Microsoft Lumia 640 and LG G Pad F 8.0 coming to T-Mobile on June 17

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June 8, 2015

Cam Bunton

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We've been wondering about the official launch date for T-Mobile's Microsoft Lumia 640 for some time, and now we finally have evidence from one of our sources. T-Mo communicated to staff that the long-awaited budget Windows Phone will be arriving on store shelves in time for a June 17 launch. And it's not coming along. LG's G Pad 8.0 tablet will be released in Magenta-flavor on the same day.

Quite handily, this leak fits in nicely with information Windows Central got from one of its own sources earlier today. Sadly, the phone will only be available in a limited number of stores on the launch date. On a more positive note: Any store will be able to process a ship-to (direct fulfillment) order. In other words, if your local store doesn't have it in stock, they can order one to be shipped directly to you.

As devices go, the handset is great value for money. It has a sharp 5-inch display, an unexpectedly great 8MP camera and impressive battery life. All in a device which we think will come in at (or around) $100-$130.

The second device being launch on that day is what looks like a budget-friendly Android tablet by LG. The G Pad F 8.0 features a 1280×800 WXGA display, a quad-core 1.2GHz processor and 16GB of storage which can be expanded up to an extra 128GB. It has a 5MP camera and supports band 12 LTE to boot.

This communication comes not long after one of our readers got in touch having realized an unusual lineup of new LG G Pad tablets was showing up in his MyT-Mobile account. Like the 640, we haven't seen any pricing for the G Pad F 8.0. But we don't have to wait long to find out.

Tags: G Pad 8, LG, Lumia 640, microsoft, News/Articles, T-Mobile

About Cam Bunton Cam Bunton, Managing Editor. A film school graduate from the University of Cumbria, UK, Cam's past life was in mobile phone retail. His passion for cell phones got him in to that industry, and then in to this one. A family man with three kids, he somehow manages to balance his work duties with family life and a runaway Twitter addiction. Follow him on twitter: @CamBunton View all posts by Cam Bunton →

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Yesterday’s flagship vs. midrange of today

The other day, I wrote about midrange phones, and their cameras. Specifically, I cited how average and generally not-worth-writing-home-about they were. While I still think there is a market there, a possible solution occurred to me – get a flagship…from last year! That way I could have the latest and greatest cameras from a year ago, which were pretty good, but still manage a midrange price. It was so crazy it just might work.

Yesterday's power

After all, flagships from last year include the Samsung Galaxy S5, the iPhone 5s, the HTC One M8, and the LG G3. All of these had pretty good cameras in their time so there might be something to this. All of those flagships are running hardware that is still no slouch by today's standards. Heck, the GS5 is even waterproof which is more than you'll find in the GS6, let alone the current crop of midrange phones. So in some ways, this would even be an upgrade over some of the offerings of today.

Some mention that getting a current midrange phone is more future-proof than buying a phone from last year, but is it? At the end of the day future-proofing involves getting better specs so they can keep up with advancements in the industry. But last year's flagships look very similar to this year's midrange phones under the hood. If anything we're going to call this a push, which means a better camera is going to win the day. Advantage: Old flagship.

Known quantity

Also, we have the benefit of a year's worth of experience with these devices – friends, reviews, After the Buzz looks, etc. After a year, we know how these phones are going to behave, which ones are going to bend, etc. We've had a year's worth of beta testers in the wild and what remains now is a known quantity. There won't be any hiccups like those that can happen with brand new devices. All the updates have been pushed out by the OEM, and one year later, this phone is ready to go.

Not to mention you have a year's worth of support built up around you in the community. If there is a problem with the phone, chances are someone else has had the same problem and figured out how to fix it. The power of Google compels you!

And yet…

There are a few downsides to going this route. Most notably, updates. Buying a 12-month-old flagship is no guarantee, by any stretch that you'll still be getting the latest updates to the newest operating system, especially in the Android world. iOS and Windows Phone buyers can feel pretty confident that their software will continue to improve, and please don't mistake me – Android has gotten better. But there's still that question: Will my phone get Android M?

