Microsoft lumiya 640 xl. Notebook and organizer

Information about the brand, model and alternative names of a specific device, if any.

Design

Information about the dimensions and weight of the device, presented in different units of measurement. Used materials, offered colors, certificates.

Width Width information - refers to the horizontal side of the device in its standard orientation during use.	81.5 mm (millimeters) 8.15 cm (centimeters) 0.27 ft (feet) 3.21 in (inches)
Height Height information - refers to the vertical side of the device in its standard orientation during use.	157.9 mm (millimeters) 15.79 cm (centimeters) 0.52 ft (feet) 6.22 in (inches)
Thickness Information about the thickness of the device in different units of measurement.	9 mm (millimeters) 0.9 cm (centimeters) 0.03 ft (feet) 0.35 in (inches)
The weight Information about the weight of the device in different units of measurement.	171 g (grams) 0.38 lbs (pounds) 6.03 oz (ounces)
Volume The approximate volume of the device, calculated based on the dimensions provided by the manufacturer. Refers to devices with a rectangular parallelepiped shape.	115.82 cm³ (cubic centimeters) 7.03 in³ (cubic inches)
Colors Information about the colors in which this device is offered for sale.	White Black Orange Blue-green
Materials for the manufacture of the case Materials used for the manufacture of the device body.	Plastic

SIM card

The SIM card is used in mobile devices to store data that certifies the authenticity of mobile service subscribers.

Mobile networks

A mobile network is a radio system that allows multiple mobile devices to communicate with each other.

Mobile technology and data rates

Communication between devices in mobile networks is carried out using technologies that provide different data rates.

Operating system

An operating system is the system software that controls and coordinates the operation of the hardware components on a device.

SoC (System on a Chip)

A system on a chip (SoC) integrates all the major hardware components of a mobile device into a single chip.

SoC (System on a Chip) A system on a chip (SoC) integrates various hardware components such as a processor, graphics processor, memory, peripherals, interfaces, etc., as well as the software required for their operation.	Qualcomm Snapdragon 400 MSM8226
Technological process Information about the technological process by which the chip is manufactured. The value in nanometers is half the distance between the elements in the processor.	28 nm (nanometers)
Processor (CPU) The main function of the processor (CPU) of a mobile device is to interpret and execute instructions contained in software applications.	ARM Cortex-A7
Processor size The bit size of the processor is determined by the size (in bits) of registers, address buses and data buses. 64-bit processors offer better performance than 32-bit processors, which are more efficient than 16-bit processors.	32 bit
Instruction set architecture Instructions are commands with which the software sets / controls the operation of the processor. Information about the instruction set (ISA) that the processor can execute.	ARMv7
Level 1 cache (L1) The cache memory is used by the processor to reduce the time it takes to access more frequently used data and instructions. L1 (Level 1) cache is small and is much faster than both system memory and other levels of cache. If the processor does not find the requested data in L1, it continues to look for it in the L2 cache. On some processors, this search is performed simultaneously in L1 and L2.	16 KB + 16 KB (kilobytes)
L2 cache L2 (level 2) cache is slower than L1, but instead has a larger capacity to cache more data. It, like L1, is much faster than system memory (RAM). If the processor does not find the requested data in L2, it continues to look for them in L3 cache memory (if available) or in RAM memory.	1024 KB (kilobytes) 1 MB (megabytes)
Number of processor cores The processor core executes program instructions. There are processors with one, two or more cores. Having more cores increases performance by allowing multiple instructions to execute in parallel.	4
CPU clock speed The clock speed of a processor describes its speed in cycles per second. It is measured in megahertz (MHz) or gigahertz (GHz).	1200 MHz (megahertz)
Graphics processing unit (GPU) A graphics processing unit (GPU) handles computation for a variety of 2D / 3D graphics applications. V mobile devices it is used most often by games, consumer interface, video applications, and more.	Qualcomm Adreno 305
Number of GPU cores Like a processor, a GPU is made up of several working parts called cores. They handle the graphical computation of various applications.	1
GPU clock speed Speed ​​is the clock speed of the GPU and is measured in megahertz (MHz) or gigahertz (GHz).	450 MHz (megahertz)
Volume random access memory(RAM) Random access memory (RAM) is used by the operating system and all installed applications. The data that is saved in the RAM is lost after the device is turned off or restarted.	1 GB (gigabytes)

Built-in memory

Each mobile device has built-in (non-removable) fixed memory.

Memory cards

Memory cards are used in mobile devices to increase the storage space for data.

Screen

The screen of a mobile device is characterized by its technology, resolution, pixel density, diagonal length, color depth, etc.

Type / technology One of the main characteristics of the screen is the technology by which it is made and on which the image quality of information directly depends.	IPS
Diagonal On mobile devices, screen size is expressed in terms of the length of its diagonal, measured in inches.	5.7 in (inches) 144.78 mm (millimeters) 14.48 cm (centimeters)
Width Approximate screen width	2.79 in (inches) 70.98 mm (millimeters) 7.1 cm (centimeters)
Height Approximate screen height	4.97 in (inches) 126.19 mm (millimeters) 12.62 cm (centimeters)
Aspect ratio The aspect ratio of the long side of the screen to its short side	1.778:1 16:9
Permission Screen resolution indicates the number of pixels horizontally and vertically on the screen. Higher resolution means sharper image detail.	720 x 1280 pixels
Pixel density Information about the number of pixels per centimeter or inch of the screen. Higher density allows information to be shown on the screen in clearer detail.	258 ppi (pixels per inch) 101 ppcm (pixels per centimeter)
Color depth Screen color depth reflects the total number of bits used for color components in one pixel. Information about the maximum number of colors that the screen can display.	24 bit 16777216 flowers
Screen footprint The approximate percentage of the display area on the front of the device.	69.82% (percent)
Other characteristics Information about other functions and features of the screen.	Capacitive Multitouch Scratch resistant
	Corning Gorilla Glass 3 ClearBlack display

Sensors

Different sensors perform different quantitative measurements and convert physical metrics into signals that can be recognized by the mobile device.

Rear camera

The main camera of a mobile device is usually located on its rear panel and can be combined with one or more additional cameras.

Sensor type Information about the type of camera sensor. Some of the most widely used types of sensors in mobile cameras are CMOS, BSI, ISOCELL, and others.	CMOS BSI (backside illumination)
Sensor size Information about the dimensions of the photosensor used in the device. Typically, cameras with a larger sensor and lower pixel density offer higher image quality despite lower resolution.	4.8 x 3.6 mm (millimeters) 0.24 in (inches)
Pixel size Pixels are usually measured in microns. Larger pixels are capable of capturing more light and therefore provide better low-light performance and a wider dynamic range than smaller pixels. On the other hand, smaller pixels allow for higher resolution while maintaining the same sensor size.	1.154 μm (micrometers) 0.001154 mm (millimeters)
Crop factor The crop factor is the ratio between the size of a full-frame sensor (36 x 24 mm, equivalent to a frame of standard 35 mm film) and the size of the device's photo sensor. The number shown is the ratio of the diagonals of a full-frame sensor (43.3 mm) to that of a particular device's photo sensor.	7.21
Light-strength	f / 2
Focal length	3.88 mm (millimeters) 28 mm (millimeters) * (35 mm / full frame)
Flash type The rear (rear) cameras of mobile devices mainly use LED flashes. They can be configured with one, two or more light sources and vary in shape.	LED
Image Resolution	4160 x 3120 pixels 12.98 MP (megapixels)
Video resolution	1920 x 1080 pixels 2.07 MP (megapixels)
Video recording rate (frame rate) Information about the maximum recording rate (frames per second, fps) supported by the camera at maximum resolution. Some of the most basic video recording speeds are 24 fps, 25 fps, 30 fps, 60 fps.	30 frames / sec (frames per second)
Specifications Information about additional software and hardware features of the rear (rear) camera.	Autofocus Burst shooting Digital zoom Digital image stabilization Geographic tags Panoramic shooting HDR shooting Touch focus Face recognition Adjusting the white balance ISO setting Exposure compensation Scene selection mode
	Carl zeiss lens

Front-camera

Smartphones have one or more front cameras of different designs - pop-up camera, PTZ camera, notch or hole in the display, camera under the display.

