Redmond released its very first Lumia smartphone today

Nov 11, 2014 06:49 GMT  ·  By

Microsoft has just unveiled the brand new Lumia 535 smartphone, a device which not only confirms Redmond's commitment for this particular industry sector, but also marks the end of the Nokia brand.

Lumia 535 is the very first device launched under the Microsoft Lumia brand and which features Microsoft's logo on both the front and the back. It obviously run Windows Phone 8.1 with Lumia Denim update installed by default and comes with decent specs that make it a powerful rival for cheap Android devices in emerging markets.

That's actually Microsoft's plan from the very beginning, as the software giant wants to use the new device to compete against Android in developing markets such as India and China, where its smartphones have already experienced strong sales.

According to the company itself, the device should be launched later this month in China, Hong Kong, and Bangladesh, with pricing to start at around 110 euro ($150). More markets will follow after that, it says.

Technical specifications

Lumia 535 isn't really surprising when it comes to technical specifications, not necessarily because it doesn't bring anything to be excited about, but chiefly because most of its hardware capabilities had already leaked to the web last week.

The device comes with a 5-inch display and 1.2 GHz quad-core processor paired with 1 GB of RAM, which should be enough to perform the daily routine of a Windows Phone user without any performance issue. And still, there's no doubt that in the future, apps requiring more advanced hardware capabilities might not run so smoothly, but in the end, it's a budget smartphone that's available for a really decent price.

As far as storage is concerned, the Lumia 535 features 8 GB of space, but owners can always extend it with the help of a microSD card of up to 128 GB. Obviously, additional space via OneDrive is also offered.

Lumia 535 also includes the same 5-megapixel front-facing camera as the Lumia 730 and Lumia 735 do, so taking selfies with this new phone shouldn't be an issue. A rear-facing 5-megapixel camera with flash is also offered.

Microsoft will release two different versions of the phone, with single-SIM and dual-SIM support, both available starting this month in the said markets.

Versions and availability

As is the case of all the other Lumias, the new 535 will come in several colors, including cyan, bright green, bright orange, white, dark grey, and black.

Overall, Lumia 535 isn't quite the best Windows Phone handset on the market, but there's no doubt that it has what it takes to continue Microsoft's growth in developing markets, where its affordable devices already experienced very strong sales.

Obviously, it could take a while until the 535 launches in markets such as the United States and the United Kingdom, where the battle of flagships is fiercer than ever, but even if it arrives in these countries as well, there's no doubt that slow sales are something to be expected.

Microsoft Lumia 535 (17 Images)

Microsoft Lumia 535
Microsoft Lumia 535 orange versionMicrosoft Lumia 535 cyan version
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