When the iPhone 4 was released, it was branded as the thinnest smartphone in the world. Well, fast forward to 2014 and that tag belongs to Walton. Walton’s Primo X3 “Blade”, its latest flagship, has all the makings of being a bestseller in the market with a 5 inch 1080p SuperAMOLED display, a 1.7 GHz octa-core chipset and 2 GB RAM, a 13 MP rear and 5 MP wide angle front cameras, and all this is fit into a super slim 5.5 mm chassis. Aside from that anorexic waistline, the phone comes with a front and back sheet of Gorilla Glass 3 and magnesium on the sides to give it an uber premium look. Compared next to the iPhone or the Sony Xperia Z2, the X3, by no means looks cheap or less premium.
Usability, ports and accessories
Now given that the phone has a 5 inch screen means that one handed usage is pretty much a no go unless you have big hands. Now there is no doubt that the X3 looks hot, but what is also an issue is that under heavy load the upper part of the phone can get excessively hot. So hot that you might be compelled to shut it down. For that though, Walton has been kind (smart) enough to provide a free back cover which certainly defeats the purpose of the device being so thin and “hot” in the first place. But aside from that one chink in the armor, there can be no complaints about the build quality of the phone. You get a micro USB port at the top along with a micro SIM slot on the right, a 3.5 mm headset jack coupled with the microphone hole at the bottom, and a lock/unlock button and volume rocker buttons which can also double as a camera button on the left. What is also appreciable is the amount of accessories Walton has put along with the X3. There is a USB on-the-go cable for peripherals and external storage and also front and back screen protectors alongside the usual ear phones, USB cable and charger..
Performance
Now when we speak about octa-cores we generally expect excellent performance. Coupled with 2 GB of RAM and a Mali-450 GPU, the X3 is a powerhouse. It registered scores of around 28, 000 in Antutu, putting it in the same category as the Samsung Galaxy S4. However, the MediaTek chipset is not exactly top-of-the-line material and the current flagships of more prominent companies have scores of around 36,000 in Antutu and that is mainly down to the Mali-450 GPU, which isn’t as powerful as the latest Adreno GPU’s. But with all that being said, the X3 played all graphically intensive games such as FIFA 14, Dead Trigger 2, and Asphalt 8 without any lags or hitches. Multitasking on this device is also a joy thanks in part to the 2GB RAM.
Battery and Storage
Given the 5.5 mm waistline, one would expect the X3 to not have great battery life but a 2,450mAh battery gives about 2 days of regular usage. However, the phone does drain battery if you play games constantly with internet turned on and that will reduce battery life down to 5-6 hours. The 16 GB of built-in storage can become an issue for those that want to keep lots of videos and music on the phone as just 10 GB is available for usage. There are no options for expandable memory via SD cards nor are any higher storage options available.
Screen and UI
The screen of the X3 is amongst the best mobile screens out there.The SuperAMOLED technology ensures the screen stays visible even under direct sunlight with vivid colour reproduction and excellent contrast with brightness going up to 330 nits. However, the screen does tend to be a bit on the yellowish side, but nothing too inaccurate to really notice. The phone uses AMIGO UI which is very similar to that of iOS with the home screen being the app drawer. The home button brings up the running apps much like in iOS and Windows Phone with large-tiled previews. The drop down notifications bar has also been customized and has a one click background app cleaner which can come in handy. Overall, it’s a pleasant and simple UI though the icons lack an elegance factor.
Camera and Sound
The 13 Megapixel back camera does a very good job outdoors. However, noise reduction and colour reproduction suffer indoors. Things become much better with the 5 Megapixel front camera which is a 95 degree wide angle camera, making group selfies that much easier. The 1080p video recording is also commendable though recording at night is not really among the camera’s strengths. As far as sound quality goes, Walton continues its trend of delivering average sound quality through earphones with loudness lacks, very similar to that of the X2.
Price and competition
The X3 can be found for just over 26,500 BDT and that is a very competitive price tag when compared with the likes of the Samsung Galaxy S4, Sony XPERIA Z and HTC One, which are all much above 30,000 BDT. Given all the accessories that come alongside the phone makes it an even more attractive buy. However, Walton faces competition from itself and Symphony as the ZX offers a similar set of features and has the upper hand in terms of performance, screen size and camera, though it costs more. The Primo X2 is another contender with the same screen size, higher internal storage but with a much weaker quad-core chipset and it also costs around 4,000 BDT less. The biggest rival for the X3 though is Walton’s V1 with basically the same hardware and screen size, though that one is of the IPS variety. But where it trumps the X3 is in expandable internal storage though it is not nearly as impressive looking as the X3.
Verdict
If you’re looking for a good looking phone that will not cost you a fortune but also deliver on performance and screen and taking selfies, the X3 is your best bet. However, the fixed 16 GB internal storage, overheating top and average sound quality can become issues for certain users and for that you’d be better suited to look elsewhere. Eventually the decision is yours but within the 30k price bracket the Primo X3 is the phone to beat.
Pros
- Premium build quality and sleek exterior
- Bright and vivid 5 inch SuperAMOLED screen
- Smooth and simple UI
- Solid gaming and multitasking performance
- Good selfie camera
- Lots of accessories included within the package
- Competitive pricing
Cons
- Only 16 GB internal memory with no expansion options
- Top overheats making the phone uncomfortable to hold
- Average audio quality which is on the quiet side through earphones
- Average indoor video and still camera performance
*This article has been taken from www.hifipublic.com