Microsoft has launched its Lumia 435 and Lumia 532 smartphones, catering to the entry-level end of the smartphone market.Microsoft states pricing for the Lumia 435, the “most affordable Lumia yet”, is estimated to be 69 euros (around $99), with the Lumia 532 to be around 79 euros, while pricing will vary by market and operator.
The new Lumias will be coming up against a long list of budget Android models, with Microsoft looking to increase market share in the ever-growing entry-level segment.
In its worldwide IT spending forecast for 2015, technology research firm Gartner this week noted that growth in Android and other open OS phones is in the basic phone segment, where in 2014 the average phone cost less than US$100, resulting in the market opportunity “becoming increasingly limited for mid-range smartphones”.
Sporting a 4″ WVGA (800 x 480) display, the Lumia 435 is powered by a dual-core 1.2 GHz processor, comes with 8 GB memory and 1 GB RAM, and is equipped with a 2 MP main camera.
The Lumia 532, meanwhile, features a 4″ WVGA (800 x 480) display, is powered by a quad-core 1.2 GHz processor, comes with 8 GB memory and 1 GB RAM, and is equipped with a 5 MP main camera.
Both the Lumia 435 and Lumia 532 will run on the latest Windows Phone 8.1 operating system.
Microsoft states the two smartphones will begin rolling out in February in select countries in Europe, the Asia Pacific, India, the Middle East and Africa.
