Microsoft lumia 550 instructions for use. PC connection

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This is a review of the Lumia 550 phone that was released in late 2015. An unpaid review of the Lumia 550 smartphone - this phone was bought for my own money, for myself.

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

Microsoft Lumia 550 specifications

Lumia 550 smartphone size

The diagonal of the screen is 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 is not as easy as a 4 ", but slightly lighter than a 5". The size itself was one of the reasons for the purchase. Of course, you can't put it in your shirt pocket, but you can already put it in your jeans pocket. However, it will still be uncomfortable to sit down when it is in your jeans pocket, you will have to correct it or pull it out.

Lumia 550 screen

LCD matrix of the IPS screen, budget, without new technologies such as OGS. Not very bright, color distortion appears at large angles, especially black. But large viewing angles for a smartphone are irrelevant, because no one uses a 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 outdoors, even the full brightness of the screen is not enough, the image is poorly visible. Even indoors, in sunlight, the screen brightness is not enough. By the way, this greatly complicates photography in sunny weather, you have to crop almost at random.

But that's everyone's problem mobile devices... All light-emitting screens "go blind" in sunlight.

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

Lumia 550 glass

I will not undertake to argue, I did not try to scratch, but according to tactile sensations, the display coating is plastic. The surface is rather dirty, fingerprints remain. The glide is also not very good, but if the hands are dry and clean, then 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 bezel 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 well.

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. And this is an honest 2100 mAh battery. And the battery was one of the reasons for the purchase. But there are also problems. Learn more about the Lumia 550 battery later in this article.

Lumia 550 camera

The main camera resolution is modest by today's standards, only 5 megapixels. But the camera quality is very decent. I think the Lumia 550 will do most of the Chinese state employees with 8 or 13 megapixel cameras in terms of photo quality. More on the camera later in this article. In any case, for an equal 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 more advanced than VoIP. The principle is the same, but optimized for use in a 4G (LTE) hardware network. In our country, this technology is still available only 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 a phone call recording. And the voice recorder, of course, too. Both functions work. The dictaphone, indoors, writes well.

Memory

This phone has 1 GB random access memory and 8 GB of flash memory. Definitely, you need to immediately install microSD card... If you are going to install an update, take pictures, listen to music. Because out of 8 GB of "onboard" 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 transfer request).

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

Can install SD card with file system NTFS.

1GB of RAM is not enough for Windows 10 although it is Mobile. According to the AIDA64 program, less than 400 MB of RAM is available for applications. More than 600 MB is occupied by Windows itself. It is clear that it can "make room" if necessary, but this will result in a slowdown due to swap on the SSD.

SIM card

The slot for the SIM card is of the type nano SIM(4FF). If you are going to cut your old SIM card to stick it in this slot, please note that the old SIM cards were thicker. And the old SIM card needs not only to be cut, but also to be ground. The standard 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 this 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 a phone, but nonetheless. The screensaver displays the current time and notifications (about calls, SMS) on the off screen. That is, the touchscreen is off, the screen is almost off - only the time and notifications are displayed at the bottom.

A handy feature that allows you to get information without including 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 spend energy on it. But when the illumination increases, the screen saver turns on with a long delay, up to several seconds. And when you take the 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 the 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 screen saver also turns off.

The idea is good, but the implementation is crooked. The battery consumption for this screensaver is about 1% per hour.

Lumia 550 review

Now 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 looks cheap. In my opinion, this is not at all the case. I don't know what the model with the white cover looks like, but the completely black smartphone looks very good. All black, no shiny elements. A very strict, conservative look. There is not a single colored or shiny detail.

Black bar. It looks unusual against the background of today's colorful smartphones.

