Microsoft's #Windows10Devices event in New York on Tuesday witnessed some of the best product launches. Everything from HoloLens to the new Surface Book, we were impressed by the company's attempt at taking charge in the competitive market. During the event, all eyes were set on the new flagships, Lumia 950 and Lumia 950XL, which were demonstrated in an extraordinary fashion.
The two flagships by Microsoft will take the company's Lumia lineup to new heights. Microsoft termed these new smartphones as pocket PCs, considering they can transform into a personal computer simply by connecting to a monitor. The specs are striking a great pose in the premium market, enough to make an impact. Let's start by taking a look at the specifications of the two handsets.
Design
Microsoft Lumia 950 and Lumia 950XL look identical except their screen sizes. While the Lumia 950 measures 145 x 73.2 x 8.2mm and weighs 150grams, the Lumia 950XL measures 151.9 x 78.4 x 8.1mm and weighs 165grams. Both phones feature a flat aesthetic design, with the volume rocker buttons, power/lock button and a dedicated camera button placed on the right side.
The rear side of the phone has a Windows logo in the center, a camera with PureView ZEISS lens, triple LED flash, speakers and changeable back cover. Microsoft has kept the front panel simple, without any physical buttons. There's a speaker on the top and a microphone at the bottom, as per usual standards. At the bottom of the phones, there's a USB Type-C port for quick charging and connectivity.
Display
The Lumia 950 and 950XL meet the industry standards for eye-popping displays. The Lumia 950 features a 2560 x 1440 pixel AMOLED screen with 565ppi and the Lumia 950XL sports a 5.7-inch Quad HD AMOLED display with 515ppi. Both phones are protected by Corning Gorilla Glass 4.
Camera
Lumia flagships are known for their incredible cameras and the Lumia 950 and 950XL continue the trend with 20-megapixel rear-facing PureView camera with ZEISS lens and fifth gen Optical Image Stabilisation. The primary camera is supported by triple LED RGB Natural flash for great photos in low light conditions. As per the latest trend, these cameras will support 4K video capture.
On the front side of both the flagships, Microsoft has packed a 5-megapixel camera that will take care of your selfies and video conferences.
Under the hood
While all other features are similar in Lumia 950 and Lumia 950XL, the processors are different. The Lumia 950 is powered by a 64-bit hexa-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 808 processor, coupled by 3GB RAM and 32GB internal storage with microSD card support up to 2TB.
Microsoft Lumia 950XL, on the other hand, gets treated with a 64-bit octa-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 810 chipset with 3GB of RAM and 32GB expandable storage.
Software
The Lumia 950 and Lumia 950XL are among the first batch of smartphones to run on Windows 10 for mobile. With the new software, Microsoft is able to add plenty of features, such as the popular Continuum integration to connect the smartphones to monitors and keyboards and use like computers. Microsoft demonstrated the transformation using its own Display Dock.
Battery
The Lumia 950 packs a 3,000mAh battery while the larger flagship is powered by a bigger 3,340mAh unit. Both handsets are equipped with Qi wireless charging technology and the batteries are removable. Thanks to the USB Type-C port and quick charging tech, the Lumia phones can charge from zero to 50% in just 30 minutes.
Price and availability
In line with most flagship devices, the Lumia 950 and 950XL are priced at $549 and $649, respectively. International pricing is yet to be announced, but the company confirmed that the handsets will be available on pre-orders starting 7 October.
