Living extra large

Microsoft’s Lumia 640 XL is for those who want to go big without spending, well... big!

Two things are on my mind about Microsoft these days; I’ll save the second one for later.
For now, let’s focus on its big offering in the phablet wars — the Microsoft Lumia 640 XL. Even though it might seem a bit early, I can declare we have something that is potentially great value for money.
For starters, this smart-phone is a tad larger than the phablets we’re used to out there in the market, with a 5.7” display that is bright and cool to look at, but not as high-resolution as many others. The home screen is, well, home to the customisable Live Tiles, showing the essential stuff you need and want. The plastic back cover, while not giving off a premium feel, still makes for a good build. It’s also removable, and it’s at the rear where you get to slot in two SIM cards and a microSD card, the latter which you’ll definitely need since the phone comes with only 8GB of internal storage. And while the specs aren’t top tier — and you’ll figure out why when you see the price tag — this mobile still works fairly fast.
The biggest problem with Windows phones — for the nth time — is the limited choices for apps. Case in point: try searching the Windows Store for any Google Product – Gmail, YouTube, etc — and you’ll find in the results that the apps bearing these names aren’t made by Google itself. At least BlackBerry Messenger is pre-installed, as well as the you-know-whats of the social media world. The 13MP main camera does a fair job at snapping away, although low-light conditions tend to be a bit of a hassle, especially when you zoom in.
A consistent good point for Lumias, so far, is its battery life; this one didn’t have a problem approaching the two-day mark. Some more gaming and video-watching left me with about 20 per cent before going to bed, which is a fairly good figure.
AND SO…
The Microsoft Lumia 640 XL doesn’t present much of a change from its predecessors. It still feels like the top-line Lumias that came out before, which means we’re still waiting for that next uber-awesome thing from Micro-soft and its Windows Phone platform, especially with Windows 10 slated to come out later this year.
Yet, this device merits serious consideration for those who want a big phone, but on a budget. And that second thing about Microsoft that I mentioned? Not much; I just “met” its CEO, Satya Nadella, in Beijing recently. Just being in the crowd and listening to him speak was enough for me. 
alvin@khaleejtimes.com

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