Last year, Microsoft signed up dozens of new hardware firms to its Windows ecosystem, and around thirty of these also committed to launching their first Windows Phones. One of these new partners was KAZAM, a company set up in 2013 by two former HTC executives, which launched its first Windows Phone 8.1 handset, the Thunder 340W, back in September.
Today, KAZAM announced that it is launching two new Windows Phones: the Thunder 450W and Thunder 450WL.
For Windows Phone fans, the Thunder 450W will no doubt look immediately familiar, bearing a striking similarity to the Blu Win HD, and the new XOLO Win Q1000. Indeed, beyond just its appearance, the Thunder 450W's spec sheet reveals that it is actually the same device as these other handsets.
Like many other hardware brands, KAZAM doesn't actually build its own devices. Consider its Tornado 348, for example, which it markets as the "world's thinnest smartphone" (which is actually a little misleading - the 4.85mm-thick Oppo R5 is 0.3mm thinner). But the KAZAM Tornado 348 is actually the Gionee GN9005, which KAZAM rebrands as its own handset.
But while the new Thunder 450W isn't unique in the global marketplace, it still offers some decent lower-end specs, including:
- 5-inch IPS LCD with HD (1280x720px) resolution
- Quad-core 1.2GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon 200 (MSM8212) processor
- 1GB RAM
- 8GB onboard storage (plus microSD support up to 32GB)
- 8MP rear camera with autofocus, LED flash and 1080p video recording
- 2MP front-facing camera
- Bluetooth 4.0
- Dual-SIM support
- Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n
- 2200mAh battery
The second new Windows Phone announced today, the Thunder 450WL, gets a more restrained look, with a similar brushed metal finish to last year's smaller Thunder 340W.
The 450WL shares many of its specs with the 450W, but gets a larger 2500mAh battery, and - more significantly - it also offers 4G connectivity, thanks to LTE support in its quad-core Snapdragon 410 (MSM8916) processor.
KAZAM aims to differentiate its offering from its rivals with some pretty impressive value-added extras. For example, the company offers a three-year warranty on its handsets - remarkable, when most hardware brands only guarantee their devices for a year.
Similarly impressive is KAZAM's free screen replacement service, which it offers even on its most affordable devices. Subject to an assessment "to confirm that you are eligible for screen replacement", the company will replace a damaged display free of charge - but only once - during your first twelve months of ownership.
Alongside the new Windows Phones, KAZAM also unveiled a trio of Windows 8.1 tablets today. The L7, L8 and L10 offer similar specs with different screen sizes - all at 1280x800px resolution - along with a quad-core Intel processor, 2MP front and rear cameras and microSD card support. The key differences between the three tablets are:
- L7: 7-inch display, 1GB RAM, 16GB storage
- L8: 8-inch display, 1GB RAM, 16GB / 32GB storage options
- L10: 10.1-inch display, 2GB RAM, 32GB storage
KAZAM has not yet announced details of pricing or availability for any of its new devices.
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