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Microsoft Lumia 435 Smartphone Review

Windows Phone X. Microsoft's Lumia 435 is an inexpensive Windows Phone. But wait a minute; isn't the Lumia 535 already available? We check whether Microsoft's smallest Lumia smartphone makes any sense.
In Review: Microsoft Lumia 435

For the original German review, see here.

It was a small sensation when Nokia launched the Android smartphone Nokia X last year, the first device in years with an operating system other than Windows Phone. One reason was probably the licensing fee for Microsoft's operating system that just makes a device more expensive in the price-sensitive entry-level class: The Nokia X was extremely cheap and designed primarily for poorer countries. However, the additional Android user interface was similar to Windows Phone.

Microsoft now builds the Lumia smartphones so there are no more licensing costs. The company probably acknowledged the success of the Nokia X in some markets, so now Microsoft is building a cheap Windows Phone that just looks like the Nokia X: The Lumia 435 is compact and has a detachable back cover. However, the competition from the same company is quite strong with the inexpensive Lumia 535.

Inexpensive Android smartphones are no longer rare: for example, Motorola offers the Moto E. The LG L40 and the Acer Liquid Z4 Duo are also designed for the same price-conscious users.

Case

The chassis is pretty stable, but bulky.
The chassis is pretty stable, but bulky.

If you have ever held a Nokia X, you will notice only minor differences when you use the Microsoft Lumia 435: Both cases are made of polycarbonate, you can obviously see the Microsoft logo at the back, the slot for the speaker is larger and the stereo jack is moved to the center of the top. Moreover, the Windows touch buttons are now underneath the display instead of the lonely "Return" button of the Android version. Otherwise, you can still remove the back cover, which gives you access to the battery, the microSD slot as well as the micro-SIM slot.

The stability of the plastic case is still decent, and you cannot hear any creaking even under strong pressure or when you twist it. However, the display is not quite as pressure resistant: You can see picture distortions. The material is grippy, but the corners could have been more rounded, which would improve the haptics even further.

In terms of design, the bright colors are the most interesting choices. Microsoft also offers the smartphone in neon green and neon orange, which are not uncommon colors within the Lumia product series. However, it is easy to replace the cover if you do not like the color.

The dimensions were slightly increased: With a height of 11.7 millimeters (~0.46 in) the Lumia 435 is not really a slim smartphone, for example, the Lumia 535 is just 8.8 millimeters (~0.35 in) high. However, thanks to its 4-inch screen you get a very handy device that is suitable for smaller pockets and hands.

140.2 mm / 5.52 inch 72.4 mm / 2.85 inch 8.8 mm / 0.3465 inch 146 g0.3219 lbs136 mm / 5.35 inch 68 mm / 2.68 inch 9.7 mm / 0.3819 inch 122 g0.269 lbs124.8 mm / 4.91 inch 64.8 mm / 2.55 inch 12.3 mm / 0.4843 inch 142 g0.3131 lbs118.1 mm / 4.65 inch 64.7 mm / 2.55 inch 11.7 mm / 0.4606 inch 134 g0.2954 lbs115.5 mm / 4.55 inch 63 mm / 2.48 inch 10.4 mm / 0.4094 inch 129 g0.2844 lbs109.4 mm / 4.31 inch 59 mm / 2.32 inch 11.9 mm / 0.4685 inch 113 g0.2491 lbs148 mm / 5.83 inch 105 mm / 4.13 inch 1 mm / 0.03937 inch 1.5 g0.00331 lbs

Connectivity

You should not expect too much performance for under 100 Euros (~$112): The Lumia 435 has 1024 MB of memory and 8 GB of storage, which can be expanded via microSD card. Many competitors have only half the memory and/or storage. You can even listen to the radio with the Lumia 435, but it requires a headset, that is also used as an antenna.

