Lumia 950/950 XL Android ROM possibly found? - Microsoft Lumia 950/950 XL

I have read the closed threads here. I found a ROM site but I'm not sure what to make of it because it seems to work only with Android installed by design?
Which, for the 950 series hasn't seemed possible. If Microsoft was abandoning the project, why didn't they go back to having an Astoria enabled ROM as the final version?
https://romindex.com/android-for-lumia-for-microsoft-lumia-950950-xl/"]https://romindex.com/android-for-lumia-for-microsoft-lumia-950950-xl/
I'd like to attempt it. Microsoft has been progressively disabling features in every app that competes with Skype for free video calling.
Oh, and for months now, Skype video calling is upside down on all 950 series.
Why MS even bothered if they are abandoning the OS is just really malicious towards customers.
I keep looking for alternatives because the hardware was really good.
Just the MS OS development was managed by absolutely deaf morons.
Spare me the insults. I'm just looking at possible solutions.

I am a proud (not so much anymore) owner of a Lumia 950 myself and I have been looking everywhere for an answer to your question.
I myself have found the same link you posted and have been wondering whether it is something that would work or not. The device has very impressive specs and I would like to use it for something more than a (relatively) expensive paperweight! However I find all the root/flash/whatever Lumia X50 series sites a bit too odd. The writing of the content is as if the device is already running Android and seem to be old. They "smell fishy" to say the least.
To add to the doubt, I have been following the news on Android for Lumia for a long time now and the development has been very slow to say the least. Nothing actually works on the device with the current state of the ROM. It is quite unfortunate but I don't think it will ever do. Porting Android to Lumias looks like too much work, plus even though the specs are impressive they are already dated with how smartphone tech is "advancing".
I know that this is not an answer per se but I hope it will give you some perspective.
As for many of the decisions that MS has made with the whole Windows mobile scene, don't get me started there!

I know this is an old thread, but I too am interested since MS is killing bits off of WM10 starting with Cortana as an assistant since last week. I have a new 950xl I was thinking of putting WoA on, but not so sure anymore since it's still not polished as an everyday OS yet. I'm still dailying my 3 yo black Friday XL/950/dock package from 2016, but pissed that Cortana is now only a glorified search bar.
I see no reason why someone couldn't get a decent version of 'droid on these. The hardware is more than up to task and would keep a familiar feeling in our hands. I hate to say it, but MS forced us here.

Related

Thinking about moving from Palm and Symbian to WM5 PPC some ??'s

Hello all, as the title states I'm thinking of buying a Universal. I've lurked this site for a couple of weeks now and have lots of questiones answered but some are still lingering. I am a Palm user using a Sony UX-50 I'm hooked on this form factor tablet and laptop modes( one of the reasons I like the Universal similar from factor). But it has no phone capability which makes for carrying a phone. So I have a Symbian OS mobile phone(SX-1). The Palm device has piss poor battery life for on line use; and the phone has version 1 OS that cannot be upgraded and a lot of the software being created is not backwards compatible so I miss a lot of the apps that are coming out.
Which brings me here... when the Universal came out I thought it was the best converged device brought to market, but the price tag was too steep and rumours(at that time) was the OS was very unstable; times have changed prices have dropped and there are many ROM upgrades for this device so I'm thinking about getting one.
One of my concerns is the Caller id issue I have a headset that displays #'s but would like to have name as well per this thread http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=264700&highlight=Bluetooth+caller+id
I would like to get the Tekkeon headset and be able to see the phonebook not sure if this is possible with Jetware software.
Also the use of Dual sim cards I know it will work per this thread http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=246114&highlight=dual+sim+holder but can it work without turning off and on the phone I believe it was a paticular ROM upgrade that made it possible?
But my biggest concern is the future; I know technology is always moving forward and newer and better devices come out every 6 months. This device seems to be expandable ie. people are using WM6 already unlike my Palm and Symbian OS that are not able to upgrade their systems; it seems that this OS or device is able to keep moving forward with technology. I have many many more questions but will search for those answers.
Anyways thanks for reading this and any and all help is appreciated.
I suggest you goto a local store that stock them and have a play around first before spending your hard-earned cash. I'm always worried when someone mentions how long a particular pda/mobile will last..its entirely down to the individual. Most people buy what's available at the time they can afford it. I've known friends that have owned pdas and mobiles for years and are still content with them. You need to ask yourself if the universal is what you're looking for. There's a significant difference in size compared to a sony clie ux50. However if youre looking for that perfect convergence device, I doubt you'll find the answer...its horses for courses unfortunately.
Thanks for the reply; it's not the life span perse but the upgradability of the OS will this device be able to handle; let say WM7.5? The UX is still on par with most PDA's today but its life cycle is coming to an end Sony pulled out of that market warranties are nonexistent.
The size is not that much of a deal breaker for me; I toyed with one a year ago and liked it. I guess I'm down to the little details. I guess, like other people I'm looking for the Ultimate converged device and so far this seems to be the closeset out there.
