Microsoft Lumia 950 XL vs. Sony Xperia Z5 Premium: Features, specs, release date and price compared

Microsoft’s flagship Lumia 950 and its bigger sibling, Lumia 950 XL, will reportedly hit store shelves sometime in the November/ December time frame. The Sony Xperia Z5 series, on the other hand, was recently released in Australia and is now available for preorder.

It’s time to compare the specifications, features and price of the “Sony Xperia Z5 Premium” and the “Microsoft Lumia 950 XL”.

Lumia 950 XL vs. Xperia Z5 Premium: Price

Microsoft hasn’t announced the Australia-specific Lumia 950 XL price yet. CNet says the device could cost roughly $910 down under. Meanwhile, the Xperia Z5 Premium pricing has been listed as $1,199 in Sony’s official Website specific to Australia.

Lumia 950 XL vs. Xperia Z5 Premium: Design

The Lumia 950 XL comes with a humongous 5.7-inch AMOLED display bundled with 1,440 x 2,560 pixel resolution. On the other hand, the Xperia Z5 Premium features a 5.5-inch IPS LCD display and a one-of-a-kind 4K screen resolution of 2,160 x 3,840 pixels.

The Sony device trumps the Microsoft handset fair and square when it comes to pixel density. The display combinations mentioned above translate to 518 ppi on the Lumia and a killer 806 ppi on the Xperia handset. Readers should note that when the pixel density is high, the screen will be brighter.

The new Lumia 950 XL flaunts the tried and tested plastic design, according to Phone Arena. The plastic (polycarbonate) build material makes the handset lightweight. But then, the premium feel is reportedly missing in the smartphone, especially when compared to metal-clad flagships from Samsung and HTC.

The Xperia Z5, meanwhile, comes with the traditional mixture of metal and glass panels. Digital Trends says the typical angular corners in the Z series are now curved / rounded with less bezels and the glass back has a matte effect.

The unimpressive flap / wing on the charging port has been removed. Sony found a workaround so as not to lose the waterproofing capability. Overall, this device has premium-look written all over it and it’s got a classy touch.

Lumia 950 XL vs. Xperia Z5 Premium: Under The Hood

Both Microsoft and Sony devices are powered by the same Qualcomm Snapdragon 810 chipset working in tandem with an octa-core CPU and backed by 3 GB of RAM. While the Microsoft device runs the feature-filled Windows 10 OS, the Sony handset runs the Android 5.1.1 Lollipop OS. In any case, the phone is upgradable to the latest Android 6.0 Marshmallow.

Furthermore, both phones come equipped with 32 GB of native storage capacity and microSD card support for expansion of up to 200 GB.

Lumia 950 XL vs. Xperia Z5 Premium: Camera, Battery

Sony and Microsoft are known for the stunning camera sensors in their devices. Following the tradition, the Lumia 950 XL sports a killer 20 MP PureView rear-facing shooter. The Sony Xperia Z5 Premium, on the other hand, features a top-notch 23 MP main camera with LED flash.

Nevertheless, the Lumia device trumps the Sony phone with its triple-LED flash. In addition, there’s a selfie-clicker at the front of the Microsoft and Sony handsets with 5 MP and 5.1 MP sensors, respectively.

Speaking of battery configuration, the Sony Xperia Z5 Premium houses a brilliant 3,430 mAh non-removable unit. The Lumia phone also packs a punch with a 3,340 mAh removable battery cell. To top it off, both the handsets flaunt the rapid charging option.

Lumia 950 XL vs. Xperia Z5 Premium: Additional Pointers

Microsoft is the pioneer in introducing an “iris scanner” for authentication in its Lumia 950 series of handsets. Sony, on the other hand, uses the omnipresent “fingerprint sensor”.

Similar to other high-end Sony devices, this Xperia model also comes with an IP 68 rating, which translates to dust and water-resistance. The Lumia 950 XL has no such feature.

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