Microsoft introduced its new Windows 10 Mobile device Lumia 650 aimed at businesses. While this phone looks lovely, this does not include Windows 10's best features.
As the name of the phone suggests, Lumia 650 sits closer to the low-end Lumia 550 model as opposed to the high-end Lumia 950 and 950 XL handsets.
Apart from carrying a budget-friendly price tag of $199, the phone also rocks a sleek metal frame, making it look akin to the higher-end flagship devices.
Nevertheless, the phone comes with capabilities characteristic of the low-end segment. While Microsoft touts the phone as a great choice for business-oriented users, the specs, however, seem to impair that positioning.
Missing Windows 10 Key Features
The phone does not support the Continuum Display Dock that enables users to connect a Windows 10 handset to a keyboard, mouse and screen to use it like a desktop. With this feature, a compatible phone can be hooked to the dock plus an external monitor and then run Windows 10 Universal apps.
On top of that, the phone does not have a biometric authentication feature. This functionality aims at killing the use of passwords by offering a better authentication solution. With biometric authentication, users can access their devices by successfully validating their physical and behavioral characteristics.
One reason the Lumia 650 is not loaded with these Windows 10 features could be because these functionalities have expensive hardware requirements, such as a processor that can support dual displays and biometric sensors.
But while low-end phones abandon these features due to hardware dependence, these are among those that business users need the most.
In any case, the phone sports other business-oriented functionalities that don't have hardware requirements, including remote management and Microsoft Office. Office apps allow users to create and edit documents using the phone. Users can likewise synchronize these docs to the cloud with the use of OneDrive. What's more, the phone is equipped with Microsoft's digital personal assistant Cortana and Office 365.
With regard to its availability, this new Lumia device was initially rolled out to a few European markets on Monday. Microsoft has not said when the new Lumia phone is going to hit store shelves in the United States.
