Best deal I've found for the Lumia 950 xl. Pre-order.
Unlimited mins
1GB data
Unlimited texts
If you like Windows 10 mobile, which I do, then this seems a good deal
All comments (37)
Danze1984
19 Nov 15#1
Still not tried W10 on my Lumia 925 yet. Think I'll wait for prices to come down a bit while i'm on a £12 contract though. It does look a really good phone though!
KyleGM to Danze1984
19 Nov 151#2
Just installed the latest build tonight, it's the build that comes with the 950, really impressed, super fast and the improvements are incredible, couldn't go back to 8.1!
Also thanks for this post OP, going to buy it, great deal in my opinion, I only ever use about 600MB data so fine for me!
bluegnu
19 Nov 152#3
I have temporarily gone back to WIndows 8.1 and there's so much I'm missing about Windows 10!
This is the best deal by far that I can find for this phone on contract unless someone has anything else...
ben1979
19 Nov 15#4
I know this isn't an issue with WP, but more with app developers, but there are still a number of key apps missing from the windows store. Opening up the SDK and making it easier for developers to port android or iOS variants of their apps to WP(thus saving time/money developing apps for a minority market share) doesn't seem to have helped so far. It's the only thing keeping me from making the move to WP to be honest.
scrumpypaul
19 Nov 15#5
great deal, heated.
KyleGM
19 Nov 15#6
Yeah I understand that completely, fortunately all the apps I use are on Windows Phone or have great 3rd party alternatives, if there's anything I want to use that isn't on WP (which is very little) I use my android tablet. My girlfriend on the other hand loves the WP OS but is a heavy app user so I've always advised against it. If they would have kept Astoria it would have been amazing, the android apps worked quite well on a very early test platform, unfortunately it appears to have been scrapped entirely :disappointed:
ben1979
19 Nov 15#7
Yeah, some of the 3rd party offerings have been good from what I have seen, granted that was a while ago. Like yourself, the bulk of what I do at home, is on an android tablet, but when away from home and reliant on my phone, the only ones that I would miss are the social media app with the likes of snapchat(for which there was a great third party offering until they lost user details and the snapchat developers shut them down!), the iplayer and youtube apps still get slammed, the latter obviously has great third party offerings.
I am more excited about Continuum. I have a laptop but is very rarely used. The tablet doing the bulk of my work. But I know the minute I get rid of my laptop, I will need it. Continuum would bridge that gap for me. Just plug in to a cheap monitor, utilise a keyboard and mouse I already have and you have full PC functionality.
adsham
19 Nov 152#8
They are certainly trying to attract developers now - this was announced yesterday. Was quite impressive, the guy used a mac to develop an android app using Visual Studio (Microsoft).
Losing 6snap was a huge kick in teeth for WP, I had a few friends get rid of their iPhones for WP after using mine, about a month after 6snap gets shutdown and they all desperately want their iPhones back just for snapchat. Luckily my close friends are like me and don't use social media as much as others so we all stick with WP. It's a shame that the app selection is so lackluster on WP, it really is a great OS and works smooth on even low ends phone so the barrier of entry is relatively low if you want to test the waters, but peoples favourite apps not being there puts them straight off the idea and they can't be blamed as its a very legitimate reason.
Yeah continuum is exciting, the ability to have your phone double up as a portable workstation is amazing!
pirattitude
19 Nov 15#10
i did fancy updating my 920 to the 950 xl, but i feel totally let down by Microsoft and the Windows 10 upgrade on my laptop so many little glitches that turned into big glitches ended up reinstalling windows 8 from scratch and cancelling all window 10 updates, but still lost the use of my touch screen due to phantom touch across top of screen.
initially thought glitches were down to old laptop (2 yrs old) but googling issues over the last 2 weeks have raised questions why are the same glitches happening on the old and new surface tablets also, that are made for Windows 10, and whats stopping the glitches happening on a new 950 phone. what happens when you connect laptop / tablet with glitches to your new 950 mobile.
