Microsoft Lumia 950 officially announced

The Microsoft Lumia 950 is one of Microsoft's newest smartphones which runs Windows 10. You get a great set of specifications, larger than average battery, plentiful 32GB of storage with the option of microSD expansion, an optical image stabilized camera and Windows Hello for secure facial authentication.

The Lumia 950 features a 5.2 inch Quad HD display, 32GB of internal storage with microSD expansion, a 20 MP ZEISS lens camera and triple LED flash, a 3000 mAh battery and a Snapdragon 808 processor with 3GB of RAM.

The handset also features USB Type C connector with support for rapid charging. Users can also use the inbuilt wireless charging feature if they prefer. However the two most impressive features on the Lumia 950 is the infra-red sensor that supports Windows Hello beta for securely unlocking the phone, and Continuum which allows you power connect your smartphone to a monitor using a docking mechanism and run full Windows apps.

Microsoft is also the first phone manufacturer to equip its phones with liquid cooling technology.  This helps keep the Snapdragon processor in check during those taxing tasks. This will come in useful when the mobile device switches to a full blown PC and runs full screen apps through Continuum.

Camera

Microsoft has outfitted the Lumia 950 XL with a 20MP camera with a 16:9 ratio and ZEISS optics. You also get the fifth generation of optical image stabilization on Lumia devices, so low light photography should be quite good.

The Lumia 950 XL uses a triple LED flash, which should help produce better, more natural colors and skin tones when the flash is used.

You also get a 5MP front-facing camera for selfies and video calls.

Videos can be recorded at up to 4K resolution for outstanding details, while the four microphones capture rich, high-fidelity sound. However, it is rather odd that we don't see any fancier modes present on the Lumia 950 XL. For example, 60fps video mode isn't listed in the phone's specs. Slow-motion mode is absent as well.

SOFTWARE 

The Microsoft Lumia 950 XL runs Windows 10 Mobile. This means, users will get to experience Cortana's digital assistance, along with Microsoft services like OneDrive, Skype and Office out of the box.

Continuum

Microsoft introduced Continuum as its bridge from mobile to desktop. Continuum is available on all Windows devices, capably of smartly recognizing the various form factors a Windows device can come in. On smartphones, Continuum will take over when you plug your device to a monitor, running your Windows apps as if you were on a desktop.

It all happens simply via a dedicated dock that you plug your phone into. While it is powering the monitor with a desktop Windows experience, you can still use your phone independently, with full calling or texting capabilities.

Windows Hello (beta)

The Lumia 950 is also equipped with an infra-red scanner located on the front which allows the use of Windows Hello - a brand new, fully secure way of unlocking your device. Because of the use of infra-red, you can even use Windows Hello to unlock your device in low light.

PRICING AND AVAILABILITY

The Microsoft Lumia 950 is priced at $550 and is expected to be available in November.