In 2017, majority of smartphone makers especially from China pushed bezel-less 18:9 aspect ratio screens in phones to allow users do more with the devices. Gionee M7 Power is the first from the company to adopt FullView display, which also comes with an exclusive 3D photo feature.
The company currently has a customer base of 1.25 crores in India and with M7 Power (priced at Rs. 16,999), Gionee further aims to enable users to explore a whole new side to the world of visual experience and photography and to gain an additional foothold in the market.
The device is available for purchase on Amazon.in
Design and display
The body of M7 Power is milled as an entire piece, and a laser-engraving further delivers a diamond-like lustre that looks both neat and elegant. The device feels sturdy and durable while holding in hand.
The big 6-inch FullView display is accompanied by Gorilla Glass 3 on the front – to prevent the screen from unwanted scratches. The smartphone offers an 85 per cent screen-to-body ratio and produces vibrant colours – be it watching videos, playing games, reading or using the phone in split-screen mode.
Gionee has positioned the fingerprint scanner at the back – a bit too high if you have tiny hands, meaning you might have to stretch your fingers to unlock. The smartphone weighs 199 grams, and if you plan to use the device for longer duration, you feel its presence felt on the hand.
A single speaker at the bottom takes cares of your audio needs. The company has equipped an Infrared emitter on the top of the device that can be used to command compatible appliances.
Performance
Equipped with a built-in massive 5,000mAh high-quality battery powered by intelligent management system, the Gionee M7 Power comes with 4GB of RAM and offers 64GB of internal memory. The Qualcomm Snapdragon octa-core processor clocked at 1.4GHz is more than enough to run basic to moderate gaming or mobile office applications.
Running on custom Amigo 5.0 user interface, the M7 Power has a WhatsApp clone feature that enables users to create three WhatsApp accounts, allowing them to differentiate their personal and professional life. There is no app drawer, and all your apps are hooked directly onto the screen. Similar to previous Gionee devices, gesture control is built-in. For new users, you can double-tap to wake the phone or draw alphabets when the screen is off to launch designated apps.
The device also allows user to work in a split screen mode and has a blue light filtering that protects the user’s eyes and reduces fatigue, making a long time use of the phone more comfortable.
The M7 Power is packed with an ultra-long battery life, which has been a DNA of the M Series. For me, Gionee M7 Power delivered a 12-hour back-up on a moderate use including calling, social media applications, music playback, web browsing and light gaming.
Furthermore, with security being top priority among Indian users, M7 Power offers private space 2.0, fingerprint security and app lock.
Equipped with a 13MP rear camera with f2.0 aperture, M7 Power clicks decent images, given the price. The camera app is basic and has Photo, Video and Panorama modes along with Face Beauty, Group Selfie and Card Scanner modes. While there is a pro mode, we recommend you to use the auto scene detection mode that automatically adjusts and toggles between HDR mode to create neat images based on lighting conditions. The company has added a 2x digital zoom.
The 3D photo feature of the M7 power stands out as one of the key highlights. Here is how it works. You need to go around an object to form a three-dimensional dynamic picture, post which a live photo can show the object with multiple angles for deeper details. Now, you can turn the phone or slide screen to enjoy the 3D picture.
The daylight images are neat with decent detail, but, graininess becomes apparent once you zoom in. Auto HDR does help in getting better results. Images taken in dim light are above average.
There is an 8MP front camera – decent enough for selfies. But with advanced software algorithms baked onto the front camera, M7 Power automatically blurs the background in selfies to create a bokeh effect.
Conclusion
At Rs. 16,999, the Gionee M7 Power seems to be an overpriced combination of features and specifications. A great phone for moderate productive users, but for mobile photographers, the smartphone does not offer much as compared to Moto G5S Plus and Xiaomi Mi A1.
