Microsoft Lumia 435, we have tested it

The Nokia Lumia 435 is an entry phone from the American company. A terminal that bets on color and that sports a compact four-inch screen. In its guts we find the Windows Phone operating system with some of the latest developments in this platform, such as the voice assistant Cortana . This interesting tool interacts with us and shows relevant information according to our preferences. The Nokia Lumia 435 can already be found on the market at a price of 90 euros. We have had the opportunity to test this terminal in depth, we tell you our impressions.

The Windows Phone experience with Cortana

Cortana is a name that will sound more and more familiar to you. Not only because of its presence on Windows Phone , but because this assistant will also come standard with the Windows 10 operating system . The concept is simple. A voice assistant that offers all kinds of information on different topics when we interact with it. The first step to squeeze all the juice out of this tool is to establish different interests and routines, such as the route to work so that Cortana can tell us the traffic status each day, the latest sports news or the weather for the area in which that we are situated. Also, either through voice or by writing our orders, this assistant becomes a perfect companion to open a phone application or to start a search on the web. By the way, we really liked the voice recognition, on par with Google's (and maybe even better).

Among the new features of Windows Phone 8.1 , one of the aspects that has been improved the most is the notification bar. It now provides more details about notifications and allows access to the camera directly via an icon, which can greatly speed up taking photos. In addition, this platform has been greatly optimized so that even the most humble terminals can run it in an agile way. In fact, Microsoft is finding its main market niche in entry-level equipment, since it generally offers us a more complete experience than what could be achieved on an Android device of the same range.price (and a brand considered main). Sure, the problem is still in the app ecosystem. The low relevance of Windows Phone in the market has made developers show less interest in creating apps for this platform from the beginning, or even make them worse (a very clear example of this was WhatsApp). And this is where we find the great handicap of phones like the Lumia 435 .

Compact design

First Nokia and then Microsoft have been evolving the designs of Lumia devices towards an increasingly versatile use of materials. From the first terminals with a robust one-piece design, there has been an increasing trend towards the use of plastic . Even the Nokia Lumia 830 seemed to us that this twist maintained a certain balance between color and design unity, but it gives us the impression that the firm has gone too far with the Lumia 435. Its plastic casing surrounds the centerpiece giving it a very rectangular shape (the corners can be annoying) and creating the feeling that it is a cover added afterwards,instead of an integral part of the phone. In fact, to be able to insert the SIM card or the MicroSD card, the case must be removed.

Complete measurements of this model are placed in the 118.1 x 64.7 x 11.7 mm and its weight in 134 grams . These are thicker and heavier measures than what we are used to seeing, but the Lumia's war has never been to get the thinnest mobile. Being more compact in size, it is easy to grip by hand, and the rubber-like feel of the casing helps prevent the device from slipping by mistake. As for its four-inch IPS screen , it does the job. The tactile response is good but do not expect great displays when viewing images or videos in a matter of color. By the way, the resolution is placed at 800 x 480 pixels, which yields a level of detail of 233 dots per inch.

Memory and multimedia

We have already advanced before that the processor of the Lumia 435 is humble. A Qualcomm Snapdragon 200 dual-core chip with 1.2GHz per core, paired with 1GB of RAM. But this is not Android and the truth is that most apps and games run with good fluency, which is very welcome. The internal memory of this model amounts to 8 GB (more or less it will give us 3.85 GB of personal files once we subtract the space occupied by the system and pre-installed applications). In principle, it is a capacity that can be used without problems for normal use of the equipment. In case of need, we can use a MicroSD memory card.

Within the photographic section Microsoft has not lavished much. This phone includes a simple 2 - megapixel rear camera and a front camera with VGA resolution. The audio system is not bad for a device in this price range, both in terms of quality and power.

Connections, autonomy and price

The Lumia 435 Microsoft is not compatible with 4G networks. This absence may not be a great impediment if you do not download or upload large files regularly, and neither does the use of such a compact screen demand high quality video. However, it has become a very strong claim from manufacturers and operators and places the Lumia 435 a step below other proposals such as the Motorola Moto Eof this year. Other phone connections include WiFi, Bluetooth and a-GPS to use apps like Here Maps from Nokia. The battery in this model has a capacity of 1,560 milliamps. It is not a mobile that stands out especially for its autonomy, but it can easily endure a full day of sporadic use without having to look for a plug.

And we come to what is the most attractive point of this phone. Its price. Its just 70 euros make it a very interesting option for people who want to make contact with a smartphone for the first time, for young people and for older adults. One of the advantages of Windows Phone is its use of well-sized icons and menus. In short, an alternative that leaves us with a good taste in the mouth when we look at the value for money.