Is the 1YO Lumia still worth a chance against the Pixel?

Oct 5, 2016 08:34 GMT  ·  By

It’s the season of new phones, as Samsung, Apple, and now Google introduced new models that come with latest-generation hardware and the newest versions of their operating system.

Even though it was originally believed that Microsoft users could be part of the new-phone celebration this fall too, as the company was expected to introduce the Surface Phone this October, the plan has changed in the meantime, and a new Windows phone is only expected in 2017, either sooner or later in the year.

Leaving aside all the criticism and rumors regarding the end of the Lumia lineup, the Lumia 950 and the 950 XL continue to be Microsoft’s flagships offering the best in the Windows phone series (we’re not including the HP Elite X3 here given the fact that it’s not manufactured by Microsoft). So if you’re looking to buy a new Windows phone right now, you might be wondering how the Lumia flagships compare against the new Pixel models.

Lumia 950 vs. Google Pixel

First and foremost, the smaller models. The Lumia 950 comes with a 5.2-inch display featuring a resolution of 1440x2560 pixels, while the Pixel boasts a 5-inch screen with 1080x1920 pixel resolution. This means that the Lumia 950 offers a bigger display with better resolution, even though it’s one year old already.

On the other hand, the Pixel seems to be more powerful than its Windows rival. Google and HTC installed a quad-core Snapdragon 821 processor and 4 GB of RAM, while the smaller Lumia features the hexa-core Snapdragon 808 and 3 GB of RAM.

As usual, software optimizations play a decisive role, and living proof is the 4.7-inch iPhone 7 which still features 2 GB of RAM, but is just as fast as the Plus. In the case of Microsoft, however, software optimizations aren’t quite the best, as Windows 10 Mobile is still experiencing slowdowns every now and then when running certain tasks.

In terms of storage, the Pixel is offered in two options with 32 GB and 128 GB, while the Lumia only comes in one version with 32 GB, but microSD card support is also offered, a feature missing on Google’s model.

The camera seems to be better on Lumia 950, as it features a 20-megapixel unit with 4K video support and a triple LED flash, while the Pixel comes with 12 megapixels and dual-LED flash. OIS is also offered on the Pixel. Google wins the battle when it comes to front-facing cameras, as the Pixel sports an 8-megapixel unit versus 5-megapixel on the Lumia, but as always, it all comes to real-life performance, and it’s too early to determine it.

Other than that, the Lumia 950 also features a bigger battery, 3000 mAh versus 2770 mAh, and comes with an iris scanner for Windows Hello, whereas the Pixel goes for the traditional fingerprint scanner.

Lumia 950 XL vs. Google Pixel XL

We’re not going to say anything about the name resemblance, but what’s worth mentioning is that the Lumia is more XL than the Pixel, as it features a 5.7-inch screen versus 5.5 inches on the Google model. The resolution is the same on both devices - 1440x2560 pixels.

The same Snapdragon 821 CPU from the smaller Pixel is available on the XL as well, while the Lumia 950 XL features a Snapdragon 810 chip with liquid cooling. Google went for 4 GB of RAM, while Microsoft decided to stick with 3 GB. The exact same cameras and storage options as on the smaller models are available on the XL versions too.

In the case of batteries, the Pixel XL features a 3450 mAh unit, while Lumia’s is a bit smaller at just 3340 mAh.

At first glance, the Lumia still has what it takes to compete against new-generation models, such as the Pixel, even though it’s one year old. There are areas where the Lumia would really need an upgrade, such as OS and processor, but it still boasts surprisingly good specs for a phone that was launched in October 2015.

Looking at this comparison makes it even more frustrating that Microsoft has abandoned the phone battle because Lumia flagships had so much potential, so no matter the specs, it looks like the Pixel has won the duel anyway.