Microsoft Lumia 950 and Lumia 950 XL Dual-SIM launched in India running Windows 10

The new Lumia flagships have now gone official in India. At an event today in New Delhi, India - Microsoft launched its much awaited Windows 10 running smartphones, the Lumia 950 and Lumia 950 XL.

Both come with Quad-HD displays, 3GB RAM, 32GB expandable storage, new 20MP PureView camera with Zeiss optics, Optical Image Stabilization and triple LED flash. Both are dual-SIM 4G LTE capable devices.

Lumia 950 XL vs Lumia 950

Given the XL in the name, the Lumia 950 XL comes with a larger 5.7-inch display while the Lumia 950 makes do with a 5.2-inch ClearBlack panel. Coming to the rest of the specs, the bigger Lumia runs on the Snapdragon 810 octa-core processor and has a 3340 mAh battery which supports Qi Wireless alongwith fast-charging through its USB Type-C port.

The Lumia 950 on the other-hand is powered buy the hexa-core Snapdragon 808 processor, also seen on the Nexus 5X and LG G4. It has a smaller 3000 mAh battery compared to the 3340 on the 950 XL but still supports fast charging and Qi Wireless charging as well.

Microsoft Continuum

Both also come with support for Microsoft Continuum, which essentially transforms your phone into a full fledged PC when connected with the Microsoft Display Dock and a TV or a monitor with a HDMi port. The Dock needs to be purchased separately, but as a launch offer it will come bundled with both the new Lumia's. Universal Apps really shine with Continuum, although they may not have all the functionality of their Desktop counterparts, but there's something unique to this desktop-like experience with your smartphone. It is currently quite limited with Microsoft's first party apps taking the cake, but the company says there is quite a lot of developer support behind the platform and we will see it in coming months.

Pricing and Availability

The Lumia 950 has been priced at Rs. 43699 while the Lumia 950 XL will be available for Rs. 49399 starting December 1st. Sadly, there's just two color options this time, black or white. You can pre order before 11th December to get the Microsoft Display Dock bundled with both the Lumia 950 and Lumia 950 XL. After that you can buy the Display Dock at Rs. 5999.

Microsoft needs the new Lumias to succeed, as these might be the last of them we ever see. The company has invested a lot into the platform without any significant growth. Continuum is a lofty goal, which, from a technology standpoint is truly innovative and even from a consumer standpoint is quite useful. But it needs widespread adoption and developer support, before we hail it as a hit. Starting with Pocket PC, it has been Microsoft's dream to combine the mobile and desktop worlds. Windows 8 was a step in that direction, which failed miserably. Windows 10 fixed most of those issues on the Desktop but one of the major problems plaguing Mobile are more to do with Developer support than the OS itself, something which its desktop counterpart hasn't had any issues with.

With very little support from Developers, and no Google apps in its ecosystem even Windows 10 Mobile is fighting the same battle as previous versions of the OS. The Lumia 950 and Lumia 950 XL are excellent smartphones by themselves, Windows 10 Mobile is refreshing and fluid but I still think it would be a challenge to give up my Android smartphone for a Windows 10 device.