After the Micromax IN 1b, Micromax has launched its upper variant, Micromax IN 1 in the mid-range smartphone market, and now the company has a total of three IN series smartphones – IN 1b being entry-level, IN Note 1 being top-of-the-line in its segment, and IN 1 which sits right between the two mentioned. The Micromax IN 1 features a 48 MP camera, a 5,000 mAh battery, and runs on stock Android. Want to know more? Here’s our Miromax IN 1 review.
Micromax IN 1 Specifications
- Display: 6.67-inch IPS display, Full HD+ resolution (2,400 x 1,080 pixels), 60 Hz refresh rate, 20:9 aspect ratio, 395ppi, 440 nits, brightness, 1000:1 contrast ratio, punch-hole design
- Software: Android 10 (Vanilla)
- CPU: 12 nm MediaTek Helio G80 octa-core SoC up to 2.0 GHz
- GPU: Mali-G52 MC2 (950 MHz)
- Memory: 4 GB OR 6 GB RAM LPDDR4X
- Storage: 64 GB OR 128 GB storage on-board, eMMC 5.1 type, external microSD card support (dedicated)
- Main Camera: AI Triple Cameras (48 MP f/1.79 primary + 2 MP f/2.4 macro + 2 MP f/2.4 depth), LED flash
- Selfie Camera: 8 MP f/2.0
- Connectivity: USB Type-C, 3.5 mm port, IR Blaster, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, GPS
- Security: Fingerprint scanner (back), Face unlock
- Others: Side Key (Google Assistant)
- Cellular: Dual 4G network, nano SIMs, microSD card slot (dedicated)
- Battery: 5,000 mAh, Li-Po, non-removable
- Charging: 18W Fast Charging, 100% in 75 minutes, 59% in 30 minutes
- Colors: Blue, Purple
- Price: ₹10,499 (₹9,999 in first sale) – 4 GB RAM & 64 GB Storage, ₹11,999 (₹11,499 in first sale) – 6 GB RAM & 128 GB Storage
- Availability: 26th March on Flipkart
Design, Display, & Build
About the design, the Micromax IN 1 features a polycarbonate body with a textured back and a matte design. The backside, as you can see, has an X-like texture that reflects when light falls on it alongside a fingerprint scanner, a triple camera setup that looks like a quad, and IN logo at the bottom. The overall build is good and comfortable to hold in the hands.
The Micromax IN 1 flaunts a 6.67-inch IPS display with a resolution of Full HD+ (2,400 x 1,080 pixels) and 60 Hz refresh rate. The display is protected by scratch-resistant glass and uses a punch-hole camera design on the top center equipping an 8 MP selfie camera.
You get an 18W fast charger, a USB Type-C cable, a screen guard, and a TPU case on the accessories side. On the sides of the phone, the bottom side has a 3.5 mm audio port, USB Type-C port, loudspeakers, and a microphone whereas the top side has one more microphone.
The right side has a power button and volume keys while the left side has a side key for Google Assistant and a triple-slot SIM tray that supports two 4G SIM cards dual standby and a dedicated microSD card slot.
Software & User Interface
On the software side, the Micromax IN 1 surprises us with its Vanilla Android interface, it features an Android 10 out-of-the-box with stock UI, no heavy skins or themes on the top as well as no bloatware to be found, just pure clean interface, the one you see on the Google Pixels. The security patch level here is dated 5th March 2021.
As you can see, the user interface is clean and neat, no pre-installed apps on the phone, although it seems completely stock, some minor modifications are made to the Settings page, you will see DuraSpeed mode that helps boost the foreground apps by restricting background apps, Intelligent assistance for quick shortcuts and gestures, and a User Guide page while the rest appears to be everything from stock Android.
It would be great if Micromax had offered Android 11 out-of-the-box, smartphone manufacturers have started shifting to the newer Android in this price segment. However, the good part is that the stock interface doesn’t hinder the user experience due to the ad-free and bloatware-free interface. It can be a good advantage against the Chinese counterparts that come with bloatware in it.
There’s nothing much to say about the interface, everything you see will be from Google’s Vanilla Android, no additional features or customizations by Micromax are found on the phone aside from the two mentioned modes DuraSpeed and Intelligent assistance in the phone Settings.
