are the most obvious reason to want a powerful phone in the first place though.
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not if your a power browser... And good cameras need power. I dont think my dad has ever had any game other than wordament but wants a larger better screen and a good camera. I only have about 4 and none are power hungry. I do how ever own an XBO and a gaming pc. As Hal said, phone games are trash... Now if they released AOE1,2,3 with revised controls i'd buy them in a heart beat..
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Microsoft themselves could redirect some of those adverising millions to make some exclusive games for their touch platform, and probably get a better return.
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Sadly we don't want another gameloft contract where it doesn't get consistent updates
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I'll be happy streaming games from my PC to my phone!
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Agreed wholeheartedly. Perspective. 300k for WP vs 1.5 and 1.6 million for Android and iPhone and many of those 300k are not up to date.
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I agree, and while Microsoft may be working on tools and software to bring us mainstream apps, they can't force developers to use them.
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For me, and I would assume many others, solid support for a digital wallet is sorely missing from Windows mobile. I was very excited when this feature was first announced way back in 2012, but ultimately, it was useless. We need a serious, balls to the wall digital wallet a kin to Google Wallet with NFC payments, sending money to others, the whole nine yards. Morever, MS Money was such a good program. I'm sure they can take some of those features and make a nice app to tie to Wallet. That or work together with Mint. The point is to make it functional.
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Do you mean the oooooold MS Money Desktop program? I actually STILL use it daily for one reason; the cash forecast tool with scenarios. It is absolutely priceless to me, and so far I don't think anyone else has such a thing. I'll never get rid of that program.
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Well at least in Canada they've seem to have got enstream(now called suretap) onboard. Now it's just a question of when, what devices in their wp8.x(maybe they'll only support wm10) catalog their allow eg. Sgh-t899m, 8s, 8x, nokia... it shouldn't as hard seeing how lockdown wp is unlike Android.
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SnapChat for all the young folks. My son loves his WP because it is different but he hates that he cannot chat with his friends on snapchat. I NEED my banking app back!!! Please BofA. It was by far my favorite app. I love looking at my money :) Seriously, I enjoyed paying my bills on the go without getting on my laptop. Uber drivers can't use a windows phone because the "partner" app isn't available. Again, it is a non-started for many people to use a windows phone because of the app gap. Here's hoping that it will change after win10 mobile is released.
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An Outlook Uber add-in was shown at Build this year, so my guess is that Uber will be all-in on Windows, regardless of device. They are just waiting for the new devices to be released, along with Windows 10 Mobile. My guess is many developers are waiting for the same, including the banks.
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One can only hope. If they flunk this time around I can't see how they are ever going to turn this around? Letting dev get 100% for their app for a year or two woudn't be a bad idea, I mean so far it must be only peanuts for MS.
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That's a good point, the developer conference showing Android/iOS apps running on Windows Mobile was announced in May 2015, showing CandyCrush and other apps being ported to the platform without code changes. This has been the biggest problem of Windows Mobile. I'm hoping the best for thes flagship devices, but for these phones to become popular they need to run official Waze, Uber, Snapchat, Instagram, etc apps, there are no excuses, Windows users have been unable to use a taxi service like Uber, or a instant message app like Snapchat and that is unnaceptable, we deserve a lot if we're going to spend our hard earned money on these devices.
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I have Uber on my 920 that I use often. As far as Snapchat, that's a niche app IMO. Banking apps are more useful like my Ally app - which I switched to after Chase pulled their app. I think we will just have to wait and see.
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I wont buy the 950XL without app support. Sorry but probably 700euros for a phone without everyday used applications? No way Microsoft! if the new WP10 cant achieve more app than I will switch back to android or begin my journey with iOS
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Personally I never gave too much of a shit about apps. I actually use my smartphone for just music, downloading video, gps, photos and other uses that deal with the hardware only. This is why I can't ever own an iPhone, simply an app launcher. I get the 'app' argument but personally I feel people have too much time on their hands with apps like Snapchat and Twitter. My social life is outside of my electronic devices, not bound within.
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Sad but true.
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Give me a minute...
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Ok. My honest opinion is that if MS does an extraordinary job adverting, and outlining, all of the benefits of WM10 on these new Lumia devices,, they could do better than any other device has before in WP history. -
You put in the first part of your comment first, then scrolled up to read the article, then came back to add the second part, right? Placeholder to ensure your comment stays visible at the top? --------------------- Sorry marketing guy, I couldn't resist.
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Dammm u genius!!!! And Rodneyej Posted via the Windows Central App for Android
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Actually, I'm at work, and I thought I might not have time to express my entire opinion, but I actually posted all that at once.. Now, I will add to it.... Lol.
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It's not like you guys haven't heard it before,, rather it's time you take heed to the word... -
Yet deep down, we both know they will fail at marketing it and the media won't give them free press like they do Apple.
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If the Media doesn't give MS free press then MS has to take it... They are to big to need handouts... If they can make it happen with Surface, then they can with Lumia...
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Lumia's have ALWAYS been terrific devices, and there's no reason WP couldn't have been at no less than 10% market share two years ago.... -
Microsoft just needs an ad showing the new Lumia devices run the latest Waze, Uber, Snapchat, Instagram, etc apps, this is what will make carriers to take this new mobile OS seriously as they do with Android and iOS.
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It could help..
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Waze won't happen. Google now owns it and pulled it from Windows Phone almost immediately after purchasing the company. It'd be nice if Google started supporting apps on Windows Phone, but I've seen no evidence that it will happen. Snapchat CEO seems to be anti-Windows, so that's also unlikely unless Microsoft changed his mind (probably with their wallet). Uber is already there and I feel it's somewhat solid (now they just need the Partner app though). Instagram is 'there,' but not kept up to date. So if they can get them to keep it up to date, that'd be great. It's possible some developers are simply waiting for the universal platform. But Waze is extremely unlikely and Snapchat seems like a longshot, though I guess neither are truly impossible.
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Waze is still in the windows phone store. Granted it is behind the Android version and hasn't been updated in a while but it is still very functional and works quite well.
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Can I ask what would be the marketing strategy you would like to see. Do you want less "Windows" Advertising and more "Windows mobile" Advertising?
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The actual advertising content has improved... From what we've seen from Surface marketing,, MS can definitely make it happen...
So, there's your answer..
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Surface marketing is:
1. Consistent
2. Informative
3. Hip
4. Consistent
5. Broad
6. To the point
7. Consistent
8. Comparative, which we've never seen the likes of with WP
9. Sufficient
10.... If I didn't say consistent, then let's say consistent. Lol.
My biggest gripe about WP marketing has been that it start off strong, but tapers off very quickly,,, within weeks... Apple, and Samsung, hit the consumer up 24/7 365 days a year.... They never back down...... MS should do everything 110% or not do it at all.... -
Improved, but not there yet. If you look at what Apple and Samsung do, they literally show you what their phones do without any distractions. Microsoft still has people dancing, or in the case of Windows 10, children playing, walking, etc. Sorry, but who cares about dancing people or children playing dress up as a robot... specifically show us what the phone (or OS) does. Like show the phone doing something without distracting images of dancing people.
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Whatever iDroid does MS needs to do double... Yes, double!... That's the only way to get people to notice.
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And then People buy and they quib about lack of simple good apps (if they are on the platform) and say that WP sucks.... They need to support WP with atleast their own apps.... one example - Skype still doesn't support animated emojis while it does on iOS/Android...
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Some of.
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tl;dr
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Unbelievable. For your sake, you better hope twitter doesn't increase their character limit. Or maybe you prefer a book with pop- up pictures.
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You made the milk come out of my nose!
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Actually, having HoloLens make news article's pictures 3D would be pretty neat, albeit a bit clunky for a couple generations.
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which is why I am not a Liberal Arts major !
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Here's an idea.... learn how to spell.
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This should have been a quick video.
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Except it wouldn't have been very quick when Jez and I are in the UK, Dan and Mark are up somewhere in Mass and lord knows where John, Derek and George actually live ;-)
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It's called Skype, in 2015 people don't need to be in the same room to record a video...
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Reading is a lot more concise than hearing people ramble about on a skype call. It was better this way.
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Who is Jez ?? Posted via the Windows Central App for Android
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I think Jez does primarly Xbox articles.
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I hate videos except when they are showing hardware aspects that are harder to describe otherwise. Enjoyed this article a lot!
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Videos are slow, reading text is much faster.
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Depends on the environment your in. Posted via the Windows Central App for Android
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App support is very important. No amount of features could substitute. They were working on tools to allow us to port ios apps, and android apps. This needs to be fine tuned to perfection. Simple apps like live stream is not there. So if you do live broadcasting and want to use a windows phone to view content forget it. It's annoying to see the most basic android phone have an app that my high end windows phone does not have. The ability to run x86 is something that should be done seeing as how there is continuum. I don't like gimmicks I like functionality amd productivity in a phone. I don't need to use my eye ball to move the screen.
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If you want x86 programs, then wait for the rumored Intel based Surface phone that might be announced in the first half of next year. Personally I don't see the need for this. The iris scanner doesn't do anything other than unlock the device. You can, and will have to, use your finger to scroll through websites.
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There's no reason the iris scanner couldn't also be used to login to websites or apps.
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I agree with you about Livestream. It is a shame the developer has not made a Windows Phone/Windows 10 app but it is also a shame that I have not contacted them about making one. I have just been viewing Livestream in the browser and using my Nexus 5 for broadcasting. Maybe I should contact livestream and show interest instead of just sideloading the Android APK onto my Windows 10 Mobile phone........
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This is important, since you're paying a flagship price, and you're expecting Android apps to run on these devices, as Microsoft announced in Q2 2015. This is much more important than the specs or the phones design. This is what Microsoft needs to attract carrier enthusiasm with these flagships, and we know once carriers trust Windows Mobile 10, there is no going back and Microsoft will have free Verizon, AT&T, T-Mobile, Sprint ads showing Lumia 950 and 950XL to be as popular as an iPhone 6S or a Galaxy Note 5.
