Bangalore, August 25 2017: Chinese smart phones brands are not having it all their own way: This year has seen some new Indian brands, hit the entry level as well as mid -priced sector of handsets with a compelling combo of price and performance. The latest to enter the market is Delhi-based Kult, which has its manufacturing plant in Gautam Buddh Nagar, UP. The company is part of the Optiemus group which also has a contract to manufacture and market the Blackberry devices in the SAARC region.
I have been trying out their entry device, the Kult Beyond over the weekend and am not surprised to read that Amazon exhausted its stocks within days of offering the device online and has set an August 28 date for next shipping. And this with only word of mouth publicity.
Kult Beyond is 5.2 inch, IPS screen device, with 720p HD display. RAM memory of 3 GB and onboard storage of 32GB , expandable by another 32 GB through micro SD card is just about OK. Both cameras are 13 Megapixel with dual LED Flash, with the rear camera equipped with auto focus. The battery of 3000 mAh is about par for the course in this class of device and should last for one full day without recharge. The OS—Android 7—and the cellular connectivity-- 4G VoLTE—are both the latest available and should ensure that the phone does not experience obsolescence for at least 2 years. The main quad core 1.2GH processor is backed by a Mali graphical processor which will ensure smooth video experience.
These specs are about standard it is often difficult to rate one brand another in a particular price band. This phone is offered at Rs 6999. From trying out half a dozen similar handsets this year, I have learnt that the real differentiator is in the preloaded software tools and little things like SIM and sound. I am happy to say the Kult Beyond is excellent paisa vasool value in these departments. The speaker is good and loud—I could listen to half a dozen YouTube videos without going to full volume. I don't know why, but some of the costliest phones give you moderate sound and I have often had to use headphones to watch movies. There are two microSIM slots and Kult doesn't play the mean trick of making one of them an alternate to the micro SD card.
The Android apps are standard—but I liked the thought that went into adding tools like an OperaMini browser, A Xender file transfer utility, and the Vistoso tool that makes it easy to send your prints to a tee shirt or mug. How many Rs 50, 000 phones bother to offer you that particular tool? I did not see any specific software for Indian language fonts. Kult proclaims proudly that the phone is Made in India, by Indians. If they included this localization, as a software update, they can rightly add, that it is also Made For Indians.
All in all, a sturdy ( metal body) device that - ANAND PARTHASARATHY