Earlier this month, Microsoft announced three new additions to its Windows Phone line-up: the mid-range Lumia 730 and its 4G counterpart, the 735; and the "affordable flagship" Lumia 830. Unlike with the range-topping Lumia 930 - which took three months to go from being unveiled to actually going on sale - the company is rolling out the first of its newest devices much quicker this time around.
Microsoft has announced that the 4G Lumia 735 - known also as the company"s "selfie phone", due to its impressive front-facing camera - will go on sale in the UK next week, on October 2, and will be the first handset to launch with Windows Phone 8.1 Update 1 and the latest Lumia Denim firmware onboard. It will also include support for Cortana, Microsoft"s digital "personal assistant", out of the box.
Key features of the Lumia 735 include:
- 4.7-inch HD (1280x720px) OLED with ClearBlack technology and Gorilla Glass 3
- Quad-core 1.2GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon 400
- 1GB RAM
- 8GB onboard storage (with microSD support up to 128GB)
- 6.7MP rear camera with ZEISS optics and LED flash; 1080p video capture at 30fps
- 5MP front-facing camera with wide-angle lens; 1080p video capture
- 4G LTE connectivity
- NFC and Bluetooth 4.0
- 2220mAh battery
- 134.7 x 68.5 x 8.9mm; 134.3g
The Lumia 735 is expected to be free on contracts priced around £19.99 or more. Microsoft has not yet announced off-contract pricing in the UK, but some retailers are already accepting pre-orders for the device at £220.
If you"re thinking of getting the device, don"t forget to check out our hands-on first impressions of the Lumia 735, and its Lumia 830 sibling.
Image via Microsoft