Phicomm Passion P660 review: Another mid-range Chinese handset to gawk at
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.
- 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.