The effect is enhanced by the fact that the background, in Windows 10 Mobile itself and in native applications, is also black. And the text is correspondingly white on black. It turns out very nice and original when turned on. The text seems to be displayed directly on the body of the phone. Because, due to the black background, the display itself hardly stands out on the front of the case. Here's an example of the Explorer screen:

An additional plus of the design, for me personally, is that there are no elements "a la iPhone" in it. That is, design Lumia smartphone The 550 is completely your own, no borrowing from Apple. And these borrowings are already in the older models of Lumiya - 650 and 950.

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

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

The typical design for Nokia Lumia means, first of all, the back cover in the form of a tray in which the smartphone is immersed. That is, the cover is made entirely, together with the sidewalls. But there is a slight difference. The previous Nokia lid sides completely covered the screen and were rounded on the sides. In this model, the screen protrudes above the sidewalls by about a millimeter. I don't know why such a solution was chosen, but it doesn't seem to spoil the view. And the sidewalls have clear angular edges when going to the rear surface.

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

Telephone

Actually, this is the main function, even for a smartphone. Lumiya 550 calls perfectly. And in conversational dynamics and the microphone has a good, clear and strong sound.

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

If the interlocutor has a Chinese UG, then it is clear that Lumia will not pull out for two.

Ergonomics of the case

Everything here is not good, if not bad. It seems to me that when the Lumiya 550 case was designed, ergonomics was not thought of at all. By the totality of all the problems, you can put a two for ergonomics.

Power button.

Firstly, it is in the middle of the case, on the left side. Due to this location, it is inconvenient to press it with your thumb if you hold the phone in your right hand. Moreover, if you hold the phone firmly in your right hand, you can involuntarily press this button with your palm. Or with your fingers (if the phone is in your left hand). You walk with your phone in your hand and find that the screen is on fire. Because the button was accidentally pressed. Or, on the contrary, it happens that you are using a phone and suddenly the screen goes blank - because a button is accidentally pressed.

And to avoid accidental clicks, you have to hold the phone by the bottom half, which is inconvenient. And you have to remember about this button.

Secondly, the side edges of the body are chamfered back. Because of this, both buttons are difficult 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 chamfered sidewalls make the buttons feel 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 take the phone off the table (or other flat surface). More precisely, the problem occurs if the phone lies face down. In this case, it is very difficult to lift it, because of the beveled sidewalls, it slips out of the fingers. You have to pick it up with your nails and stick your fingers under the screen.

You can, of course, put it upside down. In this case, it will be easy to take, but then you have to twist the phone in your hand to turn the screen towards you. In general, I would say that the beveled sides on the Lumia 550 are inconvenient.

And you can't take it by the middle of the case - because there is a power button!

External speaker.

It is displayed on back panel housing. Moreover, there is just a round hole (in the lid) with a diameter of about 4 mm. And when the phone is on the table with the screen facing up, the hole is tightly closed and the sound is very much 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 let's say in the next room.

Camera lens.

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

And when the lens is located in the upper corner of the body (in the horizontal position) it 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 in the touch (polycarbonate lid). But it's pretty slippery. So, you need to hold the phone tighter so as not to drop it. If you hold it tighter, you might accidentally press the power button (see above). And also the plastic is easily soiled. You will have to wipe it periodically.

SD card slot.

It does not have a return spring, such as in the SIM card slot. At the same time, the design of the connector is such that you cannot pull it out with your fingers (nails). I need tweezers.

Screen

But for the screen, Nokia came up with a good solution 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 laid on a flat surface with the display 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, Samsung J3 2016 (without such a frame) slides off a sloping smooth surface (lacquered furniture) quite easily. And the same frame prevents the screen from "sticking" to a very smooth surface (such as glass).

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

Lumia 550 camera

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

Like all smartphone cameras, she is desperate for photoshopping. But this Lumiya has more beautiful photoshop than, for example, Samsung J3 2016, and there is an 8 megapixel camera.

