Chinese gadgets are gaining in popularity. And this is not surprising, because most of the new developments allow you to combine fairly high quality and a pleasant price. One of these innovations was the Doogee Homtom HT3 Pro smartphone. Reviews, features of the smartphone and its technical characteristics, we will consider in more detail.
The smartphone is an improved version of the base model of the Homtom HT3. In short, he has increased the amount of RAM and non-volatile memory, a processor with a more efficient video chip, as well as better cameras. We will deal a bit with the distinguishing features of the updated model.
Appearance
Visually, the manufacturer decided not to make any changes, so the Pro version is no different from the previous one. The color scheme also remained unchanged. This is partly a good solution, as it saves on the production of unique cases and thus reduces the cost of the model even more. Many people like the look of the Doogee Homtom HT3 Pro. Owner reviews are proof of this.
Despite the fact that the dimensions of the device may seem too big, the phone lies pleasantly in the hand. This is partly due to the presence of rounded corners, as well as the curvature of the protective glass to the edge of the case, which gives the device elegance, and the smartphone does not look like a simple "brick".
Location of the main elements
The manufacturer decided to leave the location of the main elements of the smartphone standard. Front, in the upper part, there is a front camera, light and proximity sensors, as well as an LED event indicator, which the basic model did not have, and a speaker. Only the main camera is located on the back side.
The lock and volume buttons are placed on the left side, while the right one remains completely empty. For right-handed people, this arrangement of buttons in the Homtom HT3 Pro may seem uncomfortable (customer reviews often update attention to this problem), but you can get used to it.
At the top there is a standard headphone jack, at the bottom there is a jack for charging and data transfer, a microphone hole and a main polyphonic speaker. It is worth noting this feature, because thanks to this arrangement of the speaker, the sound remains loud no matter how exactly you put the smartphone.
Hardware stuffing
As mentioned at the beginning of the article, the smartphone received a budget, but still productive MT6735P processor, paired with a Mali-T720 graphics adapter. These characteristics will be quite enough to run almost all modern games present in the application store.
The processor has 4 cores, each of which operates at a frequency of 1 GHz. According to Antutu tests, a smartphone gains about 26-28 thousand points, depending on the circumstances of the test and the cleanliness of the firmware. The availability of 2 GB of DDR3 standard memory improves productivity and comfort of use. Thanks to this, it is possible to run several applications simultaneously, while the switching speed between them is quite high, since they are not unloaded from memory.
Memory
For storing user data and the operating system, 16 GB of non-volatile memory are provided, of which about 11 GB is available to the user upon purchase, the rest is occupied by system files. For a budget device, these are pretty good results, considering that the smartphone is included in the price category of devices up to $ 100. Often users write about the version of the Homtom HT3 Pro 16Gb reviews, which emphasize that the base smartphone does not have enough internal memory, but here this problem has been successfully solved. If necessary, it can be expanded with a micro-SD card up to 64 GB. It is best to use cards with a class of at least 10, because otherwise you may experience problems with the speed of access to files.
Display
IPS-matrices have fallen quite well in recent times, and budget manufacturers have not failed to take advantage of this. This model also received a display with good viewing angles and sufficient brightness so that the image was quite easy to see even in bright sunshine. The resolution is pretty standard for 5-inch devices in this price category - 1280x720 pixels. For a larger model, HT7, this resolution is already not enough, but about the Homtom HT3 Pro 5.0 the reviews are definitely positive, and the pixelation is almost invisible.
It is worth noting separately the MiraVision function built into the firmware, which allows you to fine-tune the color scheme to your taste, changing shades from warm tube to sharp, cold colors. The display is covered with a protective glass with rounded edges, which gives a pleasant aesthetic appearance. The sensor is designed for 5 simultaneous touches, which is more than enough for comfortable use.
Battery
According to the manufacturer, the battery capacity is 3000 mAh, however, during the tests, the real figure in the tested model turned out to be slightly less and an average of 2800 mAh. This is a slight, but still not entirely pleasant deviation. Depending on the operating conditions, the smartphone on a single charge can work from 1 day (with very active use) to 5-7 days (almost in standby mode, interrupted by rare short calls).
Cameras
In this model, inexpensive, but rather high-quality cameras are installed. The real resolution of the main and front cameras is 8 MP and 2 MP, respectively. However, the firmware provides software interpolation, which improves the quality of photos to 13 MP and 5MP. These indicators are quite enough to take high-quality photographs in bright sunlight or artificial lighting, but the pictures taken at dusk will be rather mediocre, and you can forget about night shooting, as user reviews with experience often say about the Homtom HT3 Pro.
The main camera is equipped with a fairly powerful LED flash, which is enough for shooting objects close to the camera. In addition, it can be used as a flashlight.
Software
This device is produced mainly for the external market, therefore it has support for a large number of languages (the translation was done quite qualitatively), as well as built-in Google Play services and the absence of Chinese applications. The buyer receives a device with Android 5.1 installed, small updates periodically come, which indicates good support for the smartphone from the manufacturer.
Among other things, there is a large number of various "beauties" for the interface, as well as a theme store where you can choose the design you like. It is with such attention to design that the Homtom HT3 Pro phone differs from others. User reviews quite often emphasize this positive side.
