An entry-level smartphone based on Windows 8.1 with very good technical specifications is the Lumia 640. Its capabilities, as well as all the nuances associated with the operation, will be discussed in detail in this review. There will also be a list of the pros and cons of this device, starting from which recommendations will be given regarding its acquisition.
Smartphone Positioning
The technical parameters do not even allow us to attribute it to the middle segment of the Lumia 640 mobile devices. Reviews in this regard highlight the central processor, which is outdated both morally and physically. But at the same time, do not forget that the Windows operating system for mobile gadgets boasts a high degree of optimization. Therefore, in comparison with direct competitors represented by Android, it requires significantly less hardware resources to ensure its normal functioning. It is this plus that compares favorably with the devices of this software platform against direct competitors. Accordingly, this device is perfect for those who need an inexpensive entry-level device with modest technical specifications, but with an acceptable level of performance. It is this combination that this smart phone can boast of. It should also be noted that this smartphone is based on the development of NOKIA, a company recently acquired by Microsoft, whose logo is applied to the gadget's body.
Device complete set
The package bundle of this device is very, very scarce. The Microsoft Lumia 640 smartphone boasts such a list of accessories, documentation and components:
- The smartphone itself with a removable battery installed in it.
- Charger.
- Warranty card and multilingual user manual.
Newly made owners of this device will immediately have to additionally buy a protective film for the front panel, a cover, a memory card, a stereo headset and an interface cord. Without these accessories, it’s simply impossible to reveal all the capabilities of this “smart” phone.
Appearance and ergonomics
The Lumia 640 is a familiar candy bar with touch input support. On its front panel there is a high-quality 5-inch display, the lower part of which is occupied by the familiar control panel of 3 standard buttons. Accordingly, there are no separate touch buttons on this device. Below is just a black bar on which there are no controls or communications. Above, above the screen, there is a speaker, a manufacturer’s logo, a front camera hole and a whole set of sensor elements. On the left edge of the smartphone, the controls are correctly grouped: the smart phone lock button and the gadget's volume controls. This allows even with such a large diagonal of the display as 5 inches, to control it only with the fingers of one hand (in this case, the right one). There are no important elements on the opposite side of the device. The port for connecting wired speakers is displayed at the top. Well, below is the micro-USB port and the opening of the conversational microphone. On the back cover is the main camera with a single LED backlight. There is also a logo of the manufacturer. There are four design options for this device. In addition to the usual white and black, there is also orange and blue. The matte surface of the case is only in black, and all the rest are with a glossy finish. The gadget's front panel is protected from possible damage by the Gorilla Eye and, of course, the third generation.
Central processing unit
A very modest model of the central processor is installed in the Lumia 640. This is the Snapdragon 400 chip, developed by Kualkom, the leading manufacturer of CPUs for mobile gadgets. It consists of 4 computing clusters, each of which is based on the energy-efficient Cortex A7 architecture. But at the same time, the necessary level of performance is achieved by increasing the computing modules. In this case, there are 4 of them, and this is quite enough for the normal operation of multithreaded applications. The frequency of each core changes dynamically and can reach 1.2 GHz. This processor is manufactured using 28nm technology. For the latest versions of Android, the capabilities of this semiconductor crystal are clearly not enough. But Windows Von is no longer so demanding on the hardware resources of a mobile device. Accordingly, all the software that is available for this software platform will go without problems on a gadget such as a Lumia 640 smartphone.
Display and its characteristics
The regular version of this smartphone is equipped with a display with a diagonal of 5 inches. Its resolution is 1280x720, that is, the picture on it is displayed as 720p. The pixel density in this case is equal to quite good by today's standards 294ppi. The screen matrix itself is made using the IPS technology. This provides excellent color reproduction on this smartphone, as well as an acceptable level of energy efficiency. Another plus of the device is the presence of a special sensor, which provides automatic brightness control of the touch screen. There is a more advanced model of this smartphone - Nokia Lumia 640 XL. The difference between these devices is the diagonal of the screen. In this case, it is increased by 0.7 inches and is 5.7 inches. But the resolution of the screen itself has not changed. As a result, on a device with a larger diagonal, image quality is worse than on a younger model.
Graphics Accelerator
“Adreno 305” - this is the model of the graphics accelerator installed in the Lumia 640. This video accelerator cannot boast of a high level of performance. But its main task is to free the central processor from processing graphic information and thereby increase the overall performance of the mobile system. And he copes with this task perfectly. Separately, it should also be noted that this operating system is optimized for "modest" hardware. As a result, we get a completely balanced solution, both from the perspective of hardware and software.
Cameras
Sufficiently high-quality cameras are installed in the Lumia 640. Their characteristics are not impressive, but this does not mean that it is impossible to obtain high-quality images with their help. The main camera has an 8 megapixel sensor. There is a high-quality system of automatic image focusing and a single LED backlight. Also, the developers did not forget to equip it with digital zoom. Other features of this camera include the BSI sensor and f / 2.2 aperture. As a result, the photo quality is really excellent, especially for an entry-level gadget. This smartphone can record video with a resolution of 1920x1080. In this case, the picture will be updated 30 times per second. Therefore, the recording of videos with this smartphone is also in order. A more modest 0.9 MP sensor is at the heart of the front camera. But this does not stop her from recording video in 720p format (that is, calls will be made in exactly the same quality). It does not have an autofocus system, but for a medium-quality “selfie” it is quite enough.
