Gionee A1 smartphone: Delight for selfie-lovers

At a time when margins are razor-thin in the fast-growing domestic smartphone market, any new device faces the challenge of not only meeting consumer expectations but also offering that something extra to stay in the race for at least one quarter.

Keeping this in mind, China-based Gionee — known for delivering camera-driven smartphones in the past — has launched the selfie-focused, mid-segment A1 smartphone in India.

Priced at Rs 19,999, the main highlight is its 16MP selfie camera and 13MP rear camera.

Here is what works for the device.

Taking a cue from the flat design of its earlier devices, A1 features a metal body which feels sturdy in hand and has a polished look. The overall look is clean but uninspiring.

The 5.5-inch full-HD display worked well indoors, delivering sharp colour reproduction and contrast with good viewing angles.

The rounded-off edges allow it to sit comfortably in the hand and offers plenty of grip. Armed with 2GHz octa-core P10 Helios processor and 4GB RAM, A1 ran smoothly with whatever we threw at it — be it movies, games or browsing.

The 16MP front camera produced brighter pictures. It packs an LED flashlight to light up the images in case of low-light conditions. The images captured had rich colour tones with an appreciable amount of detailing. (READ MORE)