Creo Mark 1 review: an appreciable attempt but needs major polishing
Over the years, Indian smartphone manufacturers have burnt the candle at both ends to develop affordable devices; the likes of Micromax, InFocus, Karbonn mobiles, Xolo and many others have attempted to churn out affordable devices for users in the country and across borders. However, Indian manufacturers have always suffered due to the popularity of foreign giants such as Samsung and Apple.
Even now, there are so many native manufacturers who come out with decent devices but fail to make an impact on the market, which is predominantly infiltrated by affordable Chinese smartphones.
Acting as a catalyst, the general perception of native devices in the country is not one which gives a positive outlook so it is very difficult for Indian handset manufacturers to get noticed without playing out of the box and offering customers something unique. And yes! This is the only mantra that can help improve the sorry state of emerging handset manufacturers in the country.
This is exactly what Bangaluru-based start-up Creo, formerly known as Mango-man, has attempted with their latest smartphone offering in the country. The Creo Mark 1, which was launched on April 13, takes a totally different approach and concentrates more of software rather than hardware. This is the first time that any Indian handset company has launched an exclusive customised OS engine along with the device.
Along with the native OS, Creo also promised that it will be offering a new feature update every month to make the experience even better. Xiaomi also has a similar policy where they offer minor update like bug fixes every Thursdays. However, Creo’s policy goes far beyond that as the company will offer major OS updates every month. According to the company, the monthly updates will make users feel like they will be using “a new device every month”.
Sounds cool, right? Well, we had a chance to explore this device for a week and here is what we felt about the device. As mentioned earlier, it is impossible for emerging companies to match up to the high-end technology offered by reputed firms, there are a few areas where they can capitalise and grow.
For starters, Creo’s approach could be an eye opener for the numerous indigenous handset manufactures struggling to compete against global brands but all is not hunky-dory about this device. So without further ado, here is our review of the new Indian smartphone on the block.
Design, build quality, and feel: To be honest, we were not really impressed by the design on this device. The 5.5-inch phablet measures 155.4 x 76.1 x 8.7mm which is a common dimension on every large-screened handset but the extra bulkiness of this device due to its 190g weight is definitely a matter of concern for people who prefer lighter handsets.
All modern-day devices come in massive sizes but they are definitely not as bulky and heavy as the Creo Mark 1; there are similar devices in the market which offer featherweight sleek devices. We feel this is one area where the device fails to make an impact. Other than that, the handset looks pretty sturdy with full Gorilla glass 3 covering on the front and rear along with an aluminum frame running along the edges.
While the glass makes the device sturdier, it’s glossy body is no less than a fingerprint magnet. We had to keep on wiping the device almost every half an hour to get rid of the excess smudges and marks. One aspect we liked about the design is the simplicity; the company has not delved into intricacies, concentrating more on making the device ergonomically friendly, albeit its disproportional weight.
On the left hand side of the device houses dual-SIM slots--one micro and one nano SIM slot that can also transform into a microSD storage slot with support for up to 128GB. On the right edge, there are three round buttons-two for volume control and one power button.
The upper edge employs the lone 3.5mm headphone jack while the bottom end houses the speakers and microUSB port. Flipping the devices reveals a 21MP camera on the top-left corner, and the company’s logo embossed in the centre.
After assessing the design and build quality of this device, we came to a conclusion that the Creo Mark 1 resembles any good flagship from a distance but the bulky nature of the handset stops us from deeming it as an ergonomically-friendly device. In fact, the size and weight of the device make it practically impossible to use it with one hand.
While we understand that Creo is trying to differentiate itself on the software-front, it is necessary for any smartphone manufacturer to ensure that device is beautifully crafted and the Mark 1 fails to cross the line. Other similarly priced 5.5-inch devices in the mid-range smartphone market such as OnePlus 2 and Lenovo Vibe X3 offer far better design and are much more user-friendly.
