It looks like no one can hold the distinction of being the cheapest 4G LTE phone with a full HD-display for long. Days after the launch of the Meizu M1 Note at Rs 11,999, next week will see Amazon India launch the Phicomm Passion P660 with almost the same specs at just Rs 10,999.
The primary difference between the Phicomm Passion P660 and the Meizu M1 Note is in the phone size. The first one is a 5-inch display device while the second one has a 5.5-inch display, as indicated by the ‘Note’ in its name.
In almost all other aspects, the phones are very similar. In fact, all three mid-range full-HD 4G phones in India (including the Xiaomi Mi 4i priced Rs 12,999) are very similar to each other.
The launch of the Phicomm Passion P660 will be yet another blow to the Xiaomi Mi 4i, which had seen its reign as the cheapest full-HD, 4G smartphone brought to an end by the launch of Meizu M1 Note two weeks ago.
So how does one compare?
In many ways, the Meizu M1 Note comes out as the best full-HD 4G phone in India if the purpose is media consumption (browsing, watching movies etc) because of its 5.5 inch display, which gives 21% more viewing area compared to the screens on the two other phones.
In addition, the Meizu model also comes with special IGZO display technology from Sharp. So far, most users have been impressed by the Note’s display quality, and that is a big plus for the phone.
When compared to the Passion P660, the Note also has the advantage of being from a bigger brand like Meizu. Phicomm is less well-known compared to Meizu. Of course, overseas reputation is not of much use if the two companies are not able to have a strong service network in India.
Still, between the two, the Meizu model definitely holds the edge for as far as value for money is concerned.
The other specs are very similar – 13 MP & 5 MP cameras, 2 GB of RAM, octa-core processors etc..
There is also another crucial advantage enjoyed by the Meizu M1 Note over the Phicomm model – battery. Like the Mi 4i, the Note comes with a 3.1 Ah battery which would keep the phone comfortably powered through the day.
The Passion P660 comes with a rather measly 2.2 Ah battery.
However, the P660 may still make sense for two classes of users – those who require a lot of memory, and those who prefer the smaller 5-inch display.
The Phicomm model has 32 GB of internal memory — something you don’t see in phones priced below Rs 15,000 — while the Mi 4i and the M1 Note have only 16 GB. In fact, the 16 GB non-expandable memory on the Meizu Note is practically its only drawback. The same shortcoming is there in Mi 4i, which also comes with no SD-card slot.
However, it must be noted that for those who do not want to store videos (self clicked or downloaded), 16 GB would be enough to meet most of their app or gaming requirements.
But given that people prefer have lots of apps and videos on their devices, this is actually a big drawback for some who will have to consider the Phicomm model (despite the smaller battery) or the 5.5-inch Asus Zenfone 2 (Rs 14,999) for satisfaction.
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