The first Lumia smartphone, Lumia 800, was released in 2011 by Nokia, though that was not the beginning of Microsoft’s mobile operating system. Microsoft was to later acquire Nokia’s smartphone business in April 2014, and continued the Lumia legacy. Two years down the road, the future of Microsoft’s mobile division is quite uncertain. And now, rumours has it that a new upcoming budget smartphone from Microsoft will be the last Microsoft Lumia phone.
After writing off their Nokia acquisition, Microsoft claimed their next phone releases would come in a slimmer portfolio. So far so good, the company has released two flagship devices, the Microsoft Lumia 950 and 950 XL, as well as a budget offering in the Lumia 550.
New reports suggest that Microsoft is planning to release another budget phone to be named Lumia 650 – see image above. The device is expected to be launched on February 1st. Here are brief specifications the phone is tipped to come with:
- Windows 10 Mobile
- Matte White or Matte Black body.
- 5-inch 720p display
- Snapdragon 212 processor
- 1 GB of RAM
- 8 GB of storage with micro SD expansion
- 5MP front-facing camera; 8MP rear with LED flash.
Aside the high-end specs, rumours have it that this may be the very last Lumia phone Microsoft would release. What Microsoft supposedly have next in mind, post-Lumia, is the Surface phone, something that may become a reality towards the end of the year.
February 2016 update: The Lumia 650 was indeed released this month, and it was not just the last Microsoft Lumia phone to be released, it was also the last Lumia smartphone ever. Microsoft gave up and shut down its smartphone operating system and mobile phone business after this model.
And so, the company’s adventures in the mobile phone industry, starting with Windows CE as far back as 1996, through Windows Pocket PC 2000 in 2000, then Windows Mobile from 2003, Windows Phone in 2010, and Windows 10 Mobile in 2015, came to an end.