Cheers
ok..however theres no real guarantee at all that there will be further upgrades to the Universal. Look at the HP hx4700 for example. It was the top of the range HP pda for a while until HP decided to discontinue it, but a Windows Mobile 5 upgrade was made officially available for it. Alas, its still a dicontinued pda and its future remains at an end. Its obvious that the Universal will have a successor, and manufacturers will continue to produce better, more efficient devices. The Universal will eventually be superceeded and discontinued, however it will have a following. There is currently a WM5 Crossbow rom, albeit in different flavours, available that works quite well, especially Helmi's version, and hopefully a newer build will be out soon so theres plenty of life left in the Universal. I've had mine for over a year now and am very pleased with its functionality. In fact, the newer rom makes it a more interesting device to own. I've also owned most other pda/mobiles and have found I return to the Universal for its vga screen, keyboard, speed and overall class above the rest status. Remember, you're at the best stage to be contemplating its purchase as its had more than 12 months of "shelf-life", and as newer roms become available, it will get better.
Thats so true, I am an early watcher; but late adopter, so with that I will be getting one.

The Future Of Windows Mobile

A lot of people have been asking me this very difficult question: What is the future of Windows Mobile? Do you think it will die in a few years(about 2)? And other questions that are about the death of Windows Mobile. On this post I will say about my thoughts of the future of Windows Mobile.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
So I've made this article to say every thing I think about a very polemic topic: The death of Windows Mobile... For sure it won't die in 2 years, it will take a lot more...
The article is on my blog, feel free to share it every where you want, but remember to give the credits
http://developmentcloud.blogspot.com/2011/02/future-of-windows-mobile.html
Leave a comment about the topic and my article. Happy reading
PS: I've made this article at midnight, so it may contain some errors and crazy stuff
Windows Mobile without Sense for sure is pretty crappy
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Sorry to write this, but your statement is truly ridiculous, skip to very end of my post before you read rest, to understand why i said that.
As a matter of fact, death of wm started when HTC destroyed whole idea of PDA with its feeble, slow, but VERY popular devices(well..PDA's were made for work, HTC changed PDAs into just phones - popularity(money) rose, niche changed and this tendancy progresses now in absurdal way resulting with WP).
They just started to load their bloatware(manila,sense), in EXCHANGE for specs(and dpad/buttons), specifically. I know LOTS of people, that left WM platform just because of that, and even HD2 wasn't able to change that(FAR too late, too ridiculous, too buttonless, to expensive, etc, etc).
XDAdev forums took some part in whole process, imho(you NEED manila, you NEED sense - what a bull****).
HTC seem to be VERY happy after gigantic success of manila's, sense's resulting in destroying of many of old wm software developers(yes, by marketplace,my friend).
Finally, androidz and ridiculous iphone took rest.
95% of cooks i know and i respect would NEVER add manila, nor sense to their roms, as a matter of fact, actually most of them left wm platform already(well, rest bought...hd2, rich happy people mhmm.).
I will stay with my device(PDA with phone module, not HTC), as there is NO software i am using made for android, nor wp(sorry to say, old wm software is totally different league from actual promoted software, all about that).
So all i can say, have fun with your sense, twitter and facebook, but remember, there was something more few years ago, when future looked bright and good.
sorry for engrish, topic not suscribed(i have no nerves for that, you know, i am able to make skin for hs++ with functionality of whole sense, but it takes 143 kb, not 65MB, this is what made me posting my thoughts, i doubt you can understand me).
As I've said, that's my opinion and I respect your point of view
I liked your article very much. i tried lot of OS on my HD2 and the worst one was WP7. it is a ugly clone of iPhone OS. Windows mobile gives you full control of the device and you can customize it as much as you can...
I hope Microsoft will continue development on WM.
adempozhari said:
I liked your article very much. i tried lot of OS on my HD2 and the worst one was WP7. it is a ugly clone of iPhone OS. Windows mobile gives you full control of the device and you can customize it as much as you can...
I hope Microsoft will continue development on WM.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
yes.. hope microsoft still continuing it...
Nice article, and it was interesting to hear from someone who has tried out the majority of OS's out there. I got my first WinMo device back in 2005, though it still had WM2003 running on it. Since then, I have been hooked on WinMo. Like you, I also have an iPod Touch and the OS is smooth, but the customisation abilities are next to none (even if its jailbroken). Anyway, in general, I agree with most of what you say.
However, where I differ in opinion, is that I think WinMo is going to disappear sooner than you predict. WinMo hasn't had an update since 6.5 (was 6.5.x ever on a commercially available device?). And even HTC haven't offered an update on Sense since the HD2 came out. Thank goodness for XDA-Devs and Cookies Home Tab! I am sure that through this community, WinMo will live on for as long as there are working devices out there (I'm in no rush to swap my HD2 for anything else). But even now, you can see that Android and WP7 are becoming more and more popular within this community. And outside, in public, if you pull out a smartphone (regardless of model, or OS) someone will ask "Oh is that an iPhone?"
