Aston Martin's European market share was only 0.01% in 2015 - dead car platform.
Aston Martin sales

For anyone wanting to buy the display dock the cheapest I can find it is £39.99 from Vodafonestore on ebay

*as pointed out by Mikro below, the display dock is now free with purchase of the phone*

I like the Windows phone UI a lot. Windows Phone provides in reality what iOS claimed to offer, but never has - seamless and effortless use and integration with the desktop on your PC. I find Android disorganised and chaotic. Being a fully grown adult, I'm less worried about being able to run the latest fad apps. I was aware of Pokemon Go when it came out, but have no interest in it whatsoever. My phone is for calls, messaging, email, web browsing and photography.

I consider Windows phone as 'exclusive' and I'm glad there's still currently a choice. I don't run the latest hardware; I'm only just switching from a 920 (£130 sim free two years ago) to an 830, which cost £130 sim free again.

I realise that Windows Phone is not a popular choice, and that's not a problem for me because the other options presumably suit most people better, which is good for them. It will be sad if/when Microsoft give up on their phone OS, but hopefully they won't because the convergence between the mobile and desktop is a compelling proposition which the other phone OS's can't offer.

Microsoft ending the Lumia brand of handsets is not the same as ceasing Windows 10 Mobile, and besides it was well known that they would do this. Windows 10 Mobile's fate is tied closely to Windows 10 Desktop since it's intended for ARM tablets also, and they share a massive amount of core code. Plus HP has taken up the mantle of delivering the flagship enterprise device (Elite X3) so the platform's future is certainly assured for a while longer.

I can confirm the Lumia 950 actually lasts through a day now on battery since Anniversary Update, so it's easily the best smartphone you can get for £207, provided you have no desperate reliance on a particular app that's missing on Windows. Considering you get a docking station (so two fast chargers) and one of the best mobile cameras in the bargain, there's a lot to like here.

For anyone wanting to buy the display dock the cheapest I can find it is £39.99 from Vodafonestore on ebay

*as pointed out by Mikro below, the display dock is now free with purchase of the phone*

Mmm tempted but I got bad feeling Microsoft ending win mobile altogether

supposed to be a very good phone. +1

The phones are good, the apps by MS though are written by children and work better on Android!!
Its a real shame as the live tile interface is fantastic. I had been using it since the Lumia 800 but ended up getting a full refund on the 950xl as not fit for purpose - even the email system didnt work properly.

key fearures

Super sensitive touch

Memory
Mass memory: 32GB
RAM: 3GB
Maximum memory card size: 200GB microsd

Battery
Replaceable battery
3000mAh

cameras 20mp /5mp 4K pureview carl zeiss..

quad band phone.

My mate has this phone - the camera is fantastic.

Good deal. I tried a 950 for work for a couple of weeks and while it is a great phone with some good features, I ended up returning it due to the lack of apps.

It's a shame really as I quite liked the os and the phone.

Unidays gives you a 15% discount. Making the cost of phone to be only £224

I'm hoping Amazon will match this soon as I have a GC balance from TCB :smile:

If you don't use loads of apps then this is a great phone for the money as there are only a couple of handsets with a better camera. I have Win 10 mobile on my 930 and it is a bit buggy still (loads better than the preview) but I understand that the 950 experience is a lot better as it was designed for it.

Tempted myself but going to hold out for the Surface phone next year maybe.

No way, I splashed £299 on this only two weeks ago for the wife. I don't think anyone can argue with the hardware at this price and I'd buy again without hesitation. It's not the most interesting to look at, but the back cover can be easily replaced with a wooden one from Mozo for example. Admittedly the younger users, or those relying on Google services will be disappointed due to missing games, Snapchat etc, but for the rest of this this is a quality smartphone.

I bought one of these, loved it. Put a push mozo back on it, transformed it.
Win10 works much better on here than on the preview, and I find it 'just works' so much better than android.
I did end up returning mine for one simple reason though. I have a very specific use case and make use of the famousspey sensitive touch screen extensively on my bike. However,despite the blurb,this phone DOESN'T have it....
Other than that is still have it.

I really like these Windows phones and with a dock as mentioned in the one of the posts it is basically a desktop computer too. I have a 640XL Dual SIM and love it. I use an Phone 6+ as my day to day and the Lumia for work etc and there is little or no difference in build quality. iPhone cost me £500 Lumia cost me £99 (and its a dual SIM).

On the down side, app that are available aren't as good as their IOS/Android counterparts. Whatsapp for example didnt allow for blocking of contacts which became an issue for me a while back.

Thanks for that. I have messaged the seller to ask if it will work with my phone (640XL). If is does, I am getting one of those.

Only ever used Nokia / Microsoft phones BEFORE getting the Lumia 950.
Due to being shipped with the removable battery fitted it must have been slightly miss seated. Which I obviously did not know. This caused the phone to overheat and crash all the time. In between factory resets and other things I was doing with tech support I was asked to reseat the battery. This fixed most of the problems but by then the overheating had already damaged the phone beyond repair. After a month without a phone and very poor customer service from Tesco Mobile. I cancelled my contact and bit the bullet buying a Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge. I was very skeptical on having an android phone but I can honestly say it IS just as good as a Microsoft phone and having the ability to install more apps is a definite bonus. I love the other Lumia handsets 820 / 930 etc but I would be cautious with this model.

They are about this price in the second hand resellers.

Looked at one the other day and although its internal hardware looks good spec I felt it seemed very plasticky and brittle compare to my 930.
As for windows os that's fantastic and I really need more upgrade paths for when my 930 gives up.

Im on the latest insider release and cant see MS dropping it unless they continue to fail to release the hardware/mobiles for users to progress. I think this could be the killer for the platform if the market doesn't get flooded soon with new phone releases.

App wise the os has plenty for what I want.

Maybe when these drop a bit further I might take the plunge.

It's an excellent handset, apart from having an incredibly bland design. Windows 10 Mobile is still my OS of choice despite also owning a Moto X.

The camera on the 950/950XL really is fantastic with the latest firmware/OS, it can't be beat at this price.

Shame it's a dead platform though. 0.7% market share :/

I trialled one of these for ten days as part of Microsoft's (now cancelled) phone trial program.
Directly comparing it to my Lumia 640 there was practically no difference apart from the better camera, so for me it's not worth the price. Sub £200 and it might be worth it.

However, Microsoft are slowly forgetting about Windows on mobile and these things will seem quite outdated after a year, unless Microsoft really push to get their platform back on track.

Aston Martin's European market share was only 0.01% in 2015 - dead car platform.
Aston Martin sales

Good price, no doubt it's a solid phone but Microsoft's stance on the future of their mobile phone business is unknown and unfortunately there is still a lack of software for the devices. Personally I like the UI and function of the phone but Microsoft would have done better if they didn't saturate the market with phones in all price points and invested more money and incentives into the software/app side.

From what I understand you might still be able to get a free dock and Office 365 12 month subscription through the "Lumia offers" app on the phone...I don't have one so can't try it but it's what I heard on one of the latest All About Windows Phone podcasts...

I think that ended in July...

