Gionee launched two top-of-the-line smartphones at MWC 2017 today. Gionee A1 and A1 Plus have all the makings of a flagship smartphone – long battery life and excellent quality selfies.

The A1 and A1 Plus were officially launched in Barcelona today and the final products are remarkably similar to leaked images which were doing the rounds a couple of weeks ago. Read on to discover what Gionee has in store for the first half of 2017.

Gionee A1, Gionee A1 Plus Launch

A1 Selfie

The A-series is Gionee’s entry into the “selfie-expert” smartphone segment. The A1 and A1 Plus boast several key features which have been ingenuously developed by Gionee to enhance the quality of selfies on their smartphones.

The front camera is packed with 20 megapixels and can capture bright, natural looking selfies in almost any kind of lighting.

William Lu, President of Gionee, said at the launch event, “As a consumer-oriented smartphone manufacturer, we hope to set up the evolution of the selfie experience.” This hints at further changes in the experience of taking selfies, essentially challenging the likes of OPPO F1 and Vivo V5.

There are even facial enhancement algorithms that claim to apply custom beauty settings.

The selfie flash on the Gionee A1 and A1 Plus is an ingenious bit of technology. The flash is customised to spread light evenly and softly giving faces in the selfie a natural glow. There are even facial enhancement algorithms that claim to apply custom beauty settings. We look forward to reviewing first-hand the effectiveness of these algorithms.

Other key features like the bokeh-selfie mode should help Gionee put up a good challenge for its rivals. The bokeh-selfie mode would enable users to blur backgrounds while keeping the face in focus – resulting in artistic, studio-quality photos.

The rear camera is a dual lens powered by 13 MP + 5 MP sensors.

Long Live The Battery

The batteries in the A1 and A1 Plus live up to Gionee’s legacy of creating long lasting smartphones. Adding to the battery power is a combination of software and hardware algorithms which use data analytics to balance performance and power usage.

The A1 Plus is powered by a 4,550 mAh battery while the A1 has a slightly less powerful, yet above average, 4,010 mAh power pack. Gionee has also packed ultra-fast charging technology into the smartphones. All A-series smartphones come with dual charging chips resulting in faster, less worrisome charging.

Super Experience At A Super Price

Both A1 and A1 Plus feature 4 GB of RAM and 64 GB of internal memory. External memory card expansion slots are available. The A1 Plus features a 6-inch screen and the A1 gets a 5.5-incher.

Both smartphones have ample display area however the 1080p resolution may come to pinch Gionee later this year.

The A1 is priced at 349 Euros – a bit on the higher side but competitive, nevertheless. The A1 Plus will be available April onwards at 499 Euros.

Gionee A1 Plus Specifications

Dimension	166.4 x 83.3 x 9.1mm
Weight	226g
Color	Gray, Mocha Gold
SIM	Dual SIM Dual Standby
Display	6.0-inch FHD in-cell 1920 x 1080 pixels
CPU	MTK Helio P25
OS	Android 7.0
Memory	64GB ROM (Expandable up to 256GB) 4GB RAM
Camera	20MP selfie camera FF, F2.0, 1/2.8 inches, 5P lens, selfie flash 13MP+5MP rear camera AF, F2.0, 1/3.06 inches, 5P lens, flash
Sound	Waves MaxxAudio® 3.5mm audio jack
Battery	4550mAh

Gionee A1 Specifications

Dimension	154.5*76.5*8.5mm
Weight	182g
Color	Gray, Black, Gold
SIM	Dual SIM Dual Standby
Display	5.5-inch FHD AMOLED 1920 x 1080 pixels
CPU	MTK Helio P10 (MT6755)
OS	Android 7.0
Memory	64GB ROM (Expandable up to 128GB) 4GB RAM
Camera	16MP selfie camera FF, F2.0, 1/3.06 inches, 5P lens, selfie flash 13MP rear camera AF, F2.0, 1/3.06 inches, 5P lens, flash
Sound	Waves MaxxAudio® 3.5mm audio jack
Battery	4010 mAh