Indian smartphone market is saturated with smartphone makers and their seemingly same looking phones. It’s not very often that one gets to see something compelling in sub 10,000 price segment. But, Mobiistar– a Vietnamese phone manufacturer has attracted a lot of eyeballs with its two new offerings- Mobiistar CQ and Mobiistar XQ Dual priced at Rs 4,999 and RS 7,999 respectively. Launched in late May, both of these are flipkart exclusive.

Here, we will look at Mobistar XQ Dual.

SPECIFICATIONS

5.5 inch 16:9 FHD display
1.4 Ghz Snapdragon 430 with Adreno 505 GPU
Android 7.1.2
3GB RAM/32GB ROM
Dual sim, hybrid memory slot
f/2.0 13 MP rear camera with dual LED flash
f/2.0 13MP + f/2.2 8MP front camera with LED flash
3000 mAh battery

Let’s have a detailed look at the phone:

DISPLAY

Mobiistar XQ Dual

Definitely, the most important aspect of any phone. With a 5.5 inch 1080p IPS LCD panel and PPI of 440 pixels per inch ,XQ Dual’s display is excellent. But, one thing it misses is the modern 18:9 aspect ratio and a notch. Not that these are major shortcomings but still.

DESIGN

Mobiistar XQ Dual

XQ Dual has taken a cue from Nokia’s recent lineup and has chrome plated sides and buttons. This is a refreshing change. While most phones in this price range compromise on the built quality, XQ Dual is built to last. It is one of the few phones with metal build.

The right side houses the power button while the left side has volume rocker. At the back is a fingerprint sensor which is super responsive. Despite its large size, its handling is quite good.

PROCESSOR

Like other phones in this price range, XQ Dual uses the aging Snapdragon 430 processor. At 1.4 Ghz quad core setup, this is definitely not a powerhouse. But, for day to day tasks, it provides a fluid experience. Not to mention, bloat free near stock Android.

CAMERA

The most unique aspect of XQ Dual is its camera setup. The rear camera has a traditional f/2.0 13 MP sensor but with a dual LED flash. Front is where things get very interesting. It has a dual camera setup. The primary front camera is f/2.0 13MP sensor and secondary camera is f/2.2 8MP sensor. The secondary sensor is capable of taking super-wide selfies at 120 degrees. There is also an LED flash on front to take better low light selfies.

BATTERY AND PERFORMANCE

Mobiistar XQ Dual

XQ Dual has a battery capacity of 3000 mAh. With a frugal chipset and near stock Android, it should easily last a day with moderate usage.

GA VERDICT

Under Rs 8000, there are very few phones which tick all the boxes and XQ Dual is one of those rare breed. If you are after a phone with good performance and design, this should definitely be on your list. For those of you worried about after sales service, Mobiistar has confirmed that from day 1 about 1000 service centres are functional. Talking about the alternatives, you can consider Xiaomi Redmi 5, Xiaomi Redmi Y2 and Oppo Realme 1.

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