Microsoft Lumia 550 review: Low-Five

3. Display in detail and battery life

Display

The Nokia Lumia 550 employs a 4" LCD screen with 720 x 1280 resolution. This works out a pixel density of 315ppi, which brings the Lumia 550 in the Retina display territory of the iPhone 6s (326ppi) and indeed it's visually quite sharp - we couldn't wish for more in this price bracket.

Here's a microscopic image of the screen's RGB matrix - it does come with a standard pixel arrangement.

Text and images render smoothly and even small fonts are fairly readable. Colors are nice and punchy and viewing angles are quite decent too. There's only little color and contrast loss even if you look at it at an extreme angle.

The Microsoft Lumia 550 has excellent maximum brightness of 546nits. The contrast is about average based on all phones we have tested, but it’s certainly very good for the price range.

In terms of color accuracy, the Lumia 550 LCD screen is clearly not color calibrated (Avg. DeltaE 5.2) but we’ve seen worse even from flagship phones. Even better, you can work with the provided Color Profile setting to adjust the output by making it warmer and slightly less saturated and you would get a much more accurate result (Avg. DeltaE 3.4). Going to a warmer color representation however would bring the maximum brightness down to about 505nits.

Display test	50% brightness			100% brightness
Display test	Black, cd/m²	White, cd/m²	Contrast ratio	Black, cd/m²	White, cd/m²	Contrast ratio
Microsoft Lumia 550	0.21	203	958	0.57	546	963
Microsoft Lumia 950	0.00	105	∞	0.00	328	∞
Samsung Galaxy J2	0.00	177	∞	0.00	346	∞
Samsung Galaxy J2 outdoor	-	-	-	0.00	480	∞
HTC One A9	-	110	∞	-	366	∞
LG Nexus 5	0.31	298	948	0.54	526	967
LG Nexus 5X	0.17	236	1430	0.30	455	1542
LG G4	0.09	108	1240	0.43	532	1238
Apple iPhone 6s	0.10	148	1542	0.36	536	1481

The smartphone did fairly okay in our sunlight legibility test, the screen is a bit reflective, but crank up the brightness and it is usable outdoors in a bright sunny day.

