Microsoft Devices today launched the Microsoft Lumia 535 with the latest Windows Phone 8.1 operating system and Lumia Denim, bringing the Microsoft services to an affordable price level of Rs. 9,199.

Ajey Mehta, managing director, Nokia India Sales Pvt. Ltd. Said –

“Younger tech-involved audiences are increasingly looking at an uncompromised experience on their smartphones. With access to the best services right out of the box at a price they can afford, we believe the Lumia 535 is an ideal solution to offer young India.”

Specifications ofMicrosoft Lumia 535 Dual SIM are –

• 5-inch IPS display with Corning Gorilla Glass 3 protection
• 960 x 540 pixels Resolution
• 1.2 GHz quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 200 processor
• 1GB RAM
• 8GB internal memory, expandable memory up to 128GB
• OS – Windows Phone 8.1 with Lumia Denim
• SIM Capacity – Dual SIM
• Rear Camera – 5MP autofocus
• Front Camera – 5MP
• Dimensions – 140.2×72.4×8.8 mm
• Weight – 146 grams
• Battery – 1905 mAh
• Colors Available –  Cyan, Bright Green, Bright Orange, White, Dark Grey and Black

All Lumia 535 owners on Vodafone subscriptions will get to enjoy 500 MB data internet pack per month, free of cost for 2 months. Online shoppers can use the Windows Phone Jabong app to get a total of Rs. 6000 off on their purchase over a period of 3 months. They can also avail eBooks worth Rs.1,500 free on Flipkart. Paytm, will offer Rs. 600 worth of extra charge on any recharge. Two months of BoxTv subscription worth Rs. 720 will be given absolutely free.

Celkon launched a new smartphone called the Win 400, company’s first Windows Phone smartphone priced at Rs 4,999 and exclusively available on Snapdeal.

Specifications of Celkon Win 400 are –

• Display – 4-inch capacitive touch screen
• Resolution – 800 x 400 pixels
• Processor – 1.3 GHz quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 200 (MSM 8212)
• RAM – 512MB
• Internal Storage – 4GB expandable with microSD
• OS  – Windows Phone 8.1
• SIM Support – Dual SIM
• Dimensions: 125.4 x 65 x 10.3 mm
• Weight: 121 grams
• Rear Camera – 5MP with LED Flash
• Front Camera – 1.3MP
• Battery – 1500 mAh
• Colors Available – Black

Snapdeal mentions that the retail price of the device is actually Rs 6,400, which puts it in competition with the Micromax Canvas Win W092. But the e-commerce site is offering a 22 percent discount on MRP, which brings the price down to Rs 4,999.

HTC has launched the Windows Phone 8.1-based variant of its HTC One (M8) flagship exclusively for US carrier Verizon Wireless. Called HTC One (M8) for Windows, it will be available starting Tuesday through for $99 with a two-year contract and $599 without one.

The HTC One M8 for Windows is running Windows Phone 8.1 with the developer preview of Update 1. That means it includes Cortana, Microsoft’s personal digital assistant, a notification center and the Update 1 features like nested folders and consumer VPN support.

HTC spokesman Jeff Gordon said -

“By no means does this indicate we’re moving away from Android, HTC was the first company to release a phone using Google’s Android operating system back in 2008, but it now lags behind Samsung, Huawei, Lenovo and other makers of Android phones despite critical acclaim for the HTC One.”

The HTC One M8 for Windows is powered by Qualcomm Snapdragon 801 processor clocked at 2.3GHz, 32GB of internal storage, 2GB of RAM, a 5-inch FullHD display, and of course HTC’s specialties BoomSound and Ultrapixel camera. The M8 for Windows Phone runs on Windows Phone 8.1, the latest version of Microsoft’s mobile OS that touts Cortana as well as many other improvements.

Official changelog provided by Microsoft for Windows Phone 8.1 update 1 (GDR1) include -

• OS version – 8.10.14141.167 or 8.10.14147.180

• Folders – Folders let you organize your Start screen the way you want. Just push one Tile on top of another one to create a folder and get going.

• Messaging – Combine multiple text messages into one, and then forward them to someone else.

• Selection – With improved selection, you can now delete multiple calls, messages, or contacts.

• Apps Corner – Apps Corner lets you specify apps other people can use on a Windows Phone. Great for individuals and any-sized organizations who want to provide only the essential apps for others to use for work, school, or any other reason.

• Alarms – Now you can customize the snooze time for an alarm, and then enjoy a little more shuteye for the time you want.

• Accessory apps – Use accessory apps to get notifications from your phone on your smart watch, active phone cover, fitness tracker, or other kinds of accessories.

• Internet sharing – Now you can share your cellular data connection over Bluetooth, so you can get an Internet connection on more kinds of devices.

• VPN – VPN now supports L2TP, which lets you connect to more VPN services. Whether you connect to a VPN for work or personal use, you can do it on your Windows Phone.

