Microsoft Lumia 950 XL leak shows large 5.7in screen and USB-C connector

Microsoft isn't expected to launch its Windows 10 Mobile flagship smartphone until later in the year, but freshly leaked images give us a good idea of what to expect. The images come from Chinese website WPXAP and show what is thought to be the Lumia 950 XL encased in a protective shell designed to stop people seeing what the final phone looks like.

However, the leaked images do reveal that Microsoft is planning to launch a large screen smartphone (or phablet if you have to call it that) which will support the new USB-C standard which was recently seen on the OnePlus 2 smartphone. Tom Warren from The Verge confirmed that the leaked images of the Lumia 950 XL were accurate, and a tweet from the journalist recently suggested he may be in the know when it comes to Microsoft's plans for its new phones:

Lumia 950 and 950 XL launch

Microsoft is expected to launch two new smartphones in late September or early October with the 5.7in Lumia 950 XL joined by the 5.2in Lumia 950, both of which will be the first smartphones to launch with Windows 10 Mobile. Microsoft will be hoping the new operating system will give it a chance in the smartphone market where iOS and Android dominate.

Both phones will come with a 20 megapixel camera sensor according to Warren, while the larger Lumia 950 XL will come with support for the Pen stylus that comes with the company's Surface tablets as well as a new range of covers which will have circular holes to support notifications.

Windows 10 Mobile is likely Microsoft's last roll of the dice in the smartphone market and unless it can convince manufacturers like Samsung, HTC and LG to build hardware using its operating system, then it is likely the Lumia brand could disappear altogether. Following the recent $7.6bn (£4.7bn) writedown of their Nokia acquisition, the whole future of Microsoft as a significant player in the smartphone market has been called into question and the failure of its next smartphones could be the final nail in the coffin.