Nokia Lumia 630 And Lumia 635: Things You Need To Know

Nokia expanded its Lumia series of Windows Phone powered devices yesterday with the launch of three new phones. The new devices are the Lumia 930, the Lumia 630 and the Lumia 635. We have already learnt what the Lumia 930 is all about. Let us now take a detailed look at the features and specifications of the other two phones. More importantly, let us take a look at the differences between the Lumia 630 and the Lumia 635 and as to how it compares to the good old Lumia 625.

The Lumia 630

The Lumia 630 at least going by its name, sounds like a successor to the Lumia 625 – the first large screened Windows Phone device made by Nokia. However, when you look at the specifications of the Lumia 630, you can’t help but wonder if it is really a slightly downgraded model compared to the Lumia 625. Here’s why.

The Lumia 625 came with a 4.7 inch 480*800 pixel display. This has been shrunk to a 4.5 inch display on the Lumia 630 with a slightly sharper 480*854 pixel resolution. The display on the Lumia 630/635 also gets the Gorilla Glass 3 coating. The processor however sees an improvement with the Lumia 630 getting a mid-range Qualcomm Snapdragon 400 chipset that houses a 1.2 Ghz Cortex A7 processor. Both phones get 8GB of internal storage capacity with the option to add more using micro SD cards, again no improvement here. The camera resolution remains the same with the Lumia 630 also getting a 5 megapixel shooter. However, unlike the Lumia 625 which can capture full HD videos and has a dedicated camera button, the Lumia 630 lacks both (it only records in 720p). Another notable exclusion is the lack of a front facing camera on the Lumia 630/635.

Make sure you note these points before deciding to get a Lumia 630 for yourselves. What you do however get with the Lumia 630 is a version that has dual SIM capability. This is the first Windows Phone device to get dual SIM capability and looks tailor-made for the Indian market where dual SIM handsets are a rage.

For the software part, the Lumia 630 will come loaded with Windows Phone 8.1 at launch. But then, Nokia has also confirmed that all its existing Windows Phone 8 handsets would be upgradeable to Windows phone 8.1 – making the almost a year old Lumia 625 still relevant. Also, let me reiterate. The Lumia 630 comes in two versions with the difference only being the dual SIM capability on one of the variants. The rest of the features are the same.

The Lumia 635

If you thought the Lumia 635 is an upgraded version of the Lumia 630, you’re mistaken again. The Lumia 635 is basically the same phone with the added ability to connect to 4G LTE networks. Both the Lumia 630 versions (single SIM and dual SIM) are only 3G capable. The Lumia 635 is likely to be released in markets where there is better, wider 4G network coverage.

The design and the rest of the specifications are identical for all three new Lumia devices. The Lumia 635 does however get a glossy finish out of the box unlike the 630 which gets a matte finish. Lumia 630 users can however purchase glossy covers for themselves.

Pricing, Availability

The Lumia 630 is expected to hit the shelves in May with the initial release markets being, Russia, China, India and Europe. The single SIM variant will cost $159 and the dual-SIM variant, $169. The Lumia 635 will be available specifically in the US starting July for $189.