Related
My Original Thread on ArmTVtech. For bigger pics follow the link.
http://www.armtvtech.com/armtvtechforum/viewtopic.php?f=565&t=74110
Today we're unboxing the Tronsmart PS7 Otca-Core Phablet.
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For those of you that are unfamiliar with the PS7 here are the specs:
7" 1920x1200 LTPS Screen
MTK6592 Octa-core SOC at 1.7Ghz
2GB of Ram
16GB of Internal Storage
Wifi B/G
BT
Micro-SD card Slot
Dual-Sim slots(1 micro-sim, 1 sim)
5MP Front Camera
13MP Rear Camera w/Flash
Micro-USB OTG port
Headphone Jack
Volume/Power Buttons
3500mAh Removeable Battery
GPS
2G:GSM 850/900/1800/1900MHz
3G:WCDMA 850/2100MHz
Android 4.2.2
We ordered that Tronsmart PS7 in black from Geekbuying. It arrived in under 6 days from China to NYC.
In a few days we'll have a full review up, but for now here is the unboxing!
Nicely Airpacked!
The box comes in a Tronsmart cardboard sleeve.
Top of the box.
Bottom of box.
Back hinge side of box.
Front clasp side of box. This actually has magnets in it to keep it closed.
Opened!
Some extra IMEI stickers included.
Underneath phablet tray is the User Manual and Screen Protector.
Side compartment contains Micro-USB Cable, Headphones, and Power Adapter.
Everything Unpacked.
Tronsmart PS7 Front.
Front(Closer).
Back.
Left Side with Volume +/-
Right Side with Power.
Bottom with Micro-USB OTG port.
Top with 3.5mm Headphone Jack.
Back Open.
Back open with Battery removed.
3500mAh Battey.
First Boot.
That amazing 7" 1920x1200 Screen!
Lastly a sneek peek at the settings menu.
This phablet is a beast! I've been using it for 2 days and can't put it down!
Don't forget to come back in a few days for a full review.
We're going to put the Tronsmart PS7 through a a bunch of tests and find out just how long that battery will last in this 7" Phablet!
Tronsmart PS7 Review
Original Link:
http://www.armtvtech.com/armtvtechforum/viewtopic.php?f=565&t=74134
Note: The original link has bigger pics because it's not resized by photobucket.
Tronsmart PS7 Review!
Tronsmart has been on a roll lately with it's devices. I've reviewed several of them recently and have been impressed.
For the past week I have been reviewing the Tronsmart PS7 Octa-Core Phablet.
Mod Edit: Commercial links removed.
For those of you that are unfamiliar with the PS7 here are the specs:
7" 1920x1200 LTPS Screen
MTK6592 Octa-core SOC at 1.7Ghz
2GB of Ram
16GB of Internal Storage
Wifi B/G
BT
Micro-SD card Slot
Dual-Sim slots(1 micro-sim, 1 sim)
5MP Front Camera
13MP Rear Camera w/Flash
Micro-USB OTG port
Headphone Jack
Volume/Power Buttons
3500mAh Removeable Battery
GPS
2G:GSM 850/900/1800/1900MHz
3G:WCDMA 850/2100MHz
Android 4.2.2
What's in the Box:
Tronsmart PS7
Headphones
Micro-USB cable
Power Adapter
User Manual
Screen Protector
First Impressions:
The Tronsmart PS7 is really massive for a phone, but when you consider it's intended purpose as a Phablet, then you'll see it's quite reasonable in size.
Thin bezels make the PS7 appear smaller than it actually is. If comparing to many 7" tablets out there you can see it's smaller.
Size Comparisons:
Tronsmart PS7(7"), iNew i2000(5.7"), Zopo ZP980+(5"), iOcean X7(5")
As you can see the PS7 is a bit larger than the i2000.
It dwarfs the X7.
And the ZP980+
First Start:
When I first booted the PS7 I was a little worried. The first boot took around 90 seconds. This is a little longer than I am used to.
A reboot had the PS7 running in about 18 seconds.
The first thing you notice about the PS7 is the screen. The 1920x1200 screen is HUGE and very BRIGHT!
It's so bright that I had to turn it down to minimum in order be comfortable in a darker room.
The details, colors, and viewing angles are quite good.
No complaints about the touchscreen. It supports up to 10 simultaneous touches.
The PS7 has a good feel in my hands. It's a little too big for one handed use, but lends itself to two hand with no issues.
Often on a larger device with bezels this thin I'll have accidental taps from holding it. I didn't experience that with the PS7.
It's just the right size.
I popped a 64GB microsd card into the back of the PS7, connected to my wifi and was downloading apps within minutes.
The About Phone Screen lists the following items:
Model number:
PS7
Android Version:
4.2.2
Kernel Version:
3.4.39 [email protected] #1 Tue Mar 18 15:25:55 CST 2014
Build Number:
2719_v92_gq3015_20140325
Baseband Version:
MOLY.WR8.W1315.MD.V21.P1, 2014/01/16 15:51
The Tronsmart PS7 comes without root access. I actually prefer it this way. Certain apps tend to be angry if root is detected.
It's good to have a choice.
Cellular Connectivity:
Using the PS7 as a phone is a pleasant experience. I didn't notice any odd echos, and the speakerphone works fine.
It is a little daunting to hold a 7" phablet next to my head, so I recommend a bt headset.
I wasn't expecting 3G to work since the PS7 only supports 850/2100Mhz for WCDMA, but I guess At&t has 3G on 850Mhz around me now.
So I was able to get H speeds.(No H+ though)
Bluetooth:
I tested the bluetooth with a car radio, headset, bt boombox, and keyboards. The PS7 did well in all tests.
Battery Life:
The battery life on the PS7 is very decent. I found that with mixed use the 3500mAh battery lasted me the entire day.
I also found that on standby the PS7 just barely sips power. I managed to get over 4 days(wifi on, checking email every so often, minimal browsing)
For screen on time I was able to stream HD video to the PS7 for a little over 6 hours before I was down to 25% battery.
Personally I'd like to see phones or tablets with a double size battery option, but the 3500mAh seems to last long enough for me.
Wireless Display:
The settings menu has an option for Wireless Display, but there is no where to actually turn it on. I'm told that a new firmware update will fix this problem.
I'll be testing it out with my Tronsmart T1000 Ezcast dongle.
Media Playback:
I tested several apps to check how the Tronsmart PS7 plays media both locally and from the web.
XBMC:
The first one I downloaded was an XBMC stable build. I was expecting it to launch quickly and was not let down. It took about 5 seconds.
I was able to playback many 1080p and 720p files without any issues.
The 7" screen works well with XBMC, and for the first time on a phone I can use the onscreen keyboard!
With 2GB of ram there is plenty left over after launching XBMC.
MX Player:
The only real problem was with the audio codecs. I don't believe the MTK6592 has support for AC3 or DTS audio built in.
I had to choose software decoder for AC3 files and installed the DTS codecs for MX Player in order to get this to work.
Dice Player:
Most files played well in HW mode. The MTK6592 in the is more than addequate to playback 1080p in software decoding mode. DTS and AC3 were properly decoded and played back.
Netflix:
Videos played smooth in HD and subtitles/audio were in sync. At first it seemed that Netflix was having issues. It kept switching between high quality and low quality. A pause to let it buffer quickly ironed that out.
HBO Go:
Everything looked and sounded great.
Crackle:
Works like a charm.
GPS:
Left side indoors Right side outdoors wooded/cloudy area
I had no issues with GPS in the PS7. After turning it on I was locked onto 17 satellites within 12 seconds.(This was on a very clear day)
Accuracy was good within 4 feet. When compared to other MTK6592 phones, it seems like the PS7 has better than average GPS signal.
Compass:
The compass works well.
Google Sky Maps responded properly.
FM Radio:
One of my favorite things about the MTK chipsets I've used is the FM Radio.
The inlcuded headphones act as an antenna for the FM Radio. It's possible to record music and talkshows directly onto the PS7.
The FM Radio app also identifies what song and station are currently playing.
Wifi
Wifi reception is very good. My routers we're on the other side of the house.
Front Camera:
The front camera claims to be 5MP, but is most likely 3MP interpolated to 5MP. Quality is still decent.
Rear Camera:
The rear camera is 13MP, and provides a decent image. The flash works and is timed right, but it could be a little brighter. It's not too great for low light shots.
Considering most 7" tablets I've seen have 5MP rear cameras with no flash, the PS7 does well in this category.
Pics taken with PS7 in shade/no flashmore coming on next nice day)
Full size image link: http://www.armtvtech.com/ps7_pics/IMG_20140507_190303.jpg
Full size image link: http://www.armtvtech.com/ps7_pics/IMG_20140507_190317.jpg
Full size image link: http://www.armtvtech.com/ps7_pics/IMG_20140507_190401.jpg
Full size image link: http://www.armtvtech.com/ps7_pics/IMG_20140507_190412.jpg
Benchmarks:
I tested the PS7 with Antutu, Quadrant, Vellamo, GFXBench, 3DMark, and NenaMark2.
Antutu:
The PS7 scored 27482 on it's first try.
Quadrant Standard Edition:
The PS7 managed an impressive 14429.
Vellamo:
The PS7 scored a 2002 in the HTML 5 test and 676 in the METAL test.
GFXBench:
3DMark:
NenaMark2:
Conclusion:
The Tronsmart PS7 is a great phablet! This size is just about perfect. It's bigger than most phones, yet small enough to still fit in my jeans pocket.
Screen quality is a huge plus when browsing the web or watching videos. Performance is great even though it's running at 1920x1200 resolution.
I'll never have to carry my phone and my tablet with me. The PS7 replaces both!
My only real gripe with the PS7 is the lack of backlight for the navigation keys. This turns into a non-issue once you get used to the locations.
Stock Firmware:
coming soon
How to Root the Tronsmart PS7!
Original Link:
http://www.armtvtech.com/armtvtechforum/viewtopic.php?f=565&t=74135
How to Root the Tronsmart PS7!
It's super easy to get a basic root on the Tronsmart PS7.
Steps:
1)On the PS7 go into Settings-->Security--->Enable Unknown Sources
2)Download and install Framaroot-1.9.1 from http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2130276
3)Launch Framaroot, Select the "Barahir" option and reboot
4)Enjoy your rooted PS7
Hi, waiting full review :laugh:
Wooow Tronsmart made Smartphones.
I hope that will be as well as their USB-Dongle !
I just finished the review... and its up!
Also quickly rooted with Framaroot. Now making a backup of the rooted stock rom.
Very interesting device.. but battery seems to be too small for 7". My note 5.3" with 2500mah and it still needs to be charged during the day..
Sent from my GT-N8000 using Tapatalk
EDIT-
link for 4.4.2
http://www.pandawillforum.com/showthread.php?25336-ROM-Ulefone-U7-new-firmware-update-04-23-2014
and here
(same guide for 2 basically identical phones named/branded differently)
http://www.pandawillforum.com/showt...-4-2-for-Ulephone-U7-Orientphone-Mega-Pro-7-0
EDIT 6/19
reverted back to 4.2.2 (Ebay crashes on opening item information even on fresh installs/reinstalls on 4.4 and more importantly super-low call and ringer volume on 4.4…so back to 4.2..also 4.2 recovery reliable and stable,.plus has touch)
Screen
Hello,
I just have a question. I haven't read any review about these 7" phablets where they comment about the screen glass. No vendor mention that they have a Gorilla glass, but I want to know if the screen is easy to scratch, or if the included screen protector is any good.