Light-strength Aperture (also known as aperture, aperture, or f-number) is a measure of the size of the lens aperture, which determines the amount of light entering the sensor. The lower the f-number, the larger the aperture and the more light reaches the sensor. Typically, the f-number is indicated, which corresponds to the largest possible aperture of the aperture.	f / 2.4
Focal length The focal length indicates the distance in millimeters from the sensor to the optical center of the lens. Equivalent focal length (35mm) is the focal length of a mobile device camera, equated to the focal length of a 35mm full-frame sensor, at which the same angle of view will be achieved. It is calculated by multiplying the real focal length of the mobile device camera by the crop factor of its sensor. The crop factor can be defined as the ratio between the diagonals of a 35mm full-size sensor and a mobile device sensor.	24 mm (millimeters) * (35 mm / full frame)
Image Resolution Resolution is one of the main characteristics of cameras. It represents the number of horizontal and vertical pixels in the image. For convenience, smartphone manufacturers often quote resolutions in megapixels, indicating the approximate number of pixels in millions.	2560 x 1920 pixels 4.92 MP (megapixels)
Video resolution Information about the maximum video resolution that the camera can record.	1920 x 1080 pixels 2.07 MP (megapixels)

Audio

Information about the type of speakers and audio technology supported by the device.

Radio

The radio of the mobile device is a built-in FM receiver.

Locating

Information about the navigation and positioning technologies supported by the device.

Wi-Fi

Wi-Fi is a technology that enables wireless communication for transferring data over short distances between various devices.

Bluetooth

Bluetooth is a standard for secure wireless transfer of data between different types of devices over short distances.

Version There are several versions of Bluetooth, each of which improves communication speed, coverage, and makes it easier to find and connect devices. Information about the Bluetooth version of the device.	4.0
Specifications Bluetooth uses different profiles and protocols to enable faster communication, energy savings, better device discovery, and more. Some of these profiles and protocols that the device supports are shown here.	A2DP (Advanced Audio Distribution Profile) AVRCP (Audio / Visual Remote Control Profile) GATT (Generic Attribute Profile) HFP (Hands-Free Profile) HID (Human Interface Profile) MAP (Message Access Profile) OPP (Object Push Profile) PAN (Personal Area Networking Profile) PBAP / PAB (Phone Book Access Profile)

USB

USB (Universal Serial Bus) is an industry standard that allows different electronic devices to exchange data.

Headphone jack

This is an audio connector, which is also called an audio connector. The most widely used standard in mobile devices is the 3.5mm headphone jack.

Connecting devices

Information about other important connection technologies supported by the device.

Browser

A web browser is a software application for accessing and viewing information on the Internet.

Video file formats / codecs

Mobile devices support different video file formats and codecs, which respectively store and encode / decode digital video data.

Battery

Mobile device batteries differ in their capacity and technology. They provide the electrical charge required for their function.

Capacity Battery capacity indicates the maximum charge it can store, measured in milliampere-hours.	3000 mAh (milliampere-hours)
Type of The type of battery is determined by its structure and, more precisely, by the chemicals used. There are different types of batteries, with lithium-ion and lithium-ion polymer batteries most commonly used in mobile devices.	Li-Ion (Lithium-ion)
Talk time 2G Talk time in 2G is the period of time during which the battery charge is completely discharged during a continuous conversation on a 2G network.	31 hours 18 minutes 31.3 h (hours) 1878 minutes (minutes) 1.3 days
Standby time 2G Standby time in 2G is the period of time during which the battery charge is completely discharged when the device is in stand-by mode and connected to a 2G network.	936 h (hours) 56160 min (minutes) 39 days
Talk time 3G Talk time in 3G is the period of time during which the battery charge is completely discharged during a continuous conversation on a 3G network.	23 hours 42 minutes 23.7 h (hours) 1422 minutes (minutes) 1 days
3G standby time Standby time in 3G is the period of time during which the battery charge is completely discharged when the device is in stand-by mode and connected to a 3G network.	936 h (hours) 56160 min (minutes) 39 days
Specifications Information about some additional characteristics of the device's battery.	Removable

The two devices that have recently accounted for the lion's share of Microsoft / Nokia smartphone sales are the Lumia 640 and 640 XL. This pair of gadgets is extremely balanced in terms of characteristics and price, and is aimed at those who do not want to understand the features of not very interesting junior models, and are not ready to pay for expensive flagships.

Lumia 640 Dual SIM

Display - 5 inches, IPS, 1280x720, PPI - 294
Processor - 4-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 400 MSM8926, 1200 MHz + Adreno 305 video
RAM - 1 GB

Camera - 8 MP, autofocus, LED flash, video 1920x1080 + front 5 MP
Battery - 2500 mAh
Dimensions - 72.2x141.3x8.8 mm, 145 g

Lumia 640XL Dual SIM

Operating system - Windows Phone 8.1
Display - 5.7 inches, IPS, 1280x720, PPI - 258
Processor - 4-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 400 MSM8226, 1200 MHz + Adreno 305 video
RAM - 1 GB
Built-in Memory - 8GB + Card Slot
Camera - 13 MP, autofocus, LED flash, video 1920x1080 + front 0.9 MP
Others - Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, NFC, GPS / GLONASS, micro SIM
Battery - 3000 mAh
Dimensions - 81.5x157.9x9 mm, 171 g

Construction and design

Structurally, 640 and 640XL are made in the proprietary Nokia style - "box-case", from which the body of the device is removed by pressing on the corner. The 640XL comes in a matte unpainted case. 640 is made in a "glass case" - of two-layer plastic. Below is colored plastic, and on the outside is a thin layer of transparent.

Lumia 640 XL:

Those who are interested in WinPhons will remember that before, most Lumiyas had excessively large frames around the display. Especially the top and bottom in portrait orientation. But the 640 and 640XL are doing great with the balance of display area and bezels! The Lumia 640 finally has the same top and bottom bezels and is quite small, while the XL also has a tiny bottom, smaller than the top! Previously, it was the other way around, and it looked disharmonious.

Both devices have on-screen control keys. They can be removed manually so that they do not reduce the display area. An interesting nuance - they are removed and returned to the screen with the same movement - with your finger across the screen from bottom to top, which is somewhat annoying at first. It would seem logical - to activate the button panel "pulling" it from the bottom to the top, but to remove it - on the contrary, by moving from top to bottom ...

Microsoft Lumia 640 and 640 XL :: Overview :: Display

Both devices have juicy IPS screens with the same 1280x720 HD resolution, double-tap wake-up and glowing clock.

At the same resolution, the Lumia 640 has a smaller diagonal, respectively, a smaller individual pixel size, so the image is theoretically "louder". However, the difference in the diagonals is small and the differences are not noticeable. The difference in brightness and viewing angles is much more noticeable - the screens for the “younger and older brothers” were obviously cut from more than one “IPS-sheet” - the 640 XL display is noticeably brighter than the 640, XL has more viewing angles. At the same time, the increased brightness of the 640 XL screen makes at the maximum color level a little "overexposed", as in an overexposed photo, while in the 640 the colors remain more natural.

Microsoft Lumia 640 and 640 XL :: Review :: Interface and menu

Unlock and home screen

Switch between the desktop and the list of all installed applications

Applications

Settings

Quick settings menu and menu of running applications

Microsoft Lumia 640 and 640 XL :: Review :: Camera

In many large-size wide-display Lumiyas, I have repeatedly encountered very weak cameras. In this case, the opposite is true, and somehow closer to mass logic: the Lumia 640 is equipped with an average 8-megapixel camera, while the XL's older brother has a 13-megapixel camera, which even visually looks more solid, its module protrudes from the body like a mound, giving the device the solidity of a camera phone ... However, in reality, everything turned out to be completely different!

