In the past six to eight months, we have seen the launch of quite a few budget smartphones and phablets that have impressed us. We have seen the Micromax Canvas 2 A110, the WickedLeak Wammy Sensation and the Karbonn A21 that showcase the rising potential of budget smartphones.
With the launch of the A116 Canvas HD, Micromax has pushed the envelope even further by giving the A116 a quad-core processor, 1GB of RAM and a 720p HD display. Considered one of the most anticipated budget smartphones to hit the Indian shores, is the Canvas HD all it is hyped up to be?
Build and Design
At first glance, the Canvas HD is a good-looking phone. It has a curvy design just like its predecessor, theCanvas 2 A110, which is very reminiscent of the Galaxy Nexus. The design of the A116 Canvas HD appears curvier than it actually is.
At first glance, the Canvas HD is a good-looking phone. It has a curvy design just like its predecessor, theCanvas 2 A110, which is very reminiscent of the Galaxy Nexus. The design of the A116 Canvas HD appears curvier than it actually is.
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Just like the A110, the Canvas HD has a 5-inch display with the earpiece above the display. The front-facing camera rests to the right of the earpiece. Below the display we have the familiar capacitive touch buttons – menu, home and back. The rear of the smartphone has the 8MP pearl white finish plastic, which also houses the 8MP shooter along with the LED flash. It also has the speaker grill at the bottom of the rear panel. The rear panel is a fingerprint and dust magnet, which is a light disadvantage.
The Canvas HD’s volume rocker is on the left spine, whereas the power button rests on the right. The volume rocker seems fine, but the power button is more embedded into the side making it difficult to access if you aren’t looking at the device.
The Canvas HD’s volume rocker is on the left spine, whereas the power button rests on the right. The volume rocker seems fine, but the power button is more embedded into the side making it difficult to access if you aren’t looking at the device.
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Flip out the rear panel and you will notice the enhancements in build quality in comparison to the A110. The plastic used feels better. Below the rear panel of the A116 Canvas HD rests the slots for the two SIM cards as well as the 2000mAh battery.
There is however one very big design flaw with the Canvas HD. The display of the Canvas HD lacks Gorilla Glass and this is a big drawback. Considering the price point, we can’t really expect it, but then again, this means the display is left vulnerable to scratches.
Overall, the Canvas HD is a good-looking phone. We showed the device randomly to a few people and they were surprised to learn this is a Micromax device. The budget smartphone feels sturdy and well-built in one’s hands and this is a good thing especially considering the price point we pay. The A116 feels convenient for both single as well as dual-handed use.
Overall, the Canvas HD is a good-looking phone. We showed the device randomly to a few people and they were surprised to learn this is a Micromax device. The budget smartphone feels sturdy and well-built in one’s hands and this is a good thing especially considering the price point we pay. The A116 feels convenient for both single as well as dual-handed use.
Features and Specifications
The Micromax Canvas HD A116 is a powerhouse in terms of its specifications, especially if you consider the price point. For Rs. 13,990, the Micromax Canvas HD A116 has a 5-inch IPS LCD display with a 1280x720 pixel resolution. It is 10.7mm thin and weighs a mere 156 grams. It is powered by a quad-core 1.2GHz MediaTek MT6589 processor and PowerVR Series5XT GPU, coupled with 1GB of RAM. It also houses a 2000mAh battery, an 8MP rear camera and a 2MP front-facing camera. It runs on Android 4.1 Jelly Bean upgradable to Android 4.2.
The Micromax Canvas HD A116 is a powerhouse in terms of its specifications, especially if you consider the price point. For Rs. 13,990, the Micromax Canvas HD A116 has a 5-inch IPS LCD display with a 1280x720 pixel resolution. It is 10.7mm thin and weighs a mere 156 grams. It is powered by a quad-core 1.2GHz MediaTek MT6589 processor and PowerVR Series5XT GPU, coupled with 1GB of RAM. It also houses a 2000mAh battery, an 8MP rear camera and a 2MP front-facing camera. It runs on Android 4.1 Jelly Bean upgradable to Android 4.2.
For now (until something better comes along), it is safe to say that these are the best specifications you will get on paper for the price point. The Canvas HD’s Jelly Bean OS is mildly skinned, similar to the one we found on its predecessor. You still have access to five home screens, which you can load with widgets and shortcuts. The apps and widget list is stock Android.
The Canvas HD does come with a bunch of preloaded apps such as CricketFever, Fruit Devil, and a bunch of Micromax specific apps such as M!Live, M!Store, M!Zone and HookUp. The device also has an FM radio, something of a rarity in modern day smartphones.
Performance
The Canvas HD has impressed us with great build and true to tradition design. The power under the hood is also something to talk about. But does the Canvas HD actually perform well in benchmarks and real-word usage scenarios?
The Canvas HD has impressed us with great build and true to tradition design. The power under the hood is also something to talk about. But does the Canvas HD actually perform well in benchmarks and real-word usage scenarios?
Most of the devices in the Rs. 15,000 price range have a dual-core processor coupled with 1GB or 512MB of RAM. We compared the Micromax A116 Canvas HD to other smartphones around the Rs. 15,000 price point. This includes devices such as the Spice Stellar Pinnacle Mi-530, iBall Andi 4.5q, WickedLeak Wammy Sensation, Lenovo S560 and the HTC One V.
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