Centric G1 Review: Interesting Entry To The Budget Segment

Centric G1

The budget segment is the most active in the Indian smartphone market and it is like that for good reason. There are a lot of top class brands that have brilliant devices in this segment and this segment is where every Indian goes first to get her/his first mobile phone. Despite the tight prices, this segment has well spec-ed devices that are very good. Today I review the Centric G1, which is a new entrant in this competitive segment

Centric G1

Let us first get the specifications of the Centric G listed out

General Specifications
  • Operating System: Android 6.0 Marshmallow
  • Dimensions: 156 x 76 x 8.95 mm
  • Weight: 165g
  • Fingerprint Scanner: No
  • SIM Cards: Dual SIM (Micro + Micro)
  • Connectivity: 4G VoLTE, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 4.0, GPS, Micro USB 2.0, 3.5mm audio jack
Display
  • Size: 5.5 inches
  • Resolution: 1280 x 720
  • Features: IPS LCD with OGS & Dragontrail Glass
  • Pixel Density: 267 PPI
Hardware
  • Processor: MediaTek MT6735
  • Graphics: Mali-T720 MP2
  • RAM: 3GB
  • Storage: 16GB (Expandable)
Camera:
  • Rear: 8MP (Autofocus, LED Flash, 5P Lens)
  • Front: 5MP
Battery:
  • Capacity: 2900mAh (Removable)
  • Fast Charging: No

Centric G1 Rear

Like you can see from the pictures, the device has been designed very well. The frame is relatively thin and has well thought out edges that are not sharp to grip. The rear has a sandstone black finish and that gives it a great grip. The look and feel is thoroughly classy. The materials and crafting show that the device is intended to feel premium and practical. The phone ticks off all the right boxes in this department.

Weighing in at 165g, the Centric G1 is lightweight and compact in size, making it easy to hold and operate using one hand. Dimensions-wise, the device is on par with major sub-Rs 10K smartphones, measuring 8.95 mm in thickness. The Centric G1 is well-designed with rounded corners and has thick bezels around the display that are prominently visible, which is common in sub-Rs 10K phones.

The back cover is removable and has a removable battery housed inside it. The cover is easy to pry off and the battery slides out to reveal two SIM slots and a MicroSD slot. The phone supports LTE out of the box and this means that your Jio SIMs can go into this one without any issues. The device also supports upto 256 GB MicroSD storage expansion.

Centric G1 Front View

The Centric G1  comes with a 5.5-inch 720p IPS LCD Dragontrail OGS display with a pixel density of 267 pixels per inch (PPI). The front screen has OGS (One Glass Solution)  and this eliminates air gaps between the screen and the protective layer, resulting in good screen visibility and minimizing light refraction. The display quality is decent and on par with phones in this price segment. What’s more, the viewing angles are pretty good as well.

The phone comes with 3 GB RAM and 16 GB internal storage. The MediaTek Quad Core processor coupled with the 3GB RAM serves well for most above average use. I tried a lot of memory intensive apps and games. The device was able to pull through without many issues. High graphic games were a tad bit stuttering in very high settings and when at decently moderate graphic intensity, they ran well. I am not complaining given the price. There wasn’t any heating that was noticeable with the device even of prolonged video play or camera use.

The rear camera is an 8 MP sensor with an LED flash and the front camera is a 5 MP one for selfies and video chats. The camera on the rear churned out decent images in well-lit conditions and in outdoors. Low light photos were a touch on the noisier side, but then there are many other devices that have this issue.

The OS on the phone is Android  6.0 Marshmallow. It runs very nearly stock user interface out of the box, which is neat and light for a user. The device contains close to zero bloatware. There are only a few Centric utilities running apart from the Stock OS.

Voice quality over calls on VoLTE and otherwise was very good. I did not see any call drops or observe any noise distortions when using the phone for making and receiving calls. The music output was decent and with headphones, the quality of music was very good.

Coming to what the phone does not have, the first thing missing is a fingerprint scanner. Most other devices in this price bracket have really brilliant fingerprint scanners. That is one thing that I found missing here.

Verdict:

Given the price of Rs 9000/-  and the good design combined with decent specs and smooth performance, Centric G1 is a very good budget option if you are shopping in the sub-10k segment

About Shakthi

I am a Tech Blogger, Disability Activist, Keynote Speaker, Startup Mentor and Digital Branding Consultant. Also a McKinsey Executive Panel Member. Also known as @v_shakthi on twitter. Been around Tech for two decades now.

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