Zopo started its operations in the Indian market with Android based smartphones, and last month we reviewed the Zopo Leader ZP900 -a big 5.3 inch device based on Android Ice Cream Sandwich and a powerful set of specifications for Rs 15,000. Extending its range, Zopo has now launched the ZP200+, a 3D display based Android smartphone.
ZP200+ comes with a stereoscopic 3D display and some good hardware specifications as well. While 3D is one of the popular current trends in mobile devices, the price of 3D devices keeps many buyers at bay. Till now we have seen devices like LG Optimus 3D, HTC Evo 3D and LG Optimus 3D Max come with premium pricing. Zopo ZP200+ tries to break this price barrier, so let’s find out how the device really is.
First looks and build quality
The Zopo ZP200+ in the current big screen war comes with a smaller but very comfortable 4.3 inch display that looks good and is easy to carry in any pocket as well, especially comparing it with phablets. The device adopts a compact yet useful design with four, as opposed to three, feather touch keys that we used to see in smartphones in the pre Ice Cream Sandwich era. The device comes in black colour, which makes it look sophisticated and adds to its appeal.
The front features a flush clean look and the absence of hardware keys really makes the device look appealing. The front of the device features a shiny graphite colour all around the edges while the back features the same colour in matte.
The rear surface, with its matte finish is quite useful as fingerprints are hardly visible on the body plus minute scratches also get ignored very easily. Also, the matte finish adds to the grip of the device, which is crucial for any smartphone.
The polycarbonate body is good and sturdy while the connectors, such as USB and HDMI have been covered for longevity and protection. Overall the Zopo ZP 200+ feels solid in the hand and the protective surface on the display is good enough to withstand minor drops and give it additional scratch protection too.
Design
The device is, without doubt, sleek and lightweight and that additionally makes it easier to hold for long. The top of the device features the standby/power key, which is a bit old-school now, but still very functional, and the audio connector is dead in the center, which is great for keeping the device in the pocket and walking.
The left side of the device features the volume rocker keys and the right side features connectivity ports including mini USB and mini HDMI, which are good for connectivity to big screen devices.
The USB port has been placed on the right side of the device, which is a bit odd as it renders the device useless while charging or while syncing data. As is standard practice the USB ports are placed on the lower end of the devices.
The lack of hardware keys on the front gives the device a good look but at the same time protects it from accidental key presses as well. A protective mesh protects the earpiece cavity but it would surely accumulate dust and debris in the long run.
Display and touch
The Zopo ZP200+ is Zopo’s first and probably India’s first low cost 3D smartphone and this particular functionality make this device good. Zopo has sourced the display from Sharp, which is considered to be one of the best companies when it comes to display technologies and implementation.
The display of the Zopo ZP200+ is a big 4.3 inch one that features a nice 960 x 540 pixel resolution. The Resolution is not HD but the Pixel density is quite high at 300 pixel per inch, which allows users to see visuals and text with ease, clarity and in greater depth as well. In terms of colour reproduction the display is great and quite vibrant and its brightness levels are impressive.
The display is flawless and impressive on every front. 3D videos look great and there is no lack of vibrancy and contrast both in 2D as well as in 3D modes.
The capacitive touch supported by the device is very responsive and accurate. There was no lag or false input throughout the review and we are really impressed with that. But the feather touch keys ( home, back, search and option keys)are a bit of a let down for the Zopo ZP200+. On many occasions the device fails to recognize touches and it is very annoying, especially while browsing the internet or doing something in a hurry. Also, the Proximity Sensor fails to recognise the device’s orientation at times and also doesn’t cut off the display light while holding the device against the ear while calling. The device that we received was a testing unit and we hope that the problem is just limited to this piece and that the commercial version will be better.
Performance
The Zopo ZP200+ features an MTK MT6577 1 GHz dual core Processor based on ARM Cortex A9 architecture with a dedicated display processor provided by Imagination Technologies. The processor is fast and zippy, which is visible in most applications performing well at all times. The processor is coupled with 1 GB of RAM, which is good to have and it shows when the applications load and perform quickly and without any lag. This configuration is especially good for a smartphone considering it can do a lot more on the multitasking front with more memory on board.
The phone features 4 GB of internal storage, which works great for all applications, plus it can be upped by another 64 GB with the help of external micro SDHC data cards, as claimed by the company website. We, however, suggest 32 GB additional storage for glitch-free performance.
One thing to be mentioned here is that the MTK MT6577 CPU is good for mid range smartphone applications and to an extent for some high end applications well. In Antutu benchmark (app that test phone’s speed , 3D performance and memory read/ write functionality) the Zopo ZP200+ got almost similar scores as the Zopo Leader ZP900 we reviewed earlier because of almost identical hardware and places near to Samsung Galaxy SII.
In terms of compatibility, most applications work easily and flawlessly on the smartphone, plus the dual core processor really keeps performance in tune with the demand from applications.
Connectivity
The device uses both CDMA as well as GSM networks and has dual SIM capable hardware for seamless connectivity on two cellular connections. Along with that there is WiFi and USB connectivity for faster data transfers and access. WiFi is good and speedy while on 3G the speeds are decent, and on 2G it’s better not to use the internet at all.
The HDMI connectivity is good but again is limited to the quality of media played on the device. We recommend a player like VLC for Android to get the best of the device and the use of a high quality connectivity cable.
Operating system
Featuring Android’s Ice Cream Sandwich operating system the Zopo Leader ZP200+ works well with most applications available on the Google Play application store, and with 1 GB of RAM there is ample room for memory intensive applications as well.
The operating system, Google Android, is present in its native state with the least possible inherent application running in the background so there is ample free memory for the device to perform well and we liked that a lot.
Multimedia
The device features a 0.3 Megapixel front facing camera that is good enough for video conferencing and that’s about it. At the rear there’s an 8 megapixel camera and can also record 720p resolution videos, but we would have loved 1080p recording as well. The quality of the camera is good in bright to medium light conditions while in low light the camera automatically adjusts the light with the help of a flash, and it can take good close up shots.
The Zopo ZP200+ supports most audio and video codecs that Android supports natively, plus users can easily download applications from the Android marketplace as ZP200+ is a registered Android marketplace user.
Battery life
The battery life of Zopo ZP200+ is not one of its advantages. The device is good in terms of features and performance but its battery life is on the average side. With nominal usage the smartphone lasted for one day with occasional gaming and net browsing over WiFi and cellular data. 3G data usage has its own adverse effects on the battery and reduces the battery backup considerably.
Finally
The Zopo ZP200+ is a truly performance oriented 3D display based Android smartphone that impresses with its price. The brand offers one year warranty and at Rs 14,000 the phone is a great buy. So of you are looking at a good smartphone with 3D functionality then look no further as this is how pocket friendly 3D can be.