Amazingly, the cameras shoot VERY EQUALLY, despite the significant difference in megapixels, and the 640 also works noticeably faster, which I was surprised to find out, filming cheerful rats in a pet store! It's easy to make sure of this - the same pictures were specially taken with both devices.

Lumia 640 sample shots

Lumia 640 XL sample photos

For comparison of images, the same segments were cut out from large frames:

The core of a flower, cut from a shot of a bouquet:

A rat muzzle cut from a photo of an aquarium:

A shop sign cut from a night shot of a gas station:

Large segments from frames of a 13-megapixel camera look, if not worse, then certainly not better than an 8-megapixel one ... The question arises - how to interpret the result? Does the Lumia 640 shoot better than it should, or the Lumia 640 XL worse than you'd expect? It's hard to say for sure ... With similar processors, processing the data stream from an 8-megapixel matrix is ​​certainly easier than with a 13-megapixel one - this, perhaps, should explain the greater nimbleness of the younger model. And personally, I (subjectively, of course) would say that it is the 640 that shoots better than it should, rather than vice versa. And the 640 XL may have different, and not the best image processing algorithms and optics.

Microsoft Lumia 640 and 640 XL :: Review :: Performance and nutrition

The devices, oddly enough, have different processors, although the common name for the two smartphones suggests, logically, a common chip ...

Lumia 640 - Qualcomm Snapdragon 400 MSM8926
Lumia 640XL - Qualcomm Snapdragon 400 MSM8226

However, there is virtually no difference in terms of performance. Lumia 640 processor - announced in 2014 and supports LTE, while the Lumia 640XL processor is its predecessor, announced in 2013 and does not support LTE. As for the rest, these are chips of the middle power category, the characteristics of which completely coincide. The same processors are also installed in other smartphones of a comparable price and power category - LG G2 mini, Sony Xperia M2, etc. In Antutu Benchmarck, both gadgets gain the same points - the difference is in the level of error. With such points in Windows environment Phone smartphones they work smartly and smoothly, although, of course, the performance is far from the most outstanding. The 640 got 12.270 parrots, and the 640 XL got 12.067.

The devices have, of course, different batteries: the 640 XL has 2500 mAh, the 640 XL has 3000 mAh. Let's conduct a simple and visual test, which I traditionally use to assess the efficiency of battery use - we charge the battery to 100%, reboot the device to clear the memory of clogging programs, turn off all wireless interfaces, except cellular communication, set the screen brightness and volume to maximum. We launch a movie in AVI format, which lasts 1 hour 23 minutes and weighs 1.45 GB. After completing the movie, we look at the remaining battery charge:

In principle, with some effort, with both smartphones, it is quite possible to hold out for two days away from the outlet, but, of course, with the XL it will be easier.

Microsoft Lumia 640 and 640 XL :: Review :: Impressions and conclusions

At the time of this writing, the Lumia 640 cost about 12,000 rubles, the 640 XL - about 15,000 rubles. Against this background, the Lumia 640 looks like a more balanced device, unless for you the 5.7-inch screen is crucial for watching movies and surfing the web more comfortably. For with the same performance due to virtually identical processors and RAM, the difference between the two smartphones can be summarized as follows:

Light

LTE support

Beautiful body

Large display

The main camera 8 MP shoots perfectly

5MP front camera is good for selfies

Lumia 640 XL:

Heavy

No LTE

The body is mediocre

The display is very large

The 13 MP main camera shoots almost identically with the 8 MP of the Lumia 640

The front camera is weak and only suitable for video calling

This year Microsoft has populated the budget segment of smartphones (remember, they all run Windows Phone) with fairly successful models in terms of a combination of price and features. So lucky that we didn't even hesitate to recommend some as the best value for our money. Lumia 640 XL, the hero of this review, although its name hints at a close relationship with the almost “state-owned” Lumia 640, but from the cheap segment, both in price and in characteristics, it is knocked out. Its segment - the lower bar of the middle class - is the fiefdom of daring "Chinese" who are not so easy to oppose with something. Let's see how attractive the Microsoft Lumia 640 XL is, and how it is ready to trump the competition.

What is it?

Microsoft Lumia 640 XL is one of a kind, as there are no other devices on Windows Phone 8.1 with similar characteristics and price in nature. Out of the entire lineup, the Lumia stands out for its huge display (5.7 inches) and a decent battery (3000 mAh). In terms of "stuffing" - a strong middle peasant with a Qualcomm Snapdragon 400 processor. At a price of about 230 dollars, this is 5500 hryvnia or 14000 rubles - closer to the lower part of the middle segment.

And what else is it interesting?

In addition to the large display, it stands out from the crowd of competitors with cameras (13 MP main and 5 MP front), the presence of NFC (although if you do not use it, then okay) and Gorilla 3 protective glass over the screen. Lumia 640 and Lumia 640 XL customers can also look forward to a free one-year Office 365 subscription in our area.

Is the case still bright?

The design ideology of the Lumia line - cool bright cases made of good materials - can be traced in this model as well. The case of Lumia 640 XL is covered this time with matte plastic (the Lumia 640 had a gloss with interesting technology) plastic. Monochrome, no tricks with layers here. Judging by the size of the model, those who designed the smartphone were not tasked with making it compact. The Lumia 640 XL has 69% of the front panel, and the thickness is 9 millimeters - a good number, but not a record for even an average phablet. And with such a diagonal, every extra millimeter of the healthy one is felt in the hands. But the lid is removable. There are a couple of rubber pads under it, which apparently prevent debris from getting between the body and the camera and the backlash in the battery area, and a place for the NFC antenna.

To install a SIM or memory card, you need to take out the battery. Both SIM-cards are in micro format, but if you managed to reduce your SIM card to nano-size, then there will be no problems with its installation in the slot either.

The Lumia 640 XL has a touch screen keyboard... I was unable to change the location of the control keys, although this is the beauty of such a solution. Either they changed the keyboard shortcut, or "sawed out" the opportunity. In principle, the keyboard is comfortable and the buttons are located at an optimal distance from each other so as not to force the user to stretch and not to interfere with each other. But in some applications it crawls out sideways and closes a small layer of the picture (in particular, one of the loaded solitaire games and the GFX benchmark. However, such minor inconveniences are the exception rather than the rule. In addition to these two applications, this feature did not bother me anywhere else. that the device itself is large and heavy (171 grams), it takes some skill to operate it with one hand.At the same time, for reasons completely incomprehensible to me, typing messages with both hands on the Lumia 640 XL (as well as on the Lumia 640) is insanely convenient, damn pleasant and I never want to stop at all.

With a tenacity worthy of better use, Microsoft continues to ditch the camera launch key on its smartphones, following the lead of Android and the iPhone. And again in vain, because competitors quickly call up the camera from the locked screen, while Windows Phone does not have this option yet. I look forward to getting it done or getting the button back. Moreover, the camera in Lumia 640 XL is good, it's a sin not to use it. All other buttons are seated in their usual places - on the right side. The headphone and microUSB cable connectors have not changed either.

By the way, there is no cable or headset in the package, despite the fact that this is not a budget device. Damn it with a headset, what is the cable for? Microsoft can only be justified by the fact that this model is clearly not aimed at newcomers in the smartphone segment, so its potential buyer should already have microUSB.

The camera peephole protrudes as usual. But it is protected from contact with surfaces by a small bezel.

In general, although the ergonomics of the device are not up to par (heavy weight, far from compact dimensions, no camera button), the body of the Lumia 640 XL still makes a good impression: here both the design is excellent, and the material is decent, and the assembly is conscientious and the design continuity can be traced ...

And what can he do?

