Why is the Nokia Lumia 550 slow? How to get rid of slowdowns in your smartphone on Windows Phone

WMPoweruser portal journalist Michael Ellison has already tried out Microsoft's first budget smartphone running Windows 10 Mobile.

Michael admits that the first impressions of working with the device can hardly be called positive. After turning on, the operating system immediately asks to download a large number of updates for programs, and during the update the smartphone literally became red-hot, began to “slow down” and very quickly consume battery power. The Lumia 550 was allowed to rest overnight, and in the morning the device was more or less fine.

The device works quite quickly, Windows 10 Mobile looks beautiful (if, of course, you set smaller fonts in the settings, the “default” option from Microsoft seems very large on almost all W10M smartphones).

The Lumia 550 is much smaller than Michael's current smartphones - the Nokia Lumia 1520 and Motorola's Google Nexus 6. The latter two devices have giant 6-inch screens, and the 550, with its 4.7 inches, looks like a much more compact smartphone compared to them.

The characteristics of the Lumia 550, of course, do not amaze the imagination: a 2-megapixel front camera, a 5-megapixel main camera, a Qualcomm Snapdragon 210 processor, 1 GB of RAM... However, in the story of the 550, that’s not even what’s important.

“What I really don't understand is the point of creating this smartphone. Why was Microsoft Lumia 550 released?

Michael reminds us that Microsoft already has a similar device - the Lumia 540, released six months ago. In many respects, it is better than the new smartphone - a larger screen (5 inches versus 4.7), a better main camera (8 MP versus 5 MP), a better battery ( 2,200 mAh versus 2,100 mAh). Ellison wonders: wouldn't it have been easier to just release the 540th model with an updated processor and devote more time to Windows 10 Mobile and the top-end Lumia 950 and 950 XL smartphones? Are all Lumia 540 owners on their knees begging Microsoft to release a version of their smartphone with a smaller screen, worse camera and battery? Is there a shortage of budget smartphones on Windows Phone?

Lumia 550 is the most affordable smartphone running Windows 10 Mobile and the most affordable device in the Lumia line with 4G Internet support. Several months have passed since its release, so its owners have already formed a certain opinion.

We analyzed about 60 reviews of the Lumia 550 and highlighted the main advantages and disadvantages of this phone. We hope that after reading the general review, as well as the review and comparison of the Lumia 550 with other models, you will be able to make the right choice whether to buy or not buy this smartphone.

Pros of Lumia 550

• fast 4G internet
• compact size
• high-quality assembly
• good display
• good camera ( for a budget smartphone)
• Supports memory cards up to 200 GB
• holds a charge well
• free Office (Outlook, Excel, Word, OneNote, PowerPoint)
• the system is regularly updated
• energy-saving screensaver where all notifications are displayed
• there is a call recording function
• removable battery ( if so, you can replace it with another one)

Cons of Lumia 550

• unfinished Windows 10 Mobile OS
• Sometimes the menu slows down
• easily soiled display
• The screen is covered with plastic and not glass
• few apps compared to Android ( but everything you need is there)
• Some games and applications are slow ( but Lumia 550 is not intended for them)
• gets hot when using heavy applications
• few accessories

These are the advantages and disadvantages of the Microsoft Lumia 550 noted by the majority of owners in their reviews. We would like to add that, thanks to the fact that updates for Windows 10 Mobile are released with enviable regularity, the smartphone will soon get rid of slowdowns in the menu and errors during system operation.

What can be concluded based on reviews of the Lumia 550? We think that this is a worthy device, with good technical characteristics and excellent capabilities (of course, for its price). Most of the disadvantages indicated by the owners are either a disease of all smartphones running Windows 10, or a consequence of the budget model.

This is a review of the Lumia 550 phone, which was released at the end of 2015. Review of the Lumia 550 smartphone is not paid for - this phone was bought with my own money, for myself personally.

So. This copy was manufactured in December 2015, has hardware version 3.0, Windows version - 1511 10.0.10586.0. The battery was manufactured in October 2015. No updates were installed. Everything is as is from the factory. Purchased at the beginning of September 2016. For almost a year all this lay in warehouses.

Microsoft Lumia 550 specifications

Lumia 550 smartphone size

Screen diagonal 4.7 inches. This is slightly less than the total trend of 2015 and 2016 (5 inches). As a result, the phone itself is five millimeters shorter and narrower than five-inch smartphones. And this size already allows you to use this smartphone with one hand. It's not as easy as with a 4-inch, but a little easier than with a 5-inch. Actually the size was one of the reasons for the purchase. Of course, you can’t put it in your shirt pocket, but you can put it in your jeans pocket. However, it will still be awkward to sit down when it’s in your jeans pocket and you’ll have to adjust it or take it out.

Lumia 550 screen

LCD screen matrix IPS, budget, without new technologies such as OGS. Not very bright, distortion of colors appears at high angles, especially black. But large viewing angles are irrelevant for a smartphone, because no one uses the phone holding it far to the side.

Be that as it may, the screen is good. Fine grain gives a very clear picture. The only drawback is that on a sunny day outside, even the full brightness of the screen is not enough, image legibility is poor. Even indoors, in sunlight, the screen brightness is not enough. By the way, this makes photography very difficult in sunny weather; you have to frame almost at random.

But this is a problem with all mobile devices. In sunlight, all light-emitting screens will become blind.

Indoors without direct sunlight or outdoors in cloudy weather, you can get by with a brightness of 25-50 percent.

Lumia 550 glass

I can’t confirm this, I haven’t tried to scratch it, but according to the tactile sensations, the display coating is plastic. The surface is quite dirty, fingerprints remain. The glide is also not very good, but if your hands are dry and clean, it glides well. I would say that the screen quality is typical for inexpensive devices with a plastic coating.

There is a very small protruding frame around the edges of the glass - less than 1 mm. Thanks to this frame, the smartphone can be placed on a flat and smooth surface without the screen touching the surface.