Also, don't quote me on this but it should still be easy enough to sell this for around £200 next year (I have sold older outdated handsets at higher % rates). So if you are a Windows fan this probably even worth it "just for now", until we see what the Surface brand will bring.

I want it mainly for the camera but if it performs identically to my 830 (other than the hardware-specific differences) then I won't bother...

Great phone voted hot.
Comparison with iPhone 6s here..
https://versus.com/en/apple-iphone-6s-vs-microsoft-lumia-950

Camera great, app choice poor.
Also compatibility issues with looks of hardware. A friend had issues trying to use the Microsoft fitness band with this! ... Just a heads up :smile:

I had really hoped Windows Mobile would take off more but they seem to be continually backtracking on promises (a bit like with Windows RT) and slowly giving up on it. It's a shame as a Lumia 950 + Continuum dock sounded like actual progress for smartphones and computer convergence.

Also Windows phones seem to depreciate like nothing you've ever seen. Former and recent Lumia 930 flagship is now under £100...

​I never had a single offer using the Lumia Offers app - it's yet another example of Microsoft providing software that stops working, so they cease development of it

If you want an Android for this price go for the Honor 7!

Gave up on Windows Phone last month, Android has matured a lot more with Marshmallow from before when I was using Jellybean and switched to Windows Phone.

Live tiles is about the only thing I miss, I actually feel now that my phone is a useful tool out and about compared to what is lacking with Windows Phone....it could have been so different but Microsoft do not know how to properly market their products and were way too late to market behind Android and iOS.

I like the Windows phone UI a lot. Windows Phone provides in reality what iOS claimed to offer, but never has - seamless and effortless use and integration with the desktop on your PC. I find Android disorganised and chaotic. Being a fully grown adult, I'm less worried about being able to run the latest fad apps. I was aware of Pokemon Go when it came out, but have no interest in it whatsoever. My phone is for calls, messaging, email, web browsing and photography.

I consider Windows phone as 'exclusive' and I'm glad there's still currently a choice. I don't run the latest hardware; I'm only just switching from a 920 (£130 sim free two years ago) to an 830, which cost £130 sim free again.

I realise that Windows Phone is not a popular choice, and that's not a problem for me because the other options presumably suit most people better, which is good for them. It will be sad if/when Microsoft give up on their phone OS, but hopefully they won't because the convergence between the mobile and desktop is a compelling proposition which the other phone OS's can't offer.

great phone's cack OS

That always seems to be the counter argument that iOS and android is full of gimmick apps. Coming from a Windows Phone back to Android both my wife and myself have found this far from the truth.

Windows Phone is a great OS...buggy Edge browser aside. It is let down by poor apps, often ones released are better designed on iOS or Android...and the biggest problem of all is lack of useful apps, including banking, retail shopping discounts (something we are all on here for...bargains), local government apps, travel apps and electronic device network controlling apps. Without those I found the whole Windows Phone ownership like a well built Swiss Army Knife with blunt blades.

Microsofts commitment to keeping this platform going is shakey in the extreme. The cpw sales guy said he'd bet his job on them stayung when I slated it to a potential customer what a goon next he'll tell me he'll be selling his grandmother. Microsoft put millions of 435 in the hands of 11 year olds I know my nieces have 1 and 1 lined up if they break them. Waiting for the 550 to come down to a fiver. Microsoft are finished both mobiles and pcs

I am patiently waiting for the MS Surface phone to arrive.

I think you missed my point. There are plenty of gimmick apps for WP too and I don't use them either. I don't use any 'apps' so it doesn't matter to me which ones are or aren't there, or how good they are in the slightest. This is probably why I'm so happy with WP and the overall effortless UX. But I get it that some people can't get by without an app for this, an app for that, no problem - suits you.

I have not missed your point at all...there are plenty of gimmicky apps on all phones, more so on iOS and Android. For the average user there is a vast array of useful apps that are used in every day use as I have mentioned that are missing....after returning to android after two years in the Windows Phone wilderness it's glaringly obvious.

Those that are happy with WP usually state it has everything they need, I am pointing out the glaring ones. I cannot control my Pioneer Receiver to browse FLAC files with a Windows Phone, I cannot program my Humax Freesat Receiver with WP if I forget to set a recording, I miss out on a multitude of store discounts and motorway service discounts, I cannot purchase tickets for travel on a WP, I miss out on bank apps...and have less than ideal social media applications that are far buggier or missing features compared to iOS and android counterparts.....not to mention the lack of OTG support with WP.

I think this is fair to mention why WP would not suit a lot of people, rather than the usual "don't need gimmicky apps anyway"

pity we dont have a deal buy xl get 950 for free...

Microsoft's CEO is sounding decidedly lukewarm towards making Windows Phones, showing no commitment himself but expecting other manufacturers to produce devices instead. HP has released a flagship business phone for enterprise customers and there are a bunch of crappy phones kicking around, but why would reputable manufacturers want to make phones for an OS that hardly anyone is buying into?

The future doesn't look good for Windows Phone, even if Microsoft continue to develop it for the time being.

I have the phone, it's fast, very good camera and had little issues with it.

I have one of the display docks, unopened which going to list on eBay.

I cannot see how posting a link to an article from a year ago changes the fact that WP is not selling and support is lessening, things are far from good. Cannot see me switching back to my WP anytime soon.

No cicobuff, you still miss the point. I'm not countering anything. I'm happy you have the apps you desperately need on Android, so a good choice for you, but they're no use to me. Just me, my case, not yours. The point therefore is, for weird people like me who don't feel the need to have an app for everything and just want a useable smartphone, WP is currently still a valid option worthy of consideration - but for how much longer, who knows...

It has enough apps for me, has my bank RBS, Spotify, what's app, 9 gag, I don't use phone for games but I know candy crush is available.

My only real gripe is the sat nav is poor compared to the old Nokia version but my new car has sat nav so no real loss.

Have you tried Smart Player? Plays FLAC files from Logitech Media Server fine for me. Also works with my Panasonic BR recorder with no probs.

Tempted - I love my Lumia 1020 but it's slow (takes ages to take and process a picture before you can take the next and WP8 is a bit buggy, so it's due to be replaced.

But... I also loved my Lumia 800 which got stuck on WP7. MS promised W10 for all WP8 devices, but the 1020 can only have the disastrously buggy preview version. Microsoft have exhausted my patience and it's time for an Android phone.

For those who like the phone and OS it's a good buy, but don't buy it in the hope that MS are going to keep developing the OS, App store, etc.

Immature much?

No I got tired of workarounds including red tube that for whatever reason would not cast to the tv both on my 735 and my wifes 930. Other than my wifes brand new works phone the Lumia 650 we are done with WP....wanted it to succeed but phones have depreciated that much and support is woeful.

Have to agree somewhat, but there are a lot more apps available now for WP than there was a year ago. UPnP Player also works well.

Well considering I have only been out of the WP infrastructure for the past month I have not seen much in the way of directly supported apps for many electronic devices, high st stores, banking, travel, discounts, payment apps etc etc all of which personally I found useful...alongside the useful Nokia apps in mixradio and in my opinion inferior replacement for here drive and a buggy edge browser and poorly implemented social media apps it was the final straw despite the lovely OS.

Seems expensive for a platform that may not have much of a future....

Got one from cex grade A for 180 - turned out to be brand new. Excellent phone with the updates. Camera unbeatable especially in low light - even better than my 1020 . Yeah the apps are a bit of a problem, but lag is so much better than android. Id even say edge is better than chrome

My 950XL is my favourite phone to date and since the recent updates its just getting better, I have had many iPhones & Galaxy's. Now enjoying my Win 10 PC and Surface 3 showing my texts and calls and allowing me to answer and send texts is really seamless now.

There seems to be a lot of rumours about a Surface phone so for me its fingers crossed that MS are still behind a phone OS as I don't want my next phone to be an Android or Apple, been there, done that and moved up :smile:

Cold because Microsoft dont make phones any more & the support will dry up fast & comparatively there are no apps. Could have been dread but its no BETAMAX.

Great phone
Great camera
Nice fluid OS
Very poor app store

Don't buy, unless you are happy to stick to the built-in apps (email, browser) and a few mainstream ones (e.g. Facebook).

Many Windows apps are no longer updated (and many existing ones, when available, are very poor compared to iOS or Android versions), and MS has not made any phone announcement for some time. This is basically a dead platform now (after they release their last couple of Surface phones already in the pipe). I am sure it will be formally announced in the next few months.

I wouldn't recommend buying this at a premium price, maybe for £50...

Allot of contracts are now for 24 months...however this phone is still expensive given its uncertain future..

That is true, but this is Sim Free so there is no need for a contract.

Considering the tiny percentage of apps that support UWP and Continuum to say it offers a seamless and effortless experience is disingenuous. It’s like an unemployed person saying they have no issues at work.


Great way to deflect from the lack of true software support by suggesting that if someone does something except for basic usage then they must be playing games. A futile argument that gets bandied about by people desperate to defend the dire lack of software support for the platform. I hear that it is a non-issue for you but that doesn’t mean it isn’t dire and a serious issue for those who just want some mainstream app support.


I bought a mint 930 from Amazon Warehouse in May for £106 and great hardware except for the battery life but the software situation was even worse than I imagined so had to sell it on. Not complaining as I made over £40 to put towards a platform that has support. :wink:
Bought another for an elderly relative who can live with the limitations so got a bargain for £106 with that screen and camera.


I was really hoping they could gain traction as things seemed okay about 12 to 18 months ago but then sales dropped off a cliff and general support with it.
The convergence thing on paper is a great idea but not if it means having to use Windows 10 on the desktop.

True, but if Microsoft stop making phones and later cease support for the Windows 10 mobile OS, all the windows phones people have foolishly bought will simply vanish into thin air. It's too risky. /sarcasm :smiley:

And on Aston Martin only having a miniscule market share, I was just pointing out that Windows Phone's market share is not relevant to whether quality built devices running it are worthy of consideration or not. Aston Martin seem to do just fine on only 0.01% of car sales. McDonalds sell plenty of burgers every day. People too easily confuse popularity with quality when there isn't necessarily any correlation.

Its just a setting in Windows 10, I think its under Cortana, it automatically links on your MS account. No app needed

Here's a link to some Universal Apps. These will work on your phone as well as the Windows 10 desktop..
http://fieldguide.gizmodo.com/these-windows-10-apps-are-actually-worth-installing-1783083723

Still not found how I switched it on but here is a little info http://www.theverge.com/2015/10/20/9578645/cortana-windows-10-send-texts-pc

As an enthusiastic windows phone owner currently Lumia 930 this should be a great value upgrade. There is however one thing that concerns me, this year I have had emails from companies Banks, Hotel groups, Shell fuel & many others offering apps to help with their products, these take the form of IOS & Android never windows. Why is this? Do Microsoft prevent these? This is pushing me toward Android for my next device. (Apple are not even a passing consideration).

Thanks OP!

Apps are available for most Banks..

NatWest
https://www.microsoft.com/en-gb/store/p/natwest/9wzdncrfhwlt

RBS
https://www.microsoft.com/en-gb/store/p/royal-bank-of-scotland/9nblggh09cr5

Barclays
https://www.microsoft.com/en-gb/store/p/barclays-mobile-banking/9wzdncrfhxg7

Lloyds
https://www.microsoft.com/en-gb/store/p/lloyds-bank/9wzdncrfj10v

I'm always tickled by how many people who perhaps have never used, never mind owned, a WP like to come on these threads and diss them. My employer (5K+ employees) uses WP (Lumia 640XL's) and people, generally, are very pleased with them. My experience is 5+ years on WP having decided to ditch buggy, uber-customisable Android for something a bit "fresher". I'm currently running a Lumia 735 which is about 18 months old, on original battery, can still get at least a proper full day (6am to 10pm) with ease, often longer. Currently at 56% after 14 hours off the charger, and that is with normal, varied use with nothing switched off. Plus all the apps that I particularly need work well. In fact, my banking app (RBS) is significantly better than the website.

It is horses for courses. If I was in the market for a new phone and needed to choose between a £600 iPhone, a £500 Samsung 7 or this for £249, I know which I would choose and the money saved could go towards, or even pay for in full, a holiday.


All the best.


SP

I used windows mobile for a short while a few years ago... I found it on par with iOS for speed etc but did lack apps! one thing I'd be interested to know is still as locked down as it was eg can you download any file type ? I found android had more freedom which is why I prefer it. what can you do with a windows phone in 2016??

No Pokemon GO! - Cold!

I have given up on my Lumia 735 in favour of a 2 year old LG G3, and much prefer it...admittedly the battery life is nowhere near as good and it does not have the OLED advantage, but a larger screen, better camera, smoother internet browsing and useful apps....after being away from Android since Jelly Bean I am actually impressed with Marshmallow. My wife also switched from her 930 to a LG G3 too, and much prefers that.

I do not see much dissing of WP here mainly facts about its disadvantages...call that 'dissing' if you will.

If I had £250 and wanted a brand new phone I would sooner plump for an LG G4 over this.

Personally much prefer the interface and ease of use of my Windows Phone over my Android phone, guess we are all different :wink:

Yep, I prefer WP interface too. Just wished MS would support the hardware they release better than what they actually do, they are too busy shooting themselves in the foot. Only so long we were prepared to wait for change after already a 6 month too long wait for Windows 10 so lauded for reducing the app gap which was pure BS.

I really hope support for windows phones picks up. they are a joy to use. and the camera on this is sensational. if there was any justice in the world, they would be the ones competing with Apple, not android.

But, the apps are a little....disappointing in comparison to the other two platforms.

I would agree, but there is only so long you can attempt to support a device that is failing in the marketplace regardless of its OS which for the most part is a joy to use. Compared to both iOS and android Microsoft were extremely late to market with their take on a smartphone and have made some bad decisions along the way, including a very late implementation of Windows 10 which has done nothing to increase sales and very little to reduce the app gap problem.

In numbers, Windows Mobile does compete with iOS. Android has got to be something like 85% of the market these days. With Apple's iOS only claiming about 12% and on the slide, WP trails a distant and rapidly declining third with perhaps a little over 2%.