The Microsoft Lumia 640 XL runs Windows Phone 8.1 with Lumia Denim firmware on top. Let me remind you that it brings to the capabilities of the smartphone some of the chips that were developed under Nokia. In particular, a camera with more advanced settings, additional photography and image processing modes, some display settings, HERE navigation. From time to time, small opportunities slip through, which either appear in updates, or were originally, but did not catch the eye. This time, this is the menu for managing applications in the background: the smartphone shows how much energy is consumed by applications in the background and suggests turning off the most gluttonous ones. Everything additional applications both from Lumia, and personally from Microsoft (for example, "Food", "Finance", etc.) can be deleted.

The speed of the Lumia 640 XL does not differ from the Lumia 640. There is the same Qualcomm MSM8226 Snapdragon 400 with four Cortex-A7 cores (1.2 GHz), the same 1 GB of RAM. The smoothness of the interface in this price category is already comparable to Android devices, which the younger Lumia models bypassed in their segments. Although after such a long and active operation, as I did with the Lumia 640 XL, they usually start to slow down more, all other things being equal. So in the long run, the Lumia 640 XL is a nicer partner than an Android smartphone with 1GB of RAM. But with 2 GB, devices will be on an equal footing.

Is the camera good?

Microsoft Lumia 640 XL is equipped with cameras that are very decent for their money: the main 13-megapixel (with Carl Zeiss optics) and the front 5-megapixel, both write videos in FullHD. If in the case of B-brands such large numbers usually mean nothing, the result is equally mediocre with different modules, then in the younger and older Lumia 640 the qualitative improvement is noticeable. It is also clear that the camera of the hero of our review is better than that of any "Chinese" on Android for the same money or Samsung Galaxy E5 (although Samsung is usually good at cameras). The camera interface and settings wander from model to model, there is nothing new here.

In sunny weather, the camera Lumia 640 XL turns out just great photos - juicy, with good detail, nice colors. In a cloudy camera, it tries so hard not to darken that the pictures turn out to be whitish, they really lack the richness of colors. But there is no “soap” standard for such cases.

In dimly lit rooms, good photos can also be obtained, but for this it is necessary that your hand does not flinch. For example, put your smartphone on a surface. Or screw it to a tripod. In general, the outcome can be either good or unsatisfactory.

How long does he work?

In my hands, the Lumia 640 XL lasted from one day to two days on a single battery charge, depending on the load. If I often listened to music, filmed a lot and also looked at the Internet for an hour or two, then the battery charge melted by the evening. If I did not touch the camera and used the Internet insofar as, then the smartphone easily survived until the evening of the second day. For its price and for its display, this is an excellent result. But for a long time I could not properly measure the autonomy of the device, because it is extremely slow, by today's standards, replenishes the battery. And I didn't always have the time and patience to fully charge.

Is the screen good?

Even in its time as Nokia Lumia, the devices of the line were distinguished by high-quality displays adapted to all weather conditions of use. And the anti-glare layer appeared almost among the first, and support for working with gloves reached the middle segment much earlier than devices from other manufacturers. The IPS display of this model is also not prone to glare, it has a polarizing layer. The Lumia 640 XL did not fall under our editorial colorimeter, but visually it is noticeable that although the margin of brightness at the default settings is not amazing, there are no problems with readability under the bright sun. With active auto backlight control at night, the brightness also drops to an acceptable level. In addition, in the display settings of the smartphone, the maximum brightness level can be increased even more, so that it is convenient in summer.

And who are the competitors?

The Lumia 640 XL's competitors are predominantly Android smartphones, with mostly B brands. Also, as an alternative to this model, you can consider its younger sister Lumia 640. That screen is smaller, the cameras are simpler and the price is about 1,500 hryvnia lower - these are the key differences. Of the advantages of the youngest, I would note the best ergonomics of the case and the financial benefit from the purchase. In the segment of Android smartphones, the competitors of the Lumia 640 XL are mostly impudent "Chinese": Xiaomi Redmi Note, Meizu M1 Note (here is its review), etc. Also, the price of this model is close and - both models have not yet been in our hands. All have 2 GB of RAM, an important condition for Android for that kind of money. In the slightly $ 200 segment of smartphones, there are also a number of models with a smaller screen diagonal (5.5-inch displays listed above), with less RAM and a less tribal manufacturer, I cut them off and chose the most interesting alternatives. ASUS Zenfone 2 promises us a good camera, Xiaomi can also boast of good pictures Redmi note and Meizu M1 Note. From HTC and Lenovo we should expect a slightly worse quality of cameras (although what the hell is not kidding). When choosing a device, I would recommend answering three questions: how important is the brand and platform to you, and which of the above devices is more attractive to you in appearance. Depending on the answer to the questions, you can quickly decide on a model from the list above.

The bottom line?

The Lumia 640 XL is another model in the line of Microsoft smartphones that looks interesting against the background of most of the Android competitors in the same price range. The device surpasses its "classmates" in the quality of body materials and design, camera performance and some - in the smoothness of the interface. Its battery demonstrates more battery life than the "hospital average", although it does not break records. Also, the reason to buy is to write down an Office 365 subscription. There are two things that I really didn’t like about the Lumia 640 XL: that the smartphone is not as compact as a 2015 model could be, and that Microsoft didn’t try to make it charged faster. Both of these nuances do not draw on the reasons not to buy a smartphone. But the fact that in a Windows Phone device not everyone will find the functions that smartphones have managed to accustom us to (in particular, the cool-working Google services, personally, this is my main complaint about WP at the moment), perhaps, pulls. If the platform meets your needs, at a price of about $ 200, the Lumia 640 XL will be one of the most interesting purchase candidates.

4 reasons to buy Microsoft Lumia 640 XL:

• beautiful body made of decent plastic;
• large battery;
• Office 365 subscription
• two decent cameras for this price point.

1 reason not to buy Microsoft Lumia 640:

• for some reason, you are looking for a device on a different platform.

The range of "Windows backgrounds" has been expanded with the following models. Four variants of the Lumia 640: Single SIM and 3G, Single SIM and LTE, Dual SIM and 3G, Dual and LTE. Also presented to the public were four variants of the Lumia 640 XL with a similar combination of distinctive features. The younger model Lumia 640 is equipped with a 5 "screen, while the Lumia 640 XL has a slightly larger screen - 5.7". Considering that all smartphones will be sold at the same time, and the options with one and two SIM-cards will have the same price, then the question involuntarily arises: what, in fact, were Microsoft marketers thinking? The lineup Lumia is already overcrowded with devices, and you can only figure out how one of them differs from the other if you read the lists of characteristics and compare them line by line. The release of four pairs of smartphones with the same price and the only difference in the number of SIM card slots does not make the process of choosing a mobile companion any easier. Why market identical smartphones with support for one or two SIM card slots with the same price tags at all? After all, it is clear that all other things being equal, buyers will give preference to models with support for two SIM-cards.

Be that as it may, at the time of writing the review on the Microsoft website there was information about only four variants of the smartphone: 640 LTE, 640 DS LTE, 640 DS 3G and 640 XL DS 3G. Further in the text of the review, the abbreviation "DS" means support for two SIM-cards. For all variants of the smartphone, several body colors are available: white, black, red and blue. Some of them were in stock, others were available by reservation only.

The basis for the devices of the Lumia 640 family is the SoC Qualcomm Snapdragon 400, all smartphones are equipped with 1 GB of RAM 8 GB of flash memory. The display type is the same for all models (the diagonal is different), but the main cameras of the 640 and 640 XL are different: 8 Mp and 13 Mp matrices, f / 2.2 and f / 2.0 optics, respectively. The front cameras also differ: a 5MP Full HD wide-angle camera for the Lumia 640 XL and 0.9MP HD for the Lumia 640. Naturally, the larger 640 XL has a more powerful battery: 3000 mAh versus 2500 mAh. And one more difference: models with LTE support are also equipped with an NFC module.

The hero of this review was a smartphone in the Lumia 640 DS 3G variant.

