Micromax launches the phone that got OnePlus banned in India
Micromax has just revealed the first product from its Yu smartphone collaboration with Cyanogen: the Yureka. Even ahead of its launch, the $142 handset has gained a certain notoriety. Cyanogen declared it would no longer update OnePlus One phones sold in India thanks to an exclusive deal with Micromax, and the Indian government even banned the OnePlus One completely. As for the phone itself? Micromax isn't known for spec-tastic handsets, but the Yureka does have one claim to fame: It's the first 64-bit device officially supported by Cyanogen. Otherwise, the phone is a decent-looking mid-ranger with a 64-bit 1.5Ghz Snapdragon 615 octa-core chip, a 5.5-inch 720p screen, 2GB of RAM and dual 13-megapixel/5-megapixel cameras.
The new handset will come equipped with a Cyanogen 11-flavored version of Android 4.4.4 (KitKat). That means it won't benefit from the 64-bit chip until Cyanogen 12 comes along. That update will be based on Android 5 (Lollipop), which does support 64-bit chips (albeit in a very limited way for now). Meanwhile, the Cyanogen OS means that, like the OnePlus One, the Yureka will benefit from a nearly stock Android experience and numerous customization options. Provided you live in India, the price for all that is pretty damn good: 8,999 rupees, or about $142. It'll be available exclusively at Amazon.
