Microsoft has cut the price of its entry-level Windows 10 Mobile handset in the UK, in its latest example of a promotional deal running for months at a time.
The Lumia 550 launched on the Microsoft Store a few months ago, priced at £99.99 SIM-free, but the company has now cut its price by £10, to £89.99. The deal actually started on April 29, and is scheduled to end on June 30, two months after it began.
Still, you might want to think twice about buying the Lumia 550, even at its discounted price. The handset got a shockingly low score in our review earlier this year, due to its weak performance, underwhelming camera and dull design. If your budget stretches a bit further, you should consider the far superior Lumia 650 if you have your heart set on a low-cost Windows 10 Mobile device.
If you really want the Lumia 550, you should still overlook the Microsoft Store price cut, though. The device has been available from many other retailers at the same price, or less, for weeks; you can get it for as little as £66 from Amazon Marketplace sellers, or around £69 on a pay-as-you-go plan from Carphone Warehouse.
Along with the Lumia 550, Microsoft UK currently has several other "special offers" that last far longer than most promotional deals. After offering three discounts in four weeks on its Band 2, the company has now cut its price by 25% for the next two months. It also slashed the cost of its Surface 3 Docking Station by a whopping 40%, again for two months.
But none of these examples compare with the 27% discount on its Lumia 640 XL, a "special offer" lasting more than five months in total.