How Microsoft’s Lumia 950, 950 XL stack up against iPhone 6s and Nexus 6P

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By Naina Khedekar /  08 Oct 2015 , 10:19

With Microsoft’s efforts at reigniting its mobile brand, the latest Lumia 950 was released at an event last night. And now, the leading flagships from Apple, Samsung, Google and Microsoft that run on three different mobile operating systems are out there to choose from. We’ve put all four in the ring to see which one emerges as the winner – at least on paper.

Here’s a spec-to-spec comparison chart of the popular flagship devices out there:

Bottom line

The Lumia 950 and 950XL smartphones come with a 5.2-inch and 5.7-inch display, respectively with 1440 x 2560 pixels of resolution. This puts them at par with the competition. In terms of pixel density, it’s either equal or ahead by leaps compared to other flagships.

Nexus 6P comes with a 5.7-inch display, Snapdragon 810 SoC, 3,450mAh battery

The 950 gets an IPS display while the bigger 950XL has employed an AMOLED display. At 165 grams, the larger 950 XL is still lighter than the Nexus 6P that also has a 5.7-inch display.

Lumia devices have all the sensors covered. Also, it’s second to none when it comes to processing power too. The 950 is powered by a Qualcomm 808, while the XL is powered with the Snapdragon 810 processor. You can expect both devices to deliver good processing speed.

Both devices offer 32GB on board storage and that’s the only option for now. However, Microsoft has taken a step ahead by offering external memory storage up to 2TB. This is commendable, we must say.

The iPhone 6s will be ship to India starting 16 October

One should expect decent battery life, just in line with the others. The connectivity options include USB Type- C among others. Windows 10 along with USB Type-C gives it an edge over other devices with the ability to transform the smartphone into a full-fledged Windows 10 PC whenever they like. This is a great add-on for enterprise users, especially when clubbed with the Office and other enterprise-related tools that come with Windows 10. The rear snapper of the device is a whopping 20MP Pureview camera and the OIS support will ensure there are no complains when using the camera.

While other devices have opted for fingerprint scanner, Microsoft brings the new iris scanner. It is Windows 10 experience that will be the differentiating factor here.

Another deciding factor will be the pricing. The Lumia 950 is priced at $549 that translates to Rs 35841 and 950 XL at $649 (approximately Rs 42,400). So, with taxes, we can expect the device to be priced slightly higher if and when they arrive here. If Microsoft manages to get the pricing right, it may work in favour of the company.

In a nutshell, Microsoft Lumias are at par with other flagships when it comes to hardware, at least on paper. So, it is now to see how efficiently the device performs. The devices are set to go on sale in November and the initial reviews will give a fair idea about how they will help shape out Microsoft’s future in the mobile space.