Hardware, Performance, & Gaming
Unlike the IN Note 1 which carries a Helio G85 chip, the Micromax IN 1 equips a 12nm 2.0 GHz MediaTek Helio G80 octa-core SoC instead. Both the chips are very identical and thus gives a similar performance overall, you can expect the performance of the Helio G80 CPU to be as good as Snapdragon 710 or the Snapdragon 665 or even slightly better in a single-core performance as per the benchmarks indicate.
The phone comes in two variants, one with 4 GB LPDDR4X RAM with 64 GB eMMC 5.1 storage and another with 6 GB LPDDR4X RAM with 128 GB eMMC 5.1 storage. The price for the two variants is ₹10,499 and ₹11,999 respectively. The GPU here is Mali-G52 MC2 clocked at 950 MHz for graphics applications and gaming.
In our CPU & GPU benchmark tests, the Geekbench 5 benchmark scored at 351 points in a single CPU and 1,287 points in multiple CPUs. The GPU benchmark on the other hand scored 1,093 points in the Geekbench 5 Compute. Androbench scored up to 309.04 MB/s read speed and 180.72 MB/s write speed in sequential as you can see in the screenshot.
For gaming, you can play games on low to medium graphics settings without any issues, however, if you plan to go higher, consider a better GPU phone, the Mali G52 MC2 is good for casual games with light to moderate graphics settings.
Cameras
For the cameras, the Micromax IN 1 offers a triple camera setup on its back with 48 MP f/1.79 main sensor and two 2 MP f/2.4 sensors, one for macro shots and one for depth measuring. No wide-angle camera is available on the phone which the rivals are offering, the combined setup is 48 MP + 2 MP + 2 MP. The camera on the front is 8 MP f/2.0 for selfie needs and video calling.
The camera interface has a number of modes – Aperture mode, Portrait, Pro Mode, Night Mode, HDR, Macro, Beauty, Time Lapse, GIF, Slow Motion, Panorama, Filters, and Intelligent Scanning. The aperture mode adds a bokeh effect in the background that can be configured manually while taking the shot.
The 48 MP camera takes surprisingly good photos given the price so as the macro camera, but it has no autofocus. No wide-angle camera is found on the phone, do not expect wide-angle shots from its camera. Plus, you can’t shoot 4K videos, the video capabilities are limited to 1080p at 30fps and slow-motion 720p at 120fps, however, you do get the EIS option for video stabilization. The front camera is okay, works fairly well in excellent lighting, nothing much to say.
Take a look at some image samples we took from the Micromax IN 1 camera.
Micromax IN 1 Camera Samples
Battery Life & Charging
When it comes to the battery life, the Micromax IN 1 offers a 5,000 mAh battery, the same capacity we saw on its younger sibling Micromax IN 1b. However, talking about its battery life, the IN 1 could easily survive more than a day, expect the battery life of 1.5 to 2 days depending on the usage.
For the charging, the Micromax IN 1 comes with an 18W fast charger in the box rated as much as 12V, 1.5A which is great, the charger seems powerful since it has a higher voltage, it also works on 9V and 2A rate as mentioned on the charger. However, the charging time it takes is anywhere around 2 hours or less which appears to be fair if not the best.
Verdict
The Micromax IN 1 has a lot to offer – the 48 MP camera, neat and clean stock Android, a large 6.67-inch Full HD+, and 5,000 mAh battery to name a few. The most notable thing is its ad-free Android interface which competes with the Chinese counterparts that come with bloatware and unnecessary apps. In addition to that, users have the advantage of choosing an Indian brand over the Chinese rivals. If you are looking for a non-Chinese smartphone in the sub-₹10K budget, the Micromax IN 1 could be a reliable contender in this segment.
Strength
- Stock Android, No Bloatware
- Very Good 48 MP Camera
- Reliable 5,000 mAh Battery
- Plenty of RAM & Storage (6 GB + 128 GB)
- Dedicated microSD Card Slot
- Google Assistant Side Key For Quick Assistance
- Value For Money
Weakness
- No Wide-Angle Camera
