Panasonic Eluga Arc: No kinks, but no USPs either

Panasonic Eluga Arc is a phone that could have been better

Being used to carrying 5.5-inch smartphones, the Panasonic Eluga Arc with its 4.7-inch screen seemed tiny. I was a bit apprehensive when I picked it up, especially since it is as light as a feather. But, I cast those apprehensions aside and decided to test it out.

The phone looks elegant with a 2.5D curvature design. It sports a fingerprint sensor at the back while the volume rocker and the lock button is located on the right. It has a vivid HD display and the colours are vibrant.

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Under the hood, it houses a Qualcomm Snapdragon 410 processor with 2GB of RAM. Now, this made me question Panasonic's strategy. Most phones these days are coming out with better processors even in the low-price segment. Nevertheless, I put it to test. I started playing Asphalt: Nitro, but after only 30 minutes, the phone started to heat a bit. However, I didn't face any lag. The phone works smoothly even while using apps such as the camera app and YouTube.

The interface is quite simple as well. It runs Android 5.1 Lollipop and has a dedicated app drawer.

The camera, however, is a big disappointment. It comes with an eight-megapixel (MP) primary and 5 MP secondary camera. In this era of cut-throat competition, an 8MP camera will never even garner attention, let alone stand out.

But, the phone salvages itself with its 1,800 mAh battery and fingerprint sensor. The fingerprint sensor is pretty fast and registering one's print is a breeze. And though the phone comes with a small battery, it performs well. On a full charge, the phone lasts for almost 30 hours on light-to-no usage and half a day on moderate usage.

Priced at Rs 12,490, the Panasonic Eluga Arc won't grab any eyeballs but is well-suited for people who want to go in for a phone with no frills.
PANASONIC ELUGA ARC
Screen: 4.7-inch HD
OS: Android 5.1 Lollipop
RAM: 2 GB
Processor: Qualcomm Snapdragon 410
Battery: 1,800 mAh
Camera: 8 MP rear; 5 MP front