iBall Andi 5c Review

Connectivity

The Andi 5c is a dual-SIM mobile phone and can accommodate either two GSM networks or one GSM and one WCDMA each. Both networks function simultaneously, but the phone functions in dual standby which means that when one network is active in a call, the other one remains offline. Connectivity options are the same as with any modern Android handset, ie 3G, GPRS, Wi-Fi, GPS and Bluetooth. A microUSB cable is bundled as the PC interface and for charging the handset. Acceleration, proximity and light sensors are also part of the standard features.

The camera interface

Camera

The saddest part of the phone is the camera. The rear camera is a 5 megapixel shooter with autofocus and is coupled with a single LED flash. The images shot by the camera are completely below average and look good only on the phone's screen. When transferred to the PC, you can see the grainy and pixilated images even when slightly zoomed in. Colours are smudged and the image is completely useless for being printed. Casual shots can be posted on Facebook and similar social websites, with decent enough quality. Videos aren’t good either. Though the camera is rated at 5 megapixels, the videos are shot in 3GP format and the resolution is limited to 640 x 480 only. If you choose this phone expecting a decent camera, we suggest you look elsewhere.

Indoor shoots are not pleasing

Overall imaging in broad daylight are average

Battery Test

Though the display is large and the backlight requirement is that much higher, the battery does not drain too fast. The Andi 5c is blessed with a large battery which has a capacity of 2300 mAh. We managed to get around 9 hours and 50 minutes of continuous movie playback time while testing it. We used the phone for a few days with basic usage such as  talking, browsing the Internet, checking emails and casual messaging and found that we could get around 8–10 hours of battery life still around an hour or so more to go before finally re-charging it. So if you are a road warrior, this phone should suffice for your daily commute. We also noticed one flaw; there is no notification LED to inform the user when the phone is charging. You have to press the power button, which lights up the display, and only then can see how much the phone has charged.

Verdict

If you are looking for a phone on a low budget with all the connectivity features you could possibly have, or if you just want to show off a phone with such a large screen, then the Andi 5c can be considered. Though the phone sports just a single-core 1GHz processor, it is pretty smooth and fast enough for daily use. Media entertainment, email, chat and web browsing are great on the large display. But the quality of the 5 megapixel camera is completely below average. Priced at an MRP of Rs 15,999, this device is a bit expensive, but we have news of an offer price of around Rs 12,999, which seems good enough for a phone with a large IPS display. On the other hand, the Wicked Leak Wammy Note stands as a tough competitor to the Andi 5c as it sports similar specifications and is priced still lower at around Rs 11,000. The Wammy Note will be upgraded to Jelly Bean, which also adds to the value of the product. Hopefully, iBall makes changes to the pricing and updates sooner.