Hardware specifications: Although the design failed to move any strings, the specifications and software on this device have been touted by the company to be its USP. The device comes along with some exciting software which we will discuss in length after doing rounds of the specifications on offer.
In terms of core specifications, the company has equipped the Mark 1 with a 1.9Ghz MediaTek Helio x10 octa-core processor combined with 3GB RAM, which is common among all mid-ranged smartphones surfacing now a days. In terms of display, the handset comes along with a 5.5-inch QHD 2K screen along with 2.5D Gorilla Glass 3; however, there are no physical buttons on the front.
Moving on to the storage, the device comes along with 32GB inbuilt capacity, which can be further expanded to 128GB via external microSD card. In terms of connectivity, the company has given all the usual options such as Bluetooth, WI-FI, GPS, 3G along with an USB OTG.
Another disappointment is the omission of Fingerprint scanner, which has become a must-have feature for any mid or premium-range smartphone in the market.
Amid the shortcomings, Creo has ensured that the Mark 1 ranks high in terms of battery by employing a 3,100mAh unit. Also, another generous addition is the massive 21MP rear camera along with dual LED flash and the 8MP snapper upfront.
While everything looks good on paper, we will go through the individual sections to clear the air regarding the practical capabilities of the Mark 1.
Display: In this section, we will discuss the display prowess on this device which has been heavily praised by the company. Well, in terms of pricing, the company has been smart to equip the device with a 2K screen at a price point lower than regular HD-screened devices.
However, after watching several videos and movies on this handset, we felt the the screen is not as good as a regular 2K panel. The display does not give the feel of a 2K panel and at times, we felt that other devices offering FHD screens outperformed the Mark 1.
Ignoring the intricacies, the device manages to pull off a decently vibrant display, albeit a dull one, unlike other 2K handsets, and even some full HD ones. Other than that, the large display offers decent viewing angles and good brightness levels, making it bearable in sunny outdoor conditions, and excellent under limited light.
We hope the company works on the display and make it better with future updates.
Performance: As mentioned earlier, the Creo Mark 1 has got a beefed up performance unit and is capable of handling numerous applications at once. The 3GB RAM and the octacore Helio 10 takes care of that but there are other smartphones with 2GB RAM and a Snapdragon 615 chipset which can outperform Mark 1’s performance capabilities with ease.
Moving on, the gaming experience on the device was not what you would expect from a octa-core unit; with frequent lags and stuttering, gaming is not something that we are happy with. Even when we were browsing simply on chrome, there was a bit of lag going on due to the background applications.
A large part of a smartphone’s performance can be judged through it’s gaming or multitasking prowess, and unfortunately, the Mark 1 fails both. Considering the fact the the company is new in the block, we hope that these issues will be mended in future.
While multi-tasking and gaming on this phone are dodgy, the bigger issue is the heating issue--the smartphone heats up like a steel container on a dry dessert. During games or clicking pictures or shooting videos, the Mark 1 heats up massively; this may affect device performance later on.
Even while on charge, the device starts to heat up a bit, even when it is inactive -- maybe it is because of the Gorilla Glass body. We hope that the monthly updates find a cure to this problem as well.
After using this device continuously for more than a week, we feel that the performance does not live up to what the company claimed on papers and there is a lot of corners that need to be rectified before the device can outshine other competitors in the market.
Camera: Another aspect that needs to be discussed in detail is the camera. The phone boasts of a 21MP rear camera equipped with a Sony IMXX230 sensor with phase detection auto-focus, and a dual-LED flash.
When we received the handset, one of the main features we were looking forward to was the 21MP camera. After clicking images in numerous conditions, we developed mixed feelings about the phone’s camera unit.
After clicking numerous pictures, we found out that the sensor failed to focus on the entire landscape in front, which led to some over exposed and washed-out pictures. Also, shutter-speed is a serious problem on this device as there is a prominent ghosting effect when moving objects are clicked. However, the problem occurs when images are clicked on HDR mode.