Sunlight contrast ratio

Nokia 808 PureView
4.698
Samsung Galaxy S6 edge+
4.615
Samsung Galaxy E7
4.485
HTC One A9
4.274
Samsung Galaxy A3
4.241
Samsung Galaxy S6 edge
4.124
Samsung Galaxy S6
4.124
Samsung Galaxy Note5
4.09
Samsung Galaxy Note 4
4.033
Apple iPhone 5
3.997
Samsung Galaxy Note 3
3.997
OnePlus X
3.983
Oppo R7s
3.964
Samsung Galaxy A5
3.895
Samsung Galaxy J7 outdoor
3.879
Samsung Galaxy J2 outdoor
3.873
Samsung Galaxy A8
3.859
Apple iPhone 6
3.838
Microsoft Lumia 950XL
3.837
Motorola Moto X (2014)
3.816
Samsung Galaxy Note Edge
3.799
Apple iPhone 6s
3.783
Meizu Pro 5
3.781
Vivo X5Pro
3.706
Samsung Galaxy A7
3.679
Oppo R5
3.678
Samsung Galaxy K zoom
3.675
BlackBerry Priv
3.645
Nokia Lumia 930
3.567
Apple iPhone 5s
3.565
Samsung Galaxy S5
3.549
Nokia Lumia 735
3.547
Motorola Nexus 6
3.543
Apple iPhone 6s Plus
3.53
Alcatel Idol X+
3.527
Apple iPhone 5c
3.512
Microsoft Lumia 950
3.512
Samsung Galaxy Alpha
3.509
Oppo R7 Plus
3.499
Samsung Galaxy Note 3 Neo
3.487
vivo X5Max
3.472
LG G Flex2
3.465
YotaPhone 2
3.453
Samsung Galaxy J7
3.422
Motorola RAZR MAXX
3.42
Samsung I9300 Galaxy S III
3.419
Meizu MX5
3.416
Samsung Galaxy S5 Active
3.406
Nokia Lumia 925
3.402
Gionee Elife S5.5
3.386
Samsung I9505 Galaxy S4
3.352
Oppo R7
3.32
Samsung Omnia W
3.301
Samsung Galaxy J2
3.235
Motorola Moto X Play
3.222
Samsung Galaxy S5 mini
3.174
Samsung I9000 Galaxy S
3.155
Samsung Ativ S
3.129
Samsung I9190 Galaxy S4 mini
3.127
Samsung Galaxy S4 zoom
3.118
LG Nexus 5X
3.092
Huawei Mate S
3.073
Nokia N9
3.069
Microsoft Lumia 640 XL
3.065
Apple iPhone 6 Plus
3.023
Samsung Galaxy Note
2.97
Samsung Galaxy Premier
2.958
Sony Xperia Z1
2.95
HTC One S
2.901
Lenovo S90 Sisley
2.892
Sony Xperia Z5
2.876
Samsung I8730 Galaxy Express
2.861
BlackBerry Q10
2.856
Microsoft Lumia 550
2.851
Samsung I9100 Galaxy S II
2.832
Sony Xperia Z3+
2.824
HTC Desire Eye
2.815
Gionee Elife S5.1
2.812
Samsung Galaxy S II Plus
2.801
BlackBerry Z30
2.79
Sony Xperia Z5 compact
2.784
Meizu MX4 Pro
2.765
LG V10
2.744
Sony Xperia M5
2.69
Sony Xperia ZR
2.672
Huawei Ascend P1
2.655
Xiaomi Mi 4i
2.641
Sony Xperia Z3
2.618
Sony Xperia Z3 Compact
2.616
Sony Xperia T3
2.609
BlackBerry Passport
2.595
Xiaomi Mi 4c
2.574
Microsoft Lumia 640
2.563
Nokia Lumia 900
2.562
Motorola Moto G 4G
2.546
HTC One Max
2.537
Sony Xperia Z5 Premium
2.525
Nokia Lumia 720
2.512
HTC One
2.504
Sony Xperia M4 Aqua
2.503
Motorola Moto G
2.477
vivo Xshot
2.465
Sony Xperia Z
2.462
Xiaomi Mi 4
2.424
Samsung Galaxy S III mini
2.422
Lenovo Vibe Z2 Pro
2.416
LG G Flex
2.407
Huawei Honor 7
2.406
ZUK Z1 by Lenovo
2.382
HTC Desire 820
2.372
HTC One (M8)
2.371
Motorola RAZR i
2.366
Meizu MX4
2.366
Meizu m1 note
2.362
Sony Xperia ZL
2.352
HTC One M9
2.334
LG G4
2.317
Samsung Galaxy Note II
2.307
HTC One E9+
2.305
HTC One (M8) for Windows
2.291
Oppo R1x
2.281
Oppo Find 7a
2.279
Alcatel One Touch Hero
2.272
Apple iPhone 4S
2.269
HTC Desire 600 dual sim
2.262
Sony Xperia C5 Ultra
2.253
Nokia Asha 311
2.25
Sony Xperia C4 Dual
2.235
Xiaomi Mi Note
2.234
Motorola Moto G (2014)
2.233
LG Nexus 5
2.228
Huawei P8
2.196
Nokia Lumia 820
2.193
HTC One (E8)
2.185
Oppo N3
2.181
Nokia Lumia 920
2.17
Huawei Honor 6
2.169
Xiaomi Redmi Note 2
2.166
OnePlus Two
2.165
HTC One X
2.158
Asus Zenfone 2 ZE551ML
2.149
LG Aka
2.145
Nokia N8
2.144
Nokia Lumia 620
2.142
Nokia 515
2.134
Archos 50 Diamond
2.134
HTC Desire 500
2.129
Sony Xperia C3 Dual
2.12
Sony Xperia acro S
2.119
Xiaomi Redmi Note
2.119
Nokia Lumia 1020
2.103
Oppo Find 5
2.088
Huawei P8lite
2.078
Sony Xperia SL
2.078
Nokia Lumia 630
2.056
BlackBerry Z10
2.051
Moto G 3rd gen max manual
2.026
Huawei Ascend Mate7
2.024
Samsung I9295 Galaxy S4 Active
2.022
Apple iPhone 4
2.016
HTC One mini
2.003
Xiaomi Mi 3
2.001
Huawei Ascend P7
1.992
LG G2
1.976
Sony Xperia E4g
