In the struggle for the buyer, manufacturers of modern smartphones, trying to reduce the price, often save on either productivity or autonomy. The result is pretty good budget employees, but still you have to choose what will be more important - a long time or the support of all the games available today. This review is dedicated to the model, which makes it possible to forget about the outlet for a long time, namely the Philips V377. It's easy to find features, reviews, and more on the Internet, but figuring out which of these is true and what isn't is not easy. We will try to clarify this situation a bit.
Appearance and ergonomics
The Philips Xenium V377 smartphone turned out to be quite strong, the quality of the materials of which the housing is made was pleased. The plastic is soft but not slippery at the same time. Given the large weight of the device, due to the capacious and, accordingly, heavy battery, this point is important, because drops are extremely undesirable. The back cover is removable, holds snaps well and does not hang. In general, the build quality is on top, and the gadget does not create the impression of a simple "cheap".
The manufacturer did not think about the variety of colors, so there is only one variation with a black case, which is framed by a red frame. The location of the controls is largely standard for budget employees, the volume and power buttons are located on the right side. The soft buttons located at the bottom of the sensor do not have a backlight. And if for some this may seem like a minus, then others thank the manufacturer for the fact that the bright illumination of the keys does not interfere with the use of the gadget at night. On the left side, the Philips V377 smartphone has another button that deserves special attention. Weāll talk about her a little later.
Software
The firmware shell differs little from the stock version of Android 5.1, except that the icons of some applications are replaced in accordance with the corporate identity. If you wish, the appearance of the desktop and application menu can be changed by installing a third-party launcher from the Market, but itās worth remembering that such programs are often quite resource-intensive, and this can lead to faster battery drain, as well as lower performance of the Philips smartphone Xenium V377 ", whose characteristics are already low.
The firmware is pretty well optimized, which reduces the load on the battery, and the performance remains at a level high enough for everyday tasks, despite the hardware, which can not be called top-end.
"Iron" characteristics of the gadget
In this matter, the Philips V377 telephone, the characteristics of which we will now consider, is a classic budget solution. These parameters have the majority of modern inexpensive gadgets. As a central manufacturer, the MT6580 chip is provided. It contains 4 identical cores of 1.3 GHz each. On the same chip is the Mali-400MP graphics accelerator, which provides the interface and simple games. Despite the rather low performance, it is in the application of this chip that lies part of the explanation for the good autonomy of the device.
To store system files, as well as user documents, a built-in flash memory of 8 GB is installed. However, in reality, the buyer will see only about 3.8 GB out of the box. Such a big difference is due to the fact that the rest of the volume is occupied by preinstalled software, which includes the operating system itself and a basic set of programs that allows you to use the Philips V377 phone out of the box. Characteristics, reviews of this gadget are often found on forums, and many recommend not waiting for the need, which is likely to arise, but immediately adding memory to a standard MicroSD memory card. It is advisable to take them with a high class, not lower than 10, so that there are no unnecessary system hangs associated with a long reading or writing of data. RAM by modern standards a bit - only 1 GB. But for working with several mail applications, as well as a browser with two or three tabs, it will be quite enough. In games, the smartphone does not show stunning results, but it copes with most puzzles, casual applications and other options from the Market without problems.
Gadget Wireless Features
Since the Philips V377 smartphone is primarily a telephone, it is worth noting support for working in 3G networks. The reception is pretty confident, switching between networks of the second and third generations is pretty fast, and the user is not particularly noticeable. Unfortunately, this state employee does not have 4G support, but this is logical, because it is absent at the microprocessor level.
In addition to the basic functions, Philips Xenium V377 supports Wi-Fi networks in the b / g / n bands, which allows you to use the Internet at speeds of up to 150 Mbps if these standards are supported by your router. With GPS navigation, questions also arise. It may not work as fast as we would like, but it is enough for comfortable use on the road.
If you didnāt manage to download your favorite music to the deviceās memory or to a memory card, then you can use a regular FM radio, which, however, only works with a wired headset or headphones. If you have music, but donāt want to get confused in the wires, then you can use the wireless Bluetooth headset, since the gadget supports the A2DP connection profile for high-quality stereo audio transmission. This moment will certainly please all Phillips V377 customers. The instruction manual of the phone, where you can find all this information, is included in the basic configuration of the model.
Performance in live and synthetic tests
It is interesting to note that, despite the low characteristics, the smartphoneās interface with closed applications works quite smoothly, without friezes and twitches. However, as already noted, it is better not to forget to unload applications that are no longer needed from RAM to reduce battery consumption and CPU load - this way you will be less likely to plug in your Philips V377 Black. The characteristic, an overview of the energy-saving function and performance with it is discussed below.
In the Antutu test, the gadget gains about 23-25 āāthousand points depending on the test conditions. Quite a good result for a public sector employee, encouraging him to test using games. A fairly common Real Racing 3 was chosen as an example. Of course, there can be no talk of any maximum graphics settings. But on the "minimum" everything looks quite tolerable, and you can play even with comfort, if you wish, even connecting a wireless joystick or keyboard to the Philips V377. Reviews often mention that other games on it go pretty well, so choosing a suitable genre among many applications from the store will not be difficult.
Battery and autonomy
Perhaps the autonomy of this unit is a key indicator, speaking in favor of its purchase. Indeed, an impressive battery with the same impressive capacity of 5000 mAh is enough for 2-3 days of using the phone in active mode. You can, without fear that you will be left with a discharged device at a critical moment, use the mobile Internet, navigation, correspond in messengers, play games and listen to music. On average, 30-50 percent of the battery capacity is consumed per day.
