Micromax, once a major player in the South Asian industry, saw its market share eroded by then-emerging Chinese companies such as Redmi and Realme. However, the company is back in the smartphone market, this time under the IN name. These phones, which were first introduced in India as an alternative to Chinese offerings, are now spreading into neighboring markets.
Today, we’ve got a full analysis of the Micromax IN Note 1 smartphone, which was just released in Nepal. So, without further ado, let us get down to business.
SPECIFICATION
| Body | 6.50 x 3.03 x 0.35 inches, 195 gm |
| Display | 6.67-inches IPS LCD panel, 395 PPI, 78% NTSC color space |
| Resolution | FHD+ (2400 x 1080 pixels), 20:9 aspect ratio |
| Chipset | MediaTek Helio G85 (12nm Mobile Platform) |
| CPU | Octa-core (2×2.0 GHz Cortex-A75 & 6×1.8 GHz Cortex-A55) |
| GPU | Arm Mali-G52 MC2 |
| Memory | 4GB LPDDR4X RAM, 64/128GB storage (expandable) |
| Software & UI | android 10 |
| Rear Camera | Quad-camera; |
| Audio | 3.5mm headphone jack, Loudspeaker |
| Security | Rear-mounted fingerprint sensor |
| Sensors | Accelerometer, Gyro, Light, Proximity, E-compass |
| Battery | 5000mAh with 18W fast charging |
| Color options | Green, White |
| Price in Nepal | Rs. 19,990 (4/64GB) | Rs. 21,490 (4/128GB) |
Design
The Micromax IN Note 1 is made entirely of plastic, as are all phones in this price range. Green and White are the two color choices for the handset. As light falls on the Green version we have here, it creates a geometric “X” pattern on the back. Since the back is shiny and opaque, it is susceptible to fingerprints and smudges.
As a result, it is preferable to use the plain case that comes with the package. A rectangular camera module protrudes slightly from the back panel, aligned to the left. The back also houses a physical fingerprint scanner, which has become obsolete as smartphone manufacturers, also in this price range, have begun to use side-mounted ones.
If you tracked the phone’s initial launch in India, you realize that the first shipment had a significant quality issue. However, it appeared that this had been resolved in subsequent shipments, as the company had promised. The device we have has a slight creak when pressed on the top left corner, but it isn’t a deal-breaker.
Display
The phone has a 6.67-inch monitor with a punch-hole cutout in the middle for the selfie camera. The bezels are very small, and I didn’t mind the 4.6mm punch-hole. It’s one of the few phones in the sub-$20,000 price range to deliver FHD+ resolution.
The images are sharp, and the viewing angles are reasonable. For the price, the brightness level is also acceptable. The display does, however, have some flaws. Since the phone only has the Widevine L3 certification, you won’t be able to download HD+ content from Netflix or other platforms.
I also found the monitor flickering a few times while watching YouTube videos at the lowest brightness setting. Although the display is not protected by Gorilla Glass, a protective glass is included in the package.
Performance
The SYSTEM had 4GB of RAM and 64GB of internal storage. To extend the latter, there is a dedicated microSD card slot.
The phone works well in everyday situations. You can even light multiple things at once with this. Having said that, you can experience some stuttering while switching between apps. During the Micromax Infinity analysis period, however, these moments were few and far between.
Camera
On the back, the Micromax IN Note 1 has a quad-camera setup. The back camera’s 48MP sensor takes 48MP photos by default, which is unusual considering that most manufacturers default to lower-res pixel-binned pictures.
At the back, there’s a quad-camera setup (48MP primary, 5MP ultrawide, 2MP portrait, 2MP macro) and a 16MP selfie camera hidden within the punch-hole cutout.
