Micromax In Note 1: First Impressions

Micromax is making a comeback in the Indian smartphone market with its new In series of smartphones. These new models are targeted at the budget segment, and unlike older Micromax devices, they sport some interesting hardware. The Micromax In Note 1 is the more powerful of the first two Micromax In mobiles, and starts at Rs. 11,000 in India. Has Micromax prepared well for its second innings? I got my hands on the Micromax In Note 1, and here are my first impressions.

The Micromax In Note 1 comes in a distinctive blue box with a bold “In” logo on the top. The smartphone is made (or at least assembled) in India, which many people look for when buying smartphones these days.

The In Note 1 is a big phone, and its display measures 6.67 inches which is bigger than what you'd get with many of the other models available at around this price. It has a hole-punch in the top-centre that houses the 16-megapixel selfie shooter. You get a full-HD+ resolution on the Micromax In Note 1, which is also not very common for low-cost phones these days.

The Micromax In Note 1 has a hole-punch front camera in the top-centre

The big display has a 20:9 aspect ratio which makes the Micromax In Note 1 tall but still relatively easy to hold. However, reaching the top of the display during single-handed use isn't possible without shuffling the device in hand.

Micromax has opted for a plastic body, which has a glossy finish. The power and volume buttons are on the right, and all three are easy to reach. On the left, you will find a dedicated button to summon the Google Assistant, and the SIM tray. You get two Nano-SIM slots and a dedicated microSD card slot for storage expansion. You'll find a 3.5mm audio jack, USB Type-C port, primary microphone, and loudspeaker at the bottom. The top of the In Note 1 only has the secondary microphone.

The back panel is glossy and has an “X” pattern which shifts based on how light bounces off it. Micromax has also put an “In” logo towards the bottom. I found the glossy back to be a fingerprint magnet and had to wipe it from time to time to keep it shiny. The In Note 1 gets a rear-mounted fingerprint scanner, and I noticed that my finger rested on it naturally while holding the device. You also get a quad-camera setup on the Micromax In Note 1, in a slightly raised rectangular camera module.

The X pattern on the glossy back emerges when light hits it

You get the MediaTek Helio G85, which is a capable processor, and we have seen its performance in the Realme Narzo 20 (Review) already. This processor is paired with 4GB of RAM and you can choose between two storage variants. The base variant offers 64GB of storage and is priced at Rs. 10,999 while the higher variant has 128GB of storage and is priced at Rs. 12,499 in India.

The Micromax In Note 1 comes equipped with a 5,000mAh battery. You get an 18W Type-C charger in the box which should be quick, but we'll have more on battery life and charging speed in our full review.

Coming to the software, there are some major changes here, compared to what we've seen on Micromax phones in the past. You get near-stock Android with almost negligible customisation. If you are an Android purist and don't like the bloat manufacturers add on top, this will be appealing.

The quad-camera module on the Micromax In Note 1 is slightly raised

The Micromax In Note 1 runs Android 10 out-of-the-box and my unit had the September security patch, which is acceptable. There was no bloatware preinstalled on the review unit. You get Google's usual apps preinstalled, and Micromax has also added its own Gallery, FM Radio, and Sound Recorder apps. Micromax promises guaranteed upgrades for two years but does not say if these include major Android version updates as well.

The camera module at the back houses a 48-megapixel primary camera, a 5-megapixel ultra-wide-angle camera, a 2-megapixel macro camera and a 2-megapixel depth sensor. The hardware seems good, but it'll be interesting to see how the Micromax In Note 1 fares in our full review. If you are just as curious as we are, stay tuned to Gadget 360 for the full review.