Micromax Canvas 4: Packs good performance but costly

Micromax has been constantly improving on its handsets with the Canvas series. The latest, Canvas 4 (A210), thus, was a much-awaited device.

Let's take a closer look to find out what else the handset offers besides the "blow a kiss to unlock" feature.

Appearance

The white review unit was a dead ringer for Samsung's Grand line. But what distinguishes it is the Micromax logo on the back, which some found ugly.

The metal strip running around the edge gives the Canvas 4 a premium finish, while the plastic back is slippery. The power button is on the right, while the volume rocker is on the left.

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The top edge houses the headphone jack, while the bottom edge has the micro-USB port and microphone. The front is dominated by the five-inch screen, which is a fingerprint magnet.

Next to the earpiece is the five-megapixel (MP) front camera, some distance away from which is the tiny notification light.

Two proximity sensors flank the earpiece on the other side. Below the screen are the usual menu, home and back buttons.

The back is dominated by the 13-MP snapper with LED flash, next to which is a tiny microphone.

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Just below the company's name is the phone's speaker, which isn't too loud. And, when you place the phone on its back, the sound gets muffled further.

Take the back cover off and you see the twin SIM slots (full size!) and the microSD slot, as well as the removable battery. While the fit and finish is possibly the best among all Micromax handsets, there's scope for improvement.

Performance

Calls were clear. Browsing over Wi-Fi and 3G was fast. The phone runs a customised version of Android Jelly Bean, which, as we all know, one can blow or shake to unlock.

While blowing to unlock a phone is unique, we found shaking to unlock it more practical. Besides, one can also customise to unlock the phone.

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The screen, while it reflects in direct sunlight, didn't pose a problem outdoors. Emails and texts could be read easily. While the screen is great for watching videos, we expected a full HD screen but were disappointed.

The screen won't get scratched easily because of its Gorilla Glass surface, but do get yourself a screen protector and cleaning cloth to clean all those fingerprints/smudges.

Multi-tasking and/or gaming was great on the Canvas 4, though the handset did heat up a bit when we played the Need for Speed Shift trial, which came pre-installed.

Multi-tasking isn't a problem on this phone - sometimes the response time after a touch is long and we hope a software update will fix this. The 'pause on looking away' feature, however, is buggy and didn't work all the time.

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The rear camera gave great snaps when used outdoors, but there was some noise when we shot indoors in low-light conditions.

The vertical panorama seems more of a gimmick. Video recording, in full HD, was good. The five-MP front camera is very good for "selfies" and video chats.

The phone doesn't disappoint with its battery life. With a fair bit of calling and email and about an hour of gaming and music, the phone still had some juice left at the end of the day.

Verdict

The Micromax Canvas 4, for Rs 17,999, is a good phone - possibly the best from the company.

While it doesn't offer anything new, only time will tell if customers will spend so much on a phone from an Indian brand. I would buy it, but only if it were available for Rs 15,000.

Click NEXT to read Canvas 4's specifications…

Micromax Canvas 4 specifications

Price: Rs 17,999

Screen: 5-inch 720x1,280 IPS LCD multi-touch panel

Weight: 158g

OS: Android 4.2.1

RAM: 1GB

Processor: 1.2-Ghz quad core

Memory: 16 GB, expandable via micro-SD (up to 32GB cards supported)

Camera (rear/front): 13 MP /5 MP

Battery: 2,000 mAh

Pros: Good performance, premium finish, good front camera

Cons: Gimmicky interface, phone heats up sometimes, price not attractive