I will stick with my Nokia 920 for now that i have been very happy with over the last 2 yrs until Microsoft start to fix all these little issues in windows 10 hopefully sooner than later.
chancooluk to pirattitude
19 Nov 15#12
Your issue is almost certainly down to outdated or problematic drivers. You will need to wait for your manufacturer to release drivers compatible with Windows 10. If your laptop is reasonably new, there are probably drivers already available for it at the manufacturers support website.
The vast majority of people who have updated to Windows 10 have done so without any issues.
Also, there are glitches with every piece of technology. You can't expect to have a completely glitch free life when using a smartphone.
geordibbk
19 Nov 15#11
Looking forward to the 950 but I want the normal size version that can fit in my pocket :-)
pompeyladbfp
19 Nov 15#13
£31 pcm for 3gb is a good deal too, thats £744- cost of handset means your only paying £374 for 24 months of 3gb which is 15.58 a month
purplegoldfish
20 Nov 15#14
The only thing that puts me off this deal... O2.
Heat
dundee18
4 Dec 15#15
Does anyone know if this will qualify for the free dock offer? I saw a list of official resellers earlier this week but I can't find it now. Also, will the Argos deal qualify as well? Many thanks for any help.
dundee18
4 Dec 15#16
Does anyone know if this will qualify for the free dock offer? I saw a list of official resellers earlier this week but I can't find it now. Also, will the Argos deal qualify as well? Many thanks for any help.
bluegnu to dundee18
4 Dec 15#17
I see no reason why it shouldn't. You just download the app and apply
G6DLT
11 Dec 15#18
was emailed by Microsoft with update info and new releases as been running Lumia for a while. Pre Ordered one which was due to come in and be sent out on 8th but still no joy. Was going for it because of the idea of been able to connect up big screen and use as PC with free Converter. But seen there is a limited stock and on 1st come 1st serve , By time i get mine the cost of near on £90 for one is a big chunk to be paying out.
Maybe Microsoft should have put them in the box to start with as specials.
Saves trying to sort out Microsoft online accounts as you can only have so many products registered per account. Cost me life time upgrades of office 365 last time.
JoeSpur
15 Dec 15#19
That's Lumia 830 in the pic!
How do u go back to 8.1 after trying 10?
Win10m still has a lot missing and doesn't sync with desktop (bookmarks etc) as well as 8.1 did. There are also a few issues with the desktop loading/disappearing and old 8.1 apps looking dodgy. I have only tried 10 on a Lumia 550 mind you... It might work better on Lumia 830, I just don't wanna update it while it's not yet ready (if it's even possible to update yet).
vraxxos
16 Dec 152#20
Crazy price for a phone that is missing loads of apps and is basically running a beta OS.
David23
16 Dec 151#21
I would never pay this kind of money for a phone with no apps, that is Microsoft's biggest weakness and they still haven't addressed it all these years on. They only have a few % market share and most companies won't even bother creating an app for the platform so maybe MS should pay them to do it. The desktop Windows app drought is even worse!
A54D
16 Dec 15#22
Seems like a great deal. I've already bought the phone out right from Carphone Warehouse as I found it more cost effective. But I just wanted to post to give my impressions on the XL. I upgraded from the 920 which I got on release, I don't upgrade often.. I think the phone is great, and continuum is amazing. Never thought I'd use it as much as I have, I do believe that the app gap is an issue but the universal apps are slowly filling the store. Just as a final note, it does fit in your pocket really well, it's light but feels Premium and I'd recommends it to everyone that isn't bothered abou the latest app trends.
HUKD123
16 Dec 15#23
:confused: Amazing deal.
