Microsoft’s latest Windows 10 Mobile flagships are now official.
First, let’s talk about the Lumia 950. Successor to the Lumia 930, the smartphone features a 5.2” AMOLED ClearBlack display with Quad HD resolution, a first for the Windows Phone platform. Under the hood, the device packs Qualcomm’s six-core Snapdragon 808 chipset, paired with 3GB of RAM. As rumored, the Lumia 950 will arrive with a pretty large 3000mAh capacity battery.
The Lumia 950 XL is the bigger sibling of the Lumia 950, equipped with a 5.7-inch AMOLED ClearBlack display with the same 1440 x 2560 Quad HD resolution and Glance Screen feature. Instead of the Snapdragon 808, the bigger handset is powered by the octa-core Snapdragon 810 chip that also does duty on most new Android flagships launched this year. Keeping the lights on will be a 3300mAh capacity battery inside, giving it an edge against the Samsung Galaxy Note 5 and the Apple iPhone 6s, at least on paper.
Both the handsets are equipped with a new 20MP 1/2.4” type sensor with 5th Gen optical image stabilization (OIS), triple-LED flash, and Carl Zeiss optics. For selfies, Microsoft is offering a 5MP wide-angle camera on the front, with a dedicated LED flash for taking selfies under low-light situations. They also come equipped with a USB Type-C port, biometric security, Quick Charge support, liquid cooling, adaptive antenna technology, and support for Qi-wireless charging with a flip cover.
The Microsoft Lumia 950 and the Lumia 950 XL are expected to go on sale starting next month, priced at $550 and $650 respectively. Microsoft will also be offering a Display Dock accessory for the Continuum feature, allowing you to enjoy a desktop-like experience by connecting the phone to a monitor, mouse, and keyboard. The Lumia 950 XL will additionally offer support for the Surface Pen, making it a worthy rival to the S-Pen toting Samsung Galaxy Note 5.