Sensor (touchscreen)

The touchscreen works clearly.

Lumia 550 battery

The battery capacity of the Lumia 550 is decent for smartphones - 2100 mAh. In the budget segment, most models have batteries less than 2000 mAh. Moreover, this is an honest 2100 mAh. And the battery was one of the reasons for the purchase. But there are also problems. More details about the Lumia 550 battery later in this article.

Lumia 550 camera

The resolution of the main camera is modest, by today's standards, only 5 megapixels. But the camera quality is very decent. I think the Lumia 550 is comparable in photo quality to most Chinese budget phones with 8 or 13 megapixel cameras. More details about the camera later in this article. In any case, with the same sensor size, a lower resolution will produce less noise (in theory).

4G (LTE) support

In 2016, in large cities, LTE is quite good for all operators and its support is already an obvious plus.

VoLTE support

The "Voice over LTE" standard is a more advanced method than VoIP. The principle is the same, but optimized for use in a 4G hardware network (LTE). In our country, this technology is currently only available in Moscow from the Beeline operator. So, today there is no practical benefit in the fact that this smartphone supports VoLTE technology. But maybe in the near future it will be in demand.

Voice recording

The Lumia 550 has phone call recording.

And of course, a voice recorder too. Both functions work. The recorder, indoors, writes well.

Memory

This phone has 1 GB of RAM and 8 GB of flash memory. Definitely, you need to immediately install a microSD card. If you are going to install an update, take photos, listen to music. Because out of 8 GB of “on-board” memory, only 4-5 are available. If you have a microSD card, the Windows update is downloaded to it. Folders of all images, downloads, documents - that is, all user files - are transferred there automatically (but the system issues a request for transfer).

You can install applications on a microSD card. Windows prompts you for this option during initial setup (if an SD card is installed). And this option is in the Storage settings. But this only applies to new applications. Those “out of the box” cannot be transferred to the card.

You can install an SD card with the NTFS file system.

1 GB of RAM is not enough for Windows 10 even though it is Mobile. According to the AIDA64 program, less than 400 MB of RAM is available for applications. Windows itself takes up more than 600 MB.

The SIM card slot is nano SIM (4FF) in size. If you are going to cut your old SIM card to plug it into this slot, keep in mind that the old SIM cards were thicker. And the old SIM card needs to not only be cut, but also ground off. According to the standard, the thickness of 4FF cards is 0.67 mm. Old SIM cards (2FF, mini SIM) have a thickness of 0.80 mm. The difference seems to be insignificant, but it is enough for the SIM card to get stuck in the connector.

Screensaver

Strictly speaking, this is more a property of Windows 10 than of the phone, but still. The screensaver displays the current time and notifications (about calls, SMS) on the switched off screen. That is, the touchscreen is turned off, the screen is almost turned off - only the time and notifications are displayed at the bottom.

A convenient feature that allows you to get information without turning on the smartphone screen.

However, not everything is great with her. It is tied to the readings of the light sensor and turns off in the dark. The logic of this decision is clear: if the smartphone is in your pocket or bag, why show the screensaver and waste energy on it. But when the illumination increases, the screensaver turns on with a long delay, up to several seconds. And when you take your phone out of your pocket, you will have to wait for the information to appear. It will be faster to turn on the screen with a button.

So, in fact, this function is only useful when the smartphone is in a bright room, on a table or on a shelf. In a dark room, the screensaver also turns off.

The idea is good, but poorly implemented. Battery consumption for this screensaver is approximately 1% per hour.

Lumia 550 review

Now for the actual review of the Microsoft Lumia 550 LTE phone.

I have a model with a black back cover.

Lumia 550 phone design

I read in some review, or maybe it was on YouTube, that the Lumia 550 smartphone looks cheap. In my opinion this is not the case at all. I don’t know what the model with a white cover looks like, but the all-black smartphone looks very good. All black, no shiny elements. Very strict, conservative look. There is not a single colored or shiny part.

Black block. This looks unusual against the backdrop of today's colorful smartphones.

An additional advantage of the design, for me personally, is that there are no elements “a la iPhone” in it. That is, the design of the Lumia 550 smartphone is completely its own, without borrowing from Apple. And these borrowings are already in the older Lumiya models - 650 and 950.

We can say that the appearance of the Lumia 550 is a contrast to iPhones and iPhone mania.

The design of the 550 model is typical for all Nokia Lumia, which is not surprising, because in fact it is a Nokia Lumia 550. Because smartphones with the Microsoft label are produced by this famous Finnish company.

The design typical of Nokia Lumia primarily refers to the back cover in the form of a bath in which the smartphone is immersed. That is, the lid is made entirely, together with the sidewalls. But there is a slight difference. In previous Nokia, the sides of the lid completely covered the screen and were rounded on the sides. In this model, the screen protrudes above the sides by about a millimeter.

I don’t know why this solution was chosen, but it doesn’t seem to spoil the view. And the sidewalls have clear angular edges when transitioning to the back surface.

By the way, even Apple borrowed the idea of ​​such a cover from Nokia for its iPhone 5C.

Telephone

In fact, this is the main function, even for a smartphone. Lumiya 550 rings excellent.

Both the earpiece and the microphone have good, clear and strong sound.

But the Lumia 550's phone audio quality can only be fully appreciated when you're talking to someone who also has a good phone. For example Samsung, Apple, Sony, Nokia.

If the interlocutor has a Chinese UG, then it is clear that Lumia will not be able to handle it for two.

Case ergonomics.

Everything here is not good, if not bad. It seems to me that when they designed the Lumiya 550 case, they didn’t think about ergonomics at all. Based on the totality of all the problems, ergonomics can be given a two.

Power button

Secondly, the side edges of the case are beveled back. Because of this, both buttons are hard to feel with your thumb if you hold the smartphone in your right hand. My conclusion is that the buttons are designed for the left hand. If you hold the phone in your left hand, then everything becomes normal. And the beveled sides help you feel the buttons better. And it’s easier to avoid accidentally hitting the power button with your fingers.