Thank you for your answer.
estuardo4 said:
Hello,
I just have a question. I haven't read any review about these 7" phablets where they comment about the screen glass. No vendor mention that they have a Gorilla glass, but I want to know if the screen is easy to scratch, or if the included screen protector is any good.
Thank you for your answer.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Do not think this one (have the Orient Phone Mega Pro 7) has Gorilla glass..but no scratches despite some heavy and rough use...only Coolpad 9976A (not even Huawei media pad X1) claims Gorilla glass but you may want to check frequencies for calls etc. I think the protector is good but not smudge-resistant like olephobic screens..but then no worse (maybe better) than the Sony Xperia Ultra Z imo (smudge attractor)
Thank you for your answer. I come from using the Sony Z Ultra. This PS7 model obviously is not as sexy as the Ultra, but the problem is that I broke the Ultra screen and replacing it cost me the same as buying the PS7 new. The screen of the Ultra is really fragile. I hope the one from the PS7 is stronger.
estuardo4 said:
Thank you for your answer. I come from using the Sony Z Ultra. This PS7 model obviously is not as sexy as the Ultra, but the problem is that I broke the Ultra screen and replacing it cost me the same as buying the PS7 new. The screen of the Ultra is really fragile. I hope the one from the PS7 is stronger.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Me too..just sold my Ultra Z today (not that this is the best looking phone but the screen brightness, reflectivity (less) and viewing angles superior to Ultra Z imo...the LTPS stuff is very good...just bought and sold for a significant loss the Sharp Aquos SH-06F (Snapdragon 801/32GB storage/4200maH) (latest model came out last month..awesome for holding as a 7 inch phone felt lighter than even the ultra Z and shorter! (they compressed even top bezel!)...amazing package..BUT..to me the IGZO panel was not as good as the LTPS on this one..also made by Sharp)..the SH-06F was otherwise perfect in every other aspect...and yes, one thing no updates unless on Docomo network (unless the Sharp website would post updates for downloading) though someone said you could change the APN to make it look it wants or is on a docomo APN (even though downloading done through wifi)
mac231us said:
Me too..just sold my Ultra Z today (not that this is the best looking phone but the screen brightness, reflectivity (less) and viewing angles superior to Ultra Z imo...the LTPS stuff is very good...just bought and sold for a significant loss the Sharp Aquos SH-06F (Snapdragon 801/32GB storage/4200maH) (latest model came out last month..awesome for holding as a 7 inch phone felt lighter than even the ultra Z and shorter! (they compressed even top bezel!)...amazing package..BUT..to me the IGZO panel was not as good as the LTPS on this one..also made by Sharp)..the SH-06F was otherwise perfect in every other aspect...and yes, one thing no updates unless on Docomo network (unless the Sharp website would post updates for downloading) though someone said you could change the APN to make it look it wants or is on a docomo APN (even though downloading done through wifi)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I've never noticed the Sharp phone before. It looks really nice. But I bet it is a lot more expensive than the PS7. But that Sharp phone looks like the one to get. Is the screen really that bad, compared to the Sony Z Ultra? It is as tall as the Ultra, and a cm wider. How did you get a hold of it?
It is a shame I didn't join this discussion before.
Apologize to OP if message may not be about Tronsmart completely though is in part
estuardo4 said:
I've never noticed the Sharp phone before. It looks really nice. But I bet it is a lot more expensive than the PS7. But that Sharp phone looks like the one to get. Is the screen really that bad, compared to the Sony Z Ultra? It is as tall as the Ultra, and a cm wider. How did you get a hold of it?
It is a shame I didn't join this discussion before.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
it is almost 4-5 more expensive. You may be interested in the device (links below) (reminds me of the K900 Lenovo I had)...dialer looks similar also Intel Clover Trail CPU (however I remember rooting was not easy-but the k900 community evolved significantly with folks bundling root in the rom itself..who knows it probably even has deodexed rom now-there is a thread on xda but am talking of k900 lenovo)
noticed dd2 ram (some of these devices have ddr3 so not sure how much of a difference it makes when paired with a diff processor such as the Intel one..EDIT: they claim it is LPDDR2 which they say is better than DDR3)
again check frequencies as just saying 2g/3g does not mean much if your frequencies are not covered
http://cngadget.info/2014/05/20/best-deal-teclast-p79hd-3g-7-inch-2gb16gb-gps-only-112/
http://tabletrepublic.com/forum/lat...-teclast-p79hd-3g-phablet-only-$112-5531.html
http://item.jd.com/1127503.html
in the meantime the Orient Phone/Ulefone/Tronsmart/Aonex etc phone folks have an improved version of the 7 inch phone (screen drivers etc)
http://detail.tmall.com/item.htm?spm=a220o.1000855.w5001-2928202607.11.Q4wgl1&id=38719104855
more on the Sharp..although tablet news is saying it is 680USD, docomo's own site which is the only original source for this phone as it is docomo-branded has it over 88000Yen which takes it to the mid 800s USD. And then you need to get it sim unlocked-SO..
it is much more expensive..like over 4 times (on Ebay..one would think it was a ridiculous price and it was..but me being gadget buff got it-anyway sold it swallowed my loss learnt my lesson)...the screen had color/brightness shifts (like a TN panel) when tilting the phone from side to side on both axes..this is irritating as it is on laptops where you would move around less but even more so on a handheld device. IGZO may have better color gamut etc but seems to have worse viewing angles compared to this LTPS stuff that is on this Orienphone/Ulefone/Tronsmart/Aonex also made by Sharp..think IGZO has lower power consumption--you can search and read up on these as I do not know much about these.. however it has broader frequencies, awesome form factor for a 7 inch, super lightweight, very fast, bigger battery (4200maH) and responsive ...great signal and reception, call quality-drawback-no software updates none if not on docomo..though someone said you could trick it into thinking as on docomo by putting in a docomo apn (atlhough the software update itself is over wifi)..rooting etc? too early as too new a product...however in the end, screen is ultimate factor and therefore it fallls short
mac231us said:
it is almost 4-5 more expensive. You may be interested in the device (links below) (reminds me of the K900 Lenovo I had)...dialer looks similar also Intel Clover Trail CPU (however I remember rooting was not easy-but the k900 community evolved significantly with folks bundling root in the rom itself..who knows it probably even has deodexed rom now-there is a thread on xda but am talking of k900 lenovo)
noticed dd2 ram (some of these devices have ddr3 so not sure how much of a difference it makes when paired with a diff processor such as the Intel one..EDIT: they claim it is LPDDR2 which they say is better than DDR3)
again check frequencies as just saying 2g/3g does not mean much if your frequencies are not covered
http://cngadget.info/2014/05/20/best-deal-teclast-p79hd-3g-7-inch-2gb16gb-gps-only-112/
http://tabletrepublic.com/forum/lat...-teclast-p79hd-3g-phablet-only-$112-5531.html
http://item.jd.com/1127503.html
in the meantime the Orient Phone/Ulefone/Tronsmart/Aonex etc phone folks have an improved version of the 7 inch phone (screen drivers etc)
http://detail.tmall.com/item.htm?spm=a220o.1000855.w5001-2928202607.11.Q4wgl1&id=38719104855
more on the Sharp..although tablet news is saying it is 680USD, docomo's own site which is the only original source for this phone as it is docomo-branded has it over 88000Yen which takes it to the mid 800s USD. And then you need to get it sim unlocked-SO..
it is much more expensive..like over 4 times (on Ebay..one would think it was a ridiculous price and it was..but me being gadget buff got it-anyway sold it swallowed my loss learnt my lesson)...the screen had color/brightness shifts (like a TN panel) when tilting the phone from side to side on both axes..this is irritating as it is on laptops where you would move around less but even more so on a handheld device. IGZO may have better color gamut etc but seems to have worse viewing angles compared to this LTPS stuff that is on this Orienphone/Ulefone/Tronsmart/Aonex also made by Sharp..think IGZO has lower power consumption--you can search and read up on these as I do not know much about these.. however it has broader frequencies, awesome form factor for a 7 inch, super lightweight, very fast, bigger battery (4200maH) and responsive ...great signal and reception, call quality-drawback-no software updates none if not on docomo..though someone said you could trick it into thinking as on docomo by putting in a docomo apn (atlhough the software update itself is over wifi)..rooting etc? too early as too new a product...however in the end, screen is ultimate factor and therefore it fallls short
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I didn't like the past Sony screens, because you had to use the device directly in front of your eyes. But the Xperia Ultra changed all that. If you say that the Sharp one has a bad screen, I believe you. And more if you were willing to sold it back at a loss.
And about the Teclast model, it seems that they only use the 2100 MHz band, so it is only 2G if I want to use it in my country I will try to find out. It is really strange that they don't have the 850 MHz band.
If you happen to know other model, please let me know. If there is none, then Tronsmart will be my next purchase.
Thank you for your help.
Hello,
I bought the 'created N7' that is like the ulefone u7/tronsmart ps7/luftco a onex/orientphone mega pro 7 etc..., and is sold by the factory with 4.4.2 installed
I found a bug in this product
The bug is about the bad working of the s-view window.
I link here a video where is possible to see how it should work:
http://youtu.be/lk1P9jziw64
The problem is that with the created N7 it is not possible to answer
to the calls without opening the flip cover:
when the N7 receive a call, the s-view window is not sensitive, so it
is not possible to answer
The sview with cover closed is sensitive only for a few seconds after the cover has ben closed, specifically only before the sview goes in standby (black screen)...after the standby, wakening the phone by a call or simply pressing the power button (without opening the cover) the sview seems not sensitive
These are two videos that shows the problem:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EG6D...e_gdata_player
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-By6...e_gdata_player
This should be fixed, because is an important feature that is missing:
the phones like N7 of other brands (like ulefone u7/u69, luftco a-one
x, tronsmart ps7, orientphone mega pro 7) instead have a fully
functional s-view window
I already informed some created online sellers (kent wang, peter
yang... ) about this bug,
they told me that they will contact the engineer... but i have
not answer yet...i think they are not able to solve this problemi...
A seller told me that they send the leather case for free,
Its a gift , so i cannot ask them to fix this problem ��
Can someone help me to fix this problem?
I tried installing firmware of other device (luftco a onex 4.4.2)
But nothing has changed ...(and by the way i found that the luftco firmware
does not fit with my n7...the camera does not work with it)
Any hint?
Any suggestion?
I did some tests i found that actually the sview is sensitive also after the standby, but not enought to feel the touches through the screen...
in the settings there is an option 'increase touch sensitivity to allow the control through sview screen',
seems that this high sensitivity status is not reactivated if the cover is not opened after the phone goes to standby...
How can i fix this problem? perhaps some fix on touch drivers is needed?
Please help me!
Thank you!
i have used the s-view cover briefly but did not have issues (like i could take the call through the window)..just me but I reverted back to 4.2.2 because of the incall volume and higher ringer volumes (not found a way to fix that in 4.4.2..recall even Ultra Z had that issue with initial 4.4.2 versions before they fixed it and then Ebay app crashes no matter what I try (when trying to click on any item)...low in call volume was a big negative for me...added plus have cwm touch in 4.2.2 versus regular cwm but that is not a big deal (sure someone has a working twrp too which would be great)
btw successfully deodexed the 4.4.2 (even though not using it) using the tool here
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2713329
however keep getting bootloop on deodexed 4.2.2
EDIT
also successfully applied Xposed mods (various like getting many more toggles, volume rocker wake etc..Gravity xposed is best, Xutilities, Xuimod and Xblast are others) on both the 4.2.2. and 4.4.2
also can get advanced reboot, screenshot using home hard button, slide status bar for screen brightness adjustment etc
estuardo4 said:
I didn't like the past Sony screens, because you had to use the device directly in front of your eyes. But the Xperia Ultra changed all that. If you say that the Sharp one has a bad screen, I believe you. And more if you were willing to sold it back at a loss.
