Microsoft’s first attempt at a budget smartphone post-acquisition of Nokia’s cellphone division has again birthed the new Nokia Lumia 530 dual-SIM, a Windows-based smartphone with a bigger screen size than Lumia 520 and a scale below Lumia 630. The Lumia 530 dual-SIM has a 4-inch IPS LCD capacitive touch screen with FWVGA (864 x 480) screen resolution. The device also features a scratch-resistant glass. The smartphone measures 119.7 x 62.3 x 11.7 mm and weighs about 129 grams. The Windows based smartphone is available in Black, White, Red, Green and Yellow.
Design
You’d never mistake any Nokia Lumia phone for anything other than, well, a Lumia phone. The Lumia 530 is a typical Nokia Windows Phone. There is a detachable curved plastic back cover which makes it comfortable to use that when opened gives access to the battery and Dual SIM slots.
Rounding out the back and sides are a volume rocker, and an on/off button that doubles as the camera shutter switch when you are in camera mode. The front of the Lumia 530 is a single black panel with a Nokia logo at the top.
Features and Software
The Lumia 530 dual-SIM runs on Microsoft Windows 8.1 operating system. The device is powered by 1.2 GHz Quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 200 processor with Adreno 302 GPU. In terms of memory, the Nokia Lumia 530 dual-SIM comes with 512 MB RAM with an internal storage capacity of 4 GB which can be further expanded to 64 GB using a memory card and you also get 15gb of One Drive storage.
Microsoft’s cross-platform apps, like Microsoft Office and Outlook, join Nokia apps, such as MixRadio and Nokia Care. There’s a built-in FM radio as well, and a battery saver. You’ll also be able to turn on Kid’s Corner in the settings and back up content (like photos and video) to the cloud using one drive.
Connectivity options on the Lumia 530 include: Bluetooth and Wifi,
Camera
The Lumia 530 comes with a 5megapixel camera and it does not have flash. There is also no auto-focus, no dedicated camera button. The camera isn’t really impressive to me and the fact that it lacks a selfie camera makes the phone almost grossly inadequate.
Find below some pictures i took with the Lumia 530
Battery
The device is powered by a Li-Ion 1430 mAh battery which supports a talk time of about 13.4h and music playback up to 51h. The phone lasts a day when I am just using WhatsApp, receiving emails and making phone calls. That’s impressive.
Summary
The Lumia 530 strikes me as the perfect ‘second phone’. Its build is really nice, weighing a light 129g. Nokia make phones out of plastic (or polycarbonate) look so good! You will love holding this phone in your hand. In terms of software, I like the changes made in the new Windows 8.1. The new action center, customizable tiles, better performance and optimization, word flow-the great swipe keyboard and other features force you to buy this little piece.
The Bad, a surprisingly slippery body makes you a constant butterfingers and typing is tough on the small screen. The fixed focus camera would not take close-up shots.
If you are bored of Android or iOS and want to explore Microsoft’s innovations without breaking the bank, you can go for the Lumia 530.