Although WP OS is great there hasn't been a well designed windows phone since the Lumia 925. Nokia designers were the best and since Microsoft bought Nokia and binned it, deciding on designing their own phones all they have pumped out are bland devices.

Hey guys, let us not nit-pick on petty issues.
True that windows phone does not have as many apps as ios or android.
But this is a fantastic deal. It uses arguably the safest os today. The specs are awesome.
If you google you will find that Microsoft promises to support Windows phone for the foreseeable future and in my opinion, Microsoft does that pretty well.
Also, their measly app store has well checked apps so that there is real security and no leakage. I'd rather prefer that than the way Android is going on it with it's multitude of apps (not that Android is not a good os).
Does it matter if ios or android have a bigger share of the market? What about individual preferences?
We all have our preferences. So be it.
I do not make use of the great camera on this phone or the measly apps (I have a good camera for that and everything else on the PC or Mac) but still find the phone awesome. Gets everything done for me. Prefer to use it than my iphone 6s plus or Samsung. Again horses for courses. We are all different. Isn't that wonderful?:-)

Nokia selling up to Microsoft was the single worst thing to happen to Windows Phone but then again they were already a sinking ship.

I like Lumia phones for their camera. Much better than (same gen) iPhone cameras IMO. If you are a heavy app user who likes to explore and check out all the latest apps everyone is using then WP probably isn't for you, but for calls/txt/email/browsing/camera/music/video they are more than capable!

The specs are alright. I'd be disappointed if a £250 phone didn't have 3GB RAM nowadays.

iPhone 6s costs over twice as much and only has 2GB.

So much misinformation posing as fact in this thread, as yet another thread descends into fan boy war...
MS reduced their own phone output as it was putting off other manufacturers, as no one bought anything other than MS/nokia for WP, so they pulled back to encourage other OEM's, hence the release of the new VERY top end HP (Not dell...)
They have said repeatedly that they are in Win10 Mobile for the distance, they have just spent FORTUNES making their entire platform one (PC, mobile xbox) why would they then just stop as they achieve it?
Market share? In the UK somewhere near 10%, across EU5, more than that. In Italy, it's more popular than the iPhone.

No, I'm not saying it's going to take over the world, but as a long time WP user, I can say it is still the most simple 'just works' integrated platform out there. It would be an incredible shame if MS did drop it, but people seem to miss the point, MS are pushing big into corporates, where WP does work. And If they make that stick, they encourage OEMS and developers.
Apps are clearly lacking, but as others have said, the basics ARE covered.

At work we deal with 500 mobile engineers who have recentlyl voted to stay with Windows Phone rather than move to Android. They must like it.

I took a 435 out for the day, found it extremely tacky. No push sip calling what's that about. You may think of me as an apple hating android fan boy but I had the n900 and Nokia couldn't get traction with maemo they dumped the repository to 3Rd party and it doesn't work. Blackberry playback stopped being updated long ago now the browser html is so dated it's flagging problems up with say YouTube so now it's a glorified media player. So I've had my fingers burned many times. I've said bye bye to new pcs and Win10mob and I suggest you all do the same

Can be used as a good camera

​This is cold for way more reasons than that. When you can get the G4 for close to this with very similar specs or the Honor 7 for much cheaper this is a silly buy unless you're a die hard windows fan or Android hater. Its a shame cause I was a massive fan of Windows Phone before Windows 10 for Mobile. Had to send my 950XL back (that was from Amazon warehouse for £238 on Prime Day the other month) cause it was unusable in its current form as a daily driver. Maybe anniversary update has made it more stable?! Any comments people?

I'd too like to hear from users who are used to WP/W10M on their current experiences with 950. It seems most comments come from people who ditched the platform or those who are not willing to give it a try, so it would be nice to hear from people who are already used to the eco system so they can speak about the things that matter to us - how is the battery life compared to other models such as 850? How much quicker is it? Does it crash less now than before? How is the camera and what lenses/options are missing? How quick is the camera? etc...

​I will say having used the 1520 extensively and the 640xl that the 950xl was slower, I believe this to be solely down to Windows 10, I would love to see it on Windows Phone 8.1. Battery life was nowhere near as good as the 1520 or 640xl either but that's understandable considering the processor, gpu and screen. Going against the grain with most people I would say the camera is only 'ok', I think the days are gone where Lumia cameras were supreme to their counterparts, Android flagships have caught up and surpassed this. Still the ability to alter the flash amount after the shot is brilliant, it's fast enough but slower than most Android flagships that have come after the LG G4, the app did seem a little bare bones, no panorama from what I recall, but the full manual mode was available. Colours were a little warm and over saturated for my liking but not ridiculously over sharpened like a lot of Androids. I didn't see a lot of crashes if I'm being honest but everything was a bit jittery in comparison to the smoothness of 8.1. Oh but on a positive, I didn't see any overheating from the sd810 and the screen is sublime.

Bought a Lumia 830 new for £150 a year ago to replace an iphone and love it. Bargain phone at that price.Just upgraded to W10M this week and works well, great integration to my PC. Would consider a 950 but I don't really need the extra horses since I don't game/watch video, and am finding it hard to justify an upgrade to the 950. But at £249 less discounts it's a steal. Couldn't get on with Android, it's too Mickey Mouse.....oh, and my Lumia hasn't caught fire yet....

As regards the 950... not the xl...
I found it great. I'm well used to the Win10 preview as I used it on a930, but the 950 was a different kettle of fish completely. Reliable, responsive... camera was excellent too. Battery life was also good, easily through a whole day.
A lot of the reports of poor performanceand battery life came from the early releases of the 950/xl, which were sorted by firmware updates. Certainly, by the time I got my hands on a 950,I saw very few issues.
Camera was quick, and as good as you'd expect of a top end lumina. Lens are still coming too, the Win10 native Panarama lens has returned too.

​that's better, thanks for translating!

Have you found Google Maps already? (yes, I know Bing Maps and already heard a lot of fairy tales how good equivalent it is but try to confirm address using street view...)
And how about Snapchat? Paypal? Kayak? Amazon?
Skype will stop working on devices sold just few months ago (Windows Phone 8.1). Skype.. you know.. niche, exotic software maker. Oh, wait...
And this is status for now. NOW. The day somebody decides to buy a phone. What will happen next month? Next three months? it's just an avalanche starting.
Are you buying a phone to be used for three months? Seriously?

Update to Windows 10 Maps here..
https://blogs.windows.com/windowsexperience/2016/06/21/latest-windows-10-maps-app-builds-on-experiences-beyond-just-directions/#ior9hMzQwXCAEFkW.97

New Skype app on the way for Windows 10 Mobile also..
http://www.windowscentral.com/skype-preview-windows-10-mobile-leaks

You're not reading carefully. Windows Maps are Bing Maps. With all drawbacks and known problems (to be precise Google Maps have problems too, but also offers much better coverage in terms of Street View).
Skype for Windows 10 is still working. It's discontinued for Windows Phone 8.1 and older. Problem is the last Windows 8.1 phone was on the market just few months ago and still you can buy one, even from operators!!!
But Microsoft just drops one of the most important apps. Why? Because they don't care. Why I should care then? Why anyone should care?

