If you’re one of the very, very few people that’s actually willing to purchase a smartphone from Microsoft, and you live in one of a handful of soon-to-be-announced European countries, and you’re in the market for a mid-range device, then I’m sure you’ll be excited to hear that Microsoft has announced a new $200 Lumia device. Known as the Lumia 650, it’s going to be the fourth smartphone running Windows 10 Mobile out of the box, and will feature the kind of mediocre specs that you’d expect from a $200 smartphone, but it does have a premium-feeling metal body.
After weeks of leaks and rumors, Microsoft finally unveiled the Lumia 650 today. The device was revealed without fanfare and with no launch event; instead it was announced in a post on its Devices Blog. The Lumia 650 is Microsoft’s fourth handset to run Windows 10 Mobile out of the box, following in the footsteps of the Lumias 550, 950 and 950 XL, which it unveiled last October. The ultra-thin device features metallic bodywork and a 5-inch AMOLED screen. It seems that the 650 is being aimed at business buyers, although the only real explanation for that is this paragraph in the blog post, written by Microsoft’s Samuli Hänninen: “I’ve had an opportunity to talk with our business customers as well as our Windows fans and something that consistently comes up is that this ever expanding mobile world is quickly becoming chaotic. It’s in that spirit that we designed the Lumia 650 to bring first class to business class; giving our customers the best of Microsoft productivity and security, all wrapped in a beautiful slim package. By providing a consistent experience across PC and phone through the power of Windows 10, we think professionals and Windows fans alike will love using it every day.”