Top: Combined 3.5 mm stereo jack
Top: Combined 3.5 mm stereo jack
Bottom: Micro-USB port
Bottom: Micro-USB port
Left side: No ports
Left side: No ports
Right side: Volume rocker, standby button
Right side: Volume rocker, standby button
Besides numerous software additions you can also use the assistant "Cortana" via voice inputs.
Besides numerous software additions you can also use the assistant "Cortana" via voice inputs.

Software

Version 8.1 was not only a big improvement for desktop Windows, but the smartphone version got some new features as well, which means the operating system is now even closer to Android and iOS. You now get a notification center, swipe inputs and a better calendar app. Working with Windows Phone was always quite pleasant, because the simple interface works intuitively and – unlike Android or iOS – uses high contrasts. Only the settings can be a little confusing. More information about Windows Phone 8.1 is available in the review of the Nokia Lumia 930. Thanks to 1 GB of memory, the Lumia 435 would also be ready for an update to Windows Phone 10, but there has been no official announcement so far.

The Lumia family also gets several goodies from Microsoft, including the free navigation app "Here Drive+" (all Windows Phone devices can download it), free music streaming with "Mix Radio" as well as the "Lumia Storyteller", which creates stories from your pictures and videos depending on the location. Most of the additional software is useful but it is easy to delete them if you do not want them. Beyond the MSN apps that may be useful for some users, there are no other annoying adware apps.

Communication & GPS 

You really should not expect LTE for a price under 100 Euros (~$112), but with GSM quad-band and UMTS dual-band, the Microsoft Lumia 435 is on par with the majority of similarly priced devices in our comparison. Only the Motorola Moto E supports quad-band UMTS. The signal in the D1 network was decent in a rural area, but the comparison with the Windows Phone Samsung Ativ S shows the differences with better devices: While the Ativ S showed four bars, the Lumia 435 had only two bars.

The Microsoft Lumia 435 does at least support wireless networks according to the standards 802.11 b/g/n, which means it should work with most current wireless networks. The latest and very fast standard 802.11ac is missing, and you can only use 2.4 GHz networks. We check the signal quality at a distance of ten meters (~33 ft) from the router and three walls in-between. The result is a signal of 50%, but websites are still opened very quickly.

The accuracy is down to 3 meters outdoors.
The accuracy is down to 3 meters outdoors.

Windows Phone does not have the sophisticated GPS benchmarks that we use for Android and iOS, but the test suite "Hardware Tests" at least gives us an initial impression about the signal quality of the GPS module. It is not possible to locate the position indoors, even though this is not surprising since only high-end phones are usually able to do this. In the outdoors, connection to the satellites was established quickly and the location was accurate down to 3 meters (~10 ft).

However, a quick test run in the car and a comparison with the navigation device Garmin eTrex30 quickly shows that you should not trust the GPS module of the Lumia 435: Instead of following the path, it just calculates half of the way as a direct line and it looks like we would "fly" through buildings.

GPS Garmin eTrex30: Complete
GPS Garmin eTrex30: Complete
GPS Garmin eTrex30: Crossing
GPS Garmin eTrex30: Crossing
GPS Garmin eTrex30: Street
GPS Garmin eTrex30: Street
GPS Lumia 435: Complete
GPS Lumia 435: Complete
GPS Lumia 435: Crossing
GPS Lumia 435: Crossing
GPS Lumia 435: Street
GPS Lumia 435: Street

Telephone Functions & Voice Quality

The voice quality leaves mixed impressions: The sound quality of the integrated earpiece is actually decent, the other person sounds a little focused on the high tones and sibilants are unpleasantly powerful, but overall it is balanced, clear, and reasonably loud. The performance of the integrated speaker is quite clear, but there were occasional stutters when we switched between the earpiece and the speaker. However, the recipient only hears a distorted, muffled voice with signal noise; therefore, we are not satisfied with the microphone.

