The Nokia Lumia 640 has a 5" LCD screen with 720 x 1,280px resolution. That works out to 297ppi, which doesn't exactly qualify for Retina grade (300+ppi), but it's quite close nonetheless.
The Lumia 640 screen renders text and images smoothly. Text is not flagship sharp, but even small or thin fonts are readable, lacking the jaggies visible on older 5 and 6-series Lumia phones.
This is an IPS screen so the viewing angles are quite good with no color shifting, but the colors themselves are a bit dull. Luckily, you can go into the screen settings and adjust both the brightness (low/mid/high tones) and the color temperature and saturation.
The screen is brighter than similarly priced Androids and the black levels have improved since the Lumia 630, making for 1,000:1 contrast ratio. The screen performs almost identically to that of the higher-end Lumia 830, the bigger Lumia 640 XL was even more impressive.
Display test
50% brightness
100% brightness
Black, cd/m2
White, cd/m2
Contrast ratio
Black, cd/m2
White, cd/m2
Contrast ratio
Microsoft Lumia 640
0.19
172
892
0.49
508
1034
Motorola Moto G (2014)
0.24
253
1039
0.43
413
968
Nokia Lumia 630
0.24
184
764
0.71
508
771
Apple iPhone 5c
0.14
160
1129
0.47
589
1233
Nokia Lumia 830
0.21
223
1087
0.49
533
1078
Microsoft Lumia 640 XL
0.28
285
1017
0.67
753
1119
Sony Xperia M4 Aqua
0.17
176
1012
0.74
828
1115
The screen features what used to be Nokia's ClearBlack tech - a polarization filter that's used to reduced glare (something like how polarized sunglasses work). The lower brightness means the screen isn't as readable as that of the 640 XL, but the ClearBlack filter makes it almost as legible as an Xperia Z3 screen or that of the original HTC One.
Sunlight contrast ratio
Nokia 808 PureView 4.698
Samsung Galaxy E7 4.485
Samsung Galaxy A3 4.241
Samsung Galaxy S6 4.124
Samsung Galaxy Note 4 4.033
Apple iPhone 5 3.997
Samsung Galaxy Note 3 3.997
Samsung Galaxy A5 3.895
Apple iPhone 6 3.838
Motorola Moto X (2014) 3.816
Samsung Galaxy Note Edge 3.799
Samsung Galaxy A7 3.679
Oppo R5 3.678
Samsung Galaxy K zoom 3.675
Nokia Lumia 930 3.567
Apple iPhone 5s 3.565
Samsung Galaxy S5 3.549
Nokia Lumia 735 3.547
Motorola Nexus 6 3.543
Alcatel Idol X+ 3.527
Apple iPhone 5c 3.512
Samsung Galaxy Alpha 3.509
Samsung Galaxy Note 3 Neo 3.487
LG G Flex2 3.465
YotaPhone 2 3.453
Motorola RAZR MAXX 3.42
Samsung I9300 Galaxy S III 3.419
Samsung Galaxy S5 Active 3.406
Nokia Lumia 925 3.402
Gionee Elife S5.5 3.386
Samsung I9505 Galaxy S4 3.352
Samsung Omnia W 3.301
Samsung Galaxy S5 mini 3.174
Samsung I9000 Galaxy S 3.155
Samsung Ativ S 3.129
Samsung I9190 Galaxy S4 mini 3.127
Samsung Galaxy S4 zoom 3.118
Nokia N9 3.069
Microsoft Lumia 640 XL 3.065
Apple iPhone 6 Plus 3.023
Samsung Galaxy Note 2.97
Samsung Galaxy Premier 2.958
Sony Xperia Z1 2.95
HTC One S 2.901
Lenovo S90 Sisley 2.892
Samsung I8730 Galaxy Express 2.861
BlackBerry Q10 2.856
Samsung I9100 Galaxy S II 2.832
HTC Desire Eye 2.815
Gionee Elife S5.1 2.812
Samsung Galaxy S II Plus 2.801
BlackBerry Z30 2.79
Meizu MX4 Pro 2.765
Sony Xperia ZR 2.672
Huawei Ascend P1 2.655
Sony Xperia Z3 2.618
