Xolo X1000 - 2013

With this being the third Intel-based handset from Xolo, we have to but hope that it has got it just right this time. Xolo's last flagship model loaded with the Intel Chip, the X900, didn't fare too well in the battery department; I'm hoping that's been fixed. So here's a quick first look of the new Xolo X1000 Intel-based smartphone.

Design

Like a cross between an HTC and the Galaxy Nexus, Xolo's X1000 smartphone is quite a looker. It's lightweight at 140 g and with a depth of just 9.1 mm, it's easy to grip or slip into and out of your pocket. There's a certain feel good factor about it.

Intel Inside for speedy performance

The 4.7-inch TFT LCD has a 2.5 D Edge-to-Edge curved glass panel that is crisp and viewing angles looked real good. The 720 x 1280 pixel resolution also helps keep things clear and vibrant. The Xolo X1000 has a unibody design where the thin chromed bottom sliver (where the micro USB port is located) can be pushed out to reveal the SIM (standard size) and microSD card slots. There seemed to be a little bit of play with this panel when it was reinserted; hopefully, this will not be the case on the retail pieces.

The little silver strip beneath the 8MP camera at the rear adds a little flare to the otherwise simple panel. A small speaker grille is placed just above the clasp that enables you to slip out the bottom panel. A front facing 1.3MP camera is located just above the display on the left of the earpiece.

Removable panel to access the SIM and microSD cards

So on the whole, the X1000 is a well-crafted device that's both stylish and rather professional in looks.

Features

Keeping in mind that there seems to be some issue where Intel, the X86 Architecture and the Android OS can't seem to function optimally with each other, the X1000 will launch with ICS initially and an update will follow a while later. This is perhaps the only real aspect one would find off putting about the device. With a 2GHz Intel processor powering this handset coupled with 1GB RAM, the handset proved to be quite fluid in terms of operation.

I did get a chance to run a few benchmarks on the X1000 and the scores didn't really showcase the handset to be one of the fastest devices of today. Take a look at some of the scores that came up:

AnTuTu scores on test devices (Not Retail pieces)

Linpak scores on test devices (Not Retail pieces)

However, that being said, I'm attributing this to the fact that the devices on display were just prototypes and did have a few other glitches. We will confirm the scores once we've reviewed the device in our labs.

I watched a few HD trailers on the test devices and found them to be jitter free with colours really making a noticeable stand thanks to the great display. 

As of now, there's no mention of specific apps that would be available with the device. The demo units featured no more than a stock ICS UI with no extras.

The X1000 has an 8 megapixel camera along with a handy lot of settings, including burst mode @15 fps (up to 10 pictures). It’s also capable of recording videos in full HD, i.e. 1080p @30fps. A secondary video calling/chat camera is up front as I mentioned and at 1.3 megapixels, should be good enough to have rather clear video streaming. 

Images in low light came off quite well

Xolo has fashioned a 1900 mAH battery for the X1000 and has claimed that the handset will provide up to 5 hours of browsing time on 3G and dish out about 9.5 hours of talktime on 3G as well as 2G. The estimated standby time was said to be 13-14 days. That’s quite impressive, but again, an aspect that will need to be tested in the labs.

Here's a quick look at the X1000:

 

First impression in a nutshell

The Xolo X1000 was launched for Rs 19,990. While that’s a great price for a phone considered as one of the world’s fastest smartphones, and which comes in a pretty good form,  I believe users might just want a little more. Where Xolo itself has launched dual-core handsets like the A1000 with a 5-inch IPS display running Jelly Bean and an 8MP camera, selling the X1000 could be hard. Nonetheless, I am expecting to see a retail piece soon and eager to run the benchmark tests to compare them with other devices we’ve tested. That should give us a clear idea about which one is the fastest of the lot. What Xolo has got right is the design and pricing. Let’s also hope the battery doesn’t follow the footsteps of the X900.