Mediacom PhonePad X550U Duo is a dual-SIM phablet with 5.5-inch 720p display, 13-megapixel camera and Android 4.2 operating system.
With its PhonePad Duo X550U, the Italian manufacturer Mediacom brings to market a new dual-SIM phablet going to position yourself in the end just above the Entry-level smartphones with regard to diagonal plus: the official price is in fact required of 269 € for the version with 16 GB of memory. Despite this, the data-sheet is competitive and in some aspects even ambitious. Let’s find out the details and the actual yield.
Technical specification and design
The Mediacom PhonePad X550U Duo features a quad core ARM Cortex A7 1, 3 GHz (the specific model is the MTK6589), supported by 1 GB of RAM and a storage that amounts to 16 GB, expandable through the microSD usual. The display is a 5.5-inch IPS 1280 × 720 dot resolution, with the valuable function “gloves”, which increases the sensitivity of the touch screen and allows use even with gloves light.
As anticipated, includes support for dual SIM card, as well as all the inevitable antennas and connections (Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, GPS), to which must be added the Miracast technology for the use of wireless screens and the presence of an integrated FM radio.
Very interesting cameras that offer 13 megapixel resolution with regard to the 5-megapixel rear and well to the front. The battery is 2400 mAh and makes it possible to use more than satisfactory throughout the day.
The installed OS is Android 4.2 with some slight modification by the manufacturer primarily for aesthetic (the classic icon of the launcher for example is replaced by a friendly turtle stylized logo of the manufacturer).
In terms of design, Mediacom PhonePad Duo X550U probably will not win many beauty contests, being based on lines quite square and not exactly graceful, but the unit as a whole is rather compact and lightweight (the dimensions are 77.5 × 8, 5 × 155.2 mm Weight 165g) and enables comfortable use.
The feel is not very refined, as the plastics used are definitely cheaper, but this phablet is however quite sturdy and all its physical buttons (power and volume rocker) react with one click safely and accurately to the pressure. It should be noted that Mediacom has decided to integrate three capacitive buttons fixed (home, back and menu) in place of the now traditional software Android buttons.
Performance and gaming
The integrated chipset from Mediacom PhonePad X550U Duo delivers performance level is generally very good. Navigating the home screens and launcher is extremely fluid, launching applications (even in intense multitasking) is never to wait and web browsing even on pages with a lot of graphical content is always very pleasant, with good responsiveness to pinch- to-zoom and scrolling more fluid.
In terms of gaming, the performance of this device is less consistent. In our benchmark 3D Mark we have achieved very modest and noticed a glaring difficulty in maintaining adequate frame rates during the simulation of 3D graphics, which would indicate a performance of the integrated GPU below the current standard. Going to try a 3D title but very intense as Real Racing 3, we got a surprise with more than decent gameplay and therefore discordant with the results of the Benchmark tests. We do not know if the poor performance in 3D Mark could be due to optimization problems, and therefore also arise in the use of other titles in the library boundless Android.
Multimedia and Camera
To increase the quality of the screen intervenes, really good. The 720p resolution on a 5.5-inch panel does not produce a pixel density of an exaggeration, but the definition of the image is overall very good, as well as the color values and the visual angle, which gives this panel, excellent visibility values .
Equally good is the performance of the speaker, which has a good level of maximum volume, but above all it offers rich bass and crystal clear high enough. The combination of these two factors makes the Mediacom PhonePad Duo X550U a phablet certainly commendable for its multimedia abilities and allows, for example, to view HD video with some satisfaction.
The quality of the cameras is certainly very interesting for a device in this price range: the rear offers 13 megapixel camera, with flash and autofocus, and capture good quality shots, with a definition and an outstanding color balance and exposure generally adequate. Even the allocation of options (including facial recognition, HDR mode, Panorama, etc..) Is really appreciable.
Verdict
The Mediacom PhonePad Duo X550U is a phablet the technical equipment, the average performance and the quality / price ratio very interesting. Support for dual SIM card is obviously a point in his favor, but also the quality of the display of ‘play audio and camera should not be underestimated in a product in this price range.
Android performance is generally very pleasant, thanks to a customized OS only slightly from Mediacom, while some doubts can be raised with regard to gaming with 3D titles, which we did not detect a more consistent performance. The design of this phablet not excel in terms of aesthetics, but solid enough and comfortable in use.
Overall, then, the Mediacom PhonePad Duo X550U is certainly a very competitive product and recommended to those who want a smartphone but do not want to diagonal plus spend a fortune to buy the devices most famous (and with specific / extreme performance) currently on the market.
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