Cameras & Multimedia

Nokia has also equipped its cheapest and smallest smartphone with two cameras, but the 2 MP camera at the back does not have a flash or auto focus, and the front camera has a very low resolution of 0.3 MP. The Lumia 535 is currently available for just 15 Euros (~$17) more on the Internet, It has two 5 MP cameras and the one at the back even has a flash.

The 2 MP camera at the back takes decent pictures, and the color noise is still decent even when the lighting is not very good. However, you should look at the pictures on smaller screens; otherwise, you will quickly notice the low resolution: Edges and details become blurry. We liked the color reproduction in all scenarios. You should only use the front camera for selfies and only if you want to send them to another smartphone, since the quality is not very good. The same applies for video calls and you should only Skype with another smartphone via front camera.

Image Comparison

Choose a scene and navigate within the first image. One click changes the position on touchscreens. One click on the zoomed-in image opens the original in a new window. The first image shows the scaled photograph of the test device.

Scene 1Scene 2Scene 3
click to load images

Accessories

You will not find a headset or a USB cable in the box; instead, you only get a power adaptor with a fixed cable. Microsoft lists a headset in matching colors on its website, but like the switchable back cover of the Lumia 435, it is not yet available and we have no information about the pricing.

Warranty

Microsoft offers a  24-month warranty for the smartphone, but the battery and the power adaptor are only covered for 12 months.

Input Devices & Handling

Because of the small 4-inch display, the keys of the on-screen keyboard are naturally quite small, especially since Microsoft uses a layout that is rather high and not as wide. However, during our review we did not have the feeling that the input was imprecise and all our inputs were executed very well. The keyboard layout can be switched to another language directly on the keyboard, but numbers are only available in a special menu. Word predictions are displayed directly above the keyboard. The keyboard also learns and is able to recognize your name after a few entries. Swipe inputs are also possible, but you cannot activate voice dictation or handwritten inputs directly from the keyboard.

Windows 8.1 has also introduced the voice assistant "Cortana", which, like Apple's "Siri", is supposed to improve the operation of the device with your voice. However, the German assistant is still an alpha version, so many requests just lead to Bing instead of being answered directly. Overall, the accuracy of the voice recognition is rather good and the voice output is quite pleasant.

The touchscreen is sensitive up into the peripheral areas, executes inputs quickly, and provides good gliding capabilities that make inputs very comfortable.

Keyboard portrait mode
Keyboard portrait mode
Keyboard landscape mode
Keyboard landscape mode

Display

The 4-inch TN LED display has a resolution of 800x480 pixels in a 5:3 screen ratio. Obviously, the resolution is not very high in an age of 4K displays, and you can actually see the difference compared to a higher resolution screen: For instance, there are issues with the presentation of small texts. However, the resolution of the Lumia 435 is similar to the rivals in this price range: The Acer Liquid Z4 does not have any more pixels, and the LG L40  has an even lower resolution.

A brightness of up to 292 cd/m² is below average, but the brightness distribution is very even at 92%. Due to the small viewing angles of the TN LED technology, large colored areas still do not look evenly illuminated.