Features of smartphones Microsoft Lumia 640

• SoC Qualcomm Snapdragon 400 MSM8926, 1.2 GHz, 4 cores ARM Cortex-A7
• GPU Adreno 305
• Operating system Microsoft Windows Phone 8.1 Update 2 Lumia Denim Pack
• 5 ″ touch display, IPS, ClearBlack, 1280 × 720, capacitive, multitouch, Corning Gorilla Glass 3
• RAM 1 GB
• Inner memory 8 GB
• Nokia Lumia 640 3G model: 2G GSM (850, 900, 1800, 1900 MHz), 3G WCDMA (850, 900, 1900, 2100 MHz)
• Nokia Lumia 640 LTE model: 2G GSM (850, 900, 1800, 1900 MHz), 3G WCDMA (850, 900, 1700, 1900, 2100 MHz), 4G / LTE (bands 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 12, 17, 20, 28)
• Data transmission GPRS, EDGE, HSPA + (up to 42 Mbps), LTE (up to 150 Mbps)
• Wi-Fi 802.11b / g / n, Bluetooth 4.0, NFC
• GPS / Glonass / BeiDou, accelerometer, magnetometer (compass), gyroscope, proximity sensor, light sensor
• FM radio
• Cameras: main 8 megapixel (autofocus, flash), additional 0.9 megapixel
• Removable battery 2500 mAh
• Dimensions 141.3 x 72.2 x 8.8mm
• Weight 145 g

For comparison, the table shows the characteristics of several of the latest Nokia models in the version with LTE support.

	Microsoft Lumia 640	Nokia Lumia 735	Nokia Lumia 830	Nokia Lumia 930	Nokia Lumia 1520
Screen	5 ″, IPS	4.7 ″, AMOLED	5 ″, IPS	5 ″, AMOLED	6 ″, IPS
Permission	1280 × 720, 294 ppi	1280 × 720, 312 ppi	1280 × 720, 294 ppi	1920 × 1080, 441 ppi	1920 × 1080, 367 ppi
SoC	Qualcomm Snapdragon 400 MSM8926 @ 1.2GHz (4x ARM Cortex-A7)			Qualcomm Snapdragon 800 @ 2.2 GHz (4 core Krait 400)
GPU	Adreno 305			Adreno 330
RAM	1 GB	1 GB	1 GB	2 GB	2 GB
Flash memory	8 GB	8 GB	16 GB	32 GB	32 GB
Memory card support	there is	there is	there is	No	there is
Operating system*	Windows Phone 8.1				Windows Phone 8
SIM format **	Micro-SIM	Nano-SIM
Communications		2G / 3G / 4G, Wi-Fi 802.11b / g / n, Bluetooth, NFC	2G / 3G / 4G, Wi-Fi 802.11a / b / g / n, Bluetooth, NFC		2G / 3G / 4G, Wi-Fi 802.11a / b / g / n / ac, Bluetooth, NFC
Battery	removable, 2500 mAh	removable, 2220 mAh	removable, 2200 mAh	non-removable, 2420 mAh	non-removable, 3400 mAh
Cameras	rear (8 MP; 1080p video), front (0.9 MP)	rear (6.7 MP; 1080p video), front (5 MP)	rear (10 MP; 1080p video), front (0.9 MP)		rear (20 (5) Mp; video 1080p), front (1.2 Mp)
Dimensions and weight	141 x 72 x 8.8mm, 145g	135 x 69 x 8.9 mm, 134 g	139 x 71 x 8.5mm, 150g	137 x 71 x 9.8 mm, 167 g	163 x 86 x 10.6 mm, 209 grams
Average price***	T-12206544	T-11030519	T-11030194	T-10771306	T-10548283
Nokia Lumia 640 DS LTE Retail Offers	L-12206544-10

* OS version is indicated at the time the device appeared on the market
** The most common SIM card formats are described in a separate article
*** average cost at the time of reading the article

Equipment

The smartphone comes in the traditional packaging for the current generation of Lumia devices. The construction is assembled from two boxes, the inner part fits into the outer cover. There is not much information on the parameters of the smartphone on the packaging, all of it is presented in the form of a few icons. Some details about the characteristics of a particular smartphone model can be found in the text and abbreviations from the sticker glued to the package.

The mobile computer that visited the editorial office only had a charger and documentation. Based on information from Microsoft's website, Lumia 640 buyers will receive just such a modest set of accessories.

Appearance and usability

There are several typical skin options for Lumia smartphones. The first group includes strict rectangular (in plan) devices with chopped sharp edges. Devices of the second group also differ in faces that intersect strictly at an angle of 90 degrees, but their body is made of plastic, not metal. Finally, the third extensive group includes models with rounded, smoothed body contours and smoothly merging edges. Most of the third category are also made of plastic. Obviously, cutting and turning metal at right angles is still easier than shaping it round or curving.

The current hero of the review belongs to the third category of Lumia smartphones. Smooth body lines and colored plastic give the Lumia 640 a somewhat frivolous look, but such is the long-standing trend of Nokia / Microsoft designers. They love cheerful and cheerful tones in their devices, and we can only praise them for that. For lovers of austere style, there is a black and white back panel.

The Lumia 640 looks good at first glance, but the devil is in the details. And the longer you work with your smartphone, the more, unfortunately, you discover such frustrating moments.

The main, main, almost ultimatum design flaw of the Lumia 640 is extremely slippery plastic. Perhaps the current hero of the review is the most "unstoppable" in the bad sense of the word smartphone from those that have been in my hands. The lacquered back and sides of the Lumia 640 transform the smartphone into a bar of soap. Nothing helps - neither a sufficiently large width of the edges, nor a significant surface area of ​​the rear panel; the smartphone still strives to slip out of hand every now and then. There can be no question of using the device in transport, and even more so doing something there with one hand: one extra push - and the Lumia 640 will go from the palm of your hand towards the center of the Earth. What made Microsoft designers choose such a material for the body of the review hero is understandable, but what allowed engineers to agree with them is difficult. Most Lumiyas use a much less slippery soft-touch plastic, which feels like rubber to the touch. However, judging by the appearance of the recently announced Lumia 435, slippery plastic is a long-term trend in the creativity of Microsoft developers. It is sad. Well, in order to finally close the topic of the plastic back of the Lumia 640, I note that, as befits a lacquered surface, it perfectly collects fingerprints, traces of touches and scratches.

Given the above, it would be possible not to dwell in detail on how the smartphone lies in the palm of your hand. But if we abstract from the lacquer plastic or imagine that the owner of a mobile computer has a very rough skin or the surface of a smartphone is covered with a layer of dirt, then the following should be noted: in terms of dimensions, the Lumia 640 fits perfectly into a medium-sized palm. The smartphone has to be held firmly, and the fingers have something to catch on - the wide side edges help. When working with a smartphone, the power button is located just under the thumb of the right hand. The relatively light weight of the mobile computer does not cause discomfort or fatigue.

It is difficult to operate the Lumia 640 with one hand, but if you really want to, you can. The main obstacle in this is not a large display, but, as already mentioned, slippery plastic. The mobile computer fits in the pocket of trousers and shirt without problems.

There are no complaints about the quality of materials and workmanship of the Lumia 640. Plastic does not look cheap, does not crunch or creak, the back panel of the smartphone does not bend, backlash of parts and extraneous sounds are absent when shaking.

Moving on to the next unpleasant aspect of the Lumia 640's look and feel - the wide gap for the phone speaker. When the smartphone was in the office, a certain amount of dust had already accumulated in this deep container. Over time, there will be even more of it, if you do not pay due attention to its cleaning. But the earpiece hole isn't the only dust and dirt collector on the Lumia 640's bezel.

The same depth, but much smaller hole is provided for the microphone, which is located at the bottom of the screen. It will be really difficult to clean anything out of it. This depth list ends with the gap between protective glass display and its plastic rim.

The entire front panel of the Lumia 640 is Corning Gorilla Glass 3. Beneath it are the display, front camera lens, light and proximity sensors. Lumia 640 does not have dedicated touch buttons for operating the system, they are replaced by virtual counterparts.

