Nokia Lumia 730 and 735 'selfie' phones announced by Microsoft at IFA 2014

Berlin, Germany – Microsoft this morning announced the budget-conscious Nokia Lumia 730 and Lumia 735 along with its 5 MP front-facing camera for the 'selfie generation' and Skype users. The phone is expected to go on sale in the coming weeks for €199 ($262 USD) along with 3G dual SIM support ideal for emerging markets. The Lumia 735 with 4G LTE and single SIM will run for €219 ($288 USD). By comparison, the original Lumia 720 cost around €249 on its initial launch.

The Lumia 730 is the follow up to the popular Lumia 720, which featured an impressive F/1.9 aperture camera for exceptional low-light performance. The Lumia 730, however, builds off of the Lumia 720's weaknesses by adding in 1 GB of RAM, a faster 1.2 GHz Quad-core processor and a 4.7-inch 1280 x 720 HD display.

Lumia 730/735 full specifications

Windows Phone 8.1 Update with Lumia Denim
3G & DSDS RoW variant: GSM 850 MHz, 900 MHz, 1800 MHz, 1900 MHz; WCDMA 850 MHz, 900 MHz, 1900 MHz, 2100 MHz; Speed GSM: EGPRS/296kbps/236.8kbps; HSPA+: 21.1Mbps/5.76Mbps
Memory: 1GB RAM, 8 GB internal user memory; 15 GB OneDrive cloud storage , micro SD expandable up to 128 GB
Display: 4.7" HD OLED (1280 x 720, 16:9), 316 PPI, Curved glass (2.25D), ClearBlack, SuperSensitive Touch, High Brightness Mode, Sunlight readability enhancements
Processor: Qualcomm Snapdragon 400 (MSM8926) 1.2 GHz quad-core processor
Primary camera: 6.7 MP FF ZEISS, f/1.9, Full HD video (1920 x 1080 @ 30fps), LED Flash.
Secondary camera: Full HD 5 MP wide angle (2596x1948) f/2.4, Nokia Camera, Nokia Storyteller, Nokia Creative Studio, Lumia Selfie
Size: 134.7 x 68.5 x 8.7 (volumetric) mm, Weight: 133g
Connectivity: NFC, A-GPS/GLONASS, BeiDou, WIFI 802.11 b/g/n, microUSB, BT 4.0 LE, Micro SIM
Battery: Removable 2220 mAh battery, exchangeable shell
Audio: 3.5 mm AV connector (AHJ), Dual microphone, FM Radio, Internet radio

The Lumia 730 gains some impressive additions with its 2014 update, including a removable battery, more RAM for video games, changeable shells, a 720P HD display and improved cameras.

The design of the Lumia 730 is reminiscent of a thinner, light Lumia 920 with a hint of the original Lumia 800 added in for good measure. The device is significantly lighter at just 133 grams (versus a Lumia 920 at 185 grams) even though the display is 0.2-inches larger.

Speaking of the display, with 720P graphics, ClearBlack for deep colors, SuperSensitive Touch and a slight curvature, the Lumia 730 builds nicely off of previous technology, delivering a quality experience for a budget-friendly phone.

Finally, the real selling point of the Lumia 730 comes in its two top performing cameras. The rear camera builds off of the Lumia 720's excellent 6.7 MP design, which was good enough to be used in the Nokia Lumia 2520 tablet later on. With its F/1.9 aperture, the rear camera should deliver excellent low-light performance while still taking sharp images, all without Nokia's famed PureView technology. The front-facing camera is a large 5 MP sensor ideal for Skype calls or so-called 'selfie' shots popular with today's younger crowd. Although 5 MP front-facing cameras are found on other phones, they are usually reserved for flagship devices and not budget-friendly ones meant for younger students or the youth market.

A single SIM 4G LTE variant dubbed the Lumia 735 was also announced by Microsoft today.

Daniel Rubino is the Executive Editor of Windows Central, head reviewer, podcast co-host, and analyst. He has been covering Microsoft here since 2007, back when this site was called WMExperts (and later Windows Phone Central). His interests include Windows, Microsoft Surface, laptops, next-gen computing, and arguing with people on the internet.

