Microsoft is trying very hard to make Windows Phone cool again. Yes, there was a time when Windows on mobile was cool, but those days are long gone, probably already forgotten by some. However, the cool factor days could be returning after Microsoft recently launched the Lumia 730.
The Lumia 730 is the latest offering from Microsoft, and it is likely the coolest handset running Windows Phone 8.1 right now. Of course, since it is a midrange device, it in can no way compare with the likes of the Lumia 930 or even the HTC One M8 with Windows Phone.
What truly sets the Lumia 930 apart is the 5-megapixel camera at the front, which is designed for taking selfies and for video calling. Microsoft deems this device as the selfie-phone, and rightfully so because images taken from the front camera will look far better when compared with other devices on the market.
We like the fact that the Lumia 730 is also packing wide-angle lens in the front camera. This means a person can take a selfie shot with several people without worrying much if everyone will be able to fit in the shot.
Pretty cool, right? We thought so.
To focus more on the selfie aspect of the device, Microsoft made sure to release an app called Selfie. This app allows the user to touch-up their selfie images before sharing on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and others. In addition, the Selfie app will also allow users to take selfie images from the rear camera, which is a cool 6.7-megapixels.
While the app is only available for the Lumia 730, Microsoft is making plans to roll it out to other Lumia versions in the future, though the company did not give a timeline.
Overall, the Lumia 730 is a decent device that is on the midrange side of the spectrum. It has only 8 GB of internal storage, but that's no problem since it can hold up to a 128-GB MicroSD card. Furthermore, the device comes packed with 1 GB of RAM, a 1.2-GHz quad core processor, and 4.7-inch display with Nokia's ClearBlack technology.
Not a bad phone, right? The only problem we're seeing is that Microsoft is still running with the same design that began with the Nokia N9 from back in 2011. The design language is getting boring now, so we believe it is time for Microsoft to make a change and bring something fresh and interesting to the market, design wise.