For publishing on the Internet and for viewing on a computer, good photos can be taken. 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 cannot be compared with a camera, even a compact one, but among smartphones - the level is not bad. In any case, among smartphones in the price segment about $ 100, maybe in general best camera... This is not surprising - after all, Nokia is traditionally distinguished by good cameras in its smartphones.

The Camera application has the following functionality:

• Autofocus.
• Focus point by touching the touchscreen.
• Exposure bracketing.
• Burst shooting.
• Self-timer.
• "Live photo" (1 second video clips).
• Framing grid (4 types).
• There are manual settings for ISO, shutter speed, focus and brightness! Although, of course, they are of little use.

Lumia 550 battery

The Lumia 550 battery is a Li-ion battery BL-T5A 2100 mAh, 3.7 v, 7.8 wh... With a standard charger, it charges from zero (full discharge) to 100% in a little over three hours.

Immediately after the purchase, it is worth doing 2-3 complete "discharge-charge" cycles. Full discharge means a situation when the phone turns itself off due to the discharge of the battery. As a result of these full discharge-charge cycles, the controller (which monitors the power consumption of the battery) is recalibrated and it will give more accurate information about the battery capacity and power consumption.

There are many reports on the Internet that the Lumia 550 runs out of battery quickly. In fact, the Lumia 550's battery is quite normal for a budget smartphone. The problem is in Windows 10 Mobile. Out of the box, there is a bunch of everything included in the settings. And all this horde 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 before 0.1 % per hour (Airplane mode). That is, relatively speaking, in standby mode Lumia 550 will be able to lie for more than a month without recharging. These numbers, 0.3 % per hour and 0.1 % per hour, this is not fiction. it real numbers that I received on my Lumia 550.

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

In general, it is realistic for 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 video, then you can probably stretch for 3-4 days on a single charge.

The problem is that lithium-ion batteries have a limited number of charge cycles. Moreover, it is interesting that the number of these cycles depends on the depth of discharge of the battery. The more the battery is discharged (before charging), the fewer charge cycles it can withstand.

If you discharge the battery completely (before turning off the smartphone), then the number of charge cycles is the lowest - at good batteries 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 at 50% of the remaining charge, then the number of cycles increases to more than 1000. If you charge the battery at 80% of the remaining charge (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 best option charging at 40-50 percent of the remaining battery.

Several rules that will extend the life of the battery.

• Do not discharge the battery 100%, it is best to charge at 50% or 40% of the remaining battery.
• Charge your battery to 100%. You can hold it for a while on the charge and after it shows 100% - it often happens that charging continues despite the indicator readings. But a little. Minutes 30. Maybe an hour. Not half the night.
• Do not leave a fully charged phone connected to a charger. A common mistake is to charge your phone overnight. For 2-3 hours the battery is charged, and then, already charged, remains under charge for another 5 hours. The batteries have controllers that monitor the discharge and charge and automatically disconnect the battery or charging. However, such a controller may fail during operation. So it's better to play it safe.
• Use only the supplied charger. Lithium-ion batteries are critical to the charging current characteristics. And if the manufacturer provides a charger with certain characteristics in the kit, then such characteristics are better suited for the battery of this smartphone. Using any kind of chargers, in particular, can damage the battery controller. In particular, avoid using Chinese chargers of unknown origin.
• Do not keep your smartphone near heat sources, lithium-ion batteries do not like heating.

Once every few months, you can recalibrate the controller that monitors the battery discharge. To do this, you must completely discharge the battery and then fully charge it. With such a cycle, the controller updates the information about the real battery capacity and the system will show more accurate data on the discharge-charge. 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 figures on the factory firmware:

• Music playback on headphones (radio or player): 4-5% per hour.
• Web browsing (Internet via 3G or 4G): 15-20% per hour.
• Smartphone operation in WiFi hotspot mode: about 15% per hour.
• Photographing, in the region of 8-10 photos (calmly, without haste, 15-20 minutes): 5%. Approximately 0.5% per photo.
• In idle (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 will lie in standby mode, it can last three days on a single charge. But if you use a telephone, then much less. From more than a day, up to 5-6 hours. Most of all, the screen and the Internet consume the battery (it does not matter via the cellular network or via WiFi).

