Adding to the cluttered landscape of the budget smartphone market, Indian hardware maker Smartron has today taken the wraps off its latest budget tphone device. Called the tphone P, this device brings a decent hardware and software combo in the sub-Rs 8,000 segment.
The Smartron tphone P will be exclusively available on Flipkart, with the first sale scheduled for 17th January at 12 noon. So, without wasting any more time, let’s hop straight in and see what the device has to offer.
The tphone P features a 5.2-inch HD IPS LCD screen, with a 720×1280 display resolution that’s packed inside a sturdy and gorgeous metallic body. It is powered by the lower-end Qualcomm Snapdragon 435, coupled with 3GB of RAM and 32GB of onboard storage. The storage is expandable up to 128GB with a microSD card, which can be used via the hybrid dual-SIM card tray.
The new tphone also sports a 13MP rear shooter and a 5MP selfie camera. Both sensors have the same f/2.2 aperture and include an LED flash to help you illuminate your shots. The rear camera comes loaded with features like PDAF, HDR, Panorama, Time Lapse, Beautify, and Burst mode. Whereas the selfie camera comes as a massive disappointment because it features a fixed focus lens.
The highlight of the tphone P will, however, have to be the massive 5,000 mAh battery pack, which should easily last you two complete days on a single charge, claims Smartron. It also brings along fast charging technology in tow, making it possible for the users to recharge their device in just 90 minutes. The inclusion of micro USB 2.0 charging port isn’t the best for 2018 – or 2017, for that matter – but OTG support is most welcome.
For those still interested in knowing every detail about the tphone P, here’s the complete specs sheet:
| Dimensions | 148.3 x 72.2 x 8.9mm |
| Weight | 160 g (5.64 ounces) |
| Display | 5.2-inch HD IPS LCD |
| Processor | Qualcomm Snapdragon 435 |
| GPU | Adreno 505 |
| RAM | 3GB |
| Internal Storage | 32GB, expandable up to 128GB using microSD |
| Primary Camera | 13MP, with f/2.2 aperture, PDAF, LED flash and HDR |
| Secondary Camera | 5MP, with f/2.2 aperture, LED flash and fixed focus |
| Operating System | Android 7.1.1 Nougat |
| Battery | 5,000mAh lithium-ion polymer |
| Sensors | rear-placed fingerprint sensor, accelerometer, gyroscope, proximity, ambient light sensor |
| Connectivity | LTE, VoLTE, Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n, Wi-Fi Direct, GPS, GLONASS, Bluetooth 4.1, 3.5mm audio jack, micro USB 2.0 |
| Colors | Metallic black |
The tphone P does bring a lot of features that you’d expect from a budget smartphone in the said price bracket, but will it be able to survive? This is the big question everyone has on their minds because the tphone P is going up against big-name brands such as Xiaomi, Motorola, Samsung, and even Nokia.
All of these hardware makers have a handful of devices, such as the Redmi 5A, Redmi Y1, Nokia 2, Moto C Plus and more, in this price bracket, making for quite a tough competition for the tphone P. However, the enormous battery pack of the tphone P can possibly give Smartron an edge. So, what are your views on tphone P? Is the device worth the 8k retail price? Let us know your opinion in the comments below.
