We compared the Ringing Bells Freedom 251 to Micromax's Android One smartphone, one of the cheapest Android devices in the market, to see exactly how usable it is.
As smartphones become more expensive and competent, the budget segment is witnessing its own, small revolution. For unthinkably low prices, you can now get hold of smartphones complete with most of the features that an “expensive” smartphone would come with, albeit basic. It is for this that we took two smartphones, both aimed at the first-time smartphone user. The Ringing Bells Freedom 251, to be precise, is an anomaly of sorts, seeing that it costs as much as I spend on my average daily commute. At Rs. 251, it has created ample controversy ever since its launch, and contrary to widespread expectations, it has actually started shipping to customers who had booked it.
The point is, for Rs. 251, the Freedom 251 is a marvel. It has internal memory for you to store and play a few songs, and even a camera that can shoot photos. The Micromax Android One, meanwhile, is presently priced at Rs. 4,589, and is among the least expensive devices to run on Android Marshmallow at the moment (it is even scheduled for Android N). While the Freedom 251 is for anyone who can get hold of one, the Android One is actually a considerable investment for first-time smartphone buyers.
On this note, we decided to compare the cameras of the two smartphones in question. The camera used in the Freedom 251 is admittedly unimpressive, but for its price, exactly how far behind is it? Is the Micromax Android One’s camera worth spending over Rs. 4,000 more for? Here’s what we found:
The Ringing Bells Freedom 251 smartphone comes with a 2-megapixel camera (despite the company claiming that it is 3.2 megapixels), which itself is something that we haven’t heard in a long, long time. The Micromax Android One, meanwhile, has a 5-megapixel camera. Both have a single LED flash, should you feel adventurous enough to shoot photos with either of these at night. Before we proceed further, below are the camera samples from the two devices:
As is evident, the Micromax Android One is visibly better, in terms of colour reproduction, vibrancy, sharpness, details, brightness… You name it. Smartphone cameras priced below Rs. 5,000 are not to be critically analysed, strictly speaking, but what we are trying to find out here is exactly how well-valued the Freedom 251 is.
For Rs. 251, the Freedom 251’s camera actually reminds you of mobile cameras from over five years back. The photographs appear washed out, and there is a distinct amount of noise no matter where you shoot. The grains are more evident if you happen to click indoor photos, and the low saturation levels lead to fickle colours. The Micromax Android One, meanwhile, is visibly better. Photographs taken by its camera are oversaturated, but colours are more vibrant to look at, contrasts are higher, and details and sharpness are evidently higher here.
Ringing Bells Freedom 251 camera sample: 100% crop
Micromax Android One camera sample: 100% crop
In modern day terms, you will not find the Freedom 251’s camera sufficient to take photos that are decent enough for sharing on social media. The Micromax Android One, meanwhile, can shoot reasonably decent photos, which may end up looking fairly decent after using a filter or two. Even in terms of performance, while the Freedom 251 is slower and more difficult to easily use photo editors like Snapseed, the Micromax Android One can take the load better, making usage of photo filters easier. The lesser amount of image noise also helps photographs by Micromax Android One to be edited with more room than the Ringing Bells Freedom 251.
Photos edited by Snapseed: Notice the difference between the two cameras:
Ringing Bells Freedom 251: The imbalance of colours is noticeable
Micromax Android One: The details and colour balance is way better
All of this brings us to the eventual question: In the basic, limited resources at hand, will the Freedom 251 be enough for what it is worth, or should you make the higher amount of investment and go for a more regular Android smartphone? Overlooking the difficulty of actually buying the Freedom 251, if you are interested in social media, and want a phone that is snappier, more responsive and has a noticeably better camera, the Micromax Android One (or smartphone comparable to it) should be your investment. The Freedom 251 is a bit too bleak, and the camera, for most practical purposes, is not presentable. Of course, we would not have expected anything more than this on it, but it is still not really usable.
But most of this was quite expected. The Ringing Bells Freedom 251 is essentially more dated than five years, and even with the lesser pricing, it is not really a very usable smartphone. Rather than being about Rs. 4,000 well saved, the Freedom 251 is actually Rs. 251 ineffectively spent, and even more so if smartphone camera happens to be something you are eager to explore. The Micromax Android One (and other similar phones) are actually the threshold of acceptable smartphone performance, and the Freedom 251 will not really be the best first-smartphone that you can get.
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Souvik Das
The one that switches between BMWs and Harbour Line Second Class. View Full Profile
