Hands on with the Nokia Lumia 610 (photos)

BARCELONA, Spain--Moments after it announced that it was bringing the Lumia 900 to the world, Nokia extended the Windows Phone 7 line by announcing the Lumia 610. Unlike the Lumia 900, which brings top-end specs, the Lumia 610 is meant for a younger audience and smartphone newbies. It should carry price of about $254 before subsidy, but Nokia did not announce specific availability details.

Though the 610's design doesn't feel quite as premium as its 900 sibling, it still has a solid and comfortable feel in the hand. It also comes in multiple colors like red (seen here), blue, and white. The tile-based Windows 7 interface is familiar, and we're glad to hear that it runs Windows Phone Tango. The 3.7-inch display is small for a Windows Phone, but it has a vivid resolution, and the touch interface is responsive.

The main menu shows icons arranged in a list format. Scrolling up and down was a smooth experience.

Here you can see the Lumia 610 in white.

Naturally, Microsoft's Bing is the default search engine.

The 610 is integrated with Microsoft's Zune music service and with Xbox Live. You can store mobile versions of your favorite Xbox console games on the phone and share your Xbox avatar.

The virtual keyboard felt a bit cramped on such a small display. What's more, you'll have to switch to other keyboards to access numbers and symbols.

The virtual dial pad's large buttons are comfortable to use.

On the 610's rear side you'll find the 5-megapixel camera lens. This is the blue version of the handset.

Up on top are the 3.5mm headset jack and the Micro-USB charger port.

On the right spine are the camera lens and volume rocker. The metal finish highlights the trim profile.