Last night, AT&T and Microsoft's Stephen Elop let it the world know that the 'affordable flagship' Lumia 830, announced last week in Berlin, is coming to the US carrier in the coming months. However, Verizon Wireless has lately overshadowed AT&T for new Windows Phones, as 'Big Red' has managed to scoop up the Lumia Icon (aka Lumia 930), Samsung ATIV SE and HTC One for Windows.
Nevertheless, one missing link in Verizon's portfolio is a new mid-range Windows Phone, as the others are all considered high-end and flagship.
Windows Phone Central has learned though that Verizon is planning to get the Lumia 735, likely in the coming weeks. Branded-devices are now making the rounds, according to numerous sources familiar with the matter, suggesting carrier approval is in its final stages. Of course, until Verizon official announces the budget phone, plans may change.
Retired site evleaks noted back in a June that Verizon is slated to get 'Superman' a mid-range Lumia with Windows Phone 8.1 Update 1, and this looks to be the carry through on that report.
The Lumia 730 (dual SIM) and Lumia 735 (single SIM, LTE), are follow-ups to the well-received Lumia 720. Featuring a 5MP front-facing camera, the so-called Lumia 735 'selfie phone' is meant to appeal to a younger audience who cannot afford the pricier HTC One for Windows, which also has a 5 MP front-facing camera.
The rest of the specs for the Lumia 735 include a 4.7-inch 720P display with ClearBlack, a 1.2 GHz Quad-Core Snapdragon 400, 1 GB of RAM and 8 GB internal storage (with micro SD expansion).
The build quality of the Lumia 735, detailed above in our hands on video, makes the device highly appealing for non-enthusiast shoppers. In many ways, the Lumia 730/735 borrows aspects from the Lumia 920's design and brings them down to a more affordable handset.
Exclusives?
One touchy issue with US customers regards the issue of exclusivity of smartphone handsets. Although AT&T has announced a Lumia 830, and our report claims Verizon is getting the Lumia 735, neither necessarily mean that the handsets are exclusive to their respective carriers. In other words, we can consider this news as AT&T is at least getting the Lumia 830, and Verizon the Lumia 735. It also says nothing about T-Mobile or Sprint, whose plans remain unknown at this time.
However, due to the closeness in naming and ranges, it would be surprising to see AT&T or Verizon get both the Lumia 730 and Lumia 830, unless they see the value to their Windows Phone portfolio aka strong demand. Still, until more official news comes out, we will have to wait and see.
