YU Yureka Plus camera review: outperforms its progenitor

“Even though the Yureka Plus shares the same camera specs as its predecessor, it’s able to deliver impressive images owing to a better sensor”

The smartphone market is extremely dynamic. Till about a couple of years ago, flagship offerings used to steal all the buzz with their top-drawer hardware specifications, but nowadays, even budget offerings are able to garner a similar level of attention. And, it’s not just limited to the internals or display panels of these VFM devices as their cameras are also able to offer decent images. That’s why we bring you detailed camera reviews of all the phones that make their way to our labs.

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YU Yureka Plus camera review 01

Today our focus (quite literally) is on the YU Yureka Plus, which is an upgraded model of Micromax’s digital-only sub-brand’s debut offering. You’d be forgiven for thinking that both phones offer a similar imaging experience as the specs are the same – a 13-megapixel primary camera which is supplemented by an LED flash. Well, the difference is between the imaging sensors used – while the Yureka (review | FAQs) sported Sony’s IMX135 sensor, the Yureka Plus offers a better sensor in the form of IMX214. The same sensor can also be found on many flagship devices and thus our hopes with the shooter on the Yureka Plus have already been raised. Now, let’s do a reality check with these images taken over a variety of conditions in auto mode and aspect ratio of 4:3.

Long shot

YU Yureka Plus camera sample - long shot

One of the best ways to gauge the imaging prowess of any device is to capture a long shot with it, since the scene includes a number of objects of different sizes and colours. The YU Yureka Plus’ 13MP camera doesn’t disappoint in this respect as the image shows good level of details and reproduces colours well.

Close up

YU Yureka Plus camera test - close up

The above shot looks really beautiful with pleasing colours on the flowers and their petals. There’s also a depth-of-field effect which adds to the charm of the image.

Close up (zoomed in)

YU Yureka Plus camera test - close up (zoomed in)

The 13-megapixel snapper on the YU Yureka Plus continues to impress us with its sharpness and details even when when we magnify the close-up image. The edges of the flower don’t show any blurriness either, which is quite commendable.

HDR off

YU Yureka Plus camera quality - HDR off

This shot has been embedded to check the HDR capabilities of the phablet. As such, the image looks pretty good, although colours seem to be a bit dull.

HDR on

YU Yureka Plus camera quality - HDR on

While it’s not the best HDR shot we have came across, it certainly looks better and brighter than the normal image.

Front shot

YU Yureka Plus camera sample - front shot

The front cameras on our smartphones have come a long way from being VGA sensors to the one that can rival the quality offered by the primary shooter. The YU Yureka Plus’ 5MP snapper at the front is no different as it offers accurate colours and details.

Low-light shot

YU Yureka Plus camera performance - low-light shot

In dim lighting, the YU Yureka Plus has done a decent job as even though the image is extremely grainy, one can make out the object in the form of an artificial tree and its various attributes.

Low-light shot with flash

YU Yureka Plus camera performance - low-light shot with flash

With flash turned on, the shot is uniformly lit and the artificial tree is available to see in its full glory.

Night shot


YU Yureka Plus camera review - night shot

At night, the Yureka Plus is able to capture a decent, but noisy image. All the different subjects in the scene are easily visible, but what seems odd is an halo effect around the light sources, which spoils the image.

Overall, the YU Yureka Plus sports a powerful pair of snappers that offer spectacular colour fidelity and sharpness. The depth-of-field effect acts as a bonus, although its HDR mode and night shots aren’t that impressive. To compare how the YU Yureka Plus stacks up against the Yureka, we also captured some of the same shots with the latter (embedded below).

In case of the long shot, while there aren’t much differences between the two, the image taken by the Yureka Plus appears more natural. However, it’s the close up shot that shows how effective the Yureka Plus is against its predecessor, since the image below is good on details, but the colours aren’t as vibrant and bokeh effect is also missing.

YU Yureka Plus camera sample - long shot YU Yureka camera review (close up)

The YU Yureka Plus might seem the same as its predecessor in other aspects as well, but there are quite a few internal differences and that’s what we’ll be talking about in our review.