Mobile Grudge Match: Micromax A116 Canvas HD vs WickedLeak Wammy Passion

The Canvas HD A116 remains the undisputed champion in the sub-Rs 15,000 price bracket and we know that for a fact because Micromax isn’t able to keep up with the demand of the phone. The handset is sold out everywhere and those looking to get their hands on it will have to wait for their turn. Or do they? Ever since the A116 launched, we’ve seen many competitors attempt to take a stab at the Canvas HD, but none have been very successful, until now. The WickedLeak Wammy Passion comes the closest in terms of features and performance and is priced similarly, and we’ve had nothing but positive things to say about it in our review. Could this be the next best thing after the Canvas HD? Let’s find out.

Micromax A116 Canvas HD

We had our reservations about the Canvas 2 A110, but Micromax addressed most of them in the A116. The Canvas HD looks and feels more refined as compared to its earlier offerings and you won’t be able to tell at first glance that it’s a budget phone. The build feels solid and the textured rear cover does a splendid job of hiding fingerprints.

The one that started it all

Powered by a quad-core SoC and with stock Jelly Bean, the user experience is sublime. Menus open quickly with fluid transitions and heavy apps, like intensive 3D games, run just fine. In fact, the 28nm SoC ensures good battery life and is also nearly as powerful as some of the higher-end droids that cost twice as much.

WickedLeak Wammy Passion

This latest entry by WickedLeak gives stiff competition to the Canvas HD. The Wammy Passion features a similar IPS HD display, which produces very good colours and sharp text. The handset is slightly thicker than the Canvas HD, but that’s only because the Passion comes with a much bigger battery. We prefer the matte finish of the Wammy any day over the glossy finish of the Canvas.

Makes a very good alternative

Power-wise, the Passion is armed with a quad-core chipset from Mediatek and also runs Jelly Bean. WickedLeak also gives you a 5MP front facing camera, which is a bit better than the 2MP on the Canvas HD. The handset manages very good battery life thanks to the hunkier battery—a trade-off we can definitely live with.

Next, a quick trip to the charts should sort things out once and for all.

Nearly identical

The bottom line

Our review of the phone coupled with the chart above proves that the Wammy Passion makes for a very good alternative to the Canvas HD. The only trade-off here is the slightly thicker profile and the fact that it’s heavier, but these shortcomings are more than compensated by the beefier battery. The phone is about a grand more than the Canvas HD and we think WickedLeak could drop the price a bit in order to make it more competitive. Both are really good handsets and you can’t go wrong with either of them. If you have your heart set on the Canvas HD but are unable to find it, then the Wammy Passion makes for a very good alternative. However, this duel won’t stay for long as the Q800 from XOLO is another quad-core beast eyeing the A116’s marketshare. Stay tuned for an in-depth review of the same followed by a showdown with the Canvas HD.