And about the Teclast model, it seems that they only use the 2100 MHz band, so it is only 2G if I want to use it in my country I will try to find out. It is really strange that they don't have the 850 MHz band.
If you happen to know other model, please let me know. If there is none, then Tronsmart will be my next purchase.
Thank you for your help.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I received an email from Teclast. They only support the 2100 MHz band on their phone.
Now the decision will be if I want to have 2G speeds (I'm almost always on reach of many public WiFi signals) and a $150 phablet with metal body, or a 3G and 0.5 cm shorter, $250 one with better camera and a plastic body.
If you happen to know another option, I'll be very greatful. The Sharp one is out of my league right now.
Thank you again.
Ok back to kitkat now using this version of the rom for (as needrom links says) Ulefone U69/U7, Carpad T69, Tronsmart PS7, Yuandao M87, OrientPhone Mega Pro 7.0, Created N7 (but using for OrientPhone)
https://mega.co.nz/#!w8tSEB7A!y15nkEH-q5f-4b8yXeOZWxQRuwMunlWfZ9nwsksLW0A
from
http://www.needrom.com/mobile/ulefo...ndao-m87-orientphone-mega-pro-7-0-created-n7/
The supposedly newer 5/27 rom (on Ulefone site link
http://www.ule-fone.com/downloads/ulefone-7-0-inch/)
and then the 6/05 rom from link
http://www.pandawillforum.com/showt...-4-2-for-Ulephone-U7-Orientphone-Mega-Pro-7-0
have issues (5/27 could not root no matter what-has while and orange Welcome boot animation just so you know) and the 6/05 Lutfco Onex rom (again same device) from link below has no MTK engineering mode (which I used to successfully tweak in call/ringer/notification volume levels) (the 6/05 rom has the Onex Black white boot animation)
you can use Mobile uncle tools (from playstore) or MTK Engineering Mode app per this
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2248396
pr just type this in dialer
*#*#3646633#*#* to get into MTK engineering mode (no app needed)
Need to Headset and Headset Loudspeaker and Mic within each of those (for each level like level0 level1 etc..think these are the volume steps as called out in build prop)
example levels shown here (different phone but same applies)
http://flaresroms.blogspot.com/2014/05/rom422un-official-mere-by-john-reniel.html
non touch recovery cwm as got using MKTdroid tools not fancy but does the job and is fast..the CWm touch recovery takes forever
4.4.2 with working camera+root (SuperSU)+access to MKT Enng tools
vicolodo..think the camera work in JB rom not in 4.4 (in the created kk, the camera only does the front camera not the rear) wondering if it is a gallery apk, camera.bin, and camera lib files issue -will let you know if I have any success (not sure if the 6/5 luftco kk rom has fixed this issue..but then no engineering mtk mode on that and need it to boost pathetically low ringer and in-call earpiece default volumes)
EDIT
(as everything on xda. this is what worked for me do your own checks and due diligence..nothing guaranteed)
so took this rom from here
http://www.ule-fone.com/downloads/ulefone-7-0-inch/
file folder name is 20140527_e2719v92_gq3015
but could not root it (even using vroot)
so from an earlier 4.4.2 rom (link below)
http://www.needrom.com/mobile/ulefo...ndao-m87-orientphone-mega-pro-7-0-created-n7/
which was rootable via vroot (but camera rear did not work), had created cwm recovery image file using mktdroid tools
folder name for this rom is
20140526_e2719v92_gq3015_N7
mktdroid tools guide for cwm is here
http://www.chinaphonearena.com/foru...-CWM-MTK6595-MTK6582-MTK6589-MTK6589T-MTK6577
so installed the rom in first link (5/27)
then went back to flashing mode (no battery etc)
and in the folder of the rom (first link) renamed recovery.img as something else
and put instead the recovery cwm image file created for the needrom rom as the recovery image file.
when flashing unchecked everything except recovery..so the scatter took the new recovery file
then booted to cwm and flashed cwm su update zip file (can find many places)
booted after flashing..no issues SU was there and so was root
camera works on this 5/27 rom AND you have access to mtk engineering tools/mode
only thing google play etc would not connect to network so just went to each google app (like play services, partner setup etc and cleared all data and cache)
on rebooting everything worked! (root, google play etc, mtk enng mode, cwm, camera)
old cwm attached..this will prompt you to update su later
[REVIEW] Siswoo Cooper i7: octa-core, 64 bits, 4G, IPS HD 5", 2GB de RAM, 16GB ROM,
Recently the young Chinese company Siswoo announced their second Android model, taking advantage of the new 64 bits processors from MediaTek.
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As I have already told before, those Chinese manufacturers are each time copying (imitating less) and willing more to highlight something from their own. Today Siswoo is presenting the Cooper i7, and before going into the review, I cannot hide... it's a bullet!
Hardware
Those are the specifications of the last Siswoo smartphone:
And yes, you are right, 64 bits octa-core processor running at 1,7Ghz, GPU Mali T760, 2GB of RAM, 16 GB of internal storage (of which 12,82GB available for the user) and up to 64GB expandable via microSD, 4G-LTE connectivity ... appetizing, isn't it? Let's go with the review.
Packaging, design and ergonomics
The package is really simple and quite square, the one used by Elephone for the P3000s attired my attention, but this one goes back to the “standards”. Small and with the table of content and smartphone specifications.
[YOUTUBE]http://youtu.be/sF0Pcrfu1Fo
[/YOUTUBE]
Just taking it out of the box, two things surprised me: the design and the weight. It's really light, in a very first moment I even though it didn't have the battery, but yes, it was inside, and even so it stays on 130gr.
As we can see on the video, the device comes inside a small plastic bag and in the bottom inside the box, we will find the charger and earphones. It's very nice from Siswoo's side to include (already applied) the plastic cover for the screen.
Regarding the design, I must confess I didn't like it in a first sight, too simple and too... flat, with round edges.
BUT, once you use it, this feeling changes. And this design influences a lot. As said before, it's very light (although the different of size, exactly the same weight of iPhone 5) and with less than 9mm of thickness, you can carry it very comfortably on your pocket... and being a 5” device.
One remarkably thing on its design are the touch buttons. They are normally off, but when you use the phone or you have a notification, they light in an elegant and practical way. When not, the front part is completely black. On this front, we will also find the 5Mpx camera and the sensors for light and proximity.
Unlike other smartphones, all the physical buttons of the Cooper i7 are on the right side. In the beginning it might be confusing, since sometimes you want to press volume down and you lock the phone.
However, once you get used to that, it's very comfortable, specially because this terminal fits perfectly into one hand, and by having the buttons on the same side, you can manage it completely with just one hand.
The rest on the edges is free... except for the top part, where we find charger plug and jack 3.5 for the earphones.
Turn it. On the rear part, your eyes go directly to the 8Mpx camera with dual LED flash on the top, just below SISWOO logo and on the bottom the speaker and logo with “4G-LTE” like to remember us that we can connect to those networks.
Last on this part, I must say that the Cooper i7 does not slide at all. It's very agreable to touch and it fits perfectly on the hands, so VERY good ergonomics.
Screen
Cooper i7 mounts a HD IPS 5” screen, offering a resolution of 720x1280. It has very good quality, although I think they use dynamic contrast, because I don't feel as much range of tones as in other (first brand) phones. I mean, black is not as black.
The viewing angle is very good and I had no problems using it under bright sun, by having the brightness in automatic mode, it adjusts in seconds to any situation.
We will also find two interesting functions, "Gesture sensing" and "Smart Wake". The first one means that we will be able to navigate through pictures on the gallery and some other apps just by moving our hand over the phone (but without touching it). The second one, allows us to complete some actions by drawing pre-defined patterns on the screen when the phone is locked, like activate radio, camera, change song...
The gesture recognition is working but, at this point is not as perfectioned as in other models like new Samsung Galaxy, with the Cooper i7 you must pass your hand closer to the screen and slower.
The Smart Wake function is really interesting, I liked it a lot. I continually use it for many applications... and with just one movement!
Software, multimedia and games
This terminal comes with Android 4.4.4 Kitkat, although Siswoo has annouced we will receive the update to Lollipop during March.
They didn't apply any customization layer on top of Android (maybe it also influences the high speed this phone goes), in addition it is rooted by default and includes all the usual and popular applications out of the box (Facebook, Twitter, Whatsapp, Skype, Adobe Reader, Documents to Go and the interesting WeCal) so we can start fully using it just after the first booting.
Browsing the web either with WiFi or with 3G/4G connection, it's very fast and fluid, no lags, specially the background applications (like social network notifications)
In the multimedia area is where I really enjoyed myself. Since there were not pre-installed game, I went direct to Fifa 15:UT and another action game called Contract Killer... ¡bingo!
The initial test became some weekend hours playing online tournaments (specially Fifa, I really love it). The fact of being so light and so comfortable on the hands, make this smartphone the perfect portable gaming console, and as I said before, being so fast makes the games start very quickly and loading times are very short. While playing there are no lags, nor freezes and being moving images, contrasts and colors are perceived perfectly.
I have the same feeling when playing videos, the powerful CPU and accompanied with one of latest presented GPUs make the work without any trouble. FullHD, subtitles... even working through the network I had no problem with any type. Regarding the volume, it's OK and the rear speaker has enough relief (inward) so that the sound is not muffled by supporting the phone on any surface.
Coming to the extras, GPS and compass worked very well and once again, without having to wait.
So, in general, the multimedia experience has been very satisfactory.
Camera
The Cooper i7 brings (as usual) two cameras, the front one with 5Mpx and the main one at the rear with 8Mpx, both with interesting characteristics like voice shooting control, the beauty effect (perfect for selfie lovers) or the noise reduction.
However it suffers from the great evil of Chinese phones: lots megapixel unable to perform well in low light conditions.
It was clear that the "buts" would arrive sooner or later.
I have tried the camera inside and outside. Taking pictures outside and with full sun light, the results are very satisfactory for pictures and also recording video.
But when the light is lower, other "first brand" phones like iPhone (who also mounts an 8Mpx main camera) are capable of great pictures...and with this one we will simply prefer not to zoom too much on the pictures.
I would even say that I even like more the results of the front camera (with its 5Mpx and without flash) rather than the main one, so selfie addicts...good for you! Both cameras work perfectly with Skype, just pay attention you don't cover the microphone when holding the phone.
Autonomy
As seen on the specifications, the (removable) battery has a capacity of 2100 mAh, something I found quite tight compared to the more than 3000 mAh we see often on new terminals... but very good compared for example with the 1440mAh on the iPhone 5... and more than enough for one day. I already said I spent several hours playing online.
It's equiped with fast charging technology, nevertheless I would preferred to see the latest ultra-fast charging technology (around 80% in 15min or so).
Conclusions
In the first lines of this review I already stated than although most of Chinese phones have some common points, it is each time more usual to see brands willing to highlight their "personal touch".
In my opinion, Siswoo has been able of achieving a very interesting result in which is only their second model on the market. Not only on the design but specially on the usability, the user experience is very agreable.