213 Comments

Cool, I might buy it
Oh yes I am buying it...as soon as Creative Sudio gets the Color Pop option back...and if it releases in India by December...did they announce when it will be arriving in stores?
720 was actually my favorite until the 1020 came out. But I'll sure get the 730. I hope it maintains the sleekness.
More colors, please. Green and orange are nice... but are probably among the least popular colors in the crayon box. Where are red, blue, and cyan? Honestly, it always feels like there's a compromise with the Nokia phones... either there's no SD card slot, or no wireless charging, or no glance screen, or no removable battery, etc. My point is... there are so many options in the Android market, and Microsoft needs to give us EVERYTHING too. No one wants to feel like they're compromising on features, just capabilities. Meaning, why does the 830 have a 1MP front-facing camera? Why put a 10MP camera on the back... attracting photo enthusiasts... only to turn around and put a 1MP on the front?!? They couldn't bring themselves to give us a 2MP front-facing camera... like just about every other phone on the market? Sorry to complain... because these are nice phones... but the competition is fierce, and for some reason, Microsoft/Nokia always forces the consumer to make a compromise. No one expects a 5MP front-facing camera on a midrange device... but they do expect a 2MP one. That's all I'm saying.
Apart from the camera and storage its a 920... only cheaper and better in other ways... Its such a good device for the price...
The 730, yes. I just feel that the front-facing camera on the 830 is a compromise. The 730 seems like the better value and will probably sell loads more.
8 GB internal storage is the down turn for me. I'm leaving more toward the 830... Of it comes to T-Mobile US
"Expansion slot" Upto "128" "GB"
I think I'll avoid that pitfall again. I don't want to buy the 830 variant only to have them EOL it 7 months later.
Glance screen or nah?
Looks like microsoft finally has something to compete with the moto g.
Not in the price front.
What do you want extra in this ???
The Lumia 1320 already exists.
yupp
Something for my sis. She'd like this.
will purchase for my mom, microsoft getting it right, listening to consumers, launching globally within a month, this is what we want not waiting for months & great improvements to Lumia Camera
Finally a worthy affordable phone! After three years you finally did it, Nokia or MS or whatever.
Agree with ya man!
Yeah, that's impressing
Wow. This is a killer midrange device. No stupid compromises, impressive specs for the price. If they don't sell millions of this, something is wrong with this World.
Yahhh surely it will be next 520 in terms of sale
I found 2 compromises, no Glance screen and no camera button. But still, probably my next phone, if I can get hold of it. According to the Microsoft/Nokia pages it will not be available in the Netherlands.
Grey import should work. Also how did you find out that it has no Glance?
it has glance
It will be available in The Netherlands later. Only US specific Lumias don't come to The Netherlands.
+1
I want a ULTRA POWER SAVING MODE in this Lumia
Hmm... Just turn on both airplane mode and battery saving mode, and your phone will be a dumb phone with 3 days battery life lol
LOL hahaha
Good idea :)
A good entry into the mid budget market
I may buy it....for sure...
Where is that 'order now' button?
I just heard the Motorola CEO ask his designers to reconsider the Moto G2
fuck them. ppl with moto are facing vibrating problems coz of high sar value
^this all Motos have an exceptionally high SAR value, dunno why.
Looks like Nokia had some spare 920 body shells laying around... Hey, I love the design, I really do. I own 920, but come on... Nokia N9, Lumia 800, Lumia 900, Lumia 920 AND now L730... they look so similar.
So what's the problem, all Samsung look same, all Apple look same, why not Nokia
because Nokia never been boring like now since the WP8 Lumia ?? well they've been a great designer for the feature phone and symbian phone.
but oops my bad, it's not Nokia anylonger
it's their language designs.it provides consistency and there are always changes in the designs. samsung galaxy,sony zperia z and the htc one have literraly the same design for 2-3 years now.they are way more stale thasn the lumias. and i enjoy the 730 design. it looks just like a bigger n9/lumia800. which is bad cause they used the same basig design, but good cause they used a high end phone design for a low-mid-range phone
So, what's the problem? The design looks great and you even admit to liking it, so I don't see what the problem is here. Why should they kill what works and what looks and feels great to the user?
The design is nice and changing it just because someone in the design department has a feeling of stagnation is ridiculous.
All that great camera software and no hardware camera button. Also very limited color options.
Microsoft nailed it... With this price point this is a steal. And I found my replacement for lumia 720.
Come on T-Mobile carry this and the 830 : )
Lets hope Tmobile gets em!
but will it available by october 1st week in India??? pls somebody.. im gonna buy it
They said globally this month.
Yes..this is my next phone..perfect upgrade for my Lumia 520 :D
same here mate
Couldn't agree more.
I'm upgrading from my Lumia 630. She's. Still in good shape but I want a front cam, flash, and 1GB of RAM... Damn I love WP!!!
OLED Display this one? And not the 830? They swapped configurations compared to the 720-820 ?!?
Woow!! my next lumia <3. Does it have gorilla glass 3?
