Celkon has done something none of the other smartphone manufacturers in the country could do till now. It has launched an Android KitKat phone for just Rs 2,999 which is around the pricing of a feature phone. The device is expected to heat up the entry level smartphone arena in the country with more companies following suite in future. The Campus A35K has brought a smile to our face with its price tag and here’s a quick review of it.
Camera and Internal Storage
Seeing the fact that it is an entry level phone, we do not expect even mid range specs from it. The Campus A35K comes with a 3.2MP rear camera with a LED flash and a VGA front camera which amounts to quite a good package for an entry level device. Even if it does not produce stellar images, we won’t have any complaints from it.
The internal storage of the smartphone stands at a paltry 512MB but you need not be disappointed as there’s a microSD card slot available too for expansion of memory by another 32GB. Celkon has done well to allow for 32GB memory expansion as it is way more than the feature phones with which it competes so its quite good too.
Processor and Battery
The smartphone comes with a 1GHz single core processor that will surely get things done just fine but we’d like to tell you that it is suggested that you don’t really push it to its limits. Just go at it one application at a time and don’t expect it to run anything more than an Angry Birds smoothly.
The battery ticking inside it is a 1,200 mAh unit which may seem small but is just enough for a device which has such a modest set of specifications. It will last you a day easily but if you push it too much, it will last about 3 quarters of a day. We would loved a slightly bigger battery unit but at this price, we couldn’t really ask for more.
Display and Features
The display unit of the Celkon Campus A35K is a 3.5 inch one which has a resolution of 480 x 320 pixelation. You’d be able to notice a certain amount of pixelation but then again, you aren’t spending a fortune on it either. It still matches up to other budget handsets which are smartphones as well as feature phones.
The most interesting bit about the device is its operating system. It runs on Android 4.4 KitKat and it is pretty much the only smartphone at this price to offer the latest iteration of the operating system in the world. And this is the point which is going to attract majority of the prospective buyers.
Comparison
It won’t have many competitors at this price point but the Karbonn A50s and Lava Iris 350M puts forth a compelling case in its favour. Barring that, there are not many entry level smartphones that run on Android KitKat or cost just as much. The device will also compete against the likes of Nokia Asha 501 and Asha 230
Key Specs
| Model | Celkon Campus A35K |
| Display | 3.5 Inch , HVGA |
| Processor | 1 GHz Single Core |
| RAM | 256 MB |
| Internal Storage | 512 MB, Expandable |
| OS | Android 4.4 KitKat |
| Camera | 3.2 MP/ VGA |
| Battery | 1400 mAh |
| Price | 2,999 INR |
What we like
- Android KitKat
- Price
What we don’t like
- Processor
- RAM
- Internal storage
Conclusion
Honestly speaking, Celkon has done a great job of bringing KitKat to an entry level device that breaches the fortress of feature phones. It will serve as a good first smartphone/first phone for those looking to buy one for the first time. It has a good design too so you need not worry much about the looks either. Overall, it’s the best your money can buy for Rs 2,999.
