SPICE STELLAR VIRTUOSO: A stellar phone decently priced

Now, let’s get to the actual performance. The Stellar Virtuoso’s dual core processor is sufficient to run the Android Ice Cream Sandwich OS loaded on the phone; the apps don’t lag or freeze and the device remained quick even while multi-tasking. One little niggling problem was with the camera. It doesn’t come with a dedicated physical button that clicks the photos; there’s only a touch button, and it is not easy to hold the camera steady and press the button at the same time. Simply doing what Apple or Samsung do, linking the volume button to the camera while the camera is on, would have been a good step here as well. Otherwise, the 8 MP camera does a wonderful job, even in low light conditions. And the fact that the LED flash can be kept on for upto a minute while filming a video is very useful.

One major downside of the phone is its battery life. Either it is because of the large screen, or due to the dual-SIM nature of the phone, or a power-hungry processor, but the 1,700mAh battery can barely keep the phone charged for 24 hours. This is a major drawback as even the notoriously battery-hungry iPhone lasts longer than this.

Overall, though, priced at R10,499, the Spice Mobile Stellar Virtuoso is a fantastic phone for its price. The deficiencies it does have can only be fixed with more costly inputs, which would drive up the cost of the phone. If you want a

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