Microsoft launches Lumia 535 budget smartphone in India for Rs 9,199

Microsoft has launched the Lumia 535 smartphone in India for Rs 9,199. It’s the first Lumia smartphone to sell without the Nokia brand name. It will hit store shelves from November 28. The Lumia 535 is a dual SIM phone, which sports a 5-inch display and glossy plastic case, which now carries the Microsoft logo. The physical dimensions of the Microsoft Lumia 535 are 140.2 x 72.4 x 8.8mm and weighs around 146 grams. The device also features a qHD display with a resolution of 960 x 540 pixels. It is an upgrade from the 854×480 resolution display on the Lumia 530 . Microsoft has also enhanced sunlight readability and added a layer of Corning Gorilla Glass 3 to the display. It is powered by the same 1.2GHz quad-core CPU on a Snapdragon 200 chipset seen on the Lumia 530 , though the RAM has been increased to 1GB. Similarly, it now comes with 8GB of internal storage and you can increase this with the card slot that supports cards up to 128GB. It also provides 15 GB of free OneDrive storage. The cameras have received the biggest upgrade: there’s a 5MP camera on the back, but it has autofocus an LED flash. The Lumia 535 also includes a 5MP front-facing camera, which is fantastic for a low-end device. Like most low-end phones, the Lumia 530 lacked a front camera, so the 5MP front camera on the Lumia 535 is a pleasant addition that is sure to attract young buyers. The phone runs the latest Windows Phone 8.1 operating system, which includes nifty changes in the features and interface. It runs on a 1,900 mAh battery, which claims a battery life of 11 hours of calls on a 2G network or 23 days on standby. In terms of the connectivity, the Lumia 535 will support simultaneous 3G on both SIM cards, though there’s no 4G. As you can tell from the specifications, the phone is fairly basic, though it looks like Microsoft has done its best to incorporate all the necessary features you’d want to see in your first smartphone. Microsoft said the new phone will offer the same Microsoft services that high-end phones do. That includes Skype video calls, Office apps and the virtual assistant Cortana. Lumia 535 owners in India with Vodafone subscriptions can avail of 500MB of free data Internet pack for two months. This offer is valid only for those users who are currently not active on an Internet pack. Microsoft has also teamed up with Jabong, allowing Lumia 535 users to get Rs 6000 discount over a period of three months using the Windows Phone Jabong app. The list of freebies also includes e-books worth Rs 1,500 on Flipkart and two months of BoxTV subscription. Besides, Lumia devices running Windows Phone 8 onwards will get an option of additional storage of 1TB on OneDrive for Business for a price of Rs 799 per annum.  In addition, Office 365 Business Premium package will be available to all new Lumia buyers at a price of Rs 2,499 per annum. Those opting for this package can get one licence that can be used on a total of 15 devices including five Windows PCs or Macs, five tablets and five smartphones.