Microsoft release LTE variant of Lumia 640 XL
This is weird. This, actually is weird. For reasons unknown, Microsoft had created two different variants of Lumia 640 XL smartphone. One with LTE and one without LTE and they only launched the non-LTE variant in India earlier this year. This week, Microsoft has decided to launch the LTE variant in India. Priced at Rs.17,399/-, the Lumia 640 XL LTE will be available retail and online stores soon. Lumia 640 XL LTE comes with Windows Phone 8.1 OS out of the box.
Everything else remains the same. The display is a 5.7” ClearBlack IPS display with 1280×720 pixel resolution display, with 259 ppi pixel density. The display is protected by Gorilla Glass 3. Powered by Qualcomm SnapDragon 400 chip, there is 1 GB of RAM that feeds data to the chip and there is only 8GB on internal memory (can be expanded using microSD card).
Key Specification
- Qualcomm Snapdragon 400 (quad core CPU)
- 1GB of RAM, 8GB of storage
- microSD card slot (up to 128GB)
- 5.7” CBD IPS panel 720p resolution display
- dual SIM card slots, 4G LTE supported
- 3000mAh battery
- Windows Phone 8.1 OS
- 13mp rear camera, 5mp front facing camera
- Dimension : 157.9 mm x 81.5 mm x 9 mm
- Weight: 171 grams
On the camera front, the Lumia 640XL comes with a 13-megapixel rear shooter with autofocus, LED flash, and ZEISS lens, and a 5-megapixel sensor placed upfront. The dual-SIM capable handset supports 4G LTE (both of the available LTE bands in India), 3G, Wi-Fi and other standard connectivity features. There’s a 3,000mAh battery too, which the company claims can offer a full day talk time over 3G network.
On the software side, the Lumia 640XL runs Windows Phone 8.1 with Lumia Denim out of the box. It’s worth noting that the Lumia 640XL, much like a range of existing Windows Phone 8.1 handsets, is eligible to get Windows 10 Mobile software update when it becomes available.
Commenting on the launch, Ravi Kunwar, director North Microsoft Mobile Devices said;
“India is poised to be one of the leading 4G markets in the world owing to the exponential growth of smartphones and the growing access to Internet. We understand the needs of the Indian consumers and with the Lumia range we have always focused on complementing the needs of the customers across segments by delivering new experiences and features. Lumia 640XL LTE is a power packed smartphone that offers a great productivity package with the power of 4G.”
The Lumia 640 XL is destined to face stiff competition from the Moto X Play, the Xiaomi Mi 4i and many other Android-powered handsets that arguably offer better hardware specifications for less cost. That said, the Lumia 640XL is a solid, good handset, as noted by Andy in his review of the phone. So it is likely worth the extra bucks anyway.
