Dual SIM phones have been there in the market for quite some time and have obviously generated interest among most users as it help reduce the number of handsets one required to carry. Especially in India, where people often choose multiple operators for different offers, such as cheap call or free SMSes.
Mercury, a brand owned by Kobian Pvt Ltd, is a well known name when it comes to PC peripherals and in context to India it holds major repute also being an old trusted brand.
Very recently Mercury has forayed in to the dual SIM mobile phone market in India with the launch of two of its cellphones. We have got the Mercury Roxy one of the two devices launched by the company for review, and how does it performs in the real world condition, let’s check out.
Roxy borrows some of its looks from the Nokia 6300 with the same dual tone colour finish with silver outlining. The looks of this phone no doubt make it stand out and if not getting a closer look anybody would be quite convinced that users has a 6300.
The feel and the built quality is top notch and quite surprisingly it is sturdy enough to handle bigger falls and bruises too. The plastic shell might get some scars on bad falls but it won’t affect the internals.
The display is a basic 2 inch colour LCD with a hard protective outer layer that protects it. The LCD is good in terms for colour reproduction but as expected has a low resolution.
The keypad and the directional keys are placed with ample pitch and are comfortable for longer use due to a softer response. The call answer keys can be used to answer calls from either of the SIMs.
Right above the keypad the Roxy features a LED strip with green and red LED’s that glow up and blink when receiving a call or when the phone is switched on. Although it’s a great feature to have but could have been done in a subtle way.
Skype comes as an inbuilt or preinstalled application and gives you the option to upgrade or update via GPRS also. The inclusion of Skype is a great thing for a phone with this price point. Also along with that MSN messenger also comes preinstalled plus user also can install additional applications too.
Multimedia wise, this phone has the same standard set of features as most dual SIM phones: a multi format audio and video player along with FM. Users can make use of the loudspeaker to listen to FM and MP3 or can also connect via the bundled hand-free kit.
Sadly it does not have a 3.5 MM jack and not even a standard USB port. It uses a slightly bigger Proprietary jack for connectivity and audio playback which is utterly useless in the world where all smartphones and feature phones are vying for standardisation of ports. But the good news is that Nokia thin PIN chargers are supported and there is an additional charger port placed at the bottom for it.
Coming to the performance, the Roxy gives good call connectivity between different cellular strength areas and even with 1-2 bars worth of network the call quality is good. In terms of earpiece loudness and clarity, the Roxy again fairs well but the microphone does some lousy job in noisy conditions capturing almost all the noise available around it. Bluetooth connectivity is standard with A2DP so you can connect any hand free and stereo hands-free as well.
In terms of battery backup, the Roxy does really well. The supplied 1200 mAh battery is capable of powering it for more than 3-4 days for general usage that includes multimedia, calling and occasional gaming too.
It can support up to 4GB of memory cards without hanging or freezing up, but yes operations like play list generation and loading times increase with the added GB’s.
On the side, Mercury has given a physical slider button that power the five LED torch, one of the best features seen till date. Users need not get in the menu and scroll through it to switch the torch on. The torch works even after the phone has died due to low battery.
Finally, with an MRP of Rs 2,299, the Roxy offers a sturdy and a good looking phone that has just one flaw and that is the inclusion of a proprietor port.
But this phone will be available in market for much lesser and for the price it offers a good deal of features which can make you overlook the proprietary port.
