Tanvi Dhulia tests the Comio P1, the new budget phone on the block. How does it fare?
Comio P1
Upon a quick glance, the Comio P1 seems to adhere to the now popular edge-to-edge screen design, which makes most phones look fairly impressive, even if a large screen is not your priority. When switching on the device though, one will come to realise that a noticeable black band borders the screen. Hence, I found myself questioning their design choice.
The Little Things Matter
The P1 has a metallic body and seems a tad boxy for the times. Its width makes it a little inconvenient to shoot with one hand (while it does have the option to shoot with the down volume button, personally, it’s not something I like to use). However, thanks to the lack of rounded edges, the phone is unlikely to slip from your grip while shooting.
I like that the camera didn’t overexpose a scene under the harsh sun. Photography / Tanvi Dhulia
What’s it Got?
It has a 13MP primary camera and an 8MP front camera. It has also got a 5000Mah battery, 3GB RAM, and 32GB internal storage.
The P1’s camera comes with a limited set of features, which is never a bad thing, in my opinion. As long as it performs the task it’s supposed to, the device is serving its purpose. The phone packs in Video, Beauty, Bokeh, HDR, Pano and Time-lapse modes. There are also a handful of filters to choose from. While trying to make portraits of friends with the bokeh on, I discovered that the screen begins to lag noticeably. The effect itself isn’t very well executed.
The autofocus is a little slow, but the shutter doesn’t lag. The phone does a decent job with detail recovery in well lit conditions. I was most content with the images I made late in the afternoons. However, in some cases, flaring was an issue. I was dissapointed with the phone’s performance in low-lit conditions. Even when the sun had not set completely, the fading twilight wasn’t enough to keep the images from becoming grainy.
With ample light, the Comio P1’s camera software does a good job with recovering details. Photography / Tanvi Dhulia
The camera renders colours well. Here, it captured the vibrant cloth accurately. Photography / Tanvi Dhulia
In Conclusion
The Comio P1 is fairly unimpressive in the camera department. And before you chalk it down to its Rs. 9999 price tag, let’s bear in mind that Xiaomi has given us phones like the Redmi 3 Prime which had a decent cameras and was very affordable.
At the moment, the Redmi Note 5’s 32GB model is available for the same rate as the Comio P1. That’s a tough match to win for the latter.
AT A GLANCE
SPECIFICATIONS
5.5-inch HD IPS Display, 13MP rear camera, 8MP front camera, 5000 mAh battery, 3GB RAM, 32GB internal memory, 64 Bit Quad Core Processor, Android 7 Nougat, Unibody metal design
WHAT WE LIKE
All-metal build
WHAT WE DISLIKE
Poor low light performance, slow AF, lacks manual mode
WHY BUY IT
Good battery performance, sturdy build
FINAL RATINGS
77%
CAMERA FEATURES
13MP primary camera and an 8MP front camera
20/25
IMAGE QUALITY
Sharp lens, poor in low light
23/30
VIDEO QUALITY
720p, average quality, no editing functions
10/15
HANDLING
Non-slip exterior, comfortably weighty, thicker profile
13/15
SPEED & RESPONSIVENESS
Slow AF, occasional lags
11/15