Side faces of the body (cover).

They are beveled towards the rear surface. And the plastic is quite slippery.

And this creates a big problem when you need to pick up the phone from a table (or other flat surface). More precisely, the problem occurs if the phone is lying face down. In this case, it is very difficult to lift it; due to the beveled sides, it slips out of your fingers. You have to lift it with your fingernails and stick your fingers under the screen.

You can, of course, place it face up. In this case, it will be easy to pick up, but then you will have to twist the phone in your hand to turn the screen towards you. In general, I would say that the sloping sides on the Lumia 550 are inconvenient.

And you can’t grab it by the middle of the case - because there’s a power button there!

External speaker.

It is located on the rear panel of the case. At the same time, there is just a round hole (in the lid) with a diameter of about 4 mm. And when the phone is lying on the table with the screen up, the hole closes tightly and the sound is very muffled. Subjectively, without instruments, half as quiet. It is absolutely possible to miss a call or a signal about an incoming SMS if the phone is not lying next to you, but, say, in the next room.

Camera lens.

It is located in the middle of the body (widthwise). Instead of being in the corner of the case, as Sony and Apple do. The correct position of the phone when shooting is horizontal. And in this position, holding a smartphone with both hands is uncomfortable. You can only hold the side edges with the fingers of your left hand. And this is unreliable. And the fixation is worse and you can simply drop the phone.

And when the lens is located in the upper corner of the body (in a horizontal position), this makes it possible to securely hold the smartphone by the screen and back cover.

Plastic.

The plastic of the lid is pleasant both in appearance and to the touch (the lid is made of polycarbonate). But it's quite slippery. So, you need to hold the phone tightly so as not to drop it. And if you hold it tightly, you may accidentally press the power button (see above). And the plastic is easily soiled. You will have to wipe it periodically.

SD card connector.

It does not have a return spring, such as in the SIM card connector.

At the same time, the design of the connector is such that you cannot pull it out with your fingers (nails).

Need tweezers.

Screen

Lumia 550 camera

But Nokia came up with a good solution for the screen in the form of a protruding frame around the perimeter (at the edges of the screen). This frame protects the screen from dirt and scratches when the smartphone is lying on a flat surface with the display facing down. In addition, the frame does not allow the smartphone to slide on a smooth inclined surface when it lies with the display down. For comparison, the Samsung J3 2016 (which does not have such a frame) slides off a slanted smooth surface (lacquered furniture) quite easily. And the same frame protects the screen from “sticking” to a very smooth surface (such as glass).

That is, Lumiya 550 can be quite safely and comfortably placed with the screen down on flat and smooth surfaces.

The resolution of the main camera is modest, by today's standards, only 5 megapixels. But the camera quality is very decent. I think the Lumia 550 is comparable in photo quality to most Chinese budget phones with 8 or 13 megapixel cameras. Personally, I'm not going to take pictures with this camera, I have a camera, but here are a couple of photos as an example:

Like all smartphone cameras, it is desperately photoshopped. But this Lumiya has a more beautiful photoshop than, for example, the Samsung J3 2016, and it has an 8 megapixel camera.

You can take good photos for publication on the Internet and for viewing on a computer. If you understand the limitations that all smartphone cameras have and know how to compensate for these limitations, then you can take good pictures.

• Of course, it can’t compare with a camera, even a compact one, but among smartphones it’s a good level. In any case, among smartphones in the price segment of about $100, this may be the best camera overall. Which is not surprising - after all, Nokia traditionally has good cameras in its smartphones.
• The Camera application has the following functionality:
• Autofocus
• Focus point by touching the touchscreen.
• Exposure bracketing.
• Serial shooting.
• Self-timer.
• "Live photo" (videos 1 second long).

Lumia 550 battery

Framing grid (4 types). There are manual settings for ISO, shutter speed, focus and brightness! Although they are of course of little use. Lumia 550 battery is Li-ion battery

Immediately after purchase it is worth doing 2-3 full discharge-charge cycles. By complete discharge we mean a situation where the phone itself turns off due to low battery. As a result of such full discharge-charge cycles, the controller (which monitors energy consumption from the battery) is recalibrated and it will provide more accurate information about battery capacity and energy consumption.

There are many reports on the Internet that the Lumia 550 runs out of battery quickly. In fact, the battery of the Lumia 550 is quite normal for a budget smartphone. 0.1 The problem is in Windows 10 Mobile. Out of the box there is a ton of everything included in the settings. And this whole crowd is eating up the battery. Therefore, you need to configure Windows. After setting, you can get battery consumption, in standby mode (when the screen is off), even up to 0.3 % per hour ("Airplane" mode). That is, relatively speaking, in standby mode the Lumia 550 can last more than a month without recharging. These numbers 0.1 % per hour and

% per hour, this is not fiction. These are the actual numbers I got on my Lumia 550.

These numbers are far from what is stated in the specifications on the Microsoft website. For example, they promise 60 hours of music playback, but in fact, both MP3 and radio consume 2.5% per hour. That is, you can play music on your headphones for a maximum of 40 hours. But 28 days of standby time is not fantastic. If you turn on the "Airplane" mode and don't touch the phone at all. But why do you need a phone that is lying on the shelf?

In general, you can really spend a day or two on one charge, if you use it carefully and without fanaticism. As little Internet as possible and no videos, no games. If without the Internet, games and videos, then you can probably last 3-4 days on one charge.

If you discharge the battery completely (before turning off the smartphone), then the number of charge cycles is the lowest - good batteries have approximately 500 cycles. But if you put it on charge before the battery is completely discharged, then the number of charge cycles increases. If you start charging with 50% remaining charge, then the number of cycles increases to more than 1000. If you charge the battery with 80% remaining (20% discharge), then the number of cycles increases even more. However, such frequent charging (at 80% or 90% battery) can be inconvenient. And the total battery life in this case does not increase. The optimal option is to charge at 40-50 percent of the battery remaining.