While all smartphones face difficulty in clicking fast moving objects, the Mark 1 just goes a notch higher; Pictures clicked of a slow hand gesture or a man walking on the road also appears a bit distorted. We feel that the camera app is to blame, which is rather buggy.
In limited light scenarios, the pictures have a lot of noise, probably due to the slow-focusing speed. We were rather disappointed with the imaging capabilities of the device and we hope that future software updates fixes the issues.
The video capturing prowess of this device also lacks the flare. Although the phone comes along with options for 4K video recording and slow-motion recording at 120 FPS, there are various bugs playing devil, which leads to stuttering, lags, and the previously mentioned exposure issue.
Now coming to the slow-motion feature. Although a common feature on most mid-ranged units, the Mark 1 is the only phone which offers slow-motion recording at 120FPS--double of what other handsets offers.
But when we tried to playback the slow-mo videos we clicked at 120FPS using this device showed massive straining and stuttering, we predict that the problem can be related to buggy camera software and should be fixed by the company later on.
In terms of clicking modes, the Mark 1 notches some interesting ones; Apart from quick photos (which is rather slow), users can enjoy handy modes such as 3D photo, Live Photo, and Panorama. The secondary 8MP camera also comes equipped with all the modes available on the rear camera; however, it is also plagues by the same focusing problems as seen on the primary 21MP camera.
Here a few images clicked with the device is various lighting conditions and shades:
This is the 'ghosting effect' which happens when images of moving objects are clicked in HDR mode.
Software: So finally, we will discuss about the software offerings on this device and what you can expect in the future.
From the time, the company started advertising the handset on social media, the main focus was laid on software. The company’s proprietary Fuel OS is basically Android Lollipop 5.1 with a heavily-customised skin on top, albeit heavily tweaked to make it better.
The company had earlier promised that they will add a new feature to the Fuel OS, based on suggestions or inputs from users. The company believes that user feedback is the most important factors to building a good device and has urged users to inform them about features they want integrated or removed in future.
Moving on to the other new offerings, the handset introduces nifty features like Echo (answering machine), Retriever (in case phone is lost), Sense (voice-less SIRI-like feature), and notification panel. There is an option on the device, dubbed ‘ReFuel’, which is basically a drawer to all the new updates that is available for download. Whenever a new update is available, users can download the new updates via ‘ReFuel’.
Apart from the answering machine feature, which is decently useful, the other features failed to impress, as reports about the Retriever feature being slow is making rounds already and the Sense feature is a good addition but is not a massive feature. However, most users who are perpetually on-the-move will enjoy using the Sense feature.
Well, one feature which really struck the eye was the Echo, which can answer calls for you when you are busy. If an user enables Echo from settings, all future calls will be diverted to an automated voice after 30 seconds (in my case). It also informs the caller that you are not available at this time and asks them to leave a message. Coming to the best part, Echo does not need any internet connection or data charges to function.
Last but not the least the notification panel has also been tweaked to make it more user-friendly. It allows users to modify the panel, and even block or mute unwanted ones. Other minor add-on features such as Clean Inbox--for separating spam messages from the ones sent by actual contacts--are also good additions to the Creo Mark 1.
All-in-all, the software updates that are currently available are nothing striking or new but we are anticipating some amazing updates in future.
Verdict: Coming to the end of this review, we feel that the Creo have made an extremely generous effort in crafting this device but there are significant pockets for improvement.
Although we found the handset full of shortcomings, this is just the company’s first attempt to foray into the smartphone market, and it’s not at all a bad start in contrast to what some other companies manufacture.
As this is a software-oriented company, we are hoping that all the aforementioned issues and bugs will be fixed with the next few updates. In comparison to similar devices available in the market, Creo’s Mark 1 does need a lot of polishing when it comes to design and overall performance.
As we have not yet got the chance to update, we cannot really comment about the company's 'new phone every month' claim, but we will surely let you know if something interesting pops up with the arrival of the next monthly update on May 13.
By Francis D'Sa and Koustav Das
