The Phicomm Passion P660 makes a decent India debut, but it doesn't do much to stand out from the crowd.
There's certainly room for more players in the smartphone space, especially in the volumes driven mid-market segment. If you're the average customer looking for a new device every 12 - 24 months then you certainly need an extra set of antennae to keep track of every new device or brand that arrives and departs. Shelf space is no longer a constraint, given the ever growing share of online retail sales in the country. PHICOMM is one of many Chinese brands that have made their India debut in the last one year; this company is a significant player in the telecommunication equipment, terminals and services segment in China. PHICOMM has just begun their India journey with the Passion P660, a device that lands in the super competitive Rs 10,000 - Rs 15,000 price band.
There's an air of familiarity about the P660; PHICOMM is quick to point out that the device is actually based on a Qualcomm Reference design. Curves may be making a comeback of sorts but the P660 is all clean lines, almost an elegant slab. It is not just remarkably well built for a device this size but is ridiculously light, weighing just 110g. The power key is housed on the top right corner while the tactile volume rocker is on the left corner. Also located on the right spine are two SIM-card slots - one of these slots doubles up as a slot for a Micro SD card (You can use a Nano SIM or a Micro SD card). The 'hybrid' dual SIM slot is a growing new trend that hardcore dual-SIM users probably loathe. PHICOMM manages to incorporate a touch of metal (on the left and right spine) but it might escape the eyes of the uninitiated. We really like how the P660 feels in your hands - feather light and very comfortable for one-handed navigation.
The P660 sports a 5-inch full HD screen - 1920x1080p, with a more than acceptable 441ppi; it is quite impressive for its price tag. That’s not the only hardware surprise. There’s a more than capable 1.5GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon processor under the hood, coupled with 2GB of RAM. A year ago it might have been a big deal for this segment but the likes of Xiaomi have clearly redefined the value-for-money equation. We were more than pleased with how quick, responsive and swift the device is; multi tasking (for routine tasks) presented no serious challenge while the camera was quite quick to fire up too. The P660 clocked an impressive 28126 on our AnTuTu benchmark tests, topping Xiaomi's Redmi Note and Mi2. The corresponding PC Mark (work performance) score was 3076. The device features 16GB onboard memory expandable up to an additional 64GB (through a Micro SD card). The contrast in the sound quality is quite stark - the device's headset output is quite impressive while the speaker just does not cut it.
One of the key trends that we have seen over the past 12 months is how mobile shooters in the sub Rs 20,000 segment have upped their camera game; no, they are nowhere in flagship territory but they have a trick or two up their sleeves. The P660 produces good results in daylight; the 13MP shooter also manages to capture a decent level of detail in ambient lighting conditions. Lowlight results were not surprisingly anything to write home about. Battery life is another disappointing aspect; the 2300mAh battery might not work for 'power users' without a backup plan.
AT A GLANCE
What we liked:
Lightweight form factor, clean UI
What we didn't like:
Modest battery life, subpar speaker
- Processor: Qualcomm Snapdragon 615 octa-core 1.5 GHz
- Memory: 2GB RAM, 16GB internal memory expandable upto 64GB
- Battery: 2300 mAh
- Connectivity: Dual SIM / 4G LTE
- Display: 5-inch screen - 1920 x 1080P with a 441ppi pixel density
- Camera: 13MP primary shooter with LED light/ 5MP front
- Price: Rs 10,999
One of our recurring gripes about some Chinese handset manufacturers has been their custom UI; the P660 allays that somewhat. PHICOMM's custom 'EXPECT' UI is a clean spin on Android with minimal clutter. We wish PHICOMM had bundled its first India device with Android 5.0 though (the P660 features Android 4.4). The Passion P660 marks a decent debut for PHICOMM, an unknown (at this juncture) entity in India. It ticks a few boxes and does not tick some others. We like the form factor but it does not break new ground. That might be only one of the challenges for P660 to make a major impact; the other is the increasing clutter in the fiercely competitive price segment PHICOMM has chosen for its India debut.
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 "dnaTechReview, Phicomm, Phicomm Passion 660, Android, smartphone")
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