After updating the firmware and Windows, the battery drain has improved.

• Music playback on headphones (radio or player): 2.5% per hour.
• Smartphone operation in WiFi hotspot mode: about 10% per hour. Set up an access point on your Lumia 550.
• Browser browsing (Edge): approximately 15% per hour. The same figure should be approximately the same when using applications such as Whatsapp, Viber.
• In idle (standby mode), if the Internet, WiFi and Bluetooth are turned off, but the telephone GSM is working: 0.3 %.
• In idle (standby), if everything is off (airplane mode): 0.1 %.
• Screen saver operation (showing time and notifications on the screen off): approximately 1% per hour.

Such indicators can be obtained after updating and firmware and Windows via WDRT. At the same time, the Windows version remains 1511, only the assembly is updated.

Upgrading Windows further (over the air) to version 1607 does not change anything in terms of battery consumption. Apparently the developers have reached the limit for reducing power consumption on this smartphone. The consumption figures, in simple terms, are beautiful - theoretically up to 50 days this Lumiya can lie on the shelf in the "on the plane" mode. However, no one needs such a recumbent phone. But in real work, it is not so rosy. For example, in the access point mode, this Lumiya can last a maximum of 10 hours. With active use of the Internet (via a browser or other programs), work on one charge during the day is a big question.

The battery is discharged very smoothly, without failures. So, it looks like his quality is good.

Note: If you are looking for a smartphone with a powerful battery, read the "Smartphone with a powerful battery" tutorial. It has useful tips by choosing a smartphone with a large battery.

Setting up your Lumia 550

This section describes how to set up your Lumia 550 so that Windows 10 Mobile is less battery-hungry.

• Options - Privacy - Background Apps... In this list, you can disable all applications except the Messages application. If you turn off Messages, then there will be no notifications about incoming SMS.
• Options - Privacy - Feedback & Diagnostics... Here, select the "Never" option.
• Options - Privacy - Location... Disable this option if you are not using a navigator.
• Options - Privacy - Move... Disconnect.
• Options - Privacy - Microphone... Disable everything except Accessories and Voice Recorder.
• Options - Privacy - Camera... Disable all applications.
• Options - Privacy - Account Information... Disconnect.
• ... Disable all applications except Messages.
• Options - Privacy - Caledar... Disable all applications except Calendar
• Options - Privacy - Email... Disable all applications.
• Options - Privacy - Messaging... Disable all applications except Messages
• Options - Privacy - Contacts... Disable all applications except Messages
• Options - Privacy - Advertising ID... Disable
• Options - Privacy - Other devices... Disable
• Options - System - Notifications & Actions... You can turn everything off here too. However, in this case, there will be no notification of received SMS!
• Options - System - Messaging... Disable MMS.
• Options - System -Offline maps... Disable update.
• Options - System - Battery Saver - Battery Saver Options... Set the limit to 100%, which means that Battery Saver will always be on. Enabling this mode blocks downloads Windows updates!
• Options - Network and wireless connection- WiFi... Set the WiFi activation mode to "manual". And only turn on WiFi when you need it.
• Options - Network & Wireless - Data Usage... You can set traffic limits.
• Options - Personalization - Start... Turn off the transparency of the tiles and the background.
• Options - Personalization - Sounds... Disable vibrate and action sounds.
• Options - Personalization - Lock Screen... Disable Outlook, put a black picture.
• Options - Extras - Display - Brightness Profile... Decrease display brightness.
• Options - Add-ons - Touch Input... Turn off vibration when entering text.
• Options - Add-ons - Screensaver... Disable.
• Options - Update & Security - Backup Service... Disable archiving to OneDrive.
• Options - Update & Security - Find My Phone... Turn off this function.
• Settings - Accounts - Synchronize your settings... Turn off sync.
• Options - Accounts - Email and accounts... Set the "manual" mail check mode.
• Options - Time & Language - Date & Time... Disable time sync.
• Store - Options - Application Update... Disable automatic update applications.

