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Obi phones are relatively new in the Middle East, officially launching in Dubai at the end of September last year. Aimed at the lower-to-mid segment, Obi phones are modestly specced and incredibly affordable, with devices ranging from AED 99 to AED 599.
Today we’re reviewing the Hornbill, which retails at AED 599.
Design & Display
The Hornbill is a massive phone an will certainly appeal to many people. It’s well-built as well, with a textured matte finish which doesn’t feel cheap. A metallic band runs along the sides of the phone, and an elegant metal plate rests below the camera on the back.
The display is 5.5 inches with a 1280×720 resolution. It’s not the sharpest, but it isn’t meant to be. However, a lot of the menus – and the notification menu in particular – are really fuzzy and soft (although that’s a software issue). The colours are good but lacking contrast, but for its price point, it’s quite decent.
Camera & Performance
For a phone at this price, the camera is good. The Hornbill houses a Sony sensor that is 13MP, and the front camera has a 5MP sensor. The quality of the photos varies depending on the lighting situation, but they are all just a little above average, but they lack a bit of colour and sharpness.
When it comes to performance, the phone runs KitKat 4.4.2, and is backed by a 1.3GHz quad-core processor and 1GB of RAM. It has enough processing power to run your apps and games without major problems. A 2200mAh battery powers the Hornbill, and it lasts a good portion of the day before it runs out of juice.
An interesting feature of the phone is gestures, which allows you to access some phone functions from the lock screen by drawing a gesture. For example, while the phone is locked, drawing a “C” on the phone will launch the camera. You can customise these gestures and add a few of your own. This is a feature usually reserved to higher-end phones, so it’s a welcome addition to the Hornbill.
Overall Impression
The Hornbill is a very good phone for its price. At AED 599, it’s competing with the ASUS Zenfone 5, which is priced more. The camera is very good, and has a solid build that does not feel cheap. The software has some quirks – fuzzy menus, graphics, and general lack of contrast are usually detrimental to any phone’s experience, but overall the phone is good value for money.
