Microsoft has unveiled its first Lumia smartphone since it acquired Nokia's
Devices and Services division. Still labeled under the Nokia branding, the
Lumia 530 is an entry-level Windows Phone 8.1 smartphone with a four-inch, 854x480-resolution display and a low price point to help it compete against other competing low-specification devices running on Android.
Behind the display is a quad-core Snapdragon 200 clocked at 1.2GHz with 512MB of RAM and 4Gb of storage, though this can be expanded by up to 128GB via MicroSD. With a battery life of 1,430mAh providing up to 13 hours of talk time on 2G and a maximum standby time of 22 days, the Lumia 530 includes connectivity over Bluetooth 4.0, Wi-Fi, and 3G, and while it has a rear 5-megapixel camera, it lacks a front-facing version.
Available in single and dual-SIM variants in select markets this August before a global launch, the Lumia 530 is expected to go on sale for €85 ($115) before taxes and subsidies, and is unlikely to cost more than €100 ($135) at retail. Though the exact timing of a US launch is unknown, T-Mobile has confirmed it will be selling the Lumia 530 later this year.
While it is the first major release, the Lumia 530 is not the first smartphone announced under Microsoft's ownership of Nokia's device arm. Late last month, an update to the
Nokia X called the
Nokia X2 surfaced, though Microsoft has been quick to
distance itself away from the Android smartphone effort.
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