Spice QT-52

Overview

Comfortable and Stylish Dual-SIM Phone

Overview of Spice QT52

Spice QT52 from Spice Telecom is a QWERTY keypad bar phone. At first glance, it looks no different from other QWERTY keypad phones in its value range. The most noticeable difference is that it is a twin SIM phone. Therefore, it can concurrently support two different networks through two SIM cards.

Design & Build Quality of Spice QT52

The face design of the Spice QT52 is typically the same as all other QWERTY keypad handsets as mentioned above. It weighs 89.9 grams making it light for its size (111.8 x 60.4 x 13.9mm). Its corners are smoothly curved and it comes with a black face and keypad. The flexible keypad has useful shortcuts for messaging, camera and video as well as playback for audio and video media. Each one of the two networks is also allocated its call button. In addition to the 2.0-inch display, the phone also features a flashlight. The display type is TFT (256K colors) with a resolution of 176 x 220 pixels. The pixel density is 141 ppi (pixels per inch). It is also vibrator enabled for call and message alerts besides having 64 polyphonic ringtones (MP3/WAV/Midi). It operates using a standard Li-Ion 1000 mAh battery that has a maximum talk time of 4 hours and a maximum stand by time of 300 hours. The Spice QT 52 is a 2G enabled phone for both SIM networks (GSM 900/1800 MHz) and has an internal antenna.

User Interface and Comfort to Use Spice QT52

Spice QT52’s Operating System (OS) is Java while its user interface (Menu) is the standard Icon Grid for bar phones. The Menu button is at the right side of the phone, above the End-Call button and one can easily manoeuvre through the Menu Icons to access their phone feature of interest.

Telephony and Phonebook

While the phone is only 2G enabled for both networks, it has a phonebook that allows for 2000 entries. Its call log for the dialled, received, and missed calls displays the last 20 calls for each. Interestingly, it does not have the Speakerphone feature.

Messaging and Emails

This phone supports SMS, MMS and EMS. It can store up to 1000 SMS. There is a predictive option for text editing which can be turned on/off in the messaging options menu. Other features in the Messaging Menu include: SMS Templates, EMS, MMS, and Concatenated Messages, Send to Many, Sent to Group and SMS Counter.

Gallery, Photo Viewer and Video Player

The gallery consists of a digital camera, Video Recorder and a Video Player. The Digital Camera has a photo Storage of up to 2.9 MB for the phone’s inbuilt T-Flash internal memory which is the maximum available storage size for storing pictures and videos in the phone unless supported by an external memory card (up to 4GB).

Spice QT52 Music Player and FM Radio

The phone has an inbuilt Music Player and FM radio. It allows for scheduled FM recording. The quality of the FM sound will depend on signal strength as usual but is has good audio qualities for both features. You may improve the quality of sound by using a superior set of headphones.

Spice QT52 Camera and Image Quality

The phones digital camera is 0.3MP that has zoom features besides allowing the user to adjust brightness levels. It is not flash enabled. The camera operates with a single touch. For 0.3MP, the image quality is generally low.

Video Camera and Video Quality

The video camera is the same (0.3MP) as the still camera. The phone does not have a secondary camera. The video recorder captures motion picture at the rate of 8fps (frames per second) though the video player plays the stored media at a rate of 12 fps. In general, the video quality is also low.

Connectivity Options

The connectivity options for this phone include: WAP version 2.0/GPRS Class 10 (4 + 1/3 + 2 Slots) 32-48 Kbps, Bluetooth version 2.0, USB Ports. The phone does NOT have infrared and Wi-Fi connectivity options.

Organizer and Other Utility Tools

The phone has the standard organizer features like: Calendar, To-Do list and Voice Memo. The other utility features are: Games (Not Java Supported), Alarm, Calculator, Currency Convertor, World Clock (Both 24hr and 12 hr formats) and Incoming Call guard.

Web Browser and Applications

The phone has an internal GPRS/WAP internet browser. The phone’s OS can support the popular Opera Mini browser. However, since the phone is not 3G enabled, its internet speeds are generally slow.

Google Maps and GPS

This phone does not have either of these features.

Distinctive Features

It is almost impossible to come up with distinctive features for the Spice QT52. All its features are pretty much standard and available in other QWERTY Keypad Bar phones.

Value for Money

On average, the phone retails for Rs. 2000 (approx., may vary), and it is relatively good value for money given its limited features. It targets the low-end market where in general the phone’s use is virtually limited to making and receiving calls. However, with advancements in technology, a lot more could be done to improve the phone even for its modest pricing.

Verdict

Most phone users today are more interested in accessing the internet more than making and receiving calls. With this phone being only 2G enabled, it is frustrating for internet users given the slow speeds. This problem is compounded by the low internal memory that could play a role in internet speeds. For social media users, it is not recommendable. The low internal memory could also hampers storage of videos and photos and users will generally be required to purchase a micro SD Memory Card to support this.

The phone makes more sense for the older generation users who have little practical value for the internet. Most users in this generation simply want to dial and receive calls. In addition, the Dual SIM feature allows the user to operate with two mobile service providers simultaneously which means that the user can take advantage of competitive offers from any two different telecommunications companies to either minimize on costs or enjoy value added services. It is a decent phone for Rs. 2000 (approx., may vary).