Micromax Canvas HD A116 vs. Apple iPhone 5: Can Apple‘s EMI Payment Option Dent Micromax’s Sales?

Popular Indian smartphone maker Micromax unveiled its flagship Canvas HD A116 phablet last month. It made record sales with the smartphone stocks getting sold out within 15 minutes of its release in certain online retail websites.

MNC rival Apple launched the iPhone 5 in India almost four months ago in November last year. Despite its expensive price tag, the sixth-generation smartphone is still registering huge sales in the sub-continent and across the world.

Canvas HD A116 and iPhone 5 are currently the most popular smartphones, besides Samsung's Galaxy series, in the Indian market. Both are high-end smartphones but have a big difference in their price margins, and this can play huge role in a price-conscious market like India.

Can Apple's iPhone brand value and superior spec such as retina display and secure mobile operating system iOS outshine Micromax's post popular smartphone in its own turf?

Here's a breakdown of specs and features:

Display:

Despite having a 720p HD display, Micromax's smartphone loses points to rival Apple iPhone 5's retina display which is a most enviable feature a smartphone can show-off.

Processor:

Canvas HD scores more with a faster MediaTek quad-core processor as against iPhone 5's dual-core processor. Both smartphones feature PowerVR GPU (Graphic Processing Unit) series.

Camera:

iPhone boasts of iSight 8.0-megapixel camera and a number of apps and features, like panoramic view with 240-degree angle photo shoot, to enhance images.

Micromax's smartphone also features a competitive 8.0 megapixel main camera with auto-focus and dual-LED flash support for low-light image capture and a 2.0-megapixel front camera

Mobile Operating System:

Canvas HD A116 and iPhone 5 run on Android and Apple iOS, respectively. Both OS' are currently the world's top two mobile operating systems. Android has a collection of more than 650,000 apps, whereas iOS holds more than 700,000 apps.

Size:

Micromax has a big 5.0-inch display compared to iPhone 5's 4.0-inch screen. But iPhone 5's smaller build is perfect fit for most hands and is preferred by those who are more comfortable hold smaller smartphones.

Price:

Micromax has an upper hand over the expensive iPhone 5 when it comes to pricing.

However, Apple seems to have cracked the code to market its expensive smartphone in India thanks to creative marketing blitzkriegs. The company's retail partners are now allowing EMI (Easy Monthly Installment) payment options for prospective iPhone 5 customers and have slashing prices of older iPhone models.

An iPhone 5 model can be purchased for a down payment of ₹15,000, with three months EMI.  Its predecessor iPhone 4S can also be purchased with a monthly installment of ₹6,000 over a period of six months.

Micromax's Canvas HD A116 is priced ₹13,999 and is also offered on EMI mode by certain e-retailers for as low as ₹2,500 per month over six months.

Put aside the price factor, it still remains to be seen if Indian consumers would choose to buy the branded iPhone or go for a home-built smartphone.

Here is a breakdown of comparison between the Micromax A116 Canvas HD and iPhone 5 [Spec Wise]: