Specifications: 5.7-inch IPS LCD (19:9 aspect ratio, 1498 x 720 pixels), 2Ghz Mediatek quad core processor, 2/3GB RAM, 16/32GB storage, 13MP rear camera, 13MP front camera, dedicated microSD slot, dual SIM, 4G with VoLTE, WiFi, Bluetooth 4.2, rear fingerprint scanner, Android 8.1, face unlock, 3,000mAh battery, 161 grams
Pros: Stylish design, compact and ergonomic shape, screen shows rich colours, good day to day performance, excellent selfie camera
Cons: Glossy finish catches smudges, screen brightness could be better, no option to hide notch, weak rear camera, no bokeh for either camera, slow face unlock, lots of preloaded bloatware apps
Mobiistar launched their products last year to mixed reviews. The brand focused on the mid-range in 2018 and now they have a new phone with a notch. With a focus on style and camera, the X1 Notch is available offline only to begin with.
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— Mobiistar India (@MobiistarIndia) 1549031549000
The first thing you notice about the X1 Notch is the vibrant back panel. We got the Gradient Shine colour which reflects light in different shades depending on how you hold it. It looks really cool and makes the phone stand out. Other colour options include Sapphire Blue and Midnight Black. Trouble is that since it’s glossy, it also catches smudges and fingerprints very quickly. The phone has a 5.7-inch display with a tall 19:9 aspect ratio which makes it comfortable to hold. The rounded edges further add to the ergonomics. Overall, we give it two thumbs up for style and appearance.
The display notch is wide and looks similar to the one on the iPhone X/XS. We liked the vibrant colours on the screen but the brightness could have been better (it’s difficult to read in sunlight). The HD+ resolution (1498 x 720 pixels) is common in this price range. As for the notch, there is no way to hide it from the settings nor could we find the option to force noncompatible apps to run in full-screen mode. We’re hoping these features are added via software update.
Ab aur badegi aapki shine because #MobiistarX1Notch is available for just Rs. 7,899/- onwards and #MobiistarC1Shine… https://t.co/GMyosr62Qw
— Mobiistar India (@MobiistarIndia) 1549200778000
The X1 Notch has a 13MP camera primary and a 13MP for selfies as well. The rear camera has an AI mode for improving results but it’s a hit or miss. Sometimes it will give you improved colours while at other times, there is no change. We liked that the rear camera is able to capture good detail in daylight as well as indoors. What we didn’t like were the muted colours. In comparison, the front camera fares better. It delivers good amount of detail with balanced colours making it great for selfie lovers. However, there is no bokeh or soft focus mode on the phone at all.
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Our review unit was the 3GB RAM variant with 32GB storage. Paired with the 2.0Ghz Mediatek quad core processor, there were no issues with day-to-day operation but the interface starts slowing with multiple apps in the background. Basic games work fine but anything hardware intensive is a big no. With normal use, the battery lasts from 9am to 5pm. This means you may have to charge the phone twice a day with heavy usage. On the software front, it has a custom launcher based on Android 8.1. We liked the interface with the clean rounded icons, notification badges and various customization options. However, there are a number of bloatware apps preloaded which take up space — thankfully, these can be uninstalled.
Give Your Android Smartphone A Facelift With These 6 Browsers
1/7
By Karan Bajaj
Still stuck with the browser that came with your Android smartphone?
You’re missing out because you can add speed, tabs, automatic ad-blocking, automatic blocking of trackers, background loading, better reading modes and a whole lot more by installing these free apps, says
By Karan BajajStill stuck with the browser that came with your Android smartphone? You’re missing out because you can add speed, tabs, automatic ad-blocking, automatic blocking of trackers, backgroun..
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Modern smartphones are built for multitasking but the varied content we access sometimes makes that harder to do. Flynx helps you focus on content by using background tabs.
Here’s how it works: let’s say you’re reading a news article and click on a link. Flynx will start loading that up and you’ll see a floating bubble.
Tap the bubble to see the webpage at any time. You can do this from within any other running app (you need to set Flynx as the default browser for this function).
It has a fast read feature which gets rid of any ads and unnecessary images to help you focus on reading the text. You also get the option to save articles for later reading as well as the option to sync web content via your Google account on multiple devices.
