Windows Phone as a choice of an operating system is still playing the catching up game globally when compared to Android and iOS. Its share is minuscule compared to the two bigger and more popular counterparts but nevertheless is growing quite fast. Microsoft's buying out of Nokia's handset division has ensured that there are enough devices in the market running Windows Phone and there's something for catering to almost everyone.
Last week, we talked about top 5 Android smartphones below Rs 10,000 and this week, we will talk about top 5 Windows smartphones below Rs 10,000. The budget segment is where the Lumia line-up from Microsoft enjoys a high level of affinity among the customers. India is one of the few markets globally where the share of Windows Phone as an operating system is constantly increasing.
The fact that Windows doesn't use too much resources to run and can provide a god user experience on low end specs has been a major reason for the same becoming popular in the country. Microsoft has already announced the list of devices that will be getting the major Windows 10 upgrade and all the budget Lumias will be getting it. Most Android devices in the budget segment never really get a major update but the fact that Microsoft will be upgrading all of them is going to go a long way in building customer loyalty. Let us take a look at the top 5 Windows smartphones in the sub Rs 10,000 price segment.
Lumia 640 (Rs 9,999)
- 5-inch ClearBlack IPS display, 1280 x 720 pixels, Corning Gorilla Glass 3 on top of it
- Windows Phone 8.1 with Denim update
- 1.2GHz quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 400 SoC with Adreno 305 GPU and 1GB RAM
- 8GB internal storage, further expandable up to 128GB via microSD card
- 8MP rear camera with LED flash and 1MP front camera
- Dual SIM, 3G, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 4.0, NFC
- 2,500 mAh battery
This is the maximum priced Lumia in the sub Rs 10,000 segment. It is available exclusively on Flipkart and gives a really good experience and doesn't feel cheap either.
Lumia 535 (Rs 7,199)
- 5-inch display with a resolution of 960 x 540 pixels and Corning Gorilla Glass 3 protection on top of it
- Windows 8.1 with Lumia Denim update
- 1.2 GHz quad-core Snapdragon 200 processor
- 1GB RAM
- 8GB of internal storage capacity which is further expandable by another 128GB
- 5-megapixel rear camera with a LED flash and a 5-megapixel camera with a wide angle lens up front
- 3G, Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n, Bluetooth 4.0, GPS with a GPS and dual SIM connectivity
- 1,905 mAh battery
The Lumia 535 may have a Snapdragon 200 ticking inside but doesn't make you feel so. The wide-angle front camera coupled with a good rear take care of your imaging needs quite well too.
Xolo Win Q1000 (Rs 6,349)
- 5-inch HD multi-touch IPS OGS display with 1280 x 720 pixels resolution
- 1.2 GHz quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 200 MSM8212 SoC with 1GB RAM
- 8GB internal storage, expandable up to 32GB via microSD card
- Windows Phone 8.1
- 8MP rear camera with LED Flash and 2MP front camera
- 3G, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and GPS
- 2,200 mAh battery
The smartphone happens to be the lightest Windows Phone and is one of the few devices that run Microsoft and haven't come out of its stable.
Lumia 630 (Rs 4,999/Rs 5,999/Rs 6,799)
- 4.5 inch ClearBlack IPS LCD display with a resolution of 854 x 480 pixels and Corning Gorilla Glass 3 protection
- Windows Phone 8.1 OS
- 1.2 GHz quad-core Snapdragon 400 processor, 512 MB RAM
- 8GB internal storage which can be expanded by 128 GB and is a segment first feature
- 5MP rear auto focus camera and no front camera
- On-screen buttons
- 3G, WiFi, Bluetooth 4.0, GPS and GLONASS for connectivity
The single SIM variant costs Rs 4,999, dual SIM variant has a price tag of Rs 5,999 and the 4G LTE variant comes with a sticker price of Rs 6,799. There's no other device which gets a Snapdragon 400 SoC in the sub Rs 5,000 range so it is surely worth the consideration.
Lumia 435 (Rs 4,699)
- 4-inch (800 x 480 pixels) WVGA display
- 1.2 GHz dual-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 200 processor, Adreno 302 GPU
- 1GB RAM, 8GB internal memory, up to 128GB expandable memory with microSD
- Windows Phone 8.1 OS with Lumia Denim
- 2MP fixed focus rear camera and VGA front-facing camera
- Dual SIM, 3G, WiFi 802.11 b/g/n, Bluetooth 4.0, GPS with aGPS
- 1,560 mAh battery
The Lumia 435 happens to be the cheapest Lumia device on sale and it doesn't disappoint. You might have to compromise on a few things on budget Android devices but as far as this one is concerned, you get quite a good user experience for a device which is meant to be light on the pocket.
Our Take: Windows smartphones are focused on delivering a good user experience and even the budget ones do it quite well. Our pick of the lot will be the Lumia 640 as it comes across as a well rounded off smartphone.
