There's something rather ambitious about an audio brand deciding it wants to make smartphones. After all, convincing people to buy your Bluetooth speakers is one thing. Convincing them to trust you with a device that practically runs their lives is another matter altogether.

But that's precisely what Mivi is attempting with the One 5G, its first-ever smartphone. And rather than diving headfirst into the overcrowded premium segment, the brand has chosen to start where things get particularly interesting: the budget market.

Starting at ₹12,999 for the 4GB RAM and 128GB storage variant, the Mivi One 5G promises a surprisingly respectable package for the money. There's a Snapdragon processor, a massive battery, clean Android software and a design that doesn't immediately scream budget smartphone.

Of course, putting together an attractive specifications sheet is one thing. Making all those components work together is quite another.

I've been using the entry-level 4GB variant, and while there are a few things Mivi gets surprisingly right, there are others that remind you exactly how much you've spent. Here's what I liked and what I didn't.

5 Things I Liked

1. The Price Doesn't Require Financial Planning

Let's address the elephant in the room, or rather, the surprisingly affordable smartphone sitting on my desk. At ₹12,999, the Mivi One 5G makes a pretty convincing argument for itself before you've even switched it on.

The 6GB and 8GB variants cost ₹14,999 and ₹16,499, respectively, with all three configurations offering 128GB of internal storage. Considering how aggressively brands have been pushing smartphone prices upwards, it's refreshing to see a device that doesn't require you to reconsider your monthly expenses.

There's also a ₹1,000 introductory discount on select Axis, HDFC, ICICI and SBI bank cards, although I'd recommend checking the latest offers before making a purchase.

Now, affordability alone doesn't make a smartphone good. There are plenty of inexpensive phones out there that feel like they were designed specifically to test your patience. Thankfully, the Mivi One 5G has a few more things going for it.

2. It Doesn't Look Or Feel Like A ₹13,000 Smartphone

Budget smartphones have come a long way from the days when holding one felt like carrying a television remote with a touchscreen. And thankfully, the Mivi One 5G doesn't bring back those memories.

Yes, it's predominantly plastic, which is hardly surprising considering the price, but the overall construction feels reassuringly solid. The design is clean and relatively understated, without the unnecessary visual gymnastics some manufacturers employ to make inexpensive phones look like expensive ones.

Personally, I quite like that approach. Not every smartphone needs a gigantic camera island, an aggressively shiny rear panel or the sort of design language that suggests its creators spent more time looking at gaming laptops than actual smartphones.

There's also an IP64 rating for dust and splash resistance, which offers some reassurance against everyday accidents. Just don't mistake that for an invitation to take it swimming.

3. The Software Is Refreshingly Free Of Nonsense

If there's one thing I absolutely despise about budget smartphones, it's the sheer amount of digital garbage they arrive with. You buy a new phone, switch it on, and somehow find yourself the proud owner of 15 applications you've never heard of, three app stores you didn't ask for, and enough notifications to make you question your relationship with technology. Thankfully, Mivi hasn't subscribed to that particular school of thought.

The One 5G runs a near-stock version of Android 16, without the unnecessary third-party bloatware that typically plagues smartphones in this segment. It's clean, straightforward and refreshingly uncomplicated. The sort of software experience that should be standard across smartphones, regardless of how much they cost.

Mivi has also promised two major Android upgrades, which should theoretically take the device all the way to Android 18.

And while that might not sound particularly exciting compared to the endless AI features manufacturers insist on advertising these days, I'd argue that having software which simply works without constantly demanding your attention is a considerably more useful feature.

Sometimes, less really is more.

4. The Battery Just Keeps Going

For all the technological wizardry packed into modern smartphones, the one thing most of us still want is fairly straightforward: a phone that doesn't start begging for a charger halfway through the day.

The Mivi One 5G comes equipped with a substantial 6,000mAh battery, which is easily one of its biggest selling points.

For the sort of everyday usage this phone is intended for, including calls, messaging, browsing, social media and streaming, that enormous battery makes a lot of sense.

And really, that's what matters here. Not everyone needs their smartphone to edit 4K videos, run console-quality games or perform whatever AI party trick is fashionable this month. Sometimes, you just want to spend an entire day scrolling through Instagram, watching YouTube and ignoring phone calls without worrying about finding a charging socket.

