Microsoft Lumia 650 Set For Feb. 1 Launch, But There Will Be No Lumia 850, 750 In 2016

Microsoft will apparently introduce the new Lumia 650 with Windows 10 Mobile on Feb. 1. According to Windows Central, the business-centric yet affordable Lumia 650 will be the only Lumia handset earmarked for 2016. This means, the long-rumored Lumia 750 and Lumia 850 will not see the light of the day in 2016. Alternatively, other rumors point to a Surface Phone powered by Snapdragon 820 scheduled for release in fall this year.

As far as the Lumia 650 specifications go, this budget-friendly handset will carry a 5.0-inch display packed with 720 x 1,280 pixels screen resolution. The leaked photos show a premium-looking exterior design, complete with a stunning metal frame running through the corners.

Under the hood, it will apparently come powered by a quad-core (Qualcomm Snapdragon 212) SoC and will be backed by a modest 1 GB of RAM. Some sources say Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 210/200 will power the device. Technically, the Snapdragon 212 features a much-better CPU clock rate of up to 1.3 GHz, while the Snapdragon 210 runs at 1.1 GHz.

When it comes to memory configuration, the device is believed to come equipped with 8 GB of native storage space and microSD card slot for further expansion. The Lumia 650 will apparently employ a 2,000 mAh battery unit to keep the lights on.

Speaking of camera capacity, rumors point to an 8-megapixel rear-facing snapper with LED flash support, in addition to a 5-megapixel front-facing shooter for selfies.

Microsoft is believed to market the Lumia 650 as an entry-level business-focused device. AT&T’s Cricket Wireless is expected to offer this smartphone from April 2016.

As always, readers are advised to take the reported Lumia 650-related information with the proverbial pinch of salt as Microsoft has not confirmed any details so far.