Follow the section Options - Privacy - Background Applications. New apps (which you install) will most likely end up on this list with permission to background work... And in Windows 1607, the phone update app was added to this list. If it is forbidden to work in the background, then Windows will not automatically download and install updates. This is a workaround because you cannot explicitly disable Windows auto-update.

In addition to these settings, there are a few more tips:

• Always keep WiFi, Bluetooth and Data Transfer turned off and turn them on only when you need them. This is easily done through the Quick Actions panel (Shutter).
• Remove dynamic tiles from the start screen. Such as Weather, News, etc.
• 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 bar. In theory, Windows should itself "jam" background applications (if the "Economy" mode is enabled). But in practice, it can turn off and the background process will consume the battery. This happened to my camera - Windows did not drown it 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 also increase the stability of Windows.

Something like this:

Lock screen (black picture) and start screen Windows screen 10 Mobile ::

As a result, you can bring the battery consumption up to 0.3 % or even up to 0.1 % at one o'clock. Of course, this means the consumption in the standby state, when you are not using the phone. Because when you use a smartphone, there are few opportunities for saving - reducing the brightness of the display (if possible), refusing to use energy-intensive applications - video, games.

What else can be done to reduce consumption?

Find out the signal strength in your area for different communication standards. And for using the Internet, set the standard on which the signal is strongest. "Settings - Network & Wireless - Cellular & SIM - SIM Settings - Fastest Connection Speed". Even if it is 2G (EDGE). The weaker the signal, the more the phone spends energy communicating with the base station. The same with WiFi - the weaker the connection to the access point, the more the battery is discharged. The same principle applies to voice cellular- the worse the connection with the base station, the more the battery is discharged.

These settings help to reduce battery consumption mainly in standby mode only. In real use, all this has little effect on consumption. Most of all eats up the work on the Internet. For 1 hour of browsing sites, up to 15-20% of the battery charge can "go away".

Microsoft Lumia 550 Apps

Out of the box, Windows 10 Mobile has the following applications on board:

Phone, Messages (send and receive SMS), People (Contacts), Camera (taking pictures), Explorer, Photos (viewing and editing), Edge browser, Alarm clock, Vkontakte, Yandex Money, Voice recording (voice recorder and recording telephone conversations), Calculator , Radio (requires headphones), Facebook, Groove Music, Data Transfer (sync via Bluetooth). All of these applications work at once. They don't need 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 sign in to the Store, which means you'll need the Internet:

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

Note... After installing new programs, check the sections of the Privacy settings: "Background applications", "Camera", "Microphone". New programs can be there with permissions to work in the background, as well as to use the microphone and camera.

Lumia 550 manual

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

Shrink 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 control the phone with one hand, more precisely with the thumb of this hand.

Lumia 550 music

Out of the box there is:

• Music player "Music Groove". The player is simple, but it seems to work fine. In the Store, you can choose another player, for example VLC. Battery consumption when listening to mp3, about 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 in the range from 80 to 108. There are three ranges in the application settings - America, Worldwide, Japan. In different bands, it catches stations in different ways. Battery consumption when listening to the radio, approximately 2.5% per hour.

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 must be inserted not completely, by about three quarters. But it is better to buy an adapter from OMTP to CTIA.

Difference between OMTP and CTIA connectors is that the contacts zero and the microphone on them do not coincide (their contacts are on the contrary made).

Note... In Windows, in the 1604 update, the native FM Radio program was removed! In general, absolutely. You need to look for something in the Store.