The back panel of the smartphone covers its entire body, overlapping all the side edges. This design of a mobile computer is also called a "boat". The construction is sturdy, but it can be very inconvenient if you need to access the battery compartment. The Lumia 640 is one such case. In order to more or less quickly detach the back panel, you have to press quite hard on the lens of the main camera, holding the smartphone by the upper edge of the case. No nail recesses or other aids are provided. We simply press on the lens, the body is squeezed out, a millimeter of plastic appears, we hook it with our fingernail and separate the two parts further. It is clear that this is far from the most reliable solution, and only the rarity of the operation itself of replacing the battery, SIM card or memory card during normal use of the smartphone helps to alleviate the fate of the camera glass.

Back the rear panel of the Lumia 640 installs without any problems. Replacing the memory card and SIM cards is possible only with the battery disconnected. If one of the Micro-SIM-cards gets stuck, then it can be pushed with a fingernail or other handy means through a special hole in the case. Judging by the fact that in almost every new smartphone, recesses and holes for pushing SIM-cards began to appear, their jamming in the connectors is quite common.

There are holes for the camera lens, LED flash, main speaker and connectors on the back of the smartphone. There are repeaters for the keys. On the inside of the lid, there are three rubber dampers and a black sticker instead of the NFC antenna, which this Lumia 640 does not have.

The plastic keys on the right edge of the Lumia 640 control the volume and power of the mobile computer. Strange, but Microsoft engineers did not provide a traditional button for camera control in Lumia 640. The shape of the keys is flat, the size is sufficient for comfortable control of the smartphone blindly. Extra comfort is provided by long key travel and a distinct click when pressed.

The left side of the Lumia 640 is left blank. There is a headphone hole on the top of the smartphone. At the bottom is a lone Micro-USB-compatible connector for the sync and charge cable.

So the Lumia 640's looks and build are mixed. With the general tradition of design and execution, in the current hero of the review there are many small and one major flaw in terms of the exterior. Let's be honest: the smartphone is inconvenient to use, it is very slippery. Lumia 640 should be immediately hidden in a case or replaced with a back cover, for example, a cover with a front curtain and a card holder.

Screen

The screen parameters of the Lumia 640 are as follows: an IPS matrix, a resolution of 1280 × 720 pixels (HD), a diagonal of 5 ″, a dot density of 293 dpi. The picture on the screen of the review hero is clear and colorful, individual pixels are invisible.

The display of the smartphone is protected from damage by Corning Gorilla Glass 3. The brightness of the backlight is adjusted manually and automatically.

The capacitive sensor of the Lumia 640 confidently detects up to four simultaneous signals. If there are five or more signals, he begins to confuse them, the signals begin to disappear, and the behavior of the sensor becomes inadequate.

A detailed examination using measuring instruments was carried out by the editor of the "Monitors" and "Projectors and TV" sections Alexey Kudryavtsev.

The front surface of the screen is made in the form of a glass plate with a mirror-smooth surface, resistant to scratches. Judging by the reflection of objects, the anti-glare properties of the screen are no worse than those of the Google Nexus 7 (2013) (hereinafter simply Nexus 7). For clarity, here is a photo in which a white surface is reflected in the turned off screens (on the left - Nexus 7, on the right - Microsoft Lumia 640, then they can be distinguished by their size):

The screen of the Microsoft Lumia 640 is slightly darker (brightness in the photos is 97 versus 111 for the Nexus 7). The tripling of reflected objects in the Microsoft Lumia 640 screen is very weak, which indicates that there is no air gap between the outer glass (aka touch sensor) and the matrix surface (OGS type screen - One Glass Solution). Due to the smaller number of boundaries (such as glass / air) with very different refractive indices, such screens look better in strong ambient light, but their repair in case of cracked outer glass is much more expensive, since the entire screen has to be changed. On the outer surface of the screen there is a special oleophobic (grease-repellent) coating (very effective, better than that of the Nexus 7), so fingerprints are much easier to remove, and appear at a slower rate than in the case of ordinary glass.

When the white field was displayed in full screen and with manual brightness control, its maximum value was 385 cd / m², the minimum was 3.4 cd / m². The maximum value is quite high, and given the excellent anti-glare properties, the image on the screen should be clearly visible in bright daylight. In complete darkness, the brightness can be lowered to a comfortable level. With brightness control, everything is quite complicated. First, on separate page the user can choose one of three profiles with fixed brightness levels and turn on the mode with automatic brightness adjustment according to the ambient light level (the sensor is located to the right of the front camera eye).

Secondly, on another separate page (near the end of the list of applications and settings), you can go to the next level page and there, for manual mode, adjust the brightness levels for these three profiles.

And for the automatic mode, the degree of sensitivity is adjusted on this page:

Further, for the automatic mode (in it, when the external light conditions change, the screen brightness both increases and decreases) for three conditions, we give the screen brightness values ​​for three positions of the sensitivity slider (at minimum, default and maximum). In complete darkness in automatic mode, the brightness decreases to 3.2, 12 and 25 cd / m², respectively (the first value is too low, the other two provide an acceptable reading comfort from the screen in complete darkness); in an office lit with artificial light (about 400 lux), the brightness is set at 80, 250 and 385 cd / m2 (the first two values ​​can be considered suitable), in a brightly lit environment (corresponds to lighting on a clear day outdoors, but without direct sunlight - 20,000 lx or slightly more) - rises to 385 cd / m² in any case (maximum, which is expected). Eventually this function works more or less adequately and allows the user to make adjustments to its work. Note that there is an option in the settings, the inclusion of which supposedly improves readability in bright light. It is not clear what actually changes this setting, since when it is activated, the backlight brightness does not change, and visually nothing changes on the screen either - even in bright outside light, even in the dark. At any brightness level, there is no significant backlight modulation, so there is no screen flickering either.

V this smartphone a matrix of the IPS type is used. The micrographs show the typical IPS subpixel structure:

For comparison, you can see the gallery of photomicrographs of screens used in mobile technology.

The screen has good viewing angles without significant color shift, even with large gaze deviations from the perpendicular to the screen and without tint inversion. For comparison, here is a photo in which the screens of Nexus 7 and Microsoft Lumia 640 display the same images, while the brightness of the screens was initially set to about 200 cd / m2 (across the white field across the entire screen), and the color balance on the camera was forcibly switched to 6500 K . White field perpendicular to the plane of the screens:

Note the good uniformity of brightness and color tone of the white field. And the test picture:

The color rendition is good and the colors are saturated on both screens, the color balance differs insignificantly. Now at an angle of about 45 degrees to the plane and to the side of the screen:

It can be seen that the colors did not change much on both screens, but in the Microsoft Lumia 640 the contrast decreased to a large extent due to the strong black highlighting. And white box:

The brightness at an angle on both screens has noticeably decreased (at least 5 times, based on the difference in exposure), but in the case of the Microsoft Lumia 640, the brightness drop is slightly larger (the brightness in the photos is 227 versus 230 for the Nexus 7). When deviated diagonally, the black field brightens strongly and acquires a yellowish tint or remains approximately neutral gray. The photos below demonstrate this (the brightness of the white areas in the direction perpendicular to the plane of the screens is the same for the screens!):

And from a different angle:

When viewed from a perpendicular view, the uniformity of the black field is good:

Contrast (approximately in the center of the screen) is normal - about 750: 1. The response time for the transition black-white-black is 23 ms (13 ms on + 10 ms off). The transition between gray tones of 25% and 75% (based on the numerical value of the color) and back takes 37 ms in total. Constructed from 32 points with equal intervals by the numerical value of the shade of gray, the gamma curve did not reveal a blockage either in highlights or shadows, and the exponent of the approximating power-law function turned out to be 2.14, which is close to the standard value of 2.2, while the real gamma the curve deviates little from the power-law dependence:

The color gamut is close to sRGB:

The spectra show that the matrix filters moderately mix the components together:

As a result, the colors visually have a natural saturation. The balance of shades on the gray scale is good, since the color temperature is not much higher than the standard 6500 K, and the deviation from the spectrum of the absolute black body (ΔE) is less than 10, which is considered an acceptable indicator for a consumer device. At the same time, the color temperature and ΔE vary little from shade to shade - this has a positive effect on the visual assessment of the color balance. (The darkest areas of the gray scale can be ignored, since the color balance there is not very important, and the error in measuring color characteristics at low brightness is large.)

