ET Review: Gionee Dream D1

NEW DELHI: Gionee is a known Chinese phone brand and they have started their India innings with the Dream D1 smartphone. The D1 is the cheapest phone with a high-quality, 4.65-inch super amoled plus display (and that too with a resolution of 1280 x 720 pixels).

Since the usual Android buttons are on the screen (except in the video player), only about 4.3-inch screen space is usable. We also think that the D1 is strikingly similar to Samsung's Galaxy SII. Even the removable back panel has a similar texture to Samsung's blockbuster. The power button is placed on the left of the phone, while the volume keys are on the right. Hardware includes a 1.2Ghz quad core processor, 1GB RAM and PowerVR Series5XT GPU with 4GB storage.

Gionee’s customized user interface is slightly sluggish to operate — we fixed the issue by switching to a free, third party launcher (Apex or Go Launcher work well). Images from the 8MP rear camera were disappointing. Most daylight photos were overexposed with visible noise. Using the HDR mode fixed the overexposure issue, but increased noise even further. Predictably, things got a lot worse in low light.

Thankfully, it can do a decent job with video and full HD resolution is available. Gionee bundles two snap-oncases and a 16GB memory card in the box. Battery life is above average — with dual SIMs and constant data connectivity; the phone easily lasted over a day. For a slightly lower price, you can get the Micromax Canvas HD which has the same hardware and performance, but a larger 5-inch 720p display.

Price: Rs 17,999

Specifications: 4.65-inch super amoled plus (1280 x 720 pixels), 1.2Ghz quad core, 1GB RAM, 4GB + microSD slot, 8MP/1MP camera, Android 4.1, 150g, 2,100mAh

Positives: Excellent display, powerful hardware, great performance, loud audio, good battery life

Negatives: Camera tends to overexpose images, volume and power buttons are hard to press

Also See: Micromax Canvas HD

> Specifications: 5-inch (1280 x 720 pixels), 1.2Ghz quad-core, 1GB RAM, 4GB + microSD slot, 8MP/2MP camera, Wi-Fi, FM Radio, GPS, Android 4.1,156g, 2,000mAh

> Price: Rs 15,999