Micromax Dual 5 First Impressions

Micromax today launched its Dual 5 smartphone in India, priced at Rs. 24,999. The device will be made available for purchase from April 10 through Flipkart and offline stores, but registration for the sale has already opened.

The Micromax Dual 5 smartphone has dual rear cameras, a Qualcomm Snapdragon 652 SoC and a 5.5-inch full-HD screen. We managed to get our hands on the device and here are our first impressions.

The first thing you will notice about Micromax Dual 5 is its design. The phone has an ergonomic body and has been built with aircraft-grade aluminium. The power button is conveniently located on the right along with a volume rocker, and the fingerprint sensor is at the back. Interestingly, there is a Smart Key on the left to which users can assign any function of their choice. There is a USB type-C port for charging, which is on the bottom along with the speaker grilles. The device weighs in at 164 grams. We found that it fits comfortably in one hand despite its large screen, and has a sturdy, premium feel.

The Dual 5 sports two 13-megapixel cameras on the back. Both have Sony IMX258 sensors; one which captures monochrome data and the other for RGB colour. Both also have f/1.8 apertures. A colour temperature sensor is used to merge the two captured images optimally. The phone is able to create depth-of-field and create a bokeh effect, similar to what the iPhone 7 Plus can do. Apart from this effect, the dual camera setup allows for improved low-light shots as well. The Dual 5 also phone offers standard camera modes including Pano, Pro, Slow Shutter, Anti-Haze, Macro, and Monochrome.

The Micromax Dual 5 features another 13-megapixel camera on its front, with a Sony IMX258 sensor and f/2.0 aperture. There is a soft selfie flash mode for the front camera.

In our short time with the phone so far, we found the quality of images taken with both the front and rear cameras to be satisfactory. However, we did not find the bokeh effect created by the dual rear cameras to be as impressive as the company claims it is. Comparisons with the iPhone 7 Plus would unfair given the price difference between the two, but it is important to point out that you don't get the same effect despite the use of the same name.

The Micromax Dual 5 has a 5.5-inch full-HD (1080x1920 pixels) Super Amoled display with 2.5D curved Corning Gorilla Glass 3. We found the display to be a little oversaturated, as is the case with many Amoled screens. However, quality was overall satisfactory.

The phone runs Android 6.0.1 Marshmallow and is powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon 652 SoC (with four ARM Cortex-A72 cores clocked at 1.8GHz and four Cortex-A53 cores clocked at 1.4GHz) coupled with 4GB of RAM. There's 128GB of storage, expandable via microSD card (up to 128GB). The phone has a hybrid dual-SIM configuration so you can have either a microSD card or a second SIM. It also supports 4G, VoLTE, Wi-Fi ac, and Bluetooth 4.1. In our time with the device, we didn't face any performance issues or lag while loading applications.

Micromax has focused on security and privacy with the Dual 5. The company says that this phone has an independent chip that stores passwords for the user to ensure security. Further, users can create a private profile that can be kept separate from general profile. Different fingerprints can be assigned to each profile to keep their files and folders secure from other users. Micromax also says that this is the first phone in India to offer EAL 5+ military grade security.

In case it is ever stolen, the Dual 5's anti-theft SafeSwitch feature can be used to lock it and prevent anyone from shutting it down, making it easier to trace. Further, it has a self-destruct feature so you can wipe all data within 60 minutes of it being stolen. The phone will have a Micromax Care app preinstalled, and the company has also announced a 24-hour service promise along with a 1-year replacement warranty.

There is an accelerometer, an ambient light sensor, a gyroscope, an infrared sensor, and a proximity sensor. The Dual 5 has a 3200mAh battery and supports Quick Charge 3.0 to enable it to be charged up to 95 percent in 45 minutes. Ten minutes of charging is claimed to provide up to 4 hours of usage time. In its price range, Micromax Dual 5 will be competing against the likes of Vivo V5 Plus, Gionee A1, and Oppo F3 Plus. For more details and our full review of this smartphone, stay tuned to Gadgets 360.