Not long time dual core processors were thought to be awesome, but with octa core phones soon to be launched in the budget category, they are becoming obsolete. Quad core processors are already common and phones with such processors are available for as low as Rs 5,000. This has created a mindset that dual core processors are no good in this age of heavy games and multi-tasking.
But as highlighted in the review of Samsung Galaxy Tab 3, a well-optimised dual core processor can easily surpass the performance of a quad core handset. We expected no less from the Celkon A112 Signature Swift.
So does Celkon A112 Signature Swift give likewise performance? Is it a better choice than the scores of phones from much better brands? Below is a detailed review of the handset that will answer all your questions about the device.
Design
The Celkon A112 has a 5 inch display. However, the phone is almost 2-3 inches longer than most other 5 inch smartphones. It is also half an inch wider than the handsets. Its exact dimensions or weight have not been revealed by the company but it feels light.
The original back panel is shiny and quiet slippery. But Celkon is also giving a flip cover with this phone, which is not that slippery and is quite shiny. In fact, the whole body is quite slippery and attracts a lot of fingerprints. But if you use the flip cover most of these problems will be solved.
However, if you use the flip cover, operating the volume rockers – which are on the top left side – will be a bit difficult. But there will not be any such issue with the power button, which is comfortably on the right hand side. A 3.5 mm jack and Micro USB port are on the top. At a time of rectangular and box like designs, Celkon A112’s curvy back panel makes it different from others.
Display
The Celkon A112 has a 5 inch display which comes with 480 x 854 pixel resolution. Though we would have liked high definition Resolution we don’t have a problem since this specification is sort of standard among its competitors as well. As mentioned above, the device is a dust and sweat magnet but the flip cover will protect it. Also, a screen guard will protect it from scratches. The capacitive touchscreen of Celkon A112 is also quite receptive to touch and there were no issues with colour output either. The display has a decent viewing angle as well.
Memory
Like most of its competitors it too comes with 4 GB ROM and a 32 GB expandable storage slot. Celkon should have armed it with higher internal memory, at least to make it stand out in the crowd.
OS and performance
Celkon A112 Signature Swift comes with Android 4.2.2 Jelly Bean operating system. It has a 1.2 GHz Mediatek MTK6572 processor, a Mali 400 graphics processing unit, and 512 MB RAM.
The combination is not awe-inspiring but it works well in real life. The phone though takes 2-3 seconds to open games, but once it does there is no lag. I played games like Stick Cricket, Temple Run 2, Turbo, The Hunger Games: Panem Run, and Riptide GP2. Of course, since it has only 512 MB RAM, you need to close other apps to run the game smoothly. Also, of its 512 MB around 135 MB becomes available for users so you have no option but to use task managers if you want smooth operation.
On the Antutu benchmark it scored 11052, which is equal to many quad core phones, and this shows its mettle as well.
Thus we would have liked it to have 1 GB RAM, which would definitely make it much faster than even quad core phones.
Battery
The Celkon A112 Signature Swift has a 2000 mAh battery, which gives pretty decent output. It lasted a whole day on one charge. Its long battery life is evident from the fact that during one instance, we played a game for half an hour at maximum brightness and after that too, it lost only six per cent charge.
Camera
There is an 8 Megapixel rear camera in the Celkon A112 Signature Swift. There is an LED flash in the rear panel as well, which does a pretty good job at close quarters when light is low. The touch focus of the camera is quite decent, but it over emphasizes colours a bit.
The front camera is decent for both a selfie as well as for video chatting.
Connectivity
The phone comes with two SIM slots – both full sized. Like all Android phones, it has WiFi, Bluetooth, micro USB, and a 3.5 mm jack. It also has GPS for navigation.
Images by Sushil Kumar