The battery is one of the strongest reasons to consider this phone, especially if endurance ranks higher on your priority list than outright performance.

5. A Snapdragon Processor Is A Welcome Surprise

The budget smartphone segment has become something of a playground for processors you've probably never heard of. And while there's nothing inherently wrong with that, seeing a Snapdragon badge on a phone costing less than ₹15,000 is certainly refreshing.

The Mivi One 5G uses Qualcomm's 4nm Snapdragon 4 Gen 2 processor, which is a respectable choice for an entry-level 5G smartphone.

For everyday tasks such as WhatsApp, Instagram, Chrome and YouTube, it's a capable chipset that makes sense for the price. It also brings enough processing power to handle some casual gaming, provided you're willing to keep your graphical ambitions in check.

Now, before you start imagining this as a miniature gaming powerhouse, remember that there's a difference between being able to run a game and being able to run it particularly well.

Still, considering what you're paying, the Snapdragon 4 Gen 2 is a welcome addition. I would much rather have a dependable processor that gets the basics right than a smartphone promising flagship-level performance with the computational enthusiasm of a potato.

2 Things I Didn't Like

1. The 4GB RAM Variant Occasionally Reminds You Of Its Price

Here's where things get a little less exciting. While the Snapdragon 4 Gen 2 is a perfectly capable processor for everyday tasks, the 4GB RAM configuration occasionally feels like someone has asked it to do its job with one hand tied behind its back.

For basic usage, including messaging, browsing, watching videos and the occasional social media marathon, it's largely fine. But start juggling multiple applications or putting the phone under sustained load, and the limitations become fairly obvious.

There are occasional stutters, and multitasking isn't always as seamless as I'd like. Demanding games such as Genshin Impact are also best approached with modest expectations.

Of course, expecting a ₹13,000 smartphone to perform like a flagship would be rather unreasonable. But that doesn't mean the occasional sluggishness becomes any less annoying when you're actually using it.

My advice? If you're buying this phone for your parents, as a secondary device, or simply because your smartphone requirements begin and end with WhatsApp and YouTube, the 4GB variant should do the job.

But if you're someone who regularly switches between multiple applications or enjoys a bit of gaming, I'd strongly recommend considering the 6GB or 8GB model instead. Your patience will thank you.

2. The Cameras Are Nothing To Write Home About

There's an unwritten rule in the budget smartphone universe. When a manufacturer gives you a big battery, a decent processor and clean software at an aggressive price, something else usually has to give.

In this case, it's the cameras. The Mivi One 5G comes with a 50MP Samsung ISOCELL primary camera and an 8MP front-facing camera. On paper, that's a perfectly respectable arrangement. Unfortunately, megapixels have never been a guarantee of photographic brilliance, no matter how enthusiastically smartphone marketing departments might suggest otherwise.

In favourable daylight conditions, the primary camera can produce decent photographs, with fairly pleasing colours and processing that doesn't go completely overboard. And for casual photography, that's perfectly acceptable.

Things become considerably less impressive once the sun goes down. Low-light photography is a weak point, with images susceptible to blur and a noticeable loss of detail. The 2x zoom is also merely a crop from the main sensor rather than anything involving a dedicated telephoto camera, while video recording tops out at 1080p.

If your photographic ambitions mostly involve taking pictures of documents, pets, food and the occasional sunset, you'll probably be fine.

But if you're hoping to become the next great mobile photographer, this isn't the phone I'd recommend building your portfolio around.

Verdict: A Surprisingly Sensible First Attempt

For a company making its first smartphone, Mivi has made some rather sensible decisions. Instead of chasing flashy specifications or stuffing the phone with features nobody really needs, it has focused on a handful of things that genuinely matter at this price: respectable build quality, a clean software experience, a massive battery and a capable Snapdragon processor.

Does it get everything right? Of course not. The cameras are fairly ordinary, and the 4GB variant struggles once you start demanding more from it. But those shortcomings are easier to forgive when you remember that this is a ₹12,999 smartphone, not a ₹70,000 flagship pretending to reinvent mobile photography.

Ultimately, the Mivi One 5G doesn't attempt to reinvent the smartphone. It simply focuses on doing the basics reasonably well at a price that makes sense.