The Marathon M3 from Gionee looks like any other 1.3GHz quad core powered handset, but what separates it from the rest is the massive battery of 5000 mAh capacity. This handset is available for approx Rs. 12,500.
Box Pack Content
M3 handset, 2 x screen guard, magnetic flip cover with view window, warranty info, user guide, service center list, earphone, travel charger and data cable. The SAR value is mentioned on the box : 0.293 W/kg @ 1g head and 0.73 W/kg @ 1g body.
Design and Display
The handset is bulky, naturally because of the 5000 mAh battery that it houses, however it is not that heavy. Gionee managed to pack the M3 withing weight of about 180 grams with battery – dimensions are 71.30 x 143.80 x 10.10 (mm).
The handset look really good, it has got a white glossy finish on the side along with silver parallel lines that gives it a unique look. Rear side is matte finish and gives a premium feel in spite of the weight and dimensions.
Power and volume rockers are on the right side, micro USB port at the bottom and 3.5mm audio jack on the top. This is a dual SIM handset you need 2 micro SIMs. There is micro SD card slot too. The battery of 5000 mAh comes built in, however you can remove the back cover to access the SIM slots / SD card slot.
Gionee has also provided a reset button in case the handset hangs up, since the battery cannot be removed you can press the reset button to restart the phone or you can press and hold the power button for about 10 to 15 seconds to reboot.
Marathon M3 comes with a 5 inch screen supporting 1280 x 720 pixels resolution. Viewing angles are good and so is the colour reproduction. Touch is also smooth and responsive.
There are dual mics for noise cancellation, there is no LED notification and M3 comes loaded with the following sensors – Accelerometer, light, magnetic and proximity.
OS, Memory and Storage
The M3 is running Amigo UI based on android 4.4.2. There is 1GB RAM and 8GB of internal storage. Of the 8GB 2.6GB is available for apps and about 2.44GB as the phone storage. Of the 1GB RAM you will get about 379MB free on the first boot.
OTG is supported and you can install apps on the external storage.
Performance
The handset is using the 1.3GHz MediaTek MT6582 quad core cortex A7 chipset with Mali 400 MP GPU. The handset lags even when your browsing though the menus, it’s a mild lag. The same was not encountered when running application or playing games.
Benchmark
| App | Result |
| Quadrant | 6884 |
| Antutu | 18410 |
| Vellamo | Metal (730) Multi core (1211) Browser (1591) |
| Nenamark 2 | 54.6 fps |
| Multi Touch | 5 point |
Camera
There is 8MP AF camera on the rear with LED flash and a 2MP on the front. Front camera is fixed focus. The camera quality is above average. Check the sample images / video at the end. The handset can play and shoot full HD videos.
Gaming
I could install the Asphalt 8 and the Modern combat 5 on the external storage. Both games did well. The Asphalt was by default set to the lowest graphics quality mode and medium and high graphics options were disabled (check video review). Asphalt 8 played well in very low visual mode.
Others
The sound is very loud, you can say about 25% more than as experienced on other handsets. No issues with GPS, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth and 3G. GPS lock was very fast within 3 seconds. No issues with in call sound.
Battery
The key attraction is the 5000 mAh battery.
| Task | Time | Battery drop (%) (max temp) |
| Running Benchmark apps | 20 minutes | 7% (35) |
| FHD video playback with Wi-Fi on + full brightness | 23 minutes | 5% (38) |
| Asphalt 8 + MC5 GamePlay | 19 minutes | 4% (40) |
| Full wall Charge | 4 hours 40 minutes | 12% to 100% |
You can expect battery backup of 5 to 8 hours with moderate to heavy continuous usage. I used the handset for almost 2 ½ days (moderate to heavy usage) before connecting it to a charger.
Verdict
The handset is powerful, but there is a mild lag and you will feel it most of the time specially while browsing through the menus. Camera quality is very good and the battery backup is awesome. If you have a habit of charging your handset every day, you might want to change it with the Marathon M3.
Rating [3.5 out of 5] (rating box below does not allow decimals).
Gionee Marathon M3 is available for approx Rs. 12,500.
M3 Image Gallery
Sample Images shot using the rear camera
Front camera sample