Microsoft Lumia 435 vs Lumia 532: Low profile

Entry level retail package

Microsoft Lumia 435 and 532 are entry level phones - that becomes perfectly clear the moment you look at their retail boxes. Microsoft is at throwing a single-piece wall charger, which should get you started. A microUSB cable isn't included though.

Lumia 435 and Lumia 532 boxes contain nothing but a charger

Microsoft Lumia 435 and 532 360-degree views

The Lumia 435 and Lumia 532 share absolutely identical exterior, all their differences hidden deep under the hood. Neither phone has particularly slim bezels but coming with small 4 screens they sill remain rather compact at 118 x 65 x 11.7 mm for the Lumia 435 and 118 x 65 x 11.7 mm for the Lumia 532.

The weight of 135 g (137 g for the Lumia 532) is more than the exterior suggest, but it gives away a more solid vibe, when you hold the phones in hand so it's not all bad.

Design and build quality

Both compact smartphones follow the Lumia design guidelines to the letter. That may not win them many design awards, but it makes them solid devices that are instantly recognizable members of a family that has its loyal following. That's a win for any entry-level device.

Up front there is an ample screen bezel around the 4" display, while the back cover folds around the inner body and you can have it into a variety of paintjobs. Still it's not the worst case of bezel infestation we've seen - most Androids in this price range have it even worse.

Microsoft Lumia 532 (in orange) next to the Lumia 435 (in green)

Just like Lumia X and even Asha models of old, the back panels of the Lumia 435 and Lumia 532 wrap around the chassis and results in a slim colorful frame around the edge of the front panel. The plastic used on the cover is nice to the touch and we appreciate the matte finish all over the Lumia 435. Oddly, the Lumia 532 has glossy finish on the sides and matte finish on the rear.

Microsoft Lumia 435 • Microsoft Lumia 532

Handling the two smartphones is a rather nice experience. They are pocket-friendly, easy to operate with just one hand, while their solid build and matte finish provide for an excellent grip. The onscreen keyboard keys should be your only concern if your fingers tips are bigger than average.

Handling the Lumia 435 and Lumia 532

Controls

The Lumia 435 and Lumia 532 feature virtually identical bodies and in turn control placement. The 4" display is flanked by the three capacitive Windows keys below. There's an issue with those keys however as we found they have no backlighting which made operating the two phones in darker environment quite a challenge.

Ambient light and proximity sensors are hidden around the earpiece above the screen, while the VGA front camera is more prominent.

The front of the Lumia duo

There is nothing on the left side, while the right one hosts the volume keys and the power/lock button. All three of them offer excellent tactile feedback.

There is nothing on the left • the right side has all hardware keys

The top of each handset packs the audio jack, while the bottom has the microUSB port. The microphone pinhole is hidden on the bottom edge of the front panel.

The top and bottom of the Lumia 435 and Lumia 532

Finally, the 2MP/5MP camera lenses are on the back alongside the loudspeaker grilles.

The 5MP camera on the orange Lumia 532 and the 2MP snapper on the green Lumia 435

Popping the battery is mandatory for gaining access to the microSD slots and the SIM beds.

A peek under the batteries