PC connection

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

And here is a review of the competitor Lumiya 550: Slightly worse, but noticeably cheaper. This is again to the question of the not very good price for Lumia 550. Another option is to give up the quality of the filling a little, but save 2-3 thousand rubles.

Purchased Lumiya here:

P.S.

I, two months later, have an ambivalent attitude towards the Lumia 550.

On the one hand, high-quality filling and assembly. Interesting appearance. Decent camera. Sound. Good autonomy, if you do not abuse the Internet. In general, such a smooth, high-quality smartphone, without failures and weaknesses.

On the other hand, in terms of a set of programs, in terms of functionality, Windows Mobile loses outright to Android. And also unsuccessful case ergonomics. Well, the lack of zest. Something to fall for. Or in appearance... Or in functionality. Here's how for example Samsung J1 - amoled display, design for iPhone 6.

The language does not dare to call this smartphone bad - objectively, it does not deserve it. But I don't have a feeling of complete satisfaction from him either. There is not that 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 like this Lumiya. Very nice color scheme, solid black, no gypsy. My heart votes for her. However, the mind tells me that this is not the best option for me, because there are no more important things for me than a 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. It will of course new smartphone, from the store. Buy it yourself in the store. I’ll only help you get a discount. Limited offer:

• By time - only until the end of 2016.
• Geographically, this is not possible in all localities. Although it is possible to send by mail, but it will eat up most of the discount.

To use this offer write me an email - [email protected]

Ivan Sukhov, 2016 .

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Specifications

• Windows 10 Mobile
• Display 4.7 inches, 1280x720 pixels, 312 ppi, IPS
• Qualcomm Snapdragon 210, MSM8909, 4 cores up to 1.1 GHz, Adreno 304
• 1 GB of RAM, 8 GB of internal memory, memory cards up to 200 GB
• Li-Ion 2100 mAh battery, claimed talk time up to 16 hours, standby time - up to 672 hours, listening to music - up to 60 hours
• nanoSIM
• Front-camera 2 megapixels, 5 megapixel main camera, autofocus
• FM radio
• LTE band 1/3/7/8/20
• Wi-Fi 802.11n, Bluetooth 4.1, USB 2.0
• GPS / GLONASS
• Dimensions - 136.1x67.8x9.9 mm, weight - 142 grams

Contents of delivery

• Telephone
• Charger
• Li-Ion 2100 mAh battery
• Instructions

Positioning

Microsoft was in a hurry to launch a line of smartphones based on Windows 10 Mobile, it was planned for the 4th quarter of 2015. But the company was unable to create its own operating system, and the question arose of what form and what models to release, it was about canceling all the planned devices. For many of them, components had already been purchased, and therefore, to refuse to release them meant to incur even greater losses. As a result, having canceled most of the line, Microsoft still left two flagships (Lumia 950/950 XL) and the most budgetary device in the line - Lumia 550.

Unfortunately for Microsoft, the sales speed of previous devices leaves much to be desired, there are many models on the market on Windows Phone 8.x, some of them are easily bypassed by Lumia specifications 550, while they cost the same or less. The same Lumia 540 looks more attractive in this price segment, it does not support LTE, but a little bigger screen, two SIM cards and a stable version of the system.

The operating system became the main problem for the Lumia 550, it alienated the Windows Phone fans, who quite rightly consider it very crude. And this platform has practically no other buyers, these are random sales that do not make the difference. It is curious that the Microsoft store from the very first days began to hold a promotion, when when buying the flagship Lumia 950/950 XL they gave Lumia 550 as a gift. one.

It is safe to say that this model has failed in sales, although in terms of hardware it is excellent for its price segment.

Design, dimensions, controls

Why reinvent the wheel when customers are used to the fact that budget Windows Phones look the same plus or minus? Plastic body, which is built on the principle of a shoe, put on the base. Two possible color options - black and white. Usually Microsoft tried to offer a variety of color solutions, but the understanding that there would be no sales made it limited to two colors.

