Micromax’s YU just launched YUREKA (AO5510), the company’s first YU branded smartphone as expected. It has a 5.5-inch (1280 x 720 pixels) IPS display, is powered by a Octa-Core 64-bit Qualcomm Snapdragon 615 (4×1.5GHz + 4×1.0GHz) processor and runs on CyanogenMod OS 11 based on Android 4.4 (KitKat) with OTA updates every month. It features a 13-megapixel auto focus rear camera with LED Flash and a 5-megapixel front-facing camera.

It has 2GB RAM, 16GB of internal storage with expansion slot and packs a 2500mAh battery. It has Cat4. LTE support, including support for 4G LTE bands (TDD B40 2300MHz and FDD B3 1800MHz) for India.

YU YUREKA specifications

5.5-inch (1280 x 720 pixels) IPS display with Corning Gorilla Glass protection

Octa-Core 64-bit Qualcomm Snapdragon 615 (MSM8939) (ARM Cortex A53 – 4×1.5GHz + 4×1.0GHz) processor with Adreno 405 GPU

2GB DDR3 RAM, 16GB internal memory, expandable memory up to 32GB with microSD

Dual SIM

CyanogenMod OS 11 based on Android 4.4 (KitKat)

13MP rear camera with LED Flash, 5P lenses, Sony Exmor RS IMX135 sensor, f/2.2 aperture, 1080p at 30fps, 720p slow motion at 60fps

5MP front-facing camera, OmniVision 5648 sensor, 4P lenses, 71-degree wide viewing angle

Dimensions: 154.8x78mm x6-8.8mm

4G LTE, 3G HSPA+, Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n, Bluetooth 4.0, GPS

3.5mm audio jack, FM Radio

2500mAh battery

The YU YUREKA comes in Moonstone Grey color and is priced at Rs. 8,999. It will be available exclusively on Amazon.in and registrations will start on December 19th at 2PM. It goes on sale in the second week of January 2015. It will only be available online. The company will sell leather cover and tempered glass separately. It has unlockable boot loader and offers warranty even if the phone is rooted. It will also release kernel source code. It also offers free repair or replacement at doorstep.

Unveiling the new brand, Rahul Sharma said:

The future is moving from an app driven experience to a services drive experience and YU in partnership with Cyanogen is a platform that is going to lead that transformation. We will work directly with developers’ community and brands to build services right on the OS layer and offer a differentiated consumer experience. We are creating a global platform for Indian app developers to rise at the world stage. For YU, services will be the core focus which would be ably supported by hardware partners like Qualcomm to offer a seamless and customised experience through our devices and services. We are together committed to challenge the limits of possibility and create a new world.

Kirt McMaster, CEO of Cyanogen, said:

We’re thrilled to bring to India our vision of the next generation mobile experience. India is the fastest growing smartphone market and we are excited to partner with YU, a brand with a deep understanding of Indian consumers. We will deliver a groundbreaking software experience in the form of intuitive, powerful and highly customized devices, beginning with YUREKA.

Amit Agarwal, Country Manager and VP, Amazon India said:

We are very excited to partner with YU and offer our customers across India an exclusive, easy & convenient access to the revolutionary YUREKA. This builds into to our vision of offering customers in India a unique and wide selection of products on our platform and delighting them each time they shop with us.

[Update: Check out the YU YUREKA hands-on here.]