Microsoft Lumia 435 available in South Africa [update]

Update: Microsoft has just clarified that the device shipping to South Africa will be the single SIM Lumia 435 only, which is a tad disappointing.

Microsoft has announced that its first 400 Series Lumia, the Lumia 435, is now available in South Africa at a retail price of R1149.

Staying true to the Lumia formula in general, the 435 features the bright pastel colours we have come to know from the 535, Windows Phone OS and an emphasis on imaging.

The Microsoft Lumia 435 boasts Windows Phone 8.1 with the Lumia Denim update, a 4-inch 800×480 screen, a 1.2GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon 200 SoC, 1GB of RAM, 8GB of internal storage and microSD support for cards up to 128GB. There are also two versions, one with dual SIM support, but we’re not quite sure which version of the device is shipping to SA shores yet.

Additionally, Microsoft bundles 30GB of free OneDrive storage, Free global HERE maps, HERE Drive+ and HERE Transit navigation apps available in the Windows Store, and a 2MP rear camera. There’s a VGA snapper up front.

It doesn’t sound like much, but the phone weighs in at just under 135g and is 11.7mm thick, so you’ll definitely remember that its in your pocket. The 1560mAh battery should be enough to cover the phone for a day.

Microsoft is interested in covering the base smartphone user with the Microsoft Lumia 435, as Shaun Durandt, Microsoft’s mobile devices GM for South Africa explains:

It is clear by the unprecedented adoption of smartphones across South Africa that people want a phone that is capable of performing more than just basic tasks, at an affordable price. The advantage of Lumia remains its ability to provide an almost consistent level of usability, even with entry level devices. This performance is supplemented with great integrated offerings like Office, OneDrive and Skype.

The Microsoft Lumia 435 will be available this month, but no exact date has been set yet. The handset will be exclusive to Ackermans retail stores on Vodacom prepaid plans.