Existing Options - The Budget Dual Cam Smartphone Battle
Dual camera phones -not only
are they becoming more common but they're also becoming a lot more affordable.
Price revisions and new contenders under the `15,000 mark mean that everyone
can enjoy the shallow focus and bokeh effects that dual cameras are known
Lenovo K8 Note (Rs 12,999 onwards)
The K8 Note is the first
device from Lenovo to come with a dual camera system and that too on a budget.
The phone has a 13MP + 5MP dual camera setup which enables a user to go as low
as f1.2 aperture via the camera interface for bokeh effect. On the front is a
13MP selfie camera with a soft LED flash for low light. For the price, you get
a 5.5-inch full HD display, deca-core processor, 34GB RAM, 3264GB storage, a
4,000mAh battery and it runs stock Android 7.1.
Lenovo K8 plus (Rs 10,999)
Lenovo K8 Plus is a compact
version of the Lenovo K8 Note.It comes with a similar dual camera setup -13MP +
5MP and has a dual-tone LED flash.Like the K8 Note, the K8 Plus has the same
camera interface with real-time bokeh effect with f1.2 aperture via software.
However, the front has an 8MP camera with a LED flash for selfies. It has a
5.2inch full HD display, octa-core Helio P25 processor, 3GB RAM, 32GB storage,
4,000mAh battery and stock Android 7.1.
Coolpad Cool 1 (Rs 8,999 onwards)
While Coolpad has recently
launched the Cool Play 6 with a dual camera, the Cool 1 launched earlier this
year also has a great dual camera setup. It has a dual 13MP setup -a primary
color lens and a secondary monochrome lens which enables the phone to capture
images with excellent details.The interface also offers the option to change
the aperture value after capture as per preference. There is a 5.5-inch full HD
display, Snapdragon 652 processor, 4GB RAM, 32GB storage (non-expandable) and a
4,060mAh battery.
Xiaomi Mi A1 (Rs 14,999)
This one was quite a
departure for Xiaomi: a phone with stock Android instead of the heavily
customised MiUI. This special version of the Mi 5x was launched in some markets
due to customer demand. But it also has one of the best dual camera setups on
this bench. The dual 12MP cameras enable 2x optical zoom and portrait mode.One
is a wide angle (26mm) with f2.2 aperture while the other is a telephoto (50mm)
with f2.6 aperture. Other specs include a 1080p 5.5-inch screen, 4GB RAM, 64GB
storage, 3,080mAh battery and a weight of 165 grams.
Honor 6x (Rs 9,999 onwards)
Honor 6x was amongst the
first budget phones to come with a dual camera setup earlier this year. It has
a 12MP + 2MP camera and offers an aperture range of f0.95 to f16 via the camera
interface.The interface also offers a plethora of shoot modes including light
paint, colour splash etc. On the front is a wide-angle 8MP fixed focus
camera.Other specifications include a 5.5-inch full HD display, octa-core Kirin
655 processor, 34GB RAM, 32GB storage and a 3,340mAh battery.
Zopo Speed X (Rs 11,999)
Zopo's mid-range dual
camera smartphone features a 13MP + 2MP rear camera system. On the software
side it has a dedicated bokeh mode that uses both cameras to add a background
blur effect that makes the subject stand out.It has a 5-inch full HD display in
an all metal body and runs Android 7.0.Hardware specifications include octa
core Mediatek MT6753 processor, 3GB RAM, 32GB storage and a 2,680mAh battery.
Honor 8 (Rs 14,999)
Snap this one up if you
like deals because it used to be priced at `29,990. The glittery back panel
small size hides the fact that this phone boasts the same kind of dual camera
smarts seen in the more expensive Huawei P9 (which was co-branded with Leica).
Despite the small size, it has a clickable fingerprint scanner `smart key', IR
blaster, 3.5mm out and dual 12MP cameras that sit flush with the phone. One of
the cameras only captures monochrome, serving to add detail to info from the
primary. It also has shallow depthportrait and you can adjust the aperture
level and area of focus after capturing the photo.
