The XAGE M108 does not justify being called a multimedia phone. The 200-watt loudspeaker is a major disappointment. At a price tag of Rs. 3,399, it is not recommended as the Fly MV135 is a much better multimedia phone than the M108 in the sub-Rs. 3,500 category.
.jpg "XAGE M108 - 360 degree view")
[RELATED_ARTICLE]The XAGE M108 ships with a scratch proof LCD sticker and dedicated multimedia keys – a plus. The presence of a physical FM antenna is another plus, especially in areas where signal strength is low. However, the lack of 3.5mm audio jack is a big minus for the cellphone which is marketed to be a multimedia device. The front panel and back panel including the battery cover are well built. But, the USB port is enclosed with a cheap recycled plastic flap door, which seems to flex too much and could break off easily. One cannot ignore the predominant and relatively large 200W speaker on the back panel – coated in glossy red. Overall, the M108 comes with a decent build quality.
The keypad layout incorporates a flat-key design with ridged spacings separating the keys. The mediocre build quality of the navigation control pad and the keypad result in excessive flex, where the keys tilt sideways leading to slow and inaccurate typing. Overall, the keypad design and ergonomics take a major hit owing to lack of usability and comfort.
The home screen includes quick launch icons for camera, audio player, games and user profiles. It also comprises status icons for new messages and missed calls along with their numbers within the brackets. The M108 bundles with some interesting security applications like “Theft Prevention” and “Private Prevention”. The former allows users to lock their cellphones, while the latter protects personal data. Overall, the menu interface is simple and well-organised.
Read on to know the performance, our take, specifications, ratings and test results in the next page…
Performance
[RELATED_ARTICLE]Our first impression with the XAGE M108 was that it was a mini version of a boom box. Though the M108 partly lived up to its expectations with a seriously loud output, the loudspeaker lacked audio clarity even at the lowest volume during our music playback test. However, the bundled earphones have satisfactory sound reproduction. There were no sore points in the signal reception and call clarity test, except for the loudspeaker which produced distorted sounds even at minimum volume levels. The camera test produced average results. Even though the display quality was good, we were not impressed with the limited viewing angles and poor legibility under bright sunlight. Overall, the XAGE M108 is a mediocre performer.
.jpg "Camera settings - image size: 640 x 480, image quality : high, anti-flicker: 50Hz, scene mode: auto, resolution: 96dpi, bit depth: 24-bit;")
Our Take
The cellphone’s main USP as a music phone – its 200 watts loudspeaker, is a major disappointment. At a price of Rs. 3,399, however, it’s affordable, therefore one might overlook some of the shortcomings. However, we would not recommend it; as the Fly MV135 is a much better dual SIM multimedia phone than the M108 in the sub-Rs. 3,500 category.
Specifications: SIM (GSM GSM); Display: 2.2-inch; Memory: microSD expandable up to 4GB; Battery: 1000mAh, Talk-time: up to 5.5 hours, Standby-time: up to 20 days;
Ratings
Features: 6
Performance: 6
Build Quality: 6.5
Value for money: 7
Overall: 6.5
| Brand | XAGE |
| Model | M108 |
| Price (MRP, Rs) | Rs. 3,399 |
| Features | |
| Physical Specs | |
| Form Factor | Candy Bar |
| 2G Network Bands (MHz) | Dual GSM 900/1800 |
| 3G Network Bands | N/A |
| Screen Resolution | – |
| Screen Size (inches) | 2.2-inch |
| Maximum Screen colours | – |
| Touchscreen / Dual Screen (Y/N) | N |
| Battery Rating | 1000mAh |
| Dimensions (L x W x H) in mm | – |
| Weight | – |
| Expandable Memory Type | microSD |
| Hot Swappable (Y/N) | N |
| Available Colours | Black |
| Other Features | |
| Operating System | Proprietary |
| Charging via USB (Y/N) | Y |
| Hardware Keypad (Regular/QWERTY) | Regular |
| Accelerometer (For auto rotate) (Y/N) | N |
| Address Book Capacity | 500 |
| No of calls in register | – |
| Talk Time / Standby Time * | up to 5.5 hours / up to 20 days |
| No of Profiles # / Customisable (Y/N) | 7/Y |
| Offline Operability (Y/N) | Y |
| Inbuilt GPS / A-GPS support (Y / N) | N |
| Connectivity | |
| Browsing (GPRS/EDGE/3G) | Y/N/N |
| EDGE max speed | N/A |
| 3G max speed | N/A |
| Connectivity (WiFi/Bluetooth/IR/USB) | N/Y/N/Y |
| Bluetooth Version/A2DP support (Y/N) | – |
| Accessories | |
| Bundled Accessories | Charger, USB cable, handsfree headset |
| Size of memory card provided | None |
| Overall Build Quality (So 10) | 6.5 |
| Overall Ergonomics (So 10) | 5 |
| Keypad Design (So 10) | 5.5 |
| Camera Specs | |
| Camera Resolution (Mega Pixels) | 1.3MP |
| Video Capture Resolution | – |
| Dual Cameras / Auto Focus / Flash (Y/N) | N/N |
| Mirror for self portrait (Y / N) | N |
| Camera Settings (So 10) | 5 |
| Zoom (Optical/Digital) | 4x digital |
| Multimedia | |
| Music Formats supported | MP3, AMR, WAV, MIDI |
| Video formats supported | MP4, 3GP |
| FM Radio (Y/N) | Y |
| Performance | |
| Signal Reception and Voice Clarity (So 10) | |
| Zone 1 | 6.5 |
| Zone 2 | 7 |
| Zone 3 | 6.5 |
| Device Earpiece Volume | 7 |
| Device Loudspeaker clarity | 5 |
| Handsfree Clarity | 7 |
| Speaker Volume (on call) | 7.5 |
| Bluetooth Transfer Speed (kbps) | 797 |
| WiFi signal strength (Zone 2) | N/A |
| Captured Photo Quality (So 10) | |
| Captured Photo Colour | 6.5 |
| Captured Photo Crispness | 6 |
| Captured Video Quality | 6 |
| Loudspeaker Audio Quality | 4.5 |
| Bundled Earphones Quality | 6.5 |
| Display | |
| Quality of display | 7 |
| Viewing angle of display | 5 |
| Legibility in bright sunlight | 4 |
| Video Playback Quality (So 10) | 5 |
| * Manufacturer Rated | |
Contact: XAGE Communication Pvt. Ltd
Phone: 91 11 497 55 555
E-mail: N/A
Website: www.xagemobile.com
Price: Rs. 3,399
*Check the image gallery for more camera images…