Memory
The memory subsystem in the Lumia 640 is also not satisfactory. Its characteristics are really good for such a software platform. The amount of installed RAM is 1 GB. To run multiple resource-intensive applications at the same time, this is enough. At the same time, the interface will work smoothly and without glitches. The capacity of the integrated disk drive in this device is 8 GB. Some of them are occupied by the operating system. As a result, an external drive in the form of a flash card is indispensable. Its maximum capacity can be 128 GB. The only drawback in this case is that you will have to buy this accessory separately and at an additional cost. Also, Microsoft, to stimulate sales of mobile gadgets on the basis of its software platform, provides free of charge to customers of this device 30 GB for a period of 1 year on its OneDrive cloud service. As a result, the given parameters of the memory subsystem are quite enough for comfortable and convenient work on such a device as a Microsoft Lumia 640 smartphone.
Battery and device autonomy
As noted earlier, the battery is removable in the Lumia 640. Reviews give off its fairly high capacity of 2500 mAh. This, according to the manufacturer, is enough for 26 and a half hours of continuous communication in second-generation cellular networks. For 3G, this value is reduced by 6 hours and is already 17.5 hours. If the gadget is used as an MP3 player, then one battery charge is enough for 86 hours. In standby mode, this device can last 36 days. In reality, the owner of this gadget can count on 2-3 days of battery life with an average load level. With an increase, its time will be reduced to 10-12 hours (this is true for the most demanding games of the latest generation). Well, in the highest saving mode, you can count on 5 days of work without recharging.
Data exchange
By the number of installed SIM cards, this smartphone model can be with 1 or 2 slots for installing them. The last one is called the Lumia 640 Dual Sim. Reviews highlight the high quality of work; these are models with two cards installed. At the same time, no serious problems were found. The device itself can work in any GSM-networks: starting from 2G and ending with 4G. He has no problems with all this. At the same time, the speed of information transfer varies from a few hundred kilobits per second to a solid 150 megabits per second. The gadget also supports the most common Wi-Fi standards: b, g, and n. Since the remaining standards a and ac are compatible with the above three, there are no problems with the operation of such wired networks either.
The developers did not forget about the "Bluetooth". In this case, we are talking about its 4th version, which allows, in addition to exchanging data with similar mobile devices, also connecting a wireless headset to the smartphone. The navigation capabilities of the device are implemented using GPS technology. As noted earlier, it using the HERE service allows you to determine the location of the gadget even without an Internet connection. Additionally, the device implements A-GPS technology. It determines locations by signal from cell towers. But at the same time, an internet connection is required. If the accuracy within this settlement is acceptable for this method, then there may be problems on the track. Another important interface is NFC, which allows you to quickly transfer a large amount of information to a similar device in a matter of minutes. But there are only two wired interfaces in the Microsoft Lumia 640. Reviews highlight the high quality of sound received from the audio port. Well, the second interface is a micro-USB located on the bottom of the smartphone.
Software
Initially, version 8.1 of the Windows operating system was installed on this gadget. The Lumia 640 functioned well under her control. But the hardware of this device made it possible to update the system software. As a result, in June of this year, an update was released for this model to the 10th version of Windows Phone. A similar upgrade of the software part occurred for the older model - Nokia Lumia 640 XL. But the level of sales of gadgets of this platform is very modest. In order to somehow stimulate this process, Microsoft decided to supplement this smartphone with a number of pleasant bonuses. The first of them (mentioned earlier) is 30 GB on OneDrive’s cloud service for a period of 1 year, and it’s absolutely free. Another plus of this gadget is the pre-installed Microsoft Office office suite. In addition to it, smartphone owners also get a free subscription for the “Office 365” year absolutely free. To carry out photo editing on the device, "Photoshop Express" from "Adobe" is preinstalled. But the navigation functions of this "smart" phone allows you to perform the HERE + map service developed by Nokia. Its main advantage is the ability to determine your location without an internet connection. For this, only a GPS signal is used. But for making video calls on this device, the most popular product to date - Skype, is preinstalled.
Price
Initially, the Microsoft Lumia 640 phone could be purchased for $ 223. But even at that time, a device with similar parameters on other platforms was much cheaper. Therefore, after a significant decrease in demand for this gadget, the price dropped to $ 160. Now the cost of the gadget has decreased even more and amounts to $ 150. A similar price tag is fully consistent with the software and hardware capabilities of this smartphone.
Owner reviews about the device
Essentially, there is only one significant minus in the Microsoft Lumia 640. Reviews highlight the software platform of the gadget. So far, the operating system under the name "Windows Background" has not received wide distribution. Therefore, in the segment of entry-level solutions, smartphones based on Android still dominate. But, as can be seen from the previously stated material, Microsoft is trying to change the current situation in its favor. Moreover, she has everything she needs for this. Otherwise, the Microsoft Lumia 640 is a worthy alternative to any similar gadget from another platform. His software is highly optimized for hardware. As a result, system performance is enough to solve any problem. Well, software bonuses are a nice addition.
And what do we have?
If not for the software component, then the Lumia 640 gadget would be out of competition in the budget segment. But still, this is a very tempting offer in the environment of entry-level devices.