Microsoft has finally announced the heavily rumoured Windows 10 flagships - the Lumia 950 and the Lumia 950 XL, succeeding the Lumia 930.

The 950 and the 950 XL are very similar when it comes to design and specs, differing in just a few areas such as battery capacity, display size and processor but how do they compare to the older Lumia 930?

We have crunched the numbers and compared the specs of the Lumia 950, Lumia 950 XL and the Lumia 930 to see how the three devices match up. Read on to find out what the differences are.

Microsoft Lumia 950 vs Lumia 950 XL vs Lumia 930 design

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. They are both therefore larger than the Lumia 930 that measures 137 x 71 x 9.8mm, but they are also both slimmer.

All three devices come with a metal frame and a polycarbonate back but the 950 and 950 XL have exchangeable back covers, while the 930 has a non-removable shell.

You'll find a more prominent rear camera lens on the 950 and 950 XL compared to the 930, as well as fewer colour options. The 950 and 950 XL come in black and white only, while the 930 comes in green and orange options too.

The 950 and 950 XL feature USB Type-C for faster charging and data transfer as well as wireless charging capabilities, and while the 930 has wireless charging on board, it uses the older Micro-USB.

Microsoft Lumia 950 vs Lumia 950 XL vs Lumia 930 display

The Microsoft Lumia 950 comes with a 5.2-inch display, the Lumia 950 XL has a 5.7-inch display and the Lumia 930 has a 5-inch screen.

The two new handsets have Quad HD resolutions, putting their pixel densities at 565ppi and 515ppi respectively, meaning the Lumia 950 has the sharpest display of the two. The Lumia 930 has a Full HD resolution, which means a pixel density of 441ppi.

All three devices have AMOLED displays, which means vibrant colours and deep blacks on all of them but the new handsets have something called Glance Screen. This feature allows users to see certain information without waking up the main display and Microsoft says it uses zero battery.

Microsoft Lumia 950 vs Lumia 950 XL vs Lumia 930 camera

The Microsoft Lumia 950, Lumia 950 XL and Lumia 930 all come with 20-megapixel rear cameras but Microsoft has updated the sensor on the latest devices so you should see some improvements over the older handset.

There is also a new flash on the latest devices, with the 950 and 950 XL featuring what Microsoft is calling a Natural flash in comparison to the dual-LED flash found on the Lumia 930. The natural flash is supposed to help reduce red-eye and ensure your subjects don't turn into ghosts.

Fast focus has also been added to the 950 and 950 XL and the front camera has gone from a 720p 1.2-megapixel snapper to a 1080p 5-megapixel snapper.

Many of the same features exist on all three devices, such as high resolution zoom for stills and optical image stabilisation for video but Microsoft has reduced some of the Lumia camera apps on the new devices.

Microsoft Lumia 950 vs Lumia 950 XL vs Lumia 930 hardware

The Microsoft Lumia 950 comes with the hexa-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 808 processor, 3GB of RAM and 32GB of internal storage with microSD support up to 200GB.

The Lumia 950 XL is much the same as the Lumia 950 but with the octa-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 810 processor.

Both of the new devices are a step up from the Lumia 930 that sports the Qualcomm Snapdragon 800 processor, although the same internal storage is offered at 32GB. There is no microSD support.

In terms of battery, the 950 XL has the largest capacity at 3340mAh, followed by the 950 at 3000mAh and lastly the 930 at 2420mAh. That doesn't necessarily mean the 950 XL will be the best performer however.

Microsoft claims the 930 has a maximum standby time of 16 days compared to 12 days for the latest devices. Maximum talk time isn’t too different either with the 950 XL sitting at 19 hours, the 950 at 18 hours and the 930 at 17.9 hours.

Microsoft Lumia 950 vs Lumia 950 XL vs Lumia 930 software

The Microsoft Lumia 950 and the 950 XL come with Windows 10 from launch, while the Lumia 930 is currently still on Windows 8.1, but it should eventually get an update.

The new software has several exciting features with a more seamless experience across mobile, tablet, Xbox and PC. You'll be able to connect the Lumia 950 and Lumia 950 XL to a Microsoft Display Dock to enable you to use it with an external monitor, keyboard and mouse for example.

The Office and Outlook apps will also scale up on the big-screen, providing a PC-like experience that is powered by your phone.

Microsoft Lumia 950 vs Lumia 950 XL vs Lumia 930 conclusion

As you might expect, the Microsoft Lumia 950 and Lumia 950 XL win on the spec front when compared to the Lumia 930.

The Lumia 950 XL is the most powerful of the three devices here, with the largest display and the biggest battery, but it is also the largest in terms of footprint.

The Lumia 950 is a more manageable 950 XL with a sharper display but it takes a slight knock on the processor and battery.

The Lumia 930 doesn't win in many areas against these two new devices, but it does come in more colours and if you want a smaller display and a smaller device overall, it is an option, considering it will also be updated to Windows 10 in the future.