1.972
OnePlus One
1.961
Oppo R819
1.957
Sony Ericsson Xperia ray
1.955
Lenovo Vibe X2
1.952
Sony Xperia Z2
1.944
Sony Xperia E3
1.943
Nokia Lumia 1320
1.941
HTC One mini 2
1.94
Samsung Galaxy Camera
1.938
Samsung Galaxy Grand Prime
1.935
Sony Xperia J
1.932
Acer CloudMobile S500
1.931
ZTE Blade S6
1.927
LG Nexus 4
1.926
LG G Pro 2
1.922
Samsung Galaxy Mega 6.3
1.913
Nokia Asha 308
1.911
HTC Butterfly 2
1.905
Sony Xperia T
1.894
Meizu m2 note
1.892
BlackBerry Leap
1.892
Nokia Lumia 830
1.887
HTC Desire X
1.878
HTC Butterfly
1.873
HTC Windows Phone 8X
1.873
HTC Butterfly S
1.867
Huawei Ascend P6
1.865
Huawei Ascend Mate
1.845
LG G2 mini
1.838
LG G3
1.82
Nokia Lumia 1520
1.813
HTC Desire 616 dual sim
1.797
Sony Xperia V
1.792
HTC Desire 816
1.783
Sony Xperia Z1 Compact
1.772
HTC Desire 700 dual sim
1.769
ZTE Nubia Z9 mini
1.759
Sony Xperia U
1.758
Meizu MX3
1.754
LG Optimus G
1.753
Sony Xperia T2 Ultra
1.74
Sony Xperia Z3 Tablet Compact
1.735
Acer Liquid Jade S
1.734
Sony Xperia SP
1.733
LG Optimus 4X HD
1.691
Oppo Find 7
1.691
HTC One V
1.685
BlackBerry Q5
1.682
Asus Zenfone Selfie
1.68
LG Optimus Vu
1.68
Motorola Moto E (2nd Gen)
1.675
Xiaomi Mi Pad 7.9
1.672
LG Optimus GJ
1.666
ZTE Nubia Z9
1.659
LG Optimus 3D Max
1.658
HTC Desire V
1.646
Samsung Galaxy Xcover 2
1.632
Samsung Galaxy Ace 3
1.622
Microsoft Lumia 532
1.615
Jolla Jolla
1.605
Microsoft Lumia 435
1.598
Sony Xperia Z Ultra
1.578
Sony Xperia go
1.577
Samsung Galaxy Ace 2 I8160
1.566
Samsung Galaxy Core
1.563
LG Optimus G Pro
1.552
Motorola Moto E
1.545
LG Optimus 3D
1.542
Nokia Asha 302
1.537
Samsung Galaxy Core Prime
1.507
BlackBerry Curve 9320
1.488
Sony Xperia M
1.473
Oppo N1
1.47
Sony Xperia E4
1.467
Meizu MX 4-core
1.462
Nokia Lumia 610
1.432
Samsung Galaxy S Duos
1.4
Samsung Galaxy Grand Neo
1.393
Sony Xperia M2
1.393
Microsoft Lumia 535
1.393
Samsung Galaxy Grand 2
1.38
Sony Xperia E1
1.372
Nokia Lumia 625
1.371
Gigabyte GSmart G1355
1.361
Sony Xperia L
1.351
Xiaomi Redmi 1S
1.35
Samsung Galaxy Mega 5.8
1.35
HTC Desire 510
1.34
Sony Xperia M2 Aqua
1.331
Sony Xperia miro
1.324
Samsung I9082 Galaxy Grand
1.321
Samsung I8530 Galaxy Beam
1.315
Xiaomi Redmi 2
1.311
HTC Desire C
1.3
Nokia X
1.291
Sony Xperia C
1.283
Nokia Asha 503
1.281
Nokia Asha 501
1.27
LG Optimus L7
1.269
Nokia Lumia 510
1.268
Samsung Galaxy Fame
1.245
LG Optimus L9
1.227
Meizu MX
1.221
Samsung Galaxy Young
1.22
Sony Xperia E
1.215
Nokia XL
1.204
Sony Xperia E dual
1.203
Asus Memo Pad 7 ME176C
1.198
Samsung Galaxy Pocket
1.18
Nokia Asha 305
1.178
Nokia Asha 306
1.175
Sony Xperia neo L
1.169
Sony Xperia tipo
1.166
Nokia Lumia 520
1.161
Samsung S6802 Galaxy Ace Duos
1.148
Samsung Galaxy mini 2
1.114

Microsoft Lumia 550 battery life

The Lumia 550 is equipped with a 2100 mAh Li-Ion battery and the manufacturers promises some nice battery life numbers such as 670h+ standby battery life and up to 14h of talk time.

In our test, however, the Microsoft Lumia 550 managed an endurance rating of 42 hours. We were quite disappointed from the phone's video playback results of a nudge over 5 hours. It's important to note that at 50% brightness, the phone's display outputs 200 nits of brightness, which is relatively higher than recent phones we tested.

Make note that our proprietary score also includes a standby battery draw test, which is not featured in our test scorecard but is calculated in the total endurance rating.

The battery testing procedure is described in detail in case you're interested in the nitty-gritties. You can also check out our complete battery test table, where you can see how all of the smartphones we've tested will compare under your own typical use.

Next Page » 4. Software overview

3. Display in detail and battery life

Reviews Microsoft Lumia 550 reviewPage 3