Sooner or later any technology gadgets begin to comment on the phrase “so what?”. Full HD display? And what in it surprising? OCTA core CPU is already the consumer goods, and smartphones-marathon runners have become so common that no air of the exotic for them is long gone.
In General, to compete with one basic “trick” will not work today (YotaPhone already tried to do), so seasoned phone manufacturers-marathoners out otherwise: Lenovo equips its smartphones long-lived metal body and a fingerprint scanner, but less famous Chinese go to extremes and place in smartphones record capacity batteries at any price.
I decided to go with the other side — now the “normal” hardy smartphone with average characteristics is called Power Five, but in the new generation promoted earlier Boost, the engineers decided to go on experiment and to equip its flagship long-lived cool sound in the headphones.
In comparison with the frankly cheap-sounding Boost 2 SE innovation is quite pleasant, but that’s hard to believe that buyers of long-lived of smartphones will exclaim “finally!” and choose Boost 3 for that reason alone. However, the representatives Highscreen assure that and on other fronts of the smartphone has grown up and can set the heat to the competitors in its class.
“On paper,” our hero really looks progressive and, like, not even is another model “Dongfeng-solving” re-stuck with nameplates. So today we get acquainted with one of the most modern and advanced smartphones-centenarians of Russian design.
Highscreen Boost 3 — the most musical of enduring, and the most hardy of music
Features
Highscreen Boost 3
Operating system
Android 5.1 Lollipop
Screen
5 inch, 1920×1080, IPS, 441 ppi
Processor
MediaTek MT6753 1.3 GHz (8 cores, Cortex-A53)
Graphics
The Mali-T720
Operational memory
2 GB
Permanent memory
16 GB
Link
4G (LTE Cat.4), 3G, Wi-Fi 802.11 (IEEE 802.11 b/g/n), Bluetooth 4.0, GPS
Camera
13 MP main with autofocus, video 1920×1080, the front — 5 MP
Battery
basic — 6000 mAh, removable
additional — 3000 mAh, removable
Sizes
141×71,4×13,9 mm (base battery)
141×71,4×9 mm (extra battery)
Weight
200 g (base battery)
140 g (extra battery)
The price at the time of publication
20 000 rubles
Price according to price.EN
Design and management
Full HD matrix — nice looking thing
Since then, as smartphones polls turned into monoblocks with touch screens, their design has become easier to divide according to the “streamlined — faceted”. Here previous Boost was, though awkward, but memorable representative among similar, while Boost 3 noticeably rounded and for that reason now does not look so impressive.
Additional key can be assigned for audio player, camera or any other apps
Design in the style of “canisters” have not been to everyone, but it is good brightens the thickness of the body
But in our hand lies conveniently Highscreen — thin battery it is very similar to the grip on the Xperia E4g. No, even better, because more convenient layout and a smaller thickness with less capacious battery. But with high-capacity battery Boost 3 turns into a grip, but still “brick” thick in a couple of the usual 5-inch smartphone.
With an additional battery Example images taken with the front camera Highscreen Boost 3 becomes thick as two average smartphone
Due to the matte plastic back cover and relief in the style of the canister 14 mm thickness are perceived not so tragically, but if you change the batteries on the mind constantly comes to mind that whether the battery is non-removable, the same 6000 mAh could “spread” into a much more compact package.
To go with a full “combat readiness” Boost 3 in your pocket you can (it is not too wide, and this is important), but compared with the predecessor, our hero lost by only 1 mm, the Chinese today, for example, when two composite wedge battery 6000 mAh battery at 11.9 mm of thickness of CompUSA. By the way, bulky back cover willingly creaks every time you get a smartphone the edges. Perhaps over time the problem will only worsen.
The orange inset on the top face will not allow the owner to forget, the smartphone brand which supplies it headphones sound
Volume keys are large and conveniently located, but trigger very tight
The thickness of the smartphone looks worse in the photo than in your pocket — 5-inch and a relatively narrow gadget suitable for transport
The streamlined housing “brick” will not name, but a huge removable battery takes up lots of space
The front panel looks depressing — gloss gloss gloss chases. Anti-glare depressing, in the best traditions of tinted cars. Therefore, when the display is off Boost 3 owner sees himself too clearly (compared with the Samsung Galaxy A3 and the LG V10 2016), and when the display lamps of the room and especially the sun, much brighter otshuchivayas over the information on the screen than many 5 inch models. Here to you and fashionable 2.5 D display with a curved perimeter glass.
Highscreen Boost 3 with the cover removed
Hardware short-stroke keys and taut, but always are within reach of the fingers. Function key on the right side by default, starts the audio player, but it can also be assigned to other applications. For shooting on camera it’s really not necessary, because “half” of the turn in order to bring it into focus, she doesn’t have — or can be removed or not be removed. Sensor buttons under the screen are backlit, which is very convenient.
