Micromax today announced their two new devices under their ‘In’ series of smartphones. While I was watching the live stream over YouTube, I was pretty surprised by the prices set by the company for these new devices. The price vs specifications balance is pretty impressive and it is sure going to give tough competition to other Chinese smartphone makers in the same price bracket.
Micromax In Note 1
Well the first smartphone introduced here is the Micromax In Note 1. It will be offered in two variants of 4GB +64GB and 4GB+128GB. The internal storage can be expanded upto 256GB using a dedicated microSD card slot. Micromax In Note 1 will be powered by Mediatek Helio G85 processor which is an Octa Core CPU with 2.0Ghz frequency. The Mediatek Helio G85 comes with HyperEngine Game Technology and when combined with ARM Mail-G52 GPU, you should get a pretty decent gaming experience.
The phone supports 4G VoLTE connectivity on both SIMs. And if we talk about the display, it is 6.67 inch FHD+ IPS screen with 21:9 aspect ratio. ‘In’ Note 1 has a center punch hole selfie camera on the main screen. The selfie camera is a 16MP f/2.0 camera which supports digital zoom upto 4 times. It is capable of recording FullHD videos at 30fps. Front camera can also be used to unlock your device with face unlocking.
Talking about the rear main camera setup, then Micromax In Note 1 has used a Quad camera setup. The first main camera is a 48MP AI lens, then the second one is a 5MP wide angle camera with 115 degrees FoV, the third and fourth cameras are 2MP macro and depth sensors. Micromax has followed the trend of other manufacturers by adding a quad camera setup with non-necessary 2MP macro and depth sensors. But this is what is currently trending, and many people just buy mobile phones by counting the number of cameras at the backside, later realizing that those 2MP cameras are just not very helpful.
Also on the backside of the device you are going to get a fingerprint sensor for biometric authentication and on the bottom there is charging port, alongwith 3.5 mm audio jack.
One of the most exciting additions of feature will be the 5000mAh battery in Note 1. The device has a USB Type-C charging port and is also capable of fast charging using the inbox provided 18W charger. I can say the battery capacity is pretty big and with proper device optimizations the phone should last more than 1 day in single charge under typical usage scenario. The battery also supports reverse charging.
Micromax In 1b
The In 1b is an entry level budget smartphone and is powered by Mediatek Helio G35 processor. It will be offered in two variants of 2GB +32GB and 4GB+64GB. The internal storage can be expanded upto 128GB using a dedicated microSD card slot.The display is a 6.52 inch HD+ display having a V-shaped notch for the selfie camera. The selfie camera is an 8MP AI camera. On the back side, we have dual AI camera setup with 13MP main camera and a 2MP depth sensor. Back panel also has a fingerprint sensor for unlocking the device and a 3.5mm audio jack at bottom for wired music listening.
And for the surprising part, the budget ‘In 1b’ is also juiced by a big 5000mAh battery and a USB Type-C charging port. This is a pretty impressive addition by Micromax. The battery also supports reverse charging and there is a 10W charger provided in the retail box.
Availability and Price
The ‘In Note 1’ will be available in 2 colors Green and White and sale will start from 24th November. While the ‘In 1b’ will be available in Blue, Green and Purple colors with first sale starting from 26th Nov. Both devices will be available for purchase on Flipkart and Micromax official website.
Now if we talk about the most important factor, the price. Like I said earlier, I was pretty amazed to see how Micromax has managed to provide such hardware specifications at a lower price. I personally think, I can pay extra 1000 to 2000 Rs to mobile companies if they are offering a solid hardware and a stable software backed up by a strong support and service network. But if Micromax here has managed to bring the price low then sure it deserves a try.
Enough said, the ‘In Note 1’ 4GB+128GB variant will cost Rs 12,500 and 4GB+64GB model will cost Rs 11,000. On the other hand, the younger sibling, ‘In 1b’ will cost Rs 8000 for 4GB+64GB model and Rs 7000 for 2GB+32GB variant.
I am happy to see that Micromax has included some solid hardware specs, with modern body and screen design. All this complemented by pure Android experience. And if all these specs translate to the real world, they will receive a positive response from Indian users and possibly are going to disrupt the market in India, again! And once Micromax is satisfied with their sales, I believe the company will listen to the feedback of their customers and will invest in Research and Innovations to improve their product lines. I also hope they will build a strong network of after sales service too. Until then we all can support and cheer for our local homegrown brand. All the best Micromax!
