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Journalism of Courage
Over the past few months Lumia phones have been trying to reinvent themselves as Microsoft Devices, shedding the Nokia tag they have carried along for so long. This is not just a branding issue, for the onus is on Microsoft to show that they have a lot more to offer than what Nokia could. At MWC, Microsoft ushered in two new devices underlining its commitment to make Lumia a force in the budget smartphone space. We review one of these, the extra large 640XL.
Lumia 640 XL
Specs: 5.7-inch (720x1280p, ~259 ppi) IPS LCD | Quad-core 1.2 GHz Qualcomm MSM8226 Snapdragon 400 | 1GB RAM | 8GB ROM expandable up to 128GB | 13MP rear camera, 5MP front | 3000 mAh battery | Microsoft Windows Phone 8.1 with Lumia Denim
Rs 15,403
What is good?
The best thing about this phone is the screen size. A lot of people might find it awkward, but others will want this extra real estate to get rid of a second tablet they might be carrying along with a phone. The 5.7-inch screen is almost as good as a lot of tablets thanks to its wider build. This entire review was filled in the phone and I did not have any issue doing so.
The other good point had to be the camera. It is fast and works really well in low light. It is surely not the best camera any Lumia has seen, but given the price this it’s really good.
The overall performance is good. The phone does not lag, and does not heat up when you put it under a bit of stress.
The battery life is good enough to last well over a day with regular use. The backup battery is also good and I got a week on idle. There is free access to Microsoft Office as well as cloud storage on OneDrive. Word and Excel work well on the phone and this should appeal to those who cannot de-link from the Microsoft ecosystem.
What is not that good?
Some people might find it a bit hard to handle the size. like the Samsung Galaxy Note, it is not that easy to operate with one hand. But there is nothing in the software side that makes one hand operations easier.
There is nothing really great about the software and we can only hope that the Windows 10 will make it more appealing for users who are used to iOS and Android. Yes, there are many popular apps on the windows store but there is still no google services that someone like me needs to use all the time.
Should you buy it?
Yes, if you are looking for a large screen but don’t want to spend too much for the same. The phone will be good value for money for those who need to use Office services. Not for people with small hands.
