We are exactly a week away from the unveiling of YU Yutopia (17 December), which the company, for last few months, has been touting as the "world's most powerful smartphone".
YU is very upbeat about Yutopia's prospects in India, and to keep the buzz alive till the launch, the company has been teasing key features of the device and in the process mocking its competitors.
YU specifically chose to target OnePlus and Apple, proclaiming the upcoming Yutopia would be far superior to the rival brands' flagships.
It's a double-edged sword: YU's bold move to mock rivals may grab eyeballs to a certain extent, but the company also risks the brand's reputation if Yutopia fails to impress, much like what happened to OnePlus 2. It came with the tagline "2016 Flagship Killer". But it backfired big time for the company after the official launch, as OnePlus 2 lacked some key features like NFC and QHD screen. Even the photos taken by the camera were sub-par compared to top-end rivals like Samsung Galaxy S6 series and Apple iPhone 6S series.
Now, it remains to be seen how YU Yutopia will fare after the launch next week.
To provide better perspective on the upcoming YU device, we sifted through the numerous reliable reports and lined up key features likely to make the cut in the Yutopia.
Build quality and display:
It has become a norm in the smartphone industry to feature metal-based uni-body design with QHD screen (2560x1440p) for flagship devices.
YU Yutopia's first two teasers, which surfaced online back in October, have confirmed that the device will indeed boast the metal-body cover and also sport QHD display.
Word on the street is Yutopia will have a 5.2-inch screen, so its pixel density will be more than 520 ppi (pixels per inch), promising a rich viewing experience.
Processor, RAM and storage capacity:
YU Yutopia is expected to house the new Snapdragon 810 Octa-core v2.1 processor backed by 3GB or 4GB of RAM.
Just a few weeks ago, YU took a dig at Apple iPhones for its exorbitant price despite offering just 16GB storage. So YU is likely to incorporate minimum of 32GB internal memory with an option of microSD card slot.
Camera:
YU has not revealed any specific detail with regard Yutopia's camera. But, the company has tied up with luxury car-maker BMW and popular biker and photographer Sundeep Gajjar (aka The MotoGrapher). He has released some pictures of BMW i8 in Austria, taken using Yutopia. They all look really nice. The snow-clad pristine European countryside makes them even more stunning.
[Check out the photos, HERE]
As per numerous reports, YU Yutopia is expected to house a 21MP camera on the rear and an 8MP snapper on the front.
Mobile Operating System:
YU's official software partner Cyanogen has confirmed that Yutopia will run the Android 5.1.1 Lollipop based Cyanogen 12.1 OS.
Battery:
Earlier this month, YU took on Apple again to mock its devices for low battery life, hinting that Yutopia would boast of a high-capacity battery. It also expected come with quick-charge technology.
Value-added features:
Fingerprint security:
YU has released numerous Yutopia teasers, but none of them shown any indication that the device will house fingerprint sensor. But, it would be unwise for Yu to not to include biometric security features in a flagship phone like Yutopia. Our intuition tells us Yutopia will have the finger-print technology.
Release details:
In December 2014, YU unveiled its first ever smartphone, Yureka, and released it on Amazon in the following month via the Amazon India flash sale.
The company faced a lot criticism for grossly underestimating the Yureka's demand-and-supply ratio. It took a few months for YU to streamline its production to match the demand.
Now, exactly a year later, YU is ready to launch its top-end smartphone Yutopia on 17 December in India.
The company, having created so much buzz around the device's launch, will have made necessary arrangements to avoid any negative PR, like it faced early this year.
We believe YU might begin selling Yutopia a week or two after the launch on 17 December. Many fans will hope the company stocks up its inventory large enough to satiate the demand.
Price:
Price is a very important aspect of the YU brand. Its last four devices — Yureka, Yutopia, Yureka Plus and Yunique — have all been priced low, and yet offered some high-end features compared to its rivals.
Similarly, Yutopia is likely to be priced low. We would like to peg Yutopia's price around Rs 20,000-25,000. Yes, the price we have quoted is very high. Even Yu's sister brand Micromax never sold devices beyond Rs 20,000.
But going by the expected spec-sheet of Yutopia, it will still be a steal for this kind of a price.
For instance, OnePlus 2, though it failed miserably as the "2016 Flagship Killer", is still a good phone for its Rs 24,999 price tag.