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Along with ability to provide these bridges to allow porting, they also need to provide fine tune permissions capability to users like iOS/Android Marshmallow... Give the power to the users...
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My Lumia 930 has far more better design compared to these flagships. I not sure how these phones stand against iPhone 6s, or even 6..
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For me it's more about the hardware than the shell it's wrapped up in. The power of these flagships will definitely be more than enough for 2 years or longer. I'm also someone that adds a slim case to the device on day 1, so for me the design is only visible for the first couple minutes I have the device. I definitely like the design of my 930 more than my 920 or the 1520, but these phones would've been too thick and tall if they went with a metal band around the edge. iPhone 6 gets away with it by having the whole shell being metal with those ugly color bands running through it. To each their own.
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Design is very important if you want/care to sell to the critical mass, 930 is more beatiful than theese ones This proove again that ms is not doing well as marketing stuff
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I wouldn't call the Lumia 640/XL well designed, but they've sold really well. Yes a good design helps a lot, but I wouldn't call these devices the worst things to come out of Microsoft/Nokia. They seem to address all the issue I had with the 1520. I'm sure the next iteration will be the slick design just like the 920 to the 928. The 920 had a good design and great feature, but the 928 was where the design really shined for the first time with Windows Phone 8. Unfortunately some features lacked because of it. The 16GB of internal storage was a no go for me. I'm glad the 950/XL come with 32GB and have a microSD port, but 64GB internal storage would've been great.
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640 cyan is very beatiful about me
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I bought my wife a 640 XL this week, to replace a faulty 830. Its a cracking device & I prefer it in somwe way to my orange 930. 950 XL for me asap :)
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Only looking for two things: 1) Verizon support. 2) Snapchat. It sadly doesn't matter beyond that. Those items aren't too important to me personally, but ultimately I can't get my brothers/friends to even look at the OS anymore unwil I can come back and say "don't worry, it has Snapchat now". One of my brothers is an even bigger Microsoft fanboy than I am and he just got a Samsung Galaxy simply because there isn't Snapchat on WP. It's a non-starter for people in the teenage and college/young adult age groups (which he is).
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I doubt Verizon support is happening at least directly from Verizon. The Lumia Icon was quickly pulled from the shelves despite selling well. It seems like there is badd blood between Verizon and Microsoft. Hopefully the rumor that we can buy unlocked phones for any carrier direct from Microsoft is true.
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What the hell is the big deal with Snapchat! Why does every new chat app have to be the new trend and big thing it really annoys me like crazy. I'm happy with SMS, if I want to send a picture or a video I'm happy with Email, for convenience I'll use WhatsApp with my wife and a few friends but everyone else it's just SMS and Email. I would use Skype instead especially with the new integrated messaging / calling but Skype has always proven to be unreliable and slow for me. I really miss the days of MSN! Oh how life was simple in those days! It's annoying that Snapchat isn't on Windows Phone, but it only annoys me because people use it as an excuse to complain about Microsoft and ignore the platform. Snapchat has enough users and money to make an app for Windows, they don't want to so complain to them, even better if you like Windows then don't use Snapchat, use something supported on Windows Phone and force your friends and family to use it to (They won't have to buy a new phone since if it's on Windows Phone for sure it will be on their phone too). Really sick of hearing about Snapchat. Old man rant over.
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Here Here!
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Just because you don't use it doesn't mean that it isn't used by millions of people every day. Also, who do you think drives new trends in tech? The 16-24 year olds. Guess who uses Snapchat? The 16-24 year olds. Yes, 2 + 2 does equal 4.
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WORD. It pisses me off that WP is crippled and hurting a lot largely due to this one, stupid app used mostly be teens and adults who don't know they're adults. Do people really NEED x number of damn social networking apps? Jesus. Grow the hell up.
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SnatchTap is all about productivity. I can't keep a straight face. Parents of 16-24 year olds buy their phones, yes not all but many. If it weren't for the productivity of the app families would be living in the streets. Still having trouble keeping a straight face.
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Snapchat isn't that new. It's been out for a few years now. It's established and millions of people use it. No matter how you feel about it, you exclude right away millions of people from your phones if you don't have it.
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And many more millions don't use it. Of all the people I know, not a single one of them uses it.
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Please keep in mind that, like Google, Snapchat has an issue with Microsoft for some unknown reason. I can somewhat understand Google's position but Snapchat and other apps that try to force users to a certain platform instead of allowing everyone to enjoy the fruits of their labor.
Also Snapchat is the new Instagram which was the new Facebook, etc., etc. When will this madness ever end? -
Instead of not allowing * is what I meant.
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You're a minority here, the 97% of smartphone user base which use Android and iOS are expecting to run latest Snapchat app on Windows Mobile with the latest features, latest bug fixes, latest vulnerability assesment and security patches. These are big developers, we're talking about large team of developers working for Android / iOS which don't have resources to move to a new platform, that's why Project Astoria was built and that's why consumers are expecting apk to run on these devices.
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97% ? Where did you pull that from?
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I would guess somewhere dark ;)
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We agree. I heard Bank of America and chase are coming to Windows 10 mobile so I'm pleased on that front. If the games and apps are there I am satisfied.
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Where did you hear this? This is very good news if it's true.
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Those apps would most likely Universal apps. Bank of America is already starting the W10 upgrade now.
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One word.. Marketing
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Agree
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Why did ms skip Lumia 940?
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That might've been the canceled flagship from last November. The McLaren with the 3D touch feature than didn't pan out.
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Because 7 8....wait.....nevermind.
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Because they skipped Windows 9
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I want to see a release date. My Lumia 920 is almost 3 years old and desperately needs to be replaced.
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Agreed. i upgraded to a 920, but not having LTE in the US on the device is getting annoying. Otherwise it is an amazing device.
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Why doesn't your 920 have LTE? Posted via the Windows Central App for Android
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I believe he meant 930
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Price and date of availability. Also colors would be good, as accesories.
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Same. I'm hoping for blue, orange and green.
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and yellow.
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I'm considering coloring the shell myself. Lightly scuff up the back with sand paper, tape off the areas I don't want to paint, spraypaint primer (for the black phone), spraypaint color, sprapaint sealer. It probably wouldn't be worth the effort since I'll have a case from day 1.
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Zzzzz ...ugly and boring... Nothing can salvage these devices.
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Boo-f'n-hoo
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Good idea! Write them off totally before they've even been announced and seen by us in person. Brilliant!
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My wish: I want to never meet someone that uses snapchat; I was lucky until today and I hope it stays that way (and I know hundreds of poeople from 20 to 40 yr old).
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I really don't know anyone I chat with uses snapchat. But then again I'm 55 and I don't engage in conversation with the younger generation like that. But it would be nice if it was on the windows mantle.
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Everyone within five years of my age (I'm 20) uses Snapchat. Everyone. My girlfriend actually gave me her old iPad solely for the reason that she could send me Snapchats to it. That's how big of a deal it is.
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Forget it. So many people here don't understand. They even say "Wow, people still use facebook" as if FB doesn't matter either, because the WP app sucks so bad.
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That's what I'm trying to say, there are still some parts of the world which do not use that stupid chat :) . Italy is one of them and WP share is around 13%. The point is will Snapchat die or WP die first?? We'll discover that soon enough I guess...
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There are legions more snapchat users than windows phone users. Safe bet is on the more mature offering, which ironically is snapchat.
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But the people in charge at snapchat are just some lucky morons, and morons can fuck up things in the blink of an eye so...who knows!
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Nobody in the UK over 25 uses snapchat, its laughed at as a way to send stupid selfies etc and immature. Marketers and brands are jumping on this bandwagon though because your age group are very impressionable. The modern western young person are very narcissistic so maybe this could be a great way to get new users. If I remember correctly though, the CEO of Snapchat is equally immature and hates Microsoft and has said this on record so don't hold your breath until his grown up financial backers force him to. If you wanna send selfies just use messenger/whatsapp or the billion other ways. Its just a brand...
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The things I wish. It has a slow mo feature in the Lumia camera.
Backplates of different colors are available as soon as the phones are.
I have my reservation for the iris scanner like the writers do. Fingerprint scanner is just way fast especially on the iPhone 6. You don't even have to look at the phone just find the home button with your thumb (easy). Windows 10 better be different than Windows 8 and it shouldn't be a struggle/problem like it was going from Windows 7 to Windows 8 mobile. -
for the back of the phone is it possible for 3rd party to make a good looking cover because its removable , so we could to more colors more and more materials ??
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Yeah, just like companies make covers and cases they could make different backs. Just need to get a company to get the dimensions and such.
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It is possible, but it might take a little while. I was able to swap my black Lumia 920 with a third party cyan shell. However, it was shorter than the original cover, and the seller did say that it wasn't an OEM part. I'm considering painting the shell myself, but I'm going to use a case nomatter what.
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It's possible, as long as Microsof will provide blueprints for the 3rd-party casing manufactures. I really hope Microsoft will push that and make it in a like of mainstream. For now, it's better Microsoft themselves have to provide that and include it with the phone. Not just optional.
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Im so sick of these articles of anticipation! Lets get it over with already!
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Then you're in luck...today is the last day for speculation. Tomorrow is Christmas. :-) Posted via the Windows Central App for Android
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I don't think tomorrow (today now) is Christmas. We are going to hear what things really are instead of might be. We aren't getting them in our hands. The phones might be ready. The OS sure isn't. At least not what is out at this point. Might be holding out on us.
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I hope Windows 10 Mobile do what Windows XP did to the desktop market, bring a revolution.
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Windows xp? You mean windows 3.1? Posted via the Windows Central App for Android
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These phones may be interesting for people still on a x20 series, but I see no reason to upgrade my 930. Also, no colors, really?!
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I missed Nokia.. I remember Lumia 920 had 6 colors..
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Unless it packs an Intel and a surface name I don't care, besides both 950s are kind of ugly. I like the edgy look of a 930, sadly I was on att switched to t mobile so still holding my 920 with a strong grip.
