The Indian mobile terrain has several new players to talk about. Astonishingly, most (or say almost all) of them plan to create a niche market for basic, entry-level phones. This has given rise to innumerable budget handsets that try to cling on a single or multiple features. Adding to this all-new list of phone manufacturers like Sharp, iBall and Videocon, Kobian decided to spurn out mobile phones under its loyal Mercury label. Keeping the trend of dual SIM phones in mind, the company adds this attribute to its Viva dual SIM phone which has now entered our review zone. Read on further as we ink down this exclusive analysis of the handset.
The phone comes boxed in a white packaging with a tray carrying the device while its accompaniments such as charger, earphones and user manual are packed in the compartment below. The device emerges as the usual low-end candy bar but with the touch of a distinct style. The front and rear portion alongside some part of the edges has been dipped in glossy black and matte black respectively. A red shiny rim that runs along its edges may be liked or disliked by users. The rim itself has the mini USB port embedded on the left side, a flash on the upper edge and a lanyard slot on the right edge. The backside shows off the camera lens marked in a square shaped design with a tinge of red. While the company decided to print Mercury on the front side, ‘Viva’ and Mercury logo settle on its backside.
The Kobian Mercury Viva is a basic phone without any embellished features and well-priced within the range of low-end segment so we aren’t really expecting anything out-of the box. However, let’s see if it proves to be better than other phones in this range. Well, the keypad has been designed with four separate strips posing a wavy design. Each row carries three keys and each key isn’t carved out distinctly. Above the keypad is a tiny LED display, leaving a thick glass frame on all sides. We wonder why Mercury didn’t try and utilize the space for a larger display. Probably the 2K price tag comes with a handful of compromises.
The display flashes 480 x 640 pixels of resolution. Above the keypad, a square five-way navigation button sits at its center with a silver outline. This navigation button has been flanked by Menu, Back, Call1, Call2, Call end and Flash buttons. The Call1 and Flash button have been almost squeezed through the four above mentioned buttons. Though typing on the keypad was a smooth experience, we’ve lately seen low-end devices come with a QWERTY, so we hope Mercury has compensated the bit somewhere.
Heading towards its interface, the simple, one page Menu is quite approachable. Without much ado it runs you through Messaging, Contacts, Call Log, Settings, Gallery, Multimedia, Organizer, Applications and Web. The dual SIM functionality has been clearly divided as you enter different functions, allowing SIM1 and SIM2 access options separately. The Contacts list displays ‘All’ contacts as well as contacts of SIM1 and SIM2 separately. You can easily switch between tabs to lay your fingers on the desired contact person. The Messaging icon offers SMS, MMS, Chat, Voice Mailbox and Broadcast Message. The Call Log neatly displays history of both phones – SIM1 call history and SIM2 call history, allowing to view dialed, received and missed calls, call duration and more. The home page shows both the networks and now we clearly know which one is less effective in confined spaces.
Talking about the call quality, it seemed pretty fine at times and was completely haywire otherwise as the caller on the other end complained at several instances. On the camera front, it’s quite a disappointing scenario at 1.3 megapixel which is quite mediocre. Further, it miserably fails in low light conditions due to the missing flash. If you are looking for a low-end phone with satisfactory camera functionality then simply look elsewhere. It also features a video recording ability which was again mediocre, owing to the low resolution sensor.
The music interface is again simple and the device manages to emit out a decent audio experience. The loudspeaker performed well and so did the bundled earphones. However, we didn’t find the earphones comfortable enough and the missing standard headphone jack worsens the scenario. We were glad to see the web browsing ability with support for GPRS. Well, owing to the small screen, it wasn’t an eye-pleasing experience. Web browsing was satisfactory but not swift. Needless to say, the small screen size adds to the woes.
The handset bundles up a fun-filled voice feature dubbed Magic Voice. This feature transforms your voice to that of a man, lady or kid. Besides, it also supports answer machine and blacklist functions. The handset packs in two games namely UFO and Puzzle. UFO is a space ship shooting game while Puzzle is a brain cracker. These games aren’t something which could visually appeal many but are engaging enough for casual gamers who indulge into mobile gaming while commuting or during long-waits.
We could dig into the Organizer icon to pick from usual functions like Alarm, Calculator, Unit Convertor, Stop Watch and more. The device comes with FM and Schedule FM Recording as well. The handset equips a 1700mAh Li-ion battery which promises up to 18 day standby time and up to 8 hours of talk time. However, with average usage the phone managed to squeeze through a day.
This newest addition to the low-end segment isn’t an option to ignore as it delivers a decent set of functions for a price of Rs. 1999. Though it falls short on the camera functionality and a few more aspects, the price tag and other features like music seem pretty fine. As an entry-level device for the price tag it carries, the Kobian Mercury Viva phone is decent enough to clutch if you are tight on budget. Our rating for this device is 6 on a scale of 10.
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