Several rules that will extend the life of the battery.

• Do not discharge the battery to 100%, it is best to charge it at 50% or 40% of the battery remaining.
• Charge the battery to 100%. You can keep it charging for a while and after it shows 100% - it often happens that charging continues despite the indicator readings. But a little. 30 minutes. Maybe an hour. Not half the night.
• Do not leave a fully charged phone connected to the charger.
• A common mistake is to charge your phone overnight. The battery is charged in 2-3 hours, and then, already charged, remains charged for another 5 hours. The batteries have controllers that monitor the discharge and charge and automatically turn off the battery or charging. However, such a controller may fail during operation. So it's better to be safe.
• Use only the standard charger. Lithium-ion batteries are critical to charging current characteristics. And if the manufacturer includes a charger with certain characteristics, then such characteristics are better suited for the battery of this smartphone.

Once every few months, you can recalibrate the controller that monitors battery discharge. To do this, you need to completely discharge the battery and then fully charge it. With this cycle, the controller updates information about the actual battery capacity and the system will show more accurate discharge-charge data. Recalibration is worth doing because over time, the battery capacity gradually decreases. The capacity data stored by the controller is updated only after complete discharge-charge cycles.

Some indicators on battery consumption (from practice). These are the indicators on the factory firmware:

• Playing music on headphones (radio or player): 4-5% per hour.
• Browsing websites (Internet via 3G or 4G): 15-20% per hour.
• Smartphone operation in WiFi access point mode: approximately 15% per hour.
• Taking photographs, around 8-10 photos (calmly, without haste, in 15-20 minutes): 5%. Approximately 0.5% per photo.
• In idle mode (standby mode), if the Internet, WiFi and Bluetooth are turned off, only telephone GSM works: from 0.5 to 2%.

The summary is this - if you put it on a shelf and it lies in standby mode, it can last for three days on one charge. But if you use a phone, then it’s much less. From more than a day to 5-6 hours.

The biggest drain on the battery is the screen and the Internet (no matter via a cellular network or via WiFi).

• After updating the firmware and Windows, the situation with battery consumption has improved.
• Playing music on headphones (radio or player): 2.5% per hour.
• Smartphone operation in WiFi hotspot mode: approximately 10% per hour.
• Setting up an access point on Lumia 550. 0.3 %.
• Browsing websites in a browser (Edge): approximately 15% per hour. Approximately the same figure should be when using applications such as Whatsapp, Viber. 0.1 %.
• In idle mode (standby mode), if the Internet, WiFi and Bluetooth are turned off, but the telephone GSM is working:

In idle mode (standby mode), if everything is turned off (airplane mode):

Further updating Windows (over the air) to version 1607 does not change anything in battery consumption.

Apparently the developers have reached the limit to reduce power consumption on this smartphone. The consumption figures, when idle, are beautiful - theoretically, this Lumiya can lie on a shelf in “airplane” mode for up to 50 days. However, no one needs such a lying phone. But in real work it’s not so rosy. For example, in access point mode, this Lumiya can last a maximum of 10 hours. When actively using the Internet (via a browser or other programs), working on one charge for 24 hours is a big question.

The battery discharges very smoothly, without dips. So it seems to be of good quality.

Note: If you are looking for a smartphone with a powerful battery, read the advisory article "Smartphone with a powerful battery". It contains useful tips for choosing a smartphone with a large battery.

Setting up Lumia 550

• This section describes how to configure the Lumia 550 so that Windows 10 Mobile consumes less battery. Settings - Privacy - Background apps
• . In this list, you can disable all applications except the Messages application. If you disable Messages, then there will be no notifications about incoming SMS. Settings - Privacy - Reviews and diagnostics
• . Here select the "Never" option. Settings - Privacy - Location
• . If you do not use a navigator, disable this option. Settings - Privacy - Move
• . Turn it off.
• Settings - Privacy - Microphone.
• Disable everything except Accessories and Voice Recording. Settings - Privacy - Camera
• .
• Disable all applications. Settings - Privacy - Account Information
• . Turn it off..
• Disable all applications except Messages. Settings - Privacy - Calendar
• . Disable all applications except Calendar
• Options - Privacy - Email. Disable all applications.
• Settings - Privacy - Messaging. Disable all applications.
• . Disable all applications except Messages Settings - Privacy - Contacts
• . Disable all applications except Messages
• Settings - Privacy - Ad ID. Disable.
• Disable the update. Settings - System - Battery Saver - Battery Saver Options
• . Set the limit to 100%, this means that the "Battery Saver" mode will always be enabled. Enabling this mode blocks downloading Windows updates!
• Settings - Network and Wireless - WiFi.
• Set the WiFi mode to “manual”. And turn on WiFi only when you need it. Settings - Network and Wireless - Data Usage. You can set traffic limits.
• Settings - Personalization - Start
• . Turn off tile transparency and background. Settings - Personalization - Sounds
• . Disable vibration alerts and activity sounds. Settings - Personalization - Lock screen
• . Disable Outlook and set the image to black. Settings - Extras - Display - Brightness Profile
• . Reduce display brightness. Options - Add-ons - Touch input
• . Turn off vibration when typing. Options - Add-ons - Screensaver
• . Disable. Settings - Update and Security - Backup Service
• . Turn off OneDrive backup.
• Settings - Update & Security - Find your phone.
• Turn this feature off. Settings - Accounts - Sync your settings
• . Turn off synchronization.

Settings - Accounts - Email and Accounts . Set the mail checking mode to "manual".

Settings - Time and language - Date and time

• . Disable time synchronization.
• Store - Settings - App Update
• Always remove unused applications from RAM.
• The list of applications loaded into memory can be opened with a long tap on the "Back" button in the navigation panel. In theory, Windows itself should “silence” background applications (if the “Economy” mode is enabled). But in practice, it may fail and the background process will eat up the battery. This happened to my camera - Windows didn’t turn it off and the camera “gobbled up” 20% of the charge in 2-3 hours, just hanging out in the background.

