The cost of buying a new Windows Phone continues to fall around the world, with some devices seeing their prices drop to astonishing lows. The United Kingdom has been no stranger to this - the Lumia 530, for example, has been available there for as little as £49.95 off-contract.
But the 530 is a truly entry-level device with a barebones spec sheet and a relatively small display. Those on a budget who crave something with a slightly better spec sheet might want to consider the Lumia 635, which is now on sale for just £49.99 on EE pay-as-you-go (PAYG).
That"s a 50% price cut for the 635, which usually retails for £99.99 on EE PAYG. The Lumia 635 is near-identical to the Lumia 630 that we reviewed a few months back, and differs only by including support for 4G LTE networks. Its key specs include:
- 4.5-inch FWVGA (854x480px) IPS LCD with Corning Gorilla Glass 3
- Quad-core 1.2GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon 400
- 512MB RAM
- 8GB onboard storage (plus microSD support up to 128GB)
- 5MP rear camera with 720p video recording
- 1830mAh battery
While the Lumia 635 has an autofocus rear camera, it lacks a flash, and the device has no front-facing camera at all. However, it does get an upgraded Snapdragon 400 processor compared with the 530, along with a larger display and battery, Corning Gorilla Glass 3, and - of course - that speedy 4G LTE support.
But if the Lumia 635 isn"t sufficient for your needs, EE is also offering a chunky discount on the Lumia 735.
EE"s website claims that the device usually retails for £259.99 - but that makes very little sense, as Microsoft"s UK guide price for the device is £199, and Carphone Warehouse sells the same handset for just £159.99 on EE PAYG (and they"ll even offer you a cyan/blue version that you can"t buy anywhere else).
Whatever its "normal" price is, EE is currently offering the Lumia 735 - known also as Microsoft"s "selfie phone" - for just £129.99, which may be a new low price for the handset in the UK. Like the 635, the Lumia 735 also supports 4G LTE, and its other main specs 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
- 2220mAh battery
Now, before you jump in too quickly, bear in mind that the devices will be locked to the EE network. That means that you"ll be able to use your EE, T-Mobile UK or Orange UK SIM card in each handset, but if you"re on other networks, you"ll have to get it unlocked. If you"re going down that road, then make sure the EE handset supports the right frequencies used by your carrier.
Like many other PAYG retailers and carriers, EE requires that you purchase an account top-up along with your PAYG handset. Curiously, however, EE demands that you buy a £20 top-up with these particular devices (as well as on a couple of other discounted handsets). However, all of EE"s other PAYG handsets only require a £10 top-up, including the entry-level Lumia 530 (£59.99 on EE PAYG) and flagship Lumia 930 (£349.99).
Bizarrely, then, it seems that EE has dropped its handset prices, while also increasing the required minimum top-up by £10 on those devices, effectively raising the discounted price by £10 more than it otherwise would be. You"ll therefore pay EE £69.99 in total for the Lumia 635 (rather than £59.99); and £149.99 for the 735 (instead of £139.99).
Still, even when you factor in that mysterious extra £10 that you"ll have to pay compared with other PAYG phones on EE, you"ll still be saving plenty of money on either of these devices compared with their usual prices. Don"t delay too long if you"re thinking of buying one though - the offer ends on February 2.
Will you be buying one of these handsets now that the price has dropped? Or are you stuck on a different network? Or perhaps you"re saving up for another handset entirely? Let us know your thoughts below!
Source: EE via Microsoft (NokNok)