The dimensions of the phone are 136.1x67.8x9.9 mm, the weight is 142 grams. Compact, fits well in the hand. The quality of the plastic is normal, over time, scuffs appear, since it is matte (I had a black device). The screen protector is made of inexpensive glass, deep scratches can easily appear, this is a drawback of the device.

On the top there is a 3.5 mm jack, on the bottom there is a regular microUSB connector. On the right side there is a paired volume rocker, right there is an on / off button. The speaker output is on the back, close to the camera and LED flash.

It is easy to open the device, the body is pulled towards itself, it is like a cover. The design, proven on many models, is very reliable. Inside, you will see a battery as well as a microSIM slot plus a memory card slot.

Dust quickly accumulates in the speaker grill, which looks untidy. But this does not bring problems with voice reproduction during a call.

Screen

Display 4.7 inches, 1280x720 pixels, 312 ppi, IPS. Me this budget screen I like it, even if he does not amaze the imagination, but he copes with his tasks with a bang. It has everything you need and a little more. Unfortunately, in the sun, the screen often glares and is unreadable. This refers to his weaknesses... Globally, we can say that the Lumia 550 display is typical in its segment, but nothing more.

Battery

Battery 2100 mAh Li-Ion, standby time - up to 28 days, talk time - up to 16 hours (3G), music playback - up to 60 hours, work in Wi-Fi - up to 8 hours, video - up to 6.5 hours.

On average, the device works for 1-2 days under load, but it is impossible to say exactly how long the phone will work, everything here depends on the dampness of the operating system. Ideally, you will get about 2 days, with exactly the same consumption profile, the device can be discharged in half a day, and you will not change anything in it. The phone lives its own life, and you can't be sure how long it will work, it's a lottery. I don’t remember for a long time that budget devices showed such a spread in the operating time.

Full charging time of the battery is about 2 hours.

Communication capabilities

The standard set of protocols - Wi-Fi 802.11 b / g / n, USB 2.0, Bluetooth 4.1 - a full set of standard profiles, WCDMA, LTE. As you can see, the device cannot boast of anything special or unusual.

Chipset, memory, performance

Typical solution from Microsoft, inside Snapdragon 210, 4 cores up to 1.1 GHz. The interface is fast enough, which is also typical for such solutions. But in third party applications and games are visible slow work related to the chipset and RAM. The amount of RAM - 1 GB, built-in - 8 GB, memory cards - up to 200 GB. In synthetic tests, these are the results.

Camera

The front camera is 2 megapixels, there is nothing in it that deserves attention.

The main camera is 5 megapixels, quite ordinary, there is autofocus. It removes well in the sun, it already lathers in the room. If we compare the camera with many 8MP cameras on Android, then it is likely to outperform, it has a better module.

Software - Windows 10 Mobile

We've got quite enough detailed review the system on which this apparatus is built. All you need to know about it is that it is raw and performs worse than Windows Phone 8.x, which was very inferior to Android and did not look like such a wonderful alternative. If everything was just bad there, now it's even worse. I see no point in repeating my claims to the system, you can read about this in the review.

Impression

From the point of view of the quality of sound transmission during a call, this is a standard solution from Nokia / Microsoft - not bad, but not good either. One microphone is used. The vibration alert remained quiet, you are guaranteed to miss it.

The price of the phone at the start of sales was 10,000 rubles and almost instantly dropped to 9,500 rubles. The day is not far off when the cost will be reduced even more, since there is no demand for this device. Interestingly, even the Lumia 540 is selling more successfully than the new product from Microsoft.