Going to the second (far) page with screen settings and choosing the next level of nesting - page Color profile- the user can select one of the preset profiles or a profile in which the color rendition can be adjusted with the sliders for color temperature, hue and saturation.

The last slider slightly changes the color gamut. Pregnant Bright we get:

Pregnant Natural we get:

Profile cold- increased color temperature. Profile standard described above visually and measurements. Profile bright- increased color saturation. Let's go to the profile additionally... Note that fine tuning using the calibrator is significantly complicated by the lack of numerical indication of current values ​​and the ability to choose your own image for display in the upper part of the screen or at least just a large area of ​​the white field on this page. The numerical result of the correction is shown in the charts above with the caption Corr. There are some improvements, but not fundamental. You can stop at the default profile standard.

Let's summarize. The screen has a sufficiently high maximum brightness and has excellent anti-glare properties, so the device can be used outdoors without problems even on a sunny summer day. In complete darkness, the brightness can be lowered to a comfortable level. It is also acceptable to use the mode with automatic brightness adjustment, which works adequately. The advantages of the screen include an effective oleophobic coating, no flicker and no air gap in the layers of the screen, as well as sRGB color gamut and good color balance. Significant disadvantages - low stability of black to deviation of the gaze from the perpendicular to the plane of the screen. Overall, however, the screen quality is high.

Sound

The Microsoft Lumia 640 has two speakers and one microphone. The phone speaker, which is located at the top of the front panel of the mobile computer, has a high volume and good sound quality. Even with strong external noise, the voice of the interlocutor will be clearly distinguishable.

The main speaker of the Lumia 640 is located at the bottom of the back of the smartphone. Its volume is also high, but the sound quality is average. At maximum power and with an abundance of low frequencies, it begins to wheeze noticeably.

For the main speaker, there is only one hole in the back cover of the smartphone, and even a small diameter. As a result, the speaker is very easy to muffle if you cover the hole with something. The sound volume becomes almost zero, only vibrations will continue to pass through the smartphone body.

The Lumia 640 did not come with a standard headset, so the quality of the headphone output of the smartphone was tested in conjunction with the Sony MDR-XB30ER wired headphones. Subjectively, the sound quality was excellent. There was no distortion even at the maximum comfortable volume. It was not possible to reach the maximum possible sound power level - it became scary for the hearing. Thus, with good headphones, the Lumia 640 is perfectly suited for listening to music in any environment.

The volume of the sound in the smartphone changes both programmatically and using two keys on the left side of the device. To play music in the memory of a mobile computer, a regular Xbox Music audio player and the MixRadio program are installed - a streaming radio service client with the ability paid subscription for unlimited listening to audio compositions.

The headphones connected to the Lumia 640 act as an antenna for the smartphone's built-in FM radio. It doesn't work without headphones. The receiver management software has a standard appearance. She can automatically search for stations, stations you like can be collected in a list or placed on the desktop in the form of tiles. Supports RDS technology and audio output to the main speaker of the smartphone.

Camera

As noted, the Lumia 640 and Lumia 640 XL have different cameras. In the tested mobile computer, models with 8 megapixel and 0.9 megapixel sensors were installed for the main and additional cameras, respectively. The physical size of the main camera sensor is 1/4 inch. The f / number of the optical system of the camera is f / 2.2, the focal length is 28 mm. The camera is equipped with an autofocus system. For shooting in low light conditions, an LED flash can be used. Video recording is carried out with a resolution of 1080p.

The f / number of the optical system of the additional camera is f / 2.4. There is no automatic focusing system. Video recording is carried out with a resolution of 720p.

It's a shame that the Lumia 640 doesn't have a traditional camera button. Perhaps the manufacturer makes it clear that for photo experiments it is better to look at another smartphone model.

Shooting is controlled by the Lumia Camera app. There are no serious delays when activating the camera, the start of the application takes just over a second.

In addition to the Lumia Camera app, the Lumia 640 has several other photography-related programs: Lumia Stories, Lumia Moments, Lumia Live Photos, Lumia Selfies, and Lumia Photo Studio.

	The shooting quality of the front camera is consistent with 1 megapixel.
	Good sharpness across the field and across plans. It's nice that the trees practically do not merge.
	Branches and even grass are well worked out. The sharpness in the distant shots is good.
	In low light, the camera does quite well.
	Good sharpness across the field and across plans. Not all 13-megapixel cameras are capable of working out the grass in the same way, even in the foreground.
	The camera copes with macro photography.
	The text has been worked out well.

Perhaps, the camera has no obvious drawbacks, except for the low resolution of the matrix. But she fulfills her 8 megapixels in full. However, we have already seen all this in previous non-top smartphones of the Lumia line: a good module and a fairly clean work of the program. Although the module is different here, best qualities he inherited his predecessors. And this is not surprising: why try to change what has already been successful. The camera successfully combines good optics, a decent sensor and a reasonable moderate program. And it is difficult to find more precise words than “just a good camera” to describe it. For artistic and documentary photography, it is quite suitable.

Software

The Microsoft Lumia 640 smartphone runs on Microsoft Windows Phone 8.1 Update 2 with the Lumia Denim package. In the future, all devices in this series should receive a firmware update based on the upcoming Windows 10 OS.

Traditionally for Microsoft / Nokia devices, a large number of additional software is preinstalled in the Lumia 640. The list includes Microsoft applications: Office, OneNote, OneDrive, Skype. Together with the smartphone, the user gets 15 GB of space in cloud storage OneDrive for storing any data and another 15 GB for backing up photos. Also, when buying a smartphone, a free subscription to Office 365 services is provided for a period of one year.

Onsite navigation and map services: Here Drive + and Here Maps. For some reason, the Here Transit application was absent in the memory of the review hero, but it can be easily installed from the Microsoft application store.

For those who like to take pictures of themselves, others and the surrounding reality, the developers of the smartphone have provided as many as five different applications.

The Lumia 640 was not spared by domestic specifics: instead of the Cortana assistant, when you click on a special button, Yandex search is called up, in addition to the Facebook client, the VKontakte social network application is present in the smartphone's memory, reading lovers can use the client of the virtual bookstore Liters: Read!

Telephone part and communications

All variants of Lumia 640 smartphones are capable of working on 2G and 3G networks. The following frequencies for GSM networks are supported: 850, 900, 1800, 1900 MHz. For WCDMA networks: 850, 900, 1900, 2100 MHz. The maximum data download speed in the 3G network is 42.2 Mbps.

Smartphones supporting LTE networks additionally work with the WCDMA 1700 MHz band. LTE support includes the following frequency bands: LTE FDD B1, B2, B3, B4, B5, B7, B8, B12, B17, B28, TD-LTE B38, B40. On LTE Cat 4 networks maximum speed download data is 150 Mbps.

Smartphones with two SIM card slots operate according to the Dual Standby scheme: in standby mode both communication channels are active, in the phone call mode the second channel is disabled, the smartphone is “out of range”. Only one SIM card can work in fast 3G / 4G networks, the second channel is always connected to the 2G network. You can switch between the two channels for data, messages and phone calls without turning off the power of your smartphone.

Testing a sample of the Lumia 640 that has been tested has shown reliable operation of the cellular module. The 3G network was defined both in Moscow and in the Moscow region. The data transfer rate in the WCDMA network turned out to be significantly lower than the declared maximum theoretical, but this is normal for the busy cellular networks of the capital region.