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Being in the US and on a 930, I will be upgrading. Nokia didn't include a 4G LTE antenna in the device since it wasn't meant to be sold here. I think it was a mistake, but otherwise it's a great phone. I definitely like the 930 design more, but there is something about the 950/XL that remind me of my 920 that I still have. I dropped that thing so many times without any cracks.
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There is a small ring on the 950XL. As someone in an earlier article mentioned, it would be great of these rings are to attach magnetic lenses made in house by Microsoft. If that is indeed what this reasoning is, then Kudos.
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First time I've heard that theory. Interesting.
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Yes, hope this is true. There's gotta be a purpose for the washer / chrome donut, or we're being spoofed. Sold either way.
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There are numerous third party lenses, so I doubt Microsoft will make them in house. However, teaming up with a high quality brand would be nice.
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That would be awesome! Would definitely please the camera enthusiasts that loved the 1020. Myself included.
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It would have been reported by these guys. Not sure that's happening.
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Nice hypothesis. I like it and I hope it is true. That would be distingushing factor as compared to other flagships. Just like we saw the integration of the surface stand, we can see this. Yes other tablets have stands but they are not as good. This could be the same where high-end lenses can be perfectly attached to convert the camera into a more powerful and specialized one.
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The XL should have been 6"..
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I'd almost be willing to go down a size from my 1520 to the XL if it's a good phone...
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For me a 6" screen is too big to fit comfortably in my pants pocket. I don't want to have to take it out every time I go to sit down. I had that issue constantly with the 1520. It could've been the pointy corners too.
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Disagree. The 1520 was too big. 5.7" is perfect Posted via the Windows Central App for Android
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Nops.
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scdkad
"The XL should have been 6" I agree! -
Better Apps and services with an improved OS...less resuming and loading.
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I dont get why people get this hung up on phone looks. Everyone always compares phones and choices by what the phone does, what it delivers, and how it performs. I've never heard anyone say, "that phone will complete clash with my Gucci shoes". Personally I think the iPhones have gotten boring as hell looking, but that wouldn't sway me from buying one. My is decision is based solely on the three things I mentioned above. If you are going to trump any of those three with the look of the phone, I'm not sure a smart phone is for you anyhow.
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I agree, that's why Microsoft won't get my money until apps arrive.
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Well its more like for everyday people which actually don't care much about the features and specs, but care about how good the experience is, the apps, and the looks (even they put cases on it or not). Especially for flagship, its meant to be the best effort of the company to showcase in a package. Trying to miss one and its going to struggle, unless its Apple or Samsung or any brand is popular. So unfortunately to say, other people buying decisions can be different. But yeah, most important here is always the apps and the price.
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When windows 10 will be releasing for mobile devices
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Probably in November
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Camera speed to load and how fast you can snap pictures is key for camera. How complete that OS will be in this short time left as it currently is still buggy and laggy. Banking apps, latest mobile games are more of the apps I want/need, I don't care for snapchat, but people want it. I want all the beta app to go, instagram beta is terrible. Sure it shut up the windows community about it for a while but we can see how this beta trend has ended up, incomplete apps with many features missing and no updates. Whatsapp is slow/buggy compared to IOS/android versions and missing features.
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Whatsapp on my 735 is much faster than it was on my LG Spirit which has snapdragon 410 vs 400.
Not to mention random lag... -
It needs to work, be rock solid and have the app support or im out!
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I would like to have apps apps apps..tired of 3rd party stuff. ..it's 2015 Posted via the Windows Central App for Android
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I think Blackberry has shown if you don't have apps you don't have anything. I've always found Blackberry to have the best built phones. Yes sometimes the specs are out of date (actually that's generally been true except passport) but the build quality is exceptional. The difference is Blackberry was built around security and email and that's about it. MSFT is a software company so come on write programs so those apps can be conveerted at the snap of a finger. Hard? Not if you are Microsoft. I find it amazing that a company can build a whole OS from the ground up but can't make apps easy to convert.
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I've wondered that too. They keep claiming the newest software makes it so easy to convert apps to the Windows ecosystem. Never have tried it, but I have a hard time believing it is that easy, if more devs arent doing. If it was honestly close to effortless, you'd think more would do it even if it got very few hits. If you make it so easy that almost no effort is required, they would do it even it brought in a 20th of the revenue. Free money is free money.
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Puzzling for me too, it's so strange that a company can code a desktop Os, Visual Studio, Office suite, Ms Project etc... These are really daunting to code, but when it comes to a tiny winnie mobile Os that just get lazy AF
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The Blackberry Passport is amazing. I like Blackberry OS but obviously wish the Passport was available with Windows to go along with my other 800 windows devices. Apps are a problem. I have managed to get 8-10 people to switch to WP, most of them are content and like it. The ability to pin a page to the start screen like an app is what keeps them on WP. Did just lose one person last week. She got so sick of the app situation and a few bugs that she actually bought herself out of her contract to go back to Android. Apps won't be made for WP at this point, they will be made for Windows. I honestly don't think we will see a flood of apps starting to hit until they get to 250-300 million users on Windows 10. That wont be very soon. Some of us are ok with the current app selection. For those that aren't, it will be a while down the road until we are able to show them it's "safe" to try WP.
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Said it hundreds of time .......its the apps! Next year only come with subtle changes on there new phones and instead throw all mobile focus on APPS!
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So buy a low-mid range phone if apps is all you need.
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Next all that Microsoft have to do is great marketing and advertising
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I am more interested in pricing. Since we know they will make a Surface phone. It makes perfect sense to undercut the other flagships in pricing.
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How do you know that they WILL make a Surface phone? Source? I have heard only rumors.
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Keep the ability to sideload apks until we get all the big apps using Astoria to get on Windows.
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Price. I want the 950XL on contract/subsidized/whatever with a carrier in the US. I'll even leave ATT for two years if I need to. I just really REALLY don't want to pay $600+ to get it straight from Microsoft.
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America..."the land of the free gift with purchase." Posted via the Windows Central App for Android
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Apps....wont upgrade my 930 until apps are comparable to ios android..thats what's killing WP growth
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There is only one thing i wish to see tomorrow from Microsoft. I wish for them to have the product they anounce for sale when they announce it.
One of Microsoft biggest problem is that. The days of anouncing something the waiting six months to actually having the product for sale are over. You have kept your product secret and when you announce it, it should be ready for sale, for thease two reasons.
1: In that time your competitors will produce a half-ass product similar to yours and burst your bubble.
2: your competitors understand this and are not doing this. Microsoft does a lot of listening, but have they learned anything. -
I agree. Apple announces their product and it's at stores within a week. MS announcement tomorrow and products out in a month! Same with BB and Priv. Chen makes sorta official and no product info and late November release. Ridiculous
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Apple maybe may do that with phones but it has been increasing their wait time on other devices: iPad Pro won't be available until over 2 months after it's announcement (the Surface 4 may even beat it to the market) and the Apple watch wasn't shipped until 6 months after its' announcement. But, yeah Microsoft does not have the best track record announcing phones that are still months away from being shipped. Any announced phone will not be available for atIeast a month (as the planned release of Windows 10 Mobile is next month). But, any longer then a month means it will be a fail on a marketing front and I will have to get annoyed by all those commenters sites like this complaining (god please Microsoft once you announce the phones release them ASAP)
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Since Windows 10 Mobile isn't (to our knowledge) finished there's not much chance of the phones going on sale tomorrow.
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^ This. If they do release it even within a month, I think it will be unfinished as usual as with most of their products. They just announced Cortana for Xbox will be delayed until "next year" (not surprised by that at all).
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Just make a deal with Google like BB did. The bridges will take too long to get back in the fight
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That's not so much a 'deal' as BlackBerry deciding to make an Android phone. Just like Samsung, LG, Motorola etc
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That doesn't Microsoft to run an ecosystem.
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Surface phone, I we have Intel chips for mobile phones now, that's what ill be holding out for, 920 has plenty of life left in it for now.
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as it stands right now, the rumors are saying that the "surface" phone is mid-range busniess device. I don't think they will release a another high end device in 6 months. That would be bad for them.
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I just hate that people don't use windows phone because of a lack of apps. It's a fraking phone! Sure there are apps I miss from my android days. I've somehow found a way to go on living with windows phone since WP7.
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Nothing I really miss app wise. Nice to have certain bank apps but I prefer to use my surface tablet for that. Like looking at a bigger screen when it comes to checking my money. Don't mind going to the website. You have to log on every time anyway.
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Might as well go back to a flip phone then.
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Garmin connect app really missing...
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I would be happy with 8.1 if Microsoft just switched the bundled Office app for the individual apps it makes for iOS and Android. Posted via the Windows Central App for Android
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Ok, I will buy a 950 only if it's in red or yellow and let's be honest, the 930 has a premium design, not the 950 or 950 XL...
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Apps! They need more support on this front. Hopefully the universal Windows store will help this cause Camera: Fast, high quality, feature rich. I love the camera on my 1520, but recently noticed that it's falling behind while taging pics at a concert and noticing clearer, more zoomed in images my friends were taking. Would love to have panorama too, can't believe this one is not there yet. Appearance: Dissapointed there's only black and white. I've really come to love my gloss red. As for materials, I'm 100% for continued use of polycarbonate! I've accidentally dropped my phone multiple times, and it's hardly got a visable scratch or dent - would be a different story if it was made from other materials. Overall, I'm just looking for competent sucessor to my 1520, and excited for WIndows 10 on mobile. Would've been awesome if they could've thrown the (unreleased) Qualcomm 820 processor in there, but I'm sure the 810 will be fast enough.
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In terms of appearance, we should be seeing some third party covers that we can use.
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They really should offer color options and not just black and white like most phones out there. This is Lumia, which is synonymous with colors, not just another black or white phone.
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It's weird that no one so far has commented on the dual-SIM ability, pointed out by that big red arrow in the image. Have I missed something?
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I want that feature!! I really hope that they will sell the dual-sim option on the day 1! :)
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Most people don't use that anyway. At least not in the US.
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Am I the only one who doesn't understand Continuum? What's the use case here? So here I am... with a dedicated monitor, keyboard and mouse... and I plug in my phone to do some light computing? If I have a dedicated monitor, keyboard and mouse then I will have a computer attached to it and I will use that instead of my phone. Am I missing something?
