Gionee : Elife E7 review

ET Review: Gionee Elife E7

Posted By: samantha Dsouza



Price: Rs 26,999 (16GB)
Rating: 4.5 stars

Specifications: 

• Disply        :  5.5-inch full HD IPS display,
•  Processor  : 2.2Ghz quad core Qualcomm Snapdragon 800,
•  RAM         : 2GB RAM 
• Storage       : 16GB storage 
• Camera       : Rear +Front :16MP + 8MP 
• Operating Sysytem (OS) :Android 4.2
•  Battery   : 2,500mAh
• Weight  : 150 grams
• NFC 
• FM
• USB host

Positives:

•  Fantastic display
•  great hardware
•  excellent camera
•  good battery life
•  loud and clear audio. 

Negatives: 

• Default Amigo launcher is too sluggish
•  no expandable storage
•  no TV out
•  glossy back panel. 

Gionee is less than a year old in India but has consistently delivered impressive smartphones. The E7 is their new flagship and offers exceptional features for the price.


Like the Elife E6, the E7 also has a unibody design. It has a slight curve on the back that makes the phone feel slimmer and provides an ergonomic grip. However, the glossy finish on the rear is a fingerprint magnet.


The 5.5-inch full HD display offers great viewing angles, rich colours and is a joy while watching videos, reading or browsing web pages. We received the 16GB variant of E7 which is powered by a 2.2Ghz quad core Qualcomm snapdragon 800 processor and 2GB RAM. You can also get a 32GB variant with 2.5Ghz Qualcomm snapdragon 800 processor and 3GB RAM for Rs 29,999.


As expected, we could play full HD video and various games without a hitch. The 2,500mAh battery easily lasted a day with regular usage including multimedia, camera, voice calls and constant data (WiFi/3G) connectivity. Gionee uses an interface called Amigo UI on their phones.


The E7 has Amigo 2.0 and while there are a number of useful features, it feels sluggish.We switched to the free Nova Launcher and the issue was resolved. Apart from the hardware and display, the camera is the E7's strong point.


The 16MP rear camera is exceptional — it takes detailed images with minimal noise and does full HD video recording in fantastic quality. Even the settings interface is customised with an easy-to-use interface for access to functions such as modes, exposure, white balance, ISO and timer.


The front 8MP autofocus camera is laggy and saves an image only after about a second of pressing the shutter button, often leading to blurred images. The Gionee E7 with 16GB storage is already selling for Rs 24,000 online.


At this price, it's undoubtedly fantastic value for money. Because of the gorgeous display, top-notch hardware and best-in-class camera, we highly recommend it.