Yu Yutopia: Hot at the wrong place

Convincing at first but a weak camera and heating issues spoil the experience

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The first phone with Yu's Around Yu integrated services platform, the Yutopia comes across as a super-friendly phone for customers, where users can book anything ranging from flight tickets to restaurant reservations at just one click. With this, Yu has become the first Indian smartphone-maker to offer such an integrated platform natively built into the smartphone.

SPECIFICATIONS

• Price: Rs 24,999
• Display: 5.2-inch at 1,440x2,560p
• OS: Cyanogen OS 12.1 based on Android 5.1.1 Lollipop
• Processor: 64-bit octa-core Qualcomm MSM8994 Snapdragon
• Memory: 4 GB RAM; 32 GB internal memory, expandable (up to 128GB cards supported)
• Battery: 3,000 mAh
• Camera: 21 MP primary; 8 MP secondary

First impressions are satisfactory, but does the Yutopia stand up to people's expectations? Let's find out.

The Yu Yutopia comes with a full-metal body, which is a step up from previous Yu phones. The resolution is impressive. It almost looks like an iPhone from the front. The phone looks premium with its matte back panel and weighs a mere 159 gm.

The phone has two SIM slots and a MicroSD card slot on the side. Also, there is a fingerprint scanner, placed just below the camera.

The Yutopia is powered by a 64-bit octa-core Qualcomm MSM8994 Snapdragon 810 processor, based on the 20-nanometre architecture under the hood, along with an Adreno 430 GPU for graphics.

The phone has 4 GB of DDR4 RAM for multitasking and fast processing. It also comes with a 32 GB internal storage which can be expanded up to 128 GB.

The phone runs on the Cyanogen 12.1 OS custom ROM, based on Android 5.1.1 Lollipop. The phone runs smoothly, with occasional lags at times, which has been a consistent drawback with Micromax phones.

One major issue, consistent with Yu phones, has been heating. This phone, too, heats up quickly.

The Yutopia has a powerful 21-megapixel (MP) primary camera with face detection, autofocus, optical image stabilisation, 77.3-degree wide-angle lens and dual-tone LED flash. The camera, though, is disappointing, even with all the above-listed features. The images are grainy and lack the quality a camera with such specifications should offer. The secondary camera, at 8MP, works just fine.

In terms of connectivity, the Yutopia is a dual-SIM smartphone and comes with 4G LTE connectivity. It comes with DTS audio and Little Birds earphones from the House of Marley in the box.

The Yutopia packs a powerful 3,000 mAh battery under the metal chassis which proved sufficient for use. It also features fast charging, which offers to charge the phone up to 60 per cent in just 30 minutes, a great feature for frequent travellers.

The Yutopia is priced at Rs 24,999 and is exclusively available on Amazon India, with some lucrative cashback and upgrade offers. The phone is a capable device but the poor camera and a problem of heating are let-downs. The price, also, might work against the brand as all its predecessors were priced much lower.