Microsoft Lumia 435 Price is 69 Euros or Php 3,600 Before Taxes : Cheapest Windows Phone from Microsoft To Date

Donning an official suggested retail price of only 69 Euros or roughly Php 3,600 before taxes and subsidies, the freshly unveiled Microsoft Lumia 435 is the most affordable handset that the Redmond Giant has announced as of today.

“When we launched the first Lumia devices over three years ago, we said we were committed to bringing devices to as many people and price points as possible,” shared Ms. Jo Harlow, Microsoft's Corporate Vice President for Phones.

She added, “With the Lumia 435 [...], we’ve realized our goal of creating the most affordable Lumia [device] to date, opening up the opportunity to reach those people who are buying a smartphone for the very first time. Lumia 435 [delivers] competitive hardware alongside innovative software that will continue to receive the very latest updates and enhancements, keeping users up-to-date with the best new features.”

Design-wise, as you can see in these press photos, the Lumia 435 flaunts a high gloss, dual layer monoblock polycarbonate shell reminiscent of Nokia Asha 503 and Nokia X2. I've played with those two earlier releases and I think this is a very eye-catching look that's made possible by the unique construction that also gives the handset a luxurious and durable feel in the hand.

As for the hardware, the Lumia 435 is equipped with a 4-inch WVGA display panel, a 2 MegaPixel fixed focus main camera sans flash, VGA front cam video recorder, and a removable 1,905 mAh battery pack that - according to Microsoft - gives users 21 days of standby time, 64 hours of music play, and 6.6 hours of video playback. As for the innards, the phone runs Windows Phone 8.1 operating system with its Quad Core 1.2 GHz ARM Cortex A7 and Adreno 302 based Qualcomm Snapdragon 200 Qualcomm MSM8210 chipset, has 1 GB of RAM, and 8 GB of expandable storage.

Microsoft's Windows Phone 8.1 OS comes with a slew of software features that give consumers an enjoyable and productive mobile experience:

• 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.
• Meet Cortana, the most personal of virtual assistants, who anticipates your needs and makes tailored suggestions as a result.
• Easily manage work and personal correspondence on the fly, with Microsoft Outlook straight out of the box.
• Capture photos quickly and easily with Lumia Camera right out of the box, and take, edit and share great selfies with the front-facing camera and Lumia Selfie app.
• Have your home screen your way with the latest version of Windows Phone 8.1 and the Lumia Denim update, complete with one-swipe Action Center, Word Flow and Live Folders.
• Stay up-to-date with the best new features through regular Windows updates too.

So do I recommend this release? I think that Microsoft Lumia 435's design, build, and internal hardware exceed what most consumers would expect from smartphone that costs just Php 3,999 (my guesstimate for its price upon launch in the Philippines this quarter). That said, I believe this smartphone would be a great option for consumers who are on a tight budget but are now thinking about finally getting their first Windows Phone device. However, as someone who wants his daily smartphone - regardless of its price - to have decent imaging capabilities and a fairly large screen, I'd advise you to just spend a bit more - if you can - and go for the TechPinas Badge of Excellence Awardee, Microsoft Lumia 535. Just telling it like it is -- like what I always do here in TechPinas.

TechPinas Smartphone Technical Specs Table (TSTST)
Name	Nokia Lumia 435
Type	Slate Form Factor (Full Touchscreen)
Price Category	Entry Level
Dimensions	118.1 x 64.7 x 11.7 mm
Weight	134.1 grams
Available Colors	Black, White, Green, Orange
Operating System	Windows Phone 8.1 with Lumia Denim
Display	4.0 inches (~233 ppi pixel density), 480 x 800 pixels, LCD, capacitive touchscreen, 16M colors
Processor	Quad Core 1.2 GHz ARM Cortex A7 CPU, Adreno 302 GPU, Qualcomm Snapdragon 200 Qualcomm MSM8210 chipset
RAM	1 GB of RAM
Internal Storage	8 GB, expandable via MicroSD card slot, supports up to 128GB
Camera	Main: 2 MegaPixels, 1600 x 1200 pixels, No LED flash Front: VGA, fixed focus
Video Capture	480p 30fps
Audio and Video Playback	MP3, WAV, eAAC+, WMA, MP4, H.264, H.263, WMV player
Ports	microUSB v2.0, 3.5 mm audio jack
Connectivity	Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n, Wi-Fi Direct, DLNA, Wi-Fi hotspot, Bluetooth v3.0 with A2DP, EDR, 3G HSDPA, 42.2 Mbps; HSUPA, 5.76 Mbps
GPS	Yes, GLONASS, A-GPS
Sensors	Accelerometer, Digital Compass, Proximity
Network	2G Network GSM 850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900, 3G Network HSDPA 900 / 2100
SIM Card Type	microSIM (2 Variants: Single SIM and Dual SIM)
Battery	Removable Li-Ion 1,905 mAh battery (BV-5J)
Uptime	Talk time GSM up to 20.9 hours Talk time 3G up to 11.7 hours Video playback up to 6.6 hours Music playback up to 64 hours Standby time up to 21 days
Value-Added Features	Microsoft Mobile Software pack, OneDrive storage, Cortana, Skype
Announcement	Global: January 15, 2015
Availability	Global: Q1 2015
Price	Official SRP: 69 Euros TP Guesstimate for the Philippines: Starts at Php 3,999 for Single SIM variant