Here’s all we know so far about Microsoft’s big new flagship smartphones, the Lumia 950 and 950 XL – including photos, specifications, and their UK price and release dates.
New design & press renders
@evleaks is at it again. Despite his retirement due to health issues, blogger Evan Blass has continued to provide some of the most reliable leaks in the smartphone industry, and on August 26th he released the first press renders of Microsoft’s new Lumia smartphones.
Blass’ leaked renders of the Lumia 950 and 950 XL (codenamed Talkman and Cityman, respectively) show phones that are largely familiar; blue and black colours are wrought in polycarbonate; the familiar rounded rectangle shapes are now host to oversized camera humps.
Lumia 950 photos, specs & features
The Lumia 950 comes with a 5.2-inch 2560 x 1440 OLED display and is available in white or black. Inside, there’s a Snapdragon 808 hexa-core processor, 3GB of RAM and 32GB of internal storage plus micro SD support. The camera setup is impressive, with a 20-megapixel PureView camera on the back and a five-megapixel unit up front. Finally, we have a 3000mAh battery.
Lumia 950 XL photos, specs & features
The Lumia 950 XL is larger and more powerful, with a 5.7-inch display at the same 2560 x 1440 resolution. It’s powered by a Snapdragon 810 octa-core processor, with 3GB of RAM and 32GB of storage (plus micro SD) as standard. The imaging setup is similar to the 950, although the XL has a triple LED flash and a silver ring around the camera area. We’ve also got a 3300mAh battery inside.
Common features & accessories (Continuum Hub)
The phones appear to sport software keys rather than capacitive or hard buttons, and run Microsoft’s upcoming Windows 10 for mobile operating system. Both phones also come with USB-C ports and Qi wireless charging (the 950 achieves this via a cover, but the 950 XL has it built in.) Both phones also sport an iris scanner for Windows Hello support (biometric login).
A photo (above) leaked on a German podcast showing the Lumia 950 XL with a new hub accessory, connecting the phone to multiple peripherals including mice, keyboards, gamepads, monitors and other devices. This allows the phone to be used with the new Continuum feature in Windows 10, which allows your phone to become a full-fledged workstation when connected to enough devices… a feature made possible by the single OS approach Microsoft is taking this time around.
Other Lumia 950 accessories and Lumia 950 XL accessories are coming soon.
Launch date & price
The Lumia 950 and 950 XL will be announced a massive Microsoft event in October. Other possible announcements there include the Surface Pro 4, a Microsoft Band 2 and possibly even a slimmer Xbox One console. The phones are expected to cost at least £450 sim-free, as these are flagship devices. The devices should launch in October or November in the UK.
Conclusion
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