Micromax launches Canvas 4 for Rs 17,999

Micromax on Monday (July 8) officially launched its next flagship smartphone, the Canvas 4, the one about which teasers had been released during the India-Pakistan ICC Champions Trophy match last month. Priced at Rs 17,999, it features a five-inch display with 720x1280 pixel resolution, a 1.2Ghz quad core processor, along with 1GB RAM. It comes with an internal storage of 16GB and supports an expandable memory of up to 32GB.

The device has an aluminum band running around its sides, the upper part of which acts as an antenna for Wi-Fi, GPS and Bluetooth and the lower part for the GSM network. It has a plastic back. There is a 13 MP rear camera and a 5MP front facing camera onboard with advanced imaging features such as vertical panorama.

There are a lot of add-ons such as 'blow to unlock' facility, a dial phone, an upside speaker, proximity multi-video viewing, video/browser pop out, and so forth. Look away and the video stops on its own. While 'blow to unlock' is a new feature, some of these features can be found on Samsung's flagship smartphones too. The Canvas 4 also has a Corning Glass, and responds even to a gloved hand's touch. There is also a special glass-aluminium cover for the box but it costs another Rs 3,000.

Micromax maintains it has had 11,500 pre-bookings in less than a week without even having revealed much about the phone's specifications or price.

The flagship smartphone is likely to face competition from Samsung Galaxy Quattro that boasts a 4.7-inch display and a quad-core processor.

According to Rahul Sharma, Co-Founder, Micromax, "Canvas 4 combines great functionality and style, complemented by an entire eco-system of applications that directly address the needs of our evolving customers."

In the fifth year of mobile operations, the wholly indigenous Micromax is now a Rs 3,100 crore company with a market share of 17.1 per cent.