iBUZZ i1800 – Dual SIM phone with long battery-life Review

The iBUZZ i1800 is a very basic dual SIM cellphone packed with useful utilities like mobile tracker and answer machine. The lack of an integrated camera coupled with the omission of Bluetooth and USB connectivity, makes it not good value for money. Though the big 1800 mAh battery with long battery-life is its top selling point, the price tag of Rs. 2,299 is a little unjustified. However, if you�re looking for a dual SIM device to make long calls, the iBUZZ i1800 might be just what you�re looking for. Iif you don�t need such a large battery, and your usage is light, we recommend the Micromax X250 or Intex in2060 as alternatives at around the same price.

Look and feel

[RELATED_ARTICLE]The i1800 comes with a matte-black finish on the rear and front panels including the keypad. It is well built with harder than normal plastic and decorated with a thin glossy-red strip running around the body contours. The diamond shaped navigation control pad adds a touch of class to the front panel, while the thin red strip on the battery cover adds a nice contrast to the matte-black finish on it. The battery cover is well built and can withstand harsh treatment during usage. The keypad implements a flat-key design and is segmented into four rows of keys with slight spacing between each row. The keys lack bevelling and the lack of consistent tactile feedback further dents its usability factor. The keypad includes dedicated keys for FM radio and audio player, which is a neat plus. The i1800 includes an LED torch and the 3.5mm audio jack at the top.

Features

The iBUZZ i1800 is packed with useful utilities like mobile tracker and answering machine. The mobile tracker enables the user to track the location of his mobile through the GPRS, while the answering machine allows the user to record a pre-defined message and set it as the auto- answering message. The keypad has separate shortcut keys to enable or disable the LED torch, and switch between silent mode and meeting mode. The silent mode by default enables the vibration mode and is non-customisable. But, the meeting mode is customisable with different ringtones or vibration only mode. However, it is disappointing to note that it lacks an integrated camera and Bluetooth capability that is almost a norm with budget cellphones.

Read on to know the performance, our take, specifications, ratings and test results on the next page…

Performance

[RELATED_ARTICLE]The i1800 battery on one full charge lasted over a week in standby mode even after its testing was done, which included an hour of call-time, half an hour of music playback and another half an hour browsing the cellphone features. In the call test, it delivered average signal reception and voice clarity, as we noticed that the voice clarity consistently faltered across the test locations. The handsfree audio clarity was average up to 90% volume levels and distorted above this level. The loudspeaker audio distorted at volume levels higher than 70%. Both the handsfree headset and the device earpiece audibility was quite feeble even at the maximum volume level. Hence, it is quite difficult to understand the conversation, if the other person is speaking in a low voice tone. The music test yielded a mixed bag of results. The loudspeaker audio was distorted at 50% volume levels with mediocre sound reproduction quality. However, the bundled earphones delivered better sound reproduction sans distortion with volume levels up to 70%. The display quality is poor with limited viewing angles, which is bad even for a phone in its class. The video playback test yielded mediocre image clarity and colour accuracy. Also, the legibility under bright sunshine is unsatisfactory. So, if you are looking for a better display and video-playback quality you could consider the Intex in2060 selling around Rs. 2,499.

Our Take

The iBUZZ i1800 is a very basic dual SIM cellphone packed with useful utilities like mobile tracker and answer machine. The lack of an integrated camera coupled with the omission of Bluetooth and USB connectivity, it is not good value for money. Though, the big 1800 mAh battery with long battery-life is its top selling point, the price tag of Rs. 2,299 is a little unjustified. However, if you’re looking for a dual SIM device and to make long calls, the iBUZZ i1800 might be just what you’re looking for. However, if you don’t need such a large battery, and your usage is light, we recommend the Micromax X250 or Intex in2060 as alternatives at around the same price.

Specifications: Dual SIM (GSM GSM); Display: 2.4-inches, Screen resolution: 128×160; Memory: microSD expandable up to 2GB; Battery: 1800mAh, Talk-time: up to 10 hours, Standby-time: up to 720 hours; Dimensions: 107.1 x 45 x 16mm; Weight: 94grams;

Ratings
Features: 5
Performance: 6
Build Quality: 6
Value for money: 6
Overall: 5.5

Contact: Vertex Management Solutions Pvt. Ltd.
Phone: 91-120-4243888
E-mail: N/A
Website: www.ibuzzmobile.com
Price: Rs. 2,299

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Vinod Yalburgi