Kazam Thunder

Kazam as a brand is still less than two years old, but it already boasts an impressive portfolio of mobile devices. Covering Android, Windows 8.1 and Windows Phone, it's the latter of those three we're focused on here as we take a closer look at the latest Microsoft powered handsets: The Thunder 450 and 450WL.

The Thunder 450W may be familiar to regular readers as the Blu Win HD. And that'd be right on the money. Kazam is one of a number of Microsoft partners using shared manufacturing and reference devices to bring Windows Phone to specific regions and price points. Blu doesn't sell in Europe, for example, so Kazam is the perfect partner here.

The 450W is available in the day-glo yellow color we've seen before, will be around €150 when it launches in various European markets and is still an interesting, lower cost device for someone looking for something a little different. Check out our first impressions of the Blu Win HD to find out more about this particular phone here.

The 450WL is a little different, a little more premium looking in appearance and, importantly, has LTE support. There's a smattering of the HTC One M8 style in its design, which isn't necessarily a bad thing, and while it's plastic all round there's a pretty tasty looking brushed metal finish to dress it all. Specs wise, here's what makes up both phones:

Specs only ever tell half the story. While we're already somewhat familiar with the 450W, the 450WL is something newer and something we like a lot. So much so that we awarded it one of our top picks of MWC. The 720p display at 5-inches is nice to look at, has great colors and great viewing angles, and is plenty sharp enough at that resolution and size. Interestingly it has a newer Snapdragon 410 CPU inside than some competing devices, including some from Microsoft. Whether this has any meaningful improvements we'll have to reserve judgment on until we've spent more time with it in the wild. And it should be available around the €200 mark, SIM free, network unlocked.

These devices bring Kazam's Windows Phone portfolio up to three, and with three Windows 8.1 tablets just launched as well, there's a healthy range being built up. Having sat down briefly with Kazam executives at the event, the future looks bright, too. A young company, sure, but a company full of ambition and with a commitment to working alongside Microsoft to make Windows powered devices. The people at the top have bundles of experience in the mobile space and that shows with what they're trying to do with Kazam. It's not just about the devices. It's about the brand, and it's one we're going to be following closely.

The exact details on the when, where and how much will follow at a later date and will be tailored specifically to launch windows in Kazam's targeted European markets.

Kazam Thunder 450WL

Kazam Thunder 450WL