Lumia 830, the affordable flagship phone, launches in India for INR 28,799

In a press event in New Delhi, Microsoft announced the launch of Lumia 830 in India. Unveiled at the IFA 2014 in Berlin a while ago, the Lumia 830 is marketed as an 'affordable flagship' essentially offering a premium camera experience and impressive feature set in a smartphone that's easy on your wallet.

Powered by a 1.2 GHz quad-core Snapdragon 400 processor and 1GB of RAM, the device packs in 16GB of internal storage, expandable up to 128GB using a microSD card. The Lumia 830 boasts of a beautiful 5-inch 720p (1280 x 720) IPS ClearBlack display with Corning Gorilla Glass 3. It also features a slight curve to help feel improve the overall feel while holding the device.

Of course, the highlight of the phone is its PureView camera. The 10-megapixel rear camera with ZEISS optics packs in optical image stabilization and allows video recording at 1080p 30 fps. There's also rich recording with three microphones, similar to high-end flagships like the Lumia 930 or the Lumia 1520.

A follow up to the Lumia 820, the Lumia 830 is not just an evolutionary update, but fills the corners that were cut in the 820. It features a better resolution display, improved processor, and a vastly better camera. The 830 also includes integrated wireless charging. The design of the Lumia 830 is similar to that of the Lumia 930, but it is thinner and lighter. The back shell is removable, and swappable, and it houses a 2220 mAh battery.

In India, the Lumia 830 will be available in orange, white, and black colors at an MRP of ₹28,799 starting from October 8 with a couple of partner offers. The online store Snapdeal.com will offer minimum ₹6,000 off for consumers shopping through the Snapdeal app on Windows Phone. Consumers will get a minimum discount of ₹1,000 per month on a minimum transaction of ₹2,100 on fashion and home décor items. Also, BoxTV will offer a free 60-day subscription to the Lumia 830 customers. There's also 1TB of OneDrive cloud storage available free for first 6 months, and chargeable thereafter at a minimal ₹125 per month.

Interestingly, apart from Snapdeal and BoxTV apps, Flipboard comes preloaded on the Lumia 830, which might explain their rush to publish an early, unfinished release.

Unfortunately, Lumia 830 accessories were not announced at the event, and might not be available in the market for a while.

The Lumia 830 is a great device at this price, although I'd assume most people would've wanted it a couple of grand less. Still, I'm sure many will be tempted to pick one up. What are your thoughts on the device and the pricing?

Abhishek Baxi