A few days ago, we shared the first impressions we had of the Swipe Elite Plus. Note that this smartphone was launched in India earlier this month. In this post, we are going to share the detailed review of this device.
The box contains the handset, a travel adapter, a USB cable for charging and data syncing, a quick start guide. There are no earphones in the box.
The rear body of this smartphone is made up of plastic with curved textures. The curved surface offers two advantages. First, it improves the grip over the device, thus making it comfortable to hold. Second, it is resistant to fingerprint smudges.
The Back and Menu capacitive touch buttons are backlit, while the Home button is not. Instead, it has a silver-painted ring which marks its presence.
The back panel of the device is removable. Under the hood, this device has two micro SIM card slots. Only one of the slot supports 4G LTE. There is also a micro SD slot, which can be used to expand the storage up to 64 GB. The battery is non-removable though.
The device has a sleek ergonomic arc design. It is very light in weight (only 131 grams) and is perfect for elder people.
Concerning specifications, the device features a 5.0-inch full HD display with a resolution of 1920x1080 pixels. It is powered by 1.5 GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon 615 octa-core processor, 2 GB RAM, 16 GB internal storage, which is expandable up to 64 GB. It runs on Android 5.0 with Swipe’s custom layer, the Freedom OS, and packs 3,050 mAh lithium-ion battery. It also features a 13 MP primary camera, along with a 8 MP front-camera.
The smartphone possesses acceleration, gravity, gyro, light, linear acceleration, proximity and rotation vector sensors. It does not have pressure, ambient temperature, heart rate, relative humidity, significant motion, step counter and step detector sensors.
The device runs on Android Lollipop, with its custom skin as a topping. It is called the Freedom OS. It offers a lot of customization options, which is good to see. To name a few, one can change the background color, the font color of the icon captions, show/hide those captions, the color and shape of the app drawer icon, the size of the icons, and the transition effect. What's more, an image can be used as the app drawer icon. This might sound odd but is different for sure. To add to all this, there is gesture support for performing some basic actions.
There are many bloatware apps installed, which according to me is a negative point given the limited storage. This also results in the device getting hanged at times. One built-in app deserves special mention here. It is named the Swipe Finder. Staying true to its name, it not only acts as a one-stop search for the complete device but also searches the internet for relevant results. One annoying thing is that it keeps showing irrelevant ads when connected to the web.
One thing we like about the interface is the stock Android experience as far as the app drawer is concerned. The apps in the drawer are arranged in alphabetical order.
Gaming on this device is a good experience. The device has a 1.5 GHz octa-core processor backed by 2 GB RAM. There were minor lags while launching and switching between apps, or while playing massive games. The device heated up when we played graphic intensive games for about 20 minutes continuously. The call quality is decent. Running 1080p videos is a joyous experience; no hiccups observed. Overall, the device is suitable as far as multi-tasking and browsing are concerned. A few software updates are required to bring the smartphone to its real potential.
The device scored 32,667 on AnTuTu, and 19,359 on Quadrant Standard benchmarks. You can find the rest of the scores here.
The device supports five finger multi-touch, i.e., the touchscreen can detect (and act on) five touches at any instance in time.
The device features a full HD IPS display with a resolution of 1920x1080 pixels. It comes with a 5-inch screen. The display is sharp and bright enough for both indoors and outdoors. Color reproduction is rich and vibrant, even in direct sunlight. The auto brightness feature takes a considerable time to adjust, which is annoying. The viewing angles are good. However, it is very prone to fingerprint smudges. The touch sensor is impressive. We tried scratching the display with a key; the Dragontrail glass saw to it that the screen was not damaged.
The smartphone features a 13 MP rear camera, along with a 8 MP front-camera.
The camera offers various shooting modes, viz. Auto, Manual, Panorama, Time-lapse and Face Beauty. There is also a QR Scanner mode which does what you expect it to do.
The camera on this device has noticeable improvements over the one found in previous Swipe devices. The primary camera is fantastic. The auto-focus is fast. Color reproduction is excellent in case of daylight snaps. However, in the case of low light pictures, the camera takes a backseat.
The front camera is good. We fell in love with the selfies we clicked.
Find below a few sample images clicked using this device's camera:
The device packs 3,050 mAh battery. Having a massive battery at this price is great. It lasts for a complete day with average use. With 3G on for the whole time, the battery lasted well. The only downside is the lengthy charge time required for a complete charge cycle; it takes around 2 hours.
1. Affordable
2. FM radio available
3. Good battery backup
4. Full HD display
5. Great selfie camera
1. Absence of fast charging
At the time when the budget segment was being ruled by a handful of Chinese giants, Swipe has delivered a game changer. The full HD screen, and excellent rear as well as front cameras at a price of just ₹6,999 ($105 approx.) make this smartphone a must buy.
GadgetGuruz Cases with Holder for Swipe Elite Plus
Swipe Elite Plus box contents
The box contains the handset, a travel adapter, a USB cable for charging and data syncing, a quick start guide. There are no earphones in the box.
Swipe Elite Plus build and design
The rear body of this smartphone is made up of plastic with curved textures. The curved surface offers two advantages. First, it improves the grip over the device, thus making it comfortable to hold. Second, it is resistant to fingerprint smudges.
The Back and Menu capacitive touch buttons are backlit, while the Home button is not. Instead, it has a silver-painted ring which marks its presence.
The back panel of the device is removable. Under the hood, this device has two micro SIM card slots. Only one of the slot supports 4G LTE. There is also a micro SD slot, which can be used to expand the storage up to 64 GB. The battery is non-removable though.
