Here are two new entrants on the quad-core smartphone market in India. While one boasts premium looks and build, the other offers raw grunt and impressive specifications. Which one would you go for, given a budget of about 15,000 Rupees? If this is a question that leaves you baffled, read on to know what we think.
Here’s our take on the Celkon S1 vs. Lava Iris Pro 30 war.
Hardware
| Model | Celkon S1 | Lava Iris Pro 30 |
| Display | 5 inches, 1920 x 1080p | 4.7 inches, 1280 x 720p |
| Processor | 1.5GHz quad-core | 1.2GHz quad-core |
| RAM | 1GB | 1GB |
| Internal Storage | 16GB | 4GB |
| OS | Android v4.2 | Android v4.2 |
| Cameras | 13MP/8MP | 8MP/3MP |
| Battery | 2300mAh | 2000mAh |
| Price | 14,999 INR | 15,999 INR |
Display
Its pretty much a no-show here. The Celkon S1 with its 5-inch full HD display ousts the 4.7-inch 1280 x 720p panel of the Lava Iris Pro 30 without much hassle. With a slightly larger size and much better pixel density, the Celkon S1 is the one to look out for.
Multimedia buffs will especially like the S1’s display more. The only reason to go for the Pro 30 (display wise) will have to be the fact that full HD can sometimes take a toll on the processor/GPU combo.
Camera and Storage
Again, it is the S1 which looks better on paper. The device packs an imaging department of a 13MP rear and an 8MP front, which looks like a giant in front of the 8MP/3MP combo of the Pro 30. However, the main shooter on the Pro 30 promises above average picture quality thanks to it packing tech like BSI and blue glass filter.
Lava have been extremely shabby on the storage department. Offering 4GB of on-board ROM on a device that costs close to 16,000 Rupees is nothing less than a joke. Celkon S1 looks way better with 16GB of on-board ROM, which is the way to go.
Processor and Battery
The Celkon S1 packs the updated version of the MT6589, i.e., the MT6589T which works at 1.5GHz throughout the 4 cores. On the other hand, the Lava Iris Pro 30 still lags behind with the older 1.2GHz variant of the MT6589. However, the difference will not be as significant as it seems in real world performance since it the S1 has a full HD display as opposed to the 720p panel on the Pro 30.
The Celkon S1 packs a 2300mAh battery which should give you around 3-4 hours of screen on time. Same is the case with the Pro 30, it packs a 2000mAh unit but it only has to deal with a 4.7-inch 720p display. All in all, the battery life on either device will be neck and neck.
Conclusion
Its quite clear that we aren’t really impressed with the Lava Iris Pro 30, thanks to the very optimistic (for Lava) price tag it comes with. On the other hand, the Celkon S1 looks like a device that can rival major domestic brands like Micromax and XOLO with the S1 offering. Here’s answering the question we asked earlier – given a budget of around 15,000 INR, you should go with the Celkon S1.
