Intex has tried to challenge this competition with its new Aqua S7 smartphone. This smartphone looks attractive in terms of specifications and features. It is one of the few phones in this segment that comes with Android Marshmallow. And it has scratch resistance glass and 3 GB RAM.
Redmi 3S Prime (Review) is a big challenge for other smartphones in the budget segment. Can Intex Aqua S7 phone prove to be an alternative to Redmi 3S Prime? Today let us know the shortcomings and advantages of this smartphone in the review.
Design and design
Most Indian smartphone manufacturers have started taking good steps towards design and better materials. The look and feel of the Aqua S7 is quite good and is at par with companies like Lenovo and LeEco. If you look at the front, it mistakenly resembles an iPhone. However, we liked that the edges are not sharp and it feels good no matter how you hold the phone. And the credit for this goes to the curved rear and round glass of the phone.
Despite having a completely plastic body, the Aqua S7 does not feel like a cheap phone in any way. The 5-inch IPS display is equipped with HD resolution and comes with Dragontrail glass for scratch protection. The phone is easy to use with one hand and the display quality for text and media content is good. The brightness level of the phone is not very good and we faced some problems in sunlight. But apart from this we have no complaints with the phone.
The SIM and microSD card slots can be accessed by removing the rear cover of the phone but the battery is non-removable. There is LED flash and camera sensor above the fingerprint sensor on the rear. It seems that Intex has paid a lot of attention to the beauty of the phone.
If design is not an important feature for you while buying a phone, then Intex Aqua S7 is for you. This is the most beautiful phone in this segment. A notification LED is provided in the phone which is for alerts. On purchasing the phone, you will get a screen guard, silicone case, headset, data cable and charger along with the device in the box.
Specifications and Features
Intex has given MediaTek processor in Aqua S7. This phone has a quad-core MT6735 processor. The phone has 3 GB RAM and 16 GB storage. But if the phone had a processor like Helio X10, we would have liked it better.
The performance of the phone is excellent and is better than the Spreadtrum chip found in phones of this segment. We also found the benchmark figures of the phone to be decent.
For connectivity, this phone has features like Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n, Bluetooth 4.0, USB OTG, FM radio and 4G LTE with VoLTE support. Internal storage can be expanded up to 64 GB via microSD card. This phone runs on Android 6.0 Marshmallow. Which have features like change in icon and SOS mode.
Intex has also integrated some local languages to make this phone more appealing. The phone comes with an Indic keyboard and multilingual phonebook, including a free app from River Language Technologies. Text can be transliterated with Indic keyboard. This feature is also present in Micromax’s Unite 4 Pro (Review) with Indus OS.
Turbo download feature has been provided to download files larger than 20 MB simultaneously over Wi-Fi and cellular data. Apart from this, there are many pre-installed apps in the phone which cannot be uninstalled.
performance
Powerful components are provided in the phone. Aqua S7 runs on Android Marshmallow and has features like Now on Tap. Apart from the occasional glitch, we did not face any other problems with the phone.
The fingerprint sensor works well and can be used for tasks like clicking pictures, navigating the home screen, answering calls etc. Call quality is good and the mono speaker provides quite loud sound.
The stock music player provided in the phone is like old Android smartphones and is not very good in terms of design and functionality. The same applies to video players. But being Android, the user has been given options like MX Player and Google Play Music for a better experience. Full HD videos play well in the phone and the IPS display provides good color reproduction and viewing angles. The headset that comes with the phone is of good quality. The audio quality in the phone is fine.
The Aqua S7 sports a 13-megapixel rear camera and a 5-megapixel front camera. Full HD video recording can be done from both the cameras. The camera app is the same as other budget phones. The app also has filters, picture-in-picture mode, and panorama mode with software stabilization.
Close-up shots from the Fo look great even when zoomed. However, landscape shots lack detailing. With HDR mode on, photos do not look natural. The focus speed is not very good and you will have to hold the camera steady to get a sharp shot. The front camera is good for taking selfies in good lighting. Video quality is fine.
The 3200 mAh battery provided in the phone lasted for 11 hours 16 minutes in our video loop test, which is good. It takes about two hours to charge the phone. The battery lasts for a day with normal use.
our decision
The price of Intex Aqua S7 is Rs 9,499 which cannot be called bad. But Intex could have improved the price further to strengthen its position in this price segment. Till now everything is being done in the right direction by the company. And this phone can be purchased.
The Aqua S7 gets a lot of things right. These include design, good display, quick response fingerprint sensor and processor. The excellent battery life in the phone is a plus point. The poor performance of the rear camera of the phone is the only major reason for not buying this phone.
In this price segment, we would once again recommend you to buy Xiaomi Redmi 3S Prime. Apart from this, LeEco LE1S Eco is also a good option. Intex Aqua S7 is a good option for those who do not use the rear camera much.