14 DAY TRIAL // Indian OEM iBall has quietly released two new affordable Android smartphones in India, the Andi4 IPS GEM and Andi4 IPS Velvet. Both handsets are now available for purchase via iBall’s online store, but they are likely to go on sale through multiple retailers across the country.
Both devices are aimed at first-time smartphone users or those who can’t afford mid-range Android handsets, which is why the low specs configuration should not surprise anyone.
The better featured of the two, iBall Andi4 IPS GEM, is equipped with a 1.3GHz dual-core processor, probably provided by MediaTek.
The smartphone packs only 256MB of RAM and 2GB of internal memory, which is very low even for an entry-level smartphone.
The only advantage is the fact that users will be able to add more storage via microSD memory card (up to 32GB). On the back, the Andi4 IPS GEM features an enhanced 5-megapixel photo snapper with LED flash and video recording, while in the front, there’s a secondary VGA camera for video calls.
The good news is that iBall Andi4 IPS GEM comes with dual-SIM capability with dual standby support, so those who purchase it will be able to fit in two SIM cards instead of one. The phone sports a 4-inch IPS LCD capacitive touchscreen display that supports 480 x 800 pixels resolution.
Connectivity-wise, the entry-level smartphone comes with 3G HSPA+ (21Mbps), Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 4.0 with EDR and GPS with A-GPS support.
According to iBall, the Andi4 IPS GEM is preloaded with special UI with multiple themes and an Auto Call recording feature. FM Radio and 3.5mm audio jack are included as well. Last but not least, the smartphone is powered by a 1300 mAh battery, which has yet to be rated by the manufacturer.
The second smartphone launched by iBall over the weekend, Andi4 IPS Velvet, offers a similar 4-inch IPS LCD capacitive touchscreen display that supports WVGA (800 x 480 pixels) resolution.
It also comes with dual-SIM support, 1.3GHz dual-core processor, 256MB of RAM, 2GB of storage, microSD card slot (up to 32GB), 5-megapixel rear-facing camera, VGA front-facing camera and 1300 mAh battery.
iBall has also confirmed that both Andi4 IPS GEM and Andi4 IPS Velvet ship with an older Android 4.2.2 Jelly Bean operating system out of the box.