BERLIN—Not to be outdone by big smartphone announcements from Samsung and Sony, Microsoft on Thursday announced three new phones here at IFA. The Lumia 730 Dual SIM, Lumia 735, and Lumia 830 are all midrange phones with a focus on imaging that run the latest version of Windows Phone 8.1. I got a chance to see them at the show, along with some cool new accessories.
The first thing I noticed about all three phones is that they each still bear Nokia branding on the back. A spokesman for Microsoft said that this will be phased out over time with new phones. Still, that's not such a bad sign, as Nokia is practically synonymous with quality craftsmanship, and the new Lumias are no exception.
I'll start with the Lumia 830, which Microsoft is calling the "affordable flagship." The phone features a 5-inch, 720p display (which works out to 293 pixels per inch) that looks sharp and dense. Colors are super saturated, and the screen is protected by a layer of gently curved Gorilla Glass. The phone has a sleek metal frame around the edges, and a removable back cover that bumps out slightly. At 0.33 inches thick and 5.29 ounces, it's Microsoft's thinnest and lightest flagship phone yet. It still feels a bit heavy, but is solid.
The phone comes with a 2,200mAh battery, and features wireless charging via the Qi standard, which is a nice feature to see in a midrange phone. It also comes in a number of bright colors, including black, green, orange, and white.
On the inside, the phone is powered by a 1.2GHz quad-core Snapdragon 400 processor and 1GB of RAM. That doesn't sound like much muscle, but in my experience, Windows Phone tends to run well on most hardware, and that seems to be the case here. The Lumia 830 felt relatively fast as I used it, though I noticed a couple of jerky screen transitions. You get 16GB of internal storage, along with a microSD card slot for up to an additional 128GB.
Nokia is making a big deal about the 830's camera, which is a 10-megapixel PureView lens with Zeiss optics and optical image stabilization. It also captures 1080p video at 30 frames per second, and supports a number of cool features in the new Lumia Camera app, including the ability to automatically record 4K-quality video at 24 frames per second. It does this by capturing 8.3-megapixel images, which means that every frame of video you record can be saved as a high-quality still image.
There's no definitive word about U.S. availability, but the Lumia 830 will begin rolling out globally this month for around 330 euros (or $433). So if it does land stateside, you can probably expect to pay around $99.99 with a two-year carrier contract.
Next up are the Lumia 730 Dual SIM and the Lumia 735, which are essentially the same device, save for network connectivity and wireless charging options; both phones otherwise share an identical design. They feature rounded edges on the top and bottom, which bring the now-vintage Lumia 920 to mind. The phones feature a glossy plastic finish, and come in dark gray, green, orange, and white color options. Like the Lumia 830, the back cover of the phone pulls off here, and you get wireless charging support (on the Lumia 735, but not the 730).
The Lumia 730 and Lumia 735 each have 4.7-inch, 720p OLED displays, which means that they are technically sharper than the Lumia 830 at 316 pixels per inch. And they share roughly the same internal hardware as well; each phone is powered by a 1.2GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon 400 processor and 1GB of RAM. That said, you only get 8GB of storage here, along with up to an additional 64GB via microSD slot.
The biggest difference between these Lumias and the Lumia 830 lies in the camera. Here the focus is on Skype and selfies, thanks to a 5-megapixel front-facing camera with wide-angle lens. The rear camera is no slouch, but at 6.7 megapixels, it isn't quite up to par with the 830. Still, Microsoft is betting potential buyers will focus on that front-facing camera, offering up a Lumia Selfie app (think Instagram for selfies) along with three free months of Skype (which you also get on the 830), and one-tap Skype access during voice calls.
As far as differences between the Lumia 730 Dual SIM and the Lumia 735 go, you can pretty much tell by their names. The Lumia 730 is a dual-SIM, 3G-only device that tops out at HSPA+ 21. The Lumia 735, on the other hand, only supports a single SIM, but has the ability to hit LTE in the U.S. and abroad. All that, along with a 2,220mAh battery isn't such a bad deal for a phone that will cost either 199 euros (for the Lumia 730) or 219 euros (for the Lumia 735).
New Accessories
Nokia is also betting you'll want some accessories to go with your new phone. I got a chance to check out the Microsoft Screen Sharing for Lumia Phones HD-10, which sort of looks like a round Apple TV. It lets users beam content from their Windows Phone to any HDMI-enabled screen. It also comes with a NFC plate that sits on top of the device, which lets you automatically connect whenever you tap it to your phone.
Nokia is also betting you'll want some accessories to go with your new phone. I got a chance to check out the Microsoft Screen Sharing for Lumia Phones HD-10, which sort of looks like a round Apple TV. It lets users beam content from their Windows Phone to any HDMI-enabled screen. It also comes with a NFC plate that sits on top of the device, which lets you automatically connect whenever you tap it to your phone.
My only concern is that it connects through Miracast, which in my experience can suffer from lag, especially in an area crowded with Wi-Fi signals, and the HD-10 stuttered in a brief demo I saw. It will be $79 when it's released in September, but you'll probably want to wait for us to test it for you buy.
Microsoft also introduced a new generation of the smart Wireless Charging Plate DT-903, which is an attractive wireless charging accessory for compatible devices. It automatically glows underneath when a device has been placed on the charger, and it pairs with your device via Bluetooth. Why? So the Plate will automatically glow to let you know that your connected device needs a charge. That's cool. It can also be customized so that specific blinking patterns will provide you with notifications—such as email. For $59, it could be worth it depending on how much you're willing to invest in wireless charging. The device arrives in October.
The new Lumia lineup looks like a solid bunch of devices, and the accessories are pretty cool, too. I hope we see the Lumia 830 and Lumia 735 in the U.S., at the very least to add a little color to the humdrum midrange smartphone scene. And if they do head our way, we'll be sure to test them out and give you a complete rundown.
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