Lumia 535: Microsoft's budget warrior

The much-awaited Lumia 535 hit the stores last week. At first glance, the first Microsoft smartphone, minus the Nokia tag, appears to be a refreshing upgrade of the Lumia 530 (dual sim). Loaded with good specifications and a bright screen, the device draws attention at first. But does it have enough potential to thrive in the already crowded budget segment? Let's find out:

Design
At 8.8mm, the 5-inch Lumia 535 feels sleek. With Corning Gorilla Glass protection and a 960 x 540 pixel resolution, the device provides reasonable clarity and works well at different viewing angles. Outdoor visibility did not appear to be a problem either. Our review unit was a bright orange one (too bright, I would say). The smartphone is also available in cyan, bright green, white and black - all of which have matte finishes. The power button and volume rocker are on the right of the phone. The microUSB port for charging the device and transferring data is placed at the bottom, while the 3.5mm jack is in the centre on the top. At 146 g, the Lumia 535 is not very light, but it's not oversized either. It fits just right in your jeans' pocket. Single hand usage is not troublesome. However, the downer, in terms of design, is the plastic rear panel, which makes the gadget look slightly cheap.

Processor

The Lumia 535 runs on a quad-core 1.2GHz Snapdragon 200 and has 1GB of RAM, aided by 8GB of internal storage. Memory can be further expanded to 128GB with the help of a memory card. All of this, backed by Windows 8.1 Phone operating system, allow smooth functioning, and we did not come across any trouble running applications on the device. The smartphone uses a 1,905 mAh battery, which lasted through the day on average data usage.

Camera
The Lumia 535 comes with two five-megapixel (MP) cameras (front and rear). These render quality imaging. It can be said that the device has a better camera than most others in the price range. The front facing wide-angle selfie camera used in this handset is capable of clicking good pictures and will surely be a hit among selfie lovers.

Audio
The device comes with a mono speaker, found on the back of the handset, provides average audio experience. However, the headphones provided along with the device deserve a mention.

Verdict
We can say Microsoft has arrived in the budget segment with a smart device, which is smartly priced at Rs 9,199, and has most of its features in the right place. But, the competition that it has to encounter in this segment is outrageous. With rivals on the Android platform, such as Xiaomi, Asus, Motorola, among others, bringing out powerful gadgets for a similar or lower price tag, it is going to be a tough ride for the Lumia 535.

LUMIA 535

• Dimensions (mm): 140.20 x 72.40 x 8.80
• Weight: 146g
• Battery: 1,905 mAh
• Screen size: 5 inches
• Processor: Qualcomm Snapdragon 200, 1.2GHz quad-core
• RAM: 1GB
• Internal storage: 8GB (expandable up to 128GB)
• Camera: 5-megapixel (Front, rear)
• Operating System: Windows 8.1 Phone
• Price: Rs 9,199