back to article Microsoft unsheathes cheap Android-killer: Behold, the Lumia 530

Microsoft's ex-Nokia phones unit has produced the successor to the Lumia 520, its best-selling Windows Phone by miles, topping the charts in the UK's Crimbo sales. The Lumia 530 is priced at €85 (£67) before taxes or subsidies, or an initial street price of €100, around £79. It's clearly designed to sit in the £70 sweet spot …

  1. Gordon 10
    FAIL

    I swear

    That MS actively try to destroy any value in any acquisition that they make.

    1. Bin all the knowledge and expertise from Nokia staff.

    2. Bin the last program that made Nokia relevant beyond win phone in the dirt cheap end of the market.

    3. Totally ignore a mature sales and distribution network build by one of the greatest phone shifters of all time.

    Nadella and Elop - what a pair of asses. they are made of fail.

    1. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Re: I swear

      should that be "Totally ignore a mature sales and distribution network build by one of the FORMER greatest phone shifters of all time"?

    2. MIc

      Re: I swear

      How do you know the remaining 20K employees aren't responsible for the areas you outlined? You're just making shit up. You have no idea why these people were cut and what the remaining people do.

      1. Someone Else Silver badge
        WTF?

        @Mic -- Re: I swear

        I dunno, but I could have sworn I heard an apology for Microsoft in there...

  2. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    Only an Android killer if....

    You like the User interface.

    Many people don't like it.

    Now if they allowed us to dual boot (wishful thinking)

    1. big_D Silver badge

      Re: Only an Android killer if....

      And some don't like Android.

      My other half had an old iPhone, didn't want another one (too expensive). She tried a couple of Android devices, but ended up with a 620.

      One of the nice things about having several platforms on the market is that you are likely to find something you like. Just because you don't like another platform doesn't mean that it is necessarily bad. I have used iOS, Android and WP, my personal device is a Lumia 1020, but I don't hate Android or iOS, I just prefer WP.

      Choice is good,

  3. DrXym

    Another one?

    This must be about the 4th or 5th android killer by now.

  4. Tom 35

    Win

    MS replace the profitable feature phone line they burned by supplying free OS to no-name Chinese phones.

  5. ZSn

    Cheap?

    I notice that this phone has no camera button, and while it has a faster CPU I'm surprised it's not cheaper.

    After all the OS is free (apart from it being Microsoft it is now free to other manufacturers as well). Where are the $50 handsets that can compete with the Asha and landfill android? It needs a smaller hardware footprint so I'm surprised it isn't there yet.

    1. big_D Silver badge

      Re: Cheap?

      The handsets a probably coming. But you have to design and test them, then they need to go through regulatory approval in every country, that also takes a lot of time (usually several months, if there are no problems - we were looking at exporting a PC with Wi-Fi built in - using off the shelf, approved parts - and that added around 2 - 3 months to the import licence approval process in some countries.

      Even if MS gives the licences away and companies say they will sell new devices based on WP8, you probably have to reckon with a 6 month wait until the first products are approved and ready to ship.

  6. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    $10 for patents per android device until the now leaked patents are challenged and proved to be a pile of shite.

    1. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Three thumbs down? For calling MS's patents shite?

      Maybe you should look at this - which is one of the patents MS have which they say Android infringes ...

      https://www.google.com/patents/US5813013:

      A series of recurring events is represented using a computer system that includes a processor and a storage medium readable by the processor. The series is represented by storing on the storage medium a pattern that represents dates on which events in the series of recurring events occur. The pattern includes a first entry that may identify days of a week on which an event in the series of recurring events may occur, a second entry that may provide a measure of a number of days between events in the series of recurring events, and a third entry that may provide a measure of a number of months between events in the series of recurring events. Indicators that indicate whether each of the first, second or third entries are to be considered in extracting occurrences of the series of recurring events from the pattern are also stored on the storage medium. The indicators may be stored within the entries.

      1. Anonymous Coward
        Anonymous Coward

        And what's your point? I expect Android does infringe that as it would be difficult to implement a calendar on a modern device without a similar solution. If Microsoft were first to think of and patent that soution to the problem then they have every right to enforce their rights to it.

        1. Anonymous Coward
          Anonymous Coward

          Patents need to be novel ideas. That patent is one step away from crontab.

      2. Anonymous Coward
        Anonymous Coward

        Your sensitivity gave me a chuckle as I downvoted both your posts.

        Hahahaha!

        1. gazthejourno (Written by Reg staff)

          ZOMG BITCHSLAP

          /quiet afternoon of moderation

    2. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      "until the now leaked patents are challenged and proved to be a pile of shite."

      That seems very unlikely - Microsoft have a whole bunch of already court tested IP. Barnes and Noble for instance rollled over and flogged half of themselves to Microsoft rather than pursue a fight once they found out the details, many very large companies that would otherwise be up for a fight have rolled over and coughed up. Those that have fought Microsoft's patent claims like Google and Motorola have almost always lost.

