This is the first Android smartphone by an Indian company Smartron (the makers of the t.book Windows convertible PC), and it is called the t.phone. And with a Rs.22,999 price tag, it is jumping straight into a price band that is already overflowing with ‘flagship killer’ Android phones.
Design: Refreshing from the outset
The dual tone colour design is still quite rare in smartphones, irrespective of price. But the t.phone isn’t holding back in terms of looks. Our testing unit has the combination of grey and sunrise orange—the phone will also be available in the Classic Grey, Metallic Pink and Steel Blue colour options. What really stands out is just how thin the phone is, measuring just 6.98mm. The metal finish does feel quite good to hold, and isn’t slippery. The t.phone weighs just 149 grams, while the LeEco LeMax 2 tips the scales at 185 grams.
Display: A slick canvas
The Smartron t.phone has a 5.5-inch AMOLED display, with the Full HD (1,920 x 1,080) resolution. Straightaway, we were impressed with the vivid colours, and also the crispness of the text. The colours are helped by the fact that the black colour is quite deep. The brightness level is also quite good that even at minimum brightness levels, the screen may still seem a tad too bright for a low light environment. In the display settings, you will find an option called Assertive Display, and turning this on activates the pixel processing algorithms which improve visibility outdoors in sunlight. Overall, the experience of using this display, in terms of reading or watching media, isn’t in any way inferior to a lot of phones that pack in the higher 2560 x 1440-pixel resolution. To be honest, you really don’t need more than Full HD display in a smartphone at this time, considering the content you will either be streaming on it or sharing from a PC at home.
Also Read:
Smartron t.book review here
LeEco LeMax 2 review here
Performance: This is where things heat up
The t.phone runs Android 6.0.1, and retains the default interface. It runs the one generation old Qualcomm Snapdragon 810 processor, with 4GB RAM. While older hardware isn’t necessarily bad, the specific problem with the Snapdragon 810 is occasional over-heating. Apps open quickly, you can multi-task easily and it can handle the latest games. But the chip’s eccentricities show up while using the camera—there is heating and much faster battery drain.
We plugged the t.phone in for charging, and after 30 minutes, the temperature reading indicated 41°c, while after the same duration, the Xiaomi Mi5’s readout suggested only 36.7°c. While these processor-led foibles do not really impact usability and performance for the most part as you go about using the phone, the higher the temperature of the innards, the quicker the battery drain will be. And on that note, we observed that the t.phone’s 3000mAh battery will last a day on a single charge.
Camera: Falling short
The 13-megapixel camera is a bit of a disappointment, at least in the present avatar. Focus times are quick, and it can reproduce some really vibrant photos. But it lags in the detailing aspect in many instances, something that is instantly clear the moment you start to zoom in even a little bit. The good thing is that Smartron has unbundled the camera app to the Google Play Store, and can push updates quickly to your phone.
tcloud: Unlimited cloud storage
The most relevant value addition for a lot of users would be the tcloud service, which gives t.phone users access to unlimited cloud storage space, at no extra cost. You can save documents and files, as well as sync the camera’s gallery.
Verdict: Not fighting the specifications war
The Smartron t.phone has a lot going for it, including the attractive looks and unlimited cloud storage, and only really disappoints with the inconsistent camera. At this price, there will be the inevitable competition with the LeEco Le Max2 (Rs.22,999)—which will be enticing for you if you want a slightly bigger 5.7-inch screen, and also if you are really adamant that Full HD resolution in a smartphone display isn’t at all enough for you.