The beauty of the HD2 (I'm on my second HD2 as the first one was stolen) is that it will run many different OS's. So far, I have run several versions of Android, WP7 and Ubuntu. But I always come back to WinMo as it still offers the best for customisation and features. The iPhone for me is only a toy/fashion device that is over hyped and seriously over-advertised (which is why it sells so well- that and Apples nice design).I liked WP7, which I ran for nearly a week. Currently in it's first version it is a bit lacking but it is FAST! And when I do eventually get to the point of having to give up my HD2, I am hoping that Nokia will have a seriously good WP7 device on offer.
I am sure that XDA-Devs will continue to breath life into WinMo and drive it on to places Microsoft never thought to take it. But sad to say, I think WinMo has been abandoned by MS, forever. When did you last see a new device come out with WinMo on board? Even HTC seems to have totally hopped ship to Android and WP7. And it's getting harder to find new apps for WinMo (where as, iOS and Android have zillions of apps to offer - most of them are junk, but there are some gems among them).
Sorry to ramble on, but that was/is my opinion. Bleak, but with very fond memories of what is still in my mind, the best OS.
Copied from a post I made in here but worth an inclusion here.
**********************************************
When you visit the Expansys website here in the UK and filter available phones using Windows Mobile, it only lists six models, the same applies to Phone 7.
If you select available phones by Android, you get nearly fifty, although some of these are duplicated as different bundles, +SD card, cradle etc. The writing is clearly on the wall.
Interestingly, one of the Windows Mobile phones is an Airo Wireless. At over £500, it is a rather expensive item, but it is a waterproof, rubber armoured device that would probably survive being fired out of a cannon.
Post #38 by Tpimp420 in the thread link above, mentions Microsoft have rebranded WinMo as Microsoft Embedded Handheld, in the much larger Windows Embedded arena, and are targeting these types of devices for use in enterprise business applications/solutions.
http://www.microsoft.com/windowsembe.../overview.mspx
Microsoft has wised up to the fact that there are countless thousands of these things already in use, in warehouses and factories as barcode readers and pick-list terminals, in airlines (as Point-of-Sale (POS) terminals), data capture devices as meter readers, or in the field as customer survey recording devices, etc... etc..... The list goes on and on. These devices may occupy a niche market, but it's still quite a big one, which needs and will continue to need supporting. In the field these devices get a lot of use/abuse, and when they need replacing, with what do you replace them? An I-Phone or Android device? They wouldn't last a week!
WinMo as we know it, might not evolve much further, but Windows CE, and Embedded versions of XP and Windows 7 live on, for new generations of tablet devices. Microsoft has announced that it wants a lot more Windows stuff to run on ARM devices.
Meanwhile, there are still millions of WinMo devices out there, and sites like this, that try to keep them running.

Windows 8 and Windows phone 8

Hi some time ago when windows 8.1 was still called blue there were some rumours that Micro$oft will merge its two platforms. Windows 8 and Windows Phone 8 would share she same Metro apps. This move should give M$ edge over Apple where you could have best of both worlds on single device. It seems now that this idea has been lost somewhere in 8.1 changelog.
So I was looking for revolution but it seems that we will receive just evolution. Oh and for most of the portals major change is the start button! Really?!
You seem to be suffering from some keyboard defect. I suggest you look into that. In the meantime, get back under your bridge.
Hi. Thank you for your reply. My post was to start a discussion about the features of new update and about lack of some expected ones (which maybe still will be announced).
And what was the purpose of your reply?
It was never said that wp8 and w8 would become one and the same. You have misunderstood. Some of the new windows runtime features are coming to windows phone and the services offered were to be merged, but the operating systems themselves were to remain seperate.
>Some of the new windows runtime features are coming to windows phone and the services offered were to be merged, but the operating systems themselves were to remain desperate.
that way I had to misunderstood this (would be a great idea thou). Sort of like universal apps shared between iphone and ipad) I seen few apps which are being announced as both windows 8 and windows phone 8 (check co-pilot or halo) which probably kept me in believing in this. Oh well we will see where windows 8 will evolve.
Andrew_j said:
that way I had to misunderstood this (would be a great idea thou). Sort of like universal apps shared between iphone and ipad) I seen few apps which are being announced as both windows 8 and windows phone 8 (check co-pilot or halo) which probably kept me in believing in this. Oh well we will see where windows 8 will evolve.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
iPhone and iPad share apps simply because they are the same operating system. The iPad is just a giant iPhone. its the same as how one android phone and another share apps, they are the same thing.
Windows phone and windows 8 are not.
The desperate thing I said above, may be true but autocorrect fail, wrote it from my nexus this morning.
Andrew_j said:
Hi. Thank you for your reply. My post was to start a discussion about the features of new update and about lack of some expected ones (which maybe still will be announced).
