The Nokia Lumia 830 wasn’t the only Windows Phone 8.1 handset announced at Microsoft launch event today, we also managed to get our hands on the budget Nokia Lumia 735 and 730 Dual SIM. See also: what’s the best smartphone of 2014?
Nokia Lumia 730 and Nokia Lumia 735 review: design
The Lumia 735 and 730 Dual SIM are essentially the same phone, with a few minor differences in specs.
In terms of design, the Lumia 735 is even sleeker than the 830, eschewing the exposed aluminium edges and lens housing for a much more cohesive design. The smooth, matte plastic back panel curves all the way around the sides of the phone, terminating at the 4.7in 720 x 1,280 OLED screen.
It’s a simple, but tasteful design, once again showcasing Nokia’s talent for endowing budget devices with premium looks. The Lumia 735 weighs 134g and it struck us as a very slim, light and portable device, yet felt tough and well built.
The only thing we don’t like about the design is the omission of the camera button.
Nokia Lumia 730 and Nokia Lumia 735 review: specs and features
Like the Lumia 830, the Lumia 735 and 730 run Windows Phone 8.1 along with the Lumia Denim update, and under the hood, both are powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon 400 SoC running at 1.2GHz with 1GB RAM. Like the 830, the 735 has a microSD card slot, but unlike its higher-end cousin, only has 8GB of built-in storage. The 735 has 4G, while the 730 boasts dual SIM slots and lacks 4G.
Nokia Lumia 730 and Nokia Lumia 735 review: selfie camera
Both phones feature Nokia’s Lumia Camera update and all its accompanying bells and whistles. But it isn’t the 735’s 6.7-megapixel rear camera that Nokia is keen to showcase.
Nokia has instead decided to meet the selfie market head-on, producing a front camera built specifically for taking snaps of yourself. The wide-angle makes group selfies much easier, and 5 megapixels is generous for a front-facing camera on a budget smartphone.
The phones also comes with the Lumia Selfie app, which adds a series of beautifying options such as a slimming option and the ability to make your eyes appear bigger and teeth whiter.
Nokia Lumia 730 and Nokia Lumia 735 review: release and price
Nokia gave no firm release date, only saying the trio of smartphones would arrive by “early October”. We also weren’t given a UK price for any of the models, although the 735 will be starting at €219 ex VAT and 730 Dual SIM at €199 exc VAT.
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