Double effect - Review Micromax Gravity GC700

Double effect

Except for a couple of models from Samsung and others, there are not many dual-SIM phones that can take both CDMA and GSM SIM cards. With the manufacturers staying away from the concept, some Chinese companies had made this sector their own last year. That was till a company called Micromax changed everything with its model called Gravity.

When I got my hands on the Micromax GC700 Gravity, I was surprised by its good build quality and game console-like feel. The Gravity is a nicely crafted phone and it is obvious that a lot of thought has gone into making it look expensive. The Gravity looks and feels a lot like a portable gaming device with its 4-way controllers, power buttons, speaker/microphone all on both sides, till you realise that the C and G in the centre of these 4-way D Pads actually stand for CDMA and GSM.

Since the phone has a Gravity sensor (motion sensor), you can use CDMA by holding the set in such a manner that the C becomes the microphone and G speaker. Turn it 180 degrees, with G as your microphone and C the speaker, and the phone starts to work on GSM Mode. The screen, which shows you the network you are on, has quick graphics and switches pretty fast. If you don’t want to keep flipping your phone, you can just click on either C or G on the screen while dialling to choose the network.

Similarly, every time a call comes in the phone shows the incoming network. Another brilliant feature is the C or G labels on SMSes to show which network it was received on.

The interface features slide-to-unlock, a feature becoming common with Chinese phones these days. The dialler looks much like the iPhone, and the keys become end and start key as you want them. You also have the option of using the soft keys on the screen.

However, the 2.8” screen does not really look that big when it comes to typing out messages. It also does not work in landscape mode, making typing on the screen a bit of a hassle.

I loved the speakers and the quality of the speaker phone, which I thought had a very natural tone. Though I will not recommend it to music aficionados, the ringtones sound nice, and the speakers are good enough for listening to a song once in a while.

However, I did not like the touchscreen which wasn’t a joy to use without the bundled stylus. I also hate it when you have to remove the back cover every time you want to take out or put in a memory card. Plus, the Rs 12,999 price tag seems very high, as even Samsung is selling in the same range.

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The above article / review was printed in the Indian Express, on Sunday 12th July 2009.