You could not expect a low-end phone to look more striking than his compatriot thinner, and this is the biggest surprise of Microsoft Lumia 650.

Windows 10 5-inch phone has an aluminum frame, while the Lumia 950 and XL 950 has a plastic case, despite being seriously upmarket under the hood. We have in our hands with the new phone at Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, ​​Spain.

The material seems swapperoo against-intuitive to us - Why give a device that costs only $ 200 / £ 160 metal structure, while the much more expensive flagship phones have the budget feel? (The Lumia 650 is approximately AU $ 280, but no official word on the price yet in Australia).

Unlike the more expensive and high-end Lumia 950 and XL 950, the 650 is immersed in the entry-level specifications.
Sarah Tew / CNET
To be clear, it is that the frame is metal here in the Lumia 650. Support is still plastic, so it can be removed to reach the Micro SD slot and a removable battery, which are both to be in a phone these days.

The phone felt incredibly light in the hand and easy to pocket. Its AMOLED screen is a nice touch, making colors appear rich and high contrast. When you look closely at the edges you can see the beveled metal edges of the phone.

Still, at this price, you are not packaged in the components of the high-end part.

• 5-inch OLED display at 1,280x720 resolution
• 142 mm by 70.9 mm by 6.9 mm and 122 g (5.5 by 2.8 by 0.27 inches and 4.3oz)
• 1GB RAM
• 16 GB storage with Micro SD Card up to 200GB Qualcomm Snapdragon 212 quad-core processor running at 1.3 GHz
• 2,000 mAh
• Category 4 LTE
• 8-megapixel rear camera and 5MP front facing
• Black and white colors

What is missing?

Continuum is certainly the only Windows 10 feature phones, allowing you to get a similar PC by connecting the camera to a large screen experience. The 650 is not compatible with Continuum. He did not even USB-C port would need if you want to display Microsoft Dock accessory, held Micro USB for charging and connectivity.

Also missing Hello window, which uses the front camera module to unlock the phone by scanning eyes. The technology behind these two signature features adds to the cost of a phone. Leaving outside helps keep the price low 650.


The Snapdragon CPU 212 does not create the folders and 2,000mAh speed is not the largest or battery, even if the low-resolution screen and the aforementioned chipset are not just hungry for power.

Who will use it?

When phone launch, Microsoft touted its affairs and business skills, but support for Continuum would have added a great benefit for business users. Instead, the phone seems designed for budget travelers looking for an experience my first Windows Phone.