Micromax Canvas Knight 2 review: Excellent design, minimal bloat; but could've been a sweeter deal

As a mobile phone manufacturer, Micromax has come a long way. It is among the top 10 manufacturers across the globe. In India, depending on how you factor in the numbers, it is among the top 2 smartphone manufacturers. Besides, it got Hugh Jackman to endorse its range of smartphones. And to a great extent, the brand ambassador has boosted the image and perception of the company to drive up its share in newer segments. Coming to the specific device, the Micromax Canvas Knight 2 is an interesting device. It was launched **early last month** at Rs 16,299. Build and Design: 8/10  The Micromax Canvas Knight 2 is well built. If you look at the phone and just consider the build quality, it hits all the right check boxes. The use of metal is brilliant. The colour, contours and fine cut delivers a work of art indeed. At approximately Rs 15,000, that’s the closest you can get to the iPhone Champagne Gold. It looks premium. Metal on the side, sandwiched between Corning Gorilla Glass on the rear, and a display on the front. On a slim phone, as slim as the Canvas Knight 2, that doesn’t help as the phone gets a bit slippery. During commuting, you need to be extra cautious while removing the Knight 2 from your pockets. This is an area where it could have been better. No wonder, devices such as OnePlus add a texture with added roughness.  Looks aside, when you hold the phone in your hand, it does impress you. It exceeds your expectations if you compare it to some of the other Micromax smartphones from the past. It’s stylish as a product – from the edges and sides. For the initial few days, you’ll appreciate the shine around the contours. You’ll even be asked by people. It’ll surely capture the attention of people around. Then when you tell them it’s the Micromax Canvas Knight 2, you’re met with surprise, or disappointment, depending on their perception of Micromax. Clearly, it’s phenomenal work on the build side. Features: 7/10  Having begun with praise on the build quality, the Micromax Canvas Knight 2 certainly looks like a top-of-the-line devices out there. But if you look at the specs sheet, there is still scope for improvement. However, for as a mid-range device it has got all boxes checked. A 5-inch Super AMOLED HD display, Qualcomm Snapdragon 615 chipset, 2GB RAM, 16GB storage, 13MP autofocus dual LED flash, fullHD 30fps video recording, dual SIM with support for 4G SIM cards as well, FM radio and more, it’s a long list of features that gets your attention. Performance: 6/10 The phone does heat up occasionally. Even in the absence of intensive operations. And that’s a matter of concern. The relatively higher temperature was detected while video streaming or video playback. During intensive operations such as gaming, the phone heats up like a hot plate. Call quality was found to be lacking in some areas, specially earpiece speaker not being loud enough. The speakers at the base are quite loud and you could watch an entire movie in your room without missing your headphones.  Qualcomm Snapdragon 615 along with 2GB of RAM ensures that the phone runs smooth. Touch response was speedy and we did not experience any lag while using the phone. Animations were also quick.  Software: 7/10 The software is stock Android. The device tested by us had Android Lollipop 5.0.2. It’s probably good that Micromax didn’t add too much of bloatware to it. There are a lot of pre-installed apps such as Flipkart, Quikr, Clean Master and so on, which can be uninstalled if you so want. However, devices such as the Xiaomi Mi 4, available for much lesser with a similar spec sheet offers a more fluid MIUI in case that is a factor that alters your preference. Any attempt to change the launcher resulted in the interface to crash. Display: 7/10 It’s natural to compare the Canvas Knight 2 to the Xiaomi Mi 4i. And the difference in the two makes quite the difference. The 720x1280 display on the Micromax Canvas Knight 2 offers 294ppi pixel density. In comparison, the Xiaomi Mi 4i offers a 1080x1920 display with approximately 441 ppi. However, thanks to the Super AMOLED display colours are vibrant and contrast ratio is really good. Watching movies on it is a joy. Camera: 8/10  The 13MP camera in the Micromax Canvas Knight 2 is quite effective. We took a series of photos including indoor, macro, outdoor and in all of them autofocus was quick. In fact, you don’t need to install any additional photo editing apps since the default camera app offers most filters, effects and options that you would need for your personal photography interests and social media fascinations. Battery Life: 7/10 The device offered a day’s worth of use with intensive web browsing, instant messaging, BBM, multiple email and social networking accounts, and frequent use of the camera. The PC Mark for Android benchmark recorded 7h 7min, which is less than the 9h 28 min recorded in the Xiaomi Mi 4i (3120 mAh battery). The Knight 2 comes with its own Super power saving mode which can increase the battery life by making the display monochrome and giving you access to only a limited number of apps.

Verdict and Price in India All said and done, the Micromax Canvas Knight 2 is a good phone. For those who prefer a nice build and stock Android on a budget, it’s definitely one to consider. The Knight 2 does suffer from heating issues. However, the Knight 2 will face stiff competition from the Xiaomi Mi 4, with the MIUI, which offers Snapdragon 801 SoC with 3GB of RAM at Rs 14,999, which is lower than the Knight 2. You also have Asus Zenfone 2 which is priced around Rs 14,999. In short, the Knight 2 has a lot of competition.