Sony Xperia Z3 Compact 2.616
Sony Xperia T3 2.609
BlackBerry Passport 2.595
Microsoft Lumia 640 2.563
Nokia Lumia 900 2.562
Motorola Moto G 4G 2.546
HTC One Max 2.537
Nokia Lumia 720 2.512
HTC One 2.504
Sony Xperia M4 Aqua 2.503
Motorola Moto G 2.477
vivo Xshot 2.465
Sony Xperia Z 2.462
Xiaomi Mi 4 2.424
Samsung Galaxy S III mini 2.422
Lenovo Vibe Z2 Pro 2.416
LG G Flex 2.407
HTC Desire 820 2.372
HTC One (M8) 2.371
Meizu MX4 2.366
Motorola RAZR i 2.366
Meizu m1 note 2.362
Sony Xperia ZL 2.352
HTC One M9 2.334
HTC One (M8) for Windows 2.291
Oppo Find 7a 2.279
Alcatel One Touch Hero 2.272
Apple iPhone 4S 2.269
HTC Desire 600 dual sim 2.262
Nokia Asha 311 2.25
Xiaomi Mi Note 2.234
Motorola Moto G (2014) 2.233
LG Nexus 5 2.228
Nokia Lumia 820 2.193
HTC One (E8) 2.185
Oppo N3 2.181
Nokia Lumia 920 2.17
Huawei Honor 6 2.169
HTC One X 2.158
Asus Zenfone 2 ZE551ML 2.149
LG Aka 2.145
Nokia N8 2.144
Nokia Lumia 620 2.142
Archos 50 Diamond 2.134
Nokia 515 2.134
HTC Desire 500 2.129
Sony Xperia C3 Dual 2.12
Sony Xperia acro S 2.119
Xiaomi Redmi Note 2.119
Nokia Lumia 1020 2.103
Oppo Find 5 2.088
Sony Xperia SL 2.078
Nokia Lumia 630 2.056
BlackBerry Z10 2.051
Huawei Ascend Mate7 2.024
Samsung I9295 Galaxy S4 Active 2.022
Apple iPhone 4 2.016
HTC One mini 2.003
Xiaomi Mi 3 2.001
Huawei Ascend P7 1.992
LG G2 1.976
Sony Xperia E4g 1.972
OnePlus One 1.961
Oppo R819 1.957
Sony Ericsson Xperia ray 1.955
Lenovo Vibe X2 1.952
Sony Xperia Z2 1.944
Sony Xperia E3 1.943
Nokia Lumia 1320 1.941
HTC One mini 2 1.94
Samsung Galaxy Camera 1.938
Samsung Galaxy Grand Prime 1.935
Sony Xperia J 1.932
Acer CloudMobile S500 1.931
ZTE Blade S6 1.927
LG Nexus 4 1.926
LG G Pro 2 1.922
Samsung Galaxy Mega 6.3 1.913
Nokia Asha 308 1.911
HTC Butterfly 2 1.905
Sony Xperia T 1.894
Nokia Lumia 830 1.887
HTC Desire X 1.878
HTC Windows Phone 8X 1.873
HTC Butterfly 1.873
HTC Butterfly S 1.867
Huawei Ascend P6 1.865
Huawei Ascend Mate 1.845
LG G2 mini 1.838
LG G3 1.82
Nokia Lumia 1520 1.813
HTC Desire 616 dual sim 1.797
Sony Xperia V 1.792
HTC Desire 816 1.783
Sony Xperia Z1 Compact 1.772
HTC Desire 700 dual sim 1.769
Sony Xperia U 1.758
Meizu MX3 1.754
LG Optimus G 1.753
Sony Xperia T2 Ultra 1.74
Sony Xperia Z3 Tablet Compact 1.735
Acer Liquid Jade S 1.734
Sony Xperia SP 1.733
LG Optimus 4X HD 1.691
Oppo Find 7 1.691
HTC One V 1.685
BlackBerry Q5 1.682
LG Optimus Vu 1.68
Motorola Moto E (2nd Gen) 1.675
Xiaomi Mi Pad 7.9 1.672
LG Optimus GJ 1.666
LG Optimus 3D Max 1.658
HTC Desire V 1.646
Samsung Galaxy Xcover 2 1.632
Samsung Galaxy Ace 3 1.622
Jolla Jolla 1.605
Sony Xperia Z Ultra 1.578
Sony Xperia go 1.577
Samsung Galaxy Ace 2 I8160 1.566
Samsung Galaxy Core 1.563
LG Optimus G Pro 1.552
Motorola Moto E 1.545
LG Optimus 3D 1.542
Nokia Asha 302 1.537
Samsung Galaxy Core Prime 1.507
BlackBerry Curve 9320 1.488
Sony Xperia M 1.473
Oppo N1 1.47
Sony Xperia E4 1.467
Meizu MX 4-core 1.462
Nokia Lumia 610 1.432
Samsung Galaxy S Duos 1.4
Sony Xperia M2 1.393
Samsung Galaxy Grand Neo 1.393
Microsoft Lumia 535 1.393
Samsung Galaxy Grand 2 1.38
Sony Xperia E1 1.372
Nokia Lumia 625 1.371
Gigabyte GSmart G1355 1.361
Sony Xperia L 1.351
