Microsoft announced two new
Lumia phones aimed at the entry-level smartphone market and an update to its
Windows Phone operating system for Lumia phones that looks to enhance the
camera experience.
Microsoft
also announced the Nokia Lumia 830. Priced at about $430 unsubsidized it will begin rolling out globally this month.
No word on U.S. carriers or exact availability.
Lumia 830 sports a 10 megapixel
PureView camera, integrated wireless charging and what
Microsoft says is the
thinnest optical image stabilization system to date on a Lumia. It comes
pre-loaded with Microsoft Office Mobile and 15GB of free OneDrive storage
Entry-level dual SIM Lumia 730
are "built for Skype calls and selfies," Microsoft says. They each
have front-facing, wide-angle, 5-megapixel cameras and come with a three-month
Skype Unlimited World subscription thrown in.
Windows Phone 8.1 focuses on
speed, quality and making the camera more intuitive to use. It will initially
roll out as an update in the fourth quarter for Lumia 930, Lumia Icon and Lumia
1520 and as an over-the-air update for Lumia 830 and later to other Lumia
Windows Phone 8.
Smartphone wars are about to
heat up. Samsung on Wednesday revealed
its latest oversized Note handsets, including the Note Edge with a separate
curved display alongside the right edge. And coming up on Tuesday, Apple is slated to take the wraps off
its newest iPhone.
HTC
announced a version of its flagship HTC One M8 for Windows Phone.
Microsoft
also has been focused on its app eco-system, which has lagged Android and
Apple. There are now about 300,000 apps including recent additions such as Uber
and Fitbit.