Speaking of Windows Phone, some Windows 10 features won't be available on phones bought yesterday, let alone a year ago. There is always something to be said for update-to-date hardware, as well as software. The problem is that many OEMs get a form of shiny new toy syndrome where all the best improvements and features are going to the new kid on the block, whereas older hardware might be able to expect some bug fixes. If you're content with not having the latest hardware, then that's probably ok for you.

Less than exciting

But bringing home a box and opening a phone that you've been staring at on the train for 12 months now is less than exciting. Sure, maybe you're getting a better camera than you would in the Moto G, but is the sacrifice worth it?

It's a hard question to answer. So what about you? If you had to pick a phone today, and were not allowed to spend over, say $400 US, what would you go with? Would you get a flagship from yesteryear or a midrange phone from tomorrow? There are really good arguments on both sides. I'd probably go with the flagship. An LG G3 would be a pretty good phone I would think and one can be had for around a midrange price. Would I rather have an LG G4? Sure! So would you.

But enough about me, what would you do? Sound off in the comments below, and let's see if we can figure this out.

Gallery comparing the Lumia 640 XL and Nikon 610 cameras

The Lumia 640 XL is currently our favourite Windows Phone camera, having bested the mighty Samsung Galaxy S6 and iPhone 6+ in our blind camera test.

How does the handset measure up however to a DSLR? Intrepid photographer Kjoro have posted some images comparing the Lumia 640 XL to the Nikon D610.

Have a look at the results below.

Lumia 640 XL

Nikon D610

Both devices handle the foreground well, but the Nikon has a shallower depth of field, giving that pleasant bokeh effect.

Lumia 640 XL

Nikon D610

In this difficult lighting picture the Lumia 640 XL seems to have managed the exposure much better. Note this is not in fact a HDR picture.

Lumia 640 XL

Nikon D610

Both devices appear to have managed an equally good job, thought the result of the Nikon appears to be slightly more vibrant and pleasant to the eye.

Lumia 640 XL

Nikon D610

In this amazing picture there does not appear to be much to choose between either.

Lumia 640 XL

Nikon D610

In this image the Nikon appears to have managed the difficult exposure better, with the dark foreground better defined than the Lumia 640 XL.

I think our readers will agree that at monitor resolution the pictures look pretty comparable, and even if not identical both look pretty good.

On this occasion we have also included some 100% crops, which gives a better look at the full capabilities of the device.

Lumia 640 XL 100% crop

Nikon D610 100% crop

Lumia 640 XL 100% crop

Nikon D610 100% crop

Even at 100% resolution the Lumia 640 still does a pretty good job with these challenging pictures, though the Nikon is clearly able to capture more light.

The full gallery of images can be seen here.

What do our readers think of these pictures? Let us know below.

Microsoft Lumia 640 Re-review – After the Buzz

The Lumia 640 was one of Microsoft's first Windows Phone for the year, and one I was excited about on launch. Despite being a 6-series non-flagship series device, the Lumia 640 had a lot going for it. After the review was up, I had a choice between using the Lumia  as my secondary/test device or recouping the cost of purchase by reselling it. I initially chose the first option, but it eventually mutated into a third option. The Lumia 640 has now ended up becoming my primary device, replacing my 830 which lives in the drawer more and more.Why I like it –One of The very first things you notice about a phone is its design and the Lumia 640 is no slacker in that regard. It inherits the blocky curves of the Lumia 630 and adds a bit of character with the lip located near the headphone jack. If you've read my review, you'll note that I really like the design of the Lumia 640, even more so afte r using it for a while. It's not perfect mind you, dropping the phone at the wrong angle made a bit of the lip come off. That was easily rectified with a purchase of a newer shell off eBay for about the same price as lunch. Perks of having a removable back cover. Some people may decide the glossy shells of the 640 are gaudy and not for them. Microsoft does offer these matte versions of the colored 640 cases, albeit in the style of flip cases.

The weight and thinness of this device is alright. It's not as heavy as the 830 is, and it feels much better to hold despite being made of polycarbonate/plastic. At the risk of going off on a tangent, while metal does feel more premium than plastic, the latter is more comfortable to hold and use day to day. If Microsoft is to continue (and they will), using metal in their devices, I'd rather they also work on making it lighter and easier to handle than it is now.

