Case

Unfortunately, Microsoft does not continue where the former Nokia Lumia 930 left off in the choice of materials for the casing. The Lumia 950 is no longer metal, and now relies on matte plastic for the removable back cover. Although that makes the lightly rounded back pleasant to hold and relatively unsusceptible to scratches, it does not really add a flagship feeling to the smartphone. Despite the removable back - which, by the way, is fairly difficult to remove - the handset reaps in the full score in terms of stability and impeccable build. No matter how much pressure we apply, neither cracking noises nor image distortions are audible or visible. Only the keys on the casing's right are rather loose, but they still have a clear pressure point.

Microsoft's silver logo dominates on the glass front, which is otherwise restrained. The plain design is also reflected in the available colors; Microsoft's Lumia 950 is available only in black or white. Third-party manufacturers will have to set colorful accents with optional covers now.

Unlike the predecessor, a removable battery and slots for two nano-SIM cards and a micro-SD card are found under the removable back cover. Once again, Microsoft's Lumia 950 is visibly slim with a height of 8.2 mm (~0.32 in). It is also 20 grams (~0.7 oz) lighter than its predecessor with a total weight of now 150 grams (~5.3 oz). This puts it on the level of its rivals; Sony's Xperia Z5 weighs slightly more.