Entry level mid-range smartphone segment has already seen several good camera smartphones. OnePlus 3 (Rs.27,999) is a solid option but if you are looking for something priced in the vicinity of Rs.20,000, there is a close fight between several players. Moto X Play and the Lenovo Vibe X3 with their 21-megpaixel snappers are some interesting options.
Gionee’s new smartphone S6s, priced at Rs.17,999, is another notable addition to the list of camera phones. The phone comes with a 13-megapixel camera with phase detection auto focus technology for quick focus.
On paper, the configuration is not much, but the camera is no pushover when it comes to picture quality in the real world usage.
The camera app opens quickly and is quick at image processing too, except in the macro mode and the ultrapixel mode which take a little time to process images.
The interface looks neat and is easy to figure out. Major camera elements includes nine live filters and the multiple camera modes such as macro (offers better clarity in close-ups), time lapse, professional, night (lights-up image in low-light but doesn’t make it sharp) and the ultra-pixel mode which clicks multiple shots and combines them together for a sharper-looking shot.
Closeup- ultra pixel
The camera impresses with the detailing the ultra-pixel mode was able to muster in this shot. The colours look realistic but the contrast has been capture dwell. Not just the pink in the lower stands out form the green background, but one can distinguish between the shades of pink and green clearly as well. The clarity around the water droplet stands out even on a bigger screen. The only major difference between an ultra-pixel shot and a regular shot is the sharpness ultra-pixel brings to the picture. However, getting a stable shot in ultra-pixel is not easy even though it has the optical image stabilisation.
Macro shot
The S6s’ macro mode is one of the best we have seen in mid-range smartphone. Most of the element in the picture looks in focus. The camera has captured the finer particles on the biscuit very well and even after zooming in on it we didn’t notice any significant blurring.
Landscape-daytime
Even on a cloudy day, the S6s has been able to muster an enormous amount of detail. Even after zooming in to the image, we could see the text at the top of the building clearly. Lighting around the background areas hasn’t been very good as the green looks darker, but the colours on the building look closer to the real ones.
Auto-daytime
This shot was taken in auto mode on a cloudy day. The camera has handled detail very well. The multiple shades of green have been captured accurately. Even on a bigger screen we didn’t notice any major pixilation or blurring in the image.
Low-light
Like most mid-range smartphones low-light photography is not one of its strong attributes. While the noise is not visible outrightly, on a bigger screen the noise is easily noticeable. It is far form ideal for night photography, but compared to what we have seen it is still not completely useless.
