Intex is an Indian consumer technology company that was incorporated in 1996. It's been more than a decade since Intex has been offering products like computer accessories and household electronics. Its outset in the smartphone manufacturing is relatively new. Intex is one of those manufacturers that not only manufactures smartphones but also the regular mobile phones that are still going strong in tier II and tier III cities in India.

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The brand has developed a reputation among budget smartphone users and although it has no hyped value but it sure generates sales from small retailers across the country. This further gives an overview regarding its products which is very obvious right from the beginning. The smartphones are no match to the latest and best devices from multi-national manufacturers, the brand lacks the resources to introduce innovations to their products and also that the smartphones from Intex will not receive software updates as frequently as you would expect it to be.

Despite the challenges Intex has come up with some great smartphones that are priced humbly to suit budget pockets.

Having said that, let me give you a brief insight about Intex's latest smartphone Elyt E7. It is an Android smartphonepriced at Rs. 7,999 and it aims to offer more than you can expect in the price segment. It has 3 GB of RAM and 32 GB internal storage. It houses 1.25 GHZ Quad core Mediatek MT6737 processor which is the same Soc that powers Motorola's budget game changer Moto C Plus. Elyt E7 also runs on Android Nougat 7.0.

Let's get on with the review and try to find out if the smartphone is what it promises to be?

Design: Looks good, feels great!

The smartphone comes in a single color which is Gold. It has all the elements at appropriate places i.e. audio jack at the top edge, speakers at the back behind fine grills, lock/unlock toggle on the right side with volume rockers right above it. Charging port is placed at the bottom which is micro USB 2.0 port.

The back panel sports the rear camera along with a LED flash right beside it. The fingerprint sensor is situated right below the camera. The speaker grill at the bottom of the back panel gives the smartphone an appealing touch.

The front panel has a contrasting white color with a glossy bezel. The front camera and sensors rest atop while three touch enabled buttons are at the bottom. The smartphone weighs 156 grams and has a 5.2 inch display screen. Its width is 0.87 cms.

Let's get straight to the point, Intex has nicked its smartphone with a tag line, "Simply Debonair" and the smartphone justifies it well. It certainly looks amazing and feels amazing in hands too. The carved edges with a lustrous texture and a contrasting close to matte finish of the back panel come together to form a beautiful device.

Display: Optimum for day to day use

The smartphone has an HD IPS display and it throws out colors with an optimum vibranceand saturation. Video playback is however a bit over saturated. But it will please consumers who prefer punchy colours.

The touch response is quick and apt. It functioned smoothly when scrolling through clusters of icons and no unexpected response (such as opening of folders while scrolling through them) was encountered. The display went dim in broad daylight which was nothing unexpected. The reflective surface of the front panel is responsible for the smartphone's limitation. However, it wasn't too dim as to restrict the visibility entirely.
The display bears NEG 2.5D protection yet it looks quite vulnerable.

Hardware and performance: All packed up for a consistent performance

Elyt E7 offers decent hardware specification for the price-point it comes at. However, how well the smartphone performs in real-life is the actual concern of consumers. Let's first have a look at the spec sheet for the smartphone. Elyt E7 is powered by a 1.3Ghz MediaTek MT6737 processor paired with 3GB of RAM. It has an internal storage of 32 GB which is expandable by up to 128 GB via micro SD card. The CPU is paired with a graphics processing unit, Mali-T720 MP1.

Elyt E7 delivered a consistent performance. However, the smartphone is not built to take up serious graphic and processor endurance test. The handset managed light games easily and is not meant for serious gaming. Just to test the limits of the smartphone I ran Asphalt 8 and as expected the processor won't deliver the required power. What's commendable about this smartphone is the fact that when I stopped the game the smartphone resumed apt functioning.

Overheating is not an issue Elyt E7 ever faces. Even if it does approach a noticable heat signature, the metal casing of the smartphone dissipates heat quickly.

It delivers what it promises and does it without a glitch. Switching between apps was pretty quick on the device, thanks to Android Nougat 7.0. It also delivers consistent performance while several apps already occupying the memory. However, it must be kept in mind that the older the device gets the slower it gets due to occupied ROM.

Fingerprint sensor is a luxury not every smartphone in this budget can afford. Elyt E7 has a fingerprint sensor and that too a quick one. It is placed at the back panel and hence is a bit bigger than the sensors on smartphones that boast it on the front panel. It is easily discoverable by fingers and responds well.

Camera: Needs an update

The most disappointing factor of this smartphone is the camera it houses. Let me start by sharing my experience with HTC Desire 262G's camera. I have been using the Desire 626 G for almost a year and a half now.

The device was launched around a couple and half years ago and houses 13 MP rear camera and a 5 MP front snapper. The picture quality of its camera is downright poor compared to the likes of contemporary smartphones launched in last six months. I spent a grand over Rs. 10000 on Desire 626 G and there is nothing special about its camera.

Intel Elyt E7 has exactly the same camera duo. The interface is also exactly the same. Comparing this to YU Yureka Black's camera which does not only has a superior picture quality but also packs loads of features and filters. Let me say it out loud, this is not the smartphone for a user who likes to click pictures every now and then.

The camera mechanism and the quality is outdated and pictures are over saturated. Images alsolack on detailing and camera struggles while focusing on subject. Auto focus is also pretty slow. It does provide better detailing in dark and low light conditions but only if the smartphone is held firmly to avoid shakes.

To conclude, if two years of advancements in smartphone photography is not your concern you can certainly choose the device.

Battery: Works like a powerhouse

A 4,020 mAh battery powers up the device with enough juice for it to last for 36 hours under normal usage. While I was enjoying playing games on Elyt E7, it wouldn't give up easily and after 2 hours of gaming I still had enough power to last through the day.

The smartphone charges up quickly as well. It took a little over 2 hours to completely charge the battery which is pretty impressive given the larger battery size and micro USB 2.0 support.

Conclusion:

I have spent my fair share of time with devices in the range of Rs. 12,000 to Rs. 15,000. This particular range has smartphones that throw out numbers but often fail to deliver and most certainly house a problem or two such as overheating or impractical design. Intex Elyt E7 reminds me of such smartphones but the price range in which it lies makes it a better choice.

This smartphones has a disappointing camera but if you are looking for a good looking device to last throughout the day and performs tasks without a glitch, Intex Elyt E7 is what you should go for. It delivers a great performance for its price.

Elyt E7 faces tough competition in its segment. There are several smartphones in this segment that can easily subdue Elyt. Intex will have to face Moto C Plus which is a grand cheaper than Elyt E7 and also Redmi 4A which costs only Rs. 5,999 in India.

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Story first published: Wednesday, June 28, 2017, 18:32 [IST]

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