26 August,2013 06:39 AM IST | | Hassan M Kamal
What we liked:u00a0Smart Features: XOLO Play offers one of the best screens at this price range. The clarity and colour reproduction of the 4.7-inch screen with IPS display, and a resolution of 312 pixels per inch (PPI), is unbelievably good. In fact, it's better than the Micromax Canvas 4.u00a0The touch is sensitive and works great. The control buttons have a metallic finish and are easy to operate.u00a0
Camera: The front (2MP) and back (8MP) cameras are good and work well in low-light conditions. We also liked the in-built picture-editing tool. There are built-in apps like the XOLO battery saver to help control battery consumption. It also offers Swype Type, a feature that allows you to type on the screen by just swiping through a combination of letters. The backcover with its matte finish, offers a good grip.
Battery: The 2000mAh Lithium-ion battery not only lasts up to 8-10 hours, it also recharges fast. A 30-minute recharge time lasts for at least three hours of normal usage. The best part comes in the last few minutes (14% left), when the Play enters into super saver mode, offering a talktime of at least 30-40 minutes on 2G.
What we didn't like: Blackouts and heat: The XOLO Play shuts down automatically every now and then. The problem, we guess, could be an ill-fitting battery. It also heats up a lot during usage, to an extent that you find it difficult to place it next to ear. But then again, it's a problem among most quadcore phones, today.
Storage: The storage space of 2.8 GB, isn't much, but could be extended up to 32GB using external SD card.u00a0Sluggish performance: For a gaming phone, called Play, it gets stuck during the crucial moments of life and death in a game -- we found the problem in both Dungeon Hunter 4 as well as Aces of Luftwaffe, thus defeating the purpose. And that coming from a phone powered by an NVIDIA processor (1.5 GHz quadcore Tegra 3) and GPU (12-core NVIDIA ULP Geforce) is simply unpardonable.
Our verdict:
The Play could have been a superb smartphone in this price range, but if you're looking for glitch-free experience with heavy games like Dungeon Hunter 4, don't get swayed by its good looks and screen.
Quick specs
Processor: 1.5gHZ NvIDIA Tegra 3
Memory: 1 Gb RAM, 2.8 GB (storage)
CAMERA: 8MP (back), 2 MP (front)
Display Type: 4.7-inch IPS (312 PPI)
OS: Android Jelly Bean 4.1.1 u00a0
