[First Impressions] Phicomm Energy 653

After a not so successful start with the Passion 660 (review), Chinese OEM Phicomm launched its 4G LTE budget-friendly smartphone last month in India. In terms of specifications, the Phicomm Energy 653 features an IPS display, powered by 1.1 GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon 210 quad-core processor with 1 GB RAM. It comes with 5-inch screen. The internal storage is 8 GB, and is expandable up to 64 GB. It runs on Android 5.1 with Phicomm's skin, the Expect UI, and packs 2,300 mAh lithium-ion battery.

The smartphone features an IPS display with a resolution of 1280x720 pixels. It has three capacitive buttons for Menu, Home and Back. All of these buttons are placed just below the display. Additionally, there is a 2 MP front-facing camera lens located above the display to the left of the earpiece, just opposite to the side where buttons are located. The earpiece is located in the center, on the top.

The smartphone's hardware includes 1.1 GHz Qualcomm quad-core processor, 1 GB RAM, 8 GB internal memory (expandable up to 64 GB), a 8 MP rear camera with LED flash located just below the camera lens. Below the LED flash is the secondary microphone. On the rear, the speakers are located on the bottom-left. At the top part, in the center, is the Phicomm branding. The device has a removable back.

The right side of the device features the power key, and the volume rocker key. The device supports dual SIM, which can be inserted by opening the back cover. Kindly note that only one sim supports 4G LTE. There is also a micro SD slot.

The 3.5 mm headset jack is at the top left. The micro USB port is at the top center.

The primary microphone is present at the bottom right.

All images are clicked via Gionee Elife S7 (review)

Nothing is present on the left side of the device.

The phone feels just ordinary, there is no extraordinary appeal to it. It is 8 mm thick.

The box contains the smartphone, along with a travel adaptor, a data cable, a user manual, a warranty card, and a screen guard. There are no headphones in the box. It is being sold via Amazon at ₹4,999 ($75 approx.).

Stay tuned for a detailed review as I rip off the device! Subscribe to our feed, like us on Facebook, follow us on Twitter or Google+ to get notified as soon as the review is published.