In terms of photography and camera capabilities, I've done a more detailed look at the camera of the Lumia 640 here. Suffice to say, it is a decent snapper. It won't earn you any awards but, paired with the right camera app from the Windows store(and there are quite a few), it manages to do the job just fine.

The Lumia 640 comes with the tried and true combination of a Snapdragon 400 processor, 1GB of RAM and a 720p HD screen. I would note that the screen of the Lumia 640 is not as good as that of the 640 when placed side by side, neither is clearback display as effective on the cheaper device. Of course the 830 is intended as a high-end device, so Microsoft clearly put quite a bit of effort into its build quality and components. That is not to say the 640 doesn't have a good screen, it does have quite a lovely one. It just isn't as good as higher end models with the same specs.

Performance wise, the SD 400 does not disappoint on Windows Phone. Everything feels quite fast and smooth with little or no lag experienced. Loading and resuming popped up once or twice, but compared to the maddening lag I experienced using a newer Android device I let it slide.

Finally, the battery life of the 640 is rather superb. I pretty much get all day battery when I use the phone like a normal human being should. When I am glued to my screen for hours on end, it lasts quite a fair amount of time. About 5 hours of HD YouTube video (completely unscientific, subjective metric).

There's nothing more to say than it has really good battery life. It'd be great for students or people who don't need powerful devices and just want to do a bit of social media, Youtube and gaming.Should you buy it? –  As a Windows Phone user upgrading from a lower-end device or even devices like the 820, I'd recommend the 640. It just chugs along nicely and gets out of your way. For Windows Phone users who want a little more oomph, I'd say wait a while. The Lumia 640 is the lower end of Microsoft's mid-range. There will most likely be superior 740, 840 and 940 devices coming along to sate you later on this year.As for me? I'm gonna keep enjoying the Lumia 640 till that time comes.

Microsoft Lumia 640 XL now available in Canada

Ian Hardy

June 6, 2015 12:08pm

Windows Phone enthusiasts have yet another choice in Canada. The Microsoft Lumia 640 XL was announced in March and this budget friendly device follows famous design lines of Nokia's past.

The LTE-enabled Lumia 640 XL features a 720p 5.7-inch display with ClearBlack technology, runs Windows Phone 8.1, a quad-core 1.2GHz Snapdragon 400 processor, 1GB of RAM, 8GB of storage, 13MP camera with a 5MP front-facing camera, and a 3,000mAh battery.

While nothing is listed on Microsoft Canada's online store, we've confirmed the 640 XL is available in white at all retail locations for $339 unlocked.

(Thanks James!)

Microsoft to introduce Lumia Surface Windows Phone!

Windows 10 has been making a lot of news in the recent past.

The company has been creating waves of excitement amongst the users and with their new OS coming out as early as 29th of July, there have been many announcements and news releases that have been coming out.

With more and more users now getting prepared to jump ship to the new version of Windows, the company seems to be moving forward on the right step with this new version launch.

Windows 10 has been quite a force in the markets, and with Microsoft making an all round effort towards making it big, they have not only been releasing new software improvement as well as many hardware improvement and even some devices are being announced and launched to promote the big event of the launch of windows 10 and to hype it even more.

However all this hype is certainly worth the window 10 OS's release, as many big things lie ahead in the world of technology, especially from the house of Microsoft.

In the same timeline of events, with many big updates and releases coming out , Microsoft has now decided to launch a new phablet featuring window 10 mobile OS, which would be called Microsoft Lumia: Surface.

The Lumia Surface would be a cross between the Microsoft Lumia and Microsoft Surface Pro series of devices, and with both, the windows 10 and the surface pro launching in a short span of time there are going to be many big events coming our way.

The Microsoft Lumia Surface is expected to be a phablet, which is essentially a phone with a big screen which is not big enough to be a tablet but is still bigger than an average phone. The Lumia Surface will release with 32 GB of built in memory and 3 GB of RAM.

The phone will also feature a metallic body and an all new Iris Scanner which comes in as a feature of Microsoft's 'Hello' security feature. With Microsoft Lumia Surface now picking heat, it is obvious that Microsoft is going to announce it near future.

The announcement of this phone would complement the other two releases that are coming out as a part of Microsoft Mobiles releasing their flagship models – the Lumia 940 and Lumia 940 XL.

Are you excited for this release?

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