Huawei GX8 Review: metal PHABLET with optical stabilization

Chinese smartphone makers are actively producing 5.5-inch PHABLET that are popular in China and abroad for his. One of these devices has become Huawei G8 or Huawei GX8 (models for different regions have a slightly different name). Smartphone price depends on the amount of memory: official dealers asked 337 USD for the version with 16 GB, and 383 USD for the version with 32 GB. Announcing the unit was in September 2015, but the store was only at the beginning of 2016.

Huawei GX8 – it PHABLET in a metal case, referring to the middle class in terms of functionality. Because of this, the cost of the machine to many may seem overstated. Review will help to find out what exactly does the price of the device somewhat unfair. However, this does not mean that the smartphone is bad and not worth your money. More details about its pros and cons – below.

The smartphone has characteristics common among middle-class vehicles, model years 2015-2016.

Huawei GX8: Design, body materials, dimensions and weight

Huawei GX8 is in the rounded body of metal. Rear panel approximately 80% consists of aluminum. Another 20% are plastic inserts that cover the antenna, and the rest of the space went to the camera lens, flash and a fingerprint scanner.

Smartphone weighs 167 grams and its dimensions – 15.2 x 7.6 cm, thickness – 7.5 mm. That is, the device size is about the same as competitors on the Meizu and Xiaomi, but a millimeter thinner.

The front panel is covered with glass 2,5D and contains a minimum of elements. Under the screen is only the logo above the display – speaker, eye light sensor / proximity and selfie camera lens. There were no borders around the screen. They also have champions, but here their width – about 2-3 mm. The frame is approximately twice greater than the Xiaomi Redmi Note 3.

Metal marginalia on the ends (near corner) divided by plastic strips. Given that the antenna and so covered with plastic caps – their purpose is not clear until the end. Perhaps, these delimiters are protected from the strains in the fall or thermal expansion of the metal.

The left side is a slot for the card, right – the volume buttons and the power / lock smartphones. At the bottom – the microphone and the speaker grille, MicroUSB port on the top – a 3.5mm jack and a second microphone.

Huawei GX8: CPU

Huawei GX8 is based on the chip Qualcomm Snapdragon 615 development. This is the first eight-chip companies, he went 2 years ago. 4 Cortex A53 cores running at 1.5 GHz, has 4 – 1.2 GHz. Solution impressive on paper, but modest in practice. However, Qualcomm themselves never hide the fact that this chip is designed specifically for the Chinese, who are chasing cores.

For graphics processing corresponds to the accelerator Adreno 405, junior solution in the series. Therefore, performance should not expect from the device. The daily tasks are no brakes, but the game will go to low or medium graphics settings. Confirms this and AnTuTu result – 35 million in total for 5-10 thousand more than the cheapest quad-core.

Huawei GX8: Memory

RAM Huawei GX8 – 2 or 3 GB, it recruited LPDDR3 chips. At the start, the system will get around 900 or 1800 MB, depending on the version. This is enough for the program. In the version with 3 GB rolled into the background of the program does not fly out of RAM and 2-3 days, if you do not load the machine intensively, running a dozen applications.

The internal memory on board 16 or 32 GB, of which you will get around 10 or 24 GB. The slot for the memory card from the smartphone is, it supports drives up to 128 GB.

Huawei GX8: Battery

The smartphone is equipped with a non-removable battery at 3000 mAh. It provides a little more than a day to the sparing use of time, or day active loads. Viewing of video memory consumes a charge for 9 hours, YouTube – 6-7 hours. Games consume battery for 4-4.5 hours. Performance slightly above average, they may be called good.

The smartphone is equipped with a charger with a current 1A. It is equipped with a European plug and into the power outlet without an adapter (which is a plus for the Chinese devaysa). Quick charging Huawei GX8 does not, someone else’s memory 2A does not produce full power, so make significant acceleration of charge (but the process takes a little more than 3 hours) will not work in any way.

Huawei GX8: Cams

Main camera – the main feature of Huawei GX8. You should start with the fact that it is covered with sapphire glass lens, scratch resistant (scratch it can be diamond or synthetic minerals, such as cubic boron nitride). Matrix cameras – Sony IMX278, 13 MP, 1/3 “size of its pixels -. 1.12 mm, aperture optics -. f / 2, the camera supports optical image stabilization Video written in FullHD, 30 the FPS.

