Microsoft Lumia 535 review: Best smartphone under Dh500

Those shopping at the low end of the smartphone market would be stupid to ignore the Microsoft Lumia 535 Dual Sim. At under Dh500, it's a winner.

The Microsoft Lumia 535 smartphone. The phone is the first Lumia phone under the Microsoft brand name, as the software company dropped the Nokia brand. Microsoft / AP Photo

It looks as though it belongs on a 1990s dance floor, being waved frantically in the air to the sound of N-Trance's Set You Free, but the Microsoft Lumia 535 Dual Sim should be taken seriously.

In this age of hero-worshipping Apple’s every move and salivation over the mere mention of a new Samsung Galaxy, the Lumia series has been somewhat lost in the shadows - that is unless you have one of the handsets with the bright green or orange casing seen on the 535.

Microsoft has carried on where Nokia left off with the Lumia, by targeting younger users with its garish colours and affordable prices. Only this time you get a big, 5-inch screen and a wide-angle 5-megapixel front selfie camera for just under Dh500.

If that doesn’t sound like a winner for parents introducing their kids to the world of smartphones, or for those who don’t have the financial clout to join the Apple ranks, then I don’t know what is.

Admittedly, the Windows 8.1 operating system isn’t for everyone, with its tiling system akin to a game of Tetris and the the greens, reds and blues infusing a sense of youth and fun.

Yet that makes it welcoming, and ultimately what we want is a phone we can actually use rather than spend the first two months buried in the instruction manual.

Nitpickers will say it’s slightly on the heavy side, while the screen is of a low resolution (960x540) compared to the big guns. It didn’t always respond as instructed and suffers from some juddering as you scroll the interface up and down. It is however far better than its predecessor, even if trying to see the screen under the sun is nigh impossible.

It sits comfortably enough in the hand with its plastic case similar to the iPhone 5C and also comes in white, grey and black for those who can’t stomach the glow-stick effect.

On the app front, Skype is ready and waiting for you, as is Microsoft Outlook and the pre-installed Office suite, so accessing and editing Word and Excel documents can be done on the go.

I can understand why consumers with Dh2,000 to spend would avoid the Lumia range, but those shopping at the low end of the market have no excuse as the 535 offers more than just cheap frills.

Q&A

It sounds like a bargain, should we all rush out to buy one then?

It’s certainly decent value, though regular high-end smartphone users tend to snort at its outlandish colour schemes and childlike interface. Personally, I think they’re just being snobbish.

You sound a little biased.

No, but I have owned the Lumia 520 for two years, so I know what it’s like to own a low-end smartphone.

Are there any other reasons to buy this psychedelic sliver of plastic?

How about this: the Lumia 535 in the UAE comes bundled with several financial offers. All 535 users get a Dh100 discount on souq.com through the preloaded app. BOX TV offers a free two-month subscription, as does Icflix, while Uber, the taxi app, is offering a free first ride of up to Dh100.

Yikes, there can’t be more can there?

Indeed there is. Customers buying the Lumia 535 from any major electronic retailer in the UAE will also receive a protective case and a premium selfie stick to put that wide-angle front camera to good use.

What’s that bump sticking out the back of the phone?

Erm, that’s the rear camera. It isn’t an ideal piece of design, but won’t affect you much. As you would have worked out by now, there are shortcomings with this phone. But with such a great price, you’ll learn to live with them.

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