The device likely to go on sales in early December.
By Dileep Thekethil
The Chinese smartphone manufacturer Gionee has launched its much-awaited smartphone model Elife S5.1 in India for Rs. 18,999 ($307). The launch came months after teasing it as the world’s slimmest smartphone.
Gionee’s new device is just 5.1 mm thick, becoming one of the slimmest smartphones in the Indian market. The device is expected to reach stores across India, from the first week of December.
When teased, Gionee Elife 5.1 was advertised as the world’s slimmest smartphone, but later Oppo R5 claimed this title with a much thinner design of 4.85 mm. Even Oppo won’t be able to hold the title for long as a new competitor is in the pipeline—made by its Chinese counterpart OEM.
Gionee is launching Elife 5.1 months after the release of Elife 5.5, which is a superior smartphone when it comes to the technical specifications.
One of the major shortcomings of the Gionee Elife 5.1 is its downgraded screen size of 4.8 inches, when compared to the 5-inch display of Elife 5.5. Also, there is a huge cut down in the pixel resolution of Elife 5.1: 720 x 1280 pixels compared to 1080 x 1920 pixels of Elife 5.5.
The new Gionee device is powered by 1.7GHz octa-core MediaTek chipset coupled with 1 GB RAM. It has an internal storage capacity of 16 GB and is not expandable.
When it hits the stores in India Gionee Elife 5.1 will face stiff competition from Redmi Note. Xiaomi has priced the device at Rs. 8,999 ($146.50) with better specifications.
Gionee Elife 5.1 has an 8 MP rear camera and a 5 MP front camera, making it a selfie centric smartphone.
Gionee has compromised on the battery of Elife 5.1 to maintain the slim status. The device is equipped with a minimal 2050 mAh non-removable battery that can give backup for not more than a day.
Following are the Gionee Elife S5.1 specifications:
- OS: Android 4.4 KitKat
- Display: 4.8-inch 720p HD Super AMOLED touchscreen
- Processor: 1.7GHz octa core Cortex A7 SOC
- Memory: 1GB RAM, 16GB storage
- Connectivity: HSPA+, Wi-Fi b/g/n, USB OTG, GPS, Bluetooth 4.0
- Camera: 8MP rear, 5MP front
- Battery: 2050mAh