Modern smartphones are built for multitasking but the varied content we access sometimes makes that harder to do. Flynx helps you focus on content by using background tabs. Here’s how it works: let’s..
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This one is for those who like customising every aspect of their phone. You can configure each and every element of this browser, starting with the appearance.
You can choose placement, size as well as the font size of individual items including the menu, scrollbar, tab list, progress bar and so on.
Another feature you might appreciate is URL patterns — for instance, you can set Habit to open links of certain apps (Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Google Maps) within those apps themselves (instead of a separate browser window).
The interface is clean and comes with a customisable speed dial option for faster access to your favourites. Another useful customisation is the the ability to set actions (save tabs, kill processes, clear passwords, clear history) that take place each time you quit the browser.
This one is for those who like customising every aspect of their phone. You can configure each and every element of this browser, starting with the appearance. You can choose placement, size as well ..
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If you click a link within an app, it will open in your default browser. You have to switch back to the app your were using once you finish reading.
Lynket aims to make things easier by providing a full-screen browser window within any running app. This means you can browse without leaving the original app — when you want to go back, just tap the close button and you will be back to the original app you were using.
Lynket works with your existing browser so you need to choose if it uses Chrome, Firefox, Brave or Samsung’s browser to render pages. You can choose to merge tabs and apps in the recent app screen for ease of access.
What we liked most was the option to configure how Lynket behaves with individual apps — you can choose to have an incognito mode or secondary browser mode for apps of your choice.
If you click a link within an app, it will open in your default browser. You have to switch back to the app your were using once you finish reading. Lynket aims to make things easier by providing a f..
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With a download size of 812kb, Via is one of the lightest browsers you can get from the Play Store.
This makes it great for entry-level smartphones with low storage space. However, don’t assume that it skips any features just because it is a small download.
You get a night mode, privacy protection, resource sniffer, ad blocker, built-in translator, desktop mode as well as a data saver. In addition to all this, the browser is blazing fast in opening webpages and that too without the pesky ads.
It has a clean interface allowing for more viewing space (navigation buttons are at the bottom of the screen). Unlike other browsers, this one won’t send you any irritating push notifications.
With a download size of 812kb, Via is one of the lightest browsers you can get from the Play Store. This makes it great for entry-level smartphones with low storage space. However, don’t assume that ..
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Many browser-based games use Adobe Flash – a plugin that most mobile browsers do not have. Except Puffin, that is.
Puffin is for the casual, online gamer. When you open up a webpage with a game, you can enable theatre mode — this hides everything else and brings the gaming window to front. You can then use the onscreen gamepad which many gamers will appreciate.
It also has a mouse pointer that you can control via touch. Finally, Puffin auto encrypts all connections for safety and comes with a builtin data saver.
Many browser-based games use Adobe Flash – a plugin that most mobile browsers do not have. Except Puffin, that is. Puffin is for the casual, online gamer. When you open up a webpage with a game, you ..
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This is the one you need to get if privacy and data protection are top of mind. With Brave, you get the basic features such as automatic ad blocker and a data saver.
As for advanced features, you get encrypted data with use of https everywhere, script blocking, cookie blocking, a pop-up blocker and even tracking protection.
Brave claims that it can offer between 2x to 4x speed boosts when compared to other browsers. There is also the option of private tabs which is the same as incognito mode (no history is saved).
A battery optimisation feature makes it great for phones with basic hardware. If you want even more advanced privacy and security features on your smartphone browser, check out Ghostery Privacy browser.
This is the one you need to get if privacy and data protection are top of mind. With Brave, you get the basic features such as automatic ad blocker and a data saver. As for advanced features, you get..
One of the disappointing things was the security. You get both face unlock and rear fingerprint scanner but both of them fail to impress. Face unlock is slow and won’t work half of the time. We preferred to use the fingerprint scanner but even that has a failure rate of 25%. You’ll often have to scan 2-3 times to unlock. This is another issue that could be fixed with an OTA update.
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At Rs 9,499 (3GB + 32GB), the X1 Notch is hard to recommend. There are too many software issues that need to be sorted out on the device. Plus, for a lower price (Rs 8,999), you can get the Honor 9N which has a stylish glass back, a 5.84-inch full HD notch display, dual rear camera and a 16MP selfie shooter. Even the new Samsung Galaxy M10 is cheaper (Rs 8,990 for 3/32GB).