CREO wants to take on Android flagships with its $300 Mark 1 smartphone

After teasing its first phone last month, Bangalore, India-based CREO has launched the Mark 1 in New Delhi today with the promise of a new software feature each month and top-of-the-line specifications.
The dual-SIM Mark 1 features a 5.5-inch quad HD display and runs the company’s own Fuel OS layer atop Android 5.1.

                           

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Under the hood, you’ll find a 1.95GHz Mediatek Helio X10 octa-core processor paired with 3GB RAM and 32GB of onboard storage. You can add up to 128GB more space with a microSD card.
The 3,100mAh battery supports quick charging so you can get two hours of talk time in 10 minutes.
For imaging, the Mark 1 sports a 21-megapixel camera on the rear with support for 4K video as well as 120fps slow-motion recording in full HD.
There’s also an 8-megapixel camera for selfies along with a 3D photo feature that exports animated pictures as GIFs. It’s all packed into a 190g device that’s available in a gun-metal finish, which you can personalize by having your name or a custom message laser engraved onto the side bezel.
CREO’s own Fuel OS sticks with a mostly stock Android interface and adds own a few interesting features, a number of which are borne out of suggestions from its users. For one, its Sense assistant can be invoked by double-tapping the hardware home button to search for anything on the device, from apps to contacts to help using its software.
It also comes with Echo, a built-in voicemail inbox. You can use it to respond to a call with a customized greeting when you’re too busy to answer it, and retrieve the recorded messages at any time.


Retriever is designed to help you find your phone if it’s stolen. When a new SIM is inserted, the app automatically sends an alert to your email address with the new phone number associated with it, along with the device’s location. — all without an internet connection.
In addition, the company says it will deliver regular updates with a new feature each month. In May, the Mark 1 is scheduled to get a new photo editing tool and a fullscreen flash for selfies.
CREO’s Mark 1 will go on sale in India for Rs. 19,999 ($300) on Flipkart as well as the company’s site.

It’ll be interesting to see if the fledgling hardware firm can beat out flagships like the OnePlus 2 and the Moto X. It already comes in at a lower price point and offers a unique way to personalize the device, and it’s set a challenge for itself to deliver useful features over time.
Stay tuned for an in-depth review in the coming weeks.