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I can see a use in enterprise.. Carrying a smart phone around work vs a laptop could prove useful.
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I have a bunch of outside sales people and service techs that most of the time, just need the functions of a phone/phablet/tablet. However, on occasion they need to come in to the office and do some real work. If I no longer have to buy a PC, and a Windows License for that PC, and an MS Office license for that PC, I just saved myslef rougly $800 per employee. Just give them a $100 monitor, a $40 Bluetooth keyboard/mouse, and whatever the Muchkin Continuum doohickey costs, and they are good to go. And I have that many less licenses to keep up with. Further, it's already been discussed many times how a growing number of people ONLY have a mobile device as their sole connection to the outside world. But sometimes, those people need a better way to work. being able to spend $200 on a monitor and Bluetooth keyboard and mouse, instead of a full computer would be beneficial. I have one coworker who does nearly everything on her phone. But every year at tax time shee needs to use one of our office PCs to do her taxes.
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Thanks. These scenarios make sense, as do a lot of the other replies. I suppose that I"m just a little disappointed that it isn't a feature that I'll be able to take advantage of -- at least, initially. I hope that the feature catches on and that the hardware can deliver decent performance. Thanks again.
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Lots of people these days have phones but no pc. It would be a much cheaper option to use continuum and buy a motor and keyboard than buying the whole pc. There are people this would be useful and cost effective for. IMO
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I guess the idea is that you wouldn't have to have a dedicated machine plugged in. It won't be big on these expensive phones, but 5 years down the line when the feature is available on $100 phones, it could be great.
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I think there are a variety of cases. In poor countries, the phone could become their primary computer! Also, when travelling, connect to the hotel TV and break out a bluetooth keyboard for a productive experience. Also, when giving a presentation in meetings. Probably more scenarios out there. I could travel without bringing my work laptop. That would be nice.
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I'm getting two Continuum docks. One is used to pair with one unused spare monitor and keyboard/mouse to make up a backup PC for the price of dock. The other one will be connected to one of my two dumb TVs and turn it into a Smart TV. Obviously, Universal apps are needed to make it useful. I bet that UW apps will be coming in waves once the W10 becomes dominant. The app porting bridges will certainly help also. For now, I can playback videos and photos, do group Skype, or run all the available UW emterment apps on big screen with family and friends. Continuum TV can be seen as a Group Computing device that we can share and do things together with group. . The big screen makes it possible. I wll set the L950XL on a tripod when I do group Skype or take group selfie picture. I can wake up the L950XL Cortana remotely with a Satechi Cortana Button I just bought. I want to test and experiment how useful the Continuum TV is before I get another one for my 2nd dumb TV. People usually take a narrow view at Continuum as a PC replacement. But I see that Continuum TV could have much broader usages in living room and beyond. In the conference room, it can be used as a poor man's Surface Hub as an example. It can also be useful in all the public gathering places like classrooms or meeting rooms. All your data are stored in the Cloud. Continuum phone serves as a Cloud PC and shows its content to anywhere with a big screen.
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Dan and crew,
any chance you could do a poll on the blue phone we've seen leaked in case anyone from Microsoft looks at this site anonymously or something, anything, to help get that phone to the masses on launch? not later like the green 1520 after the real day one fans already buy
I've heard the Lumia 950 series is for the true fans and if so they should realize we do like color options ESPECIALLY knowing they exist.
I was never a cyan guy but I love that blue.
Thanks -
That blue, with white buttons, was indeed pretty, no idea how it looks "in real life" though.
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The OS isn't ready. It's not as polished as other OS's and I just can't see them doing anything big for the release. They lost mobile and people hoping for a miracle are in trouble. If they don't support their stuff at the same time as IOS and Android I will absolutely leave. It's one thing to be second rate for third party developers buy not MS apps. That's unacceptable.
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which i think is hilarious becuase apple released its half baked ios9 and no one cared... it even wiped some peoples phones and bricked others lol. Apple truely is a cult.
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I kind of agree with you on some of what you are saying. We need a good software to fit with the good hardware. For example, as it stands, the camera does not have panaroma, HDR, live images... Those need to be integrated ASAP. That being said, there is stil probablyl about a month to the point where we will get to get our hands on these new phones. And since the camera app and most other componenets in the OS are all apps, they can be updated until the day of the release and after. There is not cutoff point. Some evidence of this stratigy: the email app has matured alot since the release of 10240 on the desktop version. Granted, there is ways to go.
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My worry about optional color options for the removable/replaceable backplates is: the sides will always only be either matte black or matte white...unless the actual design of the removable cover wraps around the side and side buttons. I want an all green Lumia, not a green/black Lumia.
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It goes all the way around to the screen like the 640xl does
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Banking apps. Social media is of little use to me but banking is one of the most useful tasks that an app can facilitate. Having one (boa) for a while and then losing it made that even more evident.
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I switched to Ally because of B of A dropping their app. I like Ally and it is just as good as B of A, but this crap is really testing me. App support is non-negotiable and it must get better than it is.
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Why is an Iris scanner better than a fingerprint scanner? Really? What silly question is that? I've heard stories of people unlocking other peoples phones while they're sleeping. Just put their iPhone by their finger and your in. Plus fingerprint scanners are so easy to hack if you really wanted to. An iris scanner seems leaps and bounds more secure here, no questions asked. Again, if security is your thing, an iris scanner is the way to go.
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I wonder what the legal ramifications are... Legally, you cannot be forced to give up a PIN or password, but you can be forced to unlock with finger (although, IMO, the law should be changed to not allow that). But, can you be compelled to submit to an iris scan to unlock your own device? From a legal perspective. I would assume yes. But, I've not heard about this coming up before.
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You think an iris scanner is any more secure than a fingerprint scanner?
Clearly, you don't watch cartoons. -
How about getting our current windows phone 8.1 updated to 10....seems like Microsoft has passed up on the promised windows phone 10
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It's not official yet , they are going to announce dates tomorrow
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My only wish of course , mind the f**king price !
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Phone color: Flannel plaid, with flannel feel.
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I want Microsoft to show these two phones and then say, "and now we would like to introduce you to our Flagship phone". Then pull out a surface phone with an Intel chipset that runs all windows 10 apps and programs....
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Pricing will be important to me. I would like to see these come in at a somewhat affordable price, but I also realize that if it is priced to low, then it won't be considered a flagship phone, no matter how good it is. Should be interesting to see what these come in at.
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Sadly pre-orders for those two on a Russian website posted the rumored price two days ago , it's 800$ for the 950 and exactly 956$ for the XL , hope this is not true , cuz Microsoft always fu*ks it in the price
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The problem with different color back covers is that you don't see them when you look at the screen. I love looking at yellow lines around my screen on 1520.
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I don't know, in my experience it has wrapped around.
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The main thing I want to see? That they'll work on all carriers.
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Agreed.
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"Derek: But... The big shiny washer they've glued onto the back..."
I felt that way ever since I saw that leaked image. I was disgusted. Why is that shiny thing even there? It's.... Absolutely hideous and kills the feel and style of the phone, especially the Windows logo under it loses its charm. If I am to buy this phone, I shall buy a case just so that this weird ring-thing is covered. The XL is just too big for my tastes :D -
Derek's bluntness is awesome. It looks like Microsoft got a deal on round, plasti-chrome thingamajigs from JC Whitney.
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Maybe, they got 'em from JEGS. Then, these phones would truly be high performance handsets.
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I hope that Microsoft will read these comments and reactions regarding to the 950 and 950 XL looks and make a way better designed phones for their next devices and flagships that something will please virtually everybody. All I can say the design is totally controversial whether some people like it or not. Lumia used to have nice looking devices regardless its plastic or both have metal and plastic, its really how it looks and every aesthetic comes together. For now, we only have choice to either accept it or skipped it.
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Snapchat would be HUGE. Most people I talk to ignore the thought of a windows phone the moment they find out that app isn't available.
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I've been saying for a long time that MS is missing the boat by just trying to compete with their phone against another phone. What they have done a terrible job of is showing how their phone integrates with the larger Windows ecosystem. Yes, we have an app gap, although I will never understand why SnapChat is such a darn big deal.
However, I think part of that could be overcome if MS would highlight how all the things you can do on a Windows PC, a Windows Phone, and XBox can all be kept in sync automagically. How you can log into your MS acount on any PC anywhere, even if it's not yours. And they should really leverage the "buy it once, use it on all your MS devices" aspect. Many people rightly complain of users having to abondon a significant investment in app purchases to change platforms. But if you can get people to see how they can save by having their app purhcases work on their phones, AND their computers and tablets, you can start to make a better value case to users.
In short, MS needs to effectribvley communicate that you're not just buying a phone, you're buying an expanding ecosystem of devices and functionality that can and will carry you forward for years, if not decades. -
I actually loved reading everyone's opinions and thoughts. Thanks for sharing and doing this. I agree about more colors though, so much. Especially green and yellow!
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I sure hope to see hardware buttons on the next year flagship handsets. Slightly off topic, I know. And, of course, more bright Lumia signature colours, particularly canary yellow, since I bought a yellow Purity Pro headset to match my Lumia 1020.
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Sad but true: Copy the functionality of iPhone camera, like exactly. Get Snapchat (I could care less, but apparently it's a non starter for lots of folks). In shirt, give people what they've come to expect from iPhone or galaxy. Make it so they don't think they're missing anything by trying WP, and then oh, by the way, look what other cool things we can do, too! Boom, hook, line and sinker.
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Waterproof. I want to be able to use my phone on poolside, or on heavy rain without the need to worry about that.
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The guys who are biased against the Iris Scanner either don't use their phone while driving or just forgot how convenient it can be in such circonstances! I can't wait to get a 950 with that feature!
Oh and I'd like a dark grey option for the Lumia 950 instead of just black or white! -
I want another 40+ MP camera with xenon flash. Also, I want lock screen and pin bypass when within range of specific bluetooth, nfc, or wifi SSID. Also, I want better horizontal orientation support for use in the car. specifcally with the start screen. And, I want the top 200 apps from iOS and Android (excluding the Google and Apple owned ones) in the Microsoft app store.
