Budget Phone with clean Android and no performance issues

After a really long time, I got to review a budget phone. This time it was HMD Crest, the latest budget entrant in the market that is pretty different from what we get to see in the devices from Realme, Redmi, etc. The smartphone comes with a repairable kit that can be used to replace the charging port, display, panel, etc. The first look at the phone was not disappointing at all.

As for the pricing information, the HMD Crest 6GB RAM variant with 128GB internal storage is available in the Indian market for Rs 14,499. The smartphone has three different color variants including Royal Pink, Midnight Blue, and Lush Lilac out of which my review piece was the Midnight Blue one.

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HMD Crest review: Specifications

HMD Crest review: Design

The HMD Crest has a sleek design with the HMD branding at the center of the back panel. It houses a rectangular-shaped camera island at the back consisting of two sensors and a flash. The speaker grilles, 3.5mm jack, and USB Type-C port are placed at the bottom edge of the device. The volume button and the power button are placed on the right spine. The power button of the device is doubled up, and so is the fingerprint scanner. On the front, we get to see a flat display along with a punch-hole cutout for the placement of the front camera. And you don’t need to worry about bumps and shocks as the display of the phone is protected by Dragon Trail glass.

HMD Crest Review: Display

Surprisingly, HMD Crest features a 6.7-inch Super AMOLED display which makes it stand out from the crowd considering the budget it is available in. The color reproduction of the smartphone is also above average. Furthermore, it also includes Widevine L2 support for apps like Netflix and Amazon. However, again I will say that the streaming experience of the device was average at best.

HMD Crest Review: Performance

The HMD Crest runs on a UNISOC T760 processor paired with 6GB RAM and 126GB internal storage. Instead of testing benchmarks, I straight up went to downloading a couple of the games and trying it out on the device. First on the list of Call of Duty Mobile, and I must say that the phone was able to handle it at basic settings. The second game was EA FC mobile and again, if you are not using high graphics settings, then the processor can handle it all.

However, you will feel a bit of heat while playing games for long hours. Apart from that, there were no issues recorded at the time of testing. Now, when I moved to multitasking and opened around 50 Chrome tabs along with a couple more applications, the device obviously lagged. So, you need to remind yourself while using it that this is not a mid range or a flagship phone, it is a basic budget device.

HMD Crest ships with clean Android at the back which will remind you of the Android One devices. I must say that it feels amazing to see a device ship with a no-nonsense UI instead of getting stuffed with bloatware. Nonetheless, the absence of a search bar for finding the applications could be a turn-off if you are a search bar enthusiast.

HMD Crest Review: Camera

The HMD Crest ships with a 50MP primary sensor and a 2MP depth sensor. I don’t think I am supposed to say that don’t expect a lot in the camera department as it is a budget phone. According to the budget, the device captures really impressive photographs in proper lighting conditions. However, the absence of lighting could affect the quality of shots along with color reproduction. Apart from that, you get to see a 50MP front shooter for selfies and video calls. And it also managed to take good shots in decent lighting.

HMD Crest review: Battery

The HMD Crest comes with a 5000mAh battery along with 33W fast charging support. The battery durability of the smartphone failed to impress me as it could have been much better compared to other alternatives available at the same price range. The smartphone’s battery lasts for around 7 to 8 hours on rigorous use and that extends by a couple more hours when not using it extensively. As for the charging speed, at the time of testing, the device went from zero to 100% in around 1 hour 45 to 50 minutes every time.

HMD Crest review: Verdict

HMD Crest is a decent budget smartphone suitable for people who will not use it on a regular basis to run heavy applications or play games all day long. If you are someone who is looking for a budget phone, then this new entrant promises to provide you with a noteworthy experience with elements like 50MP sensors, clean Android, and a lot more. Now, if you are someone who is looking for a better-performing device with a durable battery, then you need to push your budget slightly upwards and go for a phone ranging around Rs 20,000.

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