The Moto E may be stealing all the thunder in the budget segment, but new devices like the Micromax Unite 2 are giving it stiff competition. Another strong contender is the KitKat-toting Lava Iris X1, with a relatively more powerful set of cameras. Let's see how the Iris X1 fares in terms of capabilities and performance...

1. Lava Iris X1
Review in pictures

2. Elegant design that resembles an iPhone 4
• With a glass front panel and
chrome detailing, the Lava
Iris X1 exudes a premium
aesthetic that closely
resembles an iPhone 4/4s
• Android buttons are present
on the fascia and are backlit
• The smartphone is compact
enough for one-handed use,
without feeling cramped
when typing

3. Vibrant display, but not the most responsive
• The 4.5-inch IPS display has an average resolution of 854 x 480
pixels, translating into a pixel density of 217ppi
• The screen offers vibrant, accurate colours, and the 178-degree
viewing angle makes it great for watching videos
• However, responsiveness is a problem, with noticeable lags
when scrolling and typing

4. Competent cameras to keep you shutter-happy
• With an 8-megapixel shooter at the back with a dual-LED flash,
and a 2MP camera in the front, you won’t be disappointed
• The camera app offers all the regular features, like a choice of
scene modes and controls for focus, ISO, metering, exposure
and white balance

5. Pleasing results, but washed-out colours
• The primary snapper is
great for macros and
daylight shots, but colours
appear washed out
• Shots taken at night are
grainy but usable
• The front camera is good
enough for selfies too

6. Vanilla-flavoured KitKat, minus the bloatware
• The Iris X1 runs a plain
vanilla flavour of
Android 4.4.2 KitKat,
with minimal changes to
the UI
• There are hardly any
preloaded apps eating
up precious storage
space
• You get WhatsApp and
OfficeSuite 7, plus some
utilities like a torch and
FM Radio

7. Sluggish performance that mars the experience
• A 1.2GHz quad-core Broadcom BCM23550 processor powers the show,
accompanied by 1GB of RAM and VideoCore IV graphics
• The deviceis quite sluggish, with noticeable lags when multi-tasking or
typing
• Games like Riptide GP2 are unplayable… freezing and dropping frames
• Out of the 4GB inbuilt storage, just 2GB is available to use

8. Decent battery life that can last an entire day
• The phone is fuelled by a
1,800mAh battery
• With heavy usage, you’ll
need to plug in your charger
only at the end of the day
• When used sparingly, you
can stretch it to a day and a
half
• Our video loop battery
rundown test ran for 6 hours
and 45 minutes before juice
ran out, which is decent for a
budget device

9. At a glance
• 4.5-inch, 854 x 480 pixels (217
ppi)
• 1.2GHz quad-core Broadcom
BCM23550 processor
• VideoCore IV GPU
• 1GB RAM
• 4GB inbuilt storage with
microSD slot
• 8MP primary camera, 2MP front
camera
• Android 4.4.2 KitKat
• 1,800mAh battery
• Dual-SIM, 3G, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth,
GPS, USB OTG

10. -
• Sluggish performance
• Low internal storage
• Unresponsive display
Pros and cons
+
• Elegant design
• Vibrant display
• Decent pair of
shooters
• Latest Android version
• No bloatware

11. Price: Rs 7,999
Pricing and verdict
“The Iris X1 is an attractive budget handset, with the
slightly sluggish performance being the only factor
that mars the experience. However, if what you desire
is an affordable Android KitKat smartphone with a
great display and a competent set of cameras, the Iris
X1 comes across as a compelling option.”