292
cd/m²
292
cd/m²
287
cd/m²
281
cd/m²
284
cd/m²
276
cd/m²
280
cd/m²
274
cd/m²
269
cd/m²
Distribution of brightness
tested with X-Rite i1Pro 2
Maximum: 292 cd/m² (Nits) Average: 281.7 cd/m²
Brightness Distribution: 92 %
Center on Battery: 284 cd/m²
Contrast: 507:1 (Black: 0.56 cd/m²)
ΔE Color 5.64 | 0.5-29.43 Ø5
ΔE Greyscale 5.69 | 0.57-98 Ø5.3
Gamma: 2.11
Microsoft Lumia 435
Adreno 302, 200 8210, 8 GB eMMC Flash
Microsoft Lumia 535
Adreno 302, 200 MSM8212, 8 GB eMMC Flash
Nokia X
Adreno 203, S4 Play MSM8625Q, 4 GB Flash
LG L40
Adreno 302, 200 8210, 4 GB Flash
Motorola Moto E 1. Gen 2014
Adreno 302, 200 8210, 4 GB Flash
Acer Liquid Z4
Mali-400 MP, MT6572, 4 GB Flash
Screen
27%
-13%
19%
20%
-27%
Brightness middle
284
431
52%
397
40%
396
39%
373
31%
373
31%
Brightness
282
424
50%
397
41%
380
35%
365
29%
348
23%
Brightness Distribution
92
90
-2%
92
0%
91
-1%
96
4%
81
-12%
Black Level *
0.56
0.64
-14%
0.85
-52%
0.51
9%
0.5
11%
0.6
-7%
Contrast
507
673
33%
467
-8%
776
53%
746
47%
622
23%
Colorchecker dE 2000 *
5.64
3.6
36%
7.77
-38%
6.01
-7%
4.84
14%
12.31
-118%
Greyscale dE 2000 *
5.69
3.71
35%
9.83
-73%
5.45
4%
5.62
1%
13.06
-130%
Gamma
2.11 104%
2.4 92%
2.59 85%
2.29 96%
2.59 85%
1.88 117%
CCT
7817 83%
6878 95%
10239 63%
6954 93%
7943 82%
15301 42%

* ... smaller is better

The black value, more precisely the remaining brightness with black areas, is not overwhelming either with 0.56 cd/m², even though the competitors are on a similarly bad level. With a contrast of 507:1, the Lumia 435 is still worse than the rivals because the maximum brightness is quite low. In practice, this results in very pale colors and dark areas that look more like dark gray than black.

Our tests with a spectrophotometer and the software CalMAN reveal the blue cast of the display, which is visible to the human eye: Bright shades of gray and white areas in particular shift towards blue compared to the sRGB reference. The average DeltaE deviation of the grayscale and the ColorChecker are both higher than 5 and therefore easily visible. However, the deviations of the Nokia X or the Acer Liquid Z4 were even higher. Overall, the colors are inaccurate and tend towards blue, so they appear quite cool.

CalMAN Color Management sRGB
CalMAN Color Management sRGB
CalMAN ColorChecker sRGB
CalMAN ColorChecker sRGB
CalMAN Grayscale sRGB
CalMAN Grayscale sRGB
CalMAN Saturation Sweeps sRGB
CalMAN Saturation Sweeps sRGB
CalMAN ColorChecker AdobeRGB
CalMAN ColorChecker AdobeRGB
Direct comparison: Microsoft Lumia 435 (TN LED, 800x480 pixels) / Samsung Ativ S (AMOLED, 1200x720 pixels)
Direct comparison: Microsoft Lumia 435 (TN LED, 800x480 pixels) / Samsung Ativ S (AMOLED, 1200x720 pixels)

The combination of low brightness, glossy surface and the limited viewing angle of the  display make it difficult to see the display content in bright environments in the outdoors, and almost impossible under direct sunlight. The visibility is much better indoors and in darker environments.

Because of the TN LED technology, the viewing angles of the panel are not very wide: The brightness is reduced when you move to the left and the right, but the visibility is still decent. On the other hand, viewing angles from above and below quickly result in color shifts and the contrast collapses, so you cannot see all the details when you exceed a certain angle.

Outdoor use
Outdoor use
Viewing angles
Viewing angles

Performance

The SoC of the Lumia 435, Qualcomm Snapdragon 200 MSM8210,  has two cores that run with up to 1.2 GHz. This SoC is designed for inexpensive entry-level devices and does not provide much performance, but it is sufficient to ensure the smooth handling of the operating system in most scenarios. You can hardly notice any stutters. Our benchmarks show a significant performance deficit compared to the Lumia 535 equipped with a quad-core SoC with the same clock.

The integrated graphics solution Adreno 302  provides sufficient performance for simple games. More complex 3D benchmarks like "Basemark X" or "GFXBench" can cause issues on the Microsoft Lumia 435: either they refused to start at all, or they crashed the system. However, most games did run.

