The Lumia 735 is cheery, comfy, cheap and has 4G

It's a time of massive change for Nokia as the ink has finally dried on Microsoft's takeover of the Finnish firm. Although the future of the Nokia brand -- and the decades of heritage that goes with it -- is still uncertain, for this year at least, it's business as usual.

To that end, Nokia has taken the wraps off the Lumia 735, a 4.7-inch phone with colourful, interchangeable cases, a 720p display and the latest version of Windows Phone 8.1. The Lumia 735 has 4G LTE and will be launched in the UK and Western Europe for around €219.

A US launch has yet to be confirmed (it could appear under a different name, exclusive to a carrier), but the Euro price converts to £175, $290 and AU$310. In Australia, Microsoft Devices has said that pricing and availability will be "made available closer to local sales start".

Check out the cheap and cheerful Nokia Lumia 735 (pictures)

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It's joined by the Lumia 730, which is physically identical, except for dual-SIM card capability and 3G-only radio. The 730 will be marginally cheaper at €199 (which converts to £160, $260 or AU$280) and will go on sale in "select markets where dual-SIM phones are important". Nokia wasn't willing to elaborate on exactly where each phone will be launched.

Design and display

If you've ever clapped eyes on Nokia's older Lumia 800, the 735 will be familiar. Like the 800, it has a one-piece polycarbonate plastic back that curves around to meet the screen. It's very comfortable to hold -- particularly given its fairly palm-friendly 4.7-inch size.

Unlike the 800, however, the plastic case is removable, allowing you to swap it out if you fancy changing the colour of the phone, or if your existing case is starting to look battered and you want a fresh one. It comes in bright green and orange colours, or you can stick to the less garish white and black versions if you prefer.

It feels very comfortable to hold, as the plastic back curves sweetly against your hand. It also feels like it can put up with a few knocks and bumps without shattering into pieces, and we'll put that to the test in the full review. Under the back case is where you'll find the microSD card slot. The phone comes with 8GB of built-in storage, but if you like to keep your photos, music and videos saved locally to your phone, you'll quickly find yourself running out of space.

The display is 4.7 inches on the diagonal, giving a decent amount of room for texting or a spot of Netflix on the go -- it isn't the thumb-stretching size of the 6.5-inch Lumia 1520. It has a 720p resolution, which seemed perfectly crisp and clear in my hands-on time. The colours too seemed rich and it was pretty bright. I'll wait for the full review before giving a final verdict on the display's quality.

Features

The Lumia 735 uses the latest Windows Phone 8.1 software, with its cheery live tiles and newly added notifications bar. Even better, it comes with the latest update, codenamed Denim, which brings a bunch of new features into the mix.

Chief among these is Cortana, Windows Phone's Siri-like voice assistant, which is finally making its way to the UK and China after launching in the US. Denim also allows you to create folders on your homescreen for your live app tiles, which will still show live scrolling information.

I'm quite keen on Windows Phone. It's easy to use and looks good too. Its main drawback is still its app support, however. Although many of the bigger titles are found on its shelves, it's always among the last platforms to receive new apps -- if it receives them at all -- so it's not great if you like trying out the latest games and services with your friends.

The back of the phone features a 6.7-megapixel camera, while on the front is an impressive 5-megapixel effort. The 735 is evidently aimed at selfie lovers, with a wide-angle 24mm lens that will allow you cram more of your friends into the shot.

The phone is powered by a 1.2GHz quad-core processor which should be more than enough to keep things ticking over adequately (Windows Phone 8.1 doesn't need a massive amount of juice to run smoothly). There's a 2,200mAh battery inside, which I expect to give at least a day of life.

Outlook

Although the Nokia Lumia 735 doesn't have the top-end camera or high-definition display you'll find on the flagship Lumia 930, its compact, attractive design and more affordable price should help it find a home in at least a few pockets.