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With the invasion of smartphones, cameras have become an inseparable part of our lives. Most of these phones are equipped with at least two cameras. Some smartphone makers even claim that the photographs clicked with their devices are better in terms of resolution etc than actual DSLRs. Is it true? I don't think so.
iBall recently came out with the mSLR Cobalt 4, a smartphone to which one can attach different lenses to enhance the quality of images clicked. Sounds interesting. But is it worth the hype? Let's find out:
Design & display
The 5-inch Cobalt 4 comes with a resolution of 960x540 pixels, at 220 pixels per inch (ppi). The display is just about okay. The phone doesn't appeal to the senses, with its rather basic looks and the rather ordinary feel of the device. However, the metallic rims add some value to the looks. The visuals on the screen appear grainy and low on detail.
Software
The smartphone runs on Android 4.4.2 and is powered by a 1.3GHz octa-core MediaTek MT6592 processor. Aided by a 1GB and 8GB of internal storage, the Cobalt 4 is capable of running most of the daily use apps easily, but you will experience lags while playing even light games such as Subway Surfer. The 2,000 mAh battery lasted for about 9 hours on average usage.
Camera
Here's the interesting part. The device boasts of an eight-megapixel (MP) rear camera with a dual-LED flash and autofocus, and a 3.2MP front camera with soft LED flash. Selfie lovers will be impressed with this aspect.
The additional 8x zoom lens, fish-eye, wide-angle and macro lenses can be mounted on the smartphone with the help of a clip that comes in the box. The extra lenses, though cumbersome, were impressive. It might look slightly odd to attach another lens and is certainly not feasible all the time, but whenever used, it added value to the images clicked.
Without the lenses, the stock camera has nothing to write home about.
Verdict
The additional lenses with the iBall mSLR Cobalt 4 will certainly draw your attention. The lenses do a decent job, too.
But I don't think that alone should make you spend Rs 8,999 on this phone.
The dull interface and average display can make any consumer move to the other options available in this price bracket. And, there are many competitors that can make it difficult for this device to thrive.
SPECIFICATIONS
Price: Rs 8,999
Processor: 1.3 GHz octa-Core MediaTek MT6592n
RAM: 1 GB
Display: 5-inch 960x540 at 220 ppi
Camera (rear/front): 8MP/3.2MP
OS: Android 4.4 KitKat
Memory: 8GB internal, can be expanded via microSD (cards up to 32GB supported)
Battery: 2,000 mAh
Price: Rs 8,999
Processor: 1.3 GHz octa-Core MediaTek MT6592n
RAM: 1 GB
Display: 5-inch 960x540 at 220 ppi
Camera (rear/front): 8MP/3.2MP
OS: Android 4.4 KitKat
Memory: 8GB internal, can be expanded via microSD (cards up to 32GB supported)
Battery: 2,000 mAh
