Microsoft Boosts Lineup With Lumia 950, Surface Book

Microsoft today revealed the Windows 10-based Lumia 950 and 950 XL smartphones, Surface Book laptop, and Surface Pro 4 tablet, as well as a new Microsoft Band fitness tracker and a developer version of its futuristic HoloLens.

Lumia 950 and 950
The Lumia 950 has a 5.2-inch Quad HD 2,560-by-1,440 display at 564ppi with Corning Gorilla Glass 3, and runs a 1.8GHz hexa-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 808 and 3000mAh battery.

The Lumia 950 XL has a larger 5.7-inch display at 518ppi with Corning Gorilla Glass 4, and runs a 2GHz octa-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 810 and 3340 mAh battery.

As is the trend lately, the devices have USB-C for fast charging, which Microsoft said could juice a phone to 50 percent in 30 minutes. The new Lumias also have 20-megapixel sensors, triple LED natural flash, and 4K video capture.

Redmond positioned the new Lumia as "the phone that works like your PC," with apps like Office, Cortana, Skype, OneDrive, Continuum, and more. Microsoft showed off how you could use your phone to power a second screen via the small Microsoft Display Dock, which supports HDMI and DisplayPort, as well as three USB ports for accessories. Or add a keyboard and mouse and use it like a PC.

Both phones have 32GB of storage, expandable up to 200GB via MicroSD. They arrive in November, starting at $549 for the Lumia 950 and $649 for the 950 XL.

A budget Lumia 550, meanwhile, will be $139 when it arrives in December. The 4.7-inch device sports a 1,280-by-720 display and runs a 1.1GHz quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 210.

Surface Book and Surface Pro 4
Microsoft added to its Surface lineup with the Surface Pro 4 and the Surface Book, a Windows 10 touch laptop.

The Surface Book runs a 13.5-inch 3,000-by-2,000 PixelSense display, sixth-generation Intel Core i5 or i7 chips, 8GB or 16GB of RAM, and features Intel HD graphics 520 and optional Nvidia GeForce graphics processor with dedicated 1GB GDDR5 high-speed memory. Buyers can select from a 128GB, 256GB, 512GB, or 1TB solid-state drive.

The device has a glass-laminated trackpad but also supports touch and comes with a Surface Pen. You can remove the screen to use it as a tablet or like a clipboard to sketch or take notes.

There's an 8-megapixel rear-facing camera and 5-megapixel front-facing shooter that supports Windows Hello face authentication.

Surface Book arrives Oct. 26 and is available for pre-order now starting at $1,499. For more, see PCMag's Hands On With the Microsoft Surface Book.

The Surface Pro 4, meanwhile, has a 12.3-inch display and runs a sixth-generation Intel Core m3, i5, or i7, with 4GB, 8GB, or 16GB of RAM. It has similar SSD options, and the 8- and 5-megapixel cameras, and also comes with a pen.

Microsoft positioned the new Surface Pro as "the thinnest, lightest and most powerful tablet that can replace your laptop...at only 8.4 mm thin." It's 30 percent more powerful than Surface Pro 3 as well as quieter, cooler, and more efficient with up to nine hours of battery life, Redmond said. A new Surface Pro 4 Type Cover features a redesigned mechanical keyboard.

Surface Pro 4 also arrives Oct. 26; pre-order now starting at $899.

HoloLens
Microsoft first showed of its augmented reality HoloLens headset last year, but if officially arrives in Q1 2016 for $3,000.

It's a developer version that will only be available in the U.S. and Canada to start, so not everyone will be able to buy one. Apply on HoloLens.com, but make sure you're a Windows Insider first.

"We are looking for creative developers to help us build an active, dynamic community. Come build the holographic future with us," Microsoft said.

Microsoft will start sending out applications to purchase in January. "We will work to get devices out as quickly as possible," the company said. As soon as additional devices are available, more accepted applicants will be invited to purchase. Invitations may not arrive in the order in which applications were received."

Microsoft Band 2
The new Microsoft Band has a more rounded display that's less boxy than its predecessor. The 1.26-inch AMOLED screen has a 320-by-128-pixel resolution. The device is water-resistant and offers up to 48 hours of normal use, though GPS could shorten that time. Redmond said the Band will fully charge in less than 1.5 hours, though.

Sensors include heart rate, ambient light, skin temperature, and UV. The gadget will work with devices running Windows Phone 8.1 update, as well as iPhone 4s and above, and Android 4.3 and up, which connect via Bluetooth 4.0.

The new Band arrives on Oct. 30 for $249; pre-orders begin today.