Microsoft Announces Lumia 950 And 950 XL

Microsoft has finally unveiled the flagship Lumia 950 and 950 XL during a hardware presentation in New York City today. The Lumia 950 range is built on Microsoft’s latest Windows 10 operating system and features an unusual organic LED display. The panel displays notification indicators without tactile contact while consuming virtually zero battery life. This is a wonderful technical innovation and a genuine surprise compared to the leaked core specifications only a few days ago.

In terms of raw horsepower, the Lumia 950 opts for a Snapdragon 808 hexa-core processor operating at 1.8GHz while the larger XL model utilizes the top-tier Snapdragon 810 octa-core CPU. 3GB of RAM is used on both models to compliment the incredibly powerful CPU setup, and 32GB ROM comes as standard. Thankfully, this can be expanded via MicroSD to a whopping 2TB of storage. This is quite rare on flagship models as manufacturers try to restrict the storage and charge extra for ROM variations.

Additionally, the 950 and 950 XL contains a 2560×1440 display and only varies in the screen size. As a result, the 950’s 5.2-inch screen has a ppi of 568 compared to the 950 XL’s 5.7-inch rating of 518. The handsets differ in battery size too as the larger model incorporates a 3340 mAh battery compared to the 950’s more than capable 3000 mAh specification.

On another note, both handsets support 4K video capture, NFC, dual-band 802.11ac, Bluetooth, GPS and fast-charging via the included USB-Type C connector. According to Microsoft, it’s possible to attain a 50% charge in only 30 minutes. Another intriguing feature is the ‘tablet-class’ liquid cooling to keep temperatures down during 3D tasks. This is essential because the Snapdragon 810 is renowned for overheating.

Finally, the 950 and 950 XL features a 5-megapixel front facing camera and rear 20-megapixel sensor with Zeiss optics. There has been a great deal of speculation regarding the launch price and Microsoft has decided to launch the 950 to market at $549.99 and the 950 XL will cost $649.99. Clearly, both of these prices are extremely high and Microsoft appears to be aiming for the luxury market. However, trying to increase the uptake of Windows Mobile with two highly priced devices doesn’t appear to be a cogent strategy.