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"I want the top 750'000 apps from iOS and Android in the Microsoft app store." Corrected that for what I want. I also want no new apps to come out on any other platforms until they've been on Microsoft platforms for 500 years. Releasing at the same time won't be enough.
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These phones are massively boring compared to the excitement I felt with the design styles of the previous Lumia 9XXs. I need to upgrade my yellow 920, and if the leaked images are acurate, I'd sooner buy a 930 (if only I could get it to work with ATT LTE!).
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Fast, fluid and with a suite of accessories upon release (and some choices therein). If the leaked specs are prophetic, it will have a lot of what I want. A removeable battery is a nice surprise. I hope that Continuum and the Iris Scanner works dependably. Because its Windows, I worry that the tech press (present company excluded) will mostly report the glitches and downplay the performance and potential. So it makes for a difficult launch to have hit the new nail on the head with a new hammer. Iris Scanner is intriguing. I am biased, but there's seems to be a groundbuzz about how fast the Apple thumbprint scanner is, which seems like preparing the ground for criticism of the Iris Scanner if it takes a blink longer than the thumbscreen. But I expect when most people want to unlock their phones, they will be looking at the screen for more than a milisecond anyway. So if I have to wait a blink that will be okay. It would be a nice touch if there were some updated info on the lockscreen (like new txts, email, news, etc.) that would naturaly draw your eyes to where the Iris Scanner wants them to be.
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1. Fast camera experience 2. Apps 3. Windows Hello to work <1s from the time it gets into your scope of view Edit: BTW - nice article , good read!
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Jez hit the nail on the head for why people come and go or refuse to even give these phones a shot. I went from a 1520 to a 930 and only regret it. The glance, microsd card, and beautiful battery are the main things I miss. I suspect the 950 or 950xl will be my last windows phones. It's been a long road, but I think I'm ready to switch over to Android for the first time. The innovation and hardware is always on par or a head of windows. Hello Sony?
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The 950XL needs a red backplate! And the masses will need Snapchat.
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i just want the phone to be on verizon so i can continue my service and if not im jumping to AT&T, my wife and i are getting the 950XL.
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While Continuum is very cool, I have no need or use for it. I suspect the same to be true of an iris scanner. The phones are honestly fine, the design is on the bland side, and there is nothing mind-blowingly new (see 920), but for once they seem to have fitted it all into one package. I'd still wish to see a smaller flagship, say 4.6" 2.25D screen (720p is enough) with the same features and internals as 950 and with less bezel top and bottom (but especially top). As said, the OS is the biggest question, and that is the one thing that shouldn't be so at this point in time.
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Given that the Munchkin might be a tad expensive, I wouldn't mind seeing Continuum work via an Xbox One. That's supposedly getting mouse and keyboard support. Given that Continuum isn't a feature that I'd use every day, I'm not sure it's something that I'd want to invest a great deal of money into getting. But if I already have a base unti via the One, it might be something I'd leverage more. If I found I had a regular use for it, I might then consider buying the Munchkin. I'm also hoping for T-Mobile support either by a branded phone from the carrier or a completely unlocked unit from the Microsoft Store.
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You don't need an Xbox one. Just use the display my screen with a cheap Miracast dongle. With keyboard support you can already use the built in office app, but this could be so much better if they gave us the individual office apps like on iOS or Android. Posted via the Windows Central App for Android
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I wish we get the original Lumia design. Hardware buttons, sharp edges, high Mega Pixels(higher than every other manufacturers as we used to get from NOKIA),
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Color options, or at least sell different color backplates. That's the only thing physically that I'm concerned with. So far the specs all seem fairly on par with what I'd want, primarily the cameras, and the displays. Due to the processor differences and the size differences I'm more inclined to want the XL than anything. All the apps I use, save for one, are already availible for Windows Phone/Windows 10 Mobile. Shame here is adoption rate so the main thing I want to see is a really good low price. The Windows mobile experience is far superior to that of iOS Android, and the Blackberry of old. You can't compete with convience when it comes to just glancing at your "Home" screen and seeing all the updates and notifications you could want, and still be able to see the wonderful wallpaper you have. That said... gimme these phones in blue... same blue as the Lumia 635. It's the prettiest.
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Honestly, my excitement for thus event lies with the Surface lineup and any other surprises. But, to touch on these phones.... ...... I'm sure to buy one, mainly because I've been rocking a Lumia 1020, Lumia 925, for a long enough time. Its been a long enough road to new hardware, so I'm there day one. As one of the people mentioned, many friends and family have defected from their initial interest in Windows phone. My wife being the latest with an upgrade to a Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge+ (I bought it for her). So, as others have stated the elephant im the room is the apps. That's what sends everyone packing. If its not resolved in a timely manner ir announced with heavy support, we are DOA. I know MS has the money to keep plugging away at this, but what sense does it make to dump money somewhere with no growth? The Surface line saw a small uptick and then really got going with the SP3. We are in the 3rd (maybe 4th if you count windows phone 8.1) iteration of MS mobile efforts. If ever there was a time to execute, it's now. I'll be ready for tomorrow's announcements..
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I have been convincing many people that Windows Phones are better than the Android ones (and they are) and all the apps that are usually required are available on the store. But inside I know that even if an app is available on Windows Phone, it has very little or no support from developers...lacks in functionalities...delayed upgrades...
moreover we have less oem options to choose from...means low specifications for higher price...
What I really need is the REAL app gap to get vanish. -
If the price is low they will sell ,otherwise DOA compared to iPhone and S6
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App porting needs to be the most advertised and supported part of this. Needs to be flawless. Also a faster camera. Jesus please just a faster camera. they are so slow. Better bluetooth support as well for auto systems. In general. I actually wanted a fingerprint scanner, doing something different isnt always the path. Sometimes you admit the technology is already there and you use it to your advantage. Sure Iris scanning is there but when I pay for something is it me looking at my phone then tapping it to the terminal? or am I still using a pin? thats a lot. I dont look at iris scanning as an wasy way for me to do those easy tasks that a fingerprint does. As a side note....Microsoft please make sure apps you own work best on your devices. there should be no lacking features. talk to your internal developers about your progress and make sure all of those apps are updated the day the OS is released. GroupMe, Skype, Skype For business(Lync) I am looking at you.
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Dual SIM was going to be the big kicker for me, but it looks like that was revealed last week so I'm all ready to rock a 950 XL! As far as apps go, I just browse the web, watch Netflix, use Twitter and Facebook, and take pictures with my phone, as well as text/SMS and obviously phone calls. I personally couldn't care if Candy Crush or Snapchat was available.
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Need better phones than the L950/XL. Something thinner and lighter. Surface phone maybe? I have little hope in the announcement tomorrow. Nothing can come close to L920 and L930.
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I want to know who's carrying them, what providers? All this whining about game apps and Snapchat don't mean diddly squat to me, I want one now.
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Wife is still on lumia920. We were WP8 all the way but the apps since the 920 release has not grown at the pace I anticipated. If I had an official bank app and a few others, that's all I'd need. But as of right now I'm trying to convince the wife on the galaxy s6 edge. Microsoft took way too long to release a new flagship. Posted via the Windows Central App for Android
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I just want Verizon to carry it.
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I need that red shell! I've always gone for black phones, because I feel they look sleeker. But that shell for the 1520 is gorgeous! I really hope that exact same shade is available for the 950XL! Outside of this, I want to see a lot more on the software side. Where the heck is Wallet going? I mean, the current app is practically useless compared to the app in 8.1. We should ahve had mobile payments years ago. Just like how we should of had some kind of unified SMS a while ago, where we can send/recieve messages from every device we're logged into. Live Tiles are slowly feeling dated, as they haven't evolved much (i.e. actionable Live Tiles). The lsit really can go on. Lastly, the price: It MUST be priced not only competively, but aggressively. I'm talkign the range of the Nexus 5X and 6P, which have simialr hardware. It will be hard to justify spending $500 - $600 for a deivce when there's cheaper competition with similar hardware. If the rumors of $800+ price tags are true, I'll be sticking with my 920 and eventually consider moving back to Android (just so I can have newer hardware without forking over almost $1k for a phone). I get that these phones are designed to be borderline PC replacements, but the price needs to come down.
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Exellent points.
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I really really wanted to buy a Windows Phone. But I will not for two reasons. 1. Why in hell did they go for an iris scanner instead of a fingerprint reader. It's much more convenient to use a FP and I believe it's actually the best feature on the iPhone right now. At least, they could have put both. 2. I don't want a cheap plastic phone as a so-called flagship. If Microsoft wants to play with the boys, it has to act like a big boy. That being said I will go for an iPhone until MS steps up its game because I really like the Windows Mobile OS.
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Problem is, Microsoft doesn't have the most useful and needed app, but Microsoft is gorgeous anyway...
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What if I want to look at my phone (time/date) but not unlock it?
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LOL...that's what I call a point !!!
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These both have Glance.
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Confirmed?
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I hope they are BSing us with these leaks. I hope they reveal a 950 with the same specs but with a much attractive design. These phones don't get better looking with each new picture. Ugh....
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I want metal and then maybe I'll come back. I mostly use all of Microsoft Services, but some of the apps I do like do not exist on WP and the mobile browser will not display them properly, so I can't interact with them.
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So for me this event is going to go either one of two ways: It's Christmas and I'm the kid getting an Xbox One, new bike, and a pair of nice kicks to wear which would be the equivalent of T-Mobile getting one of the mentioned devices and Microsoft pulling out the big guns with some new official third party apps. Or it's Christmas and I'm the kid getting the a bunch of sweater and underwear which is the equivalent of T-Mobile not getting either device and no new apps and services announced for the platform. I have no doubts that the 950 and 950XL will be beasts of a phone in every way. And also a similar Xbox One to phone streaming feature over home WiFi network would be more than welcomed akin to what Sony has done with the Sony Xperia Z3(the phone I currently own) and beyond. Also ability to pair Xbox 360/One controllers to the phones for gaming and navigation(a feature I use almost every day on my Xperia Z3 with my PS3 controller for gaming). Posted via the Windows Central App for Android
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Functional wallet, functional maps - just really really really good maps, cortana alarms not added to regular alarms, better noise cancellation on the mic (currently in a quiet environment, the NC gets confused and cancels out my own voice)
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My one hope? Have the OS ready and polished and amazing by launch date. Hardware can be the nutz but if that OS isn't ready, then ugh.
