If you’re a diehard Windows phone user, you’d be happy to hear that the Lumia 950 and Lumia 950 XL unveiled late last year is out now in Singapore.
The new flagship phones from Microsoft, which has fully discarded the Nokia brand now, touts a consistent Windows 10 experience like what you get on a tablet or PC.
They are also packed with the latest hardware, like a Qualcomm Snapdragon 810 chip on the larger Lumia 950 XL and slightly less powerful Snapdragon 808 on the Lumia 950.
The larger phone with a 5.7-inch screen costs S$998, while the smaller one with a 5.2-inch will go for S$898.
Both phones sport a Quad HD resolution that rivals the best that Android phone makers offer. They also feature a PureView rear camera with a 20-megapixel sensor with Zeiss optics.
In the past, Lumia phones have touted their superior image quality. It’d be silly of Microsoft to ditch that selling point if it wants to retain the diehard users who are still sticking by it all this while.
To store your photos, both new phones have a handy microSD card slot to let you add storage capacity to the 32GB that’s built in. Both feature a polycarbonate body that’s familiar to fans of the original Nokia Lumia.
However, all eyes will be on the new operating system, which is likely Microsoft’s best chance of gaining new users. The Windows 10 you get here isn’t exactly the same as what you get on your PC, but Microsoft would like you to think so.
The Continuum feature here lets you connect up the Lumia 950 or Lumia 950 XL to a PC screen via a display dock and work like you’re working on a PC. Of course, you’d want a Bluetooth keyboard and mouse to go with that.
Does that mean you can just bring your phone and junk your laptop on your trips? It’s a great idea though you probably can’t expect the experience to be a 100 per cent replacement for your PC.
Apps such as Microsoft Office, which are probably most important for the light traveller, will probably work fine. However, non-Microsoft apps and services like Google Hangout? We need to try them to see the results for ourselves.
Look out for a review of the Lumia 950 and 950 XL soon!
