Nitro 4G has its task cut out. Does it bring enough to the party?
Mobile phone manufacturers and a few auto majors have probably been swapping notes. Just like some automobile brands have a variant at every conceivable price point, mobile manufacturers like Samsung and Micromax have been busy plugging price points especially in the super competitive Rs 5,000 to 20,000 price band. The Nitro 4G is priced at Rs 10,999 that pits it directly against the Moto G and is Rs 1,000 pricier than the entry-level variant of the ASUS Zenfone 2 Laser (ZE550KL). Clearly the Nitro 4G has its task cut out. Does it bring enough to the party?
There’s a slice of the OnePlus One in the device’s build and that’s the part we totally dig. The Nitro 4G’s soft matte back lends the device a really cool touch, it’s clearly one of the standout features on this device. The other discernible feature is the nice mix of blend of black and metal that hugs the device’s rim. It’s reminiscent of the Gionee S7, except that the execution in this case is not quite in the same league; understandable given that the S7 is in the 20,000 plus segment. The volume rocker and power button blend in to the top right spine; the keys take some getting used to and we also wish the feedback was more tactile. The camera lens sits above the dual LED flash and the Micromax logo on the top half of the back. Overall we like the build quality of the device – quite refined for its price tag.
The Nitro 4G sports a 5-inch HD display (720 x 1280 pixels / 294 PPI); no cribs here – videos and text work well; while it’s slightly better ‘specced’ than the 267 PPI display on the ZenFone 2 Laser, the overall experience is quite similar. A Snapdragon 415 (1.4 GHz) Octa-core processor is at the heart of this device with 2GB of RAM (DDR 3). On paper that’s enough firepower for a device in this class and the results are acceptable. It’s enough for basic games like Temple Run but switch to extreme gaming mode and the device stutters somewhat. It’s the same with multi-tasking – no problems with a few Apps open but if you have more than 10 Apps open it’s better to kill those Apps than blame a phone priced at Rs 10,999!
We put the device through our standard AnTuTu benchmark test and it notched up a decent score of 25240; it’s significantly better than the 21566 that the ASUS Zenfone 2 Laser managed in our tests. The corresponding PCMark score was 3119 (Work performance score). However tests like these are not the final word! A lot of it does boil down to individual user experience. The Nitro 4G is equipped with a 13MP shooter with a dual LED, the device does well in ambient light conditions but struggles in low light. It’s almost a given for devices under Rs 20,000 to deliver subpar results at night and hopefully that’s something that will change. The 5MP front facing cam shoots decent selfies as long as you’re not shooting in poor light.
The 2500 mAh battery is one of the redeeming features of the device. We went from 100% to 40% between 9 am and 6 pm with about 45 minutes of voice calls, 2 hours of 4G usage (It was hooked up to Wi-Fi the rest of the time), 20 minutes of gaming, moderate camera use and WhatsApp. Clearly enough battery back up for most average users. The device comes with 16GB on board and support for Micro SD cards up to 32GB.
The Nitro 4G comes with Android 5.0.2 (Lollipop) out of the box; we would have liked to see the newest iteration of Android but it’s clearly not a deal breaker. Micromax keeps the User experience fairly clutter-free except for a few Apps that can be uninstalled. The Nitro 4G has a few aces up its sleeve – a solid build and impressive battery life; it’s certainly not fool-proof but delivers enough value for its price tag. The Nitro 4G’s bigger challenge will be to edge out rivals like the ZenFone 2 laser and Moto G – devices that have a lot going for them.
What we liked: Decent build, battery life
What we didn’t like: Low light camera, occasionally sluggish when pushed hard
Price: Rs 10,999
Specifications:
- Snapdragon 415 (1.4 GHz) Octa-core processor
- 2GB of RAM (DDR 3 / 64-bit architecture)
- 16GB of internal memory (Extendable up to 32 GB)
- 13MP primary cam with Dual LED Flash and 5MP front facing camera
- Dual SIM
- Android Lollipop 5.0.2
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 "Micromax Nitro 4G")
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