Microsoft's phone business takes a hit in Q3

Microsoft has released its earnings report for Q3 2015, and while most of the company's businesses have performed well, the phone business has taken a hit - revenue was down a disappointing 54% compared to the same period last year.

This means that the Redmond-based company managed to sell around just 5.8 million Lumia phones in the previous quarter, compared to 9.3 million it sold in Q3 2014. Quarter-on-quarter sales were also down - a total of 8.4 million Lumia's were sold in Q2 this year, which, for the matter of fact, was up compared to Q2 last year.

For this quarter, the software giant is pinning its hopes on the recently announced Windows 10 Mobile flagships - the Lumia 950 and 950 XL. Both are now available for pre-order across Europe, and are also listed on the US Microsoft Store website - the company has already confirmed that the Lumia 950 will be an AT&T exclusive in the US for a limited time.

Microsoft Lumia 950 and 950 XL available for pre-order across Europe

Microsoft's latest flagships Lumia 950 and 950 XL are now available for pre-order across Europe, after being initially listed in the UK only. Retailers in Austria, Germany and the Netherlands, among others, have put up listings of the smartphones with prices being pretty consistent between them.

The Lumia 950 XL will set you back €700, and the Lumia 950 goes for €600. Both single and dual SIM versions of the latter have been listed too. In Austria, the newest Lumias will start shipping on November 27, if retailer information is to be trusted, while German users will need to wait until December 10.

One of the best things about the smartphones is the Continuum feature. The ability to turn your phone into a portable PC by plugging in an external monitor and a keyboard should in theory make for lighter packing when traveling or save you the expense of a standalone computer.

The box that enables it isn't free though, obviously. The Microsoft Display Dock will cost you $99 in the US, Computerworld reports. Folks in Europe are less fortunate as the number is even higher, and in Euros too - one German retailer lists the HD-500 dock at €109. In Austria the docks would come cheaper (€97), but still a good $11 more than in the US when you convert it by today's rate.

Meanwhile, another retailer in the Netherlands would bundle a dock free of charge, if you pre-order a Lumia 950 XL between now and November 29, also indicating the expected shipping date of the smartphone. The offer doesn't apply to the smaller Lumia 950, so Dutch buyers should have an easy time choosing between the two - with the free dock you'd effectively be buying the 950 XL at the price of a 950.

Official-looking Lumia 550 render leaked

An official-looking press render of the upcoming entry-level Microsoft Lumia 550 smartphone has been leaked, courtesy of the usually reliable leakster @evleaks.

The device has already been the subject of several leaks in the past, with the most recent leak showing the smartphone in four color versions - white, red, blue, and black.

Specs-wise, the Lumia 550 is said to be powered by a Snapdragon 210 SoC and sport a 4.7-inch 720p AMOLED touchscreen. It is expected to come with 1GB RAM and 8GB expandable internal memory, and pack in a 1,905 mAh battery. In terms of camera, the Windows 10 Mobile-powered device is said to feature a 5MP rear unit and a 2MP front shooter.


The handset, along with the high-end Lumia 950 and 950 XL, is expected to be made official at the company's October 6 event next week.