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Journalism of Courage
In the past year or so Gionee has made a reasonable impact on the Indian smartphone market. After it launched the Elife E7, it shocked the world by bringing in the the Elife S 5.5, the thinnest phone in the world. Now, the Chinese company has shaved a few more millimetres and introduced the Elife S5.1, which is again the thinnest in the world at the moment, at almost a centimeter thinner than the iPhone 6. But is it just a gimmick or is there more to this phone?
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Check out the Gionee Elife S5.1, the world’s slimmest smartphone
Specs: 4.8-inch (720x1280p, ~306 ppi) AMOLED capacitive touchscreen | Mediatek MT6592 octa-core 1.7 GHz Cortex-A7 processor | 1GB RAM | 16GB storage with no external card slot | 8MP rear camera; 5MP front camera Li-Ion 2050 mAh battery | Color OS based on Android KitKat OS
Price: Rs 18,999
Design: At first look, also in second and subsequent looks, this phone looks like the iPhone 5S… but an anorexic iPhone 5S at that. Yes, this phone is thinner than we imagine phones to be, any thinner and you could use it in an ATM. In fact, like the iPhone 6, you forget after a point that the phone is there in your pocket. That could be dangerous at times. Except for the champagne gold feel the design has nothing new. The volume and power keys are on the left edge and that takes some getting used to. Also, being so thin there is no slot for an SD card. Thankfully, the audio jack is there right next to the micro-USB port. Incidentally, in the box there is a USB adapter, just in case you want to get some storage support.
Check out the Gionee Elife S5.1, the world’s slimmest smartphone
Display: The display is decent and works well even in bright sunlight. But it is only HD and not 1080p. That is by no means a negative point though.
Performance: The S5.1 is a stylish phone, but it is not a premium phone when it comes to specs. If you are one of those who want to unleash the power of Android then this is not the phone for you. You just need to look at the 1GB RAM to make that call. But that does not mean this phone lacks when it comes to performance. An average users will have no problems using this phone for multi-tasking and all other heavy duty stuff like gaming and multi-tab browsing.
Check out the Gionee Elife S5.1, the world’s slimmest smartphone
Software: Gionee does not run pure Android, so for those making a switch there is some adjusting required. It is not a big deal, but there are those who don’t like the Amigo OS much. So make sure you know what you are getting into.
Camera: I tested the phone during a rather small family holiday in Singapore. As this phone has a local SIM in it, I used it for Instagram and the results were quite good. It is not a stunning camera, but it is quite good for the kind of people who might end up buying this phone.
I am looking at those who will have a lot of selfie pouts and food snaps. The S5.1 will not disappoint them. The camera is fast and the focus quick… that should do.
Check out the Gionee Elife S5.1, the world’s slimmest smartphone
Storage: This could be an issue for some users as the phone does not have external storage support. Use your 11.5GB wisely or you will end up using the USB adapter a lot.
Battery: Start a day with full charge and the battery should be good enough to see you through till 8 pm at least with regular use. I used it for the long trips to the Singapore Zoo and Jurong bird park and came back with enough charge to step out for dinner too.
Verdict: If you are looking for a stylish phone, one that get some heads to turn at parties and in restaurants, then the Gionee ELIFE S5.1 is a good option. But this is not a premium phone when it comes to specs and overall performance. It is just a mid-range phone that looks like a premium one.
Check out the Gionee Elife S5.1, the world’s slimmest smartphone