​This is nothing like Lumia 640. This can work as computer as well with Microsoft dock.

To me, that gives credence to the pleasing fact that lower specification WP devices still allow for a great user experience, with a smooth, reliable OS. That can't really be said about a host of lower spec Android devices, nor about older iOS devices as well. Of course, the very high spec WP devices will make a great OS feel even nippier with better components and produce better photographs with a more sophisticated camera. I'm speaking as a five year plus WP user, having stepped away from Android because it was just so old feeling. I still use the occasional Android device at home, plus I have to tinker with the wife's OnePlus Two from time to time, but there isn't really anything there which is making me want to leave WP as the simplicity and ease of use of it are more important to me than the endless customisability of Android. If there was an "app" I desperately needed then maybe I would get a droid. As it stands, in over five years, there just isn't that need. YMMV.

All the best,


SP

I had the 950XL and returned it as too big for me.
I have bought a 950. I have a 920.
The buttons on both the 950's are very plasticky and cheap feeling.
On the plus side, I did a test and left the 950 for 4 days, mostly on standby. It was down to 35% after 4 days, so the battery is great.
This was after the recent update.
More apps than I thought after reading all the complaints, so for me it is fine.
The Maps are really really bad, a number of times it has had me drive past a road I am going to and take me a mile out of my way to get back to it. I tested it in familiar areas so I could see how good or bad it is.
Very bad.
You can buy CoPilot satnav for it, which is much better.
Camera is great, I liked it on the 920 as well, although the Nokia has more apps for the camera so I could do more with it than the Microsoft version.
How is that for some info for you?

Thank u, this is the kind of review/comparison I was looking for. I have had 830 for a couple years now and while it was fantastic on WP8.1 it does have some issues with W10M. Is it just me or have a lot of the Nokia/Microsoft camera apps (including the editing ones) disappeared?

HERE Maps on WP8.1 used to wipe the floor with Google Maps and their SatNav was the best I've seen on mobile. Even tho Microsoft Maps uses HERE data it's nowhere close. I only discovered recently when I actually tried using it in action (rather than a quick play without needing to get anywhere). I recently used iPhone maps and was impressed at how far it has come along - it used to be terrible!

Upgraders from WP8.1 to W10M are in limbo, having to choose between a stable fantastic and fluid but dead and unsupported old OS, or a buggy developing sometimes-beta-feeling new one. I read a lot about how good it is on 950 so I had guessed it's better on hardware it was designed for. The problem is when I read people saying older devices run W10M just as well as flagship, that's the only thing that has me weary.

I must admit I'm a BIG fan of Windows on mobile, despite its faults, but if it's not much different on flagship and doesn't seem to be getting better then I may have to relegate it to "second phone" status...

Yes but you are talking about 12month contract, this is a deal to buy an top rated unlocked phone outright and use a cheap payg sim until you feel the need to replace it. Unlike the contract gang who pay £600/year for a decent phone like this. There is no such thing as a free dinner

I got my 950XL because I realised the battery life on my 925 was deteriorating so fast that it was beginning to be a problem. I went for the 950XL having just a few weeks earlier bought the 640XL for my wife via Amazon on their Prime day, for barely more than £100, when I chose to get the 950XL, it was £250 on Amazon warehouse in an As New state (which it was), the only as new 640XL was £145 so it wasn't much more to get the display dock capability and marginally better camera.

Things I like about the 950XL

1) Removable battery, that means its a phone that will last for as many years as you can put up with it. If you tend to replace your phone every couple of years, this may not be a concern.
2) MicroSD slot that I've got a 128GB chip in at the moment, but if 256GB get cheaper will try one of them.
3) Automatic upload of photos to Onedrive - my wife's previous phone died without warning, with this feature the photos she had taken would be lost. I don't know how integrated cloud is with other makes these days, but this is a major plus, so long as you are aware they may be viewed by Microsoft staff.
4) I like the integration between windows 10 desktop and phone, for me it just makes life a lot easier.
5) Display dock, yes there are issues with some apps, but to be frank I was surprised at how many support it from day one, other than office apps, not really sure of the benefit, vs HDMI output, but once you link up some USB equipment you'll see what makes it better than the offerings from Android/iOS, whether this is largely a gimmick is debatable. Next time I work away from home, I'm going to see if I can live without using my windows tablet, to see just how much this would allow me to ditch it.
6) Windows 10 on the 950XL seems as fast as anywhere, I've not had it crash, but I've only had it a month or so. I had a preview on my 925 and that seemed pretty good. I like Here Transit, and missed it, until I realised when you ask maps for directions, you can tell it public transport to get bus/train details, which appear to be more comprehensive and give you multiple options, not just the fastest.
7) As a phone it's as good as any other out there.
8 ) Security, especially compared to Android which is the equivalent of a broken plastic sieve when looking for holes in the OS, it's by far the most secure and virus free of the phone operating systems.
9) Regular updates for security patches. I've owned a few Android phones, all have one or major security holes that can't be fixed because the manufacturer has ditched support within 12 months.

Things I don't like

1) It's a bit cheap feeling for a premium phone, compared to the 640XL it doesn't feel like it's in a higher tier, certainly when coming from a 925, but the removable battery and microsd are why you pay this price. You can of course buy replacement backs which no doubt would improve the quality feel.
2) Lack of apps, there's been a few times I've found an app I'd like not available, but I'm not a heavy user of apps and at the end of the day, even though I toyed with getting an Android, there are features on Windows phones I really like.
3) Regular updates, I'm pretty sure I have to reboot for an update every couple of days, if it's security patches that's ok, but I suspect a lot is making the OS better.

I think any phone with Windows is going to tend to be a marmite phone, anyone who's persevered through it for more than a couple of months is likely to be more than happy and stick with it, but if not you're probably going to go down the Android route.

I'm quite surprised by the responses you get from the haters, I've not had a single crash or experienced any performance/battery issues. Even with data and wifi, I typically find 40% or more left when I go to bed and put it back on it's charger.

Whether the OS is dead or not is open to debate, but the infrastructure it uses is there for Windows 10 desktop as much as phone, so won't disappear and it's not going to stop working suddenly because at some future time MS ditch the OS. Whether Universal apps change the fortunes, I'm not sure, it has possibilities and opens phone development to a whole new set of developers, but it's a step change from windows development for a PC, so may not bring as many into the fold as MS might hope.

mike

Only works with the 950 and 950 XL as far as Lumia's are concerned.

Nothing to do with them not caring. They're working on a Universal Skype app and have to stop with the Windows phone 8 version as it's quite frankly terrible anyway. As for current Lumia's on sale with Windows Phone 8.1 they can get the upgrade straight away to Windows 10 mobile so I don't see the issue here.

People need to ignore this. Read the sensible comments instead.

Just noticed that they are now also offering the display dock free along with this - which is good as I was chatting with them yesterday to see if they'd match the Vodafone price of £39.99 and they wouldn't. And now they've beaten the VF price...

Is a real shame Here Maps dropped support. The others, not so much (for me).

