Microsoft's first smartphone won't likely impress you if you're looking for your next high-end device. While the Lumia 535 waves goodbye to the Nokia brand, it doesn't replace it with any flair.
Sporting a quad-core 1.2GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon 200 processor and a 5-inch 960x540-pixel display, the phone is decidedly aimed at the lower end of the market, although it is running the latest Windows Phone 8.1. The price of just €110 makes it pretty affordable even for developing countries -- that translates to roughly $135, £85 or AU$155, although expect final local prices to vary with taxes and subsidies.
The Microsoft Lumia 535 is set to debut in November in Russia, Ukraine, China, Indonesia and the Philippines, while those living in Australia, Vietnam, Thailand and unspecified countries in Africa will see this phone in December. January will see the Lumia 535 sold in Latin America as well, while Microsoft has promised it will come to the UK in the first quarter of 2015. There are no plans for a US launch.
Design
If you were worried that a Microsoft rebrand would lead to a new design for Lumia phones, fear not -- at least not yet. The Lumia 535, the sequel to the Lumia 530, sticks to the same proven formula as the current range of handsets. That's to say, it has a plastic back and clean lines with rounded corners. It resembles the older Lumia 530, though bigger and slimmer.