We cannot dismiss from our minds that it's not only the aforementioned excellent potential, the Cooper i7 also brings us dual SIM and 4G-LTE connectivity for around 180€ (as per its price on Etotalk including VIP shipping DHL only took 2 days to arrive to my house).
mdabar said:
Recently the young Chinese company Siswoo announced their second Android model, taking advantage of the new 64 bits processors from MediaTek.
As I have already told before, those Chinese manufacturers are each time copying (imitating less) and willing more to highlight something from their own. Today Siswoo is presenting the Cooper i7, and before going into the review, I cannot hide... it's a bullet!
Hardware
Those are the specifications of the last Siswoo smartphone:
[IMG="Specifications"]
http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-omHjEmmzagg/VPGBRIFQFlI/AAAAAAAABuY/8la0GNjKY-I/s1600/SiswooCooperI7-specs.jpg[/IMG]
And yes, you are right, 64 bits octa-core processor running at 1,7Ghz, GPU Mali T760, 2GB of RAM, 16 GB of internal storage (of which 12,82GB available for the user) and up to 64GB expandable via microSD, 4G-LTE connectivity ... appetizing, isn't it? Let's go with the review.
Packaging, design and ergonomics
The package is really simple and quite square, the one used by Elephone for the P3000s attired my attention, but this one goes back to the “standards”. Small and with the table of content and smartphone specifications.
[YOUTUBE]http://youtu.be/sF0Pcrfu1Fo
[/YOUTUBE]
Just taking it out of the box, two things surprised me: the design and the weight. It's really light, in a very first moment I even though it didn't have the battery, but yes, it was inside, and even so it stays on 130gr.
As we can see on the video, the device comes inside a small plastic bag and in the bottom inside the box, we will find the charger and earphones. It's very nice from Siswoo's side to include (already applied) the plastic cover for the screen.
Regarding the design, I must confess I didn't like it in a first sight, too simple and too... flat, with round edges.
BUT, once you use it, this feeling changes. And this design influences a lot. As said before, it's very light (although the different of size, exactly the same weight of iPhone 5) and with less than 9mm of thickness, you can carry it very comfortably on your pocket... and being a 5” device.
One remarkably thing on its design are the touch buttons. They are normally off, but when you use the phone or you have a notification, they light in an elegant and practical way. When not, the front part is completely black. On this front, we will also find the 5Mpx camera and the sensors for light and proximity.
Unlike other smartphones, all the physical buttons of the Cooper i7 are on the right side. In the beginning it might be confusing, since sometimes you want to press volume down and you lock the phone.
However, once you get used to that, it's very comfortable, specially because this terminal fits perfectly into one hand, and by having the buttons on the same side, you can manage it completely with just one hand.
The rest on the edges is free... except for the top part, where we find charger plug and jack 3.5 for the earphones.
Turn it. On the rear part, your eyes go directly to the 8Mpx camera with dual LED flash on the top, just below SISWOO logo and on the bottom the speaker and logo with “4G-LTE” like to remember us that we can connect to those networks.
Last on this part, I must say that the Cooper i7 does not slide at all. It's very agreable to touch and it fits perfectly on the hands, so VERY good ergonomics.
Screen
Cooper i7 mounts a HD IPS 5” screen, offering a resolution of 720x1280. It has very good quality, although I think they use dynamic contrast, because I don't feel as much range of tones as in other (first brand) phones. I mean, black is not as black.
The viewing angle is very good and I had no problems using it under bright sun, by having the brightness in automatic mode, it adjusts in seconds to any situation.
We will also find two interesting functions, "Gesture sensing" and "Smart Wake". The first one means that we will be able to navigate through pictures on the gallery and some other apps just by moving our hand over the phone (but without touching it). The second one, allows us to complete some actions by drawing pre-defined patterns on the screen when the phone is locked, like activate radio, camera, change song...
The gesture recognition is working but, at this point is not as perfectioned as in other models like new Samsung Galaxy, with the Cooper i7 you must pass your hand closer to the screen and slower.
The Smart Wake function is really interesting, I liked it a lot. I continually use it for many applications... and with just one movement!
Software, multimedia and games
This terminal comes with Android 4.4.4 Kitkat, although Siswoo has annouced we will receive the update to Lollipop during March.
They didn't apply any customization layer on top of Android (maybe it also influences the high speed this phone goes), in addition it is rooted by default and includes all the usual and popular applications out of the box (Facebook, Twitter, Whatsapp, Skype, Adobe Reader, Documents to Go and the interesting WeCal) so we can start fully using it just after the first booting.
Browsing the web either with WiFi or with 3G/4G connection, it's very fast and fluid, no lags, specially the background applications (like social network notifications)
In the multimedia area is where I really enjoyed myself. Since there were not pre-installed game, I went direct to Fifa 15:UT and another action game called Contract Killer... ¡bingo!
The initial test became some weekend hours playing online tournaments (specially Fifa, I really love it). The fact of being so light and so comfortable on the hands, make this smartphone the perfect portable gaming console, and as I said before, being so fast makes the games start very quickly and loading times are very short. While playing there are no lags, nor freezes and being moving images, contrasts and colors are perceived perfectly.
I have the same feeling when playing videos, the powerful CPU and accompanied with one of latest presented GPUs make the work without any trouble. FullHD, subtitles... even working through the network I had no problem with any type. Regarding the volume, it's OK and the rear speaker has enough relief (inward) so that the sound is not muffled by supporting the phone on any surface.
Coming to the extras, GPS and compass worked very well and once again, without having to wait.
So, in general, the multimedia experience has been very satisfactory.
Camera
The Cooper i7 brings (as usual) two cameras, the front one with 5Mpx and the main one at the rear with 8Mpx, both with interesting characteristics like voice shooting control, the beauty effect (perfect for selfie lovers) or the noise reduction.
However it suffers from the great evil of Chinese phones: lots megapixel unable to perform well in low light conditions.
It was clear that the "buts" would arrive sooner or later.
I have tried the camera inside and outside. Taking pictures outside and with full sun light, the results are very satisfactory for pictures and also recording video.
But when the light is lower, other "first brand" phones like iPhone (who also mounts an 8Mpx main camera) are capable of great pictures...and with this one we will simply prefer not to zoom too much on the pictures.
I would even say that I even like more the results of the front camera (with its 5Mpx and without flash) rather than the main one, so selfie addicts...good for you! Both cameras work perfectly with Skype, just pay attention you don't cover the microphone when holding the phone.
Autonomy
As seen on the specifications, the (removable) battery has a capacity of 2100 mAh, something I found quite tight compared to the more than 3000 mAh we see often on new terminals... but very good compared for example with the 1440mAh on the iPhone 5... and more than enough for one day. I already said I spent several hours playing online.
It's equiped with fast charging technology, nevertheless I would preferred to see the latest ultra-fast charging technology (around 80% in 15min or so).
Conclusions
In the first lines of this review I already stated than although most of Chinese phones have some common points, it is each time more usual to see brands willing to highlight their "personal touch".
In my opinion, Siswoo has been able of achieving a very interesting result in which is only their second model on the market. Not only on the design but specially on the usability, the user experience is very agreable.
We cannot dismiss from our minds that it's not only the aforementioned excellent potential, the Cooper i7 also brings us dual SIM and 4G-LTE connectivity for around 180€ (as per its price on Etotalk including VIP shipping DHL only took 2 days to arrive to my house).
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Good, very good to review, but I wonder what is the most interesting device, and what it may have longer duration in time ... this I 7, or R8 ...
now my thanks for the review ...
Hi bodyjoao, from my point of view they are very different devices.
Think that Siswoo is a really new (young) company and up to now they have just launched 2 smartphones, being the first one the R8 Monster. In my opinion they did like that to show everybody what they were able to do, so top of hardware specifications.
Then they presented the Cooper i7 to show that they want to do also more affordable products, but without going to low end range. My impressions have been very good testing the i7, I insist that the weak point for chinese phones is always the camera, but leaving that on a side... I'm really enhoying the i7, it's very very fast on everything... and delicious to play with very light and thin hehe
The R8 Monster costs around 100$ more and... still I'm not sure the camera will be much better.
We have very good news coming from other brands like Xiaomi, were people insist that their cameras are quite good, so I'm confident that chinese companies have already understand that people demand quality and they are giving it little by little... better finishing, better, screens, better storage... It's not always the amount that counts, but the quality
mdabar said:
Hi bodyjoao, from my point of view they are very different devices.
Think that Siswoo is a really new (young) company and up to now they have just launched 2 smartphones, being the first one the R8 Monster. In my opinion they did like that to show everybody what they were able to do, so top of hardware specifications.
Then they presented the Cooper i7 to show that they want to do also more affordable products, but without going to low end range. My impressions have been very good testing the i7, I insist that the weak point for chinese phones is always the camera, but leaving that on a side... I'm really enhoying the i7, it's very very fast on everything... and delicious to play with very light and thin hehe
The R8 Monster costs around 100$ more and... still I'm not sure the camera will be much better.
We have very good news coming from other brands like Xiaomi, were people insist that their cameras are quite good, so I'm confident that chinese companies have already understand that people demand quality and they are giving it little by little... better finishing, better, screens, better storage... It's not always the amount that counts, but the quality
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I am under This phone or the jiayu s3 , But the site don't have now the jiayu s3 for now, and I like this look...I wait for one or tree days and then I decid....
Sent from my HUAWEI G750-T20 using XDA Free mobile app
bodyjoao said:
I am under This phone or the jiayu s3 , But the site don't have now the jiayu s3 for now, and I like this look...I wait for one or tree days and then I decid....
Sent from my HUAWEI G750-T20 using XDA Free mobile app
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The Jiayu is very good one too, I found available on the same store I took the Siswoo -> http://www.etotalk.com/jiayu-s3_p7545.html
And as usual customer they gave me these coupons... first in first served
5 USD Available 77571b3b8a 2015-04-02
5 USD Available 7ef04c0bff 2015-04-02
5 USD Available fc8cabfe8e 2015-04-02
5 USD Available 9c7b4d8e1d 2015-04-02
5 USD Available 857faaa218 2015-04-02
5 USD Available bf36c5bfe8 2015-04-02
I prefer them because of the DHL VIP shipping ... take a look and decide, you will tell later which one you take!
I've been using mine since a couple of weeks, but the home button backlight somehow stays on all the time. Any idea why? Cheers, great review!
yash3339 said:
I've been using mine since a couple of weeks, but the home button backlight somehow stays on all the time. Any idea why? Cheers, great review!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I have not had this issue... and since yesterday I'm thinking on it and surfing my Cooper i7 up and down to find anything :-/
The only I can think on is, go to Settings -> Display -> BreathLight and try to unable all of them, reboot the phone and then activate them again.
Normally it should light only to notify something.
Goos luck and tell us if it works!
cooper 17
hello
i also plan to buy it, but i fear about the small battery..
could you tell us more about that matter ?
thks
jdcesari said:
hello
i also plan to buy it, but i fear about the small battery..
could you tell us more about that matter ?
thks
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
More than 1 day with my normal use,... I mean a lot of wifi: Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, Opera, weather and Youtube for the baby
I've also been using radio and trying 2 different GPS applications (Navmii and Navigate 66) for which I have not only tried the apps but also downloaded the maps for a couple of countries (so more than 1GB downloaded over wifi for those apps)
And planning the trip I have moved cartoons for the baby from my NAS to the smartphone using the wifi, so another 1GB moved there and the battery resisted
It's true it went faster when playing Fifa, because it was online and playing, but with normal use it's much longer.
