We’ve only just reviewed the Nokia Lumia 630, a faultless if unspectacular entry-level device, but Microsoft’s already come back for more. This time, it’s looking to really push the envelope with the Nokia Lumia 530 – a device that offers virtually the exact same specifications as the Lumia 630, but for only â¬100 (which we can presume will translate to roughly £79).
When we say virtually the exact same specifications, we mean it. You get a 1.2GHz quad-core processor, a 5MP rear camera (sorry, there’s no front-facing lens on this thing either) and 512MB of RAM. The only real difference is the display – it’s 4 inches rather than 4.5, meaning that the entire device is roughly 10mm shorter, 4mm narrower, and 5g lighter, albeit 2.5mm thicker.
There’s also a mere 4GB of internal storage, although the Lumia 530 does have the capability for expansion via microSD card (up to 128GB, which is nice). You also get a free 15GB of OneDrive cloud storage when you purchase.
In typical Lumia fashion it’s also available in four bold colours – green, orange, white and black.
Other than that, there’s not much else to say – what you see is what you get, but that’s completely fine. Considering the Lumia 630 was only released a matter of weeks ago, costing £110, it speaks volumes about the developing state of the budget smartphone market that they can make a virtually identical model now for a whole £30 less.
We should probably all be thanking Motorola for its fantastic Moto E, and to a lesser extent the Moto G, for showing the consumer just how cheap a smartphone can be. We’ve been gouged on price for too long now, and it’s great to see a ripple effect already starting to shake things up.
Will the Lumia 530 be as popular, or as good, as the Moto E? Probably not. But it’s a phone on a different platform, and it’s another option for the entry-level consumer, so we’ll welcome it with open arms. Let’s just hope it’s not rubbish.
UPDATE: Okay so we weren’t too far from the official price with our estimates but no one was expecting Microsoft to go this low.
The company has officially confirmed the price for the Lumia 530 at £60. That’s £30 cheaper than the Moto E. It’s also almost half the price of the £110 Nokia Lumia 630, making the 530 the cheapest Windows Phone 8.1 device you can buy.
Now that we’ve got your attention, you’ll be glad to know that you can get your hands on the Lumia 530 on 4 September in the UK.
