Entry-Level Lumia 550 Windows 10 Mobile Smartphone Now Available At $139
In what could be Microsoft's last Lumia launch of the year, the Redmond outfit today announced that its entry-level Lumia 550 is now available to purchase, provided you live in Europe. Granted, this moment in time doesn't hold the same weight as Microsoft's Lumia 950 and Lumia 950 XL launch, but hey, they can't all be flagships.
There's no mistaking the Lumia 550 for a top-end handset, though for an entry-level phone, it sports a respectable spec sheet. It starts with the 4.7-inch HD (1280x720) display with what Microsoft calls a Glance Screen. It's something that's exclusive to Lumia and when activated, it offers up "minimal yet useful information" such as the date, time, missed calls, emails received, calendar entries, weather updates, a lock screen photo, and health and fitness data. The goal is to splash users with relevant information without unnecessarily draining the battery.
A Qualcomm Snapdragon 210 SoC with a 1.1GHz quad-core processor is the engine that runs the phone. It also gets help from 1GB of RAM, and there's 8GB of internal cargo space, which you can stretch out to 200GB by way of a microSD card slot.
Saving a few bucks on a smartphone doesn't mean you have to give up selfies. All you Snapchat users will be happy to know there's a 2-megapixel front-facing camera on the Lumia 550, and for regular photos (such as food shots for posting to social media), there's a 5-megapixel shooter around back. A single LED flash will help you take photos in low light situations, and you can also record video at 720p at 30 frames per second.
Other notable specs include 4G LTE connectivity, a 2,100 mAh battery, and of course Windows 10 Mobile on the software side.
Availability begins today in Europe for $139. That's a bit more than some of Microsoft's prior entry-level handsets, but unlike ones like the Lumia 435 ($80), the Lumia 550 isn't necessarily aimed at developing markets.
There's no mistaking the Lumia 550 for a top-end handset, though for an entry-level phone, it sports a respectable spec sheet. It starts with the 4.7-inch HD (1280x720) display with what Microsoft calls a Glance Screen. It's something that's exclusive to Lumia and when activated, it offers up "minimal yet useful information" such as the date, time, missed calls, emails received, calendar entries, weather updates, a lock screen photo, and health and fitness data. The goal is to splash users with relevant information without unnecessarily draining the battery.
A Qualcomm Snapdragon 210 SoC with a 1.1GHz quad-core processor is the engine that runs the phone. It also gets help from 1GB of RAM, and there's 8GB of internal cargo space, which you can stretch out to 200GB by way of a microSD card slot.
Saving a few bucks on a smartphone doesn't mean you have to give up selfies. All you Snapchat users will be happy to know there's a 2-megapixel front-facing camera on the Lumia 550, and for regular photos (such as food shots for posting to social media), there's a 5-megapixel shooter around back. A single LED flash will help you take photos in low light situations, and you can also record video at 720p at 30 frames per second.
Other notable specs include 4G LTE connectivity, a 2,100 mAh battery, and of course Windows 10 Mobile on the software side.
Availability begins today in Europe for $139. That's a bit more than some of Microsoft's prior entry-level handsets, but unlike ones like the Lumia 435 ($80), the Lumia 550 isn't necessarily aimed at developing markets.
