Nokia has officially announced the successor to its entry-level Windows Phone handset, the Nokia Lumia 525.

It is designed for those who want to get a Windows Phone 8 experience but perhaps not the budget for the beefier handsets in the range, so don't expect any major specification surprises.

Running the show is a 1GHz dual-core Qualcomm Snapdragon S4 processor and 1GB of RAM. The "super sensitive" IPS LCD touchscreen is 4-inches, with a resolution of 800 x 480 (235ppi), and it features a 5-megapixel camera on the rear. There is 8GB of internal storage with a microSD card slot that is capable of expanding that by up to a further 64GB. You also get 7GB of free cloud storage with SkyDrive.

Strangely, this seems to be a return to the old days of Windows Phone devices as there is no front-facing camera for video calls. But there is an FM radio.

READ: Windows Phone Lumia Black OS: We go hands-on with the update coming to all Nokia Lumia handsets

Battery capacity is 1,430mAh which is quoted to last for up to 10.6 hours of 3G talk time. Maximum music playback time is quoted at 48 hours, while video playback is claimed to be up to 5.9 hours before the phone will need to be recharged.

Bluetooth 4.0 and Wi-Fi connectivity is on board and the phone will ship with Nokia's latest build of the operating system, Windows Phone 8 with Lumia Black.

At present, the Nokia Lumia 525 will be available in Africa, Asia Pacific and the Middle East only. Pricing has not been revealed, but it won't break the bank. If further rollout happens, we'll let you know.