14 DAY TRIAL // Starting with this week, Windows Phone enthusiasts out there can purchase a new device running under Microsoft’s mobile operating system, in the form of Prestigio MultiPhone 8500 DUO.
Last week, the company officially confirmed plans to put the device up for sale starting with July 20, and the phone is already up for grabs in Europe, the Middle East, Africa, and parts of Asia.
The handset was launched with a price tag of $210 (€156) attached to it, which does not come too much as a surprise, since it is an entry-level product.
Even so, the smartphone still has to offer an appealing viewing experience on its 5-inch HD touchscreen display, as well as pretty decent performance capabilities, courtesy of a 1.2GHz quad-core processor, which is paired with no less than 1GB of RAM.
The specs list of this smartphone also includes an 8-megapixel rear camera with auto focus and at least HD video recording, as well as a 2MP front camera for making video calls while on the go.
The handset was made official with dual-SIM capabilities inside, support for 3G networks, and a battery capable of providing users with long usage times.
Running under the Windows Phone 8.1 operating system, the smartphone also delivers all of the features that this OS has been launched with, including Action Center, Live Tiles, OneDrive, and more.
Moreover, Prestigio teases the phone as featuring a built-in mobile device management client, S/MIME for encrypted mail, and VPN support, enabling IT professionals to manage devices much easier than before.
For those out of the loop, we should note that Prestigio MultiPhone 8500 DUO is only one of the two Windows Phone 8.1 handsets that the company revealed earlier this year.
The other one is the Prestigio MultiPhone 8400 DUO, which is expected to arrive on shelves on August 20, priced at $110 (€82).
This smartphone features a more compact form factor, with a 4-inch 480 x 800 pixels touchscreen display, while being powered by a 1.2GHz quad-core Qualcomm MSM8212 processor.
The handset also sports an 8-megapixel camera on the back, a VGA front camera for video calling, and dual-SIM capabilities. Moreover, it will arrive on shelves with 3G connectivity, the same as its larger brother.
All of the aforementioned Windows Phone 8.1 features will also be included in the package, making MultiPhone 8400 DUO a great option for users looking for a cheap smartphone that can still deliver a decent performance.