Overall, we were satisfied with the web browsing performance, but the integrated Internet Explorer is not as fast as Google’s Chrome, which is also reflected in the benchmark results: The Motorola Moto E, for example, is much faster when you browse the web.

Linpack Android / IOS
Single Thread (sort by value)
Microsoft Lumia 435
54.5 MFLOPS
Microsoft Lumia 535
58.6 MFLOPS +8%
Nokia X
44.05 MFLOPS -19%
Motorola Moto E 1. Gen 2014
77.5 MFLOPS +42%
Multi Thread (sort by value)
Microsoft Lumia 435
109.3 MFLOPS
Microsoft Lumia 535
234.4 MFLOPS +114%
Nokia X
75.9 MFLOPS -31%
Motorola Moto E 1. Gen 2014
145.5 MFLOPS +33%
BaseMark OS II
Overall (sort by value)
Microsoft Lumia 435
338 Points
Microsoft Lumia 535
391 Points +16%
System (sort by value)
Microsoft Lumia 435
369 Points
Microsoft Lumia 535
572 Points +55%
Memory (sort by value)
Microsoft Lumia 435
550 Points
Microsoft Lumia 535
593 Points +8%
Graphics (sort by value)
Microsoft Lumia 435
189 Points
Microsoft Lumia 535
189 Points 0%
Web (sort by value)
Microsoft Lumia 435
340 Points
Microsoft Lumia 535
367 Points +8%
Mozilla Kraken 1.1 - Total (sort by value)
Microsoft Lumia 435
28910 ms *
Microsoft Lumia 535
27175 ms * +6%
LG L40
16366 ms * +43%
Motorola Moto E 1. Gen 2014
17651 ms * +39%
WebXPRT 2013
Overall (sort by value)
Microsoft Lumia 435
128 Points
Microsoft Lumia 535
131 Points +2%
LG L40
143 Points +12%
Photo Effects (sort by value)
Microsoft Lumia 435
2253 ms *
Microsoft Lumia 535
2296 ms * -2%
LG L40
2333 ms * -4%
Face Detection (sort by value)
Microsoft Lumia 435
6201 ms *
Microsoft Lumia 535
5996 ms * +3%
LG L40
5365 ms * +13%
Stocks Dashboard (sort by value)
Microsoft Lumia 435
2674 ms *
Microsoft Lumia 535
2571 ms * +4%
LG L40
2392 ms * +11%
Offline Notes (sort by value)
Microsoft Lumia 435
2950 ms *
Microsoft Lumia 535
2835 ms * +4%
LG L40
2420 ms * +18%
Octane V2 - Total Score (sort by value)
Microsoft Lumia 435
1166 Points
LG L40
0 Points -100%
Motorola Moto E 1. Gen 2014
1904 Points +63%
Google V8 Ver. 7 - Google V8 Ver. 7 Score (sort by value)
Microsoft Lumia 435
1119 Points
Microsoft Lumia 535
1141 Points +2%
Nokia X
1273 Points +14%
Motorola Moto E 1. Gen 2014
1777 Points +59%
Acer Liquid Z4
1509 Points +35%
Sunspider - 1.0 Total Score (sort by value)
Microsoft Lumia 435
1322 ms *
Microsoft Lumia 535
1254 ms * +5%
Nokia X
2430 ms * -84%
LG L40
613 ms * +54%
Acer Liquid Z4
1841 ms * -39%

Legend

 
Microsoft Lumia 435 Qualcomm Snapdragon 200 8210, Qualcomm Adreno 302, 8 GB eMMC Flash
 
Microsoft Lumia 535 Qualcomm Snapdragon 200 MSM8212, Qualcomm Adreno 302, 8 GB eMMC Flash
 
Nokia X Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 Play MSM8625Q, Qualcomm Adreno 203, 4 GB Flash
 