Turn on airplane mode at night. Better yet, turn off your smartphone completely, this will not only save you a few percent of the battery, but will also increase the stability of Windows.

Something like this:

Lock screen (black image) and start screen of Windows 10 Mobile:: 0.3 As a result, you can increase battery consumption to 0.1 % or even up to

% at one o'clock. Of course, this means consumption in the standby state when you are not using the phone. Because when you use a smartphone, there are few opportunities to save money - reducing the brightness of the display (if possible), refusing to use energy-intensive applications - videos, games.

What else can be done to reduce consumption?

Find out the signal strength in your area, for different communication standards. And to use the Internet, set the standard with the strongest signal. "Settings - Network and wireless - Cellular network and SIM card - SIM card options - Fastest connection speed."

Even if it is 2G (EDGE). The weaker the signal, the more energy the phone spends communicating with the base station. The same thing with WiFi - the weaker the connection with the access point, the more the battery drains. The same principle applies to cellular voice communications - the worse the connection with the base station, the more the battery drains.

These settings help reduce battery consumption mainly only in standby mode. In real use, all this has little effect on consumption. What consumes me the most is working on the Internet. In 1 hour of browsing websites, up to 15-20% of the battery charge can be consumed.

Phone, Messages (send and receive SMS), People (Contacts), Camera (taking photographs), Explorer, Photos (viewing and editing), Edge browser, Alarm clock, VKontakte, Yandex Money, Voice recording (dictaphone and recording of telephone conversations), Calculator , Radio (headphones required), Facebook, Groove Music, Data Transfer (sync via Bluetooth). All these applications work immediately. They do not require a Microsoft account. There is no need to download, update or install anything. All these programs work right out of the box.

But you will have to tinker with these programs.

These apps require a Microsoft account and a Store login, meaning you'll need the Internet:

Word, Excel, Outlook, PowerPoint, Skype, Twitter, Wallet, Outlook Calendar, OneDrive. Note

. After installing new programs, check the Privacy settings sections: “Background applications”, “Camera”, “Microphone”. New programs may be there with permissions to run in the background, as well as to use a microphone and camera.

Lumia 550 manual

A screenshot on the Lumia 550 is performed by simultaneously pressing the Volume + (louder) and Power buttons. On the one hand, this is inconvenient - you need to do it with both hands. On the other hand, you can use hardware buttons to take any screenshot, even a modal screen. An indicator that a screenshot has been taken appears at the top of the screen. Screenshots are saved to the "Pictures" folder.

Reducing the screen. If you make a long tap on the Home button, the screen will shrink to the bottom half of the display. This is convenient if you need to operate the phone with one hand, or rather with the thumb of this hand.

Lumia 550 music

• Right out of the box there is:
• Music player "Groove Music". The player is simple, but it seems to work fine. In the Store, you can select another player, for example VLC. Battery consumption when listening to mp3 is approximately 2.5% per hour.

FM Radio. But for the radio to work, you need to plug in wired headphones, they are used as an antenna. Reception is good, stations range from 80 - 108. In the application settings there are three ranges - America, Worldwide, Japan. It picks up stations differently in different bands. Battery consumption when listening to the radio is approximately 2.5% per hour. The pinout in the audio jack of this phone, OMTP type. If you have a headset with a microphone and the connector type is CTIA, then the microphone will not work. And the plug itself needs to be inserted not completely

, about three-quarters. The pinout in the audio jack of this phone, But it is better to buy an adapter from OMTP to CTIA. Difference between connectors is that the contacts zero and the microphone on them do not match (their contacts are made the other way around).

Word, Excel, Outlook, PowerPoint, Skype, Twitter, Wallet, Outlook Calendar, OneDrive.. In Windows, in update 1604, the native FM Radio program was removed! Actually, not at all. You need to look for something in the Store.

Connecting to a computer

On Windows 7, 8 and 10, the phone, after connecting with a USB cable, is visible directly in Explorer:

And here is a review of the competitor Lumiya 550: A little worse, but noticeably cheaper.

This again comes to the question of the not very good price for the Lumia 550. Another option is to sacrifice a little on the quality of the hardware, but save 2-3 thousand rubles.

Purchased Lumiya here:

P.S.

Two months later, I am ambivalent about the Lumia 550.

On the one hand, high-quality filling and assembly. Interesting appearance.

Decent camera. Sound. Good battery life if you don't abuse the Internet. In general, such a smooth, high-quality smartphone, without failures or weak points.

On the other hand, in terms of the set of programs and functionality, Windows Mobile is completely inferior to Android. And also poor ergonomics of the case. Well, lack of zest. Something you can fall for. Or in appearance. Or in functionality. This is how, for example, the Samsung J1 has an amoled display, designed for the iPhone 6.

It's hard to call this smartphone bad - objectively, it doesn't deserve it. But I don’t have a feeling of complete satisfaction from it either. It's not that there's disappointment, no. There is an understanding that for about the same amount you can buy an Android smartphone, which will be more useful to me.
Emotionally, I love this Lumiya. Very nice color scheme, solid black, no gypsy stuff. My heart votes for her. However, my mind tells me that this is not the best option for me, because there are no more important things for me than the camera or design.
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• P.P.S.
• If you want to buy a Lumia 550 for about 6,300 rubles, contact me, I will help. This will, of course, be a new smartphone from the store. You can buy it yourself in the store. I'll just help you get a discount. Limited offer:

To use this offer, write to me by email - [email protected]

Ivan Sukhov, 2016 .

If you found this article useful or simply liked it, then do not hesitate to financially support the author. This is easy to do by throwing money at Yandex Wallet No. 410011416229354. Or on the phone +7 918-16-26-331 .