And what was the purpose of your reply?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Purpose of his post is that you stop using that $ instead of S.
Sent from my Nexus 4 using Tapatalk 4 Beta
Oh. I am sorry I didn't know that I hurt his / yours religious feelings.
Unless of course this gentleman refers to his home as "under the bridge" I read his post as simple attempt to offend.
In light of recent E3 news (xbox one- drm management, activation fees, price, Internet connection requirement to work, always-on camera pointing your face and listening all the time which you cannot just unplug) I thing that using $ instead of S is good way to comment the situation.
To end this pointless conversation - unless there there is a XDA rule which prohibits me to do so then please stop trolling and trying to offend other forum members.
Now coming back to 8.1 - is this correct what I understood from brief installation description that if you install this release you will have to reinstall all the programs if you would like to install final release?
"M$" and similar (and I'd apply this statement even to, for example, "$ony" which is a company I personally detest) is most commonly used as trolling behavior online. This is doubly true in a forum devoted to discussing Microsoft products. It's possible you had, and still have, a legit intention to create a meaningful discussion. However, it looked (and to an extent, still looks) like you're merely trying to stir up trouble.
I agree that the XbOne restrictions are nasty, but I have no intention of buying one, and this forum has nothing to do with that product.
The only hint I ever saw regarding merging the app models was a job posting about installing both XAP and APPX packages on the same platform. That's interesting, and does imply a merged app platform, but there's no guarantee it was even going to happen, much less when. To the best of my knowledge, Microsoft never officially said anything to the effect of "we will do this" although there's been rampant speculation since the Win8 beta days.
You are right. I has never been said officially thus my expectations and hopes to see any bits of confirmation during the press conference. When I haven seen any I asked the question here. Still must say I am looking forward this update (probably not for first public beta - if the rumours are true that you will have to reinstall all your applications).
Personally I believe that The Redmond company will need stronger impact to conquer more market right now windows 8 is getting the love it should receive as is being designed for touch but mostly is being use on non-touchscreen laptops and PC. Marked wasn't ready for this. So right approach would be IMO to get more tablet users on their side (look at the latest adverts windows 8 vs iPad). If 8" tablets market is good for win8 is another discussion thou.
But coming back to subject. Has this been confirm that win 8.1 final version cannot be I painless way installed on top of preview?
Cheers
In practice, it's pretty much always possible to do an in-place upgrade via tweaking a few files in the installer or a value in the registry. However, in-place upgrades are a bad enough idea even when they're supported; I really can't endorse doing it on your main system. I may well install the preview in a VM, though.
I think in this case I will rather wait for official final release. Hdd restrictions will not allow me to have more fun on vm. I am already running win8 on bootcamp so no more complications are required
Also partially as an answer to my initial question it has been announced that new halo game for win 8 and win phone 8 will not be a cross buy. These will be two independent apps so no one unified system for now at least.
Yeah, that's been the case for a number of games already. On the plus side, the games *can* still share data between platforms if you have it on boath, and you can earn achievemnts on both... which would matter more if I gave a damn about gamerscore (I've got like 3500, LOL) but some people really care.
Hi all. There is still light at the end of the tunnel (hope it's not a train
http://www.trustedreviews.com/news/...indows-phone-teams-in-titanic-microsoft-rejig

maybe this could help HTC revive themselves

so we all know HTC is in trouble. The cellphone market is constantly moving forward and looking to the future for their next big thing. I, however, suggest that htc should take a page out of their old book and come out with a next-gen hd2. When I think about freedom in a handset, I think about this phone first and THEN android's early days. We live in a time where mainstream phone manufacturers give us a product and thats that whether we like it or not. my last 4 android phones weren't able to be rooted and so I gave up altogether. I'm currently an iphone user. Not because I think it's better but because I just gave up. I am not happy with todays offerings. I feel like phones should be more advanced now. I mean yeah there are very nice phones today with tiny bezels and crazy specs but I'm speaking more from a OS perspective. Yes pixels are nice, yes samsung has amazing phones but at the end of the day they're only still running android. Android has evolved but, in my eyes, just barely. It's still the same at its core. Back on topic, I think it would be in everybody's best interest if htc were to look back to this phone for the future. This time next year will mark the 10th anniversary of the HD2 and they're in a very troubled state right now so why not? HD3, the all new HTC HD, whatever they may call it is irrelevant as long as they just do it. The smartphone market is stagnant right now, there's countless evidence to support this claim. Manufacturers should start focusing more on operating systems than bezels. It is clearly inevitable that there will eventually be new contestants in the duopoly we have right now.