Short answer, Yes!
Will this one have the glance screen?
Same question :/
According to the spec sheets, it will not. This also has a OLED panel like the 930. The 830 has got it, it has a IPS panel. http://www.nokia.com/global/products/compare/?action=productcompareaction&products=4131038-4065438-3459516#hardware
It has nothing to do with OLED or IPS. L820 has OLED and has glance. L920 has IPS and has glance.
Yep, and 1020 is also OLED with Glance
You are quiet right, but according to the spec sheet this does not have glance.
removed
That's no true. The L920 has glance
Oh!!! No Corning Gorilla Glass ??
It has Corning Gorilla Glass 3.
On the contrary, it has Corning Gorilla Glass 3. Check out the official specifications page.
This would be the perfect time to get an official snapchat app.
Or update instagram!
This phone is not for me bt glad to see more Lumia news nonetheless :) Hope this makes Lumia fans happy!
What's is hd oled display
That's a worthy upgrade for my lumia 620 and at the same price point I bought my lumia 620. Awesome.
My thought also. I'm only disappointed it misses Glance and a dedicated camera button.
it has glance
Look again. Whether it has OLED or IPS does not tell us whether it has Glance or not.
But the spec sheets on the Nokia page do tell use if it has glance or not. I was wrong with stating that it was because of the screen technology that is used. But unfortunatly, the spec sheets show it does not have glance.
no,Dolby support?????
Perfect phone to replace my 720 :) Now hoping that it would be available in India before November.
+720
With this price it will sell like hot cakes in India ...i love Lumia kiss..great pricing and specifications......
I'm going for it.............just loving it
Price is too high for midrange phone, even we get MI3 with better hardware configuration in on $231 and Zenfone 5 in 165$. Time to swith from Windows Phone.
Yaa its good for u to switch bye...pls don't compare Chinese phones with nokia...
FYY, Have you ever checked your Nokia box after buying, most of them are Made in China.
There is a huge difference between being made in china by a chinese manufacturer and being made in china by an european or american manufacturer... That difference is quality material used, quality control and obviously the huge experience that Nokia has.
Don't forget the conditions in which employees do their jobs, and the wages. Isn't the same to work in a Nokia factory, placed in China or not, than work for Foxconn (to bring the 'best' of them).
@lum5 your the reason why people are leaving windows phone, you just gladly rush them off and get snarky...Jesus man your silly. It's a phone not a cult don't be all weird about him saying he is leaving
I know mi3 is selling for 13999(231$) but how do you get it with only one provider in the whole country and xiaomi is shutting sales of mi3 and in comparison of cameras mi3's camera is shit, when it comes to zenfone how much you can use it without future updates
Why don't you switch then, go ahead and buy MI3 with no idea of what customer service is going to be and I would still buy a lumia 730 against snapdragon 9000 processor and 64GB of RAM with android...
LOL hahaha
you have bad knowledge about the thing called "quality"! you better stay with crappy chinese phones. bye!
LOL, even price of 1+1 is lower than this one.
Hello boy, What are you trying to tell here?? those phones you mentioned have great build quality like nokia's? those phones have great camera like nokia's? Even 720's camera gave nightmares to many high end cameras! Do you think that you will get nokia's excellent hardware/software fusion from those phones? What is your argument? You guys are among the crowd those who think that more megapixles means better cameras! please take 720 and compare with some of your favourite so called cheap phones! Get of out of the cave, Get real! Give facts or get out, you dont belong here!
And Micromax and Karbonn, why did you leave them? By your logic all of Sony, Samsung, HTC's phones are also too high but why don't you complain? Compare phones with like brand value.
SUPERRB MUST HAVE IT FOR SELFIE
Wow! Perfect. MS has finally delivered on a perfectly spec'd phone with a perfect price tag. This is what I always said.
I just don't get the lack of attention in the ACTUAL high end market. This design is EXACTLY what I thought the AT&T varient to the ICON was going to be like. Instead AT&T get's nothing and the 930 looks like... well... exactly like the ICON. So close yet no cigar. They announce "NEW PHONES" and on the same day announce a new firmware which these things can't even utilize? Where are the new high end phones? I don't want a m8 I already owned an HD7 and I will never sttray from nokia until their apps are actually on the other OEM's devices.
This looks like the Lumia 920 (minus the dual LED) :)
OLED display at that price
I am in love ......
Can't wait :D Posted via the Windows Phone Central App for Android
This going to be a Big HIT in India!! i will preorder
my ugrade from lumia 525 love the phone nailed it on the price point ....
No Dolby sound enhancements? :o
No Gorilla Glass 3, i m a little disappointed even 630 has Gorilla Glass 3
It has indeed Corning Gorilla Glass 3. Go to the official Nokia specifications page for the 730/735 and check it out for yourself (no links allowd in this comment section though, so you're on your own finding it). AO
Doesn't seem to be available in the UK? The 720 was an elusive device as well here...
The 735 seems to be comming to the UK: http://www.nokia.com/gb-en/phones/phone/lumia735/
