The recently launched Marathon M5 by Gionee is not a very memorable phone until one notices the battery backup. With a mammoth battery capacity of 6020mAh, the phone can last 3-4 days on regular usage without being charged. Even though it is thinner than it’s predecessor, the M4 is still quite bulky and weighs in at 211 grams, which makes it one of the heaviest devices out there. Aside from the battery capacity, most of the features on the M5 are standard fare and do not really catch the eye. The Amoled display has a low HD resolution, and is on a 5.5-inch screen. The absence of a full HD resolution is jarring. The 5MP front camera is above average and gives a decent performance, and the 13 MP rear camera also captures good detail. Under the hood, the M5 runs the Amigo 3.1 User Interface, which is a skinned version of Android 5.1 Lollipop. Since it has been upgraded from the M4, the device has an impressive 3GB of Ram and 322GB of internal storage, but the same quad-core processor which the M4 had. The dual-sim capability is definitely a plus, but can also be easily found on devices that are much cheaper than the M5. Despite all the drawbacks, the Marathon M5 is sure to appeal to those who don’t like to fumble around for chargers throughout the day, but will also find ample criticism from those who wish for other functions, such as impressive photography, crisp video playback, and an easy to carry around smartphone.
At Rs 18,000, the smartphone is a safe bet, but offers nothing remarkable that will get you excited.