Panasonic has launched its first octa-core smartphone, the Panasonic P81 in India for Rs 18,990. This smartphone will be a stiff competitor to the octa-core offering from the leading indigenous vendor – Micromax Canvas Knight A350. The later is renowned for its portfolio of capable and competitive devices that can compete with the offerings from global players. Hence, Panasonic P81 with almost similar specs and features has to struggle to outwit the Micromax phone. Let us see how they stack up against each other.
Display and Processor
The Panasonic P81 features a 5.5 inch IPS HD display boasting a screen resolution of 1280×720 pixels. On the other hand, the Canvas Knight receives a 5 inch IPS display with FHD 1920×1080 pixel resolution that makes it sharp and capable of displaying bright colors. Of course, the Micromax offering wins this segment and those who prefer on the basis of better display should opt for the Canvas Knight undoubtedly.
Again, in the processing department the Canvas Knight comes equipped with a 2 GHz octa-core MediaTek MT6592T processor. In comparison, the Panasonic P81 incorporates a MediaTek MT692 octa-core SoC clocked at 1.7 GHz speed. Both the processors are supplemented with Mali-450MP4 graphics unit to handle graphic rich games and content. But, the Canvas Knight has a bigger 2 GB of RAM while the Panasonic phone includes a standard 1 GB of RAM, hence the former should be capable of handling multi-tasking in a better way.
Camera and Internal Storage
On the photography segment, the Micromax phone includes a 16 MP primary camera alongside an 8 MP secondary camera. And, the Panasonic P81 packs a 13 MP rear snapper paired with a 2 MP front-facer for making video calls. Both these cameras are teamed up with auto focus, LED flash and FHD 1080p video recording, however the Micromax phone has an upper hand in this segment with its better camera unit.
The Canvas Knight has 32 GB of internal storage space that cannot be expanded further, whereas there is only 8 GB of default storage space on the Panasonic P81 but it can be expanded up to 32 GB via a micro SD card.
Battery and Features
The Canvas Knight includes a 2,350 mAh battery that is claimed to deliver up to 7.5 hours of talk time and 175 hours of standby time on 2G. On the other hand, the 2,500 mAh battery on the Panasonic P81 is expected to last for up to a day’s backup under normal to moderate usage.
Both the smartphones run on Android 4.2 Jelly Bean and there is no word on the chances of receiving an upgrade. Otherwise, they have connectivity features such as Wi-Fi, 3G, Bluetooth and GPS to let users stay connected.
The Micromax Canvas Knight A350 also supports several gesture features and comes with Yamaha Amplifer for loud audio. The Panasonic P81, on the other hand supports several features such as Gesture Play, Pop-i Player and Dual Play – Dual Window.
Key Specs
| Model | Panasonic P81 | Micromax Canvas Knight A350 |
| Display | 5.5 inch, HD | 5 inch, FHD |
| Processor | 1.7 GHz Octa Core | 2 GHz Octa Core |
| RAM | 1 GB | 2 GB |
| Internal Storage | 8 GB, Expandable up to 32 GB | 32 GB, Non-Expandable |
| OS | Android 4.2 Jelly Bean | Android 4.2 Jelly Bean |
| Camera | 13 MP/ 2 MP | 16 MP/ 8 MP |
| Battery | 2,500 mAh | 2,350 mAh |
| Price | Rs 19,999 | Rs 18,990 |
Price and Conclusion
Both the smartphones are priced reasonably in the same price bracket and they provide immense value for the money paid. Both appear to be pretty capable in offering excellent features and they can compete with high-end offerings from the global vendors. However, the Canvas Knight A350 is a better offering with increased pixel density resulting in a sharp display, increased RAM and enhanced camera unit.