This is the best bang for the buck in a long time. Too bad the 830 is a little overpriced and underspecced, and unfortunately falls between two chairs a little. AO
this will surely be my next phone waiting for it eagerly :)
There was a thread in the forums recently about which is the most beautiful Windows Phone, and I said it would be a phone that used the Fabula design language like the 920 and the 1020, but would be small like a 925. This phone is it, we have a new winner!
I agree wholeheartedly, I just do not understand why they are failing to implement it in a 5" form factor with TRUE flagship internals!
Because that is the point they are trying to make. A Windows Phone does not require a overblown processor. It runs as well on a SD 400 as well as a high end Android does on a SD 801. You can save over 50% from a high end phone by buying a WP. I still have to meet the first person that can see the difference between a QHD or 1080p screen compared to a 720p screen on 5" (in day to day use). Of course there are people (probalby most) that can see the difference on a still images with rough edges, after looking for 10-20 seconds. But there is no use for it when you are using the phone.
Be Interesting to see if glance will work on this oled display.... Maybe denim will bring it to 930. Nokia stated that oled on 930 lacked display memory for glance and that it would be too costly to implement... 730 being a mid range budget device surely cant have better display tech than 930. Hoping they worked some magic to bring it with denim like they did on 920
A replacement for my broken screen Lumia 720..
The 735 is the best bang for the buck in a long time. Too bad the 830 seems to be a little overpriced and not optimally specced (5" screen, but only 720p resolution). AO
My wife is a selfie PRO!!!!!
Nice
Cool and wow
My next phone for sure :) awesome
Can some one tell me if it is available in black color ?
yes!!
Well, during the presentation they called it very dark gray. And if I'm not mistaken that is a matt color like on the Lumia 920.
Nice, i might get one.
It has gorilla glass 3.Check here : http://www.nokia.com/gb-en/phones/phone/lumia735/specifications/
Hope it has Glance. By the way, on screen Nav Bar is not fixed like on 630, so you get a cleaner home. No dedicated cam button is sad, but the rest is really good. Not sure yet, but face to face, maybe this 730 is a better package than 830.
Hope it has Glance. By the way, on screen Nav Bar is not fixed like on 630, so you get a cleaner home screen. No dedicated cam button is sad, but the rest is really good. Not sure yet, but face to face, maybe this 730 is a better package than 830.
No yellow backs...!! :(
730 vs 925 ?
Awesome phone for the price. And the perfect gift for my girlfriend. Now I just have to find someone to buy her720 :)
Great phone to replace my Lumia 520
This is a great phone at a sweet price point. With built in wireless charging, I imagine a fair few 920 owners would upgrade to this.
I just find it ironic that this is being touted as such a camera focused phone even though the device itself lacks an actual dedicated camera button on the hardware side. Sure, there's a Selfie app that will provide quicker access to the FFC, but in everyday usage, you still have to wake the phone, slide to unlock, and open the app...which doesn't save anyone time at all. I would've expected Microsoft to keep the on-screen nav bar/lack of camera button on the 530/630 phones -- that's where the cutoff should be, assuming it's a cost saving and manufacturing efficiency strategy. The midrange 730 deserves better!
Action center, tap camera. Bam! Even available from the lock screen.
Welcome to how pretty much every other phone takes photos today.
Wow,thats my next phone!!! Is it going to come to Greece?
Yes, both the 730 DS and 735 will be comming to Greece.
How does the exchangeable shell work? I see no seams on the photos.
what is beiDou..??
Chinese GPS
Are there wireless charging capable shells? Doesn't say so I'm guessing no.
Well that was disappointing so the the camera is somewhere in-between thier competitors wp specs
This is looking to be an excellent phone and best bang for the money. However Nokia/MS always seems to put a poison compromise in which in this case is that there is no dedicated camera button. Having the ability to pull the phone out of you pocket and immediately take a pic is one of the best things I love about WP.
It has become harder, but you should still be able to shoot in a couple of seconds: 1. Double tap to wake 2. Open notification center (by swiping from top of screen) 3. Hit the camera button (if assigned) Or this would be fun, and I don't know if it is supported: 1. Say "Hello Cortana, Camera take a picture"
But it lacks two of my favourite f features from my Nokia Lumia 720..a) glance screen b) Dolby surround sound...but good value for money...i bought 720 at indian rupees 18000... But this would come around maximum of 17000 in India... Little bit of confused guys... Which would be a better buy???830 or 730....please help guys..still ❤ you Nokia and Microsoft...
he said the lumia selfie app will be available from today ... where is it ?
I was able to install it. So I would say in de Windows Phone Store ;)
My daughter will love the 735, she's been eyeing off my 920 but the FFC is complete garbage. This would be enough to get her away from her iPhone4!
In the end, this is more attractive than 830.
Yes indeed.
Great move, Microsoft! Even though I'm not buying it, it'll be perfect lest it's priced correctly here in Brazil. Great move, indeed!
Lovely
Awesoome! Waiting eagerly for a review video.