XOLO Pulls a Xiaomi : Releases HIVE, its Own UI !
Indian mobile phone manufacturer, XOLO, today unveiled their new phone, the Xolo 8X-1000. The phone is running on its proprietary User Interface (UI) called HIVE. HIVE like Xiaomi’s MIUI is based on Android but comes with plentiful customization options.
The phone is designed with an India centric appeal
HIVE looks interesting in the first look. The OS is designed with “Made in India, Made for India” philosophy and created by our Software Design Centre at Bangalore. The UI is based on Android KitKat 4.4 which makes the phone an up-to-date effort. HIVE allows users to select from a vast library of customization options. The UI lets you chose themes, launcher, widgets, customized system apps that offer additional features. HIVE also allows users to connect to Xolo’s development team and get feedbacks. It also lets users contribute creatively to the platform and help it grow, thereby making it a step forward in terms of personalization.
The phones provide immense personalization features
Xolo’s HIVE also comes with a multimedia app called Fusion X which consolidates video, audio and radio on one platform. It provides curation services; recommending content based on user’s selections. It is also integrated with YouTube.
The phone itself has some decent specs. Its processing strength comes from a 1.4 GHz Mediatek octa core processor. We have seen this processor before at this clock speed on the HTC Desire 616, and it was able to churn out some good performance. It will be interesting to see how XOLO works out with the power hungry octa core processor’s optimization especially when the battery stands at 1920 mAh. XOLO has mentioned some battery test figures which look decent, but we won’t endorse it until we have tested it on our own.
The round dial controls sure are a welcome departure from the usual Android fare
XOLO has given a 5 inch, 1280X720, Gorilla Glass 3 display capable of pixel density of 294 ppi. The camera on the device is an 8 MP shooter with Sony’s Exmor R Sensor with a wide f/2.0 aperture. The camera is capable of full HD (1080p) recording along with features like Scene detection and tuning, vertical & horizontal panorama capture, face beautification, gesture detection, voice capture and object tracking.
The 8X-1000 is going to compete with the likes of Moto G and Xiaomi Mi3. The phone is priced at Rs. 13,999, exactly as much as the Mi3 on Flipkart. On paper the 8X-1000 and HIVE look really impressive. If they had priced it a little less, they could have provided an Indian alternative to the Mi3 with the pride of an India made tag. Xolo can take advantage of the Mi3’s limited stocks and find itself some admirers. But at the end of the day, this is an audacious step for an Indian phone manufacturer, and they need to be commended for their efforts. Your turn Micromax, the number 1 Indian brand, what’ve you got?