You used here maps lately? Its gone bobbins on Android... no loss it seems.
And I'm genuinely interested in the comments regarding MS Maps app, I find it brilliant, so quick to access, pin destinations to folders on start, quick, reliable... does have occasional odd bugs (forgets its downloaded maps FI...)but I found it works really well, and the nav integrates really well into the maps and search functions.

Joespur,

I upgraded 2 weeks ago on my Lumia830 from 8.1 to W10. Early versions of the W10 were too unstable (I tried it on the Insider Program) but the latest version is pretty good. It's marginally slower to "open up" when screensaver is on, otherwise reacts the same as 8.1. Battery life is as good - if not marginally better - than 8.1,
Camera has changed functions somewhat but is still essentially the same although you do get a panorama option now. However, on 8.1 the camera had the option of the different microsoft and nokia camera apps, these are now combined - meaning you lose the functions of the old Nokia camera for scenes (low light, etc) which is a shame. Office works much better on W10, although I've had a couple of problems uploading email on W10M because I have multiple hotmail accounts - it does get bit confused when you have more than 1 Microsoft account. 1 week later and this seems to have sorted itself out. Synchronisation with the PC is much quicker - instantaneous. And, of course, you lose all HERE Maps/App functionality if you move to W10. All of my other Apps seem unaffected and all have been compatible with W10. Also my 830 had an annoying habit of rebooting itself once every few days for no apparent reason, this has now stopped on upgrade to W10M.
Overall, I think it was worth upgrading, especially if you are syncing up to a PC running W10, with no loss of performance and loss of a few features only..

Hey, thanks for the review. I have actually upgraded mine too (latest official version) and on the whole it's ok but in places there are some bugs, for example Edge hangs a lot. This seems to have got better with the anniversary update, which on the whole seemed like more of a behind the scenes update than a noticible refresh. Lumia 830 was fantastic on 8.1 but now that it's a couple years older it's showing its age a bit. I am so tempted to get this 950 but I want it to be considerably better than 830 otherwise I may as well for Surface or get something else...

It's not better. Actualy since Microsoft takeover is uncontrolled downhill.
820 was best made 8x0 Lumia. Carl Zeiss camera, decent materials, still a good phone. 830 was worse. LCD screen instead of AMOLED, slower CPU etc. Only better thing is camera with OIS.
620 was very good reasonably priced phone. NFC, decent camera, front camera. 630/635 was utter cr*p. Cheap plastic, no NFC, no front camera etc. Only good point was 4G in 635. 640 is slightly better.
950 apart from quite ingenious dock with continuity actually worse phone than 930 - worse materials, almost same camera, pretty much comparable interior.

It's a shame they couldn't nail it with 950. I was surprised at how much bigger 950 felt in the hand too. I personally think 830 was much nicer than 820 but I guess that's because camera is one of the most important features for me. 620 was nice but it got incredibly slow with updates due to its low spec. With the dock now included I am so tempted to purchase this 950 but I may wait a little longer...

To be frank, I'll always take twice the talk time, a significant weight reduction, replaceable battery and microsd slot, against any perceived benefit in the build quality. The lack of a replaceable battery was why I even bothered to look at the 950 whilst considering a 930 before eventually plumping for the 950XL, I didn't particularly want the bigger screen, but having tested the 640XL for size I felt the bigger screen helps with office apps, when not using continuum, they were painful on the 925, which I loved but for the lack of replaceable battery putting a premature end to it's life.

It's a marmite phone, that's for sure, I wouldn't put anyone off buying one, but likewise I would ask them to read reviews to see if it's what they want. Though I found the reviews opinion of Windows 10 is often way past the mark, since it has improved a lot in the last few months.

mike

If it makes a difference, I just listed the dual sim version from the France Microsoft store. http://www.hotukdeals.com/deals/microsoft-dual-sim-lumia-950-950-xl-with-continuum-dock-microsoft-store-france-299-2506968
I have had the 950 XL and it gets too hot for my liking as it runs the Snapdragon 820 chip, the 950 runs the 808 and is cooler. And the battery seems to last longer.

I was just looking at that one before coming here as I have it on alert :smiley:

Did u ever have 830? Does the batter last longer? A lot of people say it will last a day but obviously that will depend on usage and other factors...

I have a Windows phone (after giving my Iphone to my daughter!) and although the OS is easy to use, most apps will not be available.

Thanks for the posting. I've ordered for the missus. :smiley:

I just need to decide what to do with the dock. Don't really need it. But the prices on auction sites aren't great and whilst I'll have some fun playing with it for a few days, I can see it being a device that ends up in a drawer.

​same here.. if i am not wrong you had lumia 735 from EE. i got s6 edge this time..

Anybody missing Windows interface on Android, i would suggest use 'Arrow Launcher' from Microsoft, it learns as you use more apps, it organizes icons better.

Changed from Android to WP some while ago, much better system imo. Quicker and easier to use. Apps not as good but new ones are still being added and existing ones are being improved all the time.

Ordered the 950 on Saturday. Got delivered today. The display dock freebie was added since Monday so i contacted customer care. They were very helpful and have agreed to send a seperate display dock. :smiley:

If there was any justice in the world Microsoft should roll over and die

Sounds like good customer service, better than you would get from Sony or Samsung.

Ordered mine on Monday evening and got it delivered yesterday together along with the Dock, very nice packaging too if a little big but gives you that premium feel unlike some boxes.

Did run rather hot at first but seems better on the Anniversary build update, gonna do a few battery cycles before using it in Anger.

Sorry, but you are not making a fair comparison.

Even if you're running an older version of Android the experience is almost identical as Google Play services update all of your apps.

I had a Windows phone as a back up and it's like going back to using a feature phone so limited are you by lack of apps.

I would like to get this deal. I find android Google Maps ability to find the genuinely best and 'smartest' route whilst taking into account live traffic data quite amazing. I appreciate Windows Maps may be accurate in it's mapping but how does it compare in it's use of traffic data? I've tried googling 'versus' comparisons but not much comes up. Many thanks for any help.

It is fair, an old Android phone will often fail to update even the basic stuff like Google Play store, let alone install any security patches, how do I know, because I was firmly in the Android camp for many years, just turned on the old phones, only to use as Bluetooth media players and found all but one refused to go to Google Play Store - so you end up between a rock and a hard place, unable to install anything because Google won't allow the older versions and unable to upgrade to the latest version, of those only one could be updated to any recent versions, probably because it was a Samsung Galaxy S so had plenty of demand, the others, no go. This was particularly galling since one of the Android phones was bought at the same time as my first Windows 8 phone, which a few years on is still getting all the security patches, what's more these weren't obscure phones, but phones that must have sold in their 1000s.

Perhaps this was partly my own fault, if I'd known I wouldn't have factory reset the damned machines, for a media player you don't need to open yourself to half the security problems, but only if you can get a decent media player installed in the first place.

I don't blame Google for this, it's the same as PCs, if you allow hardware freedom you will get these issues, hence why Windows and Apple phones are far less likely (and also because architecturally they are superior for security).

