Microsoft Lumia 435 Quick Review

Microsoft Lumia 435 Quick Review

Brief:  An insanely cheap wonder device.

Price:  £30 payg or from £15 payg upgrade

Specification: See here.  http://www.microsoft.com/en-gb/mobile/phone/lumia435/specifications/

Accessories:  Err you get a charger.  However eBay can furnish you with cases galore.

Build Quality:  While it might not be as amazing as higher end devices, it’s still very good and for it having a removable back and battery, it feels very solid and snuggly put together.

Aesthetics:  Hmm not sure I’m loving the white but you can always change the back cover. It’s not what I’d call a pretty device, it’s a little rotund, but it’s easy enough on the eye.

As a Phone:  Well WP is remarkably snappy on such mediocre hardware.   Sure it once or twice stuttered or jarred but come on, it’s so cheap.  That it cannot just make calls but do essentially everything a £700 smartphone can do is a miracle.  You really can use it as your only phone.  Sure it’s not the “best” phone in the world but come on, it’s just so cheap it’s a marvel how good it is.

Sound: While it’s not up to the now also cheap 635, once more it’s amazing for the price.  It’s actually quite a credible little DAP if needs be.  You could get an up to 128GB micro SD card, fill it with audio and you’d have a pretty reasonable little DAP.  Tonally it’s a bit on the dry/cool side of things.  Bass is a little cold, it wants to punch rather than bloom.  Its depth isn’t quite all that, its little amp hasn’t quite got the oomph behind it to power those down deep lows.  Mids are pleasant, little bit cool, little bit dry.  A touch bland and calm vocally.  Once more its amp hasn’t got the power to really open things up and get some real dynamics going.  Highs, ditto.  Nicely clean, bit dry so it feels very clear but it just has not got the juice to really throw energy into things.  Overall ‘tis a nice, pleasant and rather clean feeling DAP.

Given the price of the 435 means it’s likely going to be paired with errm, not terribly high quality earphones meaning it is likely a good companion to the overly bassy dross its likely to run into.  The drama and bass cannon earphone meeting the cleanly even 435.  It really ought to make for a complimentary pairing.

Value:  Such incredibly good value, it is so cheap, not just cheap but stupidly cheap.  The car place currently is selling them for just £15 on payg upgrades.  £15 for a real smartphone that aside from having a “flash” to use a torch can do practically everything that high-end phones can do.  It’s not a perfect device but value wise it’s simply off the scale.

Pro’s:  Practically free.  Sound’s cleanly competent.  Stupendously cheap.

Con’s:  Err, no flash to use as a torch on the back.