Gionee recently gave the Indian audience a surprise by launching the mini version of their flagship Elife E7 smartphone. In fact, in a first of sorts, both the devices were launched at the same time, at the BIC in India. The Elife E7 mini has a 13MP swivel camera, similar to OPPO’s N1. Let us go ahead and discuss the device in greater detail.
Hardware
| Model | Gionee Elife E7 mini |
| Display | 4.7 inches, 1280 x 720p |
| Processor | 1.7GHz octa-core |
| RAM | 1GB |
| Internal Storage | 16GB |
| OS | Amigo UI based on Android v4.2 |
| Cameras | 13MP swivel |
| Battery | 2100mAh |
| Price | 18,999 INR |
Display
2-3 years back, phones with screens larger than 4 inches would be considered ‘large’. However with passage of time and advancement in technology, what people conceive as ‘large’ (in smartphone terms) has changed vastly. The Elife E7 mini is a standing example of this; being a mini phone, you would expect it to have a screen of about 4.3 inches. However, the device does a pretty large 4.7 inches, with a resolution of 1280 x 720p. The irony here is that the HTC One which happens to be HTC’s flagship comes with a screen measuring the same 4.7 inches whereas the mini version does 4.3 inches.
Camera and Storage
Apart from the processor, the imaging hardware (which consists of just one 13MP unit) on the Elife E7 makes up for the highlights on the device. As mentioned previously, the 13MP shooter is of ‘swivel’ type, meaning it can act both as your front and rear camera; delivering great rear as well as above-average front-facing shots. A section of people who will be attracted to the Elife E7 mini would be selfie lovers.
The device comes with a respectable 16GB of on-board ROM, which looks way better than what other Chinese brands are offering. However, thanks to the seamless unibody design, the device will not have expandable storage.
Processor and Battery
MediaTek has come to become a household name in India. The MT6592 happens to be the latest from the MediaTek stable, and reportedly, also the worlds first true 8 core processor for mobile phones. The Gionee Elife E7 mini features the very chipset, operating at 1.7GHz. You are bound to have a super-smooth experience while using the device, especially while indulging in activities that include multimedia. This because, the MT6592 features a very powerful GPU in the form of Mali 450.
You will probably be let down on the battery section, where the phone features only a 2100mAh unit, which as expected, is non-user replaceable. However, power management of the MT6592 remains to be seen. Who knows, you might be in for a sweet surprise!
Form Factor and Competitors
Design
The device features a typical candy bar design. However, what is not typical is the swivel camera, which gives a device a rather distinct look.
Competitors
There have been no other MT6592 based launches in India apart from the Intex Aqua i17.
Conclusion
We at GadgetsToUse are definitely impressed by this offering from Gionee. The company has managed to build a decent goodwill behind its name in the country in a short span of time. We also feel that the Elife E7 mini is a great buy at under 20k INR, and every Indian who has that sort of a budget and wants to try something new, should go for it.
