Microsoft has announced a number of devices during its 6 October event, including the heavily rumoured Lumia 950 and Lumia 950 XL, lower-spec Lumia 550 and the new Surface Pro 4.

The Lumia 950 and Lumia 950 XL smartphones have been speculated upon for months after Stephen Elop told the Mobile World Congress audience that there would be new Windows Phone flagships coming later this year and now they are here.

We have rounded up all details on the two handsets in a separate feature, as well as the budget Lumia 550, but here we are looking at comparing the two flagships based on those details. Read on to find out what the difference is between the Microsoft Lumia 950 and the Lumia 950XL.

Microsoft Lumia 950 vs 950 XL design: Lumia 950 is smaller

The Microsoft Lumia 950 measures 145 x 73.2 x 8.2mm, while the Lumia 950 XL measures 151.9 x 78.4 x 8.1mm so fractionally slimmer but larger in overall footprint. The 950 weighs 150g and the 950 XL weighs 165g.

Both offer a metal frame with a polycarbonate back. The two smartphones are very similar in design with both offering a large camera lens on the rear. The Lumia 950 also features a silver ring around the rear camera lens.

Both the Lumia 950 and the Lumia 950 XL will come in black and white colour options.

The Lumia 950 and the Lumia 950 XL both offer USB Type-C for faster charging and data transfer. USB Type-C is a new technology that can only be found on a select number of handsets at the moment, including the OnePlus 2, new Nexus devices and these two Lumia smartphones.

Microsoft Lumia 950 vs 950 XL display: Lumia 950 XL will be larger but not as sharp

The Microsoft Lumia 950 features a 5.2-inch display, while the Microsoft Lumia 950 XL comes with a slightly larger 5.7-inch display.

Both sport a Quad HD resolution which means pixel densities of 565ppi and 515ppi, respectively. The Lumia 950 will have a sharper, crisper display than the Lumia 950 XL as there will be more pixels packed in per inch.

They are both AMOLED displays so you can expect inky blacks and plenty of vibrancy. Microsoft also talked about Glance Screen that allows users to view certain information without turning the display on. Apparently it uses "zero battery", although we doubt that's the case.

Microsoft Lumia 950 vs 950 XL camera: Same megapixels and same features

Flagship Lumia devices have always gone big when it comes to their cameras, with some previous devices offering some fantastic results. Both the Microsoft Lumia 950 and the Microsoft Lumia 950 XL will come with a 20-megapixel PureView rear camera and a 5-megapixel front-facing camera.

They will also both sport a Natural Flash, which Microsoft claims will stop red eye occurring, as well as prevent those in the picture looking like ghosts. The camera features are the same for the two devices so you won't compromise in this section.

They will both offer fast focus, a high resolution zoom, along with optical image stabilisation and continuous autofocus for video recording.

Microsoft Lumia 950 vs 950 XL hardware: Lumia 950 XL will be faster and last longer

The Microsoft Lumia 950 comes with the hexa-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 808 chipset, which means Adreno 418 graphics. There is 3GB of RAM, 32GB of internal storage with microSD support up to 200GB and a 3000mAh battery capacity.

The Microsoft Lumia 950 XL on the other hand, comes with the slightly newer octa-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 810 processor and Adreno 430 graphics. The RAM and internal storage is the same as the Lumia 950 so you can expect 3GB and 32GB with microSD support up to 200GB again. There is a slightly larger battery capacity at 3340mAh on board however.

Microsoft Lumia 950 vs 950 XL software: Windows 10 for Mobile on both

As you might expect, the Microsoft Lumia 950 and Microsoft Lumia 950 XL both arrive with Windows 10 for Mobile so you can expect the same experience in terms of software.

The new software means various new features including Office as an integrated app. Microsoft Windows 10 Continuum has also been included on the devices allowing them to be plugged directly into monitors for use on a larger screen, via a dedicated dock.

Microsoft Lumia 950 vs 950 XL conclusion

The Microsoft Lumia 950 and Microsoft Lumia 950 XL are similar in terms of the specs and design, with the only real difference being the display, processor and battery capacity.

The Lumia 950 has a smaller display than the Lumia 950 XL but it is sharper and crisper, while the 950 XL features a faster processor and larger battery capacity. Other than that, the specs and experience will be identical.

The decision between these two devices is likely to come down to how much you want to spend and how big a device you are looking for. Both devices will be available in November with the Lumia 950 starting at £500 and the Lumia 950 XL at £549.