<div class="clear"></div><div class="review-content-navigation"><div class="review-content-pag"><select class="review-content-pagination-selbox" name="reviewSelect" id="reviewSelect" onchange="if (this.value) window.location.href=this.value" ><option value="/mobile/nokia-lumia-530-dual-sim-first-look-just-an-average-affair-019383.html" selected="selected">PAGE 1 OF 4: Form Factor & Operating System</option><option value="/mobile/nokia-lumia-530-dual-sim-first-look-just-an-average-affair-2-019384.html">PAGE 2 OF 4: Processor & Benchmark</option><option value="/mobile/nokia-lumia-530-dual-sim-first-look-just-an-average-affair-3-019385.html">PAGE 3 OF 4: Camera & Video</option><option value="/mobile/nokia-lumia-530-dual-sim-first-look-just-an-average-affair-4-019386.html">PAGE 4 OF 4: Battery Life & Verdict</option></select></div></div>

The era of good old feature phones may have gone by, but Nokia, after a generation of success, still continues to search for its real identity. While the Nokia Lumia 520 seemed to have captured at least a sprinkling of the magic that fuelled the Lumia 520's triumph in the affordable segment, the company's toughest task this year will be to retain its market share. With the incoming of new age brands, such as Xiaomi and Oppo, Nokia's position today is as tough as it's ever been.

Nokia's biggest challenge in 2014 is to churn out top quality Windows Phone 8.1-powered smartphones under Rs. 12,000 price segment. In fact, we have seen some spark and enthusiasm amongst mainstream consumers when Nokia launched its Lumia 630 earlier in the year. ‘Affordability' is the keyword what Nokia should be aiming for, since a large number of Indian consumers usually spend less than $100 or Rs. 6,000 on a new smartphone.

There's a lot of potential in the low-end of the smartphone market, and Nokia no doubt hope to see its latest little wonder, the Lumia 530, takes off well. The handset retails for Rs. 7,300 or less. It's basically a low-end phone running on the latest Windows Phone 8.1 OS. We got a chance to explore the device, and here's our first impression.

Nokia Lumia 530 Dual SIM: Form Factor, Design, Display and Operating System

The Lumia 530, no doubt, is the lowest-price Windows phone to date. Like any other budget phone, it feels sturdy and tough from outside. We bet you won't need a case with your Lumia 530.

Notably, the textured plastic back feels smooth, though we initially found it tough to remove the back casing. In terms of build and design, the phone seems to be chunky at 11.7mm. But it does look smart, thanks to its rounded edges.

Remove the back cover off and you'll notice the removable battery, the microSD card slot and dual-SIM support. On the rear, the Lumia 530 has a 5-megapixel camera with no LED Flash, and there's no front-facing shooter.

The handset features a low-resolution 4-inch display with a resolution of 480 x 854-pixels. Firstly, the screen is so small, plus we found it so reflective under appropriate lighting. Take it outside, however, the display quickly becomes faded.

It also picks up fingerprints easily, making it difficult to read the screen in bright settings.

The Nokia Lumia 530 runs Windows Phone 8.1 - the latest version of Microsoft's mobile OS. If you have already experienced the Windows Phone 8, it'll look and feel similar. But there's some improvements being made to make the OS - at par with Android and iOS.

Firstly, you'll notice a drop-down menu and better keyboard experience. The OS, itself, is very smooth and fast, without any lag you might see in some low-end Android-powered phones.

Read More About: nokia lumia 530 news smartphones first look hands-on windows phone 8.1 whats hot

Story first published: Thursday, September 11, 2014, 12:33 [IST]

Other articles published on Sep 11, 2014