Microsoft SA launched three new "affordable" smartphones at an event in Johannesburg this morning: the Lumia 640, Lumia 640XL and Lumia 430 dual SIM.
Patrick Henchie, senior manager of portfolio and product marketing for Microsoft South and East Africa, said the devices are a culmination of a bigger Microsoft strategy to focus on devices that provide more value at a better price.
The XL is for the 'pro-sumer' customer who "checks their e-mail while watching TV," says Henchie. It also has a bigger screen for office work on the go.
The Lumia 640 and 640XL become the latest long-term evolution devices to join the Lumia portfolio, with monthly contract prices starting from R219 for the dual SIM version, R199 for the single SIM version, and R269 for the Lumia 640XL dual SIM.
These handsets are only available on contract.
Shaun Durandt, Microsoft Mobile Devices SA sales lead, said: "People are looking for a phone which brings them more flexibility to switch easily between work and play, without breaking the bank."
The Lumia 640 and 640XL come with the full range of Microsoft apps, including Office, OneDrive and Skype. Both come with a one-year subscription to Office 365 Personal, valued at R750, which includes a free terabyte of OneDrive storage.
Both devices have 1GB of memory and run off the quad core Qualcomm Snapdragon processor.
The Lumia 640XL has a 13MP camera while the 640 has an 8MP camera, and both come with LED flash. Both have HD display. There will be high gloss covers available in blue, orange, black or white.
Lumia 430
The Lumia 430 "is the first device we are releasing under the R1 000 price point and still offering all the 'smart' essentials", says Henchie.
The Microsoft Lumia 430 dual SIM starts at R999, comes with Windows Phone 8.1 software and a dual-core CPU running at 1.2GHz. It is available in black and orange.
The device also comes preloaded with Microsoft Office, Skype and OneDrive, and has a 4-inch WVGA display.
"The Lumia 430 dual SIM combines the right hardware, software, services and a growing ecosystem of local and international apps at an affordable price," added Durandt.
Henchie noted Microsoft will release other high-end devices later this year.
Share