LG L40 Qualcomm Snapdragon 200 8210, Qualcomm Adreno 302, 4 GB Flash
 
Motorola Moto E 1. Gen 2014 Qualcomm Snapdragon 200 8210, Qualcomm Adreno 302, 4 GB Flash
 
Acer Liquid Z4 MediaTek MT6572, ARM Mali-400 MP, 4 GB Flash

* ... smaller is better

Gaming Performance

The integrated SoC is not really a gaming monster and the small graphics card is not powerful enough for current high-end games like "Asphalt 8: Airborne": Despite significantly reduced details (not adjustable in the Windows Phone version) you will have to live with some dropped frames. It is playable, but it is more entertaining and also looks much better with faster GPUs. Casual games like the "Angry Birds" series are not a problem for the SoC.

Inputs via the touchscreen and the position sensor are sufficiently precise, but sometimes we had the feeling that the touchscreen did not execute our inputs immediately. This could be due to either the low CPU performance, or slight inaccuracies in the touchscreen.

Not completely smooth, even with low details and in the lowest resolution: "Asphalt 8: Airborne".
Not completely smooth, even with low details and in the lowest resolution: "Asphalt 8: Airborne".

Emissions

Wie wir testen - Emissionen

Temperature

You do not have to worry about the temperature development of the Microsoft Lumia 435: The absolute maximum temperature under load is 34.1 °C (~93 °F), so only very sensitive users should notice it, especially since the difference compared to idling is less than 2 °C (~3.5 °F).

Max. Load
 30.8 °C
87 F
33.2 °C
92 F
34 °C
93 F
 
 30.5 °C
87 F
32.7 °C
91 F
34.1 °C
93 F
 
 30.5 °C
87 F
32.1 °C
90 F
33.6 °C
92 F
 
Maximum: 34.1 °C = 93 F
Average: 32.4 °C = 90 F
28.1 °C
83 F
29.3 °C
85 F
28.8 °C
84 F
28.2 °C
83 F
29.4 °C
85 F
29.2 °C
85 F
28 °C
82 F
29.3 °C
85 F
29.3 °C
85 F
Maximum: 29.4 °C = 85 F
Average: 28.8 °C = 84 F
Power Supply (max.)  38.5 °C = 101 F | Room Temperature 22 °C = 72 F | Voltcraft IR-260
(±) The average temperature for the upper side under maximal load is 32.4 °C / 90 F, compared to the average of 32.7 °C / 91 F for the devices in the class Smartphone.
(+) The maximum temperature on the upper side is 34.1 °C / 93 F, compared to the average of 35 °C / 95 F, ranging from 21.9 to 56 °C for the class Smartphone.
(+) The bottom heats up to a maximum of 29.4 °C / 85 F, compared to the average of 33.8 °C / 93 F
(+) In idle usage, the average temperature for the upper side is 30.3 °C / 87 F, compared to the device average of 32.7 °C / 91 F.

Speakers

As with the Nokia X, you get quite a decent speaker: Medium tones and bass are not that present, but high tones are clear and just slightly distorted at the maximum volume. By the way: The Lumia can be quite loud when you crank it up and it is easy to fill a small room with sound. You do not get a headset, but you can enjoy a decent sound when you attach your own headphones.

Energy Management

Power Consumption

One of the major drawbacks of the Microsoft Lumia 535 was the high power consumption that also affected the battery runtimes. This is not a big problem for the Lumia 435, but the consumption values are still much higher compared to the Motorola Moto E or LG L40: Our review unit consumed at least 0.7 to 1.5 Watts while idling, and up to 3.5 Watts under load. The standby consumption is also slightly high.

Power Consumption
Off / Standbydarklight 0 / 0.4 Watt
Idledarkmidlight 0.7 / 1.3 / 1.5 Watt
Load midlight 2.8 / 3.5 Watt
 color bar
Key: min: dark, med: mid, max: light        Voltcraft VC 870
Currently we use the Metrahit Energy, a professional single phase power quality and energy measurement digital multimeter, for our measurements. Find out more about it here. All of our test methods can be found here.

