Canvas Doodle 2 vs. Galaxy Mega 5.8: Can Micromax Device Dent Samsung’s Strong Hold on Phablet Business?

Popular indigenous smartphone maker, Micromax launched its much-awaited second generation phablet Canvas Doodle 2 earlier this week which is currently witnessing a spurt in sales, and it could cause a possible threat to Samsung's mid-range phablet.

As per the recent report of the Indian arm of the market watch dog, IDC (International Data Corporation), the subcontinent witnessed 30-percent growth in phablets sales among the total smartphone shipments in the second quarter led by local manufacturers Micromax, Karbonn and others sending jitters to MNC players especially Samsung.

Micromax is placed second with 22 percent market share, just 4 percent lesser than the market leader Samsung (26 percent). Now, with the launch of Canvas Doodle 2, Micromax has a perfect arsenal against Samsung's recently released mid-range phablet Galaxy Mega 5.8. If buyers get swayed towards Micromax's competitively priced feature-rich device, the Indian company may very well topple the South Korean firm in the current third quarter.

Here is a brief description of difference between Micromax Canvas Doodle 2 and Samsung Galaxy Mega 5.8:

Display:

Micromax's new phablet flaunts a 5.7-inch IPS LCD screen with HD 720x1280p resolution having a pixel density close to 258 ppi (pixels per inch), whereas the Samsung Galaxy Mega 5.8 features a rather dull TFT screen with qHD 540x960p resolution having pixel density of 190 ppi.

Processor, RAM and Storage:

In terms of power, Canvas Doodle 2 packs a MediaTek quad-core processor which can top CPU speed close to 1.2GHz and house 1GB RAM with 16GB inbuilt memory (no microSD slot).

On the other hand, Samsung's phablet houses a faster 1.4GHz dual-core processor and pack 1.5GB RAM and 8GB memory which can expand up to 64GB via microSD card. In this aspect, Samsung takes lead, thanks to sumptuous storage options and fast CPU.

Camera:

Samsung's Galaxy Mega 5.8 sports an 8.0-megapixel camera with LED flash support on the rear side and a 1.9 megapixel camera on the front side.

Whereas, Micromax hosts a 12.0-megapixel camera with dual-LED flash support on the rear side and a 5.0-megapixel snapper at the front side. However, both phablets can record full HD 1080x1920p video.

Operating System:

In this aspect, Samsung Galaxy Mega 5.8 and Micromax Canvas Doodle 2 stand even as both the devices run on the same OS platform Android v4.2 Jelly Bean.

Price:

As per the recent report, the price of Samsung's Galaxy Mega 5.8 hovers around ₹22,990, whereas Micromax Canvas Doodle 2 costs approximately ₹18,990, almost ₹4,000 less than its competitor.

After considering the overall specification comparison between the devices, Micromax device stands tall, thanks to its competitively placed price-tag and its features that are better than Samsung's Galaxy Mega 5.8 However, the nagging problem of Micromax is its lack of service centers in India is still a concern. If the Indian company focuses on increasing number of service centers in Tier-1 cities and expands to Tier-2 and Tier-3 towns across the country, it can truly help bring a good impression among its fans.

Key specifications of Samsung Galaxy Mega 5.8 and Micromax Canvas Doodle 2:

Models	Samsung Galaxy Mega 5.8 (19152)	Micromax Canvas Doodle 2 (A240)
Display	5.8-inch TFT screen with qHD 540x960p display resolutions having pixel density close to 190 ppi (pixels per inch)	5.7-inch IPS LCD screen with HD (1280x720p) display resolutions having pixel density close to 258 ppi
OS	Android v4.2 Jelly Bean OS	Android v4.2 Jelly Bean OS
Processor	Dual-core processor with 1.4GHz CPU speed	MediaTek quad-core processor with 1.2GHz CPU speed
RAM	1.5GB RAM	1GB
Storage Capacity	8GB, expandable up to 64GB	16GB (12GB user memory), no microSD slot
Camera	Main: 8.0-megapixel camera with LED flash support, capable of recording full HD 1920x1080 video Front: 1.9-megapixel camera	Main: 12.0-megapixel camera with Dual-LED flash support, full HD 1920x1088p video recording at 30 fps Front: 5.0-megapixel camera
Battery	2,600 mAh	2600 mAh Talk time: close to 8 hours Standby mode: up to 220 hours
Network	2G & 3G	2G & 3G
Add-ons	Dual-SIM, Bluetoothv4.0 LE with A2DP support, Wi-Fi (802.11 a/b/g/n), micro-USB v2.0	Dual-SIM, Bluetooth v4.0, Wi-Fi, USB 2.0, GPS, micro-USB v2.0, motion sensor, proximity sensor
Dimensions	162.6 x 82.4 x 9.0 mm	161.0 x 82.5 x 8.9 mm
Weight	182 g	220 g
Price	₹22,990/-	₹18,990/-

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