The device has a sleek ergonomic arc design. It is very light in weight (only 131 grams) and is perfect for elder people.
Swipe Elite Plus features
Concerning specifications, the device features a 5.0-inch full HD display with a resolution of 1920x1080 pixels. It is powered by 1.5 GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon 615 octa-core processor, 2 GB RAM, 16 GB internal storage, which is expandable up to 64 GB. It runs on Android 5.0 with Swipe’s custom layer, the Freedom OS, and packs 3,050 mAh lithium-ion battery. It also features a 13 MP primary camera, along with a 8 MP front-camera.
The smartphone possesses acceleration, gravity, gyro, light, linear acceleration, proximity and rotation vector sensors. It does not have pressure, ambient temperature, heart rate, relative humidity, significant motion, step counter and step detector sensors.
Swipe Elite Plus software
The device runs on Android Lollipop, with its custom skin as a topping. It is called the Freedom OS. It offers a lot of customization options, which is good to see. To name a few, one can change the background color, the font color of the icon captions, show/hide those captions, the color and shape of the app drawer icon, the size of the icons, and the transition effect. What's more, an image can be used as the app drawer icon. This might sound odd but is different for sure. To add to all this, there is gesture support for performing some basic actions.
There are many bloatware apps installed, which according to me is a negative point given the limited storage. This also results in the device getting hanged at times. One built-in app deserves special mention here. It is named the Swipe Finder. Staying true to its name, it not only acts as a one-stop search for the complete device but also searches the internet for relevant results. One annoying thing is that it keeps showing irrelevant ads when connected to the web.
One thing we like about the interface is the stock Android experience as far as the app drawer is concerned. The apps in the drawer are arranged in alphabetical order.
Swipe Elite Plus performance and benchmarks
Gaming on this device is a good experience. The device has a 1.5 GHz octa-core processor backed by 2 GB RAM. There were minor lags while launching and switching between apps, or while playing massive games. The device heated up when we played graphic intensive games for about 20 minutes continuously. The call quality is decent. Running 1080p videos is a joyous experience; no hiccups observed. Overall, the device is suitable as far as multi-tasking and browsing are concerned. A few software updates are required to bring the smartphone to its real potential.
The device scored 32,667 on AnTuTu, and 19,359 on Quadrant Standard benchmarks. You can find the rest of the scores here.
The device supports five finger multi-touch, i.e., the touchscreen can detect (and act on) five touches at any instance in time.
Swipe Elite Plus display
The device features a full HD IPS display with a resolution of 1920x1080 pixels. It comes with a 5-inch screen. The display is sharp and bright enough for both indoors and outdoors. Color reproduction is rich and vibrant, even in direct sunlight. The auto brightness feature takes a considerable time to adjust, which is annoying. The viewing angles are good. However, it is very prone to fingerprint smudges. The touch sensor is impressive. We tried scratching the display with a key; the Dragontrail glass saw to it that the screen was not damaged.
Swipe Elite Plus camera
The smartphone features a 13 MP rear camera, along with a 8 MP front-camera.
The camera offers various shooting modes, viz. Auto, Manual, Panorama, Time-lapse and Face Beauty. There is also a QR Scanner mode which does what you expect it to do.
The camera on this device has noticeable improvements over the one found in previous Swipe devices. The primary camera is fantastic. The auto-focus is fast. Color reproduction is excellent in case of daylight snaps. However, in the case of low light pictures, the camera takes a backseat.
The front camera is good. We fell in love with the selfies we clicked.
Find below a few sample images clicked using this device's camera:
Swipe Elite Plus battery life
The device packs 3,050 mAh battery. Having a massive battery at this price is great. It lasts for a complete day with average use. With 3G on for the whole time, the battery lasted well. The only downside is the lengthy charge time required for a complete charge cycle; it takes around 2 hours.
Why should you buy it?
1. Affordable
2. FM radio available
3. Good battery backup
4. Full HD display
5. Great selfie camera
Why shouldn't you buy it?
1. Absence of fast charging
Swipe Elite Plus verdict
At the time when the budget segment was being ruled by a handful of Chinese giants, Swipe has delivered a game changer. The full HD screen, and excellent rear as well as front cameras at a price of just ₹6,999 ($105 approx.) make this smartphone a must buy.
Swipe Elite Plus specifications
Operating System: Android Lollipop
Processor: 1.5 GHz octa-core
Memory: 2 GB RAM
Storage: 16 GB internal (expandable up to 64 GB)
Display: 5.0-inch full HD IPS
Resolution (pixels): 1920x1080
Resolution (pixels): 1920x1080
Primary camera: 13 megapixel
Secondary camera: 8 megapixel
Battery: 3,050 mAh
Dimensions (WidthxHeightxDepth): 69.6x139.8x8.9 mm
Weight: 131 g
Rating: 4.3 out of 5 stars
Dimensions (WidthxHeightxDepth): 69.6x139.8x8.9 mm
Weight: 131 g
Rating: 4.3 out of 5 stars
Price: Get a price on the Swipe Elite Plus
Swipe Elite Plus recommended accessories
GadgetGuruz Cases with Holder for Swipe Elite Plus
Swipe Elite Plus
Reviewed by Garg Ankit Rating:
Reviewed by Garg Ankit Rating:
About the author
Snapdragon 615 normally have over heating issues. How with this device?
ReplyDeleteAs mentioned in the review, "The device heated up when we played graphic intensive games for about 20 minutes continuously."
ReplyDelete