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Snapchat? Really? You people are into sexting? How very, very sad. Anyway, I've not run into any apps that I need on Windows Phone that don't already exist. What angers me is that almost all the great features that were built in to WP7 and WP8 are pretty much GONE in W10Mobile. And it performs like a DOG. One of the great things about WP7/8 was that it ran smoothly on any hardware. You CANNOT say that about W10Mobile, period. As for the camera, you all seem to have the similar approach: Lumia devices have not had bad cameras, so you don't expect any different in the new devices. Good grief, is that where your standards are? Having an "acceptable" camera? You note that competitors have stepped up, and, from what I'm seeing, Microsoft ISN'T. It's letting that feature kind of hum along. Meanwhile, I see now that the new iPhone camera takes better 4k video than a $3000 professional DSLR. I can deal with a camera app that isn't as "snappy" if the pictures and video it takes are far and away better than anything the competition could dream of. I'll bet that will NOT be the case with the 950 or 950XL.
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Price, really.
Wish i can afford them this year not to wait two years to get ,,last year flagship''.
No silly overheaing,
I understand spec wise it's powerplant but still.. tech improve so much from 2013 so i hope cooling improve too. Durability. Why would i spend three month paychek for phone that i lend to my gf (for example) to take selfie, slip from her hands and hit me right on the mortgage? Scars and bumps are okay, that make your phone your own..but being fragile like 1520 is big no for me. That's main reason why i got 830 and 630 like backup phones - cheap to fix or replace. Microsoft dedication to spread store so people get involved in Lumia's and find out what a great phones they are. That would be all, now i go to sleep.
Can't wait tmorrow to get home from work around 7pm and wach some replay from event. -
The things I want to see ... - Really good integration with Band - Digital Wallet/Payment solution that is accepted widely and won't be biased against Windows Mobile due to current marketshare. - Many more consumer sites/services/products that include a image/link to Windows Store next to the ones they already have for Apple App Store and Google Play - Ticketmaster app for example, that lets you bring along a digital pass to events. - Get NBA and other sport teams to release their official team apps as universal apps. - Electric Bike/Scooter/Skateboard connectivity apps .. more and more they offer performance/ride style configuration options via bluetooth or antitheft/lock modes in higher end products.
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All these new and cool features etc. are awesome, but, without the deployment of these phones to more carriers than just AT&T, what is the point for the rest of us? Come on Microsoft, don't disapoint, release the phone to all carriers. T-Mobile, don't left behind all these other carriers you are trying to hard to win their customers, go after the Lumia 950XL flag ship......Would hate to have to just ship to another carrier and pay WAY MORE than i do right now for the exact same data....
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It's not like T-Mobile & Verizon are like 'Can we pleaze haz your phones?' & Microsoft is like 'Nah, we're good'. MS offered the carriers the phones and they decide to sell them, promote them, etc or not. Blame the carriers, not MS
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If phones and OS is not ready untill November then this event going to be usefull only for masterbation for mobile lovers.... Many of are just want to see what new is comming on windows phone but not going to wait untill November for their one year stand (one night stand extended to one year!!!) device. Unelss Iris scanner is professonally built and faster than iphone/galaxy. If it never miss the opportunity to take picture with amazing camera, If you thinks of an app and its not only available but are full of functionalities then windows phone may survive another year or two. I will add 950XL to my collection of 520, 930, 640XL, 1020 and 1520. just because I belive and trust MS.
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You can't wait another 3 weeks? Posted via the Windows Central App for Android
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clearly you didn't read... I am talking about other who are not on windows phone....
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True,: The silver ring is stupid and hideous. And the cameras need to be fast. Really fast - to make up for how incredibly show they are right now.
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> Do you need Continuum? I have two use cases 1) I would love to go to some customer sites and bring up a powerpoint with miracast/directly to a monitor versus dealing with the company provided AV that seems to never work. 2) My parents. They do not have an internet connection and they have learned to use Email, text and skype on their Lumia Phones. If I could add Continuum with monitor and keyboard. This would be their PC and Phone setup and would be easier for them to use. I am very excited about Continuum and hope it works well.
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They need some Tier 1 companies coming on stage and saying "It took us 10 minutes to convert our app".
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I hope they announce that windows 10 mobile rtm will be available through insider app on that day
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Am i the only 1 who cares only about the camera....?
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I just want to know who thought it was acceptable to put that chintzy camera ring on the back of the 950. It's so bad it hurts.
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Super fast camera, No more Resuming... screens, MARKETING!!!!
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Yes, way more marketing. Maybe after these phones are revealed, Microsoft will put the pedal to the metal.
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And then loads of people will turn away in the store when they find out their favourite app is missing. Saw it the other day. A dad bying a phone to his daughter and they both seemed settled on a lumia, when the sales clerk informed her of what apps she couldn't get. Bam instant switch to other device.
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I would like to see an IR blaster along with the Peel app. More camera and video effects (slow mo, HDR) even though I like the apps they already have.
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So according to me what is actually needed...
1. Apps: More official apps and regular updates to the apps. Better functionality. PS: Windows Central app has better functionality on Android...it's been almost a year since we have seen any update and yes we still can't click on the links. 2. App Lock: Most Android users I see are used to this one thing...the freedom to password protect some apps, settings etc is a much needed thing as anyone wanting to shift from android would be really reluctant because of this. 3. Less loading..., Resuming... and faster transitions. 4. Ability to save installation the installation file of an app from the app itself like in android. There are times (insider preview) when I need to hard reset my device and don't want to download all the apps and games time and again while I could simply have saved their installation files backed up and then install all the way through. 5. Call recording...I miss this feature the most since I switched from android. 6. More OEM manufacturing windows mobiles. 7. Better on paper specifications. An android user would not understand why he shoud buy a phone with 1GB of ram when he can purchase the one with 2GB android at much lower price. 8. Aggressive pricing for market penetration. 9. Background downloading on apps (may be solved by having the ability to throw tasks to a single downloader on windows phone and so no need to have all those apps to run in background) PS: These all are not the things/features I need but what Windows Mobile OS needs to grow. Even a single lack in functionality may be a deal breaker for someone. I love windows OS but now tired of convincing myself about the lack of apps and functionality I really need. -
Continuum and Iris scanning are just stupid gimmicks, only used on the fanboy flagships phones.
Microsoft needs to show compelling features to make significant sales in the Lumia 550, which is the sector of any residual Windows Mobile significance. -
Continuum seems very gimmicky TBH...sounds great but something very few people will actually use in practice.
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My work is looking at increasing the amount of work carried out on mobile devices. Continuum would be great for this. Posted via the Windows Central App for Android
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My wish is simply to be able to GET ONE. Too many high-end Nokia phones were never made available for the Canadian market. So, even if we brought one in from a different country, tech support/warranty won't repair the devices.
Also, make it affordable so that we can actually BUY them.
And, yah.... Can be used with all Canadian carriers. -
I really wish someone would create a case with a slideout keyboard (similar to Boxwave's keyboard buddy case.)
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Apps. And apps. Also, apps. And for good measure, apps. And keep them updated. And with feature parity. Did I mention apps? The most important thing though, without question, I will yell it: THAT THESE PHONES SHOW UP WHERE PEOPLE BUY PHONES Nothing Microsoft does is more important than that. They need to be everywhere where people buy phones.
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"thick shiny washer" Derek gets the trophy for best description of that horrible housing so far. This is all I wanted to say. I have no wishlist regarding these phones. The only thing that would interest me - the camera - I know will be good because it's Nokia tech. Everything else I don't care about because these phones, to me, are simply running the wrong OS. I just have to - brace youselves - agree with Daniel. "Windows 10 Mobile OS experience is years behind their competition." And the app gap (in which I put lack of apps AND lack of quality apps) is a major problem still with no solution in sight (Windows 10 has been out and growing fast for months but Windows Universal apps still haven't taken off which leads me to believe they won't anytime soon).
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I agree with Dan. But I even go one step forward and say I am very worried about the software being able to perform.
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Microsoft should just can WPs and make a windows 10 android phone. Still use live tiles for the UI and make it come with its own store plus the play store. Just customize the whole phone like of its a windows phone. Best of both worlds. Just my opinion because a lot of people sound like they have one foot in and the other out the door. Samsung does a great job at separating itself from Google to directly compete with iPhone. Posted via the Windows Central App for Android
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At this point, I'm thinking that too. Make an excellent Android skin, preload it with MS services (from Google Play) and call it a day.
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Windows 10 mobile is the biggest drawback of these devices. Hopefully by February they can get it viable and then one can only hope the dev community will fill the app gap.
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Just dont know if i'll be buying 1 of these phones ! the hardware fine (all the bells and whistles) not bothered if there plastic and not metal at all. whats putting me of is the app gap or lack. been with windows phone since the start and been happy and made do without the big called named apps, but its started to get to me the last few months of always asking friends to use his/there iphone, android phone to get UK football results, UK news all from there BBC apps "yes i know i can use my phone browser", there another few apps that i miss and some are there, but they are not updated and basic in use and features, poor compaired to iphone and android. so im holding of for a while to see if windows10 mobile closes the app gap. but to be honest i dont see it happening and just stick with my 930.
