BSNL Champion DM6513 is a result of alliance between BSNL, telephony service provider and Champion computers, an IT brand in India. Not much is known about the BSNL Champion “brand” per se. Though I have previously reviewed the BSNL Champion SM3513 but it wasn’t the most enticing android device around. This time I have DM6513, a phablet. Let’s see how this one fares and so we begin with the BSNL Champion DM6513 review.
Available for price tag of Rs. 6,799 you shouldn’t be expecting too much out of it. It has a shiny plastic shell outer body which from a distance looks like a unibody design (but it isn’t). The build is entirely plastic and the worst part is the shiny back casing is highly prone to fingerprints.
On the front side a 6.5″ inch TFT Capacitive Touch display takes the center stage surrounded by huge bezel (atleast 2 cm on all sides). With pixel density of approximately 220 ppi the videos and images are more than just watchable plus it is satisfactory considering the price it comes at. In terms of usage the display is a mixed bag, it performs up-to the mark indoor but under direct sunlight you should avoid using it. Viewing angles aren’t great either, tilt the device a certain degree and colors start to fade.
BSNL Champion DM6513 offers a 5 MP front shooter (supports HD 720p video recording and image resolution of 2592 x 1944 pixels) with no LED flash and 2 MP secondary camera. Absence of LED flash means that night time photography is out of the context. As far as daytime photography is concerned the 5 MP shooter does manage to click better than average images, good enough for casual sharing. The great thing about the camera aspect is the inclusion of a front facing camera thus allowing you to make video calls. And considering the fact that the device supports 3G connectivity, the front camera becomes even more useful!
Talking about the internal storage at offer BSNL Champion DM6513 offers 4 GB of on-board storage. You also have the option to use an additional microSD card (up-to 32 GB) for carrying more media content.
Onto the actual performance of the device everything worked alright. Android 4.2.2 Jelly Bean running atop 1.2 GHz Dual-Core Cortex A7 Processor and 512 MB RAM made the device pretty usable. I had no problem executing basic tasks like accessing Facebook, using Whatsapp and browsing the web. However problems cropped up when I tried to multitask, watch HD videos or even open very large resolution images. A measly 512 MB of RAM is to be blamed here.
With regard to battery longevity I have been impressed with what it has to offer. BSNL Champion DM6513 comes with 3500 mAh non-removable battery. More than enough for it to last for a day. I have a larger than usual set of application which keep running in background sucking up battery but even then the battery lasted for nearly the entire day!
Final Word
For a device costing Rs. 6,799, you shouldn’t be expecting an all out performer. But BSNL Champion DM6513 does manage to deliver on certain areas. Good display size, adequate processor, updated Android version (Jelly Bean) and sufficient battery pack. On the other hand the device falls short when it come to camera (absence of LED flash), RAM and build quality.
