Gionee has gone on to become on of the most popular smartphone makers in the country, despite being in the market for just a few months. Their recently released Elife E6 (Hands-On) has found quite a few competitors, a list in which the SmartNamo Saffron 1 (Quick Review) features as well. Both devices feature the 1.5 GHz MT6589T chipset and fall in the budget quad core segment, which makes us think of these phones as competitors!
Let us go ahead with this battle between the two quad core smartphones!
Weight and Dimensions
The SmartNamo 1 measures 142x71x9.8mm, and weighs 126g which is really quite surprising for a 5 inch phone with a battery of 3150mAh. On the other hand, Gionee’s Elife E6 measures 142.5×69.4×7.9 mm, and weighs 128g which is in close proximity to Saffron 1’s weight. The devices have very similar dimensions, but will feel very different in the hand because of their contradictory design languages. While the Elife E6 is built on an angluar design, the Saffron 1 comprises of curves and bends which will leave a very different feedback on the palm of your hand. Elife E6 uses polcarbonate, which will feel more solid.
Display and Processor
A trend we’ve noticed in most flagship phones from this year, be it from Sony, Samsung or OPPO is that phones tend to have 5 inch screens with a full HD resolution of 1920×1080 pixels, which gets the pixel density up to 441ppi. Although this does take a toll on the phones internals, it does return an enjoyable experience of using the device.
Both, the Elife E6 and the Saffron 1 come with exactly the same screen configuration – 5 inch full HD. There can’t be one winner, but having tested the Elife E6 in person, we can say that the display on the device is up to any other international device’s. However, the Saffron 1 is going to be SmartNamo’s first high-end device, so we can’t speculate anything before having the device in hand.
Camera and Memory
Both these devices come with more or less the same configuration, which includes a 13MP rear camera along with a 5MP front unit. Again, not much can be said about these shooters without having the devices in our hand. We liked how the 13MP camera on the E6 fared, and expect the SmartNamo Saffron 1 to have around the same level of clarity.
On the memory front, the Elife E6 does a very impressive 32GB of inbuilt ROM while the Saffron comes in 2 variants, offering 16GB and 32GB of in-built ROM memory respectively. However, the 32GB ROM variant will cost you 23,000 INR which is equal to the E6’s cost. The advantage the Smart NaMo Saffron 1 holds is that the memory is expandable up to 64 GB via microSD card support. The unibody design and build quality of E6 is quite appealing and will have an edge over Saffron 1, which will make it flexibility in storage vs. aesthetics, as far as we’re concerned.
Battery and Features
One of the most important components on a smartphone of today is the battery, and this is just about where the Gionee Elife E6 fails to deliver. The phone comes with a disappointing 2,020mAh unit which will find it tough to see dusk on a single charge, let alone the light of another day. Gionee claims that they have done software optimization at deeper levels to conserve battery but we will have to test these claims and if they make a real difference.
On the other hand, the Saffron 1 packs a rather impressive 3150mAh battery which will probably make it possible for you to extract a day and a half of judicial usage. If you tend to use the phone for long hours, the Saffron 1 will definitely be the better choice for you.
Key Specs
| Model | Gionee Elife E6 | SmartNamo Saffron 1 |
| Display | 5 inches, full HD | 5 inches, full HD |
| Processor | 1.5 GHz Quad core | 1.5 Ghz Quad core |
| RAM | 2GB | 2GB |
| Internal Storage | 32GB | 16GB/32GB |
| OS | Amigo UI based on Android | Android v4.1 |
| Cameras | 13MP/5MP | 13MP/5MP |
| Battery | 2020mAh | 3150mAh |
| Price | 22,990 INR | 18,000 / 23,000 INR |
Conclusion
If you read the words above, you will probably know what to do by now. The Gionee Elife E6 is for those who tend to favour a device based on its looks and build quality; whereas the Saffron 1 is a more all-round option. If you tend to use your smartphone for tasks such as email, calls, and other productivity based tasks, you will probably find the E6 a better option. However if you want to use your phone for long hours without worrying much about the battery draining, the Saffron 1 is for you.