I'm not sure how to approach this but let's just put it like this. If i had it my way; it's November 2019 and HTC releases the hd3, theres a whole back to the future campaign. they trademark the phrase "the future is in your hands." it's on billboards and ads with the phone sitting comfortably in a pair of palms. there's black hands, white hands, brown hands, robot hands to show that this is the phone for everybody. it runs android by default but it is meant to run other operating systems. HTC has invested money into smaller os manufacturers and home-based devs to develop/port their existing OS. they run competitions and such for people to show off their OS offerings. Not for them to purchase and license but to show that the whole movement is about the people and their freedom phone. the device is a tinkerers dream. The app stores are limited but that isn't the point. We're approaching a time where AI is slowly eliminating the need for 6 billion apps. XDA is the go-to spot again. We need a more capable mobile OS and why shouldn't HTC be one of the first to push that with their hardware. I know microsoft will be putting out the surface phone soon and I'd be willing to bet it will run full windows 10. Why not have a legitimate early competitor to push the agenda? If I want to run ubuntu desktop or kali linux on my phone fluidly why can't I? This may very well be a niche product but it will be huge for developers and will most definitely be a big conversation. That alone would gain some traction. hardware revisions thereafter could include multiple usb-c connectors, maybe an x86 architecture, maybe modularity, maybe this maybe that. I just dream of a pocketable device that would truly feel free of restraints and I believe HTC is the one for the job. Manufacturers are always giving us what THEY think we need instead of actually leaving it up to us. Ask any savvy person what the most legendary smartphone was and they'll say the HD2, ask them why and I guarantee every answer is the same. This is something I am passionate about and I haven't slept yet and I know the format is all messed up but I just wanted to put the idea in peoples heads.
I second this motion. The HTC HD2 Leo I own is a beast. I will admit that it was frustrating at first. I must have soft bricked it half a dozen times messing with settings and software I had no business touching as I didn't have a clue what I was doing. Then I found some good tutorials and finally, the promised land. XDA DEVELOPERS FORUM.
I found that the HD2 was an incredibly versatile and robust piece of tech. I did soft brick it again a time or two, but always I was able to rejuvenate it. The downfall, I believe was Microsoft ending the 6.5 os right after release. That coupled with the power house of android and the backing and resources it had soon overshadowed the HD2. But quite a few kept a place in there heart for it. The capability of the device and the developers to modify and utilize the platform to do extraordinary things has, in my opinion, never been matched. HTC needed a flagship. They were in the pack, but had a desire and opportunity to pull to the forefront. With the HD2 they did surge ahead. They didn't fail us, the market and consumer failed them. Too many got overly frustrated as they failed to understand the accessibility and basic root to pathway to app to accessories. The various models also caused consumers, who were hearing of this wonder of Google and Android, some with the apple iPhone in hand and its "friendly yet restrictive" os, and they rage quit on the HTC.
After reading the above post, I have thought long and hard on what was, what is, and what could be for HD devices. I have several interesting observations.
1. The versatility of the HD2 opened it up to power-users, techs, devs and wide eyed dreamy technophiles like myself. The ability of the HD2 to use Java, WinMo, PPC software, Android and linux gave so many a highly adaptable device for personal preference, personalization and experimentation.
2. The HD2 could act as a PDA, Phone, PC, Diagnostic tool, Microsoft Office companion and controller... The list goes on. Yes you can do all those things with an android or apple device now, but the ability to adjust the hardware settings, application features, information export and format has been greatly handicapped by a gap between developer abilities an end users abilities. Rooting helps with this, but rooting itself is a tricky and iffy prospect. I have noticed that certain areas of focus and purpose for applications have software that does not cover everything desired, or is entirely too broad and basic to be fully accurate. I have found myself and others needing 2 or three applications to accomplish with accuracy what could be done with one openly versatile and layered 'package'.
3. The HTC HD2 is still capable of competing with most of the low to mid level devices on the market today. I can hear some of you rolling your eyes, but I stick by that statement. Even with some outdated components and slower buss and cache speeds, it can hold its own. I attribute that to the versatility.
4. The vision of the HTC HD3 MODULAR COMPONENT ENGINE. Yup. I may be insane after all. Yet my madness has reason, I am just not linguistically skilled enough in Techaneeze to put it to words. Basically, the device by itself is a fully functioning phone with the latest capabilities and trends. The average user will be able to use it straight out the box, though with multiple new options such as dual OS preinstalled, dual SD card slots, Mega More than anyone needs camera resolutions, speakers that actually work loud and clear, maybe predocked gizmos, chochkies and dodads like Bluetooth earpiece(beats me on the design so far), NFC tags or keyring fobs(whatever those are called), a hidden micro sim/sd card compartment, an actual headphone jack, plasma lighter/taser, multi use survival card, toothpick, tweezers, det-cord crimper. OK OK i am being silly, but its late and I am hungry.
The added wow factor is that the HD3 is a driver/interface for a modular expansion platform that can be customized for various trades. IT tools like frequency counter, component tester, etc.; scientific lab tools and sensors; in the field career specific tools for geologist, meteorologist, anthropologists, etc.
So far, i just have envisioned a framework buss with plug in ports for specific electronics and sensors, etc.
I will try to expand on this idea, but I am now at the point that I believe I need to poll the public. I will attempt to create an effective poll(s) at a later time when I have all cylinders firing.
