MWC 2012 isn't quite Nokia World, but the Finnish company has kept interest going with a number of important announcements. Chief among them, in terms of Nokia's long-term strategy, is the Lumia 610. This device drops the entry-level price for the Lumia range down to 189 euros before taxes and subsidies, which is precisely 70 percent of the launch price of the Lumia 710, Nokia's previous cheapest Windows Phone.
An upcoming update to the Windows Phone OS is what will make the 610 possible: a lighter version of the software will be capable of running on only 256MB of RAM and support slower processors than the 1GHz Snapdragon that has so far been standard issue on WP hardware. The Lumia 610 limits itself to that quarter of a gigabyte of memory and also makes do with an 800MHz processing chip. In practice, that seems to be showing no negative impact on interface responsiveness, though we did only have a quick browse around the live tile menu and apps list. A deeper investigation could reveal where corners have had to be cut, but for now Microsoft seems to have successfully reengineered its OS for more humble devices. Nokia describes this change as the first time its influence has been felt in the development of Windows Phone.
Physically, the Lumia 610 is a glossy affair, with a two-tone finish, which isn't striking me as particularly attractive, but Nokia believes the masses of "aspirational" Windows Phone buyers will appreciate an extra bit of sheen. There'll be four colors to choose from when the 610 launches in Q2 2012. Unfortunately, the back cover is sealed and there's no user access for replacing the battery or just taking a curious look inside the device. Still, the Lumia 610 feels comfortable in the hand and easy to operate — when you consider its price and aim, perhaps some of these issues can be forgiven.
Comments
Will be a great phone, for nontechies
By Alphy B on 02.27.12 3:12am
getting this for my dad, mom and my 3 years old nephew, you ?
By IceCrush on 02.27.12 6:19am
great choice! how about you?
By eoes5991 on 02.27.12 7:49am
I will probably get it for my mom, I want to move her away from blackberry.
By Alphy B on 02.27.12 1:46pm
Not the pricing tho, it’s priced same as Samsung Focus currently in China. Nokia is having a very high profit margin with this one. Without subsiding, it’s not attractive at all.
By convergentwatt on 02.27.12 7:50am
Surprisingly attractive. Unbelievably cheap. I’m feeling good about this one.
By FrankieA on 02.27.12 3:13am
Unbelievably cheap? Hardly so. You can get a cheaper Nokia for 100€ with MORE functionality and a keyboard.
By magadget on 02.27.12 4:47am
Define functionality? Example: there’s no point having unlimited multitasking when the second open app starts to lag your phone.
By chaddaddy on 02.27.12 5:03am
I very well mean phones with Symbian having more functionality. USB mode, SD-cards… and multitasking.
By magadget on 02.27.12 5:05am
You win on a checklist, but no one cares. The iPhone didn’t take off because it beat Windows Mobiles on a spec sheet.
This is an experience a million times better than a Symbian device.
By chaddaddy on 02.27.12 5:07am
WOOOORD. No but seriously, I agree with you 100%
By Mumblefluff on 02.27.12 6:04am
People buying a phone that cheap don’t care. They want a simple, usable phone with solid features. Not SDcards…
By martonikaj on 02.27.12 1:37pm
Attractive? Do you honestly like the look of cheap plastic? The 800/ N9 is by far the best designed phone Nokia has right now and the 710 is ok, but this just screams “cheap”.
By Someguyperson on 02.27.12 9:42am
Samsung GSII is plastic.. The good ‘ol indestructible 3310 was made of plastic. Considering the build quality of Nokia phones, plastic won’t be a problem, especially at this price range. And I personally find the design more elegant than that of the 710, though it could use a little less gloss.
By neno on 02.27.12 10:54am
Definitely great upgrade to feature phones without compromising wallet a whole much. I am most amazed by the build quality!
By Gromanon on 02.27.12 3:14am
Way too shiny.
By Masterdebater* on 02.27.12 3:19am
Is that really a bad thing? You don’t want to have a dull looking phone.
By titaniumalloy on 02.27.12 3:25am
For me, it is. It’s distracting. I have a dull looking phone, rubber matte black and I love it.
By Masterdebater* on 02.27.12 3:39am
the black version has lesser shine to it, by the way.
By FalseAgent on 02.27.12 2:51pm
For roughly 250$ unlocked this looks like a great phone. Unlike in Android the experience here looks consistent with the higher end wp7.
By ermir4 on 02.27.12 3:25am
I think this should be lesser than that since 710 is 299$
By johnsushant:) on 02.27.12 4:26am
This Nokia guy is wearing a golf shirt with a suit jacket….Insanity
Insanity
By Greasy_Taco_Aficionado on 02.27.12 3:31am
lol….
Still cannot hold a candle to that uber-geek that I believe also moved here from Engadget that wore running shoes with white socks married with a suit while driving around a lazy-boy armchair…..
By lipper on 02.27.12 3:32am
Oh my! What next, white after labor day??? The horror!
By Bbeelzebub on 02.27.12 5:39am
I suppose it is all part of Nokia’s attempt of going for the US market!?
By Marko on 02.27.12 5:59am