Xolo One

It is not hard to see the segment Xolo is targeting with the Xolo One. Micromax, Spice and Karbonn got on-board the Android One bandwagon, and it looks like the One is Xolo s answer. In terms of the hardware, the Xolo One doesn t differ much from what is being offered with Android One, but the advantage lies in the fact that the device is being sold for lesser than what the Canvas A1 and others currently command.

Coming to the hardware, Xolo One comes with a 4.5-inch display with a resolution of 854 x 480, same as that of Android One handsets. Under the hood, there s a 1.3GHz quad-core MediaTek MT6582M CPU, and in terms of memory you get 1GB RAM and 8GB internal memory, along with a microSD card slot that allows you to extend memory by an additional 32GB.

One point of differentiation with Android One is the capacitive buttons at the bottom of the device. Google has been advocating on-screen buttons for a while now, but most manufacturers including Samsung are unwilling to move away from physical buttons. For what it s worth, there aren t any issues with the buttons on the Xolo One.

Other hardware on the device includes a 5MP camera at the back with LED flash, VGA shooter, 3G connectivity, Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n, Bluetooth 4.0 and a 1,700mAh battery. Another point that distinguishes the Xolo One is its faux-leather back cover, which gives the design a more premium look. The device is also available in a multitude of color variants, including red, brown, white and black. Software-wise, the handset runs Android 4.4.2 KitKat, and is scheduled to make the switch to Android 5.0.

There s a lot of contention in this segment. On the one hand, we have the Android One initiative, with the three devices currently on sale offering decent hardware. Then there s the Chinese contingent, through which you get better hardware, but a heavily tweaked user interface that s not bound to be as lightweight as what s available with local vendors.