Today Microsoft has launched two smartphones — the Lumia 435 and Lumia 532 –targeted towards budget conscious but aspiring users at an event held at Kampala Serena hotel. The Lumia 435 and 532 will be retailing for a price of Ugx 330,000 and Ugx 370,000 respectively at Microsoft partner stores in Uganda.
With these new devices, Microsoft aims at upgrading feature phone users such as Nokia Asha phone owners to low-end Windows Phone 8.1 powered smartphones. “The Microsoft Lumia 435 and Lumia 532 show our commitment to bring Windows smartphones to as many people as possible. Both devices are fantastic for those moving to a smartphone for the very first time”, notes Mariam Abdullahi General Manager, Microsoft Mobile Devices East Africa.
Some of the features Microsoft is touting with the smartphones include;
- Switch effortlessly between voice and video calls with built-in Skype integration and a front-facing camera.
- Read, review, edit and share on the go with the full suite of Microsoft Office on Windows Phone preinstalled.
- Keep your photos, videos and Office documents safely backed up with 30 GB of free* OneDrive cloud storage.
- Easily manage work and personal email on the fly, with Microsoft Outlook.
- Capture photos quickly and easily with Lumia Camera and take, edit and share great selfies with the front-facing camera and Lumia Selfie app.
- Have your home screen your way with Windows Phone 8.1 and the Lumia Denim update, complete with one-swipe Action Centre, Word Flow and Live Folders.
- Stay up-to-date with the best new features through regular Windows updates.
Lumia 435 and 532 Specification comparison
Basically the cause of the Ugx 50,000 price difference between the Lumia 435 and the 532 is simply 2 more processors and 3 MP camera pixels. There’ll be no noticeable performance difference but if you like better pictures, then you might to invest that extra 50k in the Lumia 532 that has 5MP front camera instead of the 435’s 2MP. Selfie lovers won’t have any advantage since both phones come with VGA front-facing cams.
| Lumia 435 | Lumia 532 | |
|---|---|---|
| Display | 4.0 inches, 480 x 800 pixels resolution | 4.0 inches, 480 x 800 pixels resolution |
| Processor | Dual-core 1.2 GHz Cortex-A7 Qualcomm | Quad-core 1.2 GHz Cortex-A7 Qualcomm |
| RAM | 1GB | 1GB |
| Storage | 8GB ROM microSD, up to 128 GB | 8GB ROM microSD, up to 128 GB |
| Camera | 2 MP rear/VGA front cam | 5 MP rear/VGA front cam |
| Connectivity | Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n Built-in GPS Bluetooth 4.0 Micro SIM(2) | Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n Built-in GPS Bluetooth 4.0 Micro SIM(2) |
| Networks | GSM/EDGE: 850/900/1800/1900 WCDMA Band 1 (2100MHz) Band 2(1900MHz) Band5(850MHz), Band 8(900MHz) | GSM/EDGE: 850/900/1800/1900 WCDMA Band 1 (2100MHz) Band 2(1900MHz) Band5(850MHz), band 8(900MHz) |
| Battery | Li-Ion 1560 mAh battery | Li-Ion 1560 mAh battery |
| Software | Windows Phone 8.1 | Windows Phone 8.1 |
| Price | Ugx 330,000 | Ugx 370,000 |
Where to buy
The Lumia 435 and 532 can be bought at Airtel and MTN Uganda Shops, Midcom and Simba Telecom stores across the country.
Image: Kingori Gitahi (L), the Products Marketing Manager for Microsoft Mobile Devices East Africa and Mariam Abdullahi, the General Manager for East Africa display the new Lumia 435 and 532 phones that have been launched in Uganda