Micromax Canvas HD A116 with 1.2 GHz Quad Core Processor and 1 GB RAM, 4 GB ROM
Micromax Canvas HD A116 (Black) Price: Rs.13449
Key Features
* 8 MP Primary Camera
*Dual SIM (GSM + GSM)
*HD Recording
*Wi-Fi Enabled
*Android v4.1.2 (Jelly Bean) OS
*2 MP Secondary Camera
*1.2 GHz Quad Core Processor
*5-inch LCD Capacitive Touchscreen
*Expandable Storage Capacity of 32 GB
Micromax presents the Canvas HD A116, a dual GSM SIM candybar smartphone that has an Android v4.1.2 (Jelly Bean) operating system and is powered by a 1.2 GHz Quad Core processor with 1 GB RAM which allows you to run several apps without any lag.
The 5 inch capacitive LCD touchscreen of the Micromax Canvas has a high definition resolution of 1280 x 720 pixels and a color depth of 16 M, experience the world with better clarity and color on the Canvas. The phone has an IPS display which gives you better and wider viewing angles as well.
Capture every detail of the burst of holi colors without missing a beat with the 8 megapixel primary camera and the 2 megapixel front camera on the Micromax Canvas HD A116. The device packs an LED flash along with nifty features like autofocus, night mode and burst mode that help you take better, clearer pictures. Canvas is also capable of recording high definition videos at thirty frames per second.
Design and Connectivity
The surprisingly stylish Canvas sports curved edges and a curved back that make it convenient to hold and a 3.5 mm audio jack is packed sleekly into the body. Micromax Canvas HD A116 offers you a wide range of connectivity options to pick from, adaptable to the way you want to remain connected. Transferring files is a breeze with the microUSB while sharing files with friends becomes easier with the bluetooth feature. Experience fast browsing with GPRS, EDGE, 3G and Wi-Fi which can be used to tether the device apart from the USB as well.
Storage and Battery
The Micromax Canvas HD A116 has a ROM of 4 GB and an inbuilt memory of 1.77 GB which can be extended up to 32 GB with a microSD card; the phone has ample space for all your media requirements and packs a 2000 mAh battery as well.
Pros:
1) The IPS screen display, 5.0 inch - 720p - ~294 ppi, is very crisp and very sharp. Everything looks crystal clear. Viewing angles are great too. Screen display is easily readable even under sunlight.
2) The 1.2 GHZ quad-core processor makes the phone run very smoothly. You may not experience any lag on this phone. As a result of this processor, even HD games run at best quality smoothly. Antutu benchmark rating is in the 12k range, which is lower than the high end quad core phones, like the S3 and One X, but higher than much more expensive phones, like the Note and S2. In the same test, the Grand scores in the 6k region.
3) The screen size, 5.0 inches, might put off some people before buying. I find this 5.0 inch screen is comfortable to use. It's surprisingly light too.
4) People might complain about the quality, but the feel of the plastic is really good, and even though I've accidentally dropped my phone many times, there isn't even a mark on the body. So far, as per experience, the build quality is really very good.
5) The camera flash strength is above expected, and the phone supports HDR image capturing. The 1080p and 720p videos shot with my the phone are of good quality. Yes, this phone also shoots full HD videos (although the description says it shoots only upto 720p) at 1920x1088 resolution, in the right settings. I guess even the people at Micromax don't know the capabilities of their phone :P
6) The touchscreen is perfect, very responsive. Detects upto 5 fingers (not that anyone needs 5 fingers on their screen though).
7) The battery of the phone performs above expectations, I get 8 hours and more when using the phone with Wi-Fi and Dual Sim.
8) Micromax gives the stock Jellybean 4.1.2 with this phone. I prefer this over Samsung's TouchWiz, although that is only a personal opinion. The user interface is clean, easy to use and butter smooth. Google Now, which is only available in Android 4.1 and above, is an awesome feature that beats even Apple's Siri.
10) The phone looks absolutely stunning. It looks like an Galaxy S3 from the front, and a One X from the back.
Cons:
1) The display's contrast is a bit low, but that could be just my phone. Though, that does not compromise the screen content quality, everything is still crystal clear.
2) The 8 MP primary camera, is of bad quality. It has autofocus and an LED flash, but the 8 MP photos are grainy, and not very clear when zoomed into. It's better 5 MP or 6 MP smartphone cameras, but it's quality is below than most 8 MP smartphone cameras. A friend's Micromax A110 Canvas 2, which too has an 8 MP camera, shoots better and brighter photos.
3) Audio quality isn't good when earphones are connected to it. Only the earphones that come with the packaging give good quality, but these earphones aren't good. Connecting the phone to a speaker system, though, doesn't give any problems. Music quality using a bluetooth headset, too, is clear and perfect. The in-built equalizer in the stock music app really helps too.
A word about the service quality of Micromax, appalling. I haven't had any problems with my phone, but I have experienced their lack of skill and professionalism when I wanted to upgrade my phone to the latest Jellybean. Most service centres didn't know anything about the new update, and one service centre here in Kolkata returned my phone after three days, without updating, and did a factory reset. The phone is an excellent gadget, but the company and the people in the service branch are just bad. Their service is the main reason I would not be buying another Micromax ever.
As this is a phone, I must add that call quality and networking on this phone are absolutely perfect, and I have experienced no issues so far.
The preloaded apps that come with the phone, a cricket game, Micromax store etc., cannot be removed without rooting, but they can be disabled, and they don't seem to take up much space, so it isn't an issue.
Overall, I would recommend that unless you're very brand conscious (in which case, it's your loss), or a heavy gamer who wants all the latest games installed, this would be the most perfect phone released in India for this price. But, only buy if the price is around or below 14k.
This review is based on a personal experience on using this phone, and all opinions are my own, and may vary from person to person.
I hope this review helps you in purchasing a new phone. :)
Key Features
* 8 MP Primary Camera
*Dual SIM (GSM + GSM)
*HD Recording
*Wi-Fi Enabled
*Android v4.1.2 (Jelly Bean) OS
*2 MP Secondary Camera
*1.2 GHz Quad Core Processor
*5-inch LCD Capacitive Touchscreen
*Expandable Storage Capacity of 32 GB
The 5 inch capacitive LCD touchscreen of the Micromax Canvas has a high definition resolution of 1280 x 720 pixels and a color depth of 16 M, experience the world with better clarity and color on the Canvas. The phone has an IPS display which gives you better and wider viewing angles as well.
Capture every detail of the burst of holi colors without missing a beat with the 8 megapixel primary camera and the 2 megapixel front camera on the Micromax Canvas HD A116. The device packs an LED flash along with nifty features like autofocus, night mode and burst mode that help you take better, clearer pictures. Canvas is also capable of recording high definition videos at thirty frames per second.
Design and Connectivity
The surprisingly stylish Canvas sports curved edges and a curved back that make it convenient to hold and a 3.5 mm audio jack is packed sleekly into the body. Micromax Canvas HD A116 offers you a wide range of connectivity options to pick from, adaptable to the way you want to remain connected. Transferring files is a breeze with the microUSB while sharing files with friends becomes easier with the bluetooth feature. Experience fast browsing with GPRS, EDGE, 3G and Wi-Fi which can be used to tether the device apart from the USB as well.
Storage and Battery
The Micromax Canvas HD A116 has a ROM of 4 GB and an inbuilt memory of 1.77 GB which can be extended up to 32 GB with a microSD card; the phone has ample space for all your media requirements and packs a 2000 mAh battery as well.
Pros:
1) The IPS screen display, 5.0 inch - 720p - ~294 ppi, is very crisp and very sharp. Everything looks crystal clear. Viewing angles are great too. Screen display is easily readable even under sunlight.
2) The 1.2 GHZ quad-core processor makes the phone run very smoothly. You may not experience any lag on this phone. As a result of this processor, even HD games run at best quality smoothly. Antutu benchmark rating is in the 12k range, which is lower than the high end quad core phones, like the S3 and One X, but higher than much more expensive phones, like the Note and S2. In the same test, the Grand scores in the 6k region.
3) The screen size, 5.0 inches, might put off some people before buying. I find this 5.0 inch screen is comfortable to use. It's surprisingly light too.
4) People might complain about the quality, but the feel of the plastic is really good, and even though I've accidentally dropped my phone many times, there isn't even a mark on the body. So far, as per experience, the build quality is really very good.
5) The camera flash strength is above expected, and the phone supports HDR image capturing. The 1080p and 720p videos shot with my the phone are of good quality. Yes, this phone also shoots full HD videos (although the description says it shoots only upto 720p) at 1920x1088 resolution, in the right settings. I guess even the people at Micromax don't know the capabilities of their phone :P
6) The touchscreen is perfect, very responsive. Detects upto 5 fingers (not that anyone needs 5 fingers on their screen though).
7) The battery of the phone performs above expectations, I get 8 hours and more when using the phone with Wi-Fi and Dual Sim.
8) Micromax gives the stock Jellybean 4.1.2 with this phone. I prefer this over Samsung's TouchWiz, although that is only a personal opinion. The user interface is clean, easy to use and butter smooth. Google Now, which is only available in Android 4.1 and above, is an awesome feature that beats even Apple's Siri.
10) The phone looks absolutely stunning. It looks like an Galaxy S3 from the front, and a One X from the back.
Cons:
1) The display's contrast is a bit low, but that could be just my phone. Though, that does not compromise the screen content quality, everything is still crystal clear.
2) The 8 MP primary camera, is of bad quality. It has autofocus and an LED flash, but the 8 MP photos are grainy, and not very clear when zoomed into. It's better 5 MP or 6 MP smartphone cameras, but it's quality is below than most 8 MP smartphone cameras. A friend's Micromax A110 Canvas 2, which too has an 8 MP camera, shoots better and brighter photos.
3) Audio quality isn't good when earphones are connected to it. Only the earphones that come with the packaging give good quality, but these earphones aren't good. Connecting the phone to a speaker system, though, doesn't give any problems. Music quality using a bluetooth headset, too, is clear and perfect. The in-built equalizer in the stock music app really helps too.
A word about the service quality of Micromax, appalling. I haven't had any problems with my phone, but I have experienced their lack of skill and professionalism when I wanted to upgrade my phone to the latest Jellybean. Most service centres didn't know anything about the new update, and one service centre here in Kolkata returned my phone after three days, without updating, and did a factory reset. The phone is an excellent gadget, but the company and the people in the service branch are just bad. Their service is the main reason I would not be buying another Micromax ever.
As this is a phone, I must add that call quality and networking on this phone are absolutely perfect, and I have experienced no issues so far.
The preloaded apps that come with the phone, a cricket game, Micromax store etc., cannot be removed without rooting, but they can be disabled, and they don't seem to take up much space, so it isn't an issue.
Overall, I would recommend that unless you're very brand conscious (in which case, it's your loss), or a heavy gamer who wants all the latest games installed, this would be the most perfect phone released in India for this price. But, only buy if the price is around or below 14k.
This review is based on a personal experience on using this phone, and all opinions are my own, and may vary from person to person.
I hope this review helps you in purchasing a new phone. :)
