Microsoft announced the Lumia 640 and the 640 XL last month at MWC (Mobile World Congress) in Barcelona, Spain. The two devices are very similar to one another and the primary difference is the size. The 640 XL does also pack a few extra features and a bit more battery power as compared to the 640. Regardless of their differences, both the devices are aimed to bring the Windows platform to the masses especially in India where phones between the price of 10-18,000 rupees have been gaining a lot of sales quite recently. We have both the devices in our office and will be bringing you the reviews shortly.
2015 Microsoft Lumia 640 Smartphone Price Rs.10,000, First Impressions
The first thing you notice about the device is the difference in branding. The Lumia 640 bears a Microsoft branding on the front and the back. But that doesn’t mean the formula for the phones have changed much. The design is still very much similar to what you had been expecting from Lumia phones of the past from Nokia. The device comes in different colors including Orange, Blue, White and Black. The back is removable and so is the battery.
When you hold the device in your hand, you’d be surprised at how light it feels and despite being so light, it still feels quite solid. Doesn’t squeak, creak or feel like its going to break if you apply some pressure on it. Even though the device feels light, it actually isnt that light as it weighs in at around 145 grams but I guess the weight distribution has been handled very well. Overall the device feels good in the hand but the flat sides do take a few days of getting used to. The matte effect on the black unit we’re testing is definitely a bonus as it provides more grip and fights against fingerprints. The other 3 colours come in a glossy finish and while they don’t do as good a job at fighting fingerprints, the grip was still pretty decent when we tried it at MWC last month.
Powering the device on you’ll see the 5 inch screen is quite pleasing to the eyes and despite packing only 720p resolution, the good contrast and brightness makes the display stand out. The Lumia 640 runs Windows 8.1 out of the box and will eventually be getting an upgrade to Windows 10 as and when it releases. Microsoft promise us that and we’re sure they deliver. We’re not sure about the dates just yet but we’ll let you know as soon as we get more information. The phone never hung up or rebooted while we used it however we did feel that there was a certain lag while using the device. The call quality is really great and the loudspeaker is fairly loud too.