The screen and sound
The quality of the display in Highscreen Boost 3 everything is fine. Not cool, but OK. In comparison with the lackluster HD-matrix in Boost 2 SE the quality is just heaven and earth. Comparable in size and resolution display of the Philips Xenium I908 after our hero seem low-quality schlock, and even against the AMOLED display used in the Power Five Highscreen Boost 3 looks good. The main thing — look that for a comparable sum offered “just smartphones”.
Color gamut of the display Highscreen Boost 3
Because with the utmost level of brightness of the order of 335 CD/m2 and contrast ratio at 550:1 display, in fact, turns out to be “good” and the image quality can’t argue with any Meizu M2 Note or Huawei Honor with 7, and even the old, now devalued “interopable” Lenovo K900 shut our longevity for the belt on quality of the matrix.
The display is not able to compete with the flagship Full HD matrices but generally good. Only annoying glare protective glass
Not that we tried to compare the “SUVs” and “cars” — just keep in mind that this is not the “5 inch Full HD”, which you could see in the Sony Xperia or HTC One M5 A9, for example. Gamma 2.2 is almost perfect for a smartphone of this class (too light or too dark the image seem not to be), but the color coverage of 86% sRGB at DeltaE and the amount of budget 4,07 give the origin of the matrix.
This is the verdict of “instrument”, but in everyday use is that annoying glare on the display glass and the associated need to turn up the brightness above the average — or in Sunny weather to enjoy the smartphone will be uncomfortable.
Speaker at Boost 3 is quite clear but not very loud — sometimes I have to carefully hold the smartphone to your ear to hear the interlocutor in public transport. Headphones in a smartphone is very impressive — ESS9018K2M DAC makes the sound very clear, like the coolest smartphones of the year, and the amplifier ADA4897-2 realize the potential of even headphones with very high resistance. If your headphones Vice versa, not too a thoroughbred, dedicated audio chip allows you to better adjust the sound using equlizer without noticeable distortion, “kick the bass” tight low-frequency headphones, so much so that these frequencies are not lost at any volume. Speaking of volume — the average vacuum headset Boost 3 by 20% from the high screams in the ears, so as, for example, the Samsung Galaxy S6 with the slider turned all to the max.
Sound quality in headphones as the best foreign flagships, but the audio player for high quality music very uncomfortable
We not able to discuss the audio potential of your smartphone with audiophile-grade positions, just note that the headphones Boost 3 sounds very “expensive”, which means that the efforts of developers were not in vain.
If only the software was as good as the audio chip — audio player for files of high quality Muz_On rather clumsy in appearance and the usability of the tracks does not indulge.
Brand Muz_On audio player puts out quality sound, but primitive and archaic in appearance
Brand Muz_On audio player puts out quality sound, but primitive and archaic in appearance
Zvooq music player allows you to listen to the hits online
Mean old music player from Chinese smartphones in Highscreen Boost 3. Just in case
Iron
Stuffing Highscreen Boost 3 long-lived by the standards of advanced smartphones — eight-core smartphones-the centenarians we’ve met before, but in “weight class” of 6000 mAh and above our hero looks quite decent. In fact, for such a performance on the Russian market without Full HD and a dedicated chip today asking 16-20 thousand (Sony Xperia M2 C4 Note and Meizu example). Slightly more powerful CPU can boast of the Lenovo P70, but that’s it and the battery is less capacious and the display is not as high quality.
Processor speed test (Geekbench)
In 2015, OCTA-core MediaTek unconditionally served the chips on the CPU performance, while being cheaper, so nothing to be ashamed of in the hardware basis of our character doesn’t have.
One small step for smartphones middle class and for long-lived models: power is enough for everyday tasks, but without much headroom for the future
Performance MT6753 is notably superior to its predecessor MT6592 (which featured in the consumer goods with the slogan “true eight-core processor in a budget smartphone!”) and about 22% faster than the Exynos 5 Octa and its owner — the Samsung Galaxy S4. But OCTA core standards, it is rather weak and the flagship of the budget Huawei Honor 7 will be more powerful than him exactly 20%.
Gaming performance (the test 3DMark Ice Storm Extreme)
Performance (Antutu Benchmark test)
Translating to human language — the power of a smartphone is enough for all daily tasks: he passes in front of the many open applications, as state employees, and all modern games are given him without much difficulty. But the stock power, similar to flagships, this smartphone is not, and the games themselves will go not on maximum graphic details.
With Wi-Fi, telephony and 4G/3G we have no problems, the reception level navigation “srednestatichesky” — Snapdragon 615 catches the satellites in average better, but outside of benchmarks the difference will be hardly noticeable.
Software
Speaks as an American Indian: “Look how much technological advances, many improvements of the civilized world we brought to your land. Why do you dislike us so?”. What the Indian said, “Before you came to our land, the water was clean, and the animals were in the wild. Men hunted day and night spent with their wives. Only the fool can imagine something better.”
