When comparing Microsoft Lumia 950 XL vs Samsung Ativ SE, the Slant community recommends Samsung Ativ SE for most people. In the question“What are the best Windows phones?” Samsung Ativ SE is ranked 6th while Microsoft Lumia 950 XL is ranked 7th.
Specs
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Pros
Pro Good camera
The 20MP camera does a really good job in all lighting conditions. For low light shooting, it uses a triple color flash, and allows you to adjust the flash brightness after you take pictures. OIS also helps steady the phone, additionally improving low light shooting as well as video stabilization. Speaking of video, the 4 mic recording setup means audio captured will be crisp and high quality. Lastly, the 2 stage dedicated camera button can act as a shortcut to launch the camera, and pressing it down half way focuses the picture much like a regular point-and-shoot camera.
Pro Windows 10 mobile features
Windows 10 for mobile is the newest OS for Windows Phones. It makes a lot of improvements, but the two headlining features are Continuum and Windows Hello.
Continuum is a feature available in Windows 10 mobile that allows you to hook up a keyboard, mouse and monitor (through a $100 accessory) and use your phone as a computer.
Windows Hello uses an infra-red iris scanner to verify you, and unlocks the phone. This is more secure than a fingerprint scanner, but also takes about a second longer (and you need to be close to the device).
Pro Good accessability
The removable battery is a nice touch that so many phones are lacking. It also provides a SD card slot to add more storage, and keeps another less common feature: wireless charging.
Pro Quad-core 2.3 GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon 800
Pro 5–inch 1080 x 1920 Full HD AMOLED display
First hand impressions of the Ativ SE's display are unavailable at this point in time. But the Ativ SE has all the specifications to be a fantastic display. The PPI is an excellent 441 pixels per inch and the display is protected by Gorilla Glass 3.
Pro 16GB of internal storage and MicroSD card expansion
Pro 2,600 mAh removable battery
Pro 13 MP camera
The Ativ SE shares the same camera as the Galaxy S4 which was highly regarded as a fantastic camera at its release last year. Although one unfortunate thing is Samsung left out is a dedicated camera button that almost all other Windows Phones include.
Cons
Con Windows 10 mobile has bugs
While adding good features, Windows 10 mobile isn't a premium mobile operating system. There are a lot of bugs (downloading apps doesn't always work, it asks you to reboot often, apps crash much more often than competing OSs, and the list goes on).
Con Poor overall fit and finish
The plastic build isn't a big con in itself, but the rear panel creaks and flexes too much for a premium flagship phone. The speaker is tinny, and is located on the back when most manufacturers at least use a bottom facing speaker, or ideally front firing.