Intex has tried to challenge this competition with its new Aqua S7 smartphone. This smartphone looks attractive in terms of specifications and features. It is one of the few phones in this segment that comes with Android Marshmallow. And it has scratch resistant glass and 3 GB RAM.
Redmi 3S Prime (Review) is a big challenge for other smartphones in the budget segment. Can Intex Aqua S7 phone prove to be an alternative to Redmi 3S Prime? Today we will know the pros and cons of this smartphone in the review.
Design and build
Most Indian smartphone makers have started taking great steps forward in terms of design and better materials. The Aqua S7 has a good look and build quality that is at par with the likes of Lenovo and LeEco. If you look at the front, it can easily be mistaken for an iPhone. However, we like that the edges are not sharp and the phone feels good no matter how you hold it, thanks to the curved rear and rounded glass.
Despite having an all-plastic body, the Aqua S7 does not feel like a cheap phone in any way. The 5-inch IPS display has HD resolution and comes with Dragontrail glass for scratch protection. The phone is easy to use with one hand and the display quality is also good for text and media content. The brightness level of the phone is not very good and we faced some difficulty in sunlight. But apart from that, we have no complaints with the phone.
The SIM and microSD card slots can be accessed by removing the rear cover of the phone, but the battery is non-removable. There is an LED flash and camera sensor above the fingerprint sensor on the rear. This shows that Intex has paid special attention to the beauty of the phone.
If design is not an important feature for you while buying a phone, then Intex Aqua S7 is for you. This is the most beautiful phone in this segment. The phone has a notification LED which is for alerts. On purchasing the phone, you will get a screen guard, silicone case, headset, data cable and charger along with the device in the box.
Specifications and Features
Intex has given MediaTek processor in Aqua S7. This phone has a quad-core MT6735 processor. The phone has 3 GB RAM and 16 GB storage. But we would have liked it more if the phone had a processor like Helio X10.
The performance of the phone is excellent and is better than the Spreadtrum chips found in phones of this segment. We also found the benchmark figures of the phone to be decent.
For connectivity, this phone has features like Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n, Bluetooth 4.0, USB OTG, FM radio and 4G LTE with VoLTE support. Internal storage can be expanded up to 64 GB via microSD card. This phone runs on Android 6.0 Marshmallow. Which has features like icon changes and SOS mode.
Intex has also integrated some local languages to make this phone more appealing. The phone comes with an Indic keyboard and multilingual phonebook with free apps from River Language Technologies. The Indic keyboard also lets you transliterate text. This feature is also available on Micromax’s Indus OS-based Unite 4 Pro (Review).
Turbo download feature is provided to download files larger than 20 MB simultaneously on Wi-Fi and cellular data. Apart from this, there are many pre-installed apps in the phone which cannot be uninstalled.
Performance
The phone is packed with powerful components. The Aqua S7 runs Android Marshmallow and has features like Now on Tap. Apart from the occasional lag, we did not face any other issues with the phone.
The fingerprint sensor works well and can be used for clicking pictures, navigating the home screen, answering calls, etc. Call quality is good and the mono speaker is loud enough.
The stock music player given in the phone is like the old Android smartphone and is not very good in terms of design and functionality. The same applies to the video player. But being Android, the user has options like MX Player and Google Play Music for a better experience. Full HD videos play fine in the phone and the IPS display gives good color reproduction and viewing angles. The headset that comes with the phone is of good quality. The audio quality in the phone is decent.
The Aqua S7 sports a 13-megapixel rear camera and a 5-megapixel front camera. Both cameras are capable of recording full HD videos. The camera app is similar to other budget phones. The app also has filters, picture-in-picture mode, and a panorama mode with software stabilization.
Close-up shots taken with the phone look great even when zoomed in. However, landscape shots lack detail. Photos do not look natural when HDR mode is turned on. Focus speed is not very good and you have to keep the camera steady for sharp shots. The front camera is good for taking selfies in good light. Video quality is decent.
The 3200mAh battery in the phone lasted for 11 hours and 16 minutes in our video loop test, which is good. Charging the phone takes about two hours. With normal use, the battery lasts for a day.
Our verdict
The price of Intex Aqua S7 is Rs 9,499 which is not bad. But Intex could have improved the price to strengthen its position in this price segment. So far everything is being done in the right direction by the company. And this phone is worth buying.
There are a lot of things right with the Aqua S7. These include the design, good display, fast-responsive fingerprint sensor and processor. The excellent battery life is a plus point. The poor performance of the rear camera is the only big reason not to buy this phone.
In this price segment, we would again recommend you to buy Xiaomi Redmi 3S Prime. Apart from this, LeEco Le 1S Eco is also a good option. Intex Aqua S7 is a good option for those who do not use the rear camera too much.
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