Microsoft Lumia 940, 940 XL with Windows 10 Release Date, Price Specs; Microsoft Sends Invites To Oct. 6 Event

Sep 16, 2015 01:27 PM EDT

The invitations are out! All is set for Microsoft major press event on October 6th in New York as the software giant is expected to launch a range of devices that will run on Windows 10. Also expected to be unveiled during the events are the Lumia 940 (codenamed Talkman) and 940 XL (codenamed Cityman).

If the Lumia 940 and the Lumia 940 XL are indeed included in the devices that Microsoft will unveil on the October 6th press event, then it confirms previous reports that the two flagship smartphones will be running on the new Windows 10 OS.

Both the Lumia 940 and 940 XL are touted to be the first Windows phones to run Windows 10.  The Lumia 940 will have a 5.2 inch WQHD (1440 x 2560) display, Qualcomm Snapdragon 808 chip, 3 GB of RAM, 32 GB of internal storage with microSD expansion, 3,000 mAh removable battery, USB Type-C port, and Qi Wireless charging with a flip cover.  The cameras will be a 20 Megapixel type on the rear and a five Megapixel type on the front.  It will also have an Iris scanner, which will really make this a secure phone. 

Microsoft Lumia 940 and 940 XL Price

The Microsoft Lumia 940 is replacing the previous Lumia 930. Reports have speculated that the next generation Lumia will be sold at $617 per unit whereas the Lumia 930 was priced $848 when it was introduced about a year ago.

According to PC Advisor, it does not expect the Lumia 940 to exceed $771 per unit as Microsoft is trying to push the use of Windows 10 on its smartphones. Those who want to buy the much higher-end Lumia 940 XL will have to add an extra $139 for the unit, the report said.

Microsoft Lumia 940 Specs

  • Windows Phone 10
  • 2.7GHz Snapdragon 805 processor
  • Adreno 420 graphics
  • 3GB RAM
  • 32-, 64- or 128GB storage
  • 5in full-HD (1920x1080) screen with Gorilla Glass 4 (since rumoured to be a 5.2in screen)
  • WLAN, NFC, USB 3.0
  • 24Mp PureView camera with LED flash, 4K video recording at 60fps (since rumoured to be a 25Mp camera)
  • 5Mp front camera, 1080p video
  • 3250mAh battery
  • 137x71x8.9mm
  • 149g

Microsoft Lumia 940 XL Specs

  • Windows Phone 10
  • 5.7in Quad HD (2560x1440) screen
  • 4GB RAM
  • 32GB of storage (plus microSD support up to 128GB)
  • 25Mp rear camera, 5Mp front camera
  • 3950mAh battery

In a separate report, Daily Tech speculated that the Lumia 940 XL will be sporting a different and more premium optical unit than the Lumia 940 although it said both devices would have the same resolution sensors and optical image stabilization (OIS).  The Lumia 940 XL's sensor is expected to be much larger, the same sensor installed on the Lumia 1020 as well as a more beefy IOS module.

The Lumia 940 XL will have a slightly bigger memory at 4GB.