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"It feels like it has been a long time since we've seen a new flagship Lumia device, so expectations are high." That's because we haven't had one in 18 months. We haven't had one on AT&T in just shy of 2 years, and AT&T hasn't had a new 900-series device in almost 3. It HAS been a long time since we've seen a new flagship Lumia device. As for what I want: Camera: I honestly don't feel that my camera is slow. I don't use other folks' cameras, so I have no comparison to fret over. My 920 is good enough, so as long as it's not WORSE on that front, I'll take the better image quality. Battery: My 920's battery life is terrible now. On LTE, using it maybe one hour, the battery life is MAYBE 8 hours (luckily, I'm usually on WiFi and near a power source). I don't just want a bigger battery (which only goes so far when you crank up the display resolution and add another flash bulb and all of that), I want a more-efficient battery guzzler. That brings me to... Display: I wish they'd gone with 1080p, to be honest. At least they're going OLED, which should help the battery life. Other than how it eats at the battery, I'm not concerned with what we get. Chassis: I want colors. Specifically, I want blue (NOT cyan, which I hate) or orange. I'd settle for a green one, but I'd be a bit disappointed. IF they seriously go with only black and white, with no colored cover alternatives, I'll be highly disappointed. After having a matte black 920 for almost 3 years, and seeing the orange and green in the 830 and 1520 and 930, I really want something more vibrant. Software: Like the interviewees said, software's goign to reign supreme. I'm not one to need a crapload of apps, but I want a few, and I want the current ones to be better. I'd like Yahoo fantasy apps. I'd like a more-reliable MLB At-Bat app (streaming is quite choppy on a 75 Mbps cable line, even though my PC is flawless on W10 with it in the browser or the W10 At-Bat app). I'd LOVE to get an official Trillian app, so I can dump this PoS known as IM+. I'll both be easy to please (I won't go to Android or iOS), but I'll also be very keen on what gets screwed up (delaying Astoria and Islandwood).
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Commercials advertising Cortana. Commercials advertising Continuum. Commercials advertising Groove. Commercials advertising Xbox integration.
Commercials advertising One Windows and that means "mobile" too! Commercials advertising Camera. Commercials advertising One Drive. More and more consistent advertising of all the ways the platform excels. It turned my stomach when I saw that Samsung commercial about a mom keeping her kid out of her phone and logging into a kid friendly app selection. MS never advertised that for Windows Phone and we, pretty much, actually had it first.
Colors, yellow and cyan should be brought back.
Features, 120FPS video recording @ 1080 or 720p. I know, highly unlikely but, how much positive attention would that get? -
It is extremely annoying how MS doesn't advertise anything other than Surface & Windows 10 & some Xbox games (not Xbox itself, not Windows Phone, not Band)
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950 xl hardware windows 10 mobile courier edition. Ntrig Stylus support. 3500 MaH battery. 40 mpix camera. Third screen layer color E-ink screen, touch enabled, for frugal mode daytime use. Lumia 1020 cameracase with built in screw mount accessory support for 950xl model and mophie juicepack type 3500 MaH external battery system built in. Case also has water resistant properties and is outdoor use certified. I agree with the windows central team, that in this the software is the important issue, less the hardware. Color: Black.
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For camera in still using Nokia's lumia camera/camera beta. Far better than Microsoft's attempt on the windows camera. Lumia camera is super fast to load and has great features missing from Microsoft's camera app. They should have used Nokia's lumia camera and built on it not make a new app with some of the features what a dumb idea. Anyway I'm going to go for the 950xl of my carrier stocks it (Three UK) as to use their 800Mhz spectrum you need to be using their own firmware version to benefit from calling and texting through 4G or super voice as they call it. On the other hand just like an iPhone windows 10 Mobile has the ability to update carrier settings so possibly able to get an unlocked version and hope Three push the update through a carrier update. Three use 1800Mhz for 4G and 2100Mhz for 3G and also 800Mhz for 4G but on a select number of handsets at the moment not including iPhone till end of October. 800Mhz is important to me because in some areas in London the signal is unable to penetrate through the buildings especially in greater London due to the huge threes in the area. Posted via the Windows Central App for Android
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both devices are looking very good...but at this point I would like to know when W10m will be released for the currently existing phones..the OS must be stable, fast with a fast camera also...anyway, lets see what tomorrow brings to us...
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They need to be available on Sprint!!
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Almost 15 years and i gave up on windows phone... Posted via the Windows Central App for Android
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That photo of the 950 series next to the red 1520 says it all. For me, that red 1520 looks absolutely beautiful, and much more preferrable to the "round / beveled / chamfered corner" design of the 950 / 950XL.
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1. Camera button 2. All the major apps 3. Must have apps only for WP in conjunction with windows 10/xbox one 4. Killer commersials
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What do I want in the flagship phones? Here are some 1) more and better apps. Coming soon tm ??? 2) good better battery life through power/app management system 3) powerful radio antennaes for better reception. After all, it's a cell phone. Or give option to add our own extra antennaes. 4) full Windows 10 platform, not Windows mobile/phone. Too much to ask? 5) custom colors & designs. I'm willing to pay extra for iridescent paint and mood paint 6) water proof 7) camera lens + camera add-ons. Gimbal 8) wireless payment systems 9) become secondary screen for main computer/console if needed. i.e. gaming info, streaming chats, stocks and trading, monitoring services 10) rooted & jailbroken option for advance users. edit hosts file, manage files, custom apps 11) it goes to 11. Phasers. Need to stun idiots.
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So this iris scanning. Anyone got an idea on how it will work? Thing is I'm blind in one eye and that eye points in whatever direction it wants, does it need both eyes to unlock? I saw a YouTube video where they tested the tech and in that it scanned both eyes. If that's the case it's useless for me.
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Feature-phone like 'design' (low-end, Nokia made also some pretty nice premium feature-phones). Almost dead ecosystem. Run-of-the-mill internals. Beta OS. Some gimmick features added. What I would like to see is a price to match, 299€ max. for XL.
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I want phone on t-mobile, then I am happy :)
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Apps + Apps + Apps, that's all these flagship devices need, if Project Astoria is done correctly we'll see very happy consumers and very high satisfaction on these flagships causing a chain reaction which will make carriers and OEMs trust the Windows Mobile platform as they trust in Android and iOS (Carriers of course, since Apple is one OEM only)
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Lol at everyone in the article requesting snapchat. The Snapchat CEO not only won't make an app for Windows, he forced Rudy to take down his 3rd party app. I don't see that changing anytime soon
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It would be cool if they could use the phone screen as a mouse track pad when plugged in to continuum! Maybe its in the works
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The current build of W10 mobile with the upcoming flagship phones will not be a great combination unless MS does a miracle and introduce a band new supper smooth OS tomorrow!
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I wish I could put windows phone 8 on the 950xl
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It'll be possible with a hack. Looking forward to do the same.....
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XL IT IS
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64 GB internal storage, 3400 mah battery (3100 mah for Lumia 950), front facing stereo speakers, rugged body as LG V10.
There are much more features but looking at the leaks, I better keep them to myself and get an LG V 10 when it comes out.
Almost 3 years gap for a true global flagship (anything apart from Lumia 920 doesn't count as true global commercial flaship) and this is what you could the best? Microsoft! Really? Posted via my Samsung Galaxy S3 Neo which isn't as much abandoned as any Windows Phone on the Windows Central App for Android -
The problem isn't going to be the phones, the problem is going to be Windows 10 Mobile. I've tried it (on both a 928 and an Icon), and I've tried to like it, but I just don't. And when I flash back to WP8.1, my first thought is always, "now this is how it's supposed to work." Sure, WP8.1 isn't perfect, but W10M is a big step backwards in many, many ways as far as usability goes, in my opinion obviously. Sure, there may be more features in W10M, but who cares when those features are poorly implemented? It seems like in a lot of cases they are changing the UI and the UX just for the sake of change, not because it makes things better. I know W10M is a completely new OS, but that doesn't mean they have to entirely scrap WP8.1. Here's to hoping W10M will be released as less of the disaster it is now, but I'm not crossing my fingers.
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I am really excited about Continuum. What if the phone's screen could be repurposed as the Continuum keyboard and/or track pad? Then all you would need is a TV.
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If the outlook mail app does not support joined inboxes, I will stick to my Lumia 920 with 8.1. It's your choise Microsoft!
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I'd like to see better app support overall. Snapchat would be nice but isn't a nessasity for me.. although... We do need it. I also want to see "support" for things that other manufacturers are doing such as Samsung with the edge screen and LG with the v10 with that mini screen up top. It would be nice if they offered some way for those manufacturers to bring that to Windows. Those are my wants. Posted via the Windows Central App for Android
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Yea for Microsoft to take care of the App issue and make everyone WANT to make apps for WIndows Phone RIGHT AWAY.... at least one could dream... Would like to see all carriers get these phones so everyone gets a chance to own this flagship.... come on, Verizon, next week ! My company is offering to buy me a phone....and I might be able to get them to get me a 950XL....
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Need a payment solution a la Softcard, I miss that, what happened with that deal with PayPal?
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Other than app support, which I'm sure about 95% of people want, I'd like to have the mass USB storage option back, or was it MTM, I'm not sure off hand. I've had a 930 and 640XL, the mylink system in me car (Holden Cruze) could connect to the 930 with it's windows software, so I could navigate through my music using the steering wheel controls. This doesn't work with the 640XL. I have to use bluetooth, which, while it works fine, is a pain as I can't select playlists, albums etc through the mylink system, and navigating on the phone is too much of a distraction when driving, plus it's a $220 fine if the cops catch you. Other than that, I'm happy with the design and specs of the 950XL. I'll be going for the white, if that and black are the only colour choices. Looking forward to watching the event tomorrow. It'll be 1am Wednesday here, so I'll catch up when I'm having breakfast.
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Hope to see phones that can be bought from Microsoft and work on any network. As others have said: The ability to use applications from other operating systems would be huge.
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Thanks to windowscentral editors for having shared excellent views on upcoming lumia phones. There is one still big feature that wp are lacking , that my old iphone 3g can do. That is ability to wirelessly print your emails or web pages, when needed. I bet there is no way we can do that in current wp builds. Talking about productivity some times we print document , email, ppt , pdf or even excel during meetings that do not pc access or projectors. This is a basic feature comparing ios had this in 3gs phones 5 years ago. I am stuck withusing apps like kumo print thats prints using google loud or hp's app. Shame wp users do not natively supported drivers on phones.