Customization Features
Due to the fact that the manufacturer did not block the bootloader of the smartphone, it is possible to install any custom or custom firmware designed for it. Finding them online is easy, as the model is quite common.
Re-flashing will allow you to fundamentally change the interface of the device, and in some cases, expand the functionality. But do not forget that any operations with the firmware deprive the device of a guarantee and can lead to bad consequences if the firmware fails.
Smartphone reviews statistics
According to popular services dedicated to reviews of various devices, a smartphone receives more positive than negative reviews. All of them can be divided into several types:
1. Reviews on smartphone firmware.
2. Reviews about the appearance of the gadget.
3. Homtom HT3 Pro hardware reviews.
4. Reviews with a general opinion about the operation of the device.
Its strengths are often attributed to fairly high performance, build quality, attractive design and reasonable cost. Among the negative sides, one can distinguish a touchscreen (sensor) that does not always work correctly and a poor photo quality in poor lighting. Consider a few points from the reviews in more detail.
Real battery capacity
Users who received a smartphone for the first time try to check all its nodes to the maximum. A special test, in the presence of advanced power supplies with the function of calculating the capacity of a rechargeable battery, are exposed to the batteries of the phones. A large number of tests have already been described, from which it is clear that some users are less lucky, others more. According to reviews, the battery capacity in the first smartphones of the series could barely reach 2000 mAh. Therefore, at first there were negative reviews about the Homtom HT3 , because autonomy suffered slightly.
Subsequently, the manufacturer took this error into account, and in the devices currently sold, the battery capacity does not fall below 2500 mAh, which, although it does not reach the value declared by the manufacturer, it is already much closer to it. There are also examples of tests where the capacity even slightly exceeded the declared, but this is rather an exception to the rule. So we can say with confidence: the battery capacity is mediocre here, like most budget "Chinese". However, it will be quite enough for a day of active use of the smartphone, and you will not have to live in an embrace with an outlet.
Those who can land the battery faster, for example, with the active use of GPS, can recommend purchasing an external battery to always stay in touch.
Incorrect touchscreen operation
Some users experienced a problem in which the sensor did not work correctly. Judging by the trend, this was caused by a certain batch of defective sensors, smartphones with which nevertheless went on sale. With smooth typing, for example, the defect is almost imperceptible, however, with fast typing, frequent false positives begin. You can pay attention that the reviews written about the Homtom HT3 Pro model, which spoke of a similar defect, for the most part date from almost the same dates.
If you have the same defect, but it was not there from the very beginning, do not rush to panic. Sensors of this type may respond to certain aggressive media, such as alcohol. If you still have alcohol on your hands, for example, after applying cologne or eau de toilette, just wash your hands and wipe the display with a special cloth or cleaning fluid - and the defect will disappear. Other pollutants can cause the same problem.
Low quality photo at dusk
Unfortunately, a large number of smartphone users face this problem. It will not be possible to eliminate it, since its basis is the use of cheap camera arrays in conjunction with simple optics, which does not have enough aperture to take high-quality photographs in low light conditions. It will not be possible to solve it completely, but you can try different shooting modes to slightly increase the quality of the photo.
In some cases, as they say about the Doogee Homtom HT3 Pro reviews, it is worth being smart. For example, the “Fireworks” mode is perfect for taking pictures against the background of a bright flickering sign of a cafe or club. Thus, it is possible to at least partially compensate for the not too high quality cameras.
With good lighting, the pictures are pretty tolerable without any tricks, so if you shoot mostly in the afternoon, you can not worry about this problem.
The overall impression of the smartphone
As a result, it is worth noting that in general terms the phone is pretty good. Yes, there are some disadvantages inherent in most budget models, but they are more than offset by the low cost of the gadget. Some of them, for example, flaws in the firmware, can generally be eliminated at home. Reading reviews about the Doogee Homtom HT3 Pro, you can often come across instructions on how to change the firmware to a more convenient one, having spent quite a bit of time.
This model is well suited for those who want to be able to use all modern means of communication, but cannot pay too much for it. It will be convenient as a second phone, for example, a worker. Do not forget about children for whom it does not make sense to buy models that are too expensive, since they attract too much attention. Therefore, one of the best solutions will be the Doogee Homtom HT3 Pro smartphone, reviews of which often say that it is bought for children.
Buying recommendations
You can make sure that this smartphone is really a good choice by reading reviews about the Homtom HT3 Pro, its price is also very reasonable (on average about $ 80). If it was decided to buy this model, it is worth deciding on the choice of a store. It is advisable to purchase a smartphone at already proven points, but it is worthwhile to be vigilant. When buying or receiving by mail, test all the functions that can be tested in a short time. These include the operation of both speakers, the quality of the cameras, the operation of the sensor and display, the serviceability of the charger and other little things. By checking all this on the spot, you can avoid buying a defective device, even if the percentage of marriage is low.
After the purchase, use the device for several days in active mode. So you can see how long the battery lasts, if software errors occur during operation. If a significant discrepancy is found to the characteristics or another problem, it is better not to delay exchanging the smartphone for another, so as not to create problems for yourself. So you can protect yourself and buy a truly necessary and useful thing, from the use of which you can get joy. However, as most of the reviews say about the Homtom HT3 Pro smartphone, you should not encounter any critical operational problems.