So it's true that the battery is not as long as for other devices, but you see that also on its thickness, it's really comfortable to bring it on the pocket.
5" HD 720p is poor
it's a great screen with 5" FHD
MTK6752 support screen solution 1080P
thks a lot
you are perfect
Hahaha thanks! but just trying to help and share my experience through reviews
If you liked it, I would appreciate you clic on the "Thanks!" button
Have a nice one!!
Weak wifi on Cooper i7?
Hello,
I just received my siswoo cooper i7 yesterday. I'm also lucky with until now except for one issue: the Wifi is very weak. It has an ok connection next to the router (54 Mbps), but if I move away 4-5 meters (staying in the same room even), it drops the connection or goes down to 12/ 5 / 2 Mbps. I also tried at my office, it wouldn't work if not directly at the router. All my other devices (Moto MB 526, XT320, iPad Air) have good connection even 2 rooms further away and work like a charm.
Anyone else having similar issues? Any good ideas to solve this?
IF SISWOO IS READING -> PLEASE DONT BLOCK ROOT !
ROOTED WITH iROOT SUCCESS
Back and other Button LED = (su) echo 255 > /sys/class/leds/button-backlight/brightness // 0 to turn off
Breathlight (HomeLED) = echo (CODE) > /sys/devices/virtual/breathlightdrv/breathlight/open // 0 to turn off
CODE -> defines blinking rate - havent figured out the system but any numbers between 12 to 20.
Will add if found out more...
What about the storage? Is it unified or partitioned?
I'm still worried about the battery. Otherwise it looks great.
chat1978 said:
What about the storage? Is it unified or partitioned?
I'm still worried about the battery. Otherwise it looks great.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
If you mean with unified that all the available storage is on the same partition then it's a yes, available storage appears all together as internal SD Card and it all can be used to install apps.
The battery life depends on the usage. I consider it will last a full day with moderate usage (2 - 3 hours SOT, some gaming, some calling, some music listening), but no more that that.
alresave said:
If you mean with unified that all the available storage is on the same partition then it's a yes, available storage appears all together as internal SD Card and it all can be used to install apps.
The battery life depends on the usage. I consider it will last a full day with moderate usage (2 - 3 hours SOT, some gaming, some calling, some music listening), but no more that that.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes about the storage. Thanks.
On my daily life, I don't have high expectations from the battery.
But last year, while on route to an island, I drained the battery of THL W200 within a couple of hours just by looking at the ship's location and doing some reading.
Very disappointing. I have a portable battery back but still, I would like something bigger for vacation time!
Full Review Video
Pictures from http://s7yler.blogspot.com
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mLB3C60yvcc
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gYR-Y3umZaM
[REVIEW] uleFone Be Touch: 5,5" IPS, 4G, 64bits octa-core CPU, 3GB RAM, fingerprint
uleFone is one of new Chinese brands making good things lately. And in the same way some players are doing, they also wanted to present something interesting before the summer period.
But they want to be like "the others", so they have come with an amazing smartphone which they have presented as their flagship device for the season: the uleFone Be Touch
Something very interesting, since this brand is very young. They’ve worked designing and making parts for other brands during years, but it wasn’t until 2014 they moved to manufacture their own smartphones.
When I opened the box my first though was about that size "It's huge!". But then, I started it and as Megan Trainor sings... "It's all about that bass"
Only that smartphone is not fat at all, it's very thin and light. It's even thinner than other thin devices like the Siswoo Cooper i7 I reviewed some weeks ago.
But let's go step by step.
Design and package
The box is quite standard, white, same shape that we can typically find for the iPhones or Samsung devices, for example. With a sticker showing some info and then most of the specifications on the bottom part.
Once opened, we can see the amazing Be Touch with its huge screen inside a soft bag and on the lower level, we have all the rest which is USB cable, charger (attention 1.5A! more than common units), headphones and quick start guide in English and other European languages... it's not something very necessary (we all know how to start the phone and take a picture) but it's really the first time I see it. And not one single item in Chinese. Sincerely that feels like more quality.
I live you that video with those impressions and something more:
Summarizing, on the front we have the 5,5" screen. On the top, frontal camera for selfies...with flash!!, light and proximity sensor. And on the bottom we have the navigation buttons: menu, back and home... which integrates a great surprise in form of fingerprint reader. Of all that I will talk more in detail.
On the left side we will find the lock/power and the volume buttons.
Going to the bottom side, just the micro and speaker (very iPhone-like). We have the holes for micro USB and jack exit on the top side, and nothing at all on the right side.
If we flip the phone, on the rear part we will see the main camera (using the Sony IMX214 4th gen sensor) with dual led flash and on the middle the uleFone logo.
All that within very tight dimensions of 158.1x77.4x8.6mm and another advantage is that it fits very well on the hand. It’s true that it’s big, but it doesn’t slip.
Hardware specifications
When you put the mark "flagship" over a product, you really want to mean that device is your top-range. Especially when you are a new player on the field and you want to set up what is your quality level and left aside your “Chinese stamp mark”. The Be Touch is much more than 64 bit octa-core processor and 3GB of RAM…So here it is what hides inside this thin beast.
{
"lightbox_close": "Close",
"lightbox_next": "Next",
"lightbox_previous": "Previous",
"lightbox_error": "The requested content cannot be loaded. Please try again later.",
"lightbox_start_slideshow": "Start slideshow",
"lightbox_stop_slideshow": "Stop slideshow",
"lightbox_full_screen": "Full screen",
"lightbox_thumbnails": "Thumbnails",
"lightbox_download": "Download",
"lightbox_share": "Share",
"lightbox_zoom": "Zoom",
"lightbox_new_window": "New window",
"lightbox_toggle_sidebar": "Toggle sidebar"
}
Model uleFone Be Touch
Color Metal Grey / Silk White
Dimensions 158.1 x 77.4 x 8.60
Weight 160g
Operating system Pre-install Android 5.0 Lollipop
Touch ID Front Fingerprint Scanner, Unlock in 0.1-0.5s
CPU 64Bit MTK MT6752 processor Octa core 1.7GHz CPU
GPU Mali T760 MP2/7000MHz GPU
RAM 3GB LPDDR3 RAM
ROM 16G
Battery 2550mAH
Charger Quick charger 1.5A ooutput
Display 5.5 inches, HD 1280*720pixels, IPS OGS (NEW 2.5D Arc screen) with Corning® Gorilla® Glass 3
Cameras 13MP 4th generation camera Sony IMX214 (main) and 5.0MP (OV5648) for the Front camera
Video 1080P, 2K, 4K
Network GSM: 850/900/1800/1900 (band5,band8,band3,band2) ; WCDMA: 850/900/1900/2100 (band5,band8,band2,band1) ; FDD-LTE: 800/1800/2100/2600(band20,band3,band1,band7)
SIM Dual sim dual standby, Micro SIM and Standard SIM
WiFi WiFi802.11 a/b/g/n/ac Support dual-band Wi-Fi(2.4GHz/5GHz)
Bluetooth Bluetooth 4.0
Positioning GPS, A-GPS, GLONASS, Digital Compass
Hall Effect Sensor, Gravity Sensor,
Ambient Light Sensor,
Touch Sensor, Digital Compass
Regarding the connectivity, needless to say it fully covers all our needs. The WiFi connects and transfers very fast, probably the improvements from Lollipop help, because I haven’t had any troubles of losing signal (as it happened with other devices). I have tried the BT with headphones (Digicare DO) and also with a BT keyboard, working both very well, quick pairing.
The SIM (standard and micro sizes) are located just next to the microSD slot, so sincerely a little bit hard to introduce the card, but once done, the networks are fast detected and connected, so I could use 3G/4G and also make calls very successfully. The voice is very clear and with enough volume.
Display
This is one of the most attracting points of this device. Its 5,5” IPS OGS screen with Corning Gorilla Glass of 3rd generation offers a resolution of 1280x720ppp. I can say that up to the date it’s the best display I’ve seen on a not first brand phone. The quality of the colors and the bright is amazing.
It comes with the dynamic control (adaptive brightness), so it automatically adapts to the lighting conditions to increase or reduce the bright level, making perfectly viewable even under sunshine.
Following the last trends, it also have the “Off-Screen Gesture” function, each time more common and sincerely very useful, since we can program several applications or functions to start without having to unlock the phone: camera, radio, calendar,.. any of the installed apps can be started by drawing a pattern on the locked screen.
Camera
We arrive to one of the most critical points of each review, since normally the manufacturers include camera sensors with a high number of megapixels but not offering the expected quality. uleFone advised they wanted to make the difference and present a great device, so they equipped the Be Touch with a main camera of 13Mpx with a Sony IMX214 4th generation sensor. Apparently this should be a warranty, but we’ve seen many other phones with good lenses giving poor results.
Fortunately this is not (so much) the case with the Be Touch. Until now this is the best (Chinese) one on the quality of pictures and videos. There is still the point to improve when there are poor light conditions. But I repeat the quality even though is much better than with other smartphones.
Here below some examples:
Another surprise comes with the front camera, the chosen sensor is OV5648 from Omni Vision, a high-performance, low-cost 5-megapixel CameraChip sensor for smartphones and tablets, which uses the latest 1.4-µm OmniBSI+ pixel architecture. But what surprised me was to find a led flash next to this camera. No questions about the selfies fever we’re immersed on, so the flash is doubtless a way to increase the quality of our portraits.
Regarding the videos, you can see this FullHD sample recorded outdoors, and even using zoom the quality is really good.
Software
This model comes directly with Android 5.0 Lollipop, so very good news since we have the almost last version of Android since the beginning, with all the improvements already mentioned on different articles like the better battery consumption, more secure environment since first boot, RAM management, WiFi connectivity issues solved, OK Google,…
By the other hand, need to say, that no Chinese stuff (apps) were installed on the phone, very clear Android [Símbolo] Only an icon called “ulefone” which brings us to the manufacturer website.
Another of the key points on the Be Touch is the fingerprint scanner, integrated on the “Home” button. It works really fast (some people say it’s even faster than the TouchID on the iPhone 6), and the way it register new fingers is different from other sensors where we had to slide our fingers. On this case we just have to put the desired finger repeatedly on the sensor until we have the full print marked on red on the screen. Meaning it has been fully recorded.
My suggestion is to place the finger on different positions, so it catches it from different angles and completes the task faster. We can register up to 5 fingers, which is a significant improvement against other devices allowing only 3 prints.
Due to the size of its screen and its powerful hardware, the Be Touch is perfect for entertainment. I installed Kodi (formerly known as XBMC), so I can play FullHD movies and TV shows directly from my NAS over the LAN, without any lags, smoothly and with very high quality of image and sound.
Normally I just try some games like Asphalt or Fifa (no need to say they go like lightning), however, bearing in mind the fingerprint sensor I decided to install my company’s software and use it as mobile office.
Yes, the BYOD is a real trend all around us I installed MaaS360, and configured mail, agenda and other tools. Once again it’s not only the speed of everything I try, jumping quickly from one task to another, but also the size of the screen makes this device very comfortable to read emails, see (and edit) Office documents, use CRM tools… really comfortable, especially when I compared to y iPhone 5’s tiny screen.
