ET Review: Gionee Elife E5

Price: Rs 19,999

Specifications: 1.5Ghz quad core, 1GB RAM, 16GB + micro SD, 8MP rear + 5MP front cam, 4.8-inch (1280 x 720) super amoled, 2,000mAh

Positives: High quality fit & finish, excellent quality super amoled screen that rivals the best in the business

Negatives: No expandable memory, average quality videos, limited market availability

NEW DELHI: Gionee seems to be building up a track record of making high-quality smartphones that have a premium feel. Take for example the new Elife E5 — it offers an ultra-slim unibody design (just 6.8mm thick), a fantastic 4.8-inch super amoled screen and a matte finish back panel that is available in three colours (black, white and yellow).

Strangely enough, this is not a dual SIM phone. There's also no memory card slot, although you do get 16GB internal memory (roughly 13GB is available to you) which should be enough for most users. Hardware includes a 1.5Ghz Mediatek quad core processor with 1GB RAM — more than enough for all your daily tasks, HD video and even intensive gaming.

We faced no slowdowns or lags in day-to-day use. The screen offers excellent viewing angles & touch response. Thankfully, the Android buttons don't take up any of the screen either. Gionee includes a nice theme changer with a few themes pre-loaded — you can change the look and feel (including all the icons) with just a few taps.

All the usual accelerometer, gyro sensor, ambient light sensor and proximity sensor are present. We faced no problems with call quality and signal strength. Battery life is a healthy 1 to 1.5 days, depending on usage. Image and video quality is generally pleasing outdoors and with adequate light. The E5 is a great device but the primary issue that we have with it is limited market availability.

The company needs to tie up with more physical stores and all the popular online retailers in order to worry competition like Karbonn, Micromax, Lava, Intex, Spice and others.

For roughly the same price, also consider Panasonic's P51, which is lot more attractive after a recent price cut. It offers a quad core processor, premium unibody design and high-quality screen.



Also See: Panasonic P51

Price: Rs 18,600

1.2Ghz quad core, 1GB RAM, 4GB + microSD, 5-inch (1280 x 720) LCD, 8MP rear + 1.3MP front cam, 2,500mAh battery, 135 grams