Lumia 540: Microsoft's got a winner

A detailed look at the promising Windows Phone from Microsoft

Microsoft has recently unveiled a budget performer in the form of Lumia 540, and going by the looks of it, the Lumia phones just might be taking cue from the Android phone manufacturers, which should mean more value for money handsets in the coming days.

Competing won't be easy, since Android phones have a huge lead, both in terms of options and innovative features, but this looks like a good start. Despite being light on the wallet, the Lumia 540 came across an attractive option.

Time to take a detailed look at the promising Windows Phone.

Design

Even though a budget phone, the material, quality-wise, looks top notch. The round corners ensure that the user gets a good grip. The translucent effect around the edges gives it a unique, eye catching look.

The top edge of the phone carries the 3.5 mm audio jack, whereas the power button and volume rocker are located on the right edge. The bottom part of the phone carries the Micro USB port.

The twin SIM slots and the Micro SD card slot are located underneath the removable battery. The speaker is located at the back of the device.

Display

Microsoft has provided its clear black technology to the 5" IPS LCD display. The 720 x 1280p screen comes out as impressive from the word go.

It is sadly lacking the Gorilla glass protection, but otherwise the screen is sharp with it 294 pixel density, good viewing angles, and bright even under direct sunlight.

Hardware

The phone comes with a modest 1.2 GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon 200 Quadcore processor. It was good to see 1GB of RAM has been provided. While the on board storage memory happens to be 8GB, users get the advantage of increasing that by up to 128 GB via microSD card slot.

Given the price range of the phone, the configuration is pretty good.

Connectivity

The Lumia 540 dual, as the name suggests, is a dual SIM mobile phone. It provides the option of 3G, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 4.0 for connectivity to the users. It comes with AGPS technology as well.

By not including the 4G/LTE connectivity option, the budget phone's chances are hampered to a good degree here. India has started witnessing 4G rollout, and this option would have made it more future proof.

Software

The phone operates on WP 8.1, update 2. There are plethora of apps coming preloaded, but the ones which will stand out are definitely the MS Office and of course the Here maps. GPS assistance is something almost all users look forward to with the Lumias.

MS has tried to make the setting option more user friendly by providing a search option to locate the desired function as well as the option to pin the desired function to the home screen. It is good to see MS attempting something, but a good bit of work is still left.

The addition of support for a Bluetooth keyboard looked gimmicky, but an improved Cortana will surely be looked forward to.

The presence of Sense Apps, for managing data storage and Wi-Fi connections is good to see as well. Throw in the camera apps involved, One drive, Twitter, Skype, storyteller, Face Book, Cleartrip etc, the overall software experience isn't underwhelming at all, especially for a budget phone.

Performance

That the processor isn't top of the line is no secret. The phone generally does a good job at handling day to day tasks and shouldn't make the user disappoint too much.

There were the odd delays in resumption of apps. One also bumped into the occasional stuttering of animation/transition effect of apps, sometimes the app switching took its time. The same sketchy performance was observed while playing heavy movie files as well.

To sum it up, till the time the user is prepared not to treat the phone like a workhorse, and the odd slow effects are not an issue, the phone won't disappoint.

Camera

This area should prove to be a major draw for the 540. If it was a pleasant surprise to find an autofocus and LED flash enabled rear camera of 8 MP resolution, a front camera of 5 MP was an even more pleasing discovery.

The rear camera does a very good job during outdoor photography, capturing good details, accurate colours and keeping the noise in check. Even during the outdoor night shots, the results were not disappointing. Indoor images however did witnessed noise creeping in.

The front camera does a good job for selfies. The wide angled lens justified its inclusion as well. The user can take assistance from Selfie app in enhancing the captured shots.

For some puzzling reason, the video capturing of both cameras is 848 x 540p. For the rear camera, this is gross injustice as it is very capable of offering more. The videos were not disappointing, but this definitely could have been better. Audio captured was impressive.

The Pro mode provides user with manual controls for ISO, shutter speed, Balance, etc. Overall the camera is very impressive, especially when one keeps the budget in consideration.

Apps like Lumia Cam, creative studio and the selfie app further bolster this department nicely.

Gaming

The budget phone users have an inherent desire about this aspect, as gaming is one of the favourite time pass activities in general and especially during the few idle minutes one finds.

The Lumia 540 is a very capable for indulging in casual gaming. Cult favourites like Angry bird, Subway surfer and Temple Run worked without issues. Fans shouldn't expect a powerful performance here by any means as the HD gaming would have been a problem on the modest processor, and frame drops were witnessed during game plays like like Asphalt 8.

The speaker was pretty good for the price, enhancing the experience nicely. It could have been louder though.

Accessories

The rear panel removable, but the extra shells are not included, it would have been a nice idea to supply at least one. The real stinger was the absence of a data transfer cable, as the charger has a fixed lead attached to it. This extra purchase will be annoying and frustrating for some.

There is also a headset which is bundled, and it is a modest performer at best.

Battery

Lumia 540 comes with a removable battery, which was good to see. On a moderate to heavy usage, the users can easily draw about 14 hours worth of juice from the 2200 mAh battery pack.

Providing a capable battery pack just might win some significant votes for this entry level, yet impressive device.

Verdict and competition

Microsoft has done a pretty good job with the Lumia 540. It proves itself to be a worthy, entry-level Windows phone, something which can be considered for the budget conscious user, or for those who want to try their hands at a Windows Phone. This certainly is not going to be winning high praises from a power user though.

There were a few hiccups, but are manageable. The phone scores nicely on basic fronts like built, camera, and display department. Thankfully, it is backed up nicely by a capable battery as well, thereby correcting all the important boxes.

If getting hands on an impressive budget Windows Phone is the criteria, the Lumia 540 is a very good choice. Otherwise, one can consider Android phones like the Lenovo 6000 plus and Lenovo A7000 in the same price budget.