Autonomy
As stated above on the specifications table, the Be Touch is equipped with a removable battery of 2.550mAh, more than enough for a full day with average use: calls, wifi browsing, emails, whatsapp, pictures, social networking, Office documents editing… and all that thinking that the use of corporate tools and apps consume more battery.
Conclusions
A couple of months ago I saw the announcement of the Xiaomi MiNote and I really liked it. I though it was a real alternative to first brands smartphones with quality enough and a restrained price. I sincerely didn’t know so much about uleFone yet, and others brand had showed important improvements but still not at a comparable level to first brands.
I’m not meaning that the Be Touch has the same quality of the last Samsung Galaxy S6, but honestly it’s getting close. uleFone should still improve the management of taking pictures with dark conditions and polish some other minor details.
When I opened the box, I presumed that phone was very powerful but maybe too big for a daily use and still had to test the camera results, I take pictures every day. After using it, I can say that it’s a very comfortable device, not heavy at all (just 160gr) and since it’s very thin, it fits very well on the pocket.
I completely recommend it if you are looking for a new smartphone with a lot of possibilities and for a moderated price, around 205€ with Etotalk.com
PS: If you like this post, I'll appreciate if you click on the "Thanks!" button
Just to complete the info from the review above, here some pictures putting the Be Touch (in black) together with an iPhone 6 (white)
Couple of questions.
1. How about the audio quality, through speaker, through headphone?
2. How much heat is generated by the phone when watching youtube or when playing games?
And Lastly, Can you upload some full size images? Thanks for a great review.:good:
Hi, answering your questions:
The sound is very good in both cases. For example, with the Elephone P3000S I clearly notice a lack of volume that I don't appreciate here, I mean watching movies, listening music,... more than enough. In addition the speaker is on the side, not in the bottom, so it always deliver at maximum
Regarding the temperature. After a couple of hours watching Gotham (I finished the 1st season recently hehe) chapters on the Be Touch, it was just a little hot, but for example the iPhone5 gets much much hotter when using 3G for long.
About the pictures... I have published the same review in here -> http://dabarsocialmarketing.blogspot.ie/2015/05/ulefone-be-touch-simply-amazing-with-64.html
I hope the pictures are bigger in size at least if you download them. I can tell you the quality is really good. Some friends viewed those pictures and asked me if they were the samples included on the phone or real pictures taken by me... that's why I take one of my dog (the same that appears on the video sample).
Until now it's from far, the best chinese phone I've used.
Cheers
PS: If you like this post, I'll appreciate if you click on the "Thanks!" button
mdabar said:
Hi, answering your questions:
The sound is very good in both cases. For example, with the Elephone P3000S I clearly notice a lack of volume that I don't appreciate here, I mean watching movies, listening music,... more than enough. In addition the speaker is on the side, not in the bottom, so it always deliver at maximum
Regarding the temperature. After a couple of hours watching Gotham (I finished the 1st season recently hehe) chapters on the Be Touch, it was just a little hot, but for example the iPhone5 gets much much hotter when using 3G for long.
About the pictures... I have published the same review in here -> http://dabarsocialmarketing.blogspot.ie/2015/05/ulefone-be-touch-simply-amazing-with-64.html
I hope the pictures are bigger in size at least if you download them. I can tell you the quality is really good. Some friends viewed those pictures and asked me if they were the samples included on the phone or real pictures taken by me... that's why I take one of my dog (the same that appears on the video sample).
Until now it's from far, the best chinese phone I've used.
Cheers
PS: If you like this post, I'll appreciate if you click on the "Thanks!" button
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks again. But I think those captured pictures are softer in the edges, sharper in the center. May be a software prob.
What is the data rate of video files? (In different resolutions)
My question is actually what kind of sd card to buy for that phone?
Doesn't it make sense to go for the expensive ones with higher speeds or 10mb/s is enough?
drkbg said:
What is the data rate of video files? (In different resolutions)
My question is actually what kind of sd card to buy for that phone?
Doesn't it make sense to go for the expensive ones with higher speeds or 10mb/s is enough?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hi, bearing in mind that it records video on FullHD, I wouldn't take a slow card. Personally I always take class 10 at least. If you can take a UHS class it will be better. Think that it's not only the video recording, at least I use to put a lot of stuff on the SD, so accessing apps, taking pictures, games, videos,... everything falls on the SD card, so the fastest the better.
For me, the class 10 is working well.
PS: If you like this post, I'll appreciate if you click on the "Thanks!" button
Has anyone tried 128GB sdcard?
drkbg said:
Has anyone tried 128GB sdcard?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hahahaha I'd really like, but they are soooo expensive
Tell us if you have the chance!
cheers
67EUR is not that much... ok compared to 23EUR for 64GB is a little bit more per GB but still this phone did cost me 180...
Hey dude. thanks for sharing that.
r_kalar_2 said:
Thanks again. But I think those captured pictures are softer in the edges, sharper in the center. May be a software prob.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I've checked but don't have the impresion about soft edges... I have published on my spanish blog -> http://t.co/w9CK2Y2w6H
and there you can view full size
Think also that for example the flower picture was very focused very close, I wanted the rest appear unfocused (I don't know the correct term in english). Anyway I hope these full size pictures help I'll try to post some ones else
Cheers!
Will this phone work with USA 4G/LTE? Specifically AT&T? I've heard the wifi range on it is pretty poor, can you confirm that?
Does anyone knows how to root this device? I tried with iRoot but didn't work.
alresave said:
Does anyone knows how to root this device? I tried with iRoot but didn't work.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
kingroot?
let us know, which rooting method worked
Maor545 said:
kingroot?
let us know, which rooting method worked
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yeah please, I was also thinking, although I have not yet investigated. :good:
hello I bought the phone and I'm very happy, but I read in the specifications that the phone can 'do video in 2K or 4K, you did it ???
Sorry for may bad english
gagias said:
hello I bought the phone and I'm very happy, but I read in the specifications that the phone can 'do video in 2K or 4K, you did it ???
Sorry for may bad english
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
4k will be supported after an ota update as far as I know
scottharris4 said:
Will this phone work with USA 4G/LTE? Specifically AT&T? I've heard the wifi range on it is pretty poor, can you confirm that?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
yes this phone works with AT&T but no LTE does not work. as far as the wireless connection, this is true, it's not as strong as a g3 or an S five or an iPhone 6 but it isn't horrible. the build quality is very nice. it's worth what they're asking for it.
---------- Post added at 04:12 PM ---------- Previous post was at 04:09 PM ----------
mdabar said:
Yeah please, I was also thinking, although I have not yet investigated. :good:
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I have tried Kingroot , I root, and framaroot.
All were unsuccessful.
Also just read this phone will get 5.1 within the next 30 days.
I currently have a Samsung Galaxy S7 (Exynos Version) and been thinking of switching to the Blu Vivo X for the 4010+ mah battery, 64gb internal storage, and 4 cameras. Both phone has 4 GB and rams and an Octacore CPU. The Blu Vivo X is currently more than a $100 less than the Samsung Galaxy S7 (Exynos Version).
What's your thought on the Blu Vivo X and would it be worth switching to it from a Samsung Galaxy S7 (Exynos Version), even though the Blu Vivo X uses a 720p screen, and Blu has been known for having adwares in their phones in the past?
specs info:
- Samsung Galaxy S7 (Exynos Version) gsmarena.com/samsung_galaxy_s7-7821.php
- Blu Vivo X gsmarena.com/blu_vivo_x-9072.php
My thoughts (which are only MY thoughts, I'm not pretending to have the absolute truth):
- Blu Vivo X has a mediatek CPU which isn't at the same level as Exynos or Snapdragon CPU, still it will do the job.
- Blu is know for adware but is also known for having malwares installed
- 4010mAh battery, I would be very careful with that number. A high quality manufacturer will announce the capacity of their battery and you can almost be sure that it is true. Now, when you go to less known, less top quality manufacturers, when they say 3000mAh, you test the battery and it's in fact like a 2000mAh. So before making a choice, find concrete tests which tells you how much time you have with a full charge. Don't listen to people on Youtube with no test protocol who say "Yeah, I can last 2 days with it" because you can't know their perception of things, you can't know if they have been paid, you can't know what they do with their phone. If I turn off Wifi, LTE, and keep the screen of on my OnePlus One, I can last 1 week! Now if I use it normally, I last 1 day, 2 days at the most, but real screen on time is like 6 hours. So be careful and don't trust fanboys or people who just throw numbers like this.
About battery capacity, I give you an example I have read some years ago when Xioami released their external battery pack (10.000mAh). When tested, it was almost good but more around 9000mAh. They had compared to unknown brands found on Amazon, and some batteries announced like 10.000mAh, had in fact less than 5000mAh in capacity. So be careful, Blu isn't such a great highly recommended trusty manufacturer, so I would tend to think their numbers are enhanced for the commercial speech, but in real like, will a 4000mAh battery last a lot longer than a 3000mAh from Samsung, I doubt it.
So in the end, what do you think you will do with the Vivo X than you can't do with the Galaxy S7? That's the real question. You want more storage space? The Exynos version of the S7 has a SD card slot. More battery, better buy an external battery pack, it will cost you less.
That's my point of view, I would never trade a flagship from a very well known brand some model from a brand known for cheap phones and who put Mediatek processors in their phones. I highly doubt that the Blu Vivo X will have internal memory that has the same speed as a Galaxy S7, I highly doubt the pictures from the Vivo X would beat the S7, I also highly doubt you will have more "Screen on time" with a Vivo X as Samsung has spent time to optimize their system (you can also debloat it to gain battery life by removing all Samsung crapware). That's only my point of view, but I don't think it's a good idea. You should make your own idea by reading LOT (not just 1 or 2) reviews on the Blu Vivo X, watching videos on Youtube and read between lines, don't trust people that aren't even tech journalists ; )
EDIT: Here are some interesting reviews I've found on Amazon of people not only putting 5 stars and saying "great phone!":
Review 1: "This phone does exactly what the description says. It takes Ok pictures, is thin and comfortable in the hand, and is relatively easy to use. However, the processor speed and user interface, are not up to par with a Snapdragon or Galaxy S. I thought it would be a good idea to upgrade my Galaxy S7 to the VIVO X. I was not impressed. The system response was slower than what I'm used to and the UI just feels "cheap" to me. On a brighter note, the front camera was awesome for using Google Duo to talk to my son while I'm on the road. Its not a bad phone, I just feel like my S7 is a better phone."
Review 2: "I'm pretty conflicted with this phone. I want to adore it, however there are some pretty major setbacks that I'm not sure if I can look past. With that being said, I'd still recommend this for the price.
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Pros:
- The screen is big but you don't get a big phone. I've strayed away from 6" because I'm a little person, but I quite like holding this because it's skinny enough that small hands can hold it and also enjoy a "big boy" screen.
- It's smooth. It's definitely faster and more smooth than my last phone (HTC Desire Eye). Installing apps is lightning fast, scrolling through google is a breeze, and having multiple apps in the background doesn't slow it down.
- Sound quality is quite good. It's bass-y, which I like. It picks up the slightest noise though, which could be great or bad depending on the situation I guess. It goes quite loud as well.
- Plenty of storage. You'll be able to fit thousands of photos, songs, and quite a lot of apps onto this phone.
- Fingerprint scanner is awesome. I've never had a phone that did this, so it's kind of fun.
- Messaging notification drop-down is AMAZING. I LOVE this feature. I was pleasantly surprised when someone texted me and I was able to read/reply from the drop-down, all while staying on whatever page.