      1. Anonymous Coward
        Anonymous Coward

        As has been pointed out the 'coughed up" could mean almost nothing as the deals are all signed with an MDA. Also many companies won't bother challenging patent licensing claims even if they think they are stupid due to the protracted legal process and the costs associated with it.. Shareholders don't like that sort of thing.

  7. John Smith 19 Gold badge
    Happy

    Bin royalties for the platform.

    So Microsoft really weren't able to give Windows phone away?

    1. Anonymoist Cowyard

      Re: Bin royalties for the platform.

      Windows Phone, so bad they can't even give the crap away.

      1. ZSn

        Re: Bin royalties for the platform.

        I know it's form on this site to bash: a) Apple; b) Microsoft; c) well ... just about anything that moves.

        However, my Lumia with windows 8.1 on it is not bad. It also is cheap enough that I don't worry about losing it. For most people you just need email, a browser, and something to pick up podcasts. It does all this and has good offline maps too. Not too shabby. Especially since it came from a company like Microsoft that has a deserved reputation for lock in bloatware - its quite suprising to.

        Additionally all this anamorphic cr*p. Well I like the simplicity of the winphone interface, I hate in on the desktop, but it's good on a phone.

        1. Anonymoist Cowyard

          Re: Bin royalties for the platform.

          Why would anyone suffer a Windows Phone, when you can get a 3G Moto G for the same price?

        2. Anonymous Coward
          Anonymous Coward

          Re: Bin royalties for the platform.

          "Microsoft that has a deserved reputation for lock in bloatware "

          Are you confusing Microsoft with Dell?

      2. Anonymous Coward
        Anonymous Coward

        Re: Bin royalties for the platform.

        They only just started giving the OS away so it won't have made a market impact yet. Lots of new OEMS are yet to launch devices - but have announced that they will do so. Expect another 100%+ year on year growth of Windows Phone market share.

    2. Anonymous Coward 101

      Re: Bin royalties for the platform.

      Yes, they can give it away. Did you read the article?

  8. ZSn

    Review?

    Any idea of when we will get a chance for a review of what it actually handles like? I dropped my previous lumia and can't be bothered to spend anything more than the minimum required for what, when all is said and done, is just a bloody phone.

  9. Steven Marsh

    Flip-Phones Beware! The Fail-Phone cometh!

    Yep, good 'ol Microsoft is really gonna mop up on those poor Flip-Phones with this baby!

    Whoo-Hoo! They must be shouting!

    Maybe Microsoft can use their $70+ Billion in cash to pay Android developers to port all their apps to this landfill fodder!

    1. RyokuMas
      Stop

      Re: Flip-Phones Beware! The Fail-Phone cometh!

      "Maybe Microsoft can use their $70+ Billion in cash to pay Android developers to port all their apps to this landfill fodder!"

      Maybe. Maybe not.

      Another dev in a group I'm a member of recently launched a game on Windows Phone and Android - much to his surprise, he found that the revenue returned was much greater for the Windows Phone that the Android one.

      Now, this is small-time indie stuff, so in neither case are download numbers huge. But I guess it's easier to get noticed when you're in a smaller marketplace - especially when said marketplace has better guards in place to stave off fart and malware apps, decreasing the chances of your app getting lost under a flood of crap.

      Having customers who are actually willing to pay for stuff and not just pirate it probably doesn't hurt, either...

      1. Anonymous Coward
        Anonymous Coward

        Re: Flip-Phones Beware! The Fail-Phone cometh!

        "- much to his surprise, he found that the revenue returned was much greater for the Windows Phone that the Android one."

        Why would that be a surprise? Android is completely insecure and people just copy stuff.

  10. Anonymous Coward
    Big Brother

    Microsoft unsheathes cheap Android-killer?

    And that's why they bought Nokia and shut-down its Android phone division.

    "Vitally, the platform itself is effectively cheaper than Android. Both are now "free", but Android manufacturers must still pay Microsoft royalties"

    Extorting revenue out of your main competitors does not a viable business plan make.

    1. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Re: Microsoft unsheathes cheap Android-killer?

      "Extorting revenue out of your main competitors does not a viable business plan make."

      Really? Microsoft (and Nokia / Apple) seem to be doing very well with that exact approach...

  11. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    I have an Android tablet and I can honestly say it's the biggest pile of poo I've ever had the misfortune to own.

    - It crashes more frequently than Windows 3.0 (yes I remember the '80s).

    - It is slow.

    - It is buggy

    - The apps don't work together.

    - Copy and paste is atrocious.

    - There's no indication that it is busy prompting you to press things multiple times.

    - There are too many Apps for it. You are over-whelmed by cr*p. How do you properly evaluate which of the 1000 widget washer Apps will actually do what you want it to do? No, the star ratings only tell you that it might do something someone else wants it to do.

    - I waste way too much time fighting with it that my productivity has fallen dramatically.

    To me Android is an early beta at best. It is not ready for general public use.

    I also have a Microsoft phone and it is a joy to use.

    - It doesn't crash.

