Smartphone Review: Micromax Canvas 6

Micromax, the domestic smartphone manufacturer, just about a couple of weeks ago, launched two new phones, the Micromax Canvas 6 and Canvas 6 Pro for the Indian market. Despite having a similar moniker, the two phones differ in several ways – in this Micromax Canvas 6 Review, also let’s take a look at the contrast between it and the Pro version.

Both  devices were officially launched with a price tag of Rs. 13,999 but, targeting different audiences. Currently, we are reviewing the Micromax Canvas 6. So, let’s quickly dive in to the review and find out if the device is worth your money or not?

  Design: 7/10

With the Micromax Canvas 6, the home-grown company seems to have upped the ante in terms of design, thanks to its Chinese counterparts. The Canvas 6 now has a full-metal unibody design with neatly chamfered edges. Unlike most of the smartphones out there, the device has a more rectangularish design. It’s worth mentioning that it’s the first Canvas device to feature a full-metal body. However, minus the all-metal body, the design is pretty uninspiring.

The device sits well in the hand but, the all-metal body lends a fair amount of weight to the device, which in turn, makes it uncomfortable to hold it for longer durations. One-handed usage of this 5.5-inch phone will still be cumbersome unless you have large hands.

Except for the fact that the camera setup is slightly moved towards the centre, the back of the Canvas 6 pretty much replicates the Nexus 6P’s design (there’s no bump, though).

A Micro-USB port and a speaker grille are located at the bottom of the device while a 3.5mm audio port rests at the top. The power button and volume rocker are located ergonomically at the right which can be considered as standard these days. Both the buttons offer decent tactile feedback. On the left is a hybrid SIM card tray, which accepts either two Nano-SIM cards or a Nano-SIM and a micro SD card. We are not big fans of this arrangement, though.

Overall, the Canvas 6’s design is nothing groundbreaking but it’s not inapposite either. The all-metal body adds a touch of value and makes the device feel durable.

  Display: 8/10

The Micromax Canvas 6 has a huge 5.5-inch IPS display with a full-HD resolution (1080*1920). The display is bright, sharp, and crisp. What this essentially means is that the text will appear sharp and crisp. Watching videos will be engaging as the massive screen reproduces vibrant colours. Also, the sunlight legibility is fairly good: we had no issues reading the text under bright sunlight even at medium brightness levels. Having said that, the Canvas 6 lacks a Gorilla Glass coating. Furthermore, there’s is no oleophobic coating as well which makes the device a fingerprint magnet.

  Hardware: 7/10

Under the hood, is a 1.3GHz octa-core MediaTek MT6753T chipset. It is coupled with 3GB of RAM and 32 GB of internal storage space. You can always expand the storage space up to 128GB, however, you will have to compromise with a SIM slot. It also has a fingerprint scanner at the back to quickly unlock your device. On the connectivity front, the device comes with standard options such as Wi-Fi b/g/n, Bluetooth 4.0, 4G (on both the SIM slots), 3G, GPS, and FM radio.

Software: 6/10

On the software front, the Canvas 6 boots Android 5.1 Lollipop with a custom skin which gives it a stock-Android like look. The icons look a bit different, though (in comparison to the stock-Android).

The device comes with a lot of bloatware. The good news is, most of the apps can be deleted except for few of the company’s own apps. On swiping right from the home screen you will land into Micromax’s Around service screen. These services, while help in booking a cab or ordering food online – feel redundant since so many apps already exist which serve the same purpose.

Camera: 6/10

For the photography enthusiasts, the device packs a 13-megapixel camera at the back along with an LED flash. An 8-megapixel camera rests at the front for the selfie-aficionados. On paper it may sound pretty strong but the real-life performance is mediocre. The focusing speed is fairly decent but there’s an evident shutter lag. The amount of details captured is average at its best. HDR mode yields better results but it’s not something you can boast of. Images shot indoors often turned out to be smudgy. The front camera yields decent selfies which are good enough to be shared on social networking sites. You can record videos at 1080p but again, the quality is mediocre.

Performance: 7/10

As long as you want to just browse the web, use few social networking sites, and check notifications the Canvas 6 pretty much serves it purpose. The fingerprint scanner worked fine most of the times but, it did fail to recognise our registered finger at times. Games like Temple Run and Subway Surfers run without any niggles. But while playing the graphic-intensive games like Asphalt 8: Airborne, the device starts to stutter. Moreover, it gets heated quickly while playing graphic-intensive games. Audio playback is average at its best. Despite packing a 3000 mAh battery, the device lasts around eight hours on moderate usage. You can expect it to last for a day on normal usage.

Verdict: 6/10

It all boils down to one question. Is the Micromax Canvas 6 worth buying? Well, allow us to explain.

If you are one of those who uses their phone just to answer calls, check notifications, browse the web and use social networking sites every now and then, you can make do with the Canvas 6. However, at the same price point, devices like Motorola Moto G4, Zuk Z1, Redmi Note 3, and Le 1s are good alternatives.