Even a small amount can help write new articles :)

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There is an opinion that the mobile version of the Windows operating system is very unfinished, constantly slows down, or some elements do not work correctly at all. Users also constantly complain that there are not enough applications in the market.

Personally, I have a neutral attitude towards Windows OS and do not use this product. However, I believe that there should be more competition in the market, because where there is competition,
there is an increase in quality. I wrote this introduction before the device came into my hands. Let's see if the Microsoft Lumia 550 review can sway me towards many people who don't like Windows Phones, or if the negative opinion about such devices is still imposed.

So, let's go!

Lumia 550 was announced in October 2015. It began going on sale two months later and finally filled store windows at the beginning of 2016. At the time of writing this review, the phone costs $139.

I took the smartphone from friends at the local store Vsesvit.Biz. Neither I nor they are interested in advertising specific devices, so the review will be as subjective as possible.

• width - 68 mm;
• height - 136 mm;
• thickness - 1 cm;
• weight - 142 g.

Design

The smartphone is made of plastic and comes in two colors: black and white. The black version of the back cover has a matte finish, which gets dirty more than white, and fingerprints remain as if from greasy fingers. This can be seen in the photo below.

I had a white version of the smartphone for review. The white cover has a glossy finish and fingerprints are less visible.

The back cover is in the form of a bathtub, in Nokia style. The case does not play, it is assembled well, just like the entire Lumia series. Nokia designers once successfully came up with their original form of device, which Microsoft uses to this day. The sides and back are one whole cover, the volume buttons and the power/lock button are built into the cover.

There are no physical or touch buttons on the front panel, and the area under the display does not provide any functional value. Above the display there is a speaker, recessed into the body (over time, small debris will get there), a front camera, a light sensor and the Microsoft inscription. The back cover bears the manufacturer's logo, which will most likely be erased over time.

Around the front panel there is a side protruding by a millimeter, which allows you to lay the device face down without fear of scratching the front glass.

CPU

Inside is a budget quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 210 (1.1 GHz) processor. It copes well with the operating system requirements of the latest version of Windows 10 Mobile. This processor series was created for budget devices with basic capabilities. The video processor in the Lumia 550 is Adreno 304, which is sufficient for the screen in this device. This processor is enough for communicating on Skype and playing games.

On the device you can play modern 3D games, which can be found in the official market. Asphalt 8 and Modern Combat 5 were launched and ran without much slowdown on low graphics settings. When collecting information before the review, most bloggers assured that the Microsoft Lumia 550 is not intended for games, but this is not entirely true. You can play on a smartphone if you are not picky about unnoticeable graphics slowdowns.

The smartphone heats up a little, but within acceptable limits.

Memory

The device has 1 GB of RAM, which is typical for a smartphone in this price category.

The built-in memory is 8 GB of which the system occupies 2.5 GB. This volume is sufficient for the operation of the device. You can install the basic necessary applications, a few games, and still have a dozen photos and a couple of videos left.

If you like to shoot a lot, listen to music and store a lot of games, then a MicroSD card slot with the ability to expand memory up to 128 GB will come to your aid.

Battery

Inside is a removable 2100 mAh battery. The manufacturer claims that the maximum operating time on the Internet using the Wi-Fi module is 10 hours. The maximum time for continuous video playback is 7 hours... and similar lies.

I tested Lumiya 550 and got the following result: in playback mode
video on Youtube.com (this is 50% of the working time), games (20%), Internet surfing (30%),
The smartphone worked for only 4 hours 25 minutes. The screen, of course, worked without interruption all this time. This is the usual performance of the average smartphone in this price category. Manufacturers usually claim two and sometimes three times more, which is far from reality.

The smartphone also consumes a lot of power in standby mode. Therefore, if you set an alarm, make sure that there is at least 15% charge, otherwise the phone may die and the alarm will not work.

Camera

There are two cameras in the Nokia Microsoft Lumia 550. They take decent photographs, although they lack detail. For social nets to chill in front of the Pushkin monument or take a photo of sushi are quite enough. I was pleased with the shot of the car in motion, which was not blurred and turned out clear when shooting in normal automatic mode. An example of this photo is below.

Click on the photo to see it in full size

The main camera shoots at a resolution of 5 megapixels, the front one at 2 megapixels. The main camera has a regular, single-LED flash. Another example of a photo taken with the main camera:

The shooting took place, as you can see, in cloudy weather. Photos will be much better in sunlight. Below, for your attention, is a photo taken with the front camera from an outstretched arm.

Click to enlarge

The main camera shoots video in HD resolution. The frame rate is an unremarkable 30 per second. Video example:

The camera, or rather its software, has a trick. A second of video is recorded before the photo is taken and it turns out to be something like a live photo. When looking through photos in the smartphone gallery, all the photos come to life a little, and then freeze in the picture. However, after downloading the photo to another device or posting it online, the effect disappears. Pretty interesting.

Display

The display in the Microsoft Lumia 550 smartphone is 4.7 inches (11.8 cm). HD screen resolution is 1280 by 720 pixels. The pixel density is 315 ppi - this is a good indicator. The human eye can see a single pixel at a density of less than 320 ppi. The LCD display is made using IPS technology. Viewing angles are good, although there is no OGS production technology, that is, there is a small air gap between the glass and the matrix. This affects the picture for the worse, but there is one plus: if you break the display, you can only replace the outer glass, and you won’t have to change the screen matrix.

The front glass does not have an oleophobic coating; fingerprints and stains are very visible.

Among the features of the display, there is a proprietary Glance function, which, when the screen is locked, leaves the clock, date and presence of notifications visible. The brightness of the information display is adjusted automatically, depending on the ambient lighting.

