Karbonn Sparkle V, the Android One smartphone from Karbonn camp is the first Android One-powered smartphone for the UK. The unlocked version of the device is available for £129.99, with free delivery option and the price was reduced to £99.99 as a part of Amazon’s Black Friday deals.
Android One is an ambitious project from Google and with involvement of Android Giant, the level of expectation rises beyond a certain threshold. The Karbonn Sparkle V isn’t very different from its other Android One Counterparts and perhaps the only conspicuous difference among the three is camera module.
Camera and Internal Storage
The 5-megapixel AF rear camera with 1080p full HD recording and a 2-megapixel front facer with 720p HD video calling support is pretty decent. In our initial time with the device [thanks to one of our contacts in India], we didn’t find it as cool as Xiaomi Redmi 1S rear 8 MP shooter or as drab as Moto G fixed focus unit. It managed to click decent low light images, slightly faltering on details.
The Internal storage is disappointing. With Most domestic OEMs already adopting 8 GB internal storage model along with Global branded devices like Zenfone 4.5 and Redmi 1S, the Karbonn Sparkle V is still sticking to paltry 4 GB storage out of which 2 GB is user available. There is USB OTG and 32 GB MicroSD support, but Apps can’t be transferred to MicroSD card.
Processor and Battery
Karbonn Sparkle V is powered by MT6582 quad core chipset assisted by 1 GB RAM and Mali 400 MP2 GPU. The same chipset on Spice Dream UNO (other Android One Phone) didn’t prove to be well suited for gaming purposes (due to limited storage), but for all day to day purposes, the chipset is powerful enough to easily fuel Stock Android Kitkat and smooth UI transitions.
Battery backup is 1700 mAh, which is again average. Based on our experience with other Android One device, we expect this to struggle to last one day with moderate usage.
Display and Other Features
The display is 4.5 inches in size with usable FWVGA resolution (854 x 480 pixels) amounting to 217 pixels per inches. The IPS LCD display has decent viewing angles but you will have to completely rely on a scratch guard for display protection.
The Sparkle V runs on latest Android 4.4.4 Kitkat update and will get timely updates from Google itself. This is where the core strength lies. Other features include 3G, Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n, Bluetooth 4.0 with A2DP, aGPS, 3.5mm audio jack, FM Radio, GPS, Accelerometer, gyro, proximity and magnetic field sensor.
What We Like
Latest Android Software
Quad Core Chipset
What we Don’t Like
Only 4 GB internal Storage
Conclusion
Karbonn Sparkle V, like other Android One phones, doesn’t sport a glamorous spec sheet, but relies on Google and its software to help it sail through. The Price is quite reasonable if you pitch it against most other Android devices. Only 2 GB user available storage makes it a tough recommendation, but basic users desiring to taste timely Android updates can purchase Karbonn Sparkle V.
