Microsoft plans to bring more 4G phones to India

Technology giant Microsoft has said it will line up more 4G-compatible devices in India once the infrastructure for the high speed Internet service is ready in the country. The company, which acquired Nokia’s handset division last year for USD 7.2 billion, has only one 4G-compatible device, Lumia 638 (priced at about Rs. 6,800), in the Indian market. “There are a number of 4G-compatible devices in our portfolio, we are ready with the handsets. Once infrastructure is ready (in India), we will bring more 4G devices in,” Microsoft Mobile Devices Director Marketing Raghuvesh Sarup told PTI. Many devices makers are now lining up 4G-compatible phones (especially in the sub- Rs. 10,000 category) as operators like Reliance Jio gear up to launch the high-speed Internet service in the country. Currently, Airtel and Aircel are the only two operators offering 4G services in certain parts of the country. Lenovo’s A6000 and A7000, Yu’s Yureka and Xiaomi Redmi Note 4G are some of the devices that hit the Indian market in the sub Rs. 10,000 segment recently. Meanwhile, Microsoft has launched two new handsets – Lumia 640 and Lumia 640 XL – in India, priced at Rs. 11,999 and Rs. 15,799, respectively. While both the devices are available in LTE versions, these will not be available in India currently. “Consumers today are constantly looking for a device to bring them more flexibility to switch easily between work and play. The Lumia 640 XL and Lumia 640 are the perfect devices that are enablers of productivity, busting the 9 to 5 myth by letting you achieve more on your own terms,” Microsoft Mobile Devices Director (South) T S Sridhar said. The Lumia 640 will be available on eCommerce portal, Flipkart, while the Lumia 640 XL will be available in physical retail stores. The dual SIM-Lumia 640 comes with 5-inch HD display, 1.2GHz quad core Qualcomm Snapdragon processor, Windows Phone 8.1 with Lumia Denim operating system, 8 MP rear and 1 MP front facing cameras, 8GB internal memory (30 GB free OneDrive and micro SD support up to 128 GB) and 2,500 mAh battery. The Lumia 640 XL has a 5.7-inch display, 13 MP rear and 5 MP front cameras and 3,000 mAh battery. PTI