Earlier this week, Microsoft’s Nokia division launched its first Windows Phone 8.1 device, the Lumia 630, in India. The affordable handset is expected to be a big seller, particularly in emerging markets, thanks to its keen pricing and appealing features such as its large 4.5-inch display and optional dual-SIM support. The 630 launched in the Philippines this week too, and will soon be available in China and Russia.
The device will also head to Europe later this month, but today, Microsoft introduced the handset to Latin America with a launch event in Brazil – and the company had a rather interesting surprise in store.
As Gizmodo Brasil reports, the Lumia 630 revealed there has a unique feature not seen on any other 630 so far: integrated digital television support.
This feature is available only on the dual-SIM variant of the device, which will cost R$699 BRL (around $315 USD). A more affordable single-SIM version of the Lumia 630, which does without the digital TV support, will also be sold for R$549 ($247 USD).
The cost of devices in Brazil tends to be higher than in many other parts of the world, as pricing is distorted by import tariffs imposed by the government. To put the 630’s pricing into context, the top-of-the-range Lumia 1020 sells in Brazil for R$1999 ($900 USD), while the larger Lumia 1520 costs R$2599 ($1170 USD).
Microsoft Brasil says that the Lumia 630’s digital TV feature uses the SBTVD standard, known also as ISDB-T International. This standard, based on Japan’s ISDB-T, is widely used across Latin America, and uses H.264/MPEG-4 AVC compression with video delivered at 30fps.
It sounds like Microsoft is pretty proud to be launching the 630 with this feature specifically for the local market. Brazil"s INFO Online quoted the company"s executive vice-president for Latin America, Anderson Teixeira, as saying: "The decision to launch smartphones with unique capabilities firsthand in Latin America demonstrates the relevance of this market to Microsoft."
Both versions of the Lumia 630 are 3G-only. INFO Online reported that the Lumia 635, which includes 4G LTE support, and the flagship Lumia 930, will launch there before the end of September, but Microsoft has not yet announced local pricing for either device.
If you"re thinking of getting a Lumia 630, check out our hands-on for our first impressions of the device. We"ll be putting the handset through its paces in a full review later this month, so stay tuned to Neowin and don"t forget to follow us on Twitter @NeowinFeed so we can keep you posted.
Source: Gizmodo Brasil | Thanks to JC for the tip! Muito obrigado!