Microsoft unveils new smartphones with Free Office and Windows 10

Microsoft has announced two new mid-range smartphones, both of which will work with Windows 10 when it launches later in the year, and come with Microsoft Office for free. Unveiled at a press conference on the first morning of Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, the Lumia 640 and 640 XL will both go on sale in April for less than 200 euro; significantly less than the devices of many of Microsoft’s rivals, and with a large software package. This includes the ability to upgrade to Windows 10 for free when it is released later in the year, as well as a year’s free subscription to Office 365, the service that enables users to use software like Word and Excel across mobile devices.

With the Lumia 640 and Lumia 640 XL, we continue to make innovation accessible to more people. We have packaged competitive hardware with innovative Windows software and Microsoft services to help you achieve more, wherever and whenever you want.

Jo Harlow, vice president for phones at Microsoft.

The announcement comes after fellow manufacturers HTC and Samsung both unveiled new flagship devices on Sunday. HTC announced the new One M9, while Samsung showed off the Galaxy S6 and S6 edge, all of which will sit in the premium smartphone bracket. The Lumia devices meanwhile are Microsoft’s play for the mid-range market, where the former Nokia-built devices still hold a strong footing. Microsoft purchased Nokia for £4.46bn last year, and has since absorbed the Finnish firm’s mobile division and re-branded it as Microsoft Lumia.

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