If all the Android smartphones are beginning to seem the same to you, Bangalore-based Creo has an idea. The company is going to push feature after feature into the phone each month, so much so that they promise their Creo Mark I will feel new each time it "ReFuels"— FuelOS being the name of its system on top of Android 5.1. It’s a fun idea, all right. But there are a few problems...
First, it isn’t as if users don’t care about the design of their phones. Creo has come up with a heavy black slab of a phone that has nothing to distinguish it. Glass back and front and some aluminium do not a design make. On top of that, it’s a broad phone, which along with its 5.5-inch display and 190 grams weight is not enjoyable to hold in the hand.
The other problem is that its MediaTek Octacore processor with 3GB of RAM and 32GB of internal storage doesn’t perform very well. It lags and stutters and heats up. It’s quite possible that these problems will get ironed out with updates and reviewers are giving it a bit of a free pass for now.
The QHD 2560 x 1440p display is just ok and the 21MP and 8MP cameras are disappointing. Indoors in low light, I kept feeling I’d left a plastic covering on the lens — but that wasn’t the case.
The Mark I has other stuff Indian users like: expandable by up to 128GB with microSD card, USB OTG support, a 3,100mAh battery and USB Type C charging port. But here’s what’s really nice about it: Users can actually suggest features they want —and if it’s feasible, Creo will add it in. There are already unique features to explore. Echo is your answering machine —one that doesn’t incur carrier costs. Sense is an intelligent search across the device. Retriever helps trace your phone if it’s lost, including getting SMSs when someone puts in a new SIM. There are other features and each of them is impressive and what you’d wish for on every phone.
It will be nice to see if this device improves overall in the coming months.
BW Reporters
Mala Bhargava has been writing on technology well before the advent of internet in Indians and before CDs made their way into computers. Mala writes on technology, social media, startups and fitness. A trained psychologist, she claims that her understanding of psychology helps her understand the human side of technology.
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