Well, it all started for me with those attractive cash back offers that Samsung was giving for Note 2 and S3. I always liked this phone but it was out of budget for me.
I then availed the debit card cash back offer and got this phone for 31800. which I believe is a good price for a phone of this spec sheet.
Without the offer, this phone is available for 34, 500 from normal retailers.
BRIEF SPECS:
5.5 Inch SuperAmoled 720p Screen.
2 GB RAM
1.6 GHZ Quad Core Processor
8 MP camera
Android 4.2.1
16 GB internal memory. 10 GB usable.
BODY and CONSTRUCTION:
The phone is made of glossy plastic which is not as good as an aluminium build but feels solid and durable anyhow.
The plastic body however doesn’t give a good grip and sweaty hand tend to slip while holding. The phone is too big to be used with one hand anyways. The back cover tends to scratch easily when put on surfaces like tables. However it has survived a few drops and it shows that the build is good enough for daily use.
SCREEN, INTERFACE, BATTERY Etc.
The screen is a 720p screen with a 245 ppi. approx. It wont be the retina-esque display and the high pixel density display of the s4 but I realize that in our course of daily usage one hardly notices the difference. This being a Superamoled unit the colors are vibrant and the display quality is remarkable. So no complaints there.
The phone runs Android 4.2.1 and it will be soon updated to 4.2.2. The interface is smooth as the 2 gb ram is enough to take care of it. There are certain lags in the widgets tabs but they go away in a few seconds
The Samsung skin is very functional and it has several options for Motion and Gestures. There are options for one handed operation which is very useful.
I downloaded a few heavy games and the phone ran them without any glitches.
The video player is great too. IT plays several formats so one doesn’t need to convert them before putting them into the phone. The Phone plays full hd 1080p videos effortlessly too.
The S PEN is a fun tool and is good for playing around but im not sure if it really helps with productivity.
The great thing about this phone is the battery life. The phone runs an entire day if fully charged int he morning. I usually make a few calls, Use watsapp all day, Facebook, twitter, Chrome and it still has 10% remaining by 9 in the night. This is after my Mobile Data being "on" throughout. Great Battery indeed.
MISCELLANEOUS:
The call quality is good. Typing on the keyboard is comfortable. The earphones supplied are cheap. But the Music player and the sound is great. The FX booster and the Auto Mode equaliser in the music player work well. I used my Sony headphones and was extremely satisfied with the output I was getting. Very clear and just the right quality.
One can buy the flip cover for 1600 rupees for protecting the phone but I would recommend case mate for covers. I would recommend against buying the whole version since the cover gets dirty and the body starts chipping. The titanium grey is pretty good looking for me.
People who think about the size being comfortable for pockets and daily use should know that one gets used to the phones size after a few days of usage. Its just a question of habit. It took me while too but now all other phones feel small in comparison.
Overall its a good future proof phone which works really well. For most of us who aren’t advanced user this phone is good enough and ticks all the right boxes. And with the latest offers it has become a good deal too. And knowing Samsung it will get updates for Androids future versions well in time.
If you are looking for a phone at the 30-35k price point go ahead and buy this one. You wont be disappointed.