NEW DELHI: Zen
Mobiles is not a well-known phone brand. It is a local phone maker,
justMicromax and Spice though not as popular, and mostly deals in
low-cost feature phones. But justother local phone makers, Zen too sees a
window of opportunity in the Android and the smartphone boom that the
OS has sparked.
Ultrafone 701HD is an
attempt by Zen Mobile to cash in on the demand for affordable
smartphones in the country. On paper, Ultrafone 701HD is similar to some
of the other smartphones sold by the local OEMs. Quad-core processor?
Check. Android? Check. An HD screen? Check. And an 8MP camera? Yes, the
device has that.
So why should you pick (or
not pick) it over the devices sold by the likes of Micromax, Karbonn and
Spice, which seems to have better brand recognition? Read on to
know...
Good build quality
As we
noted earlier, there is nothing special in Ultrafone 701HD on paper
compared to other similar phones available in the market. But then it is
not required. Most of the Android phones sold by local OEMs in Rs
10,000 to Rs 15,000 price bracket have decent hardware. The real
question is how these devices have been put together and if the hardware
has been used to its full potential?
For
Ultrafone 701HD, the answer to this question is a yes. The body of the
phone is built matte plastic that doesn't feel cheap. The back cover has
a soft rubber-like coating that is impervious to finger prints and
feels better than the glossy plastic many budget phones use. The screen
of the phone is encased in a thin metal strip with chrome polish.
Ultrafone 701HD is a big phone with its screen measuring 5-inch
diagonally. Under the screen, there are three standard buttons - home,
back and menu.
Overall, build quality of
Ultrafone 701HD is very good. Even the power and volume buttons, which
are often neglected on budget phones, are clicky and feel nice to touch.
The device feels good in hand though it is not as slim or light - the
701HD weighs little over 160 grams - as premium Android phones.
Almost stock Android
Unlike
some other phone manufacturers that believe in tweaking user interface,
Zen has decided to put an almost stock version of Android 4.2 into its
phone. We believe this is a good decision for two reasons. One, if a
user is familiar with Android, he or she will feel right at home with
Ultrafone701HD. And two, the device has none of the lag that most of the
Android phones with customized user interfaces show.
In
fact, given its price we are pleasantly surprised by the performance of
the device. It is very snappy and there is no noticeable lag while you
navigate on the phone, open apps or browse web. The device handles most
of the common tasks you will likely do on a phone with ease.
Pinch-to-zoom while browsing works without any lag. Fast-paced
gamesRayman Jungle Run and Temple Run can be played without any
performance issues. Even FullHD videos can be played with ease through
third-party appsMX Player.
Call quality and
GPS connectivity, which takes minutes before finding the precise
location of the uses, is average. And so is the screen visibility under
sunlight. But these flaws are common to almostaffordable Android phones
and are not specific to Ultrafone 701HD.
The
two areasUltrafone 701HD shines are screen and camera. Both are above
average in their class. Screen, which has a 720p resolution, is sharp
and vivid. It shows nice saturated colours and has good viewing angles.
Even the touch response is good. Camera, though similar to other phones
in its class, offers slightly better performance. It can take sharp and
detailed pictures in good light which are good enough to be used on
social networking sites.
Unfortunately, the
good showing is limited to still images. The quality of videos shot with
Ultrafone 701HD is poor and unless you are shooting in well-lit
conditions, you will not get usable videos.
The
battery life is above average and the phone lasts around 13 to 14 hours
when used with a 3G connection. Effectively, this means the full-day
usage.
Before you buy it
Given that
Ultrafone701HD has an MRP of Rs 11,999, we find the phone to be a very
good deal. However, before you buy it we do have a word of caution. The
Facebook page of Zen Mobile is full of comments people who reportedly
found glitch in the phone's screen after using it for just a few weeks.
This is likely to be an issue with specific units but it also looksthat
Zen is having some quality control problems.
Of
course, this shouldn't deter you picking Ultrafone 701HD if you require
a smartphone with a price of around Rs 12,000. Overall, this is
definitively a better handset compared to Micromax Canvas HD or Spice
Stellar Pinnacle Pro, which is rather too big and heavy. If you buy it,
make sure to check the unit thoroughly and ask Zen to replace it if you
find any issues.
Key specs:
Display: 5-inch capacitive touchscreen (1280 x720p resolution);
Operating system: Android 4.2 (Jelly Bean);
Chipset: 1.2GHz MediaTek 6589 quad-core processor, PowerVRSGX 544 graphics chip; RAM: 1GB;
Storage: 4GB internal storage with support for up to 32GBmicroSD card;
Camera: 8MP camera, 720p video recording, 3.2MP front-facing camera;
Connectivity: 3G, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, GPS, dual SIM support; and
Battery: 2,000mAh