Good night, and good luck!
I just stumbled on to this forum browsing xda in the new year..and as each year passes i feel sad that these HD2 forums get more and more silent ( I bot the HD2 in 2009, the year of its launch) ...strange this phone got so many people to love their device like no other, I guess people remember the joy they felt when they used it and the fact that it was probably the most modded phone on the planet....fact that it ran android marshmallow not too far back is testament to the loyalty of developers and users of this phone who never gave up on it, kept it alive and relevant .... I guess we all miss the extreme flexibility of our beloved device today, of course also miss the huge flutter of activity on the xda forums for this phone, the forums were always buzzing with something new ( ROM, app ) the phone could run or some feature that was finally made to work...so so great to see the above 2 posts in 2018, good to see activity and that people still remember this great device and are still hoping it will be reborn in some form in the future, cheers to that!!!!
Same sentiments here. I bought the hd2 on release in 2009 and it was a lovely device. I remember installing the latest Android ROMs and kernels on it, was so fun. We're at a point if perfection though, most modern devices run at well you hardly need to tinker with them anymore. My Galaxy note 9 and Huawei mate 20 pro are proof to that, these 2 phones are Android in it's perfection but the hd2 will always have a place in our hearts!
I am still amazed to see what the HD2 achieved.. I also bought it in 2009.. had loads of fun flashing it (or may i say them, i ended up having 4 of them at the same time ) whith android and windows.. I still have 2 or 3 of them laying around somewhere.. was an incredible device that gave loads of fun

Install 2 apk on 950xl, the most important ones.

Hello,
I would like to know if anyone can test two apps, the only two really important to me.
Opera for android: apkpure.com/opera-with-free-vpn
ProtonMail: apkpure.com/protonmail-encrypte
I have not yet buy the phone, I would just like to know if the app works really well.
I do not want android phone or apple, I do not like the interface of these 2, too geek, not at all pro.
Can someone try to install these 2 app on his 950? And tell me if it works well?
Do you have tips for installing apk on Windows phone?
Can you please try to install those apps for us and make a small tutorial ?
The Lumia 950 and 950 XL are Windows powered phones. They don't run Android. Windows 10 Mobile has no notion of what an apk file is. It has it's own package.
Despite an excellent phone (if you don't care about apps, beside the select popular ones, and open to Microsoft ecosystem of the time), I would advice not getting it. The ecosystem is gone.
Support for the OS has been terminated from Microsoft (including security update end of last month). The phone got almost 4 years of support. It is a very old phone. Support of apps are being terminated if they are not already. In addition, the battery probably needs to be changed, and finding a good one (and not a cheap one or old production one), due to the very low popularity of the device, will be difficult. A poor or old battery results in fluctuating power delivery, mixed with the phone design flaw of not being able to manage this issue properly, leads to strange behaviors including random restarts and crashes.
The only web browser you have on this phone, are all using Edge web browser engine. And sadly, a growing number of sites are not fairing well, because the version of Edge on the phone is now old (much older than Edge on full Windows 10 on PCs), and already the web browser has a very small percentage of usage, and even that is being scrapped to be replaced with a new Edge that Microsoft is working on, which is based on Chromium engine. Keep in mind that "Windows 10 Mobile" is not "Windows 10". They are 2 different OSs. To be clear, the only similarities are some underground kernel level components, APIs, and the fact that they can run UWP apps, the name, but that is about it. It cannot run Windows executable files (*.exe). They are none with VPN. You can setup VPN on the phone if you want, which you'll need to toggle on/off when needed.
For Mail, your options is the Windows 10 Mail app which comes with it.
As for Maps, it is the same one as Windows 10, which hasn't been updated since Windows 10 Mobile was discontinued. It features old maps that are over 1 year old, possibly more depending on your region.
never buy apple or public star android
This is so bad, the 950xl have a better performance , a largely better screen quality and a largely better sound than the others Lumia or Google phones , for half price than a pixel 3 or a Lumia 8.1 ...
Microsoft was very good on hardware , specially the screen quality.
Google and Apple are billionnaires, who *insert at will* all users datas on their phones... Totally lose their minds about internet freedom place and give all datas to governement who *insert at will* people with stupid and non human laws and taxes.
You cant imagine what is it buying an Android or a Apple phone interface for me.
Hope Microsoft Will reborn and take advantage of all good skilled developers , instead of making some big browser without an well and easy dev console.
The last question is :
Is OPERA MINI old xapp file will be different than edge browser , and can it be Install with a tool ?
mayapi said:
This is so bad, the 950xl have a better performance
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Hmm no. That is not true (or I am not sure I follow you). In fact, a Snapdragon (and yes that has shocked me) 670 (the one in the Pixel 3a, as example) is actually a bit faster than the Snapdragon 810 in the Lumia 950 XL. Qualcomm managed to really push performance forward over the years (~4 years). And in addition, the newer Qualcomm chips are much harder to throttle than the 810, due to their much reduced power consumption under load. While Microsoft brought some PC innovation like heatpipes to the Lumia 950 XL making it the few phones on the market with the 810 that could actually record 4K continuously without skipping after 30sec or so (due to throttling), it is still can throttle if you can take a lot of pictures in a row with little pause (due to the post processing on images) and other extended demanding tasks. So yes, at the time of release it as great, today, it is really not, sadly.
a largely better screen quality and a largely better sound than the others Lumia or Google phones , for half price than a pixel 3 or a Lumia 8.1 ...
