ET Review: Obi Octopus S520

NEW DELHI: The Octopus S520 is the first smartphone from Obi Mobiles — a new brand co-founded by Ex-Apple CEO John Scully. This flagship is one of the cheapest Android smartphones today with an Octa core processor.

In terms of design, the phone closely resembles the Apple iPhone. It has similar rounded curves, metal on the rear panel and the camera module with flash on the top left corner.

The difference is that the rear panel is removable. It is peculiar that there is no edge to lift/pull for removing the back panel, you need to really work hard to remove the back panel. Luckily, this will be a one-time process for most users. The 5-inch HD display offers excellent viewing angles and rich colours. Overall, the phone feels well built with its metal and glass body.

For your money, you get a smartphone running the latest Android 4.4 on an octa core processor, 1GB RAM and 8GB storage (expandable). As it comes with stock Android user interface with zero bloatware, the phone’s performance is great.

We had no issue playing games like Asphalt and Dead Trigger 2, but the 1GB RAM proved to be limiting at times, expecially with multiple apps running in the background. With mix usage, the phone



SPECIFICATIONS



5-inch (1280 x 720 pixels) IPS, 1.7Ghz octa core Mediatek processor, 1GB RAM, 8GB + microSD slot, 13MP rear + 8MP front camera, Android 4.4, 1,800mAh



Good

Gorgeous display, sturdy build, great battery life, excellent camera

Bad

1GB RAM feels limiting at times, poor front camera, rear panel hard to open