A new rumor has come through, suggesting that Microsoft might be launching the Lumia 650 on February 1. According to Windows Central, the phone is likely to be announced without an event. The website says that the details regarding pricing and availability will be released through Microsoft’s official blog. The website also claims, that the Lumia 650 will be the only phone to be launched by the company in 2016. Previously rumored Lumia 750 and 850 are also suggested to be cancelled. However, the rumored Surface Phone is in the works and might get launched eventually.
Going by the rumored spec sheet, the phone is likely to be a mid-range phone. Windows Central claims that the upcoming mid-range has been confirmed by multiple sources. Latest rumors suggest that the Lumia 650 will carry a metal chassis and a plastic back. The phone is likely to feature a 5-inch HD display which will have a resolution of 1280 x 720p. Rumors suggest that the phone could come in two or more variants, and might come with two different SoC variants aswell. Different variants might use Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 210 and 212 SoC. There could be 1GB of RAM and 8GB of internal storage. The phone is likely to support external storage via microSD card. Rumors suggest that the phone might get 8MP rear camera with flash and a 5MP front facing camera. Other details regarding dual-SIM capabilities, battery specifications and other features remain unknown.
Earlier, it was reported that the phone will be launched at MWC 2016, like the company had announced the Lumia 640 and 640XL at MWC 2015. However, rumors suggest that this year Microsoft is likely to keep its MWC presence a low-key affair. Also, we expect that other phone manufacturers might showcase their Windows phones at MWC this year. HP is likely announce the HP Falcon, which could be a flagship class Qualcomm Snapdragon 820 powered Windows phone. The phone is likely to feature a 5.8-inch QHD display with 2560 x 1440p resolution. Rumors suggest it will have a 20MP rear camera and a 12MP front-facing camera. We will know more about the phone as MWC kicks off from February 22.