Best on all floors
After a long period of absence, the high-end is back in
force. With the Lumia 950, but especially with the Lumia 950 XL that we test
here. The latter is indeed the quintessence of such a smartphone, with the best
components of the moment and a brand new OS to rotate them. Let us see what it
is worth in use.
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| lumia 950 xl dual sim |
Specifications
Networks
2G network: GSM is present in the first tranche and the
second
3G network: Existing HSDPA
4G network: Existing LTE
Internet speed
- Develop 3G HSPA up to 42.2 / 5.76 MB
- Develop 4G LTE up to 150/50 MB
GPRS: Existing
EDGE: Existing
Announcement Date and the issuance of the device
Announcement device: October 2015
The date of the device: On the market since 2015
The device body
The dimensions of the device
Height: 151.9 mm
Width: 78.4 mm
Thickness: 8.1 mm
Weight of the device: 165 grams
The type and number of slides: 2 slices Nano-SIM
The screen
Screen Type: IPS LCD screen supports 16 million colors,
Touch
The accuracy and the size of the screen:
- 1440x2560 pixel resolution (density ~ 518 pixels per inch)
- The size of 5.7 inches (~ 74.3 percent ratio of screen
size comparing with the phone size)
Multi-Touch: Existing
Screen protection: Corning Gorilla Glass 4
User interface: Clear Black display
A variety of specifications
OS: Microsoft Windows 10
Processor Type: Qualcomm MSM8994 Snapdragon 810
CPU processor: 8 core - quad-core processor at 1.5 GHz
Cortex-A53 and quad-core speeds of 2 GHz Cortex-A57
GPU graphics processor: Adreno 430
Memory
External Memory: It exists - microSD up to 200 GB
Internal Memory: 32 GB of storage
3 GB of RAM memory
Camera
Basic camera: 20 megapixel with Carl Zeiss optics and
optical image stabilization, autofocus and LED flash RGB tri
Other functions:
1 / 2.4 '' sensor size, 1.12 micrometer pixel size and Pure View
technology, dual capture, geo-tagging, face, Panorama, HDR revealed
The video: It is 2160p resolution and 30 frames per second
and install optical, stereo sound recording
Front camera: 5 megapixel camera and video accurately 1080p
The sound
Ringtones Type: Vibration tones with MP3 and WAV ringtones
Loudspeaker: Existing
Audio Output: Existing
Data
WI-FI network: Exists - Wi-Fi 802.11 a / b / g / n / ac,
dual-band, hotspot
Bluetooth: It exists - v4.1, A2DP
GPS device: Exists - A-GPS and GLONASS and Beidou network
NFC technology: Existing
The radio: FM Radio
USB: It exists - Type-C 1.0 reversible connector
Other specifications
Sensing: Accelerometer, gyro, proximity, compass, scale,
basic sensors
Browser: It exists - HTML5 technology
Java: java does not exist
Messages: SMS, MMS, e-mail, send e-mail and Instant Messaging
Other functions
- Shipping Wireless (Qi-enabled) - depends on the market
- Fast Charge Technology
- Noise Cancellation for audio recording microphone
technique Bosta
- Video playback MP4 / H.265 files
- Audio playback MP3 / WAV / eAAC You + plus
- Cloud storage OneDrive (up to 15 GB free)
- Photo and video editor
- Document Viewer
The battery
Lithium-ion battery with a capacity of 3340 mAh / h
Functioning hour in normal mode:
- Up to 288 hours in 2G mode
- Up to 288 hours in the development of 3G
Functioning hour during the call:
- Up to 25 hours in the 2G mode
- Up to 19 hours in the development of 3G
Colurs of device
Black and white
Introduction |
Few prolific on the high-end segment since it
"swallowed" Nokia last year, Microsoft took advantage of the launch
of Windows 10 Mobile to flank the new OS of two "showcase" models,
the Lumia 950 and Lumia 950 XL . If the former takes advantage of a completely
respectable technical sheet, it is the second city that puts the small dishes
in the big ones in terms of technical characteristics.