Android is bad enough for security holes, but throw in the problem of inability to upgrade and you could easily have big problems, I suppose the one saving grace, if you can't get the new Store, then you certainly won't get any of the latest malware.

mike

I still have an old HTC Desire S running Gingerbread knocking about and it all still updates ok. As for malware, if you only download from the Play store you will be fine.

Anyway, each to his own.

I'm not a android lover either, like others have had phones, liked where it was seemingly going in the early days, then they clamped down on memory management stopping applications from being able to be moved to SD card unless you rooted and even then it was still a pain. Plus the amount of google bloatware being updated onto limited older phones made them crawl. Promised updates to newer versions that never happens.

Yes I have also had my finger burnt with Nokia/Windows. The 800 limited upgrade from 7 to 7.5, the 920 promise off windows 10 upgrade.. Yet I have a 930 and love where windows mobile 10 has gone. Would love a 950 but trying to justify what a 950 will give me my 930 can't do other than being basically the only upgrade path present unlike the masses of androids I don't want. If the price was dropped to under £200 I would probably grab this.

It's not a personal choice that Android phones don't update, read this article and you'll see I'm not alone http://www.welivesecurity.com/2016/02/02/android-security-holes/. Not only that, there are some security fixes that require upgrades to the OS, so if you're stuck on Gingerbread then there will potential security issues, granted mostly just good practice will stop getting most, but there are plenty of incidents where Play store apps have been infected.

I don't think there's generally any problem with a phone running an old OS, but the lack of support is exactly the same with Gingerbread as it is with Windows 7, 8 or sometime in the future 10, not that it matters, generally speaking the phone will still function, though a factory reset on Android might end up with you losing access to any applications other than those installed by default.

mike

Just sold my Mate 8 and bought a 950 XL.
Love the UI, camera is amazing, no crashes.
A shame the apps aren't there as everything else is better than android. If all you do is browse the web and a bit of social media then I fully recommend the 950/XL. If you cant do without certain apps stick with what you already know.

I should remind you that Microsoft were in the smartphone market long before Google or Apple with Windows CE.

iPhone 6 = 1Gb RAM Lumia 950 = 3Gb RAM
iPhone 6 = LED-backlit IPS LCD, Lumia 950 = AMOLED
iPhone 6 = 750 x 1334px , Lumia 950 = 1440 x 2560px
iPhone 6 = 326 ppi , Lumia 950 = 564 ppi
iPhone 6 = Apple A8 dual core, Lumia 950 = Snapdragon 808 hexacore
iPhone 6 = 16Gb fixed , Lumia 950 = 32Gb expandable to 200Gb
iPhone 6 = camera 8 MP single LED, f/2.2, Lumia 950 = 20 MP, f/1.9, 26mm, Carl Zeiss, triple-LED RGB flash
iPhone 6 = max video HD, Lumia 950 = 4K
iPhone 6 = SIRI, Lumia 950 = Cortana
iPhone 6 = battery 1810 mAh , Lumia 950 = 3000 mAh
In EVERY measurable hardware feature the 950 trounces an iPhone, that's even without Continuum, the better compatibility etc. If the specs are just 'alright', what do you make of the specs of an iPhone 6? The just-released iPhone 7 specs are hardly any better than the 6, with the pathetic 750 x 1334 (Retina - ha ha ha!) display.

I upgraded my 925 last year to the 950XL with the free docking station. The initial experience wasn't great, since the OS was slightly flaky. Over the last year and a number of firmware and OS updates I'd say it is back to being great. I work in a technical role for a software company and for business the phone is just fantastic and use the Continuum feature regularly. Demonstrating our software I can do from the phone. First, connect to the display - TV or projector. I can connect wirelessly (no dock required) to most modern TVs or projectors which have Miracast built in, and I have a Microsoft wireless display adapter for those that can't. I can plug the same Logitech wireless mouse into the phone that I use in my laptop and I open up a Bluetooth keyboard. The display scales up to full HD and I usually start with a PowerPoint. I then fire up Remote Desktop and connect to an Azure VM, where I can drive a Windows 2012 Server exactly like if I was doing it directly on a desktop. If I need to charge up at the same time I can use the display dock instead of wireless display and plug the peripherals into that instead. I can also connect an external hard drive if I want to share anything with the customer. The main trouble I find is that the customers end up being more interested in the fact that I can do all this with a phone than in our software. There is no other phone produced that can do this.
Compatibility: As an aside, I can wirelessly show photos, play music, show videos to my Sony TV, my Panasonic TV, my Netgear media streamer, my D-Link media streamer. I can upload/download/browse file on my Buffalo NAs and my Synology NAS. I can connect a mouse, hard drive and many other peripherals with the USB port.I use very few extra apps, most of what I need to do works out of the box or via the web site. Most apps just present web data anyway. I can't think of a single app I don't have which I might want to use.

That argument holds no water. Apple devices outperform almost any other phone despite the lower specs. They have an amazing ability to get more out of their hardware than any android or windows dev. Just look at how they benchmark.

So were Nokia, Samsung, Sony and Motorola with Symbian....why do you think Nokia, Blackberry and Windows CE were failures? Symbian was already outpacing Windows CE and the advent of modern smartphone OS's with iOS and Android and the slow updating from Blackberry meant Blackberry were already in trouble despite lasting out a while in their own niché in the business world.

The dreadfully dated Symbian spelling the death knoll for Nokia digging their heels in with Symbian and the very late to market Windows Phone OS which has struggled to gain grounds, I stick by my original comment.

If you take Windows Phone OS as a success in the marketplace despite it being a very well designed OS , then you must be delusional.

2013 - 3.4%
2014 - 2.5%
2015 - 1.6%
2016 - 0.7%

WINDOWS PHONE is the UK's fastest growing mobile operating system, according to the latest tally from Kantar Worldpanel ComTech, while iOS and BlackBerry both saw an annual decline.

http://www.theinquirer.net/inquirer/news/2443423/windows-phone-is-the-uks-fastest-growing-mobile-operating-system

Shame then that UK companies are not producing apps for it, particularly within the retail, local government, travel and banking sectors. Glad to be out of a sinking ship personally, all promise and no delivery.

UK Banking apps.. Plenty of others if you look :smirk:
https://www.microsoft.com/en-gb/store/p/natwest/9wzdncrfhwlt

RBS
https://www.microsoft.com/en-gb/store/p/royal-bank-of-scotland/9nblggh09cr5

Barclays
https://www.microsoft.com/en-gb/store/p/barclays-mobile-banking/9wzdncrfhxg7

Lloyds
https://www.microsoft.com/en-gb/store/p/lloyds-bank/9wzdncrfj10v

I have owned a Lumia 735, I am well aware of what apps are available and not available....4 does not cover the array of banks in this country and some are just hyperlinks to websites rather than actual apps.

They are all Apps not links to websites thank you...ahem.

If you add in TSB to the list then that includes the UK's 5 largest banks.

