14 DAY TRIAL // As expected, Indian OEM Xolo has just unveiled its first smartphone to run the new Hive UI, the XOLO 8X-1000. The smartphone will be available for purchase in India starting next week for Rs 13,999 ($230 / €170) outright.
The XOLO 8X-1000 is not only the first smartphone to come with Hive UI on board, but it’s also the company’s first octa-core Android handset.
The device will only be available in black, but it is likely to go on sale through multiple online retailers, as Xolo did not announce any exclusivity deals over the smartphone’s sales.
Since Xolo teased the 8X-1000 last week, it’s no surprise that the handset was introduced today, but given the lack of info on the phone’s specs sheet, the following should interest all Android fans in India.
Developed by Xolo in an attempt to differentiate its products on the Indian smartphone market, the Hive UI will be available on other XOLO handsets in the coming months.
The new user interface brings new themes, a new music player with last.fm, and Fusion X artist recommendations based on what the user is listening to. There’s also a new launcher, new contacts and Gallery, and a lot more, fonearena notes.
Specs-wise, the XOLO 8X-1000 seems to be a high-end device that’s been priced as a mid-range smartphone. That should offer the handset some leverage over other phones in the same price range.
The 8X-1000 is equipped with a 1.4GHz octa-core Mediatek MT6592M processor, which is complemented by a Mali 450 graphics processing unit and 2GB of RAM.
Moreover, the smartphone sports a 5-inch IPS LCD capacitive touchscreen display that supports HD (720p) resolution and features ASAHI Dragontrail glass. The glass back is said to be protected by Corning Gorilla Glass 3, so you can rest assured that the phone is well protected against scratches.
On the back, XOLO 8X-1000 packs an 8-megapixel camera with Exmor R sensor, autofocus, LED flash, and full HD (1080p) video recording.
The smartphone comes with 16GB of storage inside, but users can further expand internal memory up to 32GB via microSD card slot.
Other highlights of the 8X-1000 include 2-megapixel front-facing camera, dual-SIM support, 3G HSPA+ and Bluetooth 4.0 connectivity, as well as FM Radio, 3.5mm audio jack, and Wi-Fi.
XOLO 8X-1000 is powered by a 1920 mAh battery that has yet to be rated by the manufacturer. It will ship with Android 4.4 KitKat operating system out of the box.
