So how does the new Microsoft Lumia 950 compare to the Apple iPhone 6s? On the surface they're very different phones, built in different ways and running radically different operating systems. So let's get down and compare: iPhone 6s versus Lumia 950.
| Category | Lumia 950 | iPhone 6s |
|---|---|---|
| OS | Windows 10 Mobile | iOS 9 |
| Screen Size | 5.2 inches | 4.7 inches |
| Screen Resolution | 1440x2560 (564ppi) | 750x1334 (326ppi) |
| Screen Type | AMOLED | IPS LCD |
| Processor | 1.8GHz Snapdragon 808 64-bit hexa-core | Apple A9 64-bit dual-core |
| RAM | 3GB | 2GB |
| Internal Storage | 32GB | 16GB/64GB/128GB |
| External Storage | microSD | — |
| Security | Windows Hello iris scanner | Touch ID fingerprint scanner |
| Rear Camera | 20MP ƒ/1.9 PureView camera, triple-LED flash | 12MP ƒ/2.2 iSight camera, dual-LED flash |
| Front Camera | 5MP, wide-angle lens | 5MP, screen flash |
| Battery | 3000mAh removable | 1715mAh non-removable |
| Charging | Qi wireless, USB Type-C port, Quick Charge | Lightning port |
| Height | 145mm | 138.3mm |
| Width | 73.2mm | 67.1mm |
| Thickness | 8.2mm | 7.1mm |
| Weight | — | 143g |
It's an interesting comparison, to be sure. On paper the iPhone 6s seems like it ought be a lesser phone, but Apple's historically made due with lower specs. But in 2015, some of the specs that Apple's offering are starting to fall short — just over half the battery capacity, a camera that just got upgraded to 12MP (from a mere 8MP for years prior), a screen with a comparatively low resolution, and so forth.
And all of that's before we get to the differences between iOS 9 and Windows 10 Mobile. Microsoft's OS offers a lot that iOS simply doesn't (or can't), including a unified app store with desktop Windows with apps that work across the entire Windows ecosystem. Live Tiles? Nothing like that in the simple grid-of-apps launcher that iPhones get. And Continuum, where you can plug a Lumia 950 into a dock and suddenly have the whole thing broadcast onto a big screen with a keyboard, mouse, and more-or-less full Windows at your disposal. It's the long unfulfilled promise of a real honest-to-goodness computer in your pocket (even if we aren't sure that's a thing we need). Of course, there's also the difference in the breadth of the app stores — Apple does hold a considerable lead there and it's going to take a concerted effort from Microsoft to ease the difference. Not to mention the mindshare gap that Microsoft needs to overcome.
Perhaps a device like the Lumia 950 is what's needed to take on the iPhone 6s. Overcoming the juggernaut that is Apple won't happen overnight, but maybe it can take the reigning champ down a peg or two.
For the rest of our NYC #Windows10Devices coverage head here:
- Lumia 950
- Lumia 950 XL
- Surface Pro 4
- Surface XL
- Microsoft Band 2
