Specifications: 5.5-inch IPS 18:9 display, 1440 x 720 pixels, quad core Mediatek MT6739 processor, 2GB RAM, 16GB storage, dedicated microSD slot (up to 128GB cards supported), 13MP rear camera with flash, 8MP front camera with flash, dual SIM, 4G with VoLTE, WiFi, Bluetooth, rear fingerprint scanner, Android 8.1, 3,050mAh battery
Pros: Stylish and compact design, good daylight camera performance, good battery life, vibrant display, fast fingerprint scanner
Cons: Sluggish interface, weak low light camera performance, slow face unlock
Comio introduced the X range of smartphones a few months ago with the X1 Note. The company has now launched the entry-level X1.
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Like X1 Note, the X1 also focuses heavily on style and design. It has a unibody design with a matte finish back panel. You’ll see a large circular camera module and a fingerprint scanner below it. Both the camera module and fingerprint scanner have a gold ring around them that matches the colour of the phone’s buttons. Our review unit was red and everyone who saw the device appreciated the design. We also like the compact size that makes it comfortable to carry in a pocket.
The screen has an aspect ratio of 18:9 which allows for a larger display in a compact body. This is how you get a 5.5-inch display on a compact phone. Since this is a budget phone, the resolution is HD+ (1440 x 720 pixels) and not full HD+. Thankfully, everything onscreen is fairly crisp — nothing to complain about at this price. The display also offers vibrant colours, wide viewing angles and high brightness level.
The X1 is powered by a Mediatek MT6739 quad core processor with 2GB RAM and 16GB storage. At around this price, you can get phones with 3GB RAM and 32GB storage so this drops the appeal of this phone considerably. For day-to-day use, the phone works smoothly but you can’t play too many games. You can do basic games like Candy Crush but it can’t give you smooth gaming with anything more than that.
The 3,050mAh battery easily lasts a full day with around 15% battery spare.
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We liked that Comio chose a close-tostock interface for the X1 and there are just three apps pre-installed on the phone. The trouble is that even with the stock interface, the phone struggles thanks to the low RAM. The moment you have five apps running in the background the phone gets sluggish. Comio has also added some AI features, primarily for face unlock and camera. As for face unlock, the phone often takes up to 3 seconds to identify and unlock which makes it unusable in a majority of situations. There is a rear fingerprint scanner which works flawlessly — that’s a much better option in our opinion.
Comio says the AI identifies your face to add bokeh effect as well as for the face cute mode which can overlay filters. As for bokeh, you might not be too happy because the edge detection fails 75% of the time. The camera is capable and takes good photos in daylight but in lowlight there is visible noise and the details are lost. Front camera is also similar — daytime selfies are above average, but in low light its best to use the front flash. With the front flash, the selfies are well-lit but at times we also felt that the flash made the photos look unnatural.
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Battery life is a strong point of the Comio X1. The 3,050mAh battery easily lasts a full day with around 15% battery spare. At its asking price, the Comio X1 is a phone that will appeal to the youth who want an affordable and stylish device. But you will be sacrificing some performance for style. At the same price, look at iVoomi i2 that has a 5.45-inch display, 3GB RAM, 32GB storage, dual rear camera and larger 4,000mAh battery. If you can spend a bit more, consider the Infinix Hot 6 Pro (Rs 7,999) that offers a 6-inch 18:9 display, 3GB RAM, 32GB storage, dual rear camera and 4,000mAh battery.
Picture Perfect: Try Trick Photography With Your Smartphone
1/5
Your phone camera is a lot more capable than you think.
While it may not offer as much control as a DSLR yet, you can use you phone to capture photos with amazing trick effects.
ET tells you tips and apps to get unique captures using your phone camera.
Your phone camera is a lot more capable than you think.
While it may not offer as much control as a DSLR yet, you can use you phone to capture photos with amazing trick effects.
ET tells you tips a..
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The idea behind HDR or High Dynamic Range is to enhance detail in an image (especially the shadows and darker areas) and make it appear more vibrant.
Typically, this is done by taking multiple photos with different exposure level and then combining them into one. On a majority of smartphones today, the HDR feature is built into the camera interface so you don’t need a separate app.
In case your smartphone does not have HDR feature, try an app called ‘A Better Camera’ by Almalence — it offers HDR for both stills and videos. iPhone users can enable or disable Auto HDR in the camera settings.
Head to Settings > Camera and you will see the option of Auto HDR along with the option to save the normal photo in addition.
The idea behind HDR or High Dynamic Range is to enhance detail in an image (especially the shadows and darker areas) and make it appear more vibrant.
Typically, this is done by taking multiple phot..
Read More
Tilt Shift lets you take miniature photos and is ideal for shooting cars or a cityscape from atop a building. It is important that you find the right place to shoot and make sure that the area you keep in focus has lots of bright colours to make it stand out.
Android users can try the Tilt-Shift Camera app by mrgnpza. This free app lets you adjust the focus area and lets you choose between linear or circular zones.
Various apps such as Instagram, Snapseed and Pixlr also offer the option to add the tilt-shift effect. If case you are an iOS users and want better control, you can get the Glass Tilt Shift app which costs US $2.99.
Tilt Shift lets you take miniature photos and is ideal for shooting cars or a cityscape from atop a building. It is important that you find the right place to shoot and make sure that the area you k..
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You’ve probably seen photos with beautiful light trails or a photo of a waterfall/river in which the water appears to be in motion. This is done by a technique called long exposure which requires control over the shutter speed.
In auto mode, any camera (including a DSLR) will tend to keep the fastest shutter speed that freezes everything in place. You will need to slow the shutter down with a manual mode. The first thing to keep in mind is that your camera needs to be steady — placing on a flat surface or stand/tripod is best.
Android users can check if the smartphone has a Pro/Manual mode. If yes, then open it and increase the shutter speed (make it a second or more). Next, go to the ISO setting and select the lowest available value. That’s it, you just need to find a subject — you can use a highway, shoot stars or even do light painting by pointing a light towards camera and moving it around in the air.
You will need to experiement with different shutter speeds for different scenarios. In case your Android phone does not have a manual mode, you can use apps like Long Exposure Camera 2 or Camera FV-5 Lite.
iOS users can use the Live Photo feature to create long exposure photos. Just enable Live in the camera interface and take a photo. Head to the Gallery, tap the photo you have taken and swipe-up — you will see four options including long exposure. Select it and your photo will be converted to one with a long exposure.
This might not give you the best results each time as the shutter speed is not that long. Alternatively, you can try out third party apps such as LongExpo, Slow Shutter Insta and Ultra Slow Shutter Cam.
You’ve probably seen photos with beautiful light trails or a photo of a waterfall/river in which the water appears to be in motion. This is done by a technique called long exposure which requires co..
Read More
In a panorama sequence, you can take a wideangle panorama with your subject appearing multiple times in the frame for a cool looking shot. Since almost all smartphones today come with a panorama mode, you don’t need to install any extra app.
Start shooting a panorama from one corner with your subject standing in one pose. Once you have panned enough to have the subject out of the frame, stop moving and let your subject circle around behind you to a new position in the frame.
Repeat this process a few times in a single panorama photo and you will get a panorama sequence. Your subject will appear in different poses in a single panorama photo.
In a panorama sequence, you can take a wideangle panorama with your subject appearing multiple times in the frame for a cool looking shot. Since almost all smartphones today come with a panorama mod..
