Hardware
Display
Unlike most devices that we’ve seen being launched in the past few months, the A66 actually comes with a sub-5 inch display. There’s a 4.5 inch panel instead, which packs an FWVGA resolution of 854 x 480 pixels. Most devices with 4 inch screens come with a 480p resolution which is not very different from the FWVGA resolution on this one. What this means is that the pixel density will be far from retina shredding, which is something you would expect in a smartphone of this cost.
Camera and Storage
The device packs a combination of a 2MP shooter at the rear and a VGA one at the front. Do not expect miracles from the camera. Both units are expected to be of fixed-focus type, which again isn’t the best tech going around. This is a little disappointing since other domestic manufacturers are offering better imaging hardware at about the same price point. The phone features 165MB of on-board ROM which sounds more like a formality than a feature. Users will perhaps have to resort to an SD card for more storage, and maybe even will have to move apps to their SD via root. (We will be running a tutorial on this soon, so stay tuned.)
Processor and Battery
The Bolt A66 packs a single core 1 GHz processor at its heart. This again could’ve been better. There are other devices in the market offering dual core processors at about the same price point. Even beginners will soon face slowdowns and stutters, not making for the best user experience. Going for a dual core device would make better sense, in all honesty. There’s a 1500mAh battery which isn’t too bad. However, with the average moving well above 2000mAh, we would’ve liked to see an 1800mAh unit at least. Users will have a hard time getting through one day on a single charge on this device.
Form Factor and Competitors
Design
The phone looks like a neat piece of kit with a rounded back and a usual front in a candy bar form. Not sure if it will be available in other colours, but the device looks good in white.
Competitors
XOLO A500LIntex Cloud Y4Nokia Asha 503
Conclusion
The phone is clearly aimed at first-time Android users. Priced under 6k INR, the device is indeed very affordable as well. However, with awareness rising and technology getting better and better, people would want to look at options more powerful than this one. We would recommend anyone looking for a cheap smartphone to consider a dual core processor as minimum.
