We had reviewed the Micromax Q7 ezpad last year and were able to spend sometime with the Q5. Recently Micromax has rolled out an upgrade to the ezpad series with the Q75 hitting the markets for Rs 3750. While the Q7 took a different shape and got a more rectangular structure (looking more like a Nokia E61), the Q75 goes back to the original looks of the Q5 and packs in similar features as we have seen before.
Features & Design:
Micromax Q75 is a dual SIM phone that offers MicroSD memory expansion (internal storage is 87 MB) and WiFi connectivity (something that gives it an edge at this price). The keyboard layout has a couple of call keys and a end key along with a trackball, home button and a dedicated applications key. The OS isn’t much to speak about, we can hardly gauge any updates to the same on the looks of it. Its the standard Java system that we have seen running on most of these phones. Micromax packs in Facebook, Snaptu, Nimbuzz and Opera Mini as default.
The Dual SIM system gives you option to use any one of the SIM’s at a given time or both together (however like most Dual SIM phones, if one SIM is in use the other becomes unreachable). The body is mainly plastic with a small element of metal in the form of the battery cover. The battery is rated as 1200 mAh. The phone features a Mini USB port that is used for Data and Charging. The Q75 weighs roughly 100-110gms (qualifies as a light weight) and the camera is rated as 3.2 Megapixels that takes average shots in day light.
We would admit that our patience with dumb phones has ran out and after attempting to turn on bluetooth for 5 mins to transfer a sample image we decided to give up.
Usage:
Connecting to WiFi on this was a breeze, just hold down the space bar and connect to the desired network. As much as the easy connection to WiFi pleased us the usage there after left us with a bitter feeling. Facebook App – Launch – Connecting – Failed. Youtube App – Launch – Activate Steaming – Failed. Opera Mini – Launch – Installing – Failed. This thing has more problems connecting to the internet than my 10 year old 386 PC that worked on a dial up.
Youtube worked on second attempt and the vide plays inside a Web 1.0 like frame using close to 50% of the screens real estate to play the video. The audio output is loud, but speaker cracks up (we couldn’t figure out volume settings when on a call nor do you have any volume buttons). The 3.5mm audio out might be useful to you if you please for music.
Typing on the Q75 is comfortable and the qwerty buttons are surely nice, but the device has its own flaws. Be in inputting a user id in a text box online (blame it on the software) or just adding a fullstop (.) at the end of each sentence (blame that on the keyboard layout). Its not a deal breaker, at this price its good, but you know why a Nokia X2 even without WiFi would be preferred over this!
Conclusion:
The Micromax Q75 is a smart looking phone, comes cheap, has a good keyboard, readable fonts in messaging, packs in Facebook, YouTube, WiFi, a Java based low performance OS (don’t even think of multitasking) and we just hope that it worked. Much to our disappointment, a year later the offerings are nothing but just a Blackberry lookalike that sells for cheap. Avoid by all means, there are certainly better options now in the sub Rs 5000 range.
Video Review:
