Microsoft launches new 'pocket-friendly' Windows 10 smartphone

Microsoft revealed its first Lumia phones running Windows 10 back in October 2015, and yesterday it unveiled a third and much cheaper variant.

If last year’s Lumia 950 and Lumia 950 XL looked impressive — impressive for phones running on a ‘dead’ platform — then the Lumia 650, which was launched yesterday, is the budget version, coming in at a cheap $199 — far cheaper than the $549 and $649 of the 950 and 950 XL, according to a TechCrunch report.

That $199 gets you a 5-inch OLED screen, eight- and five-megapixel cameras and the front and back, and Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 212 processor which doesn’t support Microsoft’s ‘Continuum‘ phone-to-PC feature.

READ: Tech giant launches Lumia 950, 950XL flagship devices in Nigeria

Redmond-based Microsoft is billing the device as a business phone that represents an affordable way to get Windows 10 into your workforce’s pocket — “the smart choice for your business.”

Typically, the new device should be available in the US and Europe in the coming weeks, while Africa and the Middle East will most likely get it within a month or two.

You can also watch for a review of the Lumia 650, if Pulse Tech gets a unit for review, and when it becomes available in Nigeria.

See video of the new Lumia 650 below: