Review: Android One Micromax Canvas A1

"Promising Device By Micromax"

PROS
"Unexpectedly smooth performance
"Light and comfortable build
"Will be one of the first to get Android L update
"Smooth user experience


CONS
"Lack of screen protection
"Needed to be priced lower
"Mediocre camera


The Android One project announced by Google at the I/O this year was important for India for a few reasons. Firstly, the first three manufacturers partnering with Google were all Indian. Secondly, the project would start in India. But third and perhaps most importantly, the competition in the smartphone market today has shifted from the flagships to the budget smartphone. Smartphone market is dominated by Google. Still, to further strengthen its lead, the search-giant is betting big on the entry-level smartphone market. In this market segment, Android has been criticised for inconsistent and mostly sluggish performance. Android skins are to be blamed for the lag and stutter. Little wonder then, the company has come up with the Android One programme that provides no non-sense smartphone experience at affordable price. The first handset to be built on this platform is the Micromax Canvas A1.

Design
Looking at the front, the Canvas A1 has nothing new to offer. It features a run-of-the-mill design with rounded corners.
The build quality of this smartphone is what you would expect from an inexpensive smartphone. There are no creaks or unwanted crevices in the body and the phone is relatively light. The 4.5 inch screen makes it comfortable to use as well and the bar design, though uninspiring, is satisfactory. The phone is slim in a sturdy sort of way and feels a bit heavy in your hands. It is thinner than the new Moto G for instance and that is a good place to be. Another interesting feature is the rear speaker grille, which is something I have not encountered recently.

Display
 I was a bit put off when I heard FWVGA when this phone s screen specifications were being announced. But the 854x480p IPS display is anything but disappointing, especially at this price. The colours are vibrant and the icons sharp. Reading is not at all an issue. The screen sort of blends into the black bezel at the top and bottom and this seems like a good way to hide the hard edges that dominate many screens of affordable smartphones. The screen has good viewing angles and it is not such a problem using it in the sun. What's missing here is the Gorilla Glass protection, but Micromax does throw-in a free scratch-guard. Overall, the Canvas A1 offers a very good screen at an affordable price.

Camera

Popular entry-level handsets such as the Moto E and Lumia 530 pack in frustrating to use fixed-focus cameras. These are the ones where you try to focus on the right area, and the moment is gone. Thankfully, the Canvas A1 is equipped with a 5 megapixel fixed-focus camera. The native Google Camera app is something that sets this phone apart. The camera results are good, though far from being great.You can do everything you would on a regular camera app. 

It offers many modes including Lens Blur, Photosphere, Panorama, and HDR. However, the Lens Blur and HDR doesn't produce good results on this handset. In terms of image quality, the colours look decent, but the visual noise levels are too high. In short, the camera is good for sharing images on Instagram, but not for viewing it on PC. In video recording, the phone records 720p clips at 30 fps. The playback is quite decent.  

Connectivity

I faced no issues with connectivity and got a good signal even in our basement office. 

Verdict

The Micromax Canvas A1 and the entire Android One experience it offers is very good. The phone promises a kind of confidence not easily achievable in this price range. 

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