It is made in China, only has 480×800 screen resolution and runs Android 2.3.5 Gingerbread. So what? The Galaxy S2, which is still an impressive phone, has a 480×800 screen resolution on its 4.3 inch screen and was released with Android Gingerbread (of course the S2 has a better processor, Gorilla Glass and a few other features that are far ahead, but then so is the price).
But for Rs16,999, the Dialog i45 is absolute value for money. Featuring a 1 GHz Cortex A5 CPU, the same CPU found in the Samsung Galaxy S Duos, the HTC Desire and a few others. The price is the key factor for the entry level smart phone market, coupled with features like the 5 MP rear (with Double LED Flash) and 0.3 MP front camera, 4GB internal memory and 4.3 inch display.
First impression on the hardware itself: seems well-built – no plastic-ish feel that some of the other Chinese phones have. Unlike big name phone manufacturers, Dialog has not messed around too much with the basic Android platform, except perhaps by putting in a few of its apps. The battery, with normal use, which included about 45 minutes of talk time, some texting, internet use and game downloads, lasts about 36 hours. It connects seamlessly to Dialog’s 4G network. Graphics are decent and had no buffering issues running Need for Speed Underground.
Look out for a detailed review of the i45 and i35 in an upcoming issue of Echelon.