Microsoft finally launched its new Lumia 550, releasing the handset as the cheapest smartphone yet to run Windows 10 out of the box.
The company may already have Windows 10 running on two flagship smartphones, the Lumia 950 and Lumia 950 XL, but it didn't forget about the budget sector. While the flagships come with price tags to match, the new Lumia 550 comes at the affordable segment and is now available for just $139.
The initial Lumia 550 launch, however, is just for a few select markets initially, with more to follow soon.
"Sales of the new Microsoft Lumia 550, which offers the best of Microsoft to people who value affordability and uncompromised quality, begin today in Europe. Other regions around the globe will follow in the coming weeks," Microsoft announced in a new company blog post on Monday, Dec. 7.
The latest Windows 10 OS will bring popular Microsoft apps and services to the Lumia 550, including the signature Office suite with Word, Excel and PowerPoint, the Cortana digital assistant, as well as Microsoft's OneDrive, Skype, Outlook Calendar and Outlook Mail.
As expected from a budget device, the Lumia 550 doesn't come with extraordinary hardware on board. The handset packs modest specifications to accommodate its low price tag.
More specifically, the Lumia 550 features a 4.7-inch HD display with a 16:9 aspect ratio, 1,280 x 720 pixel resolution and 315 ppi, and packs a 1.1GHz quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 210 processor under the hood, paired with 1 GB of RAM.
Other specs include 8 GB of internal storage, expandable up to 200 GB via microSD, a 5-megapixel main camera with LED flash, a 2-megapixel front shooter, and a 2,100 mAh removable battery. The 4G LTE connectivity of the Lumia 550 allows for download speeds of up to 150 Mbps and upload speeds of up to 50 Mbps, according to Microsoft.
Glance Screen is also a notable software feature, as it allows Lumia 550 users to check out notifications, the time, or calendar entries at a glance, without unlocking or activating the phone. The new Microsoft Edge browser, meanwhile, will reportedly serve as a powerful tool for reading on-the-go or other browsing activities.
The $139 Microsoft Lumia 550 comes in two color options - Glossy White and Matte Black. For more information, check out the presentation video below.
