Ai+ Pulse 2 FE Launched in India at Rs. 9,999: 120Hz, IP64 and a Sibling Problem

The basics, done properly, under Rs. 10,000.

For a phone at Rs. 9,999 this is a tidy sheet. The 6.67-inch screen refreshes at up to 120Hz, so scrolling feels smooth. IP64 means dust-tight and protected against splashes from any direction, which is what a monsoon commute actually asks for. There is a dedicated memory card slot, so the 64GB of storage can grow without giving up a SIM, and a headphone jack for the wired earphones in the drawer. At 191g it is light for a 5,000mAh phone.

2 details are worth knowing before you order. The phone supports 18W charging, but the charger in the box is 10W, so filling the battery at full speed needs a separate adapter. And it is 4G only: calls, UPI and streaming all work on 4G, but the phone will never use a 5G network, however long you keep it. Ai+ has not published an update commitment, so we are not printing one.

The FE costs as much as the phone it is meant to sit under.

An "FE" usually means the cheaper version. Here is what the shelf says on the day of writing. The Ai+ Pulse 2, launched in March, lists between Rs. 8,500 and Rs. 10,500 for 4GB + 64GB, and one major retailer sells its 4GB + 128GB at the same Rs. 9,999 as the Pulse 2 FE.

What the FE adds is a faster chip on paper, a punch-hole instead of a notch, and a smaller, lighter body. What it gives up is 1,000mAh of battery and the 128GB option, at the same money or more. If the smaller phone and the newer chip matter to you, the FE is the one. If battery and storage matter more, the Pulse 2 is the better buy today.