The quality of images in daylight conditions, can be called a good, but not perfect. Dynamic range is good, focuses on the subject clearly and frame fixation takes a fraction of a second. Color temperature close to natural, but in the pictures there is little zamylenny. Rather, it is the effects of noise reduction work.

In the evening, the camera takes pictures undistinguished. They look a little better than a photo with Meizu M3 Note, but worse than with the Galaxy S6. On the screen, everything looks good, but is closer – the noise becomes much. Overall, for the price shoots machine worthy, but I’ve been better.

When recording video the benefits of optical image stabilization becomes apparent. The mechanism smoothes quality hand-shake, making the picture more clear and smooth. Focusing on the subject is fast, you can drastically change from the general plan for the macro. The sound is recorded in stereo channel separation works correctly and tangibly.

Front camera – 5 megapixel with f / 2,4 aperture. To say about it something special you can not, even with a special wish. Front camera as Front camera one of many. For the video goes, selfie on the avatar looks fine, but do not expect masterpieces. Image little snows, the skin gets close to a natural, but a little zamylenny.

Huawei GX8: Screen

Huawei GX8 is equipped with 5.5-inch screen with FullHD resolution (1920 x 1080 pixels). The matrix – IPS, covered with tempered glass Gorilla, touch screen supports up to 10 touches. The display quality is quite good, but no more. In reviewing a right angle the colors are close to natural, white almost clean (there is a light blue, like fluorescent lamps). But it is strongly tilted smartphone – the brightness decreases, as viewed from the right image is slightly Shinichi left – Yellow and Black gives gray-brown.

Huawei GX8: Communications

The smartphone supports 2 Nano SIM card format. The radio operates on GSM networks, 3G and LTE. 20th band (800 MHz), so beloved by the residents of the Moscow region, is supported. Wi-Fi works with standard 802.11b, g and n, Bluetooth version 4.1 complies. Navigation implemented using GPS / GLONASS module. On board the smartphone and NFC module is present.

Huawei GX8: Sound

Dedicated audio processor (DAC) at Huawei GX8 not. Smartphone provides the dynamics sufficiently clear and loud, but a bit poor in terms of frequency (there drawdown of bass and some – in the upper range). The headphones unit sounds good, even a complete headset provides clear and rich sound. The smartphone is equipped with FM-radio.

Huawei GX8: Operating system

At Huawei GX8 board installed EMUI – modification of Android 5.1 Huawei. It is expected to upgrade to Android 6. The user interface is made in the same style as that of the other Chinese shells (Xiaomi MIUI, Meizu FlymeOS, Lenovo Vibe UI, etc.). He’s cute and easy to use, but the lack of the menu is not all like applications. The system works smoothly and quickly, but sometimes small schools emerge, recalling that it is Chinese.

Features Huawei GX8

The smartphone is equipped with a scanner for fingerprint located on the rear panel. It is used to unlock the device, but does not know how to interact with third-party programs.

Pros and cons of Huawei GX8

Pros:

• cimpatichny design;
• thickness;
• good camera;
• a good amount of RAM;
• good screen resolution.

Disadvantages:

• mediocre chipset performance in difficult tasks;
• immodest frame around the display;
• the viewing angles are not ideal for IPS.

Whom to fit Huawei GX8

Huawei GX8 is aimed at fans of stylish PHABLET, which are not important, “parrots” in the tests and the high FPS games. Its chipset is good for everyday tasks such as surfing the web, watching videos, chatting messengers. The camera must make a lot of fans of photography, are not ready to buy Galaxy S7 or another flagship. In terms of smartphone design is universal, it is suitable both sexes.

Our review Huawei GX8

Huawei GX8 – a good smartphone, but it is far from ideal. In addition to the camera with optical stabilization and protected lens, nothing special in him. Huawei promotion in the world market led to a rise in prices almost to the level of Samsung or Sony, but smartphones are “Chinese.” Critical review of the deficiencies did not reveal, but minor tweaks have Huawei GX8 available.

For 250-280 USD device looks more adequately, but only a few small shops have to offer such a price. As a rule, they do not provide a full guarantee. And the devices themselves come to them on the shelves in circumvention of customs duties, and often do not pass an internal certification. In PCT certified or UCRF smartphones seller provides full warranty, but buyers can hardly enjoy significantly increased the final price.