If going by the latest IDC reports, the time not so far, when the smartphone market could see a possible reshuffle in the top five vendor pecking order in the coming quarters.
Recently, a research showed Micromax overtook Samsung to become the No.1 mobile phone supplier in the second quarter of 2014. And if global tech titans won't address the need of the low-end market aggressively, there is a real possibility of seeing vendor positions change in the remaining quarters this year.
This is because desi manufacturers' budget smartphone range is growing in sales numbers really fast and all of them hold a certain X factor to topple the position of Android hotshots.
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While there are companies such as Motorola, Samsung, HTC and LG currently making rounds in the market with their own affordable offerings, there are other India-based vendors who are also trying hard to get into the act. And three companies that are currently battling it out both on the field and on papers are the Micromax, Celkon and Intex.
The biggest bet from these manufacturers in the affordable segment include Micromax Unite 2,
Celkon Millennium Vogue Q455 and Intex Aqua Style. So today, we are gonna talk about some of the unique aspects of these home-grown smartphones which are built to pit against the global Android hotshots in the market.
So, how are we gonna do it? We are going to compare these local branded handsets with the international ones, based on display, performance, camera, battery life and pricing. Have a look at the sliders below.
Click Here For The New Micromax Unite 2 & Celkon Millennium Vogue Q455 & Intex Aqua Style Smartphone Gallery
Display and Dimensions
Micromax Unite 2, Celkon Millennium Vogue and Intex Aqua Style might not give you the best sharpness and contrast when it comes to screen display performance, but at the price quotes of below Rs 10,000 these offerings are definitely better than the pricey global smartphone range in the market including Samsung Galaxy Core 2 or a HTC Desire 516.
While most of you might not be satisfied with these devices rendering around 480 x 800 pixels resolution, which might reduce the video quality slightly compared to the mid-rangers available in the market.
However, when compared to Motorola-made Moto E, which sports a 4.3 inch capacitive touch screen display, these 3 desi manufactures' smartphones are offering a bigger screen estate ranging from 4 inch to 4.7 and also flaunt a less bulky form factor.
Weight
At a weight of around 110 to 130 grams, they are quite compact and comfortable in your palms and are designed to look expensive.
Design-wise in the Micromax and Celkon offerings you will find the left edge bare, while the volume and power buttons are placed on the right side, on the other hand in the Intex phone ,the manufacturer has carefully played with the placement of each button whether it be volume rocker, power button, capacitive buttons on the bottom or the stylish home button, which is the center of attraction in the phone.
Camera
Camera being the most important aspect of any smartphone, at least for the Indian consumers, Micromax Unite 2, Celkon Millennium Vogue Q455 and Intex Aqua Style camera optics are far better in terms of picture quality and added features including auto focus mode, when compared to the budget or mid-rangers of the global brands like Moto E or HTC Desire 516.
Moto E might have a beautiful interface and touch experience, but the world knows it that Motorola compromised on the camera front in Moto E.
Front Camera
Also most of the branded segment dirt cheap smartphone range lacks a front-facing camera, but our native manufacturers know the importance of selfies in our lives and did not forget to add one in their units.
All the three phones have 2MP front-facing cameras and they also haven't forgotten the integration of
flash light support. Basically, Micromax and Celkon have mind blowing cameras and they produce images that one wont expect at this price point.
Performance
Well, coming on to this segment which is mostly dependent on the processor specs and adreno GPU of the device, let us tell you, play a 720p video or a try some gaming on these units, it might not be awesome like it is seen on the premium segment but the performance is workable, in order to carry out operations smoothly.
Processor
The Micromax Unite 2, Intex Aqua Style and Celkon Millennium Vogue are equipped with quad-core 1.3 GHz Cortex-A7 processor, hence you will notice the swiftness in these two devices in terms of download speed, scrolling speed, rending, pinch to zoom while doing web browsing - which is much more better when compared to a Moto E or Samsung, HTC hotshots. Thanks to the integration of quad core processors in all three handsets.
Software and Battery
Battery-wise all the three smartphones will last for you till a day and a half on moderate usage. On a heavy usage, once can expect a full day operation.
With all the three being KitKat-powered device, Micromax Unite 2 and Celkon Millennium are fitted with a more massive 2000 mAh battery. While, Intex Aqua Style will come with 14,00 mAH battery which will offer a standby time of 180 hours.
Storage
As far as the internal memory capacity is concerned Celkon Millennium takes the lead over here, as the smartphone is offering 16GB ROM along with 64GB memory expansion, which is not even being offered in most of the branded offerings.
For example - The Motorola Moto E offers 1GB of RAM to users while offering the device in a 4GB internal memory variant. But you will find a 32GB as an external microSD slot for additional memory is also present.
Internal Memory
The Micromax Unite 2 A106 smartphone, however, offers a similar 1GB of RAM while offering the device in 4 GB internal memory variant. Again, there's the option to expand the device's memory up to 32GB as an external microSD slot for additional memory is present.
Price
There's nothing really that will separate these the devices from each other when it comes to price. As more or less all the smartphones are priced around the same range.
Micromax Unite 2 is available for Rs 6,720, Celkon Millennium Vogue Q455 can be bought at Rs 7,999 and Intex Aqua Style is launched for Rs 5,990.
The GizBot Verdict
But how they differentiate from each other is their own unique aspect when it comes to purchasing decision. Micromax tries to set itself apart from the competition by providing support for 21 Indian languages.
Celkon smartphone has a better internal memory and the Intex unit has got some great looks and front camera.
User Comfortable
However, if you're looking for a simple interface - Celkon Millennium Vogue Q455 is the right phone for you, if you're a person who wants to be a satisfied customer and wish for a decent after sales service - Micromax Unite 2 is your phone. However, if you're a camera person and looking for a compact handset which feels style and comfortable in your palms - you should definitely go for Intex Aqua Style.