The same feature recently appeared on flagship models from Samsung and LG. To see the time, date or notifications, you do not need to activate the entire display and this, according to manufacturers, saves battery. Perhaps, with AMOLED display technology, this is true, since individual pixels can light up there, and unused pixels will not consume the battery. In LCD technology there is no such possibility, and if even a few pixels are lit, the rest of the Lumia 550 screen is also used and drains the charge. Therefore, in order to use such a display of the clock and notifications, the smartphone (in order not to waste a lot of charge) has to glow very dimly, and in order to see the clock you will have to strain your eyes significantly.

In general, the screen cannot be called a good and weak side of the smartphone.

Connection

There are no complaints about the connection in the smartphone. The smartphone has one SIM card slot in nano-sim format. The processor allows you to receive data in 4G LTE networks.

Sound

The Lumia 550's audio speaker is located at the back. Nothing special can be said about him. A very ordinary speaker, which will be enough to hear the call melody, nothing more. It is impossible to listen to music through it due to high frequencies and lack of bass.

OS and software

Perhaps there is something to be said here, since the Microsoft Lumia 550 smartphone has the latest version of the operating system from the software giant Microsoft - Windows 10 Mobile. Many expected it to fix all the bugs; they expected Microsoft to finally release a mobile version of its operating system that would not lag and would take pride of place in the wearable electronics market. But that did not happen.

The operating system is still slow and even freezes in some places.

If you purchased a new device, then the first thing you will have to do is update the system, since the version out of the box works poorly, to put it mildly. The update will take about 20 minutes.

Cons of the OS

Windows 10 Mobile comes with the new Microsoft Edge browser, which is unable to open multiple tabs correctly and quickly. If you minimize the browser to background programs, when you return, the browser will begin to reload all tabs. And the point here is not a lack of RAM. 1 GB per eye.

Applications take a relatively long time to launch. Don't think so. What am I talking about some minutes, no. Everything is much better, but let me give you an example, because we are talking about everything in comparison. For example, the official Lumia 550 store takes a long time to open, at least 8 seconds. Whereas in Android Play Market it loads in 3 seconds. This is approximately the ratio in which other applications and the entire system in general work.

I would like to note that there are still fewer applications in the official store than in Android or iOS. I couldn't find the popular game Dead Trigger. I couldn't find any official Youtube app either. It is known that Google, the owner of the Youtube video hosting service, sued Microsoft in 2013 to remove the application of the same name from the Windows Phone Store and from all devices where the application was already installed. The reason for this was the application’s ability to download videos, which was not acceptable for Google’s policy. Since then, nothing has changed and no normal application has appeared. There is a third-party application that allows you to open the mobile version of YouTube through a browser. In fact, this is not an application, but a shortcut with a link.

I also encountered a problem when registering for my account. See how it happened in the video review at the end of this article.

The Microsoft Lumia 550 smartphone comes pre-installed with Yandex services. Search from the Russian search engine is installed directly into the panel with control buttons (below in the photo). On the sliding panel (which steals screen space and is slightly annoying) you will find: a back button, which also calls up minimized applications (if pressed for a long time); in the center is the Home button with the Microsoft logo; and the third button (according to Windows, very useful) - calling the Yandex search application.

Pros of the OS

Cool interactive tiles

I liked the pre-installed Shazam application, which determines by the sound what music is playing, displays the artist, album, song title, and simultaneously reproduces the words of the song in text form along with the singer. The words are highlighted simultaneously with the performer's pronunciation. The Shazam app works well and without any slowdowns. Using it, I thought that at least Microsoft had done something well, but it turned out that they did not develop this application.

Pros and cons of the Microsoft Lumia 550 smartphone

• good body;
• a good camera for its price category;
• availability of 4G support.

• buggy operating system;
• one SIM card;

Smartphone suitable:

• for fans of the Windows Mobile operating system;
• those wishing to purchase a relatively inexpensive smartphone with a camera and display that are acceptable for its price;
• people who often search for some information on the Internet (there is 4G);
• sloth from the cartoon Zootopia.

Review from Mobcompany about the Microsoft Lumia 550 smartphone

If you read the introduction, then I didn’t know what opinion I would have after reviewing the Microsoft Lumia 550 in 2016. Perhaps I would like to have a device with an alternative operating system on board in the form of Windows Mobile, since I think that everything is learned in comparison. If you had more time to read and I had more time to write, I would describe in detail all the disadvantages and shortcomings of the operating system in this smartphone, of which there are a lot. But I think what has been said is enough. The hardware in the Lumia 550 is quite enough for all the necessary, basic needs in 2016. There are no specific complaints about the device itself. Microsoft Lumia 550 is a nice budget smartphone with normal budget specifications.

Has my smartphone given me a negative attitude towards Windows phones? The answer is no, the smartphone did not persuade me to become an ardent fan of such devices. The mobile version of Windows 10 is slow and constantly lags, but, in my opinion, it should exist and develop.

Microsoft Lumia 550 video review

My second video review. So far filmed on an amateur camera. I hope I write better so far. what I shoot with. Leave any opinion about the review in the comments, I will be glad. I hope my works will allow you to make the right choice when buying a smartphone.

Look first review of the real "sale" Microsoft Lumia 550 . This is not a prototype like the Lumia 950 XL ( And overview of user recognition by iris of Windows Hello with Iris), shown in Microsoft Lumia 550 review - this is the final version of the hardware, only with Windows 10 Mobile not updated before release. But the experience of using it for a week leaves the most pleasant impressions.Microsoft Lumia 550 is a budget smartphone model of the Lumia line , which will cost about 140 euros and its sales will begin in December 2015. For those who want a bug-free, lag-free smartphone with long battery life and a convenient and easy-to-use Windows OS -Microsoft Lumia 550 is a great solution . Trust me, Microsoft Lumia 550 is worth the money.

What can we say -testing the touch screen for sensitivity to touches and finger movements of the Microsoft Lumia 550 passes with a bang 😉 This review/test of Microsoft Lumia 550 - proof of the normal operation of the touchscreen in the Microsoft Lumia 550. So - there’s no need to remember about the problematic screen of the Lumia 535 and transfer the problems of the 535 to the “successor” - the Lumia 550 has no problems with the touchscreen 😉

In this series - - with the most popular representatives on Windows Phone -how Asphalt 8 Airborne, GT Racing 2, 4x4 Offroad Rally, Beach Buggy Racing work on Lumia 550 .