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At the time of release, sure. However, today and since a few years ago (and longer for some) many phone manufactures, add some color preference adjustment like the Lumia series has, so you can adjust things somewhat. I have to say, that one thing surprised is that both iPhones and Android powered phone still doesn't have automatic contrast adjustment to make the screen more visible to read under the sunlight. It only relies on the screen being able to be bright enough. That said, Microsoft doesn't make screens. OLED is made by 2 main manufactures in the world: LG and Samsung. For mass production product, these are essentially your only choices as a phone manufacture.
Microsoft was very good on hardware , specially the screen quality.
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Yes they were, same as Nokia. And we can see that skill continue today with the Surface line systems and the XBox One S and X model (which where made by the Surface team, contrary to the first release model of the XBox One).
Sadly, while they had amazing hardware, the software was lacking, and developer support was already dying when Windows Phone 7 was released.
Ballmer monkey'ing around and screening "developers developers developers" doesn't do **** to grow developer interest in Windows when you have nothing to deliver, not to mention (at least based on leaks and rumors) complete miss management on many aspect of the company at the time. Including but not limited to different teams discourage to help other teams, have teams re-invent the wheel for something that already exists in the company, missing out on huge market opportunities, ignoring competitors despite internal alerts being raised, upper management and CEO being disconnected from reality in their own bubble, treating the company like it is the 90's while we are well into the 2000's. making the Windows Phone team fight for survival internally since day 1, lacking resources and internal political power to do their job. Forcing Microsoft employees and developers to use their own frameworks and solutions which many are rushed out, and as a result poorly done and clunky to work with, just to have a "Microsoft solution" of something that already exists in the market and has been there for years being polished and took all its time to develop correctly and be optimized. Not to mention that Microsoft never put actual effort in selling Windows phones, with 0 advertisement, and 0 bonuses of any kind to cellphone store and providers while both Apple and pretty much all Android manufactures, gave substantial returns to sales staff and companies to promote and push their device. This has greatly helped Samsung and Apple, and look where they are now.... Anyway, I am going on a tangent.
Returning back, all this has changed. Of course, it isn't a next day thing. Company culture, especially of the size of Microsoft, takes a long time to change, but results shows. When now, today, you have Windows 10 on ARM, not even officially launched, just soft lunched, with expensive, limited quantity, primarily US only, ARMed based systems, fraction of the current Windows 10 Mobile user base, has more developer excitement for then Windows Phone as a whole, shows how things turned. Heck, no one used to care about icons being changed in Windows 10 and Office, now it is all the rage. An extreme soft launch OS, already has big player interest without the company throwing any money at developers. Just on top of my head you have: Firefox, Chrome, Chromium, (and of course, the new Chromium Edge), and full VLC on Windows 10 on ARM or is in the active works.
Microsoft has changed, they are open, they actually listen, actually do serious actions to promote developers interest, knows where it can and can't compete and goes its own way, and let competition take its course, allow Microsoft employees to use whatever is available outside of the company to make great software and great experiences for the user.
So yes, I am sure that if they try again (not yet, however, later), things can be different. But there is still a lot of work to be done for the company. They still need to continue to work on their image, and shows that time have indeed changed for the company.
Google and Apple are billionnaires, who all users datas on their phones... Totally lose their minds about internet freedom place and give all datas to governement who people with stupid and non human laws and taxes.
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Hmmm... Do I go in Microsoft dark history? If I do, you'll probably hate the company as much as Google and Apple, if not more. Company direction have changed. If we go by today, Apple has been much more protective of user personal data than Microsoft (and of course Google). Their business model is selling services (and one can say accessories too, based on their financial reports). That is their focus. Microsoft is complicated, because they touch a multitude of products and services, and you have products and service that crosses each other. For example, Microsoft does sell your user data if you use Bing, and Microsoft/Bing advertisement platform (which Windows 8/10 made apps can use).
However, if it is a question of trust, or "least evil" from your perspective:
You can limit what Google get from you if you have an Android device. Nothing stops you from installing Microsoft excellent and well reviewed Launcher to replace the Google's launcher, if you use Pixel device, or don't like the manufacture of the device one. You can also use the many great apps from Microsoft on Android including Edge web browser. The only thing that will touch Google is if you use Google Pay feature (which I don't think it is actually a deal braker) and Google Play Store (you could use alternative stores technically, but let's assume you want the best security mixed with a large store where you are sure to find everything at their latest versions as they are released). Same for using Cortana instead of Google Assistance.