Battery Runtime

The battery capacity of the Lumia 435 is 5.8 Wh and therefore similar or slightly smaller than the comparison Android devices. However, the Lumia 535  has a much larger battery with 7 Wh, but it also has to handle the high power consumption. Both Lumia devices manage very similar battery runtimes and even the result of the WLAN test is identical. 6:16 hours are practical, but still shorter than the Android rivals. The energy-saving mode, which is active by default, cannot really change this. It deactivates background services and can – in theory – increase the runtimes by a couple of hours.

Battery Runtime
Idle (without WLAN, min brightness)
12h 15min
WiFi Surfing
6h 16min
Big Buck Bunny H.264 1080p
7h 02min
Load (maximum brightness)
2h 12min
Microsoft Lumia 435
Adreno 302, 200 8210, 8 GB eMMC Flash
Microsoft Lumia 535
Adreno 302, 200 MSM8212, 8 GB eMMC Flash
Nokia X
Adreno 203, S4 Play MSM8625Q, 4 GB Flash
LG L40
Adreno 302, 200 8210, 4 GB Flash
Motorola Moto E 1. Gen 2014
Adreno 302, 200 8210, 4 GB Flash
Acer Liquid Z4
Mali-400 MP, MT6572, 4 GB Flash
Battery Runtime
0%
39%
98%
70%
32%
Reader / Idle
735
948
29%
1048
43%
1336
82%
H.264
422
322
-24%
350
-17%
WiFi
376
376
0%
598
59%
860
129%
846
125%
498
32%
Load
132
127
-4%
152
15%
221
67%
248
88%

Verdict

In Review: Microsoft Lumia 435. Test model courtesy of Microsoft Germany.
In Review: Microsoft Lumia 435. Test model courtesy of Microsoft Germany.

If you want to pay only 100 Euros (~$112) for your next smartphone, you will have to live with some restrictions: The Microsoft Lumia 435 cannot keep up with the much better Lumia 535, which costs slightly more than 100 Euros. The screen and the cameras in particular are worse and the chassis is quite bulky.

However, price-conscious users will get 8 GB of storage and 1 GB of memory, which is not a matter of course in this product class. You also get all the comprehensive software additions from the Lumia-series in the Lumia 435. The battery is replaceable and you can expand the storage via microSD card. The operating system runs smoothly and you really cannot feel a warming of the case.

The low price means that you just have to live with some drawbacks, including the unreliable GPS sensor, the display with pale colors and a low resolution, the front camera that is actually not really suitable for video calls and the bad quality of the microphone. Nevertheless, the performance of the Lumia 435 is not too bad compared with the similarly priced rivals, especially since Windows Phone 8.1 is running much smoother on weak devices than Android.

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In Review: Microsoft Lumia 435. Test model courtesy of Microsoft Germany.
In Review: Microsoft Lumia 435. Test model courtesy of Microsoft Germany.

Specifications

Microsoft Lumia 435 (Lumia Series)
Processor
Qualcomm Snapdragon 200 8210 2 x 1.2 GHz, Cortex-A7
Graphics adapter
Memory
1024 MB 
Display
4.00 inch 5:3, 800 x 480 pixel, capacitive touchscreen, TN LED, glossy: yes
Storage
8 GB eMMC Flash, 8 GB 
, 3.8 GB free
Connections
1 USB 2.0, Audio Connections: combined 3.5 mm stereo jack, Card Reader: microSDXC (up to 128GB), Sensors: Movement sensor, Light sensor, Proximity sensor, GPS
Networking
802.11 b/g/n (b/g/n = Wi-Fi 4/), Bluetooth 4.0, GSM quad-band (850/900/1800/1900), UMTS dual-band (900/2100)
Size
height x width x depth (in mm): 11.7 x 118.1 x 64.7 ( = 0.46 x 4.65 x 2.55 in)
Battery
6 Wh Lithium-Ion, replaceable battery, 3.8 V 1560 mAh
Operating System
Microsoft Windows Phone 8.1
Camera
Webcam: 2.0MP (rear); 0.3MP (front)
Additional features
Speakers: speakers at the back, Keyboard: virtual keyboard, App Social, Here Drive+, Cooking, Lumia Selfie, Lumia Storyteller, Mix Radio, 24 Months Warranty
Weight
134 g ( = 4.73 oz / 0.3 pounds), Power Supply: 46 g ( = 1.62 oz / 0.1 pounds)
Price
89 Euro

