Microsoft today unveiled what is it dubbing the ‘first affordable flagship’ phone, the Lumia 830.
The new phone slips into the the Windows Phone range below the Lumia 930, but it still has a 10-megapixel camera with optical image stabilisation (OIS). Microsoft claims this is the thinnest OIS system it’s produced, which ensures the Lumia 830 remains just 8.5mm thick and weighs 150 grams.
It will come in orange, green, black and white and ship globally later this year. It will sell for just €330 (no UK/US price yet), considerably less than top-end phones like the iPhone 5S and Galaxy S5. It doesn’t sound as if Microsoft has compromised on performance, though, as it will use a quad-core Snapdragon processor.
It also runs a new update to Windows Phone called Lumia Denim. This adds an Ok, Google style voice activation feature, which Microsoft calls Hey, Cortana. Just like Google’s system, this means you can activate the Cortana digital assistant without pressing any buttons.
Lumia Denim and the Lumia 830 also adds several new software enhancements through the Lumia Camera app. One is known as Rich Capture or Dynamic Flash, which takes photos with and without flash and then lets you merge them to get the best possible photo.
Microsoft also demoed an improved selfie experience. The Lumia 830 and the Lumia 730 have wider angle front cameras, so you can fit more people into your selfies. There’s also a new Lumia Selfie app, which gives you loads of ways to enhance and ‘air brush’ you selfies to make you look prettier.
The Lumia 830 will go on sale later this year in all markets.
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Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.
Professional conduct
We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.