Mix that Android phone with Windows 10 "Your Phone" feature, and you are set with a similar/better experience that what Windows 10 Mobile users used to get (MS pulled the plug on this).
You cant imagine what is it buying an Android or Apple phone interface for me.
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First, let's stay professional, please.
Second, I can perfectly relate, (as I am looking at my Lumia 950 XL that I am actually using as main device), this is not helped that Windows Phone 7, 8 and Windows 10 Mobile had many features that was ahead of their time. But with Android Q on the way, and with "Your Phone" (at least if you are part of Windows 10 Insider program, not sure how it is on the official release version as of the moment of writing), feature parity with Windows 10 Mobile, and has it's own benefits and feature set that Windows 10 Mobile didn't have.
The last question is :
Is OPERA MINI old xapp file will be different than edge browser , and can it be Install with a tool ?
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Click to collapse
Nope. Any web browser found in the MS Store had to comply with the fact that they had to use the OS built-in web browser engine. The same policy applies for iOS devices, but not Android.
---------- Post added at 03:13 PM ---------- Previous post was at 03:05 PM ----------
Personally, I am getting Pixel 3 or 3a soon (haven't yet decided. Not interested in the Pixel 4 ugly design).
Why?
-> Yes, it is Google and I don't like it, but I know I'll stick to Microsoft ecosystem for the most part.
-> Unlike Apple, I can switch to Microsoft ecosystem for the most part.
-> Google did demonstrate to me, that yes they do provide 3 years of support in both security and sofware update. I expect to get not only Android Q with the Pixel 3a, if go with it, but also Android R and S, beside the security updates and firmware updates.
-> Android has custom ROMs powered by a large and active community, so if there is anything, I can switch separating myself more from Google, and have, in some ways, extended device support.
-> Pixel 3/3a series has genuinely a better camera than the Lumia 950 XL, justifying the upgrade for me. The Lumia 950 XL did have a camera that was, in my opinion, 3 years ahead of the competition. While these days are over, it is nice to actually get an updated camera and not one equivalent, or worst a downgrade.
Toilet Paper said:
(...) -> Pixel 3/3a series has genuinely a better camera than the Lumia 950 XL, justifying the upgrade for me. (...)
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Click to collapse
Google Pixel 3a VS. Microsoft Lumia 950: Comparison
I would not be so sure that the equipment, ten times more expensive, is worth its price only because of the camera.
Lumia 950 is currently very cheap on the secondary market.
If someone does not have, I recommend that you buy this model for the pleasure of owning and using good equipment.
I am an enthusiast of the android, but I can also appreciate good solutions on a different platform.
ok google, please spy my apple
ze7zez said:
I would not be so sure that the equipment, ten times more expensive, is worth its price only because of the camera.
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Click to collapse
Buying a phone at the price of UHD TV is not a good argument for justify the fresh tech inside.
For this reason, i will never buy a phone that display a half of a tv for double price.
I think essentialy to Apple who let users think its a good opportunity to be usefull in buying a 4k display smartphone for the triple price of the 4K Tv, assumong it is less ressources... Less ressources ok but less cost also mister Cook ! :laugh:
mayapi said:
Hello,
I would like to know if anyone can test two apps, the only two really important to me.
Opera for android: apkpure.com/opera-with-free-vpn
ProtonMail: apkpure.com/protonmail-encrypte
I have not yet buy the phone, I would just like to know if the app works really well.
I do not want android phone or apple, I do not like the interface of these 2, too geek, not at all pro.
Can someone try to install these 2 app on his 950? And tell me if it works well?
Do you have tips for installing apk on Windows phone?
Can you please try to install those apps for us and make a small tutorial ?
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Click to collapse
BTW WIndows has a built-in VPN system. Android has it too, but I like Windows more.
MOD ACTION:
mayapi said:
ok google, please spy my apple
Buying a phone at the price of UHD TV is not a good argument for justify the fresh tech inside.
For this reason, i will never buy a phone that display a half of a tv for double price.
I think essentialy to Apple who let users think its a good opportunity to be usefull in buying a 4k display smartphone for the triple price of the 4K Tv, assumong it is less ressources... Less ressources ok but less cost also mister Cook ! :laugh:
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I have edited your post since it is in violation of our forum rules. As a friendly reminder, here is an excerpt of those mentioned rules:
2. Member conduct.
2.1 Language: XDA is a worldwide community. As a result, what may be OK to say in your part of the world, may not be OK elsewhere. Please don't direct profanity, sexually explicit language or other offensive content toward Members or their work. Conversely, while reading posts from other members, remember that the word you find offensive may not be offensive to the writer. Tolerance is a two-way street.
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2.5 All members are expected to read and adhere to the XDA rules.
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Please refrain from this kind of language and try to make a point in a reasonable and respectful manner.
As a new member I understand that you still have to adapt to this enviroment. I am sure you understand the point of my message.
Have a good time on XDA
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