Slideshow

Hands-on with the Kogan Agora Android smartphone

21 Photos Ross Catanzariti (PC World)

We've just got our hands on Kogan's latest low-cost Android smartphone, the dual-SIM Agora

  • We've just got our hands on [[artnid:446387|Kogan's latest low-cost Android smartphone, the dual-SIM Agora]]. With a price of just $149 it's a very good value proposition on paper but how does it stack up in the hand? Let's take a look!

    The Kogan Agora's sales packaging.

  • The back of the box details some key specifications including a 5in screen, a 2000mAh battery and a 5-megapixel camera.

  • Other features of the Kogan Agora Android phone include a microSD card slot for memory expansion and a 1GHz dual-core processor.

  • Unboxing the Kogan Agora. The device looks very similar for the original Samsung Galaxy Note, which launched in 2011.

  • Inside the box you'll get an AC charger, a standard USB to micro-USB cable and a screen protector.

  • There's also a card directing users to the [[xref:http://help.Kogan.com|Kogan website]] to download the latest version of the user manual.

  • The back of the Kogan Agora. The battery cover is removable and has an etched, grippy surface that makes it easy to hold.

  • The Agora looks eerily similar to the Samsung Galaxy Note and has the same button combination below the display. There's capacitive menu and back keys with a physical home button wedged in between.

  • A volume rocker sits on the left side of the phone.

  • A standard micro-USB port on the bottom charges the phone.

  • The home button works well but we found the capacitive keys a little unresponsive at times.

  • A power/lock screen button is located on the right side, towards the top.

  • There's a standard 3.5mm headphone jack situated at the top of the Agora.

  • A 5-megapixel camera with single-LED flash sits on the back, right in the centre of the handset.

  • The speaker is located on the back, below a Kogan logo.

  • The Kogan Agora has a 5in screen with a resolution of 800x480, which is significantly lower than most smartphone screens of this size. However, it's hard to complain given the low price.

  • The Kogan Agora smartphone initially ships with the Android 4.0 (Ice Cream Sandwich) operating system. There's been no word if or when it will be updated to the latest version, Android 4.2 (Jelly Bean), but we wouldn't hold our breath.

  • The software is almost entirely a vanilla version of Android, though the toggles in the notification pull-down menu are a nice touch. You can swipe them left and right for more options including brightness and sound profiles.

  • The dual-SIM card slots are accessible by removing the Agora's rear battery cover. The microSD card slot sits to the left of the first SIM card slot.

  • The first SIM card slot is 3G-capable supporting the 850 and 2100MHz network bands in Australia. The second slot only supports 2G networks.

  • The Kogan Agora is available now through the [[xref:http://www.kogan.com/au/buy/agora-50-dual-core-smartphone/|Kogan website]].

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