NatWest
https://www.microsoft.com/en-gb/store/p/natwest/9wzdncrfhwlt

RBS
https://www.microsoft.com/en-gb/store/p/royal-bank-of-scotland/9nblggh09cr5

Barclays
https://www.microsoft.com/en-gb/store/p/barclays-mobile-banking/9wzdncrfhxg7

Lloyds
https://www.microsoft.com/en-gb/store/p/lloyds-bank/9wzdncrfj10v

TSB
https://www.microsoft.com/en-gb/store/p/tsb/9nblggh09ffv

And the rest? I switched from Natwest to Halifax which has a ridiculous none app linkage to the website....notice you didn't list that, RBS are the parent company of Natwest.....you really are clutching at straws in defence of Windows Phones lack of apps.....I mean it is perfectly fine to be happy with the OS and lack of apps, but to defend it against the obvious is laughable. Why do you think those of us that have given Microsoft a fair chance are abandoning ship?

The Halifax app is here..
https://www.microsoft.com/en-gb/store/p/halifax-mobile-banking-app/9wzdncrfhwbl
Works fine, not sure what your argument is, Apps are available and more are being developed, there's a lot more available now than a year ago when I first got my phone.

Read the reviews, its just a bridging link. I have no argument other than what those of us that have abandoned ship over....apps are not forthcoming, it is missing many banking, retail, local government, travel, discount, social media, electronic device controlling apps etc.

And when there are third party ones available, the majority are badly implemented workarounds. Coupled with badly implemented first party apps the majority of which work better on iOS and android, and MS shooting themselves in the foot by ditching Here Drive and even more so MixRadio in a Windows 10 Mobile OS that arrived 6 months later than anticipated I cannot say I am impressed with the 1.5 years of ownership of an infrastructure that simply is not getting better...heck many apps have not been updated from Windows 8.

I could understand if you had a valid argument about apps...but you do not. Without needing to repeat myself refer back to post #43

The Halifax app is not good I agree. But have you read the reviews on the apps for NatWest, RBS, Barclays, Lloyds and the TSB? These are well reviewed. As for electronic device controlling apps there are many now, where as a year ago there were none so it is simply not true to say that apps are not being developed.

The NatWest app is actually better than iOS and the 1st party apps such as the Office suite are all better on Windows too.

So far after switching from Android if I am missing a banking app or similar (which I am) I just pin the website login page to start screen, not ideal but not exactly a bad workaround either!

.

That is great they are well reviewed, but what about Santander, HSBC, Nationwide, First Direct, Co-Op, Tesco etc?



It is true that apps are not being developed how many more times do I have to reiterate the point, and the reason why many of us are ditching what we hoped would be a good alternative to iOS and Android. There are SOME third party workarounds for SOME electronic devices the majority of which are free limited trial and paid apps, would you say I am being unfair?...many of which I have found to be crap, such as the Denon/Marantz AVR Control which would not control my Network Player, and the Pioneer Control AV app which is nowhere near as feature rich as the official free app. Humax I asked via email about development of the Record app, for remote recording away from the Freesat box...I got the usual reply I have asked with other developers whereby they are assessing demand in the marketplace.

This will be exactly the same in the other sectors I have mentioned, without needing to repeat myself....but looks like I need to again to address the point....

If you read what I put I said apps are not forthcoming, particularly in the retail shopping/discount sector and still awaiting tap to pay via NFC, local government, travel, social media, and still within the electronic device sector....both lacking official apps or badly implemented third party apps.

Now for anyone that uses their phone for rudimentary purposes, WP is still fine..for Joe Public out and about on a city break wanting to use it for its social media, banking and retail discounts/loyalty schemes and payment in shops and public transport it is a somewhat rusty swiss army knife.

Now if Windows Phone has the fastest growing market share here and UK developers are not releasing apps for it and worldwide it is losing marketshare the future certainly does not sound too great...would you say that was unfair?, particularly when MS employees are known to be using iOS and android over WP and for that matter apps developed by MS for the other platforms are better.

I would not have abandoned ship without being 'fair' on the situation that MS have allowed WP to get into.

There are some very good control apps available now that simply were not available this time last year,so I guess that means they are not being developed???? Some logic missing there!

As I have said the Denon/Marantz app does not control my Denon Network Receiver (third party and none in development for WP), the Pioneer one (also third party and none in development for WP) has many missing sound features the official one has and a terrible FLAC browsing interface. Humax are not developing for Freesat, as are many other manufacturers not releasing WP apps...name one Audio manufacturer that has a first party app? Leaving you at the mercy of either a third party being developed, and not always successfully.

Tell you what, how about you tell me these wonderful new third party control apps (because there certainly is no first party) that would work with the following, and I will give them a try on my now gathering dust and ready to sell Lumia 735 or even my wifes gathering dust Lumia 930, and compare them to their respective android brethren

LG Smart TV
Denon DNP-720AE Network Streamer
Pioneer VSX-924 AV Receiver
Humax Freesat HDR-1000S
PS4 Remote App
Virtual DJ Remote for my DJ Controller.

You have tried arguing the bank sector, then the electronic network controlling sector...how about the others I have mentioned.....where are those apps in development for the UK retail sector? Local Government/travel sectors? etc....

How is my logic flawed?! :neutral_face:

There are some very good UPnP controls apps available now.. Look them up, these did not exist a year ago. The Panasonic control app I have for my iPhone to control my Bluray recorder still doesn't work properly so looks like that have given up on iOS.

How the blazes did no one realise that Topcashback is giving £42 back for this particular handset purchase, bringing the price down to £202!
Too late for me (I went Quidco for a measly £12 off), but this may help someone else...

And then with Windows Mobile. Which was very good mobile system with few flaws. Microsoft decided to kill whole system instead fixing problems. And history just repeated as we speak:

http://www.coolsmartphone.com/2016/09/09/turrah-lumia-nice-seein-ya/

Congratulations to everyone who just ordered a lovely phone with oficially dead software platform.

Officially? And the 'evidence' to back that up is an unnamed 'source' who supposedly works at Microsoft. Note: not an executive at Microsoft, nor head of mobile technology at Microsoft but 'somebody who works at Microsoft' and even that meagre fact wasn't verified. Right - that must be official then. My friend who works at Apple told me that Apple will no longer be making iPhones from December. And that's official.

I admire your faith. Really.

Microsoft ending the Lumia brand of handsets is not the same as ceasing Windows 10 Mobile, and besides it was well known that they would do this. Windows 10 Mobile's fate is tied closely to Windows 10 Desktop since it's intended for ARM tablets also, and they share a massive amount of core code. Plus HP has taken up the mantle of delivering the flagship enterprise device (Elite X3) so the platform's future is certainly assured for a while longer.

I can confirm the Lumia 950 actually lasts through a day now on battery since Anniversary Update, so it's easily the best smartphone you can get for £207, provided you have no desperate reliance on a particular app that's missing on Windows. Considering you get a docking station (so two fast chargers) and one of the best mobile cameras in the bargain, there's a lot to like here.

Microsoft has money and commitment to enterprise market(the same ones that has been making them money all these years).
So i would say windows mobile is far from dead, hence the release of Hp elite. I reckon this is a good deal!

plus £42 cashback
https://www.topcashback.co.uk/microsoft_store/

out of stock, or shop its open to 9:00pm?!

£44 cashback, still in stock.