• The Microsoft Lumia 950 and Microsoft Lumia 950 XL are smartphones developed by Microsoft, officially revealed on October 6, 2015 and released on November 20, 2015.

The Microsoft Lumia 950 and Microsoft Lumia 950 XL are smartphones developed by Microsoft, officially revealed on October 6, 2015 and released on November 20, 2015. (Photo : Facebook)

The Microsoft Lumia 950 was officially released on Nov. 20. Many market analysts believe that the new smartphone will help revive Microsoft's diminishing presence on the smartphone market.

Online reviews about the Lumia 950 were mixed. Some critics were satisfied with its features while some think that the Redmond-based company fell short on some areas especially if the company wants to market the device as the flagship Windows 10 smartphone.

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The Lumia 950's design is excellent with Microsoft staying true to the original components used on the phone when Nokia was still in charge, according to ZDNet. The new Lumia 950 uses a tougher polycarbonate material which makes it very light compared to most new smartphones that are made of metal.

The polycarbonate material also allows the smartphone to absorb a slight more damage compared to metal. However, the look and feel of polycarbonate slightly diminishes the device's high-end build status since it looks like it is made of plastic.

With its decent hardware specifications, the Lumia 950 has specs that can be classified as high end, according to Ars TechnicaThe Lumia 950 and the bigger 950 XL can be likened to the Android flagship devices, Nexus 5X and Nexus 6P. The devices share the same screen sizes, 5.2-inch for the 950 and 5x; 5.7-inch for the 950 XL and 6P. The devices also share the same choices of processors, 808 for the former and 810 for the latter.

On other aspects of the phone, many critics agree that the $600 price tag of the Lumia 950 is quite hefty for its specs and features. Critics also agree that, since it runs on Windows platform, the device has weak app support.