As its name suggests, this is a larger version of the 950,
with a screen whose diagonal changes to 5.7 "(Gorilla Glass 4), compared
with 5.2" (Gorilla Glass 3). On the other hand, it offers the same QHD
definition (2560 x 1440 px) and the same Amoled technology. The mobile chip is
also upgraded as the bowels of the Lumia 950 XL beat to the rhythm of a
Qualcomm Snapdragon 810 Octoccer SoC and an Adreno 430 graphics chip. Against a
Snapdragon 808 (hexacore) / Adreno 418 torque for the Lumia 950. RAM also
varies, not in quantity, since there are 3 GB of RAM in both models. But this
is LPDDR4 in the one we are testing here, against the LPDDR3 in the previous
one. The last notable difference between them is to go for the side of the
battery, 3340 mAh for the largest, and 3000 mAh for the other.
For the rest, the two smartphones share identical
characteristics. With a Pureview (1 / 2.4 ") photo sensor of 20 Mpx (1.12
μm for each pixel) and a Carl Zeiss-stamped optics, and capable of filming in
UHD-4K, an internal memory expandable via microSD of 32 Go, a USB-C port, 4G +
(Cat 6), NFC and a retinal scanner.
ERGONOMICS AND DESIGN
As evoked in the preamble, the Lumia 950 XL takes again
identically the design of the 950. One thus finds the lines very purified ...
and the plastic shell. We have nothing against this material in the absolute
when it is of good quality. But it is clear that the one chosen by Microsoft
does not leave an unforgettable sensation once in hand. That of a model such as
the Lumia 640 XL in the same manufacturer proves more convincing. Not to
mention the fact that all the high-end competitors of this year are metal hull
or toughened glass. In short, although the quality of manufacture of the 950 XL
is good overall, it pales in face of its expensive rivals.
Also note that on three models of 950 XL we were able to
handle, we found a serious problem of play in the bottom of the removable
shell. We went to check in several stores, and none of the phones tried did
suffer from this perceptible and unpleasant game. We will not penalize it on
this point because it seems obvious that this is a production defect of the
very first series. But in case of purchase in a store, we strongly advise you
to check that the phone that you find in the box is not one of these models of
the first series.
The Lumia 950 XL has a fairly large gauge with dimensions of
151.9 x 78.4 x 8.1 mm (165 g). Nevertheless, the smartphone is quite compact
and light for its category, thanks in particular to a occupancy rate of 75% of
the surface of the front face by the screen. The 950 XL therefore pays the
luxury of being a little less cumbersome than an iPhone 6s Plus for example,
while offering a display a little bigger. Even so, single-handed use remains
relatively problematic since the thumb's field of action covers only about 70%
of the display.
It would, however, be quite unjust to reproach such a
philette. All the more so that to facilitate the use with a single hand,
Microsoft has implemented a function quite practical: just press the Home
button to see the upper part of the display go down in half. This makes it
possible to access all the displayed elements with one hand. This operation
requires a small gymnastics adaptation, but works very well then.
Finally, let's finish with one of the points that did not
fail to irritate us with the Lumia 950: its propensity to heat. The presence of
the Snapdragon 810 and its reputation "all fire all flame" did not
augur the best. Nevertheless, Microsoft has widely communicated on the
incorporation of a liquid cooling system in the Lumia 950 XL. In practice, this
system is moderately effective. The XL rises less quickly in temperature than
its recent predecessor. It remains at normal temperature in most uses,
including long video sessions, local or streaming. On the other hand, it is
enough to launch a game in 3D a little greedy for the old demons of the
Snapdragon 810 resurface. After about twenty minutes of de-zigzagging on Dead
Trigger 2, the location of the mobile chip becomes so hot (49.5 degrees on the
back, 43.1 degrees Before) we had to change the orientation of the phone.
The thumb that directs the field of view being constantly on
the screen in this area, the sensation of heat is all the more sensitive and
disagreeable. Let's note that despite this overheating, we were able to play a
full hour without any error message or malfunction. In the end, the Lumia 950
XL handles a little better heating overall than the 950, especially for
capturing video in 4K, casual games, and so on. But it also rises more in temperature
when it is very solicited. Liquid cooling was better expected.
