What's good
- Guaranteed first Android OS updates
- Smooth performance during basic and intensive tasks
- Vibrant display colors
What's bad
- No protective coating on screen leads to scuffing and scratches
- Requires microSD card to take pictures
As part of the Android One lineup, the Karbonn Sparkle V offers updates to the latest Android OS for at least two years after its release. This could give it a big advantage, especially in the competitive budget phone market. Besides this, the Sparkle V is a purely budget phone. It offers an all plastic body with a removable back. While not the slimmest device at 0.36 inches thick, reviewers add that it has a good in-hand feel and doesn't feel too bulky.
Experts were not blown away by the 4.5 inch display as it only offers a resolution of 480p. For the price, however, they were quite pleased with the vibrant colors, responsive touch screen and overall brightness. Despite the relatively low resolution and pixel density, critics describe the overall viewing experience as decent. The one drawback of the display is its lack of protective coating on the glass. Not only does it lead to a higher chance of scuffs and scratches, reviewers also found that it attracted dust and fingerprint smudges.
As with the display, the internal specs aren't anything to write home about. It comes equipped with a 1.3GHz quad-core processor and 1GB of RAM. While certainly not top of the line, it still provided reviewers with a fairly smooth and lag-free performance during more basic tasks like scrolling through the UI as well as graphics intensive games. Unfortunately, it only comes with 4GB of RAM of which users can only access 2.27GB. Not only does this limit the amount of apps that can be downloaded, it also prevented experts from taking pictures with the camera unless they expanded the memory with a microSD card. Even then, memory is only expandable to 32GB.
Speaking of cameras, the Sparkle comes equipped with a 5MP main camera that is also capable of taking 1080p videos. Fone Arena describes the camera as "decent" but lacking in overall detail especially during low-light shots.
It might not be the most powerful or stylish smartphone, but reviewers consider the Sparkle V a good budget option. Digit states, "…this handset is very stable and with full support from Google, it isn't a bad option at all."
What the Critics Are Saying...
- Michael Sawh, TrustedReviewsIf you’re looking to buy a phone under £150 and having stock Android matters to you, we’d still say give the Sparkle V a miss. It simply doesn’t offer anything new or groundbreaking to warrant your attention over other smartphones in that price bracket. We thought Android On...
- Alexandru Stănescu, GSM DomeKarbonn Sparkle V gets from us an 8.8 for design, a 9.3 for hardware and a 9.7 for OS and UI. The final grade is 9.26 out of 10 and this one is certainly a must buy model for less than $100. It’s a fast phone, with fluid interface, surprisingly good camera and OK battery for its price range.
- Srivatsan, Fone ArenaOverall, the Karbonn Sparkle V is a decent budget smartphone running stock Android in this price range. It doesn’t have matte back like the Canvas A1 or the Spice Dream UNO and comes with more pre-loaded third-party apps. At a new price tag of Rs. 5,999, if you can compromise on the display, c...
- Kunal Khullar, DigitThis handset is very stable and with full support from Google, it isn’t a bad option at all.
Prices (Where to Buy)
Common Questions
Karbonn backs up the Sparkle V with a 1 Year parts & labour warranty.
If your Sparkle V has problems and is still within its warranty period, you could contact Karbonn support or the retailer you purchased the phone from. You'll find Karbonn's contact information here. If your phone is off warranty and needs repair for a physical problem such as a broken screen or bad battery, you should visit an authorized service centre or a local phone repair shop. You can also connect with others in The Informr Community Forum to find and share answers to questions.
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