10.or (Tenor) G Rs 10,999 onwards
10.or is back with a more
premium phone. We recently reviewed the cheaper 10.or E and came away
impressed, largely because of the clean design, full HD screen (unusual for
that price point) and stock version of Android.The G takes things up a couple
of notches by including a premium allmetal unibody design (the E was
polycarbonate) and a dual rear camera system. The screen is a 5.5inch IPS LCD
with 1920 x 1080p resolution and 2.5D curved Gorilla Glass 3 protection. Screen
quality is the same as the 10.or E, which is to say, very good. A couple of
things not immediately visible are the stereo speakers (quite rare at this
price) and the front LED flash. Around the back, you'll see the fingerprint
scanner, vertically arranged dual 13MP cameras and dual LED flash. The app
doesn't have a manual mode but there are many filters and you can adjust ISO,
exposure and white balance. Plus there are modes like HDR, night, portrait,
landscape, sports, flower, backlight, beauty and so on. Once you tap the
background mode button, you take a photo as you normally do but it takes 2
seconds to process the photo. It's a long wait to be sure, but you won't be disappoint
ed. It's a convincing blur effect and you can adjust the focus point and amount
of blur after you've taken the photo.
In normal mode, the camera is
much faster and offers pleasing re sults too. As far as per formance goes, it
has t h e excellent Snapdragon 626 paired with either 3 or 4GB RAM. Storage
also ranges from 32 to 64GB in these variants. You won't be wanting for more
performance and any game will work well.Battery life from the 4,000mAh battery
is also good, up to 1.5 days is what we got. Overall, there's a lot to like
here, especially at the price of `10,999. If you're a fan of stock Android and
can stretch your budget you can also consider the Mi A1 which gives you a
better dual camera system and few extra features.
InFocus's new offering has a
premium looking metal unibody design and 2.5D curved glass screen up front.
There's a clickable front fingerprint scanner. This serves as the home button
(click) as well as the back button (tap) -you also get onscreen buttons.As far
as camera specs go, it has a 13MP AF + 5MP camera around the back and a 5MP
front camera. An octa core Mediatek processor is paired with 3GB RAM and 32GB
storage (expandable). We didn't see any issues with performance. The first area
where you feel some corners have been cut is the 5.5-inch 720p display. It has
nice colour but bright ness, saturation and viewing angles are less than what
we expect now, even from budget phones. You might also notice that it's a
little bulky heavy , but that's because of the large 4,850mAh battery inside.
You will typically be able to get 1.5 to 2 days of battery from a full
charge.Coming to the main event -the dual camera. The app has three main modes:
normal, background blur and panorama. In background blur, it gives you a slider
to adjust the virtual aperture -wider the aperture, higher is the background
blur. While the photo is taken instantly, there is a second or so delay while
the photo is processed. But we found that the blur effect is not very
convincing and neither is the edge de tection very good. Even in normal mode,
we found that it's often hunting for focus and images are a bit too noisy . If
you're thinking of buying this only for the dual camera, you probably
shouldn't. You'll be better off getting something with a single camera like the
Redmi Note 4 which will give you better performance, IR remote and a 1080p
screen
Common Questions Answered
For Cameras -Are Two Heads Better Than One?
For decades, we've been told that SLR and large format cameras are the best at
photography. It simply has to do with size (of the film -and later, of the
image sensor). Size wins in a traditional world but smartphones are anything
but. Particularly in the camera department, manufacturers have found clever
ways to eke out better quality every year. This explains why dual (and triple
and quad...) cameras are a trend. Having multiple sensors and lenses can
overcome some of the limitations of a smartphone -a device that has to be thin,
light, efficient and durable. In fact, the technology exists to make a camera
with 16 sensors and lenses.The Light L16 camera is only slightly larger than a
5.5-inch smartphone but claims to capture DSLR-beating, 81 Megapixel photos.
That's the next step for smartphones. It won't end with just two cameras,
that's for sure.
Budget Dual vs Premium Dual -What's The Difference?
Just slapping on an extra lens does not mean you'll instantly get better
photos.Plus, there are different approaches to the dual camera setup. One
approach is to have two lenses of different focal lengths so that you can zoom
in on a subject. Another approach is to have one ultra-wide angle lens to offer
an interesting perspective. Or the secondary camera could be monochrome, simply
capturing additional light, which is to be merged with the results from the
main camera for better overall quality.Whatever the approach, the kind of
sensor used (size of pixels, size of sensor, quality), lens qualityaperture and
image processing enginealgorithms go a long way in determining image quality.
Why Better Quality? Aren't Smartphone Cameras Good Enough?
Not by a long shot. Most of them still struggle to capture good photos in low
light. And when you compare the noise levels and resolving power of a
smartphone with a DSLR, there's still a massive difference. According to a
recent report by analytics firm InfoTrends, of the roughly 1200 billion digital
photos that are going to be captured by the end of 2017, 85% of those photos
will be captured by smartphones. Only 10.3% of those photos will be taken by
digital cameras and that number is falling. Once you recognise this
irreversible trend, you'll understand why the multi camera is here to stay.
Karan Bajaj and Hitesh Raj
Bhagat
ET 19OCT17
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