The Lumia 950 and 950 XL are important products for Microsoft, but not for the reasons you may expect. Microsoft isn't trying to set the mobile market ablaze with these two smartphones. They are not necessarily meant to be explosive sales successes that take significant market share from Android and iOS. If they were, Microsoft would have thrown huge amounts of marketing muscle and dollars behind them, launched a massive advertising campaign, and worked deals with every major wireless carrier it could. But Microsoft didn't. The Lumia 950 and 950 XL are more about laying a foundation and setting the direction and course for Windows 10 Mobile as well as Microsoft's latest mobile strategy.

Of course, Microsoft wants to sell as many of these devices as it can, but the Lumia 950 and 950 XL are being billed as the "ultimate phones for productivity." Microsoft has targeted these phones at current fans of the platform, professionals, and road warriors that may benefit from the software and unique features available with the latest Lumias...