Amidst a literal carpet-bombing of sorts by the Chinese and Korean handset makers in the Indian market, it is always a delight to see a homegrown brand make a strong pitch for its own offering. Our reference is to the smartphone and consumer electronics firm Micromax and its latest Android device—IN 2b. A rugged and sturdy device in the sub 10k segment, IN 2b comes in three attractive colours— Black, Blue and Green and is available in two configurations—4+64GB (Rs 7,999) and 6+64GB (Rs 8,999). Our trial unit was the 4+64GB Green variant; let us check out its key features and performance.
Industry watchers recall how Micromax dominated the Indian market just a few years ago. Its phones were neatly designed, well-built and durable, boasted a fine display, competent cameras and good battery life. But competition soon caught up and as they say, the rest is history.
Back to present. Micromax says the IN 2b is a ‘no hang phone’. Truth be told, the phone comes across as a good pick in the sub-10k segment. It has an appealing design, and I am sure it can withstand accidental falls and exposure to our dusty environs. It comes with a 6.5-inch Mini drop HD+ display with 400 nits brightness. The new Micromax device has a fairly large screen with a vibrant and attractive display for the users to consume all kinds of content—movies, video, games etc. Viewing is top-notch here.
Inside, the IN 2b comes with a powerful ARM Cortex A75 architecture-based Octacore processor with Mali G52 GPU that ensures a snappy performance, with no lags or hang and 50% faster app start up. Its blazing fast unlock allows you to access the phone in just 250ms via face unlock and 350ms via fingerprint unlock ensuring a lag free, hand free experience.
Company officials claim the IN 2b is amongst the first smartphones in India to run on the powerful UNISOC T610 processor that brings a fine gaming experience to the customers. On the camera front, we are looking at a 13MP+2MP AI Dual Rear Camera, and a 5MP selfie camera. Both front and rear cameras support selectable background blur to deliver a good bokeh effect for professional portraits.
During the review period, I deployed the IN 2b to capture almost anything that moves—the fast-moving monsoon clouds, insects and flowers in the park and believe me, the photos and videos captured by the phone are pretty good, easily comparable to the output given by higher priced flagships in the market. The IN 2b also comes with FHD Video recording as well as a unique Play and Pause recording feature.
The phone has a heavy duty 5000mAh battery, that’s 100% made in India and comes with a 10W fast charger in box, so that you can be always on the move without any battery woes. Among others, the IN 2b comes with Dual VoWi-Fi, Dual VoLte and Dual Wi-Fi (2.4GHz/5GHz) and Bluetooth V5.0 support for seamless connectivity.
In summary, the IN 2b is smart, stylish and ultra-fast and a good pick in the sub 10k segment. It has the latest specs, good cameras, long battery battery and smooth overall running.
SPECIFICATIONS
Display: 6.5-inch Mini drop HD+ display with 400 nits brightness
Processor: ARM Cortex A75 Octa Core Processor
Operating system: Android 11
Memory & storage: 4/6GB RAM, 64GB ROM (Expandable upto 256GB)
Camera: 13MP+2MP AI dual rear camera, 5MP selfie camera
Battery: 5000 mAh battery (10W fast charger)
Estimated street price: Rs 7,999 (4+64GB), Rs 8,999 (6+64GB)
