This Micromax smartphone with Bokeh camera is a solid Xiaomi Redmi Note 4 challenger

Micromax is expanding its smartphone portfolio in India extensively. The new smartphone joining the bandwagon is the Selfie 2, which bags several attractive features for a budget smartphone under Rs. 10,000.

The Indian-origin smartphone manufacturer is taking advantage of the demand for affordable premium smartphones in its home-country and offering a device that might just be sufficient for an average Indian. The handset's name gives away its focus on the camera, which is a major USP for most OEMs out there.

Micromax Selfie 2 is priced efficiently to target best selling smartphones in India, such as Xiaomi Redmi Note 4, Redmi 4, Moto G5 and others. Micromax will set you back with the Selfie 2 at just Rs. 9,999, and it can be bought without hassles of online flash sales from major retail stores across the country from August 1 onwards.

The official launch of the Selfie 2 follows an unofficial listing of the phone on Amazon India for Rs. 11,900. Not only the official price of the phone is cheaper, its offline availability makes it easily accessible to buyers.

In case you're wondering if the phone is worth buying, take a look at the complete specifications of the Selfie 2.

Starting with the phone's USP, Micromax Selfie 2 features a 13MP rear-facing camera with LED flash and an 8MP selfie snapper with a dedicated flash. While the camera configuration seems standard for a phone its price, it is the extra features that add value. The Selfie 2 comes with a real-time Bokeh feature to give you SLR-like results, and has Super Pixel technology for clearer photos with minimum noise and blur.

Micromax Selfie 2 boasts auto scene detection that automatically adjusts the camera settings based on the scene and shooting conditions. The device comes with Gallery 4.0, which uses facial recognition to search for photos by recognising a person's face.

For a more technical view of the phone, the Selfie 2 is powered by MediaTek MT6737 quad-core processor, 3GB RAM, 32GB expandable storage (up to 64GB) and 3,000mAh battery. The handset features a 5.2-inch HD display with a 2.5D curved glass cased in a metal unibody with chamfered edges.

The 4G VoLTE smartphone by Micromax has a fingerprint scanner at the back, and it also supports dual SIM cards. As a unique selling point, Micromax Selfie 2 comes with 100 day replacement warranty on the hardware and integrates Truecaller app.

If we compare the Selfie 2 with the Redmi Note 4, there are some brownie points for Micromax. But the Redmi Note 4 doesn't give away its dominance quite easily.

Xiaomi Redmi Note 4 features a 5.5-inch Full HD display, a 13MP main camera with BSI CMOS sensor, f/2.0 aperture, PDAF and dual LED flash and a 5MP front snapper with the same aperture and a wide 85-degree angle view of field.

Under the hood, it packs a Snapdragon 625 chipset with 2GB RAM and 32GB internal storage for Rs. 9,999. There's a 4,100mAh battery running the show for the phone, and it also has a fingerprint scanner, dual SIM and 4G VoLTE support. But the challenge is the phone's availability, which is limited to periodic flash sales on Mi.com.