XOLO A700

XOLO A700
Entry level Android smartphones are a hot category and Lava has introduced its own entry in the field to cash in on the craze. With good build quality, competitive specifications and a near stock build of Android, the Xolo A700 has a lot going for it but is it the device to get ? Read on the complete review to find out.
Unboxing
The XOLO A700 ships with the essentials in the box. You’ll find a microUSB cable, charger and a pair of earphones alongside the usual manuals to get you started. Check out the unboxing video below.

The Lava XOLO A700 tries to stick out from the crowd by using a two tone finish on the phone. The front is dominated by a large 4.5″ screen which has a very usable resolution of 960×540. While it may not wow you, the display is definitely good enough to not be a hindrance in every day usage.

This is a much welcome upgrade from the WVGA panels seen in the first generation budget smartphones. Below the screen are three capacitive buttons which offer feedback on pressing. The buttons correspond to the multitasking, menu and back keys.

Over on the right, the design has been kept plain for the most part. A power / standby sticks out towards the top but is in a comfortable position to allow users to easily unlock the device even when using it single handed.

The  left side is relatively busy in comparison. A volume rocker can be found towards the top and a centrally located camera key is below it. We’re quite surprised to see the camera key in what is admittedly a very unusual and uncomfortable location. Additionally, using features like the panorama mode built into the camera app on JellyBean requires you to rotate the camera in the opposite direction which is very counterproductive.

Over at the back we have the 5MP camera while the front is a bit disappointing at 0.3MP. The matte finish looks quite good and feels great in the hand compared to the slippery glossy plastic seen on most competing phones. On the whole, theres much to like about the Lava XOLO A700 in terms of fit and finish. A fairly svelte handset, it fits well in the hand and has a reassuring feel to it. We quite liked the dual tone finish and the quality of plastics used were good enough for the category.

Screen

The highlight of the phone is of course the large real estate area that it offers. The 4.5 inch screen here isn’t bad at all. Over the past year or so, manufacturers have made massive strides in improving and making better displays cheaper.

Its not the highest resolution but at 960×540, it is definitely usable. Viewing angles on the display are above average and so is color saturation. There’s no Gorilla Glass display here so you’ll want to be extra careful and prevent any drops straight on the screen. The screen is of the capacitive variety and supports multi touch.

Connectivity

The phone is equipped with bluetooth 2.1 and WiFi b/g/n radios allowing for local internet connectivity. The dual SIM handset has a 3G+2G configuration where in only one SIM card is capable of connecting to  a 3G network while the other can connect to a 2G network. There’s a GPS radio built in to make use of mapping services and applications.

Battery Life

The XOLO A700 is equipped with a 1700 mAh battery pack which is generally sufficient to just about get you through a day of usage.

That said, as with pretty much every other phone out there, your mileage will vary depending on how you use the phone. Extensive video viewing and playing games will definitely deplete the battery quickly.

Camera

Unlike its elder brother, the A800, the XOLO A700 ships with a 5MP camera and is equipped with both an LED flash and auto focus capabilities. The camera is not going to replace your point and shoot but proves to be good enough for the occasional snapshot. Click through for full resolution shots.