Microsoft Unwraps Lumia 950 and Lumia 950 XL Smartphones with Windows 10 Mobile

Microsoft finally took the wraps off its Lumia 950 and 950 XL smartphones today. The phones feature Windows 10 Mobile and are Microsoft’s first phone announcement since putting the Nokia difficulties behind it. The new Lumia 950 phones are entirely new beasts – and not just because they feature liquid cooling.

The Lumia 950 features a Qualcomm Snapdragon 808 processor and 3GB of RAM, along with 32GB of storage. The 5.2-inch WQHD OLED screen has a 1440x2560 resolution. The front camera supports Windows Hello, meaning you can log into your phone via facial recognition. The back camera is the real workhorse, though, with a 20MP sensor and a new, triple-LED flash that is meant to make for more natural-looking photos in dim lighting.


The Lumia 950 XL features a 5.7-inch WQHD OLED display and has a Snapdragon 810 (octa-core) processor. It has 3GB of memory and 32GB of storage, just like the Lumia 950. So far, the biggest difference between the phones is size.

The Lumia 950 series will also feature Continuum support, meaning you’ll be able to connect a Bluetooth mouse and/or keyboard to use your phone like a (tiny) computer. Both phones will have microSD card slots and USB Type-C power connectors, as well as removable batteries.

The Lumia announcement comes with the introduction of several other new products. Microsoft announced the Surface Pro 4 and the Surface Book, which is the company’s first laptop. Microsoft also released a new version of the Microsoft Band, to the delight of fitness enthusiasts. Still, considering the history Microsoft has had with trying to get a foothold in the smartphone industry, the Lumia 950 is one of is probably one of the most important product announcements of the day.

The Lumia 950 will be available in November for $549 and the 950 XL will be go for $649.