Microsoft Lumia 435
Verdict
Key specs
Critic consensus
“If you only want to pay 100 Euros for your next smartphone you will have to live with some restrictions: The Microsoft Lumia 435 cannot keep up with the much better Lumia 535, which costs slightly more than 100 Euros. The screen and the cameras in particular are worse and the chassis is pretty bulky.Price-conscious users do, however, get 8 GB storage and 1 GB memory, which is not a matter of course in this product class. You also get all the comprehensive software additions from the Lumia-series for the Lumia 435. The battery is replaceable and you can expand the storage via microSD card. The operating system runs smoothly and you cannot really feel a warming of the case at all.The low price means that you just have to live with some drawbacks, including the unreliable GPS sensor, the display with pale colors and a low resolution, the front camera that is actually not really suited for video calls and the bad quality of the microphone. But the performance of the Lumia 435 compared to the similarly priced rivals is not too bad, especially since Windows Phone 8.1 is running much smoother on weak devices than Android.”
“The Microsoft Lumia 435 is a funny little phone. With its eye-catching looks and a sturdy, comfortable design, it makes a great first impression. In day-to-day use, this mostly remains. Navigating the OS is a relatively painless affair and listening to music is something of a treat. The fact that this phone will receive Windows 10 also makes it a tantalising offer for those who want to try something a little different later in the year without breaking the bank.Yet with a poor screen, bad cameras and laggy performance in many tasks, this is a device that has many drawbacks. What it all boils down to, however, is price. The Lumia 520 became the most popular Windows Phone handset not because of its obvious superiority or wonderful good looks, but because of its price. By the end of its shelf life, Microsoft was practically giving them away. This is where the 435 is intended to sit, and as a phone meant to be sold in shovels, it is well worth a look.”
“The Lumia 435 would make an ok first phone or travel burner, but there better Android phones out there. Battery life is paramount at this price and the Lumia 435’s battery is no more than average, while the app selection remains patchy.If you can’t afford pricier phones like the excellent 2015 Moto E, consider last year’s Moto E (2014) instead. It can still be found for around £50, matches the 435 for specs and its Android OS offers an easier first time experience and great upgrade options in future. Alternatively, our best cheap phones round-up has plenty of better phones at this price.”
“The Microsoft Lumia 435 is the best phone you can buy under £50, even accepting the tired old Windows Phone apps argument. Bottom of Microsoft's line-up and just £49.99 on PAYG it's by no means a great phone, but for first-time or light users it wipes the floor with similarly priced Android phones (and iOS at this price point is just a pipe dream - or a nightmare, but whichever way you look at it, it's not going to happen). Unlike the more expensive Lumia 535, Microsoft has confirmed that the Lumia 435 will get Windows 10 when it is released later this year, which will make this the cheapest entry point for a Windows 10 computer, and that alone makes it well worth a look.”
Watch before you decide
What people say
Only a few ratings so far, not enough to show a trend yet.
1 rating so far
The Nokia update phone the 635 has no front camera at least this does
In Depth
The Lumia line has its share of budget phones, but the Lumia 435 takes the cake as one of the cheapest. The low price tag is meant to lure in people those who would normally buy a feature phone due to their lower costs. It sports the same bright color options as the rest of the line though it is fairly thick at 0.5 inches and weighs quite a bit (134 grams) considering its overall size of 4.6 x 2.6 inches. Despite this, experts were surprised how comfortable it was to hold, though some did find the edges too sharp for their tastes. They also point out that while it might be a budget phone it had a solid build quality and did not creak or flex under pressure.
With that said the low price tag means Microsoft did need to cut some corners in terms of specs, most notably the screen. With no Gorilla Glass protection the screen will be more likely to crack or shatter when dropped. After short usage sessions, critics noticed the screen was covered in fingerprints and smudges making it necessary for them to wipe quite often. At four inches, it is much smaller than many other smartphones in its price range and yet it only offers a resolution of 480 x 800 for a pixel density of 233ppi. Since it is does not even offer HD resolution, it is no surprise critics noticed lack of details in pictures, fuzziness around icons and less than vibrant colors. Luckily, they found the overall sunlight legibility to be good enough though viewing angles were less than stellar with light levels and colors fading away when viewed in any direction besides straight on.
It should come as no surprise that the internal specs are fairly basic: a dual core 1.2GHz quad-core processor and 1GB of RAM. For the most part critics only had the occasional lag when swiping through the homepage and opening apps. The problem became more severe once they started playing 3D games making many of the newer games practically unplayable. It also only comes with 8GB of internal storage though it does offer a microSD slot and it does not support 4G. The small 1,560mAh battery lasted reviewers around 16-hours with moderate usage thanks to the lower powered screen and processor. As an added bonus, the battery is also removable so you can carry spare charged batteries for those times you know you won’t be near a charger and outlet. While the phone might be low on specs, it does support Cortana – Microsoft’s voice assistant – as well as the standard Microsoft apps of Office, OneDrive and OneNote.
Like the rest of the phone, the 2MP rear camera is unimpressive. The fact it is fixed focus also disappointed many critics as most of their pictures turned out blurry and lacked fine detail even in good lighting situations. Still, they add the pictures did have decent color reproduction and dynamic range. While it does not come with a flash, the 435 does add a 0.3MP front camera, a rarity among budget smartphones, for selfies and video calls.
Although long-time smartphone users won’t give the Lumia 435 a second-glance, these aren’t the people Microsoft is targeting. Instead, it is meant to attract first time owners. In that respect, reviewers believe the 435 is successful in its goal. ZDNet states, “Cheap the Lumia 435 is, but throw-away it is not…” All About Windows Phones adds, “…the 435 claims the bottom line of the Lumia stack with a vengeance…”
What people actually want to know
When was the Microsoft Lumia 435 released?
The Microsoft Lumia 435 was released on February 7, 2015.
How long does the battery last on the Microsoft Lumia 435?
The Microsoft Lumia 435 has a 1,560 mAh battery.
Does the Microsoft Lumia 435 have a headphone jack?
Yes, the Microsoft Lumia 435 has a 3.5mm headphone jack.
Does the Microsoft Lumia 435 have NFC?
No, the Microsoft Lumia 435 does not have NFC. Contactless payments and tap-to-pair will not be available.
Where can I get support for the Microsoft Lumia 435?
Visit Microsoft's official support page for warranty info, repairs, and troubleshooting.
Where can I download the Microsoft Lumia 435 manual?
You can view and download the Microsoft Lumia 435 manual on our dedicated manual page.
Questions & answers
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