The Bluetooth 4.0 module in the Lumia 640 has a large number of work profiles. In conjunction with the Sony MW1 wireless stereo headset, two of them were tested: A2DP and HSP. The support turned out to be at the highest level: playing music with broadcasting track titles, answering phone calls with transferring not only the phone number, but also the name of the interlocutor from the contact list of the mobile computer.

In a home Wi-Fi network with a TP-Link TL-WR1043ND router as an access point, the smartphone demonstrated a data exchange rate of 40 Mbps.

The LTE Lumia 640 models also have an NFC module. A smartphone with support only for 3G networks, which had been in the editorial office, was deprived of it.

But all variants of the Lumia 640 interact in the same way with satellite navigation systems. The smartphone receiver receives a signal from GPS, Glonass and BeiDou satellites. A-GPS technology helps you find satellite signals and determine the approximate location of your smartphone based on data from cell base stations and Wi-Fi networks.

Performance

The basis for the entire family of smartphones Lumia 640 served as the well-known platform Qualcomm Snapdragon 400 used in countless devices. There is no exact data on which chip modification is installed here - most likely, it is MSM8926. The platform includes four ARM Cortex-A7 processing cores with a maximum operating frequency of 1.2 GHz and an Adreno 305 GPU. The chip is manufactured using the 28 nm manufacturing process.

RAM in all modifications of the Lumia 640 is installed in 1 GB, flash memory - 8 GB. Of these, 3.3 GB is occupied by the operating system and pre-installed applications. Additional space for music, photos and videos can be obtained using a microSD memory card, cards with a capacity of up to 128 GB are supported. The Lumia 640 does not support external USB storage.

Introduced almost two years ago, the Qualcomm Snapdragon 400 SoC was originally intended for the mid-range smartphone segment. Since the premiere, its performance and capabilities have been well studied, and there is no need to wait for any revelations. Unfortunately, in all respects, it is inferior to modern SoCs, even at a budget level, but, as the example of the Lumia 640 shows, its capabilities are sufficient for new devices even in 2015. In fact, most of the current line of Nokia / Microsoft Lumia devices use this platform in its various variations.

Let's see what marks the hero of this review received in performance tests.

	Microsoft Lumia 640	Nokia Lumia 735	Nokia Lumia 830	Nokia Lumia 930	Nokia Lumia 1520
	4 × 1.2 GHz Adreno 305 5 ″ 1280 × 720 2500 mAh	4 × 1.2 GHz Adreno 305 4.7 ″ 1280 × 720 2200 mAh	4 × 1.2 GHz Adreno 305 5 ″ 1280 × 720 2200 mAh	4 × 2.2 GHz Adreno 330 5 ″ 1920 × 1080 2420 mAh	4 × 2.2 GHz Adreno 330 6 ″ 1920 × 1080 3400 mAh
AnTuTu (points, more is better)	11719	11917	12001	25036	25473
MultiBench 2 CPU (points, more is better)	16,121	15,838	16,072	31,492	29,749
MultiBench 2 Graphics (points, more is better)	44,674	45,958	46,539	47,636	48,766
PhoneMark (points, more is better)	900	806	816	1946	1774

There is nothing new in the test results, we are facing the same well-known platform.

The GFXBench graphics benchmark results table shows two values ​​for each of the tests. This is due to the fact that in onscreen mode the application generates an image with a resolution of 720p, and in offscreen mode - 1080p.

Let's move on to testing the JavaScript processing speed of the browsers built into smartphones.

* Smartphone tested in Octane 1.0 benchmark

The Microsoft Lumia 640 XL smartphone is a descendant of the Nokia Lumia 1320. The company pursued the same goal - to release a phone with a large diagonal at an affordable price. The Lumia 1320 was a decent device at the time. Can the same be said for the Lumia 640 XL?

Microsoft Lumia 640 XL Phone - Reviews

The new Lumia 640 XL smartphone will cost about $ 200. In return, we get a phone with an impressive design and a 5.7-inch display - 720 pixels per inch. The device is powered by Windows Phone 8.1 Update 2 with Lumia Denim. The phone will receive the Windows 10 update as expected.

The device is powered by a 1.2GHz quad-core Snapdragon 400 processor, 1GB of RAM and 8GB of internal storage that can be expanded with a microSD card. Installed a 3000 mAh battery. The front camera has 5 megapixels and the main one has 13.

Microsoft Lumia 640 XL - Non-premium phone

And you can feel it as soon as you take it in your hands. Microsoft Lumia 640 XL has a very simple design and a lightweight plastic body. In addition, the entire smartphone is well balanced, even long-term use does not cause discomfort. Also, the device creates a feeling of solidity, although it did not pass the crash test.

The phone case is replaceable. This is very convenient, since you can easily change the color of the device if you are tired of the old one. The battery can also be removed and replaced if necessary. The smartphone fits perfectly in the palm of your hand, the developers have chosen a plastic that is very pleasant to the touch.

On the right side of the case there are Power buttons and volume controls. There were no problems with them. At the top there is a headphone jack, and at the bottom there is a MicroUSB port.

The Lumia 640 XL has a 5.7-inch HD screen with 259 pixels per square inch. The screen received a solid "good" rating. There were no complaints about color quality or sharpness. But on the other hand, the display is also nothing special.

It was not possible to work with the phone with one hand due to its large dimensions. With Windows 10 it will be much easier, but with the G8 it will not work to free one hand.

Performance Lumia 640 XL

Controlling Microsoft XL Lumia 640 with Windows Phone 8.1 is easy enough. The device works great with the OS, and the user-friendly interface simplifies any operation. No special defects were found in the system. Confused only by the pre-installed applications. They look somewhat outdated compared to competitors.

Windows Phone is praised for good optimization weak components, this can be seen in the case of the Lumia 640 XL. Although the Snapdragon 400 processor and 1 GB of RAM are certainly rather low figures, the phone did not slow down, it responded quickly to commands, even almost no problems with some 3D games. Although, of course, they will look better on devices with a Snapdragon 8xx processor.

Daily use

Feature of smartphones is the "gluttony" of the battery. Lumia 640 XL with a display of not the highest resolution and with a 3000 mA battery, as well as a Snapdragon 400 processor, shows quite decent results.

When testing the smartphone, the power saving function was not enabled, everything was set by default - screen brightness, wireless connections, notifications, etc. During the day, we took several pictures, listened to music for an hour, typed messages, read notifications, and also surfed the Internet, for a total of at least 1.5 hours, plus we used GPS. The phone confidently lasted about 12 hours. In case of heavy load on the battery (YouTube, games with 3D graphics), the working time dropped to 6-7 hours. This is a very good result.

There were no problems with 3G, LTE and GSM. The sound quality is also more than satisfactory. There is only one drawback - there is too little internal memory. If you often take pictures or install a large number of applications, it almost immediately ends. But this can be fixed with a microSD card.

Microsoft Lumia 640 camera

The Lumia 640 XL shoots beautifully. Now this budget smartphone uses solutions that were once used in flagship camera phones.

The camera on the Microsoft Lumia 640 XL really pleases. It is actually equipped with a very good LED flash, the quality of photos is at a fairly high level under good lighting conditions and even in cloudy weather. Night shots are somewhat inferior in quality, but they are also quite acceptable.

Outcome

The Lumia 640 XL is not a phone that deserves special catching up for anything, given its price. But this is not a smartphone worth a lot of attention.

The Microsoft Lumia 640 XL “just” delivers on its promises, which is not a bad thing in itself. This is a functional phablet for little money. It is well designed, has ergonomic hardware, its software is very user-friendly and sophisticated, although the flaws in third-party applications are noticeable. The phone has a decent display and battery life.

However, there is not a lot of internal memory and a rather average camera, but few smartphones of this class offer anything better. XL LTE Lumia 640, simple, massive hardware for the thrifty consumer. Nothing less, but nothing more.