Innelo 1 First impressions: The first phone launched by Innelo is Innelo 1, that is priced as an entry-level device.
iVoomi is one player which is focusing on the entry-level smartphone segment in India. The company had recently announced the launch of its sub-brand Innelo, which will offer newer features at a budget price as well.
The first phone under this sub-brand is Innelo 1, that is priced as an entry-level device. With this phone, the company will intend to bring features found in mid-range phones to budget devices. Here’s our first impression of the Innelo 1 device.
iVoomi Innelo 1 specifications: 5.86 inch HD+ 19:9 Notch Display | 2.5D Curve Glass protection | Android 8.1 (Powered by SmartMe OS 3.0) | 1.3GHz MediaTek 6737H SoC | 2GB RAM + 16GB ROM (expandable Upton 128GB) | 3000mAh Battery | 13MP Rear Camera with 5P lens & Samsung Sensor, Soft Flash | 5MP Selfie Camera with 1.4µm pixel size & 4P lens | Facial Recognition/ Rear Fingerprint Sensor
Innelo 1 price in India: Rs 7,499
iVoomi Innelo 1 First impressions: Design and display
Innelo 1 First impressions: Innelo 1 features a 5.86-inch HD+ display, with a screen resolution of 1520×720 pixels
Innelo 1 features a 5.86-inch HD+ display, with a screen resolution of 1520×720 pixels. It also sports a notch on top and an aspect ratio of 19:9, while offering 2.5D curved glass on top. Innelo 1’s notch support the phone’s receiver and its front camera. One can also find a deep chin at the bottom, which makes the phone bigger than expected.
The device features a plastic body with a glossy finish that does not prevent smudges and fingerprints on the phone. The glossy finish means it is slippery and one needs a cover with this phone. The phone features a regular microUSB port, along with speaker grilles at the bottom.
However, it lacks a 3.5 mm audio input, which in this particular price bracket is a risk and a rather bold decision from Innelo. The phone does ship with a pair of USB-compliant headphones, which is good, but it is not clear what a user should do if this pair stops working.
Coming to the display, Innelo 1 does offer vibrant colours, and can manage different viewing angles. A drawback, though, was the notch, as its sheer size greatly reduces space on the status bar. Importantly, even after activating the phone’s ‘Show battery percentage’ option, Innelo 1 is unable to show the number without accessing the notification panel. Also, the touch appears quite non-responsive around the notch in many instances, and it can be a frustrating experience.
iVoomi Innelo 1 First impressions: Software and performance
Innelo 1 First impressions: While the phone features a regular microUSB port, along with speaker grilles at the bottom, it lacks a 3.5mm audio input.
Innelo 1 comes with its distinctive UI, SmartMe OS 3.0 and runs Android 8.1 Oreo. The interface does not have an app drawer. It does come with many in-built apps like Xender, Flipkart, Amazon and UC Browser on the device, which is disappointing considering the phone only has 16GB storage.
The phone packs 2GB of RAM that will not offer much breathing space for intensive games or apps like Google Maps or Facebook. Still Innelo 1 can handle multi-tasking at a basic level. While using the Google Maps, Facebook and Gaana apps, I did not notice much lag on either of the three, and switching between these did not cause any problems either.
Innelo 1 runs MediaTek 6737H processor that clocks speeds of up to 1.3GHz and while we have not run all tests on it, the performance so far is average, and in line with the price range of the phone. The device does come with Face Unlock as well as a fingerprint scanner. The fingerprint sensor is not entirely accurate, and we had to rely on multiple attempts to unlock the phone. Also, Face Unlock will only work best in the day or well-lit indoor environments.
iVoomi Innelo 1 First impressions: Battery
Innelo 1 comes with a 3000mAh battery. Innelo 1 does struggle to give viable battery performance. Even with the most moderate use, we were able to just about stretch the phone to over 9 hours of operation. This device comes without any fast charging mode either.
iVoomi Innelo 1 First impressions: Camera
Innelo 1 comes with a 13MP rear lens, and a 5MP front sensor. The 13MP lens is a Samsung sensor. Given the budget pricing the camera does perform above average. While the colours are not so vibrant in all instances, there are enough details in some of the photos we took with device.
The camera does not perform badly when taking shots indoors either, and manages to be accurate with brighter colours. Both cameras offer Beauty mode and FaceCute (a combination of Bokeh and Beauty), while the front lens also features a Portrait mode.
On the other hand, Innelo 1’s front camera is more style than substance, and does not provide a great deal of variation through its output across modes. As it lacks flash support, one would need to avoid poor lighting conditions for selfies.
Innelo 1 camera sample (Image resized for the web)
Innelo 1 camera sample (Image resized for the web)
Innelo 1 camera sample (Image resized for the web)
iVoomi Innelo 1 Conclusion
Innelo 1, like regular iVoomi phones, packs a lot of features for a budget phone, though not all of them are up to the mark. The display for one has an issue when it comes to the touch response, especially around the notch area. The processor and battery can accommodate basic performance, though we are yet to test it out fully.
The cameras of Innelo 1 does provide above par performance for the price range. The security options do not quite serve the intended purpose as they are not entirely accurate. For users with an under Rs 8,000 budget, Innelo 1 is yet another option to the list, though it will have a hard time matching up with the Xiaomi’s Redmi 6 and Honor’s budget series.