Best Windows Phone in 2021

Best Windows phone Windows Central 2021

If you need a Windows Phone in 2019, the Lumia 950 XL is your best bet thanks to its good camera and manageable device size. However, we don’t recommend buying a Windows Phone at all in 2019. Instead, we’re recommending other Android phones that we think are a good fit for Windows Phone users looking to make the switch.

Our pick

Lumia 950 XL

The only flagship offering you can still buy in 2019

The Lumia 950 XL is our pick for best Windows Phone in 2019 thanks to its large display in a small package, excellent camera, and removable battery. It’s also the only good flagship Windows Phone you can buy new in 2019.

Who should buy the Lumia 950 XL

If we’re entirely honest, you really shouldn’t be buying a Windows Phone in 2019. Starting in December, Microsoft will no longer update Windows 10 Mobile handsets with security patches and bug fixes, and soon, features and apps will stop working. Only buy a Windows Phone if you know what you’re getting yourself into.

Is it a good time to buy a Windows Phone?

It’s not. Microsoft recommends customers purchase an iOS or Android device and install Microsoft’s apps instead.

Reasons to buy:

• Great camera
• Nice size
• 16:9 display
• Can buy new in 2019

Reasons to not buy:

• Windows 10 Mobile is out of support soon
• Battery is not good in 2019

Why buy a Lumia 950 XL?

If you’re not deferred by the impending death of Windows 10 Mobile, the Lumia 950 XL is a great buy thanks to its relatively small form factor for a 5.8-inch device with a 16:9 display that isn’t bezel-less.

This phone is good to shoot pictures with. The rear-facing, 20-megapixel PureView camera has a ZEISS F/1.9 lens and a three-LED flash that captures stunning stills and 4K video, while the front-facing, 5-megapixel camera is enough for selfies and video chats.

The Lumia 950 XL comes with 32GB of included storage that can be expanded by up to 200GB with a microSD card, which is great for anyone who loves to shoot 4K video. It’s the best camera on a Windows 10 Mobile device today.

Unfortunately, those are the only stand-out features of the Lumia 950 XL in 2019. Every other non-Windows Phone flagship released in the last 12 months beats the Lumia 950 XL in all departments.

Alternatives to Windows Phone

We do not recommend buying a Windows Phone in 2019. Here’s a list of devices that we do recommend instead.

Best overall for Windows Phone converts

OnePlus 7 Pro

The OnePlus 7 Pro is OnePlus’s first big flagship for 2019, and wow is it something special. The pop-up selfie camera allows for a display without any bezels or notches, there are three cameras on the back, and blazing fast performance with great software. All of that, and it costs hundreds of dollars less than some competing flagships.

We outright recommend the OnePlus 7 Pro as the device to get if you’re just switching from a Windows Phone since the software is so easily customizable. You can load it up with all of Microsoft’s software and services, including the Microsoft Launcher, Your Phone Companion, Outlook, Edge, and more, and essentially turn it into a Microsoft smartphone. It also integrates nicely with Microsoft’s Your Phone app on PC.

Best camera for Windows Phone converts

Google Pixel 3a

Whether you get the Pixel 3a or larger 3a XL, these are two of the best mid-range Android phones we’ve seen so far in 2019. The camera performance has no competition for anything in this price range, and when you add that together with a great software package, smooth performance, and solid OLED displays, you end up with two pretty great handsets.

The Pixel 3a is an excellent pick if you’re not too keen on splashing out a lot of cash for a new Android phone, but want to ensure you have an excellent camera in your pocket. At just $399, the Pixel 3a is packing the same flagship tier camera found in the normal Pixel 3 line, providing clear and crisp photos that are unmatched in the smartphone industry. It’s also a great first time Android device for those switching from Windows Phone, thanks to its plastic shell, cheap price, and clean software experience.

