Micromax has launched its next flagship dubbed the Canvas
Knight A350, for the Indian market. Just like most Micromax devices, it is a
budget device with superior features. For Rs 19,999, the spec sheet of the
Canvas Knight could put any sub-Rs 20,000 device to shame. Here’s a quick look
at its tech specs.
- User Interface – Android 4.2.2
While the hardware appears to be brilliant, the Canvas
Knight is disappointing when it comes to the OS running on the device. The Canvas Knight runs Android 4.2.2 Jelly
Bean, similar to its previous flagship Canvas Turbo. With the nifty specs the
phone holds, it appears to be more than capable of running Android 4.4 KitKat.
What we don’t understand is what’s stopping Micromax from launching it with 4.3
at the very least, if not KitKat?
One should also expect pre-loaded apps from the company such
as M! Security, M! Live, M! Unlock as well as third party vendors like Spuul,
Hike, Opera Mini and more. Micromax had also signed a deal with BlackBerry to
preload BBM on its Canvas phones. So, you can expect BBM for Android too. One
can also expect Micromax’s software gimmickry like ifloat that serves as a
quick launcher for calls, messages, browser, settings, etc. from any screen,
blow to unlock, popup video, popup browser, and more. You will also find Truecaller, GetIt, M!Vault
pre-installed along with games such as RealSteel WRB, Where’s My Perry and
Where’s My Water.
- Cellular Connectivity – GSM, 3G
The Canvas Knight supports GSM and 3G networks. However, it
should be noted that the company has started testing 4G-enabled devices, which are
expected to be launched later this year. May be its too early to say, but we
could possibly see a 4G variant of the device in the future.
- Display – 5-inch SHARP Full HD
Samsung has retained the 5-inch display size seen in the
Turbo as well as the full HD 1920 x 1080 resolution, with a pixel count that
goes all the way up to 443 ppi. Moreover, it’s the full HD CGS (Continuous
Grain Silicon) IPS display built by SHARP, just like its predecessor. This
means, we can expect crisp and clear images.
- Form-factor– Anodised aluminium body
The official site doesn’t mention the weight or dimensions,
but it appears to be pretty slim. In terms of design, it doesn’t follow the
Turbo, instead looks like an iPhone. The Canvas Knight gets a brushed metal
styling with champagne gold bezels while the rear panel comes with a glass
finish. The device is available in three colours – black, white and gold and
black and gold.
- Wi-Fi
The Canvas Turbo supports Wi-Fi, but so far there has been
no mention of the connectivity options. There is no word on dual-band support
either or if it supports the ‘ac’ draft either.
- Processor – Mediatek Octa-core , 2GB RAM
The Canvas Knight is first smartphone from Micromax to
feature an octa-core processor. It is
powered by a MediaTek MT6592T SoC, that clocks in at 2GHz. It also includes an
ARM Mali-450 GPU and 2GB of RAM. The
Canvas Knight joins the Gionee Elife E7 Mini, Intex Aqua Octa and the iBerry
Auxus Nuclea N2, which also sport octa-core chipsets.
- Internal storage – 32GB, no room for expansion
While the Canvas Turbo was available with 16GB onboard
storage option, the Knight gets a whopping 32GB built-in storage. It doesn’t
offer other online storage support or a memory card slot. However, 32GB storage could suffice your
daily storage needs.
- Camera - 16-megapxiel BSI sensor, 8-megapixel front-facing camera
On the camera front, the Knight comes with major
improvement. It gets 16-megapxiel sensor on the rear side with support for
auto-focus and flash. The rear shooter is paired with OmniVision’s CameraChip
sensor and a new generation M8 Largan Lens, allowing 1080p video recording at
30 frames per second. Users can also control the camera with their voice and
the OmniVision CameraChip sensors also enable HD burst mode.
The device also gets
an 8-megapixel front-facing camera. The company has included its quirky-named
“Camerazzi” camera app that adds several features such as 360 Degree Panorama,
Cinemagraph and Object Eraser.
- Sensors – All the usual suspects
The Canvas Knight won’t disappoint when it comes to sensors.
It gets all the usual suspects such as accelerometer, light, gravity,
gyroscope, proximity and compass.
- GPS
The Canvas Knight comes with support for GPS and A-GPS.
Though the official site doesn’t mention, we are hoping it also supports
GLONASS.
- Battery – Li-Ion 2350 mAh
Coming to the battery, we get a measly 2350 mAh battery. The
rated battery life promised is 175 hours of standby time and 7.5 hours of talk
time. Given the specifications of the phone, this could be the Achilles heel of
the Knight.
- The bottom line
The Canvas Knight comes with an incredibly powerful specs
sheet. It appears to be one of the best value-for-money Android smartphones
under Rs 20,000 with an octa-core processor, 2GB RAM, 16MP rear camera, 8MP
front-facing camera and 32GB onboard storage. The only disappointment so far,
is the older Android Jelly version that the device runs on and the tiny
battery. While it all sounds good on paper
and has the potential to be one of the best budget smartphone by an Indian
brand, we will have to wait and see how well the device performs once we get
out hands on it.
