Micromax Canvas Doodle 3 A102 Unboxing
The Canvas Doodle 3 A102 is the third phone in the Doodle series from Micromax. Although the series saw wildly different phones when transitioning from the first to the second and now the third iteration. The Canvas Doodle 3 comes with a 6-inch FWVGA display which is a rather low-resolution affair powered by a 1.3 GHz dual-core MediaTek MT6572 processor with 512 MB RAM running Android 4.2.2 Jelly Bean. But the Canvas Doodle 3 has been priced at about Rs. 8500 making a large 6-inch smartphone available to the majority of the bargain hunters. But does the 6-inch phablet fit into the entry-level segment and how big is the phone really? Let's find out more about the Canvas Doodle 3 in our Unboxing.
Unboxing Video
In the Box
Inside the box of the Canvas Doodle 3 apart from the usual accessories you get a screenguard as well as a smart flip-cover which already comes fitted on the phone. Don't worry there's a separate back-panel within the box as well.
Box Contents
- Micromax Canvas Doodle 3 A102
- Smart-Flip Cover (already on phone)
- Separate Back-cover
- Screenguard
- 2500 mAh Battery
- White Headset
- USB Wall-charger
- USB Data-cable
- User Guide, SAR Notification and Warranty Statements
All the accessories especially the Smart Cover is excellent in quality, the headset is a bit iffy but we can live with that.
Hardware Overview
We get the same MediaTek MT6572 dual-core chipset found on almost every entry-level handset in this segment. Apart from that you have a 6-inch FWVGA display with a low pixel density of 163 PPI but the display actually doesn't look that bad (more on that later). There's 512 MB RAM and 4 GB internal storage out of which you have 1.27 GB as Internal Storage and just 656 MB as Phone Storage, it is expandable using microSD cards upto 32 GB. There's a substantially large 2500 mAh battery available on the Doodle 3 which would be required to power that large display.
There's a 5 MP auto-focus camera at the back with a single LED flash alongwith a VGA front-facing unit. The Canvas Doodle 3 is a dual-SIM device as well and takes full-size SIM cards. In the connectivity department you have 3G WCDMA support alongwith WiFi b/g/n, Bluetooth, FM Radio and GPS with aGPS.
In terms of sensors you have an Accelerometer, Proximity Sensor and Light Sensor as well.
Build
Right off the bat, I can say that the Canvas Doodle 3 has good build quality plus it looks quite elegant. Its design might remind you of the Note series. It is elegant especially in white.
In the front you have the 6-inch display which is a bit deep-set into the front-panel. Just below the display are three capacitive buttons for menu, home and back. They are backlit, but there is a little bit of light bleed. The side-bezels of the display are a bit larger than we would have liked, making the phone a bit uneasy to handle in one hand. But considering you are buying a 6-inch device you wouldn't be thinking of using it in one hand anyways. The sides of the front-panel are raised a bit so that the display never comes in direct contact when the phone is laid flat on its front.
Just above the display is the VGA front-facing camera, a very small notification LED which is not visible until it lights up alongwith the main earpiece as well as the proximity and light sensors.
At the bottom you just have a space to open the back-cover. There's a metallic side-trim which runs on the sides of the frame, it is not that glossy and gives an elegant appeal to the device. At the top you can find the 3.5 mm audio-jack as well as the microUSB data-syncing/charging port.
You have the volume rocker as well as power lock/unlock button on the right. These wobble somewhat but offer good feedback. They are made of same material as the side-trim keeping the design homogeneous.
At the back you have the 5 MP camera alongwith LED flash which adds a bit of a hump, the micromax logo can be found just below it and the speakerphone at the bottom. The speakerphone is a bit flush with the back, so sound will be muffled when the phone is laid flat on its back.
The back on both the flip-cover and the back-cover have a matte finish which makes the phone easier to hold. The side trim also helps in gripping the phone better. On opening the back-cover you will find two full-size with the microSD card slot to its left. Just below these is the battery compartment which takes in the mammoth 2500 mAh battery.
Overall the device might seem bulky to look at, but its relatively light but its a bit big for single-handed use. It has good construction, with no creaking or flex anywhere.
First Impressions
The Canvas Doodle 3 is a good device when it comes to the build and overall design, it looks elegant and the material choices with the back & flip-cover give it a few more brownie points. But then we have the 6-inch display which has a pedestrian FWVGA resolution giving the display a mere 163 PPI pixel density. But these are specs on paper, in real observation the display doesn't look that bad. Yes, the text and icons are pixelated but not as much as the numbers show. The display is bright with good color reproduction and touch-response. The viewing angles are adequate as well.
With the time we spent with the Doodle 3 A102 after unboxing we found that it performed reasonably well with no lag in the interface. There is some customization here and there which require an in-depth look. Coming to the smart-cover, its an excellent inclusion. Apart from the fact that if protects your phone, it adds the ability to see notifications, time/date as well as answer/reject calls without even opening up the cover. We will take a look at what additional functionality it offers. Overall for about Rs. 8500, the Canvas Doodle 3 provides a value proposition for someone looking for a 6-inch device.