- You can do split-screen. I think it depends on the app though. In theory, it's great that you can have two pages up at a time.
- Android nougat is so nice. I had Android 5.0 with my last phone. Upgrading to 7 is definitely what I needed, and hoping for an update to Android 8 in the next year, maybe?
- The actual feel of the phone is high-end. It feels like a top-rated phone, but without the pricetag.
- All of Google's apps come already installed. I personally don't use many of Google's features, so luckily it's easy to remove them and add some extra storage to the phone.
- It came with a screen protector already on, an extra screen protector in the box, and a case as well! It also came with the standard charging accessories and some earbuds.
- Fast startup/reboot. The initial startup is a bit slow and worrisome, but it's just the one time as it gets itself ready for you! After that, turning it on is quick.
Cons:
- The camera. So many problems with it. I'll go into detail at the end of this post. This is the biggest obstacle holding me back from possibly sticking with this. My last phone had a superb camera that was clear, could focus on micro surroundings, adjusted perfectly to light... And this camera fails in all those areas.
- The resolution IS as advertised. No you won't be getting the clearest of words on your screen, but it's passable. It's noticeable if you switch from a better resolution phone like I did though.
- The lack of cases is strange, I must admit. Hopefully some more come out soon.
- No theme, at least not that I could tell. I think all of my past Androids of recent years have had an option for different interface themes. This doesn't seem to have this feature.
- I couldn't access ANY ringtones/notification alerts. I had to download a ringtone app.
- 14GB of my 64GB was already taken up. I can't figure out what's taking up so much space. I've gotten rid of any bloatware (luckily wasn't a lot, so great job, BLU), but 14 is still a lot.
----------
I'd love to give it 5 stars, but there's just one thing that's so jarring to me, and I don't understand it at all... When you use your camera (back and front), the window on your screen is crisp and beautiful (back is, front is lackluster). But when you go to look at the image, it's blurry. It's like it goes from the supposed 13MP+, down to maybe an 8MP (at best) once the picture is actually taken. I'm pretty miffed at this. I mean, really, the camera specs are a lie.
To go along with the camera, it also has a hard time focusing on things close to it. For example, selfies are a joke. You get that perma-airbrushed look even without the beauty filter on. I have freckles, but you can't see them in the photos. Some different camera apps make the clarity and focusing a bit better, but you'd more than likely have to deal with obnoxious ads unless you want to pay for a different camera app.
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Overall, I'm not exactly happy with it, but I'm not mad either. I really wish the camera was better. I switched from a 2014 phone which excelled in that area, so it's sort of hard to downgrade after spending a couple hundred bucks. I did upgrade in many areas which is nice though. I sort of want to return the item, but I might keep it. Luckily I'm not a huge selfie taker, so I may not care too much about the problem a week from now."
So all in all, I've also read some reviews from tech websites, the Vivo X seems to be a good phone FOR THE PRICE. So if I were you, I wouldn't expect a 250$ phone to have the same quality of components of a 700$ phone. Mediatek processor, Only Gorilla glass 3, LCD screen not Amoled, Camera with only "ok quality". If you extrapolate, that can give you an hint of the quality of the internal memory, of the quality of the RAM used, the quality of the GPS chip (will it fix your position as fast as a S7? Don't know, but I doubt it).
To me, your question is similar as saying "I have a Ford Mustang, is it worth switching to a "add name of any common cheap car" ?" You see what I mean?
No way!!! Why you would do that? It`s more like a downgrade.. If you really want a change, something stock, more storage, more ram, quickly software updates and maybe a better battery backup, you can change the s7 for a OnePlus 5T, or simply you can wait for OnePlus 6 which is launching in june..
cristiandiaconu6 said:
No way!!! Why you would do that? It`s more like a downgrade.. If you really want a change, something stock, more storage, more ram, quickly software updates and maybe a better battery backup, you can change the s7 for a OnePlus 5T, or simply you can wait for OnePlus 6 which is launching in june..
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes it's true, these are the best alternative to my point of view too, but the only thing is that it's not on the same budget level (250$ for the Blu Vivo X and 500$ or more for the OnePlus phones). Though, you summed up all I said very well, S7 to Vivo X is a downgrade.
Hi guys. I bought an A52 4G for myself a few weeks ago and here is my brutally honest review. As you will see, there are some things I wasn't satisfied with but I needed a phone quickly and for my budget and availability, I thought I'd give Samsung a chance.
Pros
1. Lots of QoL services by Samsung like always on display and apps like Gallery by Samsung can be more useful than Photos by Google. I also mapped the double tap power button to start the flashlight.
2. The 720G chipset along with a 90hz display feels plenty powerful especially for those coming from an older midrange device. However, it's not as fast and instantaneous as stock Android or OxygenOS. Also, you will face lots of stutters and bugs if you enable animation to .5x. At default 1x, animations are too damn slow.
3. Stereo speakers. Sound quality is average though. I don't use it much so I don't care.
4. Water resistance. It's nice of Samsung to bring this feature to a midrange device.
5. The macro camera can be useful for taking pictures of very small items like coins. The selfie camera seems alright.
6. The display, despite having kind of inaccurate colors is actually a lot better looking than most Chinese brand (OnePlus, Oppo, Vivo, Xiaomi, Realme, etc) phone displays. Most Chinese brand displays tend to have a washed out, pale look to them despite having high refresh rates.
7. Battery life is pretty decent. If you don't use it much, it'll last a couple days easily. Of course, battery will degrade over time so a few years later, you might need to change the battery or the phone itself.
Cons
1. Sound quality output through the 3.5mm jack is very bad. My previous phone (Moto G5s Plus) had a much better built-in DAC. But at least the jack is there so I guess it's better than nothing but I'd suggest you get a good type-c to 3.5mm converter and use that instead if you're looking for decent audio.
2. The display isn't bad (the 90hz is definitely an upgrade over 60hz) but the color calibration out of the box by Samsung is very inaccurate and kind of pale. You can switch to "vibrant" mode but it over saturates everything. The saturation is so off the charts that you have no choice but to go back to the pale "natural" mode. Also, the amoled screen can be fatiguing to your eyes. Not everyone faces this but personally I have this problem.
3. The charger provided is really weak. Sometimes I like to use my phone while it's charging. Sadly this charger is too weak to do that and can't keep up. I did have a faster charger from my previous budget moto phone and it does a much better job charging the A52. It would be better if Samsung didn't provide this crappy 15 watt charger and made the phone cheaper so I could buy a 25 watt charger myself. I don't see the logic in this. The phone supports 25 watt charging but Samsung includes a 15 watt charger in the box.
4. The lightly colored matte plastic back looks awesome in the beginning but with some mild use, the colors are already starting to fade and become yellowish. So put a case or skin on it if you wanna preserve that awesome color.
5. The colors and details of the main camera are not very good for an upper midrange device in 2021. I saw some reviews on YouTube with review units provided by Samsung that showed much better camera quality than what I'm getting with my retail unit. Especially after you take a picture, if you zoom in on a person's face for example, the details are just not there. Also, the colors are inaccurate and not life like. Hopefully, someone can make a good GCAM for this phone. Otherwise, expect to live with an average camera.
6. Random spammy apps like Dailyhunt get automatically installed every few days. I set all settings to not update anything automatically but it still does that. I even contacted customer care about this and they couldn't provide any solutions. EDIT: Luckily, it stopped doing this.
7. If the bezels were a bit narrower especially the sides and top, it would have quite a flagship killer look. Even the A51 has narrower bezels on the side. But I know Samsung did this on purpose so their more expensive S series phones would look more special than the A series.
8. It's a bit on the heavier side if you compare it to the A51. Putting a case and tempered glass on it will only increase the weight further. I find myself having to put the phone down on a table or bed to use it. I can't hold it in the air for long due to its weight.
Bugs1. "Force dark mode" option in developer settings automatically turns itself off whenever you restart your device.
2. If you set animation to .5x instead of the default 1x, and cycle through your recent apps, there's a weird stutter.
Conclusion
If you can live with Samsung's annoying OneUI stutters or slow animations, this isn't a bad phone especially if you can get it for around $300 USD. I'd call this a good phone for moms/dads and grandmas/grandpas. If you're a young millennial trying to live on the cutting edge, I'd pass on this one and get something that's a little faster, maybe the new Nord CE (it has a more washed out display than the A52 though).
Well! My phone have just arrived. I'm switching from an S7 edge that I've been using for the last 4 years. So far I find that the screen is pretty good! Better than the S7E. The speed is excellent and of course, the ONE UI 3.1 is superb. I've already uninstalled some unwanted apps. As regards the camera, haven't tested it yet. But obviously, the GCAM will make it better.
LanguageSoez said:
Well! My phone have just arrived. I'm switching from an S7 edge that I've been using for the last 4 years. So far I find that the screen is pretty good! Better than the S7E. The speed is excellent and of course, the ONE UI 3.1 is superb. I've already uninstalled some unwanted apps. As regards the camera, haven't tested it yet. But obviously, the GCAM will make it better.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Of course it'll be better than a 4 year old phone lol. If you think one UI is superb, try using stock android or oxygenos, you will be blown away.
I got A72 and the picture quality coming out from the stabilized Sony IMX 686 sensor with pixel binned 16 MP pictures is superior to Samsung HM2 108 MP giving just 12MP images ... So is A52, I don't believe your "honest review" ....
neoxcool said:
I got A72 and the picture quality coming out from the stabilized Sony IMX 686 sensor with pixel binned 16 MP pictures is superior to Samsung HM2 108 MP giving just 12MP images ... So is A52, I don't believe your "honest review" ....
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
A72 is not A52. Specs are one thing, software is another. You don't have to believe anything. As I said in my review, you should experience the phones in person preferably from friends who bought it and then make a decision.
The OP is obviously a satisfied customer
Griping about it being water resistant is really picking at nits. It adds little cost and help to seal out dust, extending the usable service life of the device.
Charging a phone while using isn't a good idea and it should charge slow whilst using regardless of the wattage capacity of the charger brick being used.
NiceGuyIncel said:
Hi guys. I bought an A52 4G for myself a few weeks ago and here is my brutally honest review. As you will see, there are a lot of things I wasn't satisfied with but for my budget and availability, this was one of the better ones.
Pros:
1. Lots of QoL services by Samsung like always on display and apps like Gallery by Samsung can be more useful than Photos by Google. I also mapped the double tap power button to start the flashlight.
2. The 720G chipset along with a 90hz display feels plenty smooth especially for those coming from an older midrange device. It's not as fast and instantaneous as stock android or oxygenos but this is probably the fastest that Samsung OneUI has ever been.
3. Stereo speakers. Quality is average though. I don't use it much so I don't care.
4. Water resistance. It can be useful if you like to take your phone to the bathroom or live in a rainy area but I feel this feature is more suitable for flagship phones. The 4G version of the A52 really don't need this feature and it would be better if the device was slightly cheaper instead.
Cons:
1. Sound quality output through the 3.5mm jack is very bland. My previous phone (Moto G5s Plus) had a much better built-in DAC. But at least the jack is there so I guess it's better than nothing but I'd suggest you get a good type-c to 3.5mm converter and use that instead if you're looking for quality audio.
2. The display isn't bad (the 90hz is definitely an upgrade over 60hz) but the color calibration out of the box by Samsung is very boring and washed out. You can switch to "vibrant" mode but it over saturates everything. The saturation is so off the charts that you have no choice but to go back to the pale "natural" mode. Hopefully, the xda community will do something about this, maybe a graphics engine or some app that can tinker with the display settings more finely.
