Microsoft Lumia 950 and 950 XL announced – release date, price and specs

The Lumia 950 and Lumia 950 XL are official. Launching this November, Microsoft’s very first flagship smartphones will be the first Windows handsets to run Windows 10 Mobile out of the box, bringing with it a whole new level of productivity tools that let you turn your monitor into a fully functioning PC.

This is thanks to the Microsoft Display Dock, which allows you to connect your phone up to a monitor and run fully native Windows apps. It also has three USB ports for accessories like a mouse and keyboard, as well as an HDMI and DisplayPort for your monitor.

The phones themselves are powered by octa-core and hexa-core Qualcomm processors respectively, with the Lumia 950 XL claiming the Snapdragon 810 while the Lumia 950 will make do with a Snapdragon 808. Even more impressive, you’ll still be able to use your phone to send a text or answer an email while powering your PC experience on the monitor, letting you get more stuff done without having to disconnect and stop what you’re doing. This is possible thanks to Microsoft’s new tablet-class liquid cooling, which it’s taken straight out of its Surface devices. It can even split 1,080p video as well, allowing you to watch videos on a big screen without compromising on quality.

If that wasn’t impressive enough, both handsets will have a 2,560×1,400 OLED display, a 20-megapixel camera with a triple LED RGB natural flash and fifth generation optical image stabilisation, and a 5-megapixel front-facing camera. They will also have 32GB of onboard storage and a microSD card slot that can take cards up to a massive 2TB, giving you plenty of storage for your photos and 4K video captures.

The only major difference between the phones, aside from their different processors, is screen size, as the Lumia 950 has a 5.2in screen while the Lumia 950 XL has a 5.7in screen. This means the pixel density of the Lumia 950 XL will actually be lower than the Lumia 950, coming at 518ppi compared to the 950’s 564ppi, but it’s unlikely you’ll notice the difference in day to day use. For instance, Samsung’s Galaxy S6 and Galaxy S6 Edge+ have a similar dilemma, as the 5.7in S6 Edge+ also has the same 2,560×1,440 resolution as its smaller 5.1in brother, but both screens looked equally sharp when I had them in for testing.

Both Lumias will have USB Type-C for easy charging, and Microsoft’s promising that you’ll be able to get 50% battery from just 30 minutes of charging. They’ll also have a dual adaptive antenna to give you the best signal possible when you’re in a low reception zone.

The Lumia 950 and Lumia 950 XL will be out this November and will cost £450 and £550 respectively.

For another perspective on Microsoft’s launch event, head over to our sister site Alphr for more information