According to old memory, such devices are perceived as devices from a first-tier manufacturer, but Microsoft has never been like that and will not be able to become one. This is a B-brand with all the ensuing disadvantages, in this case - the terrible quality of the software, which makes the phone hardly applicable for something more than calls and SMS. But as a sensor dialer, it is also inconvenient, since the operating time is not clear, there are freezes (which has never happened before) and reboots. In short, this is a very raw device, and its dampness is associated with Windows 10 Mobile. The market has run out of people willing to buy even such inexpensive solutions, as there are many Android smartphones offering similar hardware for less money. They can be listed for a very long time, I will remember offhand Jinga Basco M500 4G, which appears at a slightly lower cost in the coming weeks, or its 3G version, which costs even less.

There are a lot of such devices, and if earlier budget Lumia won them in terms of hardware for their cost, now these days are over. They have absolutely no advantages, which immediately affected sales, they do not. Apparently, this is why the Lumia 550 is given a load, since it is not bought for money. As I see it, this is a verdict for the platform and budget devices on it. However, one more device, namely Lumia 650, will go on sale, its review will appear in April. Interestingly, Microsoft does its best to oppose device reviews on Windows 10 Mobile to appear anywhere, the company, unlike previous years, does not provide anyone with devices. Why? The answer is obvious - the Windows Phone project has come to an end in its current form. Buying a dead system, in my opinion, is akin to necrophilia.

Smartphone from Microsoft Lumia 550 received as a gift at the beginning of the year. I don’t think I would buy a similar phone myself, because I was happy with my old Nokia, but still satisfied with the gift. For five months of service, the phone showed itself with better side!

Set

"Lumiya 550" is sold in a nice box. There are several color options for the phone case. Mine is stupidly black. The picture shows the white and black options.
The box, of course, has a standard charger, we charge all the phones in the house alone! And instructions in multiple languages. I don’t know, does anyone in the Internet age use instructions ???

I don't want to go into specifications phone (resolution, weight, size), because, firstly, I am not strong in describing equipment, and secondly, you yourself can look at everything on the Internet or in the store if you are interested in buying. Therefore, I will be brief.

The Lumiya 550 phone is quite massive. Fits easily in the hand, but weighs decently. Mine is still in a case. The phone is durable. How many times his daughter has already dropped it - it doesn’t matter, the screen didn’t even crack.

The on / off button is on the side, along with the volume control.

PS: The incomprehensible thing below is a coin)) They always stick to the magnet on the case, and they "live" there.

There are two sim cards inside the smartphone. The first disadvantage for me was the inability to place an old SIM card, that is, uncircumcised. Therefore, I had to acquire a new tariff (also not bad).

Operating system

The Lumia 550 is the most a budget option line C 10 Mobile. The price for it does not exceed 8000 in any of the stores. Not a bad device for the money, but rumor has it that the Windows 10 operating system scares off buyers. I'm not fussy. The "ten" suits me, especially since this is not the first "Lumiya" phone in our family. By the way, the author of the gift was guided by the fact that the phone supports the Windows operating system.

What pleases the most about Lumiya is a 5 megapixel photo and video camera (front camera - 2). The approximation is bad, but the quality of the photos is excellent for my taste! Demonstrating the last one made with Lumiya. Of course, without filters ... Today my phone is replaced by a standard camera.

At first, it was not very convenient for me to use the phone. As always, it took a long time to get used to it and get it right. For dummies I will tell you how and what is arranged in "Lumiya 550".

This is the screen. Small windows, as in standard Windows, can be swapped, added, removed, reduced ...

I am having minor issues using the Lumia 550.
1. The phone did not hold the charge well. He sat in front of his eyes, literally sat on the exercise, like on a dropper. I turned off wi-fi - the battery didn't run out so quickly. But after some time, this problem resolved itself, when I completely sat down the phone several times and recharged it.
2. There was a problem with the internet connection. To do this (see the picture above and even above), it was necessary to activate the data transfer button. I climbed all the settings, then I got to know Lumiya better, but only after rebooting the phone, which, by the way, he did not require, everything returned to normal by itself. So it goes.

In general, these are minor disadvantages, as it seems to me, in using the phone. I like "Lumiya 550", I will use it!