3. The charger provided is really weak. Sometimes I like to use my phone while it's charging. Sadly this charger is too weak to do that and can't keep up. I did have a faster charger from my previous budget moto phone and it does a much better job charging the A52. So I really don't know why Samsung pulled an Apple with the charger.
4. The lightly colored matte plastic back looks awesome in the beginning but with some mild use, the colors are already starting to fade and become yellowish. So put a case or skin on it if you wanna preserve that awesome color.
5. The colors and details of the main camera really sucks for an upper midrange device in 2021. I saw some reviews on YouTube with review units provided by Samsung that showed much better camera quality than what I'm getting with my retail unit. Luckily, some people have already started working on gcam for this device and from what I've heard the results are much better than Samsung's default camera app.
6. Random spammy apps like Dailyhunt get automatically installed every few days. I set all settings to not update anything automatically but it still does that. I even contacted customer care about this and they couldn't provide any solutions.
7. If the bezels were a bit narrower especially the sides and top, it would have quite a flagship killer look. But I know Samsung did this on purpose so their more expensive S series phones would look more special than the A series.
8. It's a bit on the heavier side if you compare it to the A51. Putting a case and tempered glass on it will only increase the weight further.
9. The amoled screen can be fatiguing to your eyes. Not everyone faces this but personally I have this problem.
Conclusion: That wraps up my brutally honest review of the A52 4G. I hope you enjoyed the fact that I didn't jump up and down and say this is the best phone ever like most YouTube "reviewers". They say that whenever a new phone comes out. Of course the people who are gonna upgrade from a 5 year old phone will also say this is the best phone they ever used. From their perspective, it makes sense but I believe you should thoroughly research the market and only buy what YOU like the most. I was moving to another country where phones are quite expensive so I just grabbed this cause I was in a hurry. If you have the time, research other phones and try to use them in person. That way you will know for sure what you're getting because specs can be misleading. I'd suggest you look into Poco F3, OnePlus Nord, Moto G100, Moto G60 and other similarly priced devices before going for the A52. Don't assume that just because it's a Samsung, it's gonna be a great phone. Samsung intentionally nerfed this phone so there is more incentive for people to go for the more expensive S series phones.
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I appreciate your feedback. I'm certain most of those who are still undecided will as well.
To be frank, this device has received overwhelming amounts of good press, which, as a consumer, is a good thing.
That said, constructive criticism is a key component towards improving upon future A series models and/or polishing the current user experience.
AHE_XDA said:
I appreciate your feedback. I'm certain most of those who are still undecided will as well.
To be frank, this device has received overwhelming amounts of good press, which, as a consumer, is a good thing.
That said, constructive criticism is a key component towards improving upon future A series models and/or polishing the current user experience.
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Paid press is always good press...
The Samsung Fold series always get rave reviews but they're expensive, fragile and limited devices. Worse I'm being kind in my criticism.
6. Random spammy apps like Dailyhunt get automatically installed every few days. I set all settings to not update anything automatically but it still does that. I even contacted customer care about this and they couldn't provide any solutions.
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Weird, I have never encountered this.
3. The charger provided is really weak. Sometimes I like to use my phone while it's charging. Sadly this charger is too weak to do that and can't keep up. I did have a faster charger from my previous budget moto phone and it does a much better job charging the A52. So I really don't know why Samsung pulled an Apple with the charger
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I don't mind this at all since it's already proven that fast charging does hurt your battery longevity.
2. The display isn't bad (the 90hz is definitely an upgrade over 60hz) but the color calibration out of the box by Samsung is very boring and washed out. You can switch to "vibrant" mode but it over saturates everything. The saturation is so off the charts that you have no choice but to go back to the pale "natural" mode. Hopefully, the xda community will do something about this, maybe a graphics engine or some app that can tinker with the display settings more finely.
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I agree with this, although I prefer it for the occasional media consumption. For general usage, it might lead to some eye strain for some people which includes me.
The build despite plastic is decent enough considering the trade-offs with its other specs at this price point and an IP6X is always welcome. The camera is nothing spectacular but not bad, given that it's harder to quantify the expected degrees of quality per $ at this price range. Performance is fine for the majority of the time but there are occasional stutters or lag you will encounter. Overall, I'm very satisfied with my purchase. It's also worth noting that warranty and software support tend to get overlooked when looking at the price.
I was considering Poco F3 as an alternative before getting my A52 however, I didn't go through with the Poco F3 because of various issues and concerns that I can't be arsed to list.
This phone is on my list to upgrade from my Essential PH-1. Keeping an eye on ROM development and Gcam development. I can get it for around $354 depending on the COP to USD conversion rate in Colombia. Anyone know better deals out in the wild?
NiceGuyIncel said:
Hi guys. I bought an A52 4G for myself a few weeks ago and here is my brutally honest review. As you will see, there are some things I wasn't satisfied with but I needed a phone quickly and for my budget and availability, I thought I'd give Samsung a chance.
Pros
1. Lots of QoL services by Samsung like always on display and apps like Gallery by Samsung can be more useful than Photos by Google. I also mapped the double tap power button to start the flashlight.
2. The 720G chipset along with a 90hz display feels plenty powerful especially for those coming from an older midrange device. However, it's not as fast and instantaneous as stock Android or OxygenOS. Also, you will face lots of stutters and bugs if you enable animation to .5x. At default 1x, animations are too damn slow.
3. Stereo speakers. Sound quality is average though. I don't use it much so I don't care.
4. Water resistance. It's nice of Samsung to bring this feature to a midrange device.
5. The macro camera can be useful for taking pictures of very small items like coins. The selfie camera seems alright.
6. The display, despite having kind of inaccurate colors is actually a lot better looking than most Chinese brand (OnePlus, Oppo, Vivo, Xiaomi, Realme, etc) phone displays. Most Chinese brand displays tend to have a washed out, pale look to them despite having high refresh rates.
7. Battery life is pretty decent. If you don't use it much, it'll last a couple days easily. Of course, battery will degrade over time so a few years later, you might need to change the battery or the phone itself.
Cons
1. Sound quality output through the 3.5mm jack is very bad. My previous phone (Moto G5s Plus) had a much better built-in DAC. But at least the jack is there so I guess it's better than nothing but I'd suggest you get a good type-c to 3.5mm converter and use that instead if you're looking for decent audio.
2. The display isn't bad (the 90hz is definitely an upgrade over 60hz) but the color calibration out of the box by Samsung is very inaccurate and kind of pale. You can switch to "vibrant" mode but it over saturates everything. The saturation is so off the charts that you have no choice but to go back to the pale "natural" mode. Also, the amoled screen can be fatiguing to your eyes. Not everyone faces this but personally I have this problem.
3. The charger provided is really weak. Sometimes I like to use my phone while it's charging. Sadly this charger is too weak to do that and can't keep up. I did have a faster charger from my previous budget moto phone and it does a much better job charging the A52. It would be better if Samsung didn't provide this crappy 15 watt charger and made the phone cheaper so I could buy a 25 watt charger myself. I don't see the logic in this. The phone supports 25 watt charging but Samsung includes a 15 watt charger in the box.
4. The lightly colored matte plastic back looks awesome in the beginning but with some mild use, the colors are already starting to fade and become yellowish. So put a case or skin on it if you wanna preserve that awesome color.
5. The colors and details of the main camera are not very good for an upper midrange device in 2021. I saw some reviews on YouTube with review units provided by Samsung that showed much better camera quality than what I'm getting with my retail unit. Especially after you take a picture, if you zoom in on a person's face for example, the details are just not there. Also, the colors are inaccurate and not life like. Hopefully, someone can make a good GCAM for this phone. Otherwise, expect to live with an average camera.
6. Random spammy apps like Dailyhunt get automatically installed every few days. I set all settings to not update anything automatically but it still does that. I even contacted customer care about this and they couldn't provide any solutions. EDIT: Luckily, it stopped doing this.
7. If the bezels were a bit narrower especially the sides and top, it would have quite a flagship killer look. Even the A51 has narrower bezels on the side. But I know Samsung did this on purpose so their more expensive S series phones would look more special than the A series.
8. It's a bit on the heavier side if you compare it to the A51. Putting a case and tempered glass on it will only increase the weight further. I find myself having to put the phone down on a table or bed to use it. I can't hold it in the air for long due to its weight.
Bugs1. "Force dark mode" option in developer settings automatically turns itself off whenever you restart your device.
2. If you set animation to .5x instead of the default 1x, and cycle through your recent apps, there's a weird stutter.
Conclusion
If you can live with Samsung's annoying OneUI stutters or slow animations, this isn't a bad phone especially if you can get it for around $300 USD. I'd call this a good phone for moms/dads and grandmas/grandpas. If you're a young millennial trying to live on the cutting edge, I'd pass on this one and get something that's a little faster, maybe the new Nord CE (it has a more washed out display than the A52 though).
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Well, I will answer this from the perspective of an Indian Millenial coming from Mi A2 (and having only used crappy Micromax and Redmi phones in the past, this is something which I think most Indian youth can relate to). Let's go point by point :
1. UI
Having used stock android and MIUI, I can confidently say that OneUI is definitely a bit clumsy, but it is easy to get used to compared to FuncTouch and MIUI. Also, *there is no Google dialer*, meaning you can safely do call recording. Also OneUI has "Link to Windows" baked right into it, which is a huge boon in my opinion as it kinda compensates for the lack of DeX support, I think this is one of the most underrated feature of Samsung phones.
2. Ads and Bloatware scene
Now this maybe specific to India only. I set the device up using GeekyRanjit's guide on "How to setup Samssung devices" on YT, and so far (1 month later) I have got no ads except wallpaper services message when I swipe from right on lock screen. Also, all bloatware can be either disabled or uninstalled (unlike MIUI and ColourOS), so no problem there. Overall it is much much better than Redmi, Poco and Realme offerings. Though here Oneplus NORD maybe better.
3. Camera
TBH I bought this phone for the camera, and consider the competition it did not let me down, sure there is a bit of over sharpening going on in most images and indoor/low light photos and videos have a ton of noise but considering the competition in 15k-25k INR, it is definitely better. I use Gcam 7.3.018 by Urynx05, and it does improve video stabilisation a lot thanks to OIS (only Oneplus NORD has OIS in this price). For night mode, stock night mode is better than night sight (much brighter and well balanced). Daylight pics, it is a mixed bag, macro camera is good but could have been better,but considering how rarely it is used, it is fine.
4. Display
Most Indian milllenials like me are currently upgrading from LCD to Amoled. I having never used an Amoled, am satisfied with the display. But yeah you are right Amoled displays do cause more eye fatigue than LCD.
5. Availability and Customer support
This is where this phone shines! Here in India, this phone is available like everywhere, in most mobile shop in any market no matter, how small or rural the area, this unfortunately is not the case for OnePlus and Redmi, POCO (infamous for flash sales and black-marketing)etc., thus Galaxy A52's actual competitors are phones from Vivo and Oppo, which are usually more pricey. Also, Samsung customer services is next to Apple.
Set your priorities before buying a phone and you won't be disappointed, my suggestion, if you want good camera hardware and reliable phone go for it, but if you want to do gaming I would suggest you to look elsewhere say iQOO Z3 for 20k INR.
I am trying to get either this phone or s10? I was leaning more towards a52 since it could get up to android 14 opposed to 12 on s10.
Which one should i get?