Micromax Canvas Doodle 4 Express Review: Big screen is the only USP of this phone

In May, Micromax launched the Canvas Doodle 4, the six-inch screen version of its highly successful Doodle series. Micromax claims it has sold over 1 million Doodle devices. So does the new six-inch Canvas Doodle 4 priced at Rs 9,499 live up to the mark? We used the device for some time and here's our take on the Canvas Doodle 4.

Specs: 6-inch qHD with Corning Gorilla Glass 3 | Mediatek 1.3GHz Quad-core processor| 1GB DDR3 RAM with 8 GB storage space with microSD slot support| 3000 mAh battery |Android 5.0 (Lollipop) 8 megapixel AF primary camera, 2 megapixel front camera|

Read more: Not a phone, not a tablet: Do you really need a 6-inch phablet?

Price: Rs 9,499.

Design, Screen: Micromax's Canvas Doodle 4 is a pretty bulky device in every sense. With a 6-inch screen, this is no tiny phone. Personally, I do not like devices with 5-inch and bigger screens, since I have small hands and find it impossible to handle such phones.

But then India loves phablets and the 6-inch screen will be the USP of this phone. The silver metal frame and the plastic cover is nothing really revolutionary, but the overall look of the phone is decent. I must underline that the plastic rear cover gets covered in smudges very quickly.

Canvas Doodle 4 is a decent performer, but the low-quality screen is a let-down. (Source: Shruti Dhapola)

The 6-inch qHD screen is nothing to boast about, except for the size. Given that full HD and HD screen devices are available in this price range, I am not convinced users need to downgrade their viewing experience just for a bigger screen.

Performance, Apps: Micromax has loaded this with apps once again. They have a trending app store, which I don't really see as being useful. Why add bloatware, especially when it results in annoying notifications. I got notifications from apps like Airtel, Wynk, which are not even installed in the phone. There is a limit to how many times one can go to the settings and turn off notifications for an app.

In terms of benchmarks, the Micromax Canvas Doodle 4 does not score very high on Antutu (well below Asus Zenfone 5) and in GeekBench 3, it is just above the first-gen Moto G. Benchmarks of course are not the complete story in a phone's performance.

The audio quality on Doodle 4 is nothing to boast about either. (Source: Shruti Dhapola)

Since the phone is called Doodle, and it comes with Skitch app for Doodling, I tried doing some doodling. Perhaps I'm a terrible doodler, but getting the screen to accurately respond to what I was trying to draw was a struggle. Frankly the doodling purpose is a bit lost on me.

Read more: Micromax Canvas Doodle 3 gives you 6 inch-screen for Rs 8,500

As far as apps go, I did not really face any issues getting the phone to respond to basic games like your Fruit Ninja or even apps like Myntra, although I am pretty sure that the Doodle 4 is not ideal for graphics heavy games.

In terms of call quality, which is a crucial feature in a phone, I would say the Doodle 4 fails. While I could barely hear what my caller was saying, the other person on the line had trouble listening too. In contrast to this, listening to music on the Doodle 4 is a decent experience.

Camera: The 8 megapixel rear camera and 2 megapixel camera are nothing spectacular and while the camera responds fairly fast, it's best not to expect stunning shots. Colour reproduction is not the best but acceptable. Below are some shots from the camera.

Shots taken from Doodle 4. (Source: Shruti Dhapola) Another shot taken from the Doodle 4. (Source: Shruti Dhapola )

Battery: The Canvas Doodle 4 has a 3000 mAh battery and it will easily last you a day with the regular use. Even with the Internet being constantly on, and a bunch of notifications coming in, the battery lasted for me quite easily.

The battery of the Canvas Doodle 4 is not removable. (Source: Shruti Dhapola)

Verdict: The Canvas Doodle 4 is a decent performer. I really don't have too many complaints other than the audio quality and the lacklustre camera. But this phone is aimed at those who want a big screen device (6-inch or more) and have a budget of Rs 10,000. If you are one of those, then the Doodle 4 makes sense.

If you don't care for 6-inch screens, the number of options in the market is unlimited and here in my opinion, the Doodle 4 does not make the cut.

Source: Micromax Canvas Doodle 4 Express Review: Big screen is the only USP of this phone