By Sourabh Kulesh,

New Delhi, (IANS) : At a time when affordable smartphones are slowly penetrating the hinterland where people were till now using basic feature phones, domestic manufacturers are tapping into the growing aspirations and offering devices with add-ons like a virtual reality (VR) headset.

Famous for its budget smartphones, Intex has introduced the Rs 5,099 Intex Aqua 5.5 VR smartphone that comes bundled with a Google cardboard-type VR.

Here is what works for the device.

The champagne-coloured Intex Aqua 5.5 VR has 5.5-inch IPD HD display. Given the price and the fact that it is a smartphone with VR, the company has taken special care of the display.

The company has provided a VR kit that includes rubber clamps for lenses. The box also has a back cover and screen protector for the device.

The phone runs on MediaTek’s MT6737 quad-core processor with just 1GB RAM and has an 8GB onboard memory that can be expanded by a 32GB microSD card.

The two SIM and one microSD card slots under the removable back panel allow people to use all three simultaneously.

The 5MP rear and front cameras are basic and worked well in good light conditions. The device has dual-LED flash for the rear camera and a single-LED flash for the front shooter; so clicking selfies in low-light was not a problem.

Intex Aqua 5.5 VR runs on Android 6.0 and has several pre-installed apps, including Opera Mini and a host of MyJio apps. The device also comes bundled with a VR and a 360-degree video.

One can also download other VR content from Google Play Store and enjoy the experience (we rate the experience fairly good).

The 2,800mAh battery ran for a day with average usage, but the device used more power when playing VR content on it.

What doesn’t work?

Although a VR cardboard with the box is a good move, the quality and durability of the VR set are debatable.

At a time when several domestic and Chinese players are offering better specifications in a similar price range, an 8GB inbuilt storage with 1GB RAM is a disappointment.

Conclusion: A basic entry-level smartphone for people who want to experience VR. Buy the device for moderate use and your first VR experience.

(Sourabh Kulesh can be contacted at sourabh.k@ians.in)