• Narrator – Narrator now has touch typing and a way for you to turn off hints for controls and buttons if you don’t want them read aloud. Some other improvements to Narrator help you unlock your phone a little more quickly, find and use the Back, Start, and Search buttons more easily, and tell you when your phone screen is on or off.

BlackBerry has announced that its popular BlackBerry Messenger (BBM) app is now available for all Windows Phone 8 users. Company said that the Windows Phone platform got 10,000 sign-ups within 24 hours after the registrations began earlier this month. Users running Windows Phone 8 and higher can download the app and start chatting with other BBM users on Windows Phone, iPhone, Android and BlackBerry.

Features of BBM Beta for Windows Phone -

Chat with friends on Windows Phone, iPhone, Android and BlackBerry -

• Know when messages have been delivered (D’s) and read (R’s)
• Quickly share photos, voice notes, BBM contacts and your location
• See when contacts are responding to your message
• Emoticons for every mood and emotion let you express yourself

BBM, now specially designed for Windows Phone -

• BBM picks up the modern look & feel of Windows Phone
• Pin BBM Groups and 1:1 chats to the Start screen for easy access to your most important chats

Chat and Share with many at once -

• Groups – BBM groups help you share pictures, lists and appointments with group members. You can even be in a group with people who aren’t part of your own BBM contact list. You can add up to 50 people.
• Multi-person chats – Invite multiple contacts to have a chat together.
• Broadcast messages – Send a message to multiple BBM contacts at one time.
• Find Friends: Discover people you know that are also using BBM and invite them to your BBM contact list, from within the app
• BBM Feeds: Feeds lets you see what’s happening with your BBM contacts. Here you will see when contacts update their status or profile photo.

 BBM lets you protect your privacy. You control it -

• You chose how to share your information – BBM uses PINs instead of phone numbers or email addresses so that it’s more private and you always control who can contact you
• You chose your contacts – 2-way opt-in means you have control over who is able to message you

Create your own BBM profile -

• Post a profile picture using images or pictures
• Update your status to let people know what you’re up to or how you feel

Feature of Lumia 530 are -

• Latest version of Windows Phone 8.1 including one-swipe notifications from Action Center.
• Fast Word Flow keyboard.
• Powerful quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon processor to deliver a superfast user experience.
• Seamless integration with Microsoft services such as Skype and Microsoft Office.
• Personalization with changeable shells in bright orange and bright green in addition to the dark grey and white options.

Specifications of Lumia 530 are -

• Display – 4 inch LCD
• Processor – 1.2 GHz Quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon™ 200
• Rear Camera – 5 megapixels
• Front Camera – No Camera
• OS – Windows Phone 8.1
• Resolution – 854 x 480 pixels
• RAM – 512 MB
• Internal Storage – 4 GB expandable up to 128 GB
• Dimensions – 119.7×62.3×11.7mm
• Weight – 128 grams
• Battery – 1,430 mAh
• Colors Available – Bright Orange, Bright Green, Dark Grey, and White

Micromax has launched two Windows Phone 8.1 smartphones – Canvas Win W121 and Canvas Win W092 at Rs 9,500 and Rs 6,500, respectively. The Canvas Win W092 and Canvas Win W121 feature dual-SIM support.

Aming to intensify competition in the smartphone and tablets space, Microsoft partnered with Micromax to offer Windows 8.1-powered OS smartphones in the country in April this year. The deal was announced at Microsoft’s BUILD conference in San Francisco.

Sanjay Kapoor, Chairman, Micromax said -

“With our vision to democratize technology and belief in providing consumers with choice of platforms, we are pleased to introduce a new range of Windows-based phones. I am pleased that Micromax is the only Indian mobile phone brand to be present across the two most popular operating platforms in the world.”

Bhaskar Pramanik, Chairman, Microsoft India said -

“I congratulate Micromax on the launch of their first Windows Phone today. The Micromax Canvas Win will be available both in India and other emerging markets. Our deep engagement with local OEMs is one of the engines of growth for Windows Phone and we are proud of our partnership with Micromax. With Micromax Canvas Win, Windows Phone is now available to a whole new group of consumers in India, who are looking for innovation and value.”

Specifications of Micromax Canvas Win W121 are -

• Display – 5.00-inch
• Processor – 1.2GHz
• Front Camera – 2-megapixel
• Resolution – 720×1280 pixels
• RAM – 1GB
• OS – Windows Phone 8.1
• Storage – 8GB
• Rear Camera – 8-megapixel
• Battery capacity – 2000mAh

Specifications of Micromax Canvas Win W092 are -

• Display – 4.00-inch
• Processor – 1.2GHz
• Front Camera – 2-megapixel
• Resolution – 480×800 pixels
• RAM – 1GB
• OS – Windows Phone 8.1
• Storage – 8GB
• Rear Camera – 8-megapixel
• Battery capacity – 1500mAh