Nokia no more: Microsoft reveals the low-cost Lumia 535

Nokia-no-more: Microsoft reveals the Lumia 535
But those familiar colours haven't changed

The first Lumia bearing Microsoft's name has officially been revealed as the mid-range 5-inch Microsoft Lumia 535.

Instantly recognisable as a Lumia, the 535 boasts a quad-core 1.2GHz processor backed by 1GB RAM and 5MP cameras on both the front and the back. The display is a qHD (960 x 540) affair while the plastic chassis comes in the bright array of colours usually associated with Lumias. There's blue, orange, green and black to choose from.

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Along with the low cost of the device, Microsoft is hoping that its homegrown software will sway potential customers. The Lumia 535 comes with five integrated Microsoft services: Skype, Office, OneDrive, Cortana and OneNote. Of course, all these - bar Cortana - can be had on iOS and Android as well.

Interestingly, Microsoft has given the Lumia 535 a fair bit of connectivity in the form of both microSD support and by creating a dual-SIM version. The former is pretty much a necessity though, as the device will only come with 8GB of native storage.

Microsoft is clearly avoiding a head-on clash with flagship smartphones like the iPhone 6 or Samsung Galaxy S5, preferring instead to grow the Windows Phone user base with affordable devices. It's a tactic that served Nokia well and helped to get Microsoft's mobile OS a foothold in the market.

We won't know for sure how competant the Microsoft Lumia 535 is until we get it in for a full review, so stay tuned to find out our thoughts. In the meantime, Microsoft says it'll begin launching the device in selected markets in November.