Micromax Bharat 1

price₹ 2,200 onwards

launchOct, 2017

11.6

excellence score

ranked #178 in best phones under Rs. 5,000

52.0

value for money score

ranked #212 in best value for money phones under Rs. 5,000

The phone comes with an "unlimited" voice calls and "unlimited" high-speed data plan from BSNL at Rs. 97 per month. Read more here

Not available at any of our listed stores

2-Minute Review

Let's cut through the noise, and get to the crux of it. 4 Expert Reviews analysed and summarised by the PhoneCurry Editorial Team, in a short and sweet 2-minute review.

Design

Basic, clean feature phone design
Sturdy build
The T9 keyboard has spacious placement of buttons, which is comfortable to use even if you have broad fingers
One edge the Bharat 1 phone has over JioPhone is that it is a network-unlocked device, so you can use it with any network (although the very attractive INR 97/month unlimited data/calling plan is only available with BSNL - and that really is the trump card for this phone)
It's use case can be both as a competent primary device for say rural audiences, that have previously used less capable feature phones, or even as a secondary back-up phone for smartphone users, especially given the long lasting battery
If you are coming from a smartphone experience, and are used to a QWERTY keyboard, using the T9 keyboard can be a struggle

Display

The 2.4-inch screen is basic and certainly feels small while watching content on YouTube and scrolling through Facebook - the viewing angles are pretty limited too

Software

Built-in apps like Facebook, WhatsApp and YouTube are game-changers - very few other feature phones have them
Opera Mini for web browsing works fine too
There's a cursor for navigating inside multimedia apps, which can feel tiring at times
Also lacks the in-built content network of Jio via MyJio apps

Performance

Overall performance is pretty limited too (again as you would expect from a feature phone)

Camera

The two cameras are pretty basic as well (as you would expect) and their use is limited to well-lit areas

Battery

Very good battery life - should comfortably last about 2-3 days with moderate use

Useful torch
The overall 3 year ownership cost of the phone (including the mobile plans) is pretty similar to JioPhone
Other connectivity options are solid too - there's Bluetooth for easy sharing, Wi-Fi, tethering and portable hotspot and GPS built inside
On the whole, as far as feature phones go, the Bharat 1 is a solid device, and the BSNL plan makes it even more attractive - and a straight competition to the other big feature phone name - JioPhone
Lacks voice commands that are present on JioPhone