Hands-on with the Mozo leather covers for the Lumia 950 and Lumia 950 XL
Although Microsoft's new Lumias – the 950 and 950 XL – have been nearly universally panned for looking a bit cheap, there was always the promise from Mozo who is one of the official partners for Lumia accessories.
The Mozo deal was snuck in at the October New York event where we first saw the leather cases for the new Lumias and today our order arrived.
Here is our hands-on video and first impressions of these covers for both Lumias!
Mozo cases shown in video
- Back cover for Lumia 950 (Black, White) €48.50 / ~$51 USD
- Back cover for Lumia 950 XL (White, Brown) €48.50 / ~$51 USD
What you should know
- Lumia 950 back Mozo cover is 23 grams (versus 19 grams for original)
- Lumia 950 XL Mozo back cover is 26 grams (versus 24 grams for original)
- Orders could take 2-4 weeks
- NFC and Qi Wireless charging are built in
- Genuine cow leather
- Premium finish with non-conductive vacuum metal coated polycarbonate
Where to buy?
You can order these direct from Mozo. It is not yet clear if retailers will be stocking the accessories as well. They do ship worldwide.
Order Back cover for Lumia 950/950 XL from Mozo
Thoughts?
The cases are what you expect. They certainly add a more premium feel to both Lumias especially the Lumia 950 as you are gaining 4 grams in weight. That is a tiny amount, but just enough to make the device feel a little more substantive.
All the cases look really good, but you have to give a nod to the brown leather with white stitching. We'll also look to order the red and gold variant as well.
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Should you buy? Between the cost of the back cover and the shipping, you are adding a significant bump in cost over the Lumia 950 and Lumia 950 XL. Alternatively, if you are dropping $550 or $650 on a phone, you want it to look – and feel – good. Well, these cases fit the bill.
We'll have to spend at least a few days if not weeks with them on our phones to see how they hold up. For now, watch our hands-on video, check out Mozo's website or jump into our forums to see what others are saying. No need to take just our word!
Also, remember that Mozo has said other designs and materials for these back covers are being worked on including flip covers. So if you prefer not to use animal products on your phone or would like different colors, watch this space.
Let us know what you think in comments. Are these back covers something you will consider?
Update: Some people are concerned that on the Lumia 950 XL these '5 mic array' near the top and bottom is blocked by these cases. This is not true at all. Four out of five of those holes are actually faux, only for design. There is only one HAAC mic at the top and one HAAC mic at the bottom (the other two are on the front of the phone). So the Mozo cases match just fine. See the above image.
More resources
Want all the latest news on these phones? Hit these topic pages for all that we got.
- Microsoft Lumia 950 main page
- Microsoft Lumia 950 XL main page
Support and help forums
Want to chat about the Lumia 950 and Lumia 950 XL? Jump into our forums and ask others what they think or get help and advice on your new phone!
Daniel Rubino is the Editor-in-chief of Windows Central. He is also the head reviewer, podcast co-host, and analyst. He has been covering Microsoft since 2007, when this site was called WMExperts (and later Windows Phone Central). His interests include Windows, laptops, next-gen computing, and watches. He has been reviewing laptops since 2015 and is particularly fond of 2-in-1 convertibles, ARM processors, new form factors, and thin-and-light PCs. Before all this tech stuff, he worked on a Ph.D. in linguistics, watched people sleep (for medical purposes!), and ran the projectors at movie theaters because it was fun.