I would have gone for it, had it not been for the estimated delivery date :disappointed:
sodz8
16 Dec 15#24
Can you stick Android on this?
jihadijulz to sodz8
16 Dec 151#26
Yeah sure
JoeSpur
16 Dec 15#25
So is it just the 550 that's buggy as hell?
a_user
16 Dec 15#27
Even in it's current state W10M is less buggy than most Android devices I've used. Running the latest build on my Lumia 930, the only thing that bugs me somewhat is that the keyboard sometimes pops up when it shouldn't. But aside from that it's a good improvement over 8.1
And again, the live tiles are so much more useful than the dead icons on IOS and Android.
JoeSpur to a_user
16 Dec 15#28
I agree about the LiveTiles being so much better but coming from 8.1 on 830 and trying W10M on 550 (a release device) I have to say the bugs are hard to ignore. I seem to mistype more on W10M (the correction is a lot more erratic) and the highlighting is not as smooth as 8.1 which was the best of ALL mobile OS's. You could just touch a word on 8.1 or drag your finger around (way better than iOS godawful magnification system). W10M seems to prefer a double-tap which is fine once used to it. The main problem I have with W10M so far is the disappearing/lagging/forever loading home screen (start screen). It seems to be affected more by older apps that weren't specifically designed for W10. I'm not sure if that problem is just with 550 or indeed just with certain apps installed. Also older apps feel inconsistent with the new design.
The new Edge browser, while definitely better at loading pages, does not sync bookmarks with desktop and keeps every visited page open in the background as a tab. It's easy to clear all but on 8.1 I liked to keep certain pages always tabbed and 'back' out of the ones I have finished with. On W10M they have to manually be closed. If the browser did sync with desktop it would always show dozens of pages in the mobile list unless they were manually closed after every use.
I love the new look and it's a much needed refresh, but for now 8.1 is a LOT more stable and still the better of the two for daily use.
chenzz
16 Dec 15#29
CEX has 1520 unlocked A for £215
a_user
16 Dec 15#30
What a well written and well thought out response. A lot of people just write trashy answers where Windows phones are concerned. I am using my L930 with W10M as my daily driver, but I don't have a need to sync bookmarks so my experience may appear slightly better, though I don't have issues with returning to the start-screen, overall at least on my handset, the speed on the latest build is pretty much the same as it was on 8.1, the battery life is also good, possibly even a little better than it was before. Maybe a hard reset would help with the start-screen delay on your phone, but on a new phone I'd probably be slightly miffed if I had to do that.
The swype/word-flow keyboard doesn't seem as accurate as it used to be, I agree with you there. I wonder what they've done to cause this - it was very very good before, now it's just good, but could be better.
In any case, I won't be buying a 950 until I can get one on Ebay for sub £200, I just can't justify the cost of new phones, and with my SIM only deal only costing £7 per month, I can wait :smiley:
filip737
16 Dec 15#31
not taking ant credit from the OP, but working in a phone industry for a few years now I honestly couldn't recommend a Lumia phone to anyone.
bluegnu to filip737
16 Dec 151#32
To be honest it's a preference thing really. I've had Android and iPhones but I just find them a bit dull, remind me too much of Symbian like we haven't really moved on.
I'm not obsessed with Apps and the quality of this phone, for me, is brilliant. Not found it buggy at all. Really like Windows Hello and yes it really is a big step up from WP 8.1.
Just my opinion, I like it - a lot. Others will hate it.
Marmite.
a_user to filip737
16 Dec 15#33
For someone that works in the industry, you ought really to have given some reasons to back up your statement, otherwise it's meaningless. You may very well have some very valid reasons for your viewpoint, but it would be useful to know what those reasons are so that others can make an informed choice. Hopefully you will post again later.
pengwyn
16 Dec 15#34
Continuum doesnt work ... the app has to be compatible so defeats the object. Why limit yourself to limited apps. Be brave go android.
