Karbonn Quattro L52 Review: VR under budget sets it apart

Karbonn Quattro L52 comes with a decent list of specifications but incorporation of  VR technology under budget sets it apart

By Mohd Ujaley

Over the years, the affordable smartphone segment has seen lot of action. Phone makers have tried to differentiate their products by incorporating some unique features such as powerful battery, bigger storage and RAM, and detachable lenses. The recent one to add into the list is virtual reality (VR) headset, as virtual reality is expected to be the next big growth area in consumer technology.

Recently, the domestic handset maker Karbonn unveiled a new smartphone – the Quattro L52 – bundled with a Karbonn VR headset. Priced at Rs 8,790, the device comes with decent list of specifications but things that sets it apart is VR headset that company says will deliver “enhanced life-like viewing experience.” We explored this device for over a week and here are the details.

Out of the box, you notice two things – smartphone and VR headset. Both of them have impressive design and they are comfortable to hold and operate. The VR headset is made of sturdy ABS palstic firbre. It comes fitted with bi-convex lenses which augment a video to provide a theatre-like experience. To enjoy this, Quattro L52 comes pre-installed with a VR app which allow users to create their own VR videos. We played few VR videos and games after little adjustment and found them decent in this price range.

The body of Quattro L52 is made of plastic with a silver metal strips running along the top and bottom of the rear along with a sleek back cover which add elegance to the overall outer-look of the handset. The 5-inch curved glass display which offers 1280 x 720 pixels HD IPS resolution is sharp and colourful. In fact, adjustable to light condition, you can even read in direct sunlight without much difficulty and also adaptive display works well indoors. The front also houses a camera on the top, while three capacitive touch keys are placed in the bottom. There is space for a 3.5 mm headset jack on the top edge, while the bottom edge has space for a micro USB charger. With the thickness of 9.9 mm and weight of 143 gms, the device is neither too slim nor too heavy. It is comfortable to hold and operate, and is non-slippery at the same time.

The Quattro L52 runs on Android 5.0.1 and its entrails are powered by 1.3GHz dual-core processor with 2GB RAM. The device comes with 16GB of inbuilt storage that can be expanded upto 32GB via  microSD card. During the test, the device handled multitasking and graphic intensive games quite smoothly. Overall, it offers a decent performance.

On the camera front, Quattro L52 comes with a 8-megapixel rear camera and a 5-megapixel front camera. The camera division has some inbuilt features but there is nothing unique about it. Both the cameras are decent and takes pictures with average quality and fine details in regular light. However, the images were little dull and less vibrant in low light conditions.

The Quattro L52 supports 4G LTE connectivity, Wi-Fi, 3G, 2G, Bluetooth and dual SIM. It is packed with a replaceable 2250 mAh battery which could last between 5-6 hours with multitasking and continuous data usage.

Overall, the Quattro L52 is a decent budget smartphone with good design, slim body and offers smooth operation but above all, the incorporation of  VR technology and Karbonn’s VR glasses under this price range is an encouraging step for budget segment.

SPECIFICATIONS
Display: 5-inch  (1280 x 720 pixels)
Processor: Dual Core 1.3 GHz
Operating system: Android 5.1 Lollipop
Memory & storage: 2 GB RAM + 16 GB internal storage (expandable upto 32 GB with microSD)
Camera: 5 MP front; 8 MP rear
SIM type: Dual SIM
Battery: 2250 mAh, replaceable
Estimated street price: Rs  8,790

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