True to form, Gionee also promises stellar battery life with its flagship smartphone, but only time will tell if they deliver on that promise.
Raghu Rai, one of India’s most accomplished photographers, held centre stage at the launch of the Gionee E8, as the company's 2015 flagship is riding heavily on its camera credentials. More than a year ago the Gionee E7 claimed to be the finest Android mobile shooter at its launch, and the E8 aims to take it a few notches higher with more bells and whistles for its primary camera. At Rs 34,999 it’s also the priciest device Gionee has ever launched.
The E7 was launched at the fag end of 2013 and the follow up device has taken a long time to arrive. During the wait, Gionee has been busy churning out a series of slim devices as part of its ‘S’ line. The follow up device has taken almost 20 months and Gionee would like us to believe that it’s well worth the wait. The 24MP primary cam is the device’s biggest selling point and claims to be the first ever smartphone cam with ‘lossless’ zoom (up to 3x). A host of shooting modes under its ‘Image +’ menus give you more control on the quality of images you can snap, one of which is a fog/smoke mode that can cut out the smog or greys in urban landscapes, creating almost unreal images. The device boasts an 8MP ‘selfie-friendly’ front cam.
But it’s not all about the camera alone. The E8 becomes the first Gionee device to sport a fingerprint sensor. Gionee claims claims an identification time of less than 500 milliseconds, and also a recognition rate of 99% for its first ever fingerprint sensor. Hardware specs include 3GB of RAM, 64 GB of onboard memory (expandable via Micro SD card support) and a 2.0 GHz Mediatek (MT 6795 Helio X10) octa-core processor. The aluminium chassis is 9.6 mm thick.
However, it’s the 6-inch WQHD Super AMOLED screen that makes the device somewhat unwieldy. The screen makes a ‘big’ impression though – 2K, 2560x1440 pixels with a brilliant 491 Pixels per inch (PPI). One of E7’s standout features is its stellar battery life; the E8 promises the same with a 3520 mAh battery, that also comes with a ‘power consumption management’ mode that claims up to 30% savings on battery usage. There’s also a fast charge option. One of the cool additions on the E8 are dual speakers, equipped with HiFi and DTS sound, while the 3D vibration feature makes gaming more immersive on this device.
The E8 also features the newest iteration of the custom Amigo 3.1 UI, with a host of menus and features developed exclusively for India. Gionee has been a strong believer in the ROPO (Research online purchase offline) model. The E8 marks a shift in this philosophy, given the ever increasing numbers of online shoppers. The E8 will be available on Snapdeal (starting October 12) becoming the first Gionee device to retail online at launch.
AT A GLANCE
Key Specs
- 2.0 GHz Mediatek (MT 6795 Helio X10) Octa-core processor
- 3GB RAM and 64 GB onboard memory (expandable)
- 24MP primary camera with True tone flash and lossless zoom / 8MP front cam
- Dual Speakers with HiFi and DTS Sound
- 6-inch AMOLED WQHD screen (2560x1440) @ 491 ppi
- 3520 mAh battery with fast charge
- Amigo 3.1 Custom UI with India-specific Mood Cards and Android 5.1 (Lollipop)
- Dual SIM (Both 4G)
- Price: Rs 34,999
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