Centric L3 review: Offers all the basic features expected from a budget smartphone

Price: Rs 6,749

Rating: ***

Specifications
5-inch IPS (1280 x 720 pixels), 1.3Ghz quad core processor, 2GB RAM, 16GB storage, dual sim slot, dedicated microSD slot, front fingerprint scanner, 13MP rear camera, 5MP front camera, 4G, VoLTE, WiFi, Bluetooth, GPS, Android 7.0, 3,050mAh battery.

Pros
Stylish looks, adequate performance, near stock Android UI, good battery life, full HD video recording, above average camera.

Cons
Glossy finish back panel, no fast charge, slow fingerprint scanner, screen brightness could be better, noticeable camera shutter lag.

Centric is a new smartphone brand and like most new brands, it it targeting the budget segment. The first offering from the brand is the Centric L3 — a sub Rs 7,000 smartphone with a front fingerprint scanner.

Thanks to the front fingerprint scanner, the L3 looks a bit different from other smartphones in the same price bracket. It has a 5-inch screen with resolution of 1280 x 720 pixels which is par for the course. The screen has wide viewing angles and rich colours but like most other budget phones, it has thick bezels on the side. We did feel that the brightness could have been higher because it was difficult to view the screen under direct sunlight.

The finger print scanner proved to be a mixed bag for real world usage. While accuracy is spot on, there is a significant delay in device wake and unlock. At times, it took up to 2 seconds for the unlocked home screen to appear after tapping the scanner. Hopefully, this can be fixed with a software updates.

Hardware specifications are similar to the competition — quad core processor, 2GB RAM, 16GB storage and a 3,050mAh battery. Since the phone has a near stock Android interface, the experience is smooth for everyday use. However, this is not a phone meant for gamers — there were random drops even in simple games like Subway Surfers and Temple Run. As for battery life, we were able to get a full day (9am to 9pm) on a full charge. With heavy use, you will run out by 4pm. Being a budget phone, there is no fast charge support. With the included charger, it takes about 4 hours to charge from 10 to 100%.

Around the back is a 13MP camera which takes above average images in daylight as well as indoors. However, there is a lot of shutter lag which often results in blurred images. Another issue is that the phone is not powerful enough to render the 13MP image immediately – it takes between 2 to 5 seconds for the image to load fully in the gallery when viewing full screen. Front 5MP camera also suffers from the same issue plus has visible noise indoors. Selfies taken in daylight are good enough for using on social media and viewing on the phone. Centric L3 supports full HD video recording and even though there is visible noise, the video quality is good for viewing on the phone.

In our opinion, the Centric L3 is a good first attempt from the new brand. However, there are so many other options available in this segment. The Redmi 5A has similar specs and a rich user interface plus an IR blaster for Rs 4,999. You cn also consider the InFocus Vision 3 at Rs 6,999 — it has a 5.7-inch 18:9 display with a large 4,000mAh battery & dual rear cameras.