Xolo Black Specs

Display Size: 5.5 Inch IPS LCD Display with 1920 x 1080p HD Resolution, 401 ppiProcessor: 1.5 GHz Snapdragon 615 Octa Core Processor with Adreno 405 GPURAM: 2 GB LPDDR3Software Version: Android 5.0 Lollipop based Xolo Hive 1.5 UICamera: 13 MP rear camera paired with 2 MP depth sensorSecondary Camera: 5 MPInternal Storage:  16GBExternal Storage:  up to 32 GB MicroSD supportBattery: 3200 mAhConnectivity:  3G/4G LTE, HSPA+, Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n, Bluetooth 4.0 with A2DP, GPS, Hybrid Dual SIM

Physical Overview

Xolo black is quite slim measuring just 7.3 mm and includes Gorilla Glass 3 on both front and back. Since glass heavily attracts fingerprint grease, Xolo has included an oleophobic coating on both front and back. The side frame isn’t metal, but is made from good quality plastic. All the hardware buttons are placed on the right edge and give good feedback. The power key lights up and acts as ‘breathing notification light’ – inspired from oppo, but much appreciated. Speaker grill is present on the bottom and we are happy it is not on the rear side. The front side is primarily dominated by sharp and vivid 5.5 Inch full HD display, lined with capacitive navigation keys below it.

Xolo Black First Quick Hands on Review [Video]

User Interface

Xolo is using Android 5.0 Lollipop based Hive Atlus UI, which embraces material design. Icons and aesthetic are better than last Hive UI, though we would still like them to be a bit smaller. The lock screen lets you directly unlock to dialer, messaging app or camera. Since it is Android, you get to replace things you don’t like and keep whatever works for you. One highlighted feature of the new UI which Xolo talked about is comet browser, which can help you save data. The browser has been manufactured by Opera and looks exactly like Opera Mini.

Camera Overview

The rear camera has 13 MP sensor coupled with a basic 2 MP depth sensor. The concept isn’t new and the implementation isn’t either. You can use the extra depth sensor to refocus clicked images. Xolo is calling this UbiFocus and to use this, you will have click using separate Ubifocus App. The 13 MP sensor is an average performer. You will have to hold the smartphone absolutely steady, specially in low light condition to avoid motion blur. In natural outdoor lighting, camera performance we managed to click some decent shots. The flash or Chromaflash  on Xolo Black will prevent your images from being overexposed. An adobe photo editor is also part of the new Hive UI and can be used for quick and efficient image editing. The 5 MP selfie camera also performs well. An OptiZoom feature is also present which optimizes digital Zoom by clicking multiple images.

Competition

At the price of 12,999 INR, its primary competition will include Xiaomi Mi4i, Asus Zenfone 2 ZE550 ML and Lenovo K3 Note which is selling for a lower price. Xiaomi Mi4i, has the same chipset as Xolo Black but will be preferred by users not willing to go beyond 5 Inch display size. The Zenfone 2 ZE550ML offers comparable performance and features but is missing full HD display. The Lenovo K3 Note, which is cheaper, includes a full HD display panel and MT6752 Chip which runs cooler, will be a tough competitor to overshadow. Xolo Black will enjoy the advantage of more premium design and dual camera setup over K3 Note.

Price and Availability

Xolo Black will be exclusively available on Flipkart starting from Monday, or 13th July 2015. If you have owned a Xolo smartphone in the past, you can head to Xolo.in, enter IMEI number of your previous device or your friends Xolo device and get access to buy Xolo Black one day ahead of the scheduled time. Registration for ‘Xolo First’ will end at 8 PM tomorrow.

Common Questions

Here are some answers to common questions, that you might be searching for. Question – How much Internal Storage is free? Answer – Out of 16 GB around 9.3 GB is available at user end. Question – How much RAM is free on first boot? Answer – On first boot, 0.9 GB RAM is free out of 2 GB Question – What is meant by Hybrid dual SIM? Answer – Hybrid dual SIM slot means, you will have to choose between MicroSD card or second SIM. Since only 9 GB native storage is available at user end, you will most probably go with a MicroSD card slot. Question – Is USB OTG supported? Answer – Yes, USB OTG is supported Question – Is 4G LTE supported on both SIM cards? Answer – Yes, 4G LTE is available on both SIM cards Question – What are the headphones which will work best with Xolo Black Answer – Xolo Black is fine-tuned to work with Creative EP360, Sennheiser CX180, JBL T1000A, Skullcandy Ink’d and Panasonic RP-TCM-125E Question – Are the capacitive keys backlit Answer- Yes, the navigation keys are backlit Question – What are freebies I will get with Xolo Black Answer – Vodafone users will get 1 GB Free data per month with every purchase and can download free music for the first two months. If you wish to take a demo of Xolo Black before purchase, you can visit one of 100 Vodafone stores and hail a free Uber ride to do so. For details head on to Xolo official website.

Conclusion

Xolo Black seems to be a decent smartphone for its price. We will give our final verdict once we have spent more quality time with the device, but for now we think it’s a boost Xolo needs in the present competitive market.