Samsung Galaxy Mega 5.8 1.35
Xiaomi Redmi 1S 1.35
HTC Desire 510 1.34
Sony Xperia M2 Aqua 1.331
Sony Xperia miro 1.324
Samsung I9082 Galaxy Grand 1.321
Samsung I8530 Galaxy Beam 1.315
Xiaomi Redmi 2 1.311
HTC Desire C 1.3
Nokia X 1.291
Sony Xperia C 1.283
Nokia Asha 503 1.281
Nokia Asha 501 1.27
LG Optimus L7 1.269
Nokia Lumia 510 1.268
Samsung Galaxy Fame 1.245
LG Optimus L9 1.227
Meizu MX 1.221
Samsung Galaxy Young 1.22
Sony Xperia E 1.215
Nokia XL 1.204
Sony Xperia E dual 1.203
Asus Memo Pad 7 ME176C 1.198
Samsung Galaxy Pocket 1.18
Nokia Asha 305 1.178
Nokia Asha 306 1.175
Sony Xperia neo L 1.169
Sony Xperia tipo 1.166
Nokia Lumia 520 1.161
Samsung S6802 Galaxy Ace Duos 1.148
Samsung Galaxy mini 2 1.114
Connectivity
We mentioned in the nitro that the "Lumia 640" really is an umbrella name for three devices. There's optional LTE and optional dual-SIM, you can have both but you can't turn down both. That is there's no single-SIM, non-LTE version.
The Lumia 640 XL has such a version, the only reason we can think of why Microsoft would skip this one is that pricing would clash with the Lumia 5xx phones.
Anyway, the Microsoft Lumia 640 has 150Mbps/50Mbps LTE and 42Mbps/5.76Mbps 3G HSPA+. If you get the base model you won't have LTE, but 3G is still fast enough.
The multitude of connectivity versions points to Microsoft's ambitions. The 640s are headed to countries that are yet to roll out 4G networks, but pricy carrier plans make the second-SIM a cost-saving measure. The single-SIM LTE model is for markets with LTE coverage - a capable, affordable phone. Finally, the dual-SIM LTE is for those who just want to check all the boxes.
The rest of the story is pretty familiar. Wi-Fi supports b/g/n networks, dual-band would have been appreciated but is almost entirely missing from this price segment. Bluetooth version 4.0 with A2DP is supported and there's NFC too.
For positioning, the Lumia 640 calls on GPS, GLONASS and Beidou. It also has a built-in compass.
FM radio is on board, a nice alternative source of news and music that many Androids have been dropping recently in favor of its online streaming alternative.
Battery
Some 5" phones think they can get away with 2,000mAh batteries, but the Microsoft Lumia 640 knows better. At 2,500mAh it has as much juice as a Galaxy S6 and the results speak for themselves - you can go through three days of moderate usage before you need a charger.
The web browsing and video playback times, both at nearly 10 hours, were particularly impressive. We've seen plenty of phones run out of steam hours sooner, both affordable phones and flagships. The talk time is lower than on the Lumia 640 XL but you won't run into problems even if you're on the phone all day.
Note that we tested the LTE-enabled, single-SIM version. However, the Lumia 640 XL Dual SIM showed no noticeable difference in standby power draw with one or two SIM cards.
Our routine also includes a standby battery draw test, which is not featured in our battery test scorecard but is calculated in the total endurance rating.
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