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All the above plus speed, speed, and stability
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This is WC. The fanboys be drooling all over this. The problem is, they disconnected from reality. They want their platform of choice to succeed but they're willing to take anything MS shoves up their ars. Look at the the overall design. One look and the masses wouldn't even care. First impression is everything. This is not a first impression device. The product is rushed!
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At this point It's not about how a phone looks or doesn't look. It's about the performance and capabilities. How many different ways can you carve up a bar of soap anyways?
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I would like to buy dual sim variations of both 950 and 950XL in microsoft store in the states.
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I don't really have a wish anymore, they never happen. I might let one these phones be my last wp, if I decide not to get one of the new nexus phones.
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I would like it to look just like Lumia 1520. It had an awesome design. Rest all is perfect..
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Here are my hopes: 1) That there will be a version that works on the Verizon network so that I can justify buying one at tax time. Whether it's sold BY them or not isn't as important to me as just being able to add it to my plan. 2) That it will be competitively priced. The iPhone is a fortune, and the Nexus is quite inexpensive. Hopefully the XL will remind me a lot more of a 6P in this regard than a 6S. Indeed, at this point, I think MS may have to take an initial loss upfront to get the platform into as many hands as possible. 3) That Continuum will be everything it's cracked up to be. I have AT LEAST two zones in my house that I would want to have Windows PCs, and I'd want at least one of them to be a serious gaming rig. My original plan was to have the beefier one up in the office on a 23" screen, and a decent sound system. However, the more I think about it, the more I like the idea of having the premier PC on the premier TV and stereo of the living room, and go the continuum route for the less powerful PC and have that up in the office along with the Mac. But that's all contingent on having the Continuum experience be as robust as its being billed! 4) That Microsoft will do something truly radical to really make Windows Phone a coveted commodity. My idea: start putting public continuum kiosks everywhere, like Airports, hotels, hospitals, and so on and so forth. It will provide a tremendous amount of convenience for those of us on the go lucky enough to have one, could inspire awe and jealousy, which will draw in some people, and will be tangible commercials for what makes Windows so special. Not single-handedly to be sure, but if played right, it could turn the perception of Windows Phone from the weirdos to the elite!....It'd also whole new meaning to the term "phone booth". :-) 5) of course that's all contingent on apps. Between luring developers to easily convert iOS and Android apps as well as web and win32 programs to Windows apps, hopefully this will all start beating real fruit! I'm seriously cheering for Windows Phone. I may be typing this on an iPhone, and heck, I may even seriously like this iPhone...but my heart and my hopes are still much more with things named after paned glass! :-) Cheers!
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Yeah apps for me. Before it wasn't big of a deal until I needed a banking app, venmo, fantasy bball, xiaomi yi, sony playmemories..
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Fucking gapless playback already goddammit!
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I want the camera to be quick on the draw
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faster camera. laser autofocus
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The hardware is almost irrelevent. The OS, when it's released on these devices, needs to be fast, fluid and efficient, and Microsoft needs to figure out and improve developer support for, yes, apps. Until the software issues are resolved, it doesn't matter *what* hardware the phones are packing or what they look like.
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"Windows Phone 7 wasn't great, financially or technically." I found the above statement the most strangest of all. Yet, Windows 7.X had a better Music App. Better interface with FB, Twitter. Had a Me Tile. Better Photo gallary. All phones had a physical camera button. And yet it is being described as not being great technically? WTH?! What microsoft didn't do was build on all those great features! Sure they added new stuff in 8.1 while they took away from from the original version. Please I'd take all those things I mentioned above than what's in any of the new iterations.
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Yup, also worked with the Zune software, to sync content. That original vision for the OS was great; the downside is that Microsoft never did the work to secure developer support. They just assumed it would come their way because, 'Windows', I guess? They'll never live down that 'Beta test is over' campaign and then immediately ditching the OS and going to WP8. Sure, I understand *why*, but doesn't make it sting any less.
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I have a Lumia 820. The glance screen support for the health app is amazing, but when I put my phone into an arm band, the glance screen turns off. I suppose the proximity sensor gets triggered even by transparent surfaces. I'd like Microsoft to think about ways to fix that.
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Do these phones have glance by the way?
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Yes they do :-)
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Is there a Bank of America app so I can deposit my checks? I really want them to succeed, I have just about every device there is with phones and don't like them one way or another.
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First off if citrix can get into gear and make a win mobile reciever that works well with the L950's and dock this would be a killer device in the enterprise. Secondly there I really think it is a must for them to enable the phone with the abillity to dock them with an xbox one controller so we can stream from the xbox.
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"Dan: I'm less concerned about the hardware and more worried about the state of the OS at this stage." Exactly my thoughts. The OS still has poor user experience, poor 3rd party alternative app support for system apps and features, poor customization, poor store. Still it has no default "via bluetooth" option in sharing choices unless you go and turn the bluetooth on first!
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I'm still waiting on an announcement of a snap feature for Windows 10 Mobile or so...and yes more app support I believe is crucial.....it hurts to be out & about with my friends and I can't use the likes of SnapChat :( or even w/ Instagram, you still can't upload pre-recorded videos...now I know 6Tag has this feature but I feel it's unacceptable that 1st-hand developers aren't bothering to update Windows apps properly...and with shortages of bank apps, abandoned apps, infrequent updates of apps, you begin to feel apart of a 2nd or 3rd-tier mobile OS....and I don't want to feel that way for the next coming years.
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Is it just me, or does it look like the speaker on the 950 will be blocked by your finger when in landscape mode? That would be a mild annoyance. But, seeing as how I still have my faithful 920 as my daily runner(with zero problems to date, except accidently bricking on insider program) I am extremely excited for these phones. As a few of you have already said, my biggest concern here is PRICE. In South Africa, windows phones have taken off really well, but too many cheaper brands(hauwei,zte,vodafone, etc) take over for less than R1000 ($60 if my conversion is right). If they can price the 950 just below the S6 and Iphone, then they could pull people in.
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I'm sure that nothing I wish from those two phones will come true. Not the apps I wish it would have, not even the ability to run Android apps, which would be great. Nothing will be there, it will be just a lumia 930 with bigger, better and stronger hardware. The software will be Beta for the next year so I wouldn't even look at any Windows 10 Phone for at least one year. And even if W10M would be just fine at the time of launch, it will still be just a GOOD OS, while MS needs more than GOOD to make it. WP7 was good. WP8 was good. This one needs to be better than the alternatives. It would have to provide not just what others do, but more! And not just for marketing purposes, but to really add value to their products! But, none of this will happen... In fact, I'm so sure I'll be dissapointed that my next phone would probably be anything else but Windows phone.
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All I want from 950/950xl to sell well!
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I wish it has notification LED. That would ease the pain of software on-screen controls, which I hate since L735.
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I'm really kind of sick of hearing that Microsoft needs Snapchat. What Microsoft needs to be is author of the next cool app. And possibly the next one after that. Microsoft is still a software company at heart, so they need to act like it. My 2.5 cents: Compete with Snapchat With a little bit of imagination, MS could force some companies attention by simply providing a better alternative. Here is an idea that Microsoft can steal if they want (just send me a free Lumia 950XL) : Chat Tiles. Basically, instead of live info a live tile can put you in an interactive live stream. Imagine your friends faces popping up Brady Bunch style on your screen ready to be chatted with when you press their tile. A live tile that directly interacts with the Front Facing Camera that can give you up to a ten second live feed and if you tap the tile can start SMS or Skype sessions. Users can be in control of who they allow to send them a live feed. Windows Hello confirms that it is you looking at your phone and once the home screen is displayed, the Chat Tile will automatically send you that 4 second clip of Daniel Rubino holding up the new Lumia device he has reviewed. Such events could even be live, and if you don't tap the live tile, you miss out. It would be Snapchat on the home screen. You're welcome. A Halo Game for every new Flagship. Chance to show off the power of DirectX on Mobile. Seriously? Why hasn't this been done already? 1:1 Rule For every cool app or service released on a competing platform, release a cool app or service exclusive to Windows. While you're at it, start integrating those cool features on other platforms into Windows already. Toss Up would work pretty well in the Chat Tiles I described above.
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Microsoft app store should be rich like the Android play store if they want to get to the final consumer
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More colooorrrsss! Want a yellow or green one.
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I'm looking forward to be surprized by Lumia 750 ;-)
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I desperately wish 950XL has an active digitizer for taking notes. Can anybody hint if it is coming with a pen? Thank you.
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in some Countries its not about apps but features and not enough advertisements. battery drain is very bad, i have a lenovo s660 with Li-Po 3000 mAh battery which can spent 3 days on one charge but with 920 on Li-Ion 2000 mAh battery, you hadly spent a day!
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I think Continuum really is the future forward. The problem right now is that the peripheral hardware isn't there to support it - they are all too cumbersome to set it up. What I would like to see, is that TVs or monitors coming with quick switch buttons (rather than having to dive deep into the configuration menu, or in the case of a TV having to locate the remote!) that allows the user to detect connection to the phone. By pressing that button on the display, it should automatically connect to the device wirelessly (or at least a prompt asking the user for permission). That way, I can have my monitor permanently hooked to my primary PC, but it will be fast and easy to switch to my phone so I can finish doing whatever I happen to be doing on my phone. Ditto with the keyboard, or if a docking station / hub is being used. Having said that, a wireless charging pad that also connects to display / keyboard would be terrific. If Microsoft could bring an electronics giant like Samsung on board perhaps they would be able to make these standard on TV / monitors.
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Wanting a third party apps is not realistic, so i want a better apps from MS. Working phone companion for PC and overall better intgration with PC (like transferring GPS info to a laptop over BT or network access to and from the phone) New Maps app is a great example, using search history sync all the time but at the same time PC app is thinking I am in 200 miles from the place that my phone knows I am )
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So who are these guys(Dan, Mark, Richard, Derek, Derek, George, Jez)? :-P
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Release date is NOW! GO BUY...
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#GetHyped
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I heard that Lumia 950 xl will have a rotating camera !! What happened to it.