Microsoft has unveiled two low-cost smartphones - the Lumia 435 and Lumia 532 - which it says are the "most affordable Lumia devices to date".
In November, Microsoft unveiled its first non-Nokia Lumia - the budget Lumia 535 - in what was seen as the end of an era in terms of branding, but not in terms of Nokia's emerging market strategy.
With both 4-inch devices running Windows 8.1, the Lumia 435 and Lumia 532 will start rolling out to "key markets" - including Africa - in February.
While the exact local availability and pricing of the devices are yet to be confirmed, Microsoft estimates the Lumia 435 will cost around EUR69 (about R930), while the Lumia 532 should cost around EUR79 (about R1 000) before taxes and subsidies.
With these latest devices, Microsoft hopes to bridge the move from feature to smartphone. "With many people looking to upgrade from a feature phone to a smartphone for the first time, Lumia 435 and Lumia 532 provide a balance of features and power, while also bringing Windows Phone 8.1 experiences to new price points."
The Lumia 435 - the first 400 series Lumia - sports 1.2GHz dual-core processor and a 2MP camera, but no flash. It has 1GB RAM and 8GB of internal memory, with up to 128GB of expandable memory.
The Lumia 532 - successor to the Lumia 530 - features a quad-core processor and 5MP camera, also without a flash. Like its budget counterpart, the 532 has 1GB RAM and 8GB of internal memory, which is expandable via a MicroSD up to 128GB.
Both devices will be available in bright green, bright orange, white and black, and will be available in single- and dual-SIM variants, with the latter SIM setup also coming equipped with Smart Dual SIM to manage calls and texts to either number in use.
Jo Harlow, corporate vice-president for phones at Microsoft, says the company wants to open up opportunities to those buying a smartphone for the very first time. "When we launched the first Lumia devices over three years ago, we said we were committed to bringing devices to as many people and price points as possible."
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