PHOTO
Intrinsically, the Lumia 950 already had a very good
photophone. Its XL version has the same characteristics in this field, with a
Pureview sensor of 20 Mpx capable of filming in UHD-4K, at 30 i / s. On the
other hand, the photo function of the 950 has been shown as a whole burdened by
some annoying defects. Good news, the XL does not display the same gaps.
Indeed, the autofocus here is clearly less capricious than that of the Lumia
950. If it is still not the most responsive of the market, its development time
is perfectly acceptable. And above all, he never "coughs" for long
seconds before he can find the sights. It is also observed that the
deformations at the edge of the images have disappeared. Similarly, the mention
"adding finishes" that sometimes lasted too long seconds for the
photos captured in "JPEG + DNG" format is here reduced to its
simplest expression. It can sometimes be seen to appear for shots that require
more post-processing than others. But the wait never lasts long and is
justified with regard to the RAW format captured.
For the rest, the quality of these shots is really
excellent. The photo function of the 950 XL makes game equal with the best of
the genre. Both in terms of detail level, dynamic range or colorimetry. From
this point of view, it even holds high to the current champion that are members
of the Galaxy S6 family, as you will see for yourself in our Face-to-Face. By
clicking on this link, you will also see that the Lumia 950 XL captures more
light than the Galaxy S6 edge + in low light. Nevertheless, when you look at it
more closely, it also smooths more, so that on our stage, the writings on the
bottle of oil or texts on the left are sharper on the shots shot by the model
of Samsung. But the fact of so napping on details to try to differentiate them
shows how well the Lumia 950 XL makes an excellent photophone.
AUTONOMY
On paper, the 3340 mAh battery of the 950 XL is quite
consistent. However, like the 950 and its accumulator of 3000 mAh, it does not
fail to disappoint on this point. That's what cost him his fifth star in the
end. The few hundred additional mAh actually serve to "mop up" the
debauchery of energy caused by the larger screen. Nevertheless, there is a
slight improvement in the autonomy between the two. But nothing transcendent.
Thus, the XL is able to spend a whole day away from a catch ... provided to
spare it a little. Multimedia uses and more particularly the games melt its
battery at high speed V, even faster than on other smartphones. Finally, as an
indication, know that the device was able to hold 6:25 in our streaming video
playback test. A very average score therefore.
The Microsoft Lumia 950 XL phone side
Like the Lumia 950, this 950 XL has excellent audio quality
in conversation, with perfect sound reproduction to the key. The GPS fix is
of the same caliber since it has always been able to find satellites very
quickly. Note that two versions of the device are marketed. For operators, it
is the mono-SIM model that prevails while the models sold "naked" are
for their part double-SIM. There is still a small subtlety between the two:
only the mono-SIM versions are compatible with the 4G + LTE Cat 6 (up to 300
Mbps downhill). Dual-SIMs are LTE Cat 4 compatible (up to 150 Mbps).
STRONG POINTS
-The big screen absolutely superb.
-The overall fluidity of the interface.
-Photo and video capture.
-Global multimedia performance.
-The iris scanner is functional, but a bit slow.
-Microsoft Continuum mode, already convincing.
-Fast charging.
-Compatible with wireless charging (Qi).
-MicroSD and removable battery.
-Capture photos in DNG format.
WEAK POINTS
-Plastic shell that is not up to the high end.
-The unit heats up a little too much when it is very
stressed.
-Pay attention to the play on the back of the hull for the
models of the first series.
-Autonomy correct in absolute, but disappointing given the
capacity of the battery.
CONCLUSION
After the somewhat unsafe first steps of a Lumia 950 that
came on the market when it did not seem completely finished software, its big
brother the Lumia 950 XL gets better from the outset. He has managed to get rid
of many of the annoying shortcomings of his recent predecessor to offer a more
fluid and less stressful experience from end to end. While the Lumia 950 XL is
definitely the (big) smartphone that all the fans of the brand have been
waiting for for a long time. On the other hand, not sure it can or wake up
convince others to skip the step to Windows 10 Mobile.
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