However, if this seems not enough, and you plan to use only the telephone network and SMS messages, the mysterious button on the left side, which was mentioned at the beginning of the article, can come into play. She is responsible for enabling power saving mode. When switching, the display brightness decreases to the minimum, all applications are turned off and stopped, the processor goes into low frequency mode, and all networks and functions, except for mobile communications, are turned off.
In this mode, as the manufacturer assures, the smartphone is able to survive up to 5-7 days, depending on the number of hours of conversation. If the phone just lies, according to the manufacturer, in the on state, he will be able to spend 29 days without recharging. All this puts the gadget in a favorable light for those who, due to their work responsibilities, must always stay in touch or plan long trips and do not want to miss them.
Sound quality
The manufacturer paid close attention to this issue, it is felt both when listening to music through a polyphonic speaker, and through headphones. The speaker gives a loud, clear sound, in which the only drawback, so to speak, given the low cost of the device, is the lack of depth of sound and poor disclosure of low frequencies.
Headphones also sound good, there is a qualitative disclosure of the entire sound range, and this stands out among other budget employees namely Philips V377, the reviews whose characteristics we are now considering. It is recommended that you pick a headset or headphones by ear. Depending on your favorite musical style, because this is the only way to achieve the most acceptable result.
But with the earpiece came a small misfire. At the time of purchase, it is best to check whether the volume level is satisfactory. One gets the feeling that this problem is floating, and on two identical devices from the same batch, the speakers can sound at different volumes.
Display and Sensor Quality
Despite the fact that the manufacturer of this smartphone is positioned as an inexpensive device for communication, the display here is not stingy. The five-inch display is made using IPS technology, which provides the maximum possible viewing angles and a good margin of brightness. It does not fade in the sun even in very bright weather, and it is pleasant to use it. In addition, the resolution is 1280x720 pixels, which is quite enough with such a diagonal so that the image does not look torn or fuzzy, and the pixels are noticeable only if you look skeptically at the picture quality. The color rendition was also pleased, although the display has a slight deviation of the color gamut to the cold side. Therefore, the Philips V377 display, the characteristics of which we are currently reviewing, has no significant complaints.
The sensor is responsive. There is a multi-touch for five touches. It is protected by tempered glass, which is able to withstand small impacts, and is also protected from scratches. Although this is not a "gorilla", but the quality is quite high, so the need for a protective film is quite doubtful.
Main and front cameras
Here at this stage, a nuance is revealed at which the manufacturer was able to save. Both cameras are of rather poor quality, and the pictures are corresponding. Although autofocus is present, it is slow and doesnāt really help if the lighting gets a little darker than a bright sunny day. The matrix resolution of the main camera is 5 megapixels, while the front camera boasts only 2 megapixels. And if the main camera can still take a more or less acceptable photo in good light, the front camera is intended only for video communication, there is no question of any attempts to take a high-quality selfie.
Perhaps the only positive thing about cameras may be the presence of a fairly powerful LED flash. She is unlikely to be able to improve the quality of the photograph taken at twilight, but she copes with the flashlight function perfectly. This is good, but as for a flashlight, the cost is a little expensive, and for the Philips V377 camera item, the review of which you are reading now, gets one of the lowest scores.
Positive and negative sides according to user reviews
Most of the information provided in the article is still dry statistics or subjective opinion. More specific conclusions can be drawn based on the feedback from users who purchased this smartphone some time ago. They subtly notice all the pros and cons of the device, giving us the opportunity to draw a conclusion based on their opinion.
The positive aspects of this smartphone include the majority:
- Battery and autonomy. This moment has not been tried to challenge by any user of this smartphone. Yes, sometimes the battery indicator does not always correctly display the remaining charge, but from this the smartphone does not work less. A solid five for a well-designed energy-saving function and long battery life with Philips V377 recharging. Characteristics, reviews of which sometimes diverge, are given below.
- Quality housing. I am glad that there are no backlashes, a tight fastening of the back cover, plastic that is pleasant to the touch, non-slip surface that does not collect fingerprints.
- A powerful radio module that provides high-quality reception anywhere, even at a distance from the base station.
- A nice interface, not burdened by unnecessary "prettiness" and additions, a minimal set of pre-installed programs.
- Nice picture of the display, high-quality protective glass that withstands drops and does not scratch at home.
Among the minuses, the following points can be distinguished:
- Low quality images from the main and front cameras. Using the phone as a camera is inconvenient even in good light.
- Many users complain about false positives of the touchscreen in one of the lower corners. Also, in some devices from the model range, a reduced sensitivity of the sensor is observed. Any films or additional glasses also lead to a decrease in sensitivity, as a result of which typing comfort on the on-screen keyboard is reduced.
- High battery consumption when you turn on the 3G network, although a similar problem is observed on almost all devices.
Output
As you can see, the Philips V377 smartphone, the characteristics, the reviews of which we have just reviewed, can be positioned as a device designed primarily for communication via telephone or instant messengers, with an impressive battery that allows you to not remember about the charger and the socket for a long time. Perfect for those who often travel on business trips, as well as business people for whom it is critical to always be in touch.
It can serve as a navigator, quickly picking up a signal from satellites. Performance is enough to perform this function. In addition, even many modern games from the "Market" work without problems if you play not at the maximum graphics settings.