Xolo 8X-1000 Review: A Fresh New Face

We have reviewed a number of Xolo smartphones in the recent past and have been quite impressed. The company is clearly trying to break away from the general perception that Indian brands only sell cheap, low-quality products that can be dumped into the market with zero actual effort. Of course Xolo phones are manufactured in China just like all others are, but you can generally expect better looks, build quality and hardware than you'd get from other brands.

Xolo has taken the next step in its journey of differentiation by developing its own Android software overlay. All the major Android players, from global giants Samsung, Sony and LG to Chinese upstarts Lenovo, Gionee, Oppo and Xiaomi have their own custom Android skins, and now Xolo has decided it's time to join the club.

In a sea of affordable Android phones with nearly identical specifications (and quite a few recycled design ideas), software is the only way to stand apart and do something unique. If Xolo can manage to come up with something really good, it might help attract and retain customers. On the other hand, companies do tend to go overboard with the razzle-dazzle, making us wish they had just stuck to stock Android. We're looking forward to seeing whether Xolo has managed to balance features, improvements and bloat.

Software aside, the Xolo 8X-1000 is also a pretty interesting device, and we're going to give it the full review treatment.

XOLO 8X-1000 doesn’t carry the run-of-the-mill design we usually see from local manufacturers. Instead, XOLO has gone for a premium looking glass finish for the back with plastic on the sides. Both the front and back are topped with a layer of toughened glass. The side frame is made of plastic but it feels solid and has metallic finish. The right side looks overcrowded with a slot for the microSD slot, power/sleep button and the volume rockers. It took a while for me to get used to the positioning of the power button as I kept pressing the volume rockers instead. The left is relatively bare with just the slot for the dual Micro-SIMs

Lava has gone for iPhone-like front with huge bezels on top and bottom, and relatively narrow bezels on the sides. This makes the XOLO 8X-1000 much taller than it actually is. The bottom bezel houses keys for Home, back and menu, all of which are touch-sensitive, backlit dots. That’s again a weird choice XOLO has made, as it can get confusing for first time users.

Software is the big story with the 8X. It is the first phone to come with Xolo's Hive user interface. Under the Hive, the phone runs Android 4.4.2, which for all practical purposes can be considered the latest version of Android. Actual, the latest version is Android 4.4.4 but let's not harangue Xolo over the missing 0.2. It is of little consequence, especially when the user interface (UI) in the 8X is completely different from the stock Android UI.

With the Hive, Xolo has customised Android completely. From the lockscreen to the notification shade, everything looks different compared to the stock Android. In terms of functionality, not much has been added. But a lot of features are streamlined. For example, power management for better battery performance or security features are all available through simple-to-use apps. Multitasking has been changed and looks similar to how it has been implemented in iOS. The app drawer too has been changed and apps can now be categorized according to their use (social, communication etc) or according to their name. Categorizing apps according to use is a neat idea but doesn't work all that well because the Hive doesn't recognize all apps.

One important component of the Hive is customisation. With the Hive, a user can not only set different these or wallpapers but can also change UI animations and effects. Then, there is the app called Edge, which allows consumers to connect to Xolo servers and download new themes, ringtones and wallpapers. For now, Xolo is working with a number of artists to create these themes and wallpapers but eventual the idea is to grow a community and then allow users to share their wallpapers, themes and ringtones using the Edge app.

Compared to the stock Android interface, we find the Hive neither good nor bad. It exists. Just like the MIUI and Touchwiz. One good thing about the Hive is that it doesn't look hideous and it is well optimised so there are no odd performance issues. The UI is done tastefully and we are sure that a lot of consumers will find it pretty. But at the same time, there is every chance that many will find it bloated and cartoonish, just the way they feel about something like Touchwiz or HTC Sense.

The 8MP camera of Xolo 8X-1000 is quite good for the price. You can pick between different filters - such as sepia, dark and white - and the usual shooting modes, such as Auto, Pro, HDR and Panorama. Its Gesture Mode, where the phone detects bunny ears to take the photo, is a hit and miss feature and does not always work.

Photos taken using Xolo 8X-1000's 8MP camera under daylight deliver images with accurate colours and good white balance. Even photos taken in the dark look nice but a bit oversaturated, with a little less noise than we are used to with cameras in this price range.

It's clear that a lot of effort and even some original thought has gone into the Hive UI. Considering this is the company's first release, it's very polished and no major features are missing. We hope to see regular updates that improve usability and flexibility. A few months from now users might prefer stock Android L to any custom skin, so it will be interesting to see how Xolo evolves the Hive UI from here.

The 8X-1000 seems to be targeted at style-conscious users who like to stand out and are more concerned with features than performance. There are of course things about it we'd like to change, but again, it's a sign that the company is moving in a good direction. We've said before that Xolo stands out from the crowd of Indian smartphone brands, and now with this new combination of hardware and software, it's almost ready to leave them all behind in the dust.

This is not the phone to buy if you're concerned about battery life or raw performance, but it does come across as a viable alternative to similarly priced models from Gionee, Oppo, Lenovo and other value-oriented brands.