JoeSpur to pengwyn
16 Dec 15#35
Surely u didn't think apps could transform into something else without being programmed that way? LOL
a_user to pengwyn
16 Dec 15#36
Do you know what continuum does? It basically allows the phone to work like a PC with any screen (most screens), what does it need to be compatible with exactly? And what is the equivalent app with the same amount of features and functionality on Android?
bluegnu to pengwyn
17 Dec 151#37
Sorry just seen this. How is going for Android brave? Android has 70 or 80% market share! Surely none of it is actually "brave" but going for the Windows Phone is actually a "braver" option
![Fresh Breakfast Meat Box (Using code) @ Campbells Meat [Haggis / Lorne Sausage / Bacon / Black Pudding & More]](/images/topics/208684_1.jpg)
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Opening post
Unlimited mins
1GB data
Unlimited texts
If you like Windows 10 mobile, which I do, then this seems a good deal
All comments (37)
Also thanks for this post OP, going to buy it, great deal in my opinion, I only ever use about 600MB data so fine for me!
This is the best deal by far that I can find for this phone on contract unless someone has anything else...
I am more excited about Continuum. I have a laptop but is very rarely used. The tablet doing the bulk of my work. But I know the minute I get rid of my laptop, I will need it. Continuum would bridge that gap for me. Just plug in to a cheap monitor, utilise a keyboard and mouse I already have and you have full PC functionality.
http://venturebeat.com/2015/11/18/microsoft-open-sources-visual-studio-code-launches-free-visual-studio-dev-essentials-program/
Yeah continuum is exciting, the ability to have your phone double up as a portable workstation is amazing!
initially thought glitches were down to old laptop (2 yrs old) but googling issues over the last 2 weeks have raised questions why are the same glitches happening on the old and new surface tablets also, that are made for Windows 10, and whats stopping the glitches happening on a new 950 phone. what happens when you connect laptop / tablet with glitches to your new 950 mobile.
I will stick with my Nokia 920 for now that i have been very happy with over the last 2 yrs until Microsoft start to fix all these little issues in windows 10 hopefully sooner than later.
The vast majority of people who have updated to Windows 10 have done so without any issues.
Also, there are glitches with every piece of technology. You can't expect to have a completely glitch free life when using a smartphone.
Heat
Maybe Microsoft should have put them in the box to start with as specials.
Saves trying to sort out Microsoft online accounts as you can only have so many products registered per account. Cost me life time upgrades of office 365 last time.
How do u go back to 8.1 after trying 10?
Win10m still has a lot missing and doesn't sync with desktop (bookmarks etc) as well as 8.1 did. There are also a few issues with the desktop loading/disappearing and old 8.1 apps looking dodgy. I have only tried 10 on a Lumia 550 mind you... It might work better on Lumia 830, I just don't wanna update it while it's not yet ready (if it's even possible to update yet).
I would have gone for it, had it not been for the estimated delivery date :disappointed:
And again, the live tiles are so much more useful than the dead icons on IOS and Android.
The new Edge browser, while definitely better at loading pages, does not sync bookmarks with desktop and keeps every visited page open in the background as a tab. It's easy to clear all but on 8.1 I liked to keep certain pages always tabbed and 'back' out of the ones I have finished with. On W10M they have to manually be closed. If the browser did sync with desktop it would always show dozens of pages in the mobile list unless they were manually closed after every use.
I love the new look and it's a much needed refresh, but for now 8.1 is a LOT more stable and still the better of the two for daily use.
The swype/word-flow keyboard doesn't seem as accurate as it used to be, I agree with you there. I wonder what they've done to cause this - it was very very good before, now it's just good, but could be better.
In any case, I won't be buying a 950 until I can get one on Ebay for sub £200, I just can't justify the cost of new phones, and with my SIM only deal only costing £7 per month, I can wait :smiley:
I'm not obsessed with Apps and the quality of this phone, for me, is brilliant. Not found it buggy at all. Really like Windows Hello and yes it really is a big step up from WP 8.1.
Just my opinion, I like it - a lot. Others will hate it.
Marmite.