I’ve never really been a fan of gadgets. Yes they impress me sometimes and I can’t help but ogle at how fancy and techy they look, until I saw some of the new Lumia devices today at a launch. At first I was obviously stunned by the collection of the Lumia phones, especially the three new phones that were being launched as part of the company’s new era of Windows 10 Devices.
They include:
– Microsoft Lumia 950 and 950XL
– Microsoft Lumia 650
– Microsoft Lumia 550
At first the devices look eerily satisfying to the eyes with their document-friendly large screens and world-class tools, all wrapped up in seriously stylish feature-rich handsets but once you get to know more about the devices, they go from stylish to a must have in an instant.
Here is a breakdown of the devices and their various features:
Microsoft Lumia 950; Combining familiar and consistent Windows experience with powerful hardware
The Microsoft Lumia 950 XL was one of my ultimate personal favorites. Both the Microsoft Lumia 950 and Microsoft Lumia 950 XL were the first Windows 10 Microsoft Lumia phones to be launched and they are the newest premium phones from Microsoft and one of the most delightful features of the Microsoft Lumia 950 is the ability to transform your phone to a PC-like experience with Continuum for Phones and the Microsoft Display Dock.
What that means is that even in the rush to get to the office in time and you realize that you forgot your laptop at home, or your boss calls you for an impromptu presentation meeting and all your work was initially saved in your office desktop, you can still use your phone to run your presentation from your Microsoft Lumia 950 XL. With a wide range of scale apps that appear beautifully on a bigger screen when connected, you can still give that presentation or even work on an Office document, all because of the beauty of the sync of files on OneDrive. You can also browse the Internet and even stream full HD movies downloaded from the Windows Store without your phone lagging due to its 810 Octa-Core processor.
For those of us who would be photographers in another life, the latest-generation PureView cameras with 20-megapixel sensors, triple LED natural flash and 4K video capture, enables faster focus and crisper images and videos even in challenging conditions.
The Microsoft Lumia 950 retails for Kshs 65,000 while the XL version retails for Kshs 69,999.
Microsoft Lumia 650: a sophisticated and smart choice for business
The latest addition to the Microsoft Mobile Devices family, the Microsoft Lumia 650 is one of the latest additions to the Microsoft mobile devices family that is built for business users and Windows fans alike. Retailing at under Kshs 23,000, it brings the power of Windows 10 to your pocket with beautiful craftsmanship and protection against modern security threats.
With a highly polished, diamond cut and anodized aluminum frame, measuring at only 6.9mm thick, the Lumia 650 is Microsoft’s thinnest phone ever. It enables you to get a clear and bright viewing experience with its crisp 5 inch HD display, even in direct sunlight. It also features up to 200GB of expandable memory for flexibility on the go.
Microsoft Lumia 550; Microsoft’s most affordable 4G LTE smartphone running Windows 10
For people who value affordability, uncompromising quality and signature Microsoft services, Microsoft Lumia 550 combines super fast Internet, the latest Qualcomm® Snapdragon™ quad-core processor with ultra-fast LTE speeds, and the best of Microsoft services for just Kshs 13,999. It comes with a 5MP main camera with LED flash and 2MP front camera and with its surprisingly light weight it can go on for up to 17 hours of talk time.
So why choose Microsoft Lumia with Windows 10?
1. It’s very easy for you to switch up from business to personal as their devices offer one experience; satisfactory, thus you can work and play on the go.
2. With a simple and centralized device management processes, the devices allow Microsoft Intune and other compatible third-party solutions all thanks to the presence of Office 365 on the device.
3. They consist of the latest apps for Windows 10 with the new Windows Store for Business making it easier and faster to use especially in terms of compatibility with other devices.
4. Protection against security threats that might put your data at risk. These new devices help protect your data and networks from getting into the wrong hands.
5. Business is made easier with the inclusion of services such as Active Directory, SharePoint and Office 365 that has OneDrive and Skype for business. This helps you to get more from your existing investments while keeping your business connected and secured.
The Microsoft devices simply help you achieve more.
Kingori Gitahi, Product Manager of Microsoft Devices East Africa said, “One of the guiding principles of the Microsoft devices vision is that it’s not just about the device itself, but what you’re able to get done with it. The simple fact is that the most personal device that we have to get things done is our phone and we are working tirelessly to make sure that we do our best to give consumers the most productive phones on the planet which fits right into our mission to empower every person and every organization on the planet to achieve more.
Windows 10 empowers people to do great things, delivering innovations like Cortana, Windows Hello, Microsoft Edge, Continuum, the Xbox app and so much more to our consumers’ PC, tablet, or phones. It’s more personal, more productive safer and more secure. It’s also familiar and automatically up to date and offers the best solution, most secure for enterprise customers, with a secure platform offering rich manageability and deployment innovations.
The new Microsoft Lumia devices are available at Midcom & partner outlets countrywide.