 

The Microsoft Lumia 435 is designed for users with a small wallet.
The Microsoft Lumia 435 is designed for users with a small wallet.
However, you have to live with big limitations, in respect of the camera, for example.
However, you have to live with big limitations, in respect of the camera, for example.
The front camera is hardly suitable for selfies.
The front camera is hardly suitable for selfies.
Users of the Nokia X will be familiar with the case.
Users of the Nokia X will be familiar with the case.
The battery can be replaced, just like the back cover, which is available in multiple colors.
The battery can be replaced, just like the back cover, which is available in multiple colors.
The display has a pretty low contrast compared to modern Windows Phones.
The display has a pretty low contrast compared to modern Windows Phones.
The Lumia 435 is Microsoft's cheapest smartphone, but it is not a bad offer in this price range.
The Lumia 435 is Microsoft's cheapest smartphone, but it is not a bad offer in this price range.
You also get many software additions and the voice-controlled assistant Cortana.
You also get many software additions and the voice-controlled assistant Cortana.
It cannot offer many questions, but it is just an alpha version.
It cannot offer many questions, but it is just an alpha version.
You can stream music for free with "Mix Radio".
You can stream music for free with "Mix Radio".
"Storyteller" creates stories from you pictures.
"Storyteller" creates stories from you pictures.
The selection of apps is pretty comprehensive by now.
The selection of apps is pretty comprehensive by now.
All the popular apps are available.
All the popular apps are available.
The user interface is simple, organized and heavily customizable.
The user interface is simple, organized and heavily customizable.
Folders are possible by now as well.
Folders are possible by now as well.
The accent color can be changed.
The accent color can be changed.
Small drawback: The settings are confusing.
Small drawback: The settings are confusing.
The smartphone is not powerful enough for gaming enthusiasts.
The smartphone is not powerful enough for gaming enthusiasts.

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Pros

+Compact size
+Smooth operating system
+Comprehensive software additions
+Good memory equipment
+Usable battery runtimes
+Decent speaker
+Replaceable battery
+Cover can be changed
+Case gets hardly warm
 

Cons

-Bad quality of the microphone
-Thick chassis
-Low gaming performance
-Mediocre camera equipment
-Low-contrast display
-Unreliable GPS sensor

Shortcut

What we like

The generous memory equipment is not a matter of course in this class, just like the decent speakers.

What we'd like to see

The microphone is really bad and the chassis could be a bit thinner.

What surprises us

That Windows Phone 8.1 is also very smooth on devices with pretty slow SoCs.

The competition

Microsoft Lumia 535, LG L40, Motorola Moto E, Acer Liquid Z4

Rating

Microsoft Lumia 435 - 02/23/2015 v4(old)
Florian Wimmer

Chassis
71%
Keyboard
63 / 75 → 84%
Pointing Device
77%
Connectivity
42 / 60 → 70%
Weight
94%
Battery
88%
Display
78%
Games Performance
40 / 63 → 63%
Application Performance
18 / 70 → 26%
Temperature
92%
Noise
100%
Audio
41 / 91 → 45%
Camera
42%
Average
65%
75%
Smartphone - Weighted Average
Florian Wimmer, 2015-02-27 (Update: 2018-05-15)