BARCELONA, Spain—We gave Microsoft's two new mid-range phones, the Lumia 640 and Lumia 640 XL, a quick spin at MWC. And wouldn't you know it: they're both rather pleasant.

As low-to-mid-range handsets, the specs of the devices aren't going to blow anyone away. Rather, they address most of the concerns that the Lumia 630/635 presented: they include a full 1GB of memory, front-facing cameras, and ambient light sensors. Their screens are also bigger and better; both are 720p, 5-inch on the 640, and 5.7-inch on the XL.

Both feel customarily solid. The brightly colored backs peel off, so the device can show a slight amount of flexing if you press them just so. For the most part however, the new phones feel every bit as solid as the higher-end models. The 640 has the rounded edge and smooth curves of many other Lumias, and it's comfortable to hold.

Hands on with the Lumia 640

The 640 XL shakes up the styling a little with a slightly more angular profile and with chamfered edges. The difference isn't huge, but we were less keen on the XL. Part of this is due to the size of the thing. A 5.7-inch screen makes for a pretty big phone, and five inches is my personal sweet spot. Proponents of large-screen phones tell me that if I made the switch I'd become a convert soon enough, but I'm not convinced.

Sebastian Anthony

Sebastian Anthony

Whichever size you choose, the screens look good. They're ClearBlack screens, so blacks look black and colors are bright. They both support the much-loved Glance feature, so they'll show the time, appointments, and some notifications even when "off" if you choose. Even with the 720p resolution, scrolling was responsive and animations were smooth.

In spite of the relatively low-end processor, taking basic pictures felt fast. Both phones ship with the latest version of Lumia Camera. This app has some trick photography options, such as constructing composite pictures taken with and without flash, which affords greater control over exposure and lighting. These images needed a few seconds of processing before they can be viewed and adjusted, and it's an area where a faster processor would likely make its presence felt.

But for the price, we're not sure that matters. The Lumia 640 should sell at under $200, and the 640 XL in its (most expensive) dual-SIM LTE variant should be about $245. For that money, they look good, feel good, and work well, and it makes us wonder about how much a $600-$700 flagship would really offer. Is a $600-$700 flagship going to be better? Sure, in every way; more resolution, more memory, faster processor, more storage, maybe thinner or lighter or both.

Sebastian Anthony

Sebastian Anthony

Sebastian Anthony

But is it going to be five hundred dollars better? I don't think so. And with a $70 one year Office 365 subscription thrown in to the 640 and 640 XL, the value for many will be even better.

The Lumia 520 was relatively successful because for as little as $30 (carrier locked), it did all the things a smartphone needed to do—it had a browser, it ran apps, it took pictures, it had a nice e-mail client.

The 640 and 640 XL take that to the next level; they do everything a smartphone needs to do, plus they have the most important bells and whistles. If the 520 was the barebones smartphone experience, these phones offer a much more rounded smartphone experience. It's going to be rare to meet a smartphone user who truly needs anything more.

Listing image by Sebastian Anthony