Camera and Internal Storage
The rear camera is the same 5 MP camera as was present in Android One phones. If Micromax is using the same 5 MP sensor, you can expect decent performance in full light and good performance in low light conditions. An LED flash is also present on the rear metallic surface to assist in low light condition. The VGA front camera is also present for basic video calling. Internal storage is 8 GB internal storage, out of which 5.85 GB is available at user end. You can further extend internal storage by another 32 GB using MicroSD card slot. This is again good enough in this price range.
Processor and Battery
The processor ticking inside is the same 1.3 GHz quad core cortex A7 based MT6582 SoC with 1 GB RAM. This is the same chipset which we experienced in Micromax Canvas A1 and has proven to be powerful enough for day to day usage. Battery capacity is 1950 mAh, and Micromax claims 240 hours of standby time and 7 hours of talk time on 2G. This is not particularly impressive, but won’t be a deal breaker at this price point. If you are looking for bigger battery phone, you can opt for phones like Intex Aqua Power or Celkon Millennia Epic for slightly higher price.
Display and Other features
The phone comes with a 4.5 Inch IPS LCD display with FWVGA resolution, which is again same as what is present in Micromax Canvas A1 and other Android One Phones. we liked the display in Micromax Canvas A1 and expect this to be of the same quality. Phones like Huawei Honor Holly can offer you Sharper HD display for the same price.
Micromax has highlighted its HotKnot feature in Canvas Xpress. You can enable this from the settings menu and once enabled, you can easily transfer images and other content between two smartphones simply by touching their screen simultaneously or by sticking them close to one another. Software is almost stock Android 4.4 KitKat with Micromax set of preloaded apps. The metallic finish is also a rare fancy touch in this class. Other features include Smart wake (lock screen gestures), 3G, WiFi, and Bluetooth.
Key Specs
Comparison
Micromax Canvas Xpress will compete against phones like Micromax Canvas A1, Karbonn Sparkle V, Asus Zenfone 4.5 and Huawei Honor Holly in India.
What we Like
Quad Core ChipsetMetallic finish and Compact form factor
What we Don’t Like
A bigger battery would have been better
Conclusion
Micromax Canvas Xpress A99 is a metallic finish alternative for Android One smartphones, but Google won’t be handling software updates this time. If this is acceptable, you can opt for Canvas Xpress A99 and get it from flipkart for 6,999 INR. The phone comes with decent hardware and should be good enough for smooth day to day usage.