According to subjective feelingsAfalo26 all tested games on the Lumia 550 work perfectly, no lags were noticed, the screen is sensitive and no glitches were noticed 😉

According to subjective feelingsAfalo26 All these tested games on Lumia 550 show excellent speed, the screen is sensitive and no glitches were noticed 😉 we especially appreciated the heating of the phone during the game - we didn’t notice any particularly hot zones, the phone was just warm 😉 Except that Brother in Arms 3 crashed at the end, but this is no longer a problem with the Microsoft Lumia 550 or The OS is Windows 10 Mobile, and the well-known “bugs” of Brother in Arms 3 itself, for which everyone mercilessly criticizes it...

According to subjective feelingsAfalo26 All These RPG games work great on Lumia 550 , the screen is sensitive and no glitches were noticed 😉 we especially appreciated the heating of the phone during the game - we didn’t notice any particularly hot zones, the phone was just warm...

And speaking of conclusions aftertesting Minecraft Pocket Edition on Lumia 550 - according to subjective feelingsAfalo26 - just like in the conclusions with previous toys -Minecraft works great on Microsoft Lumia 550 , the screen is sensitive and no glitches or lags were noticed, especially according toAfalo26 - in comparison with his previous phone, everything “flies” Specially appreciatedMicrosoft Lumia 550 heating up while playing Minecraft - we didn’t notice any particularly hot zones; the Lumia 550 was still just warm during the game, as in previous tests.

How such a video was filmed in practice -you can see it in this photo - (don’t forget to log in to FB), and for those who write in the comments to such videos like “why are you filming handheld? So you can’t see all the quality!” - I repeat once again - I shoot video in such conditions in which 99% of users will use these phones when shooting - i.e. - they will shoot handheld, and not from a tripod or, especially, a stabilizer 😉

And don’t forget to turn on the comparison video from all 4 phones - Microsoft Lumia 550, Microsoft Lumia 640 / 640XL, Nokia Lumia 730 - in 1440p mode - you will see the video almost “as is”. The sound in this video is taken specifically from the recording track of the Microsoft Lumia 550.

For those who want to enjoy comparisons in more detail and “mix” individual episodes themselves, original fragments from all cameras are also on the channel, here are direct links:

test video with Microsoft Lumia 550:

test video with Microsoft Lumia 640:

test video with Microsoft Lumia 640 XL:

test video from Nokia Lumia 730:

So the test includes available paid and free video players for Windows Phone 8.1/Windows 10 Mobile - these are MoliPlayer Pro, VLC, Best Player, MKV Viewer, xVideo Player, Video Explorer, CCPlayer. You will be able to evaluate their ability to “digest” certain video formats, and, most importantly, to support hardware H.264 decoding, which is now found in the weakest processor in the Snapdragon series - Snapdragon 210, installed in the Microsoft Lumia 550.

Personally, I use MoliPlayer Pro on my Windows Phone 8.1 and Windows 10 Mobile phones - this is how it happened historically, plus it has network playback capabilities and work with the DLNA protocol. For those who want to play videos at home from any device to any device using DLNA, I highly recommend watching my other videos with a story, .

But I somehow unexpectedly also liked MVK Viewer , which I accidentally found while searching for "something new for MKV". He is in free and paid versions for Windows Phone and “regular” Windows 8.1/10.

To understand whether the Microsoft Lumia 550 has become more productive compared to its predecessors, seesimilar tests of working with video from other Windows phones and short instructions for working with video in Windows Phone - how to convert, how to upload video to your phone.

Watch, draw conclusions - choose Microsoft Lumia 550 (or other Lumia phones - what and how to choose from - see the video “which Windows phone Lumia series to choose ” and comparison of video cameras of different Lumia -https://youtu.be/_7UfNaFBiZU?list=PLB5YmwQw0Jl-zubRvXm3Yi0lOMDzxvMna ), choose the video player that suits you.

I used Microsoft Lumia 550 all these 3 weeks as one of my main phones (together with Nokia Lumia 730 ). Why TOGETHER and not INSTEAD? Because the Microsoft Lumia 550 has only one slot for a SIM card, which, as for me, can be called its only drawback (for those who need these 2 cards). Personally, I use dual SIM only on business trips outside the European Union - in this case, my Lumia 730 had one “native” O2 SIM card and a card from a Ukrainian operator (for local calls and the Internet). The rest of the time, one SIM card is enough for me, but I know a lot of people who “save” by calling from different cards 😉 Although, as for me, you just need to earn more so as not to count pennies 😉

But let's get back to Microsoft Lumia 550 review - all these 3 weeks of use (and periodic load tests and games) the phone behaved perfectly. No freezes or OS bugs were noticed on the Lumia 550, no “missed” calls, “lost” SMS, etc. - everything on the Lumia 550 worked like clockwork.

And it worked on battery power for quite a long time - in “normal” use mode - calls for an hour and a half a day, constantly checking email via WiFi or 3G (I never turn off WiFi), reading mail upon arrival (and I receive up to 200 letters a day ) and reading documents/websites that were sent by mail - with all this, the Microsoft Lumia 550 works on a single charge from the morning of one day until the evening of the next day.

The performance of the OS and interface is also at the level, as shown by numerous tests - both synthetic and load gaming - you can also get acquainted with them in . At the same time, the vexed issue of heating the phone did not go beyond the concept of “warm”. Of course, maybe I should have played games on the Microsoft Lumia 550 for hours - but this was not part of my plans - I still work and in general - if you want to play on the go - buy yourself a portable game console - for example, this JXD S5800 or this NVIDIA Shield . Anyway -Microsoft Lumia 550 shows excellent performance for its hardware and its price.