Mid-Range Lumia 650 Windows 10 Mobile Smartphone Confirmed By Microsoft Marketing Exec
Microsoft’s first-party Lumia 950 and Lumia 950 XL smartphones are the first smartphones to ship running the company’s brand new Windows 10 Mobile operating system (check out Marco’s review of the Lumia 950 right here). Unfortunately for those with legacy Lumia devices, the wait for Windows 10 Mobile will be a bit longer, with Microsoft recently stating that it will not send out the over-the-air (OTA) update until next year.
In the mean time, Microsoft is working on a new mid-range smartphone that will slot in below the Lumia 950. The Lumia 650 has been rumored for quite some time, but Microsoft has never made any official comments on the device. However, the existence of the Lumia 650 has been confirmed by Microsoft Chief Marketing Officer Chris Capossela.
Capossela, speaking with Mary Jo Foley and Paul Thurrott on Windows Weekly, was asked when the device would be released. And instead of ignoring the question or giving a boilerplate “we don’t comment on announced products” statement, Capossela confirmed that the Lumia 650 hasn’t been given a definite release date at this point.
Microsoft Lumia 950
The Lumia 650 is rumored to feature a Qualcomm Snapdragon 212 processor (1.3GHz quad-core with integrated X5 LTE modem) paired with a meager 1GB of RAM, 8GB of internal storage, microSD slot, 5-inch 720p display, 8MP rear camera and 5MP front-facing camera.
Although Capossela was reticent to giving any launch details for the Lumia 650, it’s possible that we could see an announcement at the Mobile World Congress, which will be held in Barcelona, Spain in late February. The Lumia 640/640 XL were announced at the same event last year, so it’s within the realm of possibility for Microsoft to announce its successor around the same timeframe.
Regardless of when the Lumia 650 actually makes an appearance, we expect it to be priced significantly less than the Lumia 950, which is priced at $549 off-contract. For comparison, the Lumia 640 is priced at $59.99 off-contract direct from Microsoft.
