Wickedleak Wammy Passion X quick-read review: Just waterproofing won't do

Wammy Passion X with Octa core costs Rs 17,990+

Summary

The phone has some good points, like the fantastic screen. But it doesn't come together to feel like a great device.

The new Samsung Galaxy S5 is waterproof, but you don't have to spend over Rs 50,000 if you want that feature. Indian mobile maker Wickedleak has a new smartphone that survives water damage and costs just Rs 18,000. But that price comes at the cost of many sacrifices…

Price: Rs 17,990 excluding taxes

Design & Build: The Wammy Passion X looks exactly like its predecessor, the Wammy Passion Z or Z+. I'm a fan of the design, which is rectangular with slight curves at the top and bottom—reminiscent of how the Sony Xperia Ray. Plus, the Passion X is extremely light for the hardware it packs, including that big battery.

However, for all its looks, it feels cheap. And a closer inspection of the design betrays why it is priced low. The back panel, for instance, does not seal tightly and you can see gaps. The plastic material is of a low quality and recesses when you press on any of the sides. It uses capacitive touch buttons, making full use of its bezel, which is always good—but in this case, there is no backlight for those buttons. So if you are using the phone after switching off the lights, you can't see the buttons and will often press the wrong one. It's a frustrating experience.

WickedLeak Aqua protect technology

Finally, the AquaProtect waterproof nanocoating does not do it any favours as it looks like some sticky goo fell on the back of your phone. With usage, the protection starts peeling so the edges don't feel refined either.

Of course, this water protection is what the Passion X is all about. And Wickedleak has treated every aspect, including the motherboard, so that it doesn't need to seal the ports shut, like Samsung and Sony phones. This is more like the Moto G, which features a similar nanocoating. We mimicked real-world scenarios to test the waterproofing, like using it in a shower to simulate rain, spilling cold water and hot coffee on it, and even dunking it in a shallow pool of water for some time. The Wammy Passion X will hold up under the usual water-based mishaps that are bound to hit your phone. However, don't expect it to be a functional device for snorkelling—the idea here is to protect from water damage, it's not a rugged phone for adventure sports and the like.

Wammy Passion 'X' continued…