There's a new affordable Lumia about to hit the shelves

Source: Microsoft. The Lumia 430.

Microsoft has introduced Lumia 430 Dual SIM, now its most affordable Lumia smartphone that is eligible for an upgrade to Windows 10*. With an estimated retail price of S$119, the Lumia 430 joins Microsoft's affordable smartphone portfolio, which also includes the Lumia 435 with Lumia Camera.

Built with Windows Phone 8.1, a Qualcomm Snapdragon processor featuring a dual-core CPU running at 1.2GHz, and with Microsoft Office, Skype and OneDrive pre-loaded, the Lumia 430 Dual SIM is designed to help people achieve more at work, at play and on the go. 

The Lumia 430 Dual SIM features a compact, durable design with a 4" WVGA display. Users can access up to 30GB** of free cloud storage on OneDrive. Apps like Facebook, Twitter, WhatsApp, and Instagram are available on the Windows Phone Store.

“Given the success of our affordable Lumia range, it is clear that people are looking for a smartphone that is good value for money, but still works smoothly and easily,” said Bruce Howe, General Manager, Microsoft Mobile Devices Sales for Singapore, Malaysia and Brunei. “The Lumia 430 Dual SIM is optimised to bring price points even lower, while offering features that are capable of fulfilling business and personal demands.” 

The Lumia 430 Dual SIM will be available in Singapore at Microsoft Authorized Mobile Resellers in Funan DigitaLife Mall and GadgetWorld, 3Mobile and Handphoneshop outlets from 9 May. It is available in bright orange and black.

Need background? Read the TechTrade Asia blog post on the launch of the Lumia 640 and 640XL.

*Like any upgrade to a new operating system, not every phone will support all possible Windows 10 features. Certain features and experiences will require more advanced future hardware.

**Up to 30GB free when camera backup is activated.

New Lumia phones come with Office 365 subscription in Singapore till June

Bloggers were introduced to the two new Lumias in Singapore last evening.

Microsoft yesterday announced the availability of the Lumia 640 and Lumia 640 XL in Singapore for only S$299 and S$429 respectively. The new devices offer more personal computing and increased productivity through seamlessly integrated Microsoft Office experiences, OneDrive* storage and 4G connectivity. Both devices are eligible for a free upgrade to Windows 10 as it becomes available later this year**.

Highlights include:
 Smooth operations from the on-board 1GB of memory and quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon processor.

 Crisp images on the Lumia 640’s 5” HD display and the Lumia 640 XL’s 5.7” HD display.

 Long-lasting battery life with the Lumia 640’s 2,500 mAh battery and the Lumia 640 XL’s 3,000 mAh battery.

 Detail-rich photos even in low light, thanks to the 8 MP camera on the Lumia 640 with LED flash and 13 MP camera ZEISS Optics on the Lumia 640 XL with LED flash.

“People are looking for a device which brings them more flexibility to switch easily between work and play, without breaking the bank,” said Bruce Howe, General Manager, Microsoft Mobile Devices Sales for Singapore, Malaysia and Brunei. “With the long lasting battery and full range of Microsoft experiences – including Office and OneDrive – the Lumia 640 and Lumia 640 XL are the perfect enablers of productivity for consumers.”

From now to 30 June, the Lumia 640 and Lumia 640 XL will also come with a one-year subscription to Office 365 Personal, which includes the latest Office applications (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook and OneNote) on the Lumia as well as on one PC or Mac and one tablet. With Office 365 Personal installed, users will receive an additional 1TB of OneDrive storage, and 60 Skype world minutes. To redeem the offer, users will need to download the Office 365 gift app from the Windows Phone Store by 30 June and activate it by 14 August 2015.

The Lumia 640 will be available in glossy cyan, orange, white and matte black, and the Lumia 640 XL will be available in matte cyan, orange, black, and white. Both phones will be available in Singapore at Microsoft Authorized Mobile Resellers in Funan DigitaLife Mall and GadgetWorld, 3Mobile and Handphoneshop outlets from 18 April. All three local operators and A-Mobile will also be retailing the device with data plans. 

*15 GB of OneDrive access comes standard. Additional 15 GB of OneDrive access with activation of Camera Roll. 1TB OneDrive access with activation of included Office 365 Personal subscription.

**Like any upgrade to a new operating system, not every phone will support all possible Windows 10 features. Certain features and experiences will require more advanced future hardware.

New Windows Phone 8.1, Windows 8.1 Update and Lumia phones

Microsoft has announced Windows Phone 8.1 and the availability of Windows 8.1 Update at its Build 2014 developer conference.

“The news today shines a light on continued Windows innovation in ways that benefit our customers, partners and developers alike. Our commitment is to make Windows more personal and accessible to individuals, and to ensure a vibrant ecosystem through closer collaboration with our industry partners,” said Terry Myerson, Executive VP, OS Group at Microsoft.

Cortana.

Microsoft unveiled Windows Phone 8.1 and introduced Cortana, a personal digital assistant. Powered by Bing, Cortana improves over time by asking questions based on your behaviour and checking in with you before she assumes you’re interested in something.

Other new features in Windows Phone 8.1 include Action Center, which complements Live Tiles by showing new activities and notifications at a glance; and Senses, a suite of features that takes the work out of managing data use, storage space and battery life. 

Windows Phone 8.1 also makes it easier for IT professionals to manage devices and for professionals to connect to essential business apps and services with features such as simplified device enrollment, a built-in mobile device management client, S/MIME for encrypted mail and VPN support.

Windows Phone 8.1 will start rolling out to current Windows Phone 8 users over the coming months. It will also come pre-installed on new phones starting this month. Cortana will launch in the US as a beta, in the UK and China in the second half of 2014, and in other countries in 2015. 
 

Windows 8.1 Update.

Microsoft also announced Windows 8.1 Update, which includes user interface improvements including a more familiar and consistent experience across touch and non-touch devices. Navigating with the mouse and keyboard will feel more familiar and intuitive because there is more consistency with where controls are and how they work, said the company. 

Key features of the update include user interface improvements for mouse and keyboard users, the ability to access the taskbar from any screen and pin Windows Store apps to the taskbar alongside desktop apps and favorite websites, as well as performance and compatibility enhancements to Internet Explorer 11. Windows 8.1 Update offers improved Internet Explorer 8 compatibility on Internet Explorer 11, extends mobile device management functionality, and eases deployment with increased predictability for new operating systems and line-of-business apps by leveraging familiar management tools.

Current Windows 8.1 customers will receive the Windows 8.1 Update for free through Windows Update, while Windows 8 customers will receive the update free through the Windows Store, beginning April 8, 2014.*

Nokia also used the conference as a springboard to launch three new Lumia smartphones for Windows Phone 8.1, including the flagship Lumia 930, the affordable Lumia 635 and the first dual-SIM Lumia 630.

*Internet connection fees may apply.

*Images from Microsoft.