Initially launched last July, the Lumia 530 isn’t what we’d call a powerhouse smartphone. Inside the relatively petite smartphone lies a 1.2GHz quad-core Snapdragon 200 processor and 512MB of RAM, as well as 4GB of internal memory. The memory can be augmented, however, through the MicroSD card slot, which will accept cards up to a whopping 128GB in size.
Finally, you’ll find a 4-inch, 854 x 480 resolution display, as well as a 5-megapixel rear camera with no flash.
What has set the Lumia 530 apart from the competition, however, was its price point. Even when it first launched, T-Mobile sold the smartphone for $80, while Cricket Wireless sold it for $50. That trend continues in a huge way through U.S. Mobile, a prepaid carrier that will sell the Lumia 530 for a measly $10 once the clock strikes midnight on November 30.
Of course, there are plenty of reasons why some would prefer the $10 TracFone-branded LG Lucky LG16 smartphone over the Lumia 530, the biggest being the app ecosystem. Windows Phone’s biggest ailment has been the relative lack of apps and app updates when compared to the competition, and though the Lucky LG16 runs on a dual-core processor, it can still run Android apps.
At the same time, however, Microsoft has done a fantastic job making sure that Windows Phone 8.1 runs well on low-powered smartphones, and even with the weak hardware, that remains true on the Lumia 530. That said, the Lumia 530 is unlikely to see the Windows 10 update, mainly due to its 4GB of internal storage, but if it’s a burner phone you need that runs quite well on weak hardware, the Lumia 530 is worth a look.
