Microsoft Lumia 550, 950, 950 XL Release Date, Price, Specs Review

By Mark Rollins
Lumia 950 and 950 XL
A leak of the Lumia 950 and 950 XL Tech Advisor/Windows Central

When Microsoft had their big announcement on October 6th, they brought forth some Windows 10 smartphones such as the Lumia 950, 950 XL, and the 550.  They stated that the 950 and 950 XL will be available in November with the 550 coming in December, but they were not any more specific than that.  This is what is known about the Lumia 950, 950 XL, and 550 release date, price, and reviews. 

When it comes to the precise release date of these devices, the details are sketchy at best.  The International Business Times has written that the US release date could be as early as October 26th. However, Nokia Power User reports that AT&T will be carrying both the Lumia 950 and 950 XL at a tipped release date of the 1st and 2nd week of November.  The release date for the 550 is also still up in the air as a separate report from Nokia Power User reveals it to be available "for the holiday season".  It would be wise if Microsoft had the 950, 950 XL, and the 550 ready to ship before Black Friday, where shopping really kicks into high gear. 

The Lumia 950 will have a 5.2 WQHD (1440 x 2560) OLED display, with the inside being a Snapdragon 808 and 64-bit Hexa core.  It should have about 3GB of RAM, and it will have a 32 GB variant.  As for the cameras, we're looking at a 20 Megapixel camera on the rear and a 5 Megapixel camera on the front.  The battery will be a 3000 mAh detachable one, and it will also have a USB Type-C charging port as well as Qi wireless charging. 

As for the Lumia 950 XL, it has the same type of OLED display with 1440 x 2560 resolution, but it will be much larger at 5.7 inches.  The inside will be powered by a Snapdragon 810 with an identical 32 GB storage option and 3 GB of RAM.  It will have the same 20 Megapixels for the rear camera as the Lumia 940, but it will have a triple LED flash.  We'll assume that the front-facing camera has the same specs at 5 Megapixels.  The battery has a bit more mAh at 3300, and it is removable with the USB Type-C charging port and Qi Wireless charging. 

As for the Lumia 550, Redmond Pie calls it a budget device and will bring Windows 10 for a lower price.  It has a 5-inch screen with a quad-core Snapdragon 210 CPU with 1.1 GHz.  There is also a 5 Megapixel camera. 

The price of the Lumia 950 will be $549, while the 950 XL will be $649.  The Lumia 550 will start at a low $139.  So far, the response to the new Windows 10 devices has been positive, as can be read on a review from GSM Arena.  Hopefully there will be more specific release dates, especially approaching the holiday season. 

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