Xolo Black Review

Specifications: 5.5-inch IPS | Snapdragon 615 octa core processor | 2GB RAM, 16GB storage (expandable) | Dual rear camera (13MP + 2MP), 5MP front camera |  4G, WiFi, Bluetooth 4.0 | USB host, Android 5.0, 3,200mAh battery

Design: The Xolo Black is a slim and sleek device, 7.3 mm in thickness and protected by Corning Gorilla Glass 3, both in the front and back. The oleophobic coating keeps the phone smudges and stains proof and also enhances the touch sensitivity. The notification light is placed on the right hand side of the drive, giving it a very non-intrusive look.

Display: Reading e-books and watching videos is a delight on the 5.5″ Full HD display. The OGS full lamination makes the screen thinner yet stronger and improves the touch responsiveness gives you a color-rich, radiant display. The IPS technology ensures a wide 178-degree view.

Camera: The Xolo Black was designed for smartphone photography enthusiasts with its 13MP and a 2MP dual camera resembles the human eye. The 5MP front camera with flash is perfect for selfies and video chats. One can capture images and then play around with the focus using the Ubifocus™ feature. With the ChromaFlash, you can click clear and natural images even in low light conditions. Qualcomm’s Optizoom™ technology ensures high-resolution images don’t pixelate even on zooming. The phone also comes with pre-installed Photo Studio App, designed by Adobe, helping you edit the amazing shots you have captured using the dual camera.

Performance: The smartphone is powered by a 1.5 Ghz Qualcomm Snapdragon 615 Octa-Core 64-bit processor and an LPDDR3 2 GB RAM. Gaming and multitasking is a seamless process on this smartphone.

Battery: The 3200 mAh Li-Ion battery provides enough fuel to last an entire day backed by its efficient power saving capabilities. The Quick Charge 1.0 technology reduces the phone’s charging time to 2.5 hours.

HIVE Atlas: The HIVE Atlas UI is easy to use and is loaded with new features. Comet browser enables 20% faster browsing and uses lesser data than other browsers. The reading mode turns your display black and white for an enhanced reading experience.

Audio: The XOLO BLACK is a music lovers’ priced possession. It optimises the audio for your headset, thereby delivering an enhanced audio experience.

Storage: The phone supports 16 GB of internal storage capacity which can be expanded up to 32 GB, sufficient enough to carry all your favourite music and videos.

Connectivity: This XOLO device comes with 4G LTE, Wi-Fi and Bluetooth so that you are always connected to the Social Media and doing what you love the most. The Hybrid Dual SIM capability lets you choose the device as dual SIM or single SIM with microSD.

Photos shot with the Xolo Black: 

My Verdict: It’s a lovely phone for a sub 10k category and worth the additional 3k you would be investing to get hold of it. The all round BLACK looks adds on to the beauty and a premium feel to the the phone, backed by an Oleophobic coating which ensures your phone is scratch and smudge free, although mine did manage to get some scratches and smudge marks. The phone is so black that at times I got confused as to which side is the front or back.

This phone was designed with all the good intentions in mind for every smart phone enthusiast, from the dual camera at the back to the amazing battery life, the oleophobic coating and the 4G connectivity. However I felt the phone makers put in way too many features for this beautiful device to handle. The camera lags a bit, ensuring I missed out on a lot shots or captured them blurred. Yet it is a stylish design and build quality, excellent performance, full HD display, a relatively good camera results and a fantastic battery life. Go for this phone if you are looking for a good looking device to flaunt at a pocket friendly budget.