Amazon gets timed exclusive launch of Microsoft Lumia 650

Microsoft has announced the exclusive launch of its 5-inch Lumia 650 dual SIM version for specific European markets through the online retailer Amazon. Prices start at just under 230 Euros without any contracts and will ship by the end of April. Other retailers and resellers will have to wait until mid to late May before they receive their own stock of Lumia 650 smartphones.

Furthermore, buyers who pre-order the Windows smartphone through Amazon from now until April 28 will receive a free 32 GB MicroSD card. The initial Amazon stock, however, is unknown and will only sell for as long as supplies last according to Microsoft.

There are no differences between the Lumia 650 and Lumia 650 dual SIM from a technical standpoint. The budget smartphone will still be equipped with a quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 212 SoC, 1 GB RAM, 16 GB eMMC, and a removable 2000 mAh battery. Connectivity options include 802.11 b/g/n, Bluetooth 4.1, NFC, Micro-USB, and 3.5 mm audio jack.

A recent earnings report from the Redmond company shows that revenue from its Lumia branch has been dropping significantly. Microsoft's long term plans with the brand and the mobile Windows platform in general are likely to be less of a priority compared to the more successful Surface series of tablets.

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