Microsoft continues to target budget-conscious smartphone users in emerging markets by coming up with cheaper Windows Phone devices. The company just released its latest Lumia handsets that definitely cater to those who are looking for both performance and value for money in their smartphones.
The Lumia 435 and Lumia 532 are the latest devices that are added to Microsoft's Windows Phone lineup. Apart from obviously having the latest version of Microsoft's mobile OS, the phones come integrated with various other services that include OneDrive storage, Office and Skype.
"Lumia 435 and Lumia 532 deliver competitive hardware alongside innovative software that will continue to receive the very latest updates and enhancements, keeping users up-to-date with the best new features," said Jo Harlow, corporate VP for Phones at Microsoft.
The Lumia 435 will retail at around $81 while the Lumia 532 will be priced at $93. Both devices will sport a 4-inch display, a battery of 1560 mAh, RAM of 1 GB, and memory of 8 GB which can be expanded to 128 GB through the built-in microSD slot.
The Lumia 435 is powered by a 1.2 GHz dual-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 200 processor. It also features a rear camera of 2-megapixels and a VGA front camera.
The Lumia 532 features a quad-core Snapdragon 200 processor, 5-megapixel rear camera and VGA 0.3-megapixel front camera. It comes with Microsoft's voice assistant Cortana on board. The device is a variant of the Lumia 530, which launched the previous year.
The Lumia 435 and Lumia 532 will both have two 3G-network editions of single SIM and dual-SIM variants. The devices also come equipped with up to 30 GB free storage on OneDrive. Color options include bright orange, bright green, black and white.
Microsoft believes that its lineup of budget phones delivers a superior experience since the Lumia devices are packed with Microsoft services. Users can upgrade the service with the latest operating system, which is something that they don't usually see in Android. A Windows device also features stronger integration with valuable apps such as Excel and Office Word, along with Microsoft's Siri-like Cortana.
The Lumia 435 and Lumia 532 will begin hitting store shelves in February for consumers in key markets of Europe, Asia-Pacific and the Middle East. There's also the rumor that the devices will be available to U.S.-based consumers, although the timing is still unknown.
"With many people looking to upgrade from a feature phone to a smartphone for the first time, Lumia 435 and Lumia 532 provide a balance of features and power, while also bringing Windows Phone 8.1 experiences to new price points," said Microsoft.
