Amazon UK has officially started taking pre-orders for the Microsoft Lumia 435, selling the SIM-free, unlocked device for just £88.49.

The Microsoft Lumia 435 made its debut last month, arriving as the most affordable Lumia device to date. The handset aims to attract first-time smartphone shoppers and budget-conscious consumers looking for a sub-$100 handset.

Being part of the budget segment of the smartphone market, the Microsoft Lumia 435 doesn't come with any high-end specifications, but it's nonetheless a capable device for its category. Moreover, the handset comes with Windows Phone 8.1 and Lumia Denim on board out of the box, which means that the much-touted Cortana digital assistant is part of the deal as well (in markets where it's available, but the UK is on the list). Microsoft has also promised to keep the device up to date and provide regular updates and enhancements to improve the user experience.

Budget smartphones have come a long way in recent years and typically sell quite well, as many consumers can't afford to buy a top-notch flagship. Low price tags are not synonymous with poor quality, however, and the Lumia 435 should offer good performance on a budget.

As a reminder, the Microsoft Lumia 435 has a 4-inch QVGA display (800 x 480 pixels), a 1.2GHz dual-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 200 processor, 1GB of RAM, 8GB of internal storage capacity, microSD card support for additional memory of up to 128GB, and a 1,560 mAh battery to keep things going. The device further features a 2-megapixel rear camera and a 0.3-megapixel front shooter, which might explain the dirt-cheap price tag.

At £88.49 unlocked and SIM-free, however, it's expected for a smartphone to have rather modest specifications. Nevertheless, the Lumia 435 has drawn plenty of interest since its debut and is expected to be a successful handset for the company. Microsoft has acknowledged that it plans to focus on affordable devices for now, and the Lumia 435 is as affordable as it gets.

As previously mentioned, Amazon UK is now taking pre-orders for the Microsoft Lumia 435, offering the device unlocked and SIM-free for £88.45. The handset is available in thee color options - black, orange, and green - and should start shipping on March 1, according to the retailer (release dates are still subject to change, as always). For more details or to pre-order the Lumia 435 from Amazon UK, head over to the retailer's website here.