Walton Primo HM2 Review: Great Design, Great Battery Life

For our review today, we’re taking a look at Walton’s Primo HM2. This review is pretty interesting because we reviewed a device with very similar specifications just before this and can therefore give you a very good idea about how certain aspects of a device can affect the end user experience. Enough chit-chat, let’s start off with the design!

Design & Hardware

The main reason consumers would be interested in the HM2 is the design. The phone has an elegant, sleek and modern design language that is very attractive. Walton has implemented a very simple but effective strategy here by keeping things plain and clean. The profile of the device itself draws attention. This coupled with the dual chrome edges make for a very nice package. The shiny lining is obviously plastic but we’re not complaining here.

The back of the device is removable and the camera is ever so slightly raised from it. There is a nice thick metal run around the camera module which should do a good enough job at protecting the lens when the device is laid flat on its back. The buttons too are metal and feel very good. They are clicky and responsive and are positioned on the right hand side within reach of your fingers. Along the bottom of the back lies the speaker grill. The rear is not an ideal place to position the speakers but the loud audio and makes up for that. There is also the utility of a notification LED  located near the top right corner. We’re also glad to let you know the device supports OTG.

We should also mention that the device is very light at 150 grams and only 7.9mm thin. What is most surprising is the fact that the HM2 houses a large 3,000mAh battery inside yet manages to be so thin and light. These combined make the phone easy to handle in one hand and quite comfortable to use.

Software

We here at Techetron are huge fans of stock Android and Lollipop, despite its bugs, remains our top pick. Lollipop is a prime example of how great Android’s user interface has become over the years. Coming off of a device running KitKat, Lollipop was wonderful. The entire OS is more or less stock however the app drawer and homescreen looks like KitKat. Other than that, the notifications panel, settings menu and lock screen are completely stock.

Walton still has packed a few tricks in the HM2 though. There are gesture controls in the settings that allow you to perform actions while the screen is powered down. As always, the gestures worked as advertised and added utility to the device. To make things better, the HM2 also has OTA update support, in fact we got an update for the device the day it was unboxed and everything went smoothly.

Performance

Inside the HM2 we have a quad-core 1.3GHz MediaTek processor, 1GB RAM, Mali 400 GPU and 8GB ROM (User accessible 5.07GB). Operation of the device feels nice and smooth although that may have more to do with the software rather than the specifications.

Day to day use was great and most applications worked without a hitch. In terms of more intense games, the device will not perform like some of the other Walton devices we looked at. With 1GB RAM, intense multitasking is not an option but it is enough to get everyday tasks done without hindrance. Expect to restart games especially from time to time because of this.

Battery life on the HM2 is good great. It is good enough to get you through a more than a whole day but i would not count on it lasting two days. The battery life is helped by good standby time ( I lost only a few percent charge overnight) which should overall allow you to squeeze a lot of usage time out of the device. The battery is 3,000mAh and is sealed in. This means that the battery can not be removed. This may sound like a disadvantage but it was necessary to seal the battery in order to keep the device so thin.

Camera

The main camera is an 8 Megapixel BSI unit and the front camera is a 5 Megapixel BSI unit. Starting with the front camera, images were great. 5 Megapixels are more than enough to produce high quality selfies. There is a lot of detail in the images and overall results are good in most circumstances.

The rear camera is more of the same story. Images are pretty and have good colours but the lower Megapixel count makes zooming and cropping difficult. Images captured in low light situations fared better than expected and is thus a great advantage. Daylight photos, as always, were very nice.

Display

The display is a highpoint of the HM2. With a resolution of 1280 X 720 (HD)  and a pixel density of 294ppi, everything on the IPS screen looks great. It is 5 inches diagonally and is just the right size for those seeking a lot of real estate but not willing to dive into phablet territory.

Text looks sharp, images look crisp and contrast is nice too. The screen is bright enough to use outdoors but we would have preferred it a tad bit brighter. The display can get very dim though, making it comfortable to use when all the lights are switched off. Viewing angles are good as well and colour reproduction is nice. To top things off we have first generation Gorilla Glass protecting the screen from damage.

Conclusion

The Walton Primo HM2 is a budget minded handset with an attractive design and a great HD display. At Tk/-9,440 (Tk/-8,968 online) the Primo HM2 is an excellent example of a device that will keep up with everyday use. This smartphone is for those who want  great user experience, a long lasting battery, great design and a price tag that won’t break the bank. The device is available in black or white and is a very good buy, taking all things into consideration. That was it for our written review, just wait a few more days for the video!