Would you ever buy a Windows Phone?
Historically, the answer for millions of consumers has been a resounding “no.”
With the combined market share of all Windows Phone 7 handsets reaching only 1.5 percent in the USA as of January 2012.
But things could very well be looking up for WP7, as the Finnish handset giant Nokia unveils the newest Windows Phone in their Lumia line, the Lumia 610, for those on a budget.
Lumia 601 Windows Nokia on a Budget:
Priced at 189 euros ($253), this new smartphone is packing some decent hardware under the hood, with 256 MB of RAM, 8 GB of non-expandable storage (though Microsoft’s SkyDrive service will be available), and a 3.7 WVGA capacitive touchscreen. It’s also packing a single-core processor clocked at 800 MHz, along with a 5MP autofocus camera. It will also have HSDPA 3G (but no 4G from the looks of it), along with Wifi and Bluetooth connectivity. Nothing too terribly exciting, but they managed to squeeze in quite a bit for the price point.
The only question is whether or not this new phone will sell. Because it’s an affordable smartphone, it looks poised to strike a chord with those backing away from phones like the iPhone 4S and the Galaxy II Skyrocket due to their price. And with Nokia’s total mobile phone sales reaching 111.7 million units in the fourth quarter of 2011 alone, they may just have what it takes to bring Windows Phone 7 to Android and iOS’s level.
Expect to see the new Lumia 610 sometime in the second quarter of 2012. We’ll bring you more information as details surface.
Joseph Whaley