Best flagship for Windows Phone converts

Samsung Galaxy S10+

Samsung has once again topped the competition with the Galaxy S10+. It offers features that anyone can lust after, wrapped up in a beautiful hardware package with the best screen you can get on a smartphone today. The new triple camera is fun and consistent, and battery life is exceptional.

If you’re not afraid of the Android ecosystem and want the absolute best of the best, you can’t go wrong with the Samsung Galaxy S10+. It has everything, even features you probably don’t need. It features an under display fingerprint sensor, five cameras throughout the front and back, the best OLED screen on the market, a hole-punch camera cutout for the dual-front facing cameras, and an excellent premium design. This all comes at a premium cost too, so you know it’s a true Android flagship.

Final thoughts

Do not buy a Windows Phone in 2019. It simply is not worth it. Apps are being removed, and Microsoft is outright pulling support for the platform at the end of this year. None of the phones that run Windows Phone today are «new,» and definitely not worth your money. Get an Android. If you must get a Windows Phone, the Lumia 950 XL is your best bet thanks to its good camera, large OLED display, and removable battery with expandable storage.

Credits — The team that worked on this guide

Zac Bowden is a senior editor at Windows Central, which means he covers a wide array of software and hardware here at Windows Central. Joining Mobile Nations in 2016, you can usually find him playing with new Windows 10 builds or secret unreleased prototype devices. Hit him up on Twitter: @zacbowden.

Daniel Rubino is executive editor of Windows Central. He has been covering Microsoft since 2009 back when this site was called WMExperts (and later Windows Phone Central). His interests include Windows, Surface, HoloLens, Xbox, and future computing visions. Follow him on Twitter: @daniel_rubino.

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Best Windows Phones 2018 – Top 5 Picks

If you want something a little bit different in a phone, I definitely recommend checking out a Windows phone. The Windows phone is the third choice of mobile operating systems behind the IOS and Android operating systems. When you get a Windows phone, the first thing you’ll notice is that the operating system is basically a very careful version of Windows for your computer, on your phone.

There are a lot of advantages of using a Windows phone, as they are better connected to your other Windows devices. One of the more popular with these Windows phones is the personal assistant Cortana. This is basically the Windows version of Siri. In addition to that, one of the more sought after features is Continuum, which basically allows you to put whatever it is on your phone onto your PC. You can then use your keyboard and mouse to control your phone for a more PC like experience.

With all of these awesome features, you want a phone that will provide you with the best quality experience, without breaking the bank. The most important feature in a phone is a lasting battery life. In my opinion, that is definitely what makes a phone take a spot on our list. In addition to that, I was concerned with having these features and more like a good camera and good a good processor for playing games.

When making this list, I considered a ton of different things like the screen size, resolution, processor, battery life, and the camera. Obviously, there are a ton of other things to consider when ranking the phones, but these were some of the criteria for me. So without further introduction, here are what I consider to be the best available Windows Phones in 2018.

Best Windows Phones in 2018 – Top 5 Options

1. Microsoft Lumia 650

Without a doubt the best budget phone, the Lumia 650 is one of many Lumia Windows phones. It takes the fourth spot on our list for being the best budget phone on this list. For about $200, you will get a 5 inch 720p AMOLED display that was made with having the best display possible. The Lumia features an 8MP rear facing camera that is capable of recording videos in 720p, and a 5 MP front facing camera. Now, this phone does not have any of the bells and whistles that the previous phone had, no Windows Hello or Microsoft Continuum, which is why this phone is the budget phone.

Perhaps one of the best features of this phone is that the default memory for it is 16 GB, and is expandable to up to 200 GB. This is one of the best features in any Windows phone that you do not see in current generation iPhones. I personally have seen this phone go on sale for as low as $50, so it is definitely a great phone for those who want a Windows phone, but are on a bit tighter of a budget. The phone is not default shipped with Windows 10, which is definitely a downside, but you can easily upgrade it once you get it.

1. Acer Liquid Jade Primo

This phone by Acer comes with a 5.5 inch 1920p AMOLED HD display. On top of that, it has an impressive 21 MP camera, and has a 32 GB storage capacity. The phone ships with Windows 10 and features the latest Qualcomm Snapdragon processor. It has 3 GB of ram and a 2870 mAh battery that is unfortunately not replaceable. The battery definitely packs a punch though, it can last for a half a day to a day depending on your usage for it.

With this phone, you’re getting one of the best available cameras for a phone on the market. It has a very impressive camera and has the capabilities to shoot 1080p videos without an issue. When you purchase this phone, you will get a case, a display dock, a mouse, and a keyboard. All you need for this phone to function as a desktop is a monitor. This phone has been advertised to fully replace a conventional computer setup, and allow you to work right out of your pocket. The phone is very lightweight and the case does not add too much width to it. You can easily carry this powerhouse in your pocket without noticing a thing.

1. Nokia Lumia 930

Another good quality budget phone, the Lumia 930 comes in second on our list of best Windows phones. It features a 5.7 AMOLED display and a quad core 1.5 Ghz display. The phone has an internal storage of 32 GB, which of course is expandable if you so please. It has 3 GB of ram and a very great 20 MP camera. One of the major selling points with this phone was the variety of colors it comes in at no extra charge. You can get this phone in orange, green, black, white, basically any color of the rainbow you desire.

The main downside to this phone is that it is a bit thick. It measures about 10 MM thick which is a bit on the thick side of things for phones. One of the nicer things about this phone is that it comes with a wireless charger right out of the box, which saves you a ton of money on phone chargers. The battery life on this phone is relatively decent, seeing as it lasts for up to 16 hours with daily usage. This phone has everything you could need from NFC, Microsoft Office, and a ton more.

This HP phone is basically a miniature version of a computer right in your pocket. The phone features a 5.96 inch 1440p AMOLED display. This awesome phone has an absolutely beautiful display that will allow you to multi task and do multiple things at once with an ease. On top of that, this HP phone comes with all of the Microsoft Office apps you could need, so if you are on the go, you can start typing up a document, sit down at your desk, and use Continuum to display this word document to your computer and continue typing. In addition to that, one of the coolest features with this phone is that it has a fingerprint scan and an iris scan, making it clear that safety and privacy is one of HPs biggest concerns.

The HP Elite X3 has a front facing 8MP camera with the consumer in mind for long distance conference calls. This phone has been marketed as a business phone and for business professionals. I definitely think this phone goes beyond that to provide one of the best Windows phone experiences that you can get. This is one of HPs first phones, so there are definitely going to be some things that aren’t as efficient as they could be, but this is definitely one of their highest quality phones. The battery has a capacity of 4150 mAh, so it’ll last you a whole day of talking and texting without a problem. If you are in the market for a business related phone, I don’t think you’ll find a better phone than the HP Elite X3. It has a ton of very useful features like Microsoft Continuum and Windows apps.

1. Lumia 950 XL

The Lumia 950 XL is probably the most impressive phone on this list. It has an amazing 1440p display and the screen size measures in at 5.7 inches. The camera is a 20 MP camera, which is impressive for a phone. This phone definitely takes the cake in features, as it has Cortana, Windows Hello, Continuum, and all of the Microsoft Office apps you could need. The battery is a 3340 mAh battery, so it will last you about a day when used regularly.

The Lumia 950 takes the number one spot for having one of the best displays out there for any phone. It looks absolutely astonishing. The contrast is perfect, and you can set the screen to different display types depending upon your lighting. This phone is not bulky, and it’s not too big, making it the perfect travel companion. This phone also sports the iris scanner, which will allow you to unlock your phone just by looking into the camera. Quite an impressive feature if I do say so myself. Out of the box you’ll receive a wireless charger to sweeten the deal, and a ton of other goodies. This phone starts at around $500, which is an insane amount of value when compared to phones with similar specs.