    - It's quick.

    - It isn't buggy.

    - Apps work together.

    - Copy and Paste WORKS!

    - It tells you when it is busy.

    - You can easily evaluate Apps because you are not overwhelmed.

    My recommendation. Ditch Android and become productive use the full version of Windows 8.1.

    Pssst. Anyone want to by an Android Tablet, going really cheap!

    1. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Been using my Asus Memopad HD7 since last November. Was last rebooted in April - not sluggish at all, no app crashes or any real problems. Have the apps I need and it didn't take long going through reviews to find the ones that best suited my needs.

    2. Marcus Aurelius

      I'll buy that for a dollar

      Depending on which Android tablet you're talking about, of course.

  12. GrantB

    Not even a Nokia 520 killer

    The Nokia 520 is actually a pretty good phone for the price; I brought one last year after comparing with similarly priced Android phones.

    App support is very weak, but I mainly use the phone as a phone, GPS and for creating a wireless hot spot and using my Nexus 7 instead for anything else that needs apps. Have 8Gb SD card fitted and spare battery I can swap in makes it more useful as well for me.

    Given the 520 is more than a year old, was quite interested in what the replacement would be. Few small improvements like better screen/camera and/or battery life and I might be tempted to upgrade and hand down the 520 to my daughter.

    Problem is that the supposed replacement, the 530, is worse in just about every way than the 520. Screen is lower quality, less memory, worse camera, the quad core CPU being weaker than the old CPU/GPU combo , removal of hard buttons etc. Add to that, Windows Phone 8.1 sounds like basically a beta version of what was a stable OS, with a few useful features for me (eg swipe keyboard like my N7), but some backward steps and buggy.

    Good review that covers the difference here:

    http://www.trustedreviews.com/opinions/nokia-lumia-530-vs-520

    Sad really, as the 520 was probably the only modestly successful Windows Phone ever, and the closest thing to a win that Nokia had got to in the last few years; but instead of building on it, Micro/Nokia seem to have failed yet again.

    Oh well, my next phone will be Android and not by Nokia, which will be fine, but I still find with my wife's Nexus 5 running the latest version of Android, that Android still requires a little more fiddling to 'just work' like the 520 did out of the box.

  13. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    Found Numerous Usability Issues In First Week of Use

    These are just my opinions based on my limited usage of one Lumia 520 running Windows Phone 8.0

    I really did want to like this phone. But, within the first week of use I had a full typewritten page listing issues, actual problems, and personal work-arounds. Really difficult PC tethering (compared to my Android phone), very limited/non-existent file management (supposed to be fixed by adding a built-in Windows Explorer-like app in Windows Phone 8.1), display misformats while panning under zoom (parts of "page" just disappear or are inaccessible...can be seen only when NOT zoomed or double-tapped), poor calendar and alarm flexibility/options and no consistency between the two applications. Uses REALLY tiny fonts (about 1mm high even when specify "Huge" fonts setting), weekly REQUIREMENT to "turn phone off, wait 10 seconds, then back on" (or suffer constant "reminder" messages to do so. Note: that one might be a service provider thing). and so on. Also, to use even BASIC things like the most basic GPS, you MUST apparently agree to giving up your privacy to 3rd parties. Unbelievably, you also can't do "offline" local searches for things stored in the calendar appointments and photos which ARE stored on the phone itself (but can do offline/local search for contacts and call "history"). Everything else takes you to a "Bing" search page which REQUIRES a data plan and apparently more agreement to give up privacy, so if one has a data plan and one has reached the "cap" one either can't do some local device searches (or any GPS) or they will be slowed down by the service provider. Even my ~5 year-old non-SmartPhone could do reasonably accurate GPS without a data connection/plan..

    User control over important settings is mostly primitive and minimal granularity. Voice command/dialing was unreliable compared to all other phones I've used. I consider myself lucky if it works even after multiple attempts.

    Cell tower voice connection was not very consistent, even when 3 bars were showing. My other phones in the same physical location and using the same service provider, as far as I know I'd never previously had a connection dropped mid-call due to loss of signal when at my desk. This issue persisted while holding the phone by hand away from the antennas as depicted in the manual, and also with the phone clamped in a plastic holder (no nearby metal or flesh to interfere with signal).

    Fortunately, for this case, I just needed an inexpensive phone for playing the occasional song, sending/receiving texts, and making/receiving calls that I wouldn't mind too much if it was accidentally destroyed or failed for some reason. I also thought I'd give Windows Phone OS a try.

    And of course, there's the apparently non-standard 4-contact headset socket which wasn't mentioned in any product literature. Can't use any of my old phone wired headsets. Have to buy new (proprietary?) headset and audio connector cables (if one doesn't use Bluetooth).

    On the plus side, Bluetooth connectivity and range is much better than any of my previous phones. It's actually close to the ~30ft spec. The camera and DVR mode both work quite well in good lighting.

    I would recommend an Android 4+ phone every time over a Windows 8 phone if one expects to do anything sophisticated.

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