Microsoft Lumia 950 Review - Battery Life & Verdict Review
Battery Life & Verdict
Better luck next time Microsoft...
Sections
- Page 1 Microsoft Lumia 950 Review
- Page 2 Performance, Speakers and Call Quality Review
- Page 3 Camera Review
- Page 4 Battery Life & Verdict Review
Microsoft Lumia 950 – Battery
The removable 3,000mAh cell tucked inside the Lumia 950 might sound fairly beefy for a compact phone, but in real use performance pretty much matches the vast majority of handsets on the market.
If I unplug at 8am, have multiple email accounts pulling down content throughout the day, bouts of music streaming, messaging and web browsing, then I can make it through to around 11pm with between 10-15% battery left.
Gaming – with the meagre selection of titles available – eats through about 15% in 45 minutes (that was playing Halo: Spartan Strike), while streaming an episode of Jessica Jones on Netflix in HD saw the phone lose 11%. That’s about normal, in my tests, for a phone this year.
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The fact is that I’ve sometimes found that my Lumia 950 can actually last into day two – because, well, there isn’t much to do on Windows 10 Mobile.
I don’t use the Maps app – it’s slow, inaccurate and crashes – so that saves a fair amount of battery, and the lack of enticing apps overall means the Lumia 950 has been stuck in my pocket more than has been the case with the competition.
On the plus side, you can wave goodbye to your drawers of micro-USB cables since the Lumia 950 has a USB-C port for charging – and it supports fast-charging too. Plus, wireless charging is available too.
Should you buy the Microsoft Lumia 950?
I wanted to like the Lumia 950, and even Windows 10 Mobile, but even after spending a frustrating week with the handset, I can’t quite figure out who it’s for.
Maybe I’d recommend it to someone still in possession of an older Windows 8.1 phone wanting something new, but even then I’d suggest trying something that runs iOS or Android instead.
This isn’t a phone worthy of its £450 price, especially when you consider that the Nexus 6P comes in at the same price. It feels cheap, and Windows 10 Mobile brings with it far too many compromises.
With the iPhone and Samsung Galaxy S6 available for around £350, why would you plump for the Lumia 950?
Verdict
Great camera aside, the Lumia 950 is a dull phone that doesn’t do Windows 10 Mobile any favours.
(apester:5660456f41f2d0122b05615c)
Share your thoughts on the Microsoft Lumia 950 in the comments below.
How we test phones
We test every mobile phone we review thoroughly. We use industry standard tests to compare features properly and we use the phone as our main device over the review period. We’ll always tell you what we find and we never, ever, accept money to review a product.
Trusted Score
Score in detail
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Performance 8
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Camera 8
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Design 4
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Battery Life 7
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Value 5
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Software 6
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Calls & Sound 8
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Screen Quality 7
Editorial independence
Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.
Professional conduct
We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.
Editorial independence
Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.
Professional conduct
We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.
