14 DAY TRIAL // Microsoft has already launched the Nokia Lumia 530 in Vietnam and China, but only Windows Phone fans in the mainland can now purchase the budget-friendly smartphone.
However, as time goes by, the Lumia 530 will reach more countries, so those looking for a cheap Windows Phone handset may have to wait a few more weeks.
The folks over at NokiaNewsIreland report that Nokia Lumia 530 has just been confirmed to arrive in Ireland via carriers Three and Vodafone.
Microsoft will also offer the smartphone through its official webstore, though no exact release date and price has been announced yet. Nokia Lumia 530 is now listed on Microsoft Ireland’s website as “Coming Soon,” which means that it's possible to go on sale this month.
Vodafone Ireland announces that the Lumia 530 will be available through its official retail channels “later in the quarter.” Three has also confirmed that it will carry the smartphone, but stated they don't have a release date for the moment.
Nokia Lumia 530 is expected to launch in Ireland for less than €100 ($130), but the exact amount is likely to be revealed closer to release.
Microsoft plans to replace the not-so-old Lumia 520, the bestselling Windows Phone handset to date, with the new Lumia 530. Unfortunately, those who already own the former have little reason to upgrade to the latter.
Aside from the fact that it comes with Windows Phone 8.1 operating system out of the box, there aren't many differences in Lumia 530's favor that would make a Windows Phone fan want to switch to it.
Still, customers who want to switch from another platform or from a feature phone will find the Nokia Lumia 530 the perfect Windows Phone handset to start with.
Keep in mind that Microsoft will only launch the single-SIM version of Nokia Lumia 530 in Ireland, but a dual-SIM variant will be available in some regions as well.
The Lumia 530 sports a 4-inch TFT capacitive touchscreen display that supports 480 x 854 pixels resolution. The phone is equipped with a 1.2GHz quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 200 processor, 512MB of RAM, and 4GB of internal memory, which can be further expanded up to 128GB via microSD card slot.
The budget-friendly handset packs a 5-megapixel rear-facing camera with 480p video recording, but without LED flash. It's also worth mentioning that the Lumia 530 lacks a secondary camera for selfies.
The phone's 1430 mAh battery should provide up to 530 hours of standby time or up to 13 hours of talk time. Other highlights of the phone include 3G connectivity, as well as Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 4.0, GPS with A-GPS, and FM Radio.