Microsoft buffs its mid-range with Lumia 640, 640 XL

BARCELONA, Spain—Microsoft continues to solidify Windows Phone's mid-range lineup with the announcement today of the Lumia 640 and Lumia 640 XL.

The core stats of the phones are typical for mid-range phones: 1GB RAM, 8GB storage (expandable with microSD), quad-core 1.2GHz Snapdragon 400 processors. The RAM is an important upgrade from the current models in this price bracket, the Lumia 630 and 635; these only have 512MB, which limits their software compatibility. Both phones sport 1280×720 screens, again an upgrade from the 854×480 of the 630/635.

In another important upgrade over the 630/635, both include proximity and ambient light sensors. They also add digital compasses and support the SensorCore platform, enabling them to somewhat function as pedometers.

Their major differences are in their displays and their cameras. The 640 has a 5-inch 294 ppi screen, an 8MP autofocus rear camera with a 28mm f/2.2 autofocus lens, LED flash, and support for 1080p30 video, and a 1MP front-facing camera with a wide-angle f/2.4 lens and support for 720p video.

The 640 XL has a 5.7-inch 259 ppi screen, a 13MP autofocus camera with an LED flash and 1080p30 video, and a 5MP fixed focus front-facing camera that also supports 1080p video. Both screens are IPS LCDs with a Gorilla Glass 3 protective layer. The camera isn't PureView branded, but this is nonetheless a big step up in capabilities.

Both versions will support the convenient Lumia Glance feature to keep the time and notification information on-screen even when the display is "off."

The 640 XL's larger screen also creates room for a larger battery; 3000mAh to the 640's 2500mAh (again comparing favorably to the 1830mAh in the 630/635).

Stylistically, they follow the trend set by the other low-end and mid-range Lumia handsets: black fronts, on-screen buttons, and colorful removable wraparound polycarbonate shells in a choice of orange, cyan, black, and white.

The handsets also introduce a slightly different approach to Microsoft's naming and numbering convention. The 640 XL replaces the Lumia 1320, which was a mid-range phablet with a high number, but markedly worse specs than, for example, the Lumia 930. While the 640 XL is bigger than the 640, its internals are the same, so the new version number makes sense.

The company also isn't giving different model numbers to different radio options. The 640 will have three versions: dual-SIM 3G, single SIM LTE, and a new dual-SIM LTE variant. The 640 XL will have four different flavors, adding a single SIM 3G option. The extensive range of bands supported means that the phones should offer LTE support throughout most of the world, too.

We understand that pricing should be fairly competitive, too, with the 640 at around $185, and the 640XL at around $235. The phones will support Windows 10 when it is released, and Microsoft will be advertising them as "Windows 10 Ready."

Listing image by Microsoft