XOLO has launched the Black 1X that is the 2nd handset in the Black series. The 1X is powered by 64 Bit Octa Core processor, it is running Hive UI based on Android Lollipop and loaded with 3GB RAM and 32GB internal storage. The Black 1X is priced at under ₹10,000.

XOLO Black 1X Unboxing
Inside the box you will find the Black 1X handset, screen guard, SIM Tray ejector pin, user guide, warranty card, data cable and travel charger (5V ~ 1A). Earphone is not included in the box. SAR value : less than  1.6W/kg.

Design
The Black 1X body is made of plastic. The design is a bit different when compared with other smartphones and that also makes the handset look unique. The left and right sides have metallic finishing (plastic) and top and bottom sides have leather type finishing (plastic). 1X has got a curvy design with no sharp edges.

XOLO Black 1X review and unboxing

Handset is extremely comfortable to hold, its amazingly light weight at 126 grams with battery and dimensions are 72.25 x 144.55 x 7.50mm. The rear side has got a glass layer that looks almost like the front screen.

XOLO Black 1X back panel

Power button and volume rocker is on the left side. SIM tray is on the right side. Audio jack on the top and at the bottom there is mic, dual vents (only one speaker) and micro USB port.

There are dual SIM slots – SIM 1 is a nano SIM slot and SIM 2 is hybrid slot that can hold a micro SD card or a nano SIM. So you can use Nano SIM + Nano SIM or Nano SIM + micro SD card.

XOLO Black 1X dual SIM slot SIM + Hybrid

Native video calling is not supported. There is LED notification and good number of sensors – Accelerometer, light, proximity, Gyro, hall and Magnetic.

Display
The Black 1X sports a 5 inch screen with full HD resolution (1920 x 1080p). The screen also comes with dragon trail glass protection. Colour reproduction is good, touch is smooth and responsive and viewing angles are also pretty good.

XOLO Black 1X 5 inch FHD screen

Memory, Storage and OS
1X is loaded with 3GB RAM (about 2GB free on first boot) and 32GB ROM (29GB free). There is micro SD card slot and apps are getting installed on external storage. OTG also works – you can connect pendrives using OTG cable or directly use OTG pen drives.

This handset is running Hive Atlas UI based on android Lollipop 5.1 (64 bit).

XOLO Black 1X review

Performance
The XOLO Black 1X is using MediaTek MT6735 (antutu reports it as MT6753 which is correct) 1.3GHz 64 Bit Cortex A53 octa core processor coupled with Mali T720 GPU. Performance is smooth, no lags and handset heat up is well under control – max battery temperature I encountered was 40 degrees.

Benchmark

Benchmark App Score
Quadrant 16164
Antutu (64 bit) 1st – 33372 , 2nd – 33240
Nenamark 2 53.4fps
Multi touch 5 point

Gaming
Asphalt 8 got installed on the external storage space. I played the game in high visual quality mode and it was playable. There was a minor lag (hardly noticeable). This smartphone can play many high end games.

Camera
There is a 13MP AF camera on the rear with single LED flash support. Front camera is 5MP resolution and also comes with front flash support. Camera quality is average. Outdoor shots turned out great, though it was not able to focus minimum closeup objects that were possible using other handsets. You will need to move slightly away from the subject for closeup to avoid blurry focus.

Night / low light shots is disappointing. Check the sample images and video at the end of this review.

XOLO Black 1X 13MP camera with flash

Others
Sound output is little low (running media files / playing games) when compared in general, but acceptable, however ringtone volume is quite loud. In-Call sound quality and volume (loudness) is good. 4G worked on both the SIM slots both 1800 and 2300 bands are supported ( I am using 2300 band). No issues with WiFi, GPS (fast lock) and Bluetooth.

Battery Performance
1x houses a 2400 mAh non-removable battery that takes less than 3 hours to fully charge. Battery performance is okay, you can expect 3 to 4 hours of continuous moderate to heavy usage. The handset will last for just about a day / over a day with mixed usage.

Performance Time Battery drop % Battery Max Temp
Benchmark 12 Minutes 5% 38 degree
Gaming (Asphalt 8) 18 Minutes 10% 39 degree
FHD movie play with full brightness + Wi-Fi on 18 minutes 9% 39 degree
Wall Charge (on standby) 2 hours 45 minutes 15% to 100% (wall charge) 36 degree

Verdict
For the price the XOLO Black 1X looks really good. The key attraction is 3GB RAM, 32GB storage, 5 inch FHD screen, light weight and unique design. Camera and battery performance are average. Overall a good buy for price tag of under ₹10,000.

XOLO Black 1X is priced at ₹9,999 (on Snapdeal).

Image Gallery

Rear Camera Sample

Front Camera Sample

Video Review

By Rajeev Rana

Founder and Chief Editor - gogi.in