We first saw Microsoft's newest mid-ranger at Mobile World Congress at the beginning of March and though the time spent with it was brief, it left us impressed.
Now, we've got our own Lumia640 for a more detailed look. So let's get into it.
First, to recap on the main hardware specs:
- Windows Phone 8.1 with Lumia Denim
- 1.2GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon 400
- 5-inch 1280x720 IPS LCD display, 294 PPI
- 1GB RAM
- 8 GB storage, microSD card expansion
- 8MP rear camera
- 1MP front facing camera
- 2500mAh removable battery
- Weight: 145 g
- Size: 141.3 x 72.2 x 8.85 mm
The version we have here is the UK retail release, so it's the single SIM, LTE variant. The Microsoft Store is the first place to buy from, but other carrier and third-party stores will be offering it too at some point.
The first thought is that this is indeed a successor to the Lumia 630/635. The body has a similar look and feel to it, albeit bigger, but it's an iteration on the previous model's design.
For a mid-range offering, though, the Lumia 640 is instantly impressive. The 720p display is sharp and colorful. The camera, while we've yet to really test it out, seems pretty good. 8MP is a step up in resolution from the 635 and it comes with an LED flash this time around.
Other things we like, then. The bump to 1GB of RAM, as is now seemingly standard for Microsoft, is welcomed. As is the addition of the front-facing camera, something else its predecessor didn't have. And for a 5-inch device without a Full HD display, that 2500mAh battery is sounding pretty tasty. It's 300mAh more than the Lumia 830 which has also has a 5-inch display at 720p, and we've never had any complaints with battery life on that.
We've a really good early feeling about the Lumia 640. It fixes some of the things we didn't like about the Lumia 635 and brings some great new features to the table like Lumia Camera 5 on a non-pureview device. We've not had long with it, but it has the potential to be a real star in Microsoft's device lineup.
And however small it may be in the grand scheme of things, the black buttons with the orange we've got here looks fantastic.
Expect a lot more on the Lumia 640 in the coming days as we put it through its paces and work up a full review. In the meantime, drop by the Windows Central forums and join in the discussion!
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