Spice had launched its flagship Android phone – the Spice Stellar Pinnacle Mi-530 – earlier this year and gained a lot of popularity because of it. The Stellar Pinnacle offered a bigger display and a decent set of specifications for a mid ranged Android device. Building upon that Spice has recently launched the upgraded version of the phone, called Spice Stellar Pinnacle Pro Mi-535.
The device is strikingly similar to its predecessor but the only difference is its bigger display and a newer version of Android operating system. So let’s find out the real worth of the Pinnacle Pro.
Look and Feel
The Spice Stellar Pinnacle Pro further emphasizes Spice’s new fixation towards bronze; the bronze colour finish looks good on the device and somehow makes it look sleeker. As compared to the Galaxy Note N7000, it looks smaller although it has the same screen size to flaunt. Spice has decided to go in with a thinner bezel making the device sleek, limiting the width to 7.9 mm which makes the device fit in the palm easily.
The body of device features rounded edges and the display window has a slight tapering towards the corners that makes the device comfortable for the user’s ears too. The top side placement of the power/standby key, which is now rare really makes it a bit difficult to use as the bigger size of the device prohibits single hand utility on this and moreover smaller smartphones use this key placement. The right hand side houses the volume rocker which is a great plus for right handed users. Following closely is the camera hardware key, nothing to fancy as it is just a single step button but one cannot use the same to focus on objects but it really comes in handy at times.
The front of the device features a clean finish that looks great on the bigger device along with that the earpiece is accented with a Chrome mesh that breaks the monotony of the otherwise flat front of the device.
Overall the build quality of the device is sturdy and it can survive minor accidental falls quite well. The company has also provided a free flip case cum protector for the Stellar pinnacle Pro Mi-535 as well and it surely is an asset as it protects the device in every way. The Spice Stellar Pinnacle Pro is sleek and offers rich functionality as well.
Display and Touch
The Pinnacle Pro Mi-535 display is based on In-Plane Switching (IPS) technology. The 5.3 inch display has 960 x 540 pixels Resolution which is good for viewing high definition movies as well as games. However, an HD display would have been better as Micromax Canvas HD, which also is priced similarly, comes with one. Nonetheless, the display on the Spice Stellar Pinnacle Pro Mi-535 works well and has great contrast as well as colour vibrancy. At maximum brightness, the display is usable in sunlight as well.
Pinnacle Pro features multi point input system featuring capacitive touch based input method for up to 5 points. The touch of the device is very accurate and works even with the slightest of touches. One addition that Spice has added to the device especially with its touch is the gesture input. Users can input gestures to unlock the device and assign other functions to it as well.
Along with that the phone features auto or intelligent call function which means if the phone is brought closer to ear while viewing a message or contact, the phone will automatically call the contact. Also there is this smart flip feature that automatically answers the call when the flip comes is opened.
Processor and Display engine
The Spice Stellar Pinnacle Pro Mi-535 utilises the Mediatek MT6589 quad core Processor that has a clock speed of 1.2 GHz. There is a dedicated graphic processor as well. Although it’s not the fastest chip that has been used on a smartphone but it’s the same chip that powers device like the Micromax Canvas HD and it works well with the 1 GB RAM that has been added to the Pinnacle Pro. 
The 1 GB RAM definitely is a great addition which works well in tandem with Android Jelly Bean operating system on the Pinnacle Pro, offering smoother graphic user interface and better application execution.
On gaming front, we had no issues playing Shadowgun but the quad core chip and graphics unit heat up quite faster. The combination of quad core chip and 1 GB RAM also offers some leg room for the users for the future too as with times apps are expected to demand more muscle as well.
Performance and usage
During the course of the review, the device underwent a lot of application testing and stressing but the device never hung or froze. The 5.3 inch display is a major plus point of this device even the touch sensitivity of the device is very accurate and all the gestures are very accurately registered by the device.
On performance front, the Pinnacle Pro Mi-535 scores 13,140 in Antutu benchmark. This in simpler words puts it above older Samsung Galaxy Note and even the Google Nexus 7 tablet in terms of performance. In comparison with the Micromax Canvass HD the Spice Stellar Pinnacle Pro scores about 500 more points overall.
The call performance of this device is also another major plus point for the device. The calls are received and made without any issue. The earpiece and loudspeaker volume is abundant and the microphone also makes sure the receiver gets to hear every world loud and clear.
Camera and Multimedia
The 8 Megapixel camera on the Spice Stellar Pinnacle Pro Mi-535 captures good quality images with tight focus. There is an LED flash that compensates brightness wherever the need arises. The Pinnacle Pro can take 720p HD videos. But its continuous focus, which forces the camera to seek best focus all the time, is a good feature. Although the focus mechanism is not the fastest one around but it still does a good job and is commendable considering the price of the handset.
The image quality of the camera is good in the outdoors while indoor mode photography is better to be avoided. The LED flash comes in to play wherever needed but is only effective for close objects and it tends to give the subjects a yellowish hue.
A major plus for the Spice Stellar Pinnacle Pro Mi-535 is its 5 megapixel front facing camera that now features a wider-angle lens and Autofocus ability. It is perhaps the only smartphone to feature such a huge front camera.
This Spice phone supports all generic Android formats. Plus like any other Android device, it has access to plethora of applications on Android marketplace that can extend its multimedia capabilities. Unlike the Pinnacle Mi-530, Spice Pinnacle Pro’s loudspeaker provides ample volume.
Battery Backup
Battery backup is a major plus for the Spice Stellar Pinnacle Pro Mi-535, the device easily lasts for 2 day between charges for regular users. Heavy users can drain the battery while playing high definition games faster but even doing that the device manages somewhere close to 4-5 hours. The device manages power usage quite brilliantly and offers superior performance on demand as well with the newer quad core processor. Overall the battery backup of this big screen device is good.
Conclusion
The Spice Stellar Pinnacle Mi-530 is a good device but Spice has outdone it with the new Pinnacle Pro Mi-535. The Pinnacle Pro is a performance oriented Android smartphone that impresses with its features and its performance. Though its display has lower resolution than that of Micromax Canvas HD, but it outperforms the later in all other aspects like performance, battery life, camera quality and even build quality.
So if you are willing to spend Rs 15,000 the Spice Stellar Pinnacle Pro can certainly be one of the top contenders’ ion the list.