Micromax has made a comeback in the Indian smartphone market with two devices, the In Note 1 and the In 1B. I’ve already spent some time with the In Note 1, which packs some good hardware at a competitive price, and it seems that the In 1B is following the same strategy. This more affordable model features a MediaTek Helio G35 processor and comes in two variants with prices starting at Rs. 6,999 in India. So does the Micromax In 1B have the potential to be a budget segment leader? I got my hands on the Micromax In 1B and here are my first impressions.
Just like the In Note 1, the Micromax In 1B also comes in a bright blue box. It’s shipped along with a 10W charger, a USB Type-C cable, and a screen protector in the box. The Micromax In 1B sports a big 6.52-inch display with an HD+ resolution and a 20:9 aspect ratio. The chin below the display is relatively thick, but this is acceptable given the price of the smartphone. I found the In 1B to be comfortable to hold, but reaching the top of the display needs a quick shuffle in the hand.
Micromax In 1B has a plastic unibody with the power and volume buttons on the right, whereas the SIM tray and a dedicated Google Assistant button are on the left. You get two Nano-SIM slots and a dedicated microSD card slot for storage expansion. I found the power button to be conveniently placed but the volume button required a stretch to reach. You get a USB Type-C port on the bottom of the In 1B, which is a good move considering that some of the competition has gone back to the older Micro-USB standard due to costs. The Type-C port is future-proof and more convenient.
The Micromax In 1B sports a 6.52-inch display
The Micromax In 1B will be available in three colours: Purple, Blue and Green. I have a Purple review unit, which has a gradient finish at the back. The design of the back reminds me of the Realme C11 (Review). You get a dual camera module which does not protrude much and is almost flush with the back of the smartphone. There is a rear-mounted fingerprint scanner as well, but I found it to be positioned a bit too high for my liking. You’ll find the loudspeaker on the lower back of the Micromax In 1B.
Micromax has gone with the MediaTek Helio G35 processor to power the In 1B. The base variant offers 2GB of RAM and 32GB of storage for Rs. 6,999 while the higher one has 4GB of RAM and 64GB of storage, and is priced at Rs. 7,999 respectively. I have the latter with me.
The Micromax In 1B has a dual camera setup
You get a 5,000mAh battery on the Micromax In 1B. The supplied 10W charger will take a while to charge the big battery but this is acceptable given the aggressive price of the smartphone. I will be testing its battery life and charging speeds in the full review.
Coming to the software, you get near-stock Android with negligible customisations, just like on the Micromax Note 1. There are no bloatware apps preinstalled on the device, which is a big plus. The Micromax In 1B runs Android 10 and my unit was running the October Android security patch. I found Google apps preinstalled, and Micromax has added its own Radio and Sound Recorder apps.
The Micromax In 1B has a dewdrop notch.
Micromax has gone with a dual-camera setup at the back, consisting of a 13-megapixel primary camera and a 2-megapixel depth sensor. For selfies, the In 1B has an 8-megapixel camera in the dew-drop notch. It’ll be interesting to see how the MediaTek Helio G35 and the cameras perform, and we will test them thoroughly. If you have your eyes on the Micromax In 1B, do stay tuned for the full review, coming up soon.