Basically what I think every time the next smartphone flaunting the “genius reconsidered” Android in the corporate style. I have enough prudence not to waste time and budgets, the new design of the system, so Boost 3 meets us Lollipop… mixed with moss-covered and age-old dust standard applications “cityfone” on the basis of MediaTek.
The interface of Android 5.1 for Highscreen Boost 3
Greetings from the past stuck in the system of ancient and terrible music player, decent in appearance, but as the old file Manager, shortcuts app “Messages” and “Camera” from Android 4.1 and unusual for a “clean” Lollipop transparent substrate in the app list (theoretically, it should be like this) — that and all the “horrors of our town”.
Android Lollipop is almost untouched, except for a few wildly outdated applications included
From the functional bells and whistles — the ability to adjust the color display of your choice (better not), double tap to unlock, and gestures in the operating system mentioned previously, the ability to reassign the camera key on any other application.
Camera
Photo – and video portions of Highcreen Boost 3 to boast of nothing: manufacturer, of course, declares use Samsung Isocell matrix with 6-element optics and a steep f2.0 on the back side, but the quality of pictures turns out only the same as some Fly/Alcatel/ZTE/Philips for comparable money.
Example shots taken with the rear camera Highscreen Boost 3
Not that this camera deserved the verdict, “o God, it is impossible to remove!”, but the picture quality in most situations it turns out satisfactory, perhaps, sometimes with advantage. Photos lack sharpness, in the evening and especially at night the camera is not so good sees, loses sensitivity, and noise, the camera occasionally makes mistakes with white balance and produces slightly bluish pictures — to use that rear that the front (5 MP for selfie) cameras I want only in case of compelling necessity and not for fun.
Boost 3 photographs and shoots video a bit better than the “anyhow”
Example pictures taken with the front camera Highscreen Boost 3
The video quality also leaves much to be desired — the day the videos just lacks focus, and at night to these challenges are the drawdown of the frame rate to 16 fps.
Autonomy
It is partly long-lived smartphones Highscreen Boost unbundled from the large army of Russian-Chinese equipment manufacturers. Now long-lived smartphones releasing almost everything, and in 2013 the first Boost very favorably compared the survivability among the budget phones. The second generation and even claimed the Guinness world record time of battery.
The third generation is also weak will not name, that are twice as fast CPU than the Boost 2 SE smartphone lasts longer in tests always. But our hero is no longer the leader in endurance even in the model lineup would be Great, because from the point of view of “autonomy at all costs” the company came out much more interesting Power Five. Yes, it is cheaper, easier, much weaker processor and not standing next to the sound quality. But with only one battery 5000 mAh, economical HD AMOLED display and a moderate thickness of the shell it outperforms the older model in the lineup in all respects. However, thanks to modern and relatively economical stuffing Boost 3 still stands among the leaders on autonomy in the classroom “5000-6000 mAh”.
The battery capacity of 3000 mAh
Use (brightness 200 CD/m2)
The duration of the work
Video from a memory card
8 hours and 15 minutes
Game
3 hours 45 minutes
Reading
8 hours 50 minutes
For a bright display and speed you have to pay autonomy, but this is not surprising. Just small things becomes evident that the endurance of the gadget was for the creators of Boost 3 not in the first place — saving modes are limited to standard for Android Lollipop (reduced brightness + off geolocation and data transmission one-touch keys).
There are also more enduring smartphones, but to pass the time with Full HD and 8-core processor is not an example nicer
The battery capacity of 6000 mAh
Use (brightness 200 CD/m2)
The duration of the work
Video from a memory card
16 hours 40 minutes
Game
7 hours 10 minutes
Reading
17 hours and 30 minutes
Today’s fashionable technology fast charging not supported, but they don’t need a smartphone able to consume a current of 1.8 A at 5.3 V and charges up rather quickly: from 0 to 100% in 1 hour and 50 minutes when battery is 3000 mAh, and 3 hours 45 minutes with a battery of 6000 mAh. For example, the Samsung Galaxy S6 edge+ with 3000 mAh battery and fast charging fully charged in about 1.5 hours. The difference, as you can see, small.
The duration of the mixed workload tests (PCMark, 200 CD/m2, min)
Competitors
Highscreen Boost 3
Lenovo VIBE P1
TCL VK6050
Operating system
Android 5.1 Lollipop
Android 5.1 Lollipop
Android 5.1 Lollipop
Screen
5 inch, 1920×1080, IPS, 441 ppi
5.5 inch, 1920×1080, IPS 401 ppi
5.5 inch 1280×720, IPS, 267 ppi
Processor
MediaTek MT6753 1.3 GHz (8 cores, Cortex-A53)
Qualcomm Snapdragon 615 MSM8939 1.5 GHz (4 cores, Cortex-A53)
MT6735 MediaTek 1.0 GHz (4 cores, Cortex-A53)
Graphics
The Mali-T720
Adreno 405
The Mali-T720
Operational memory
2 GB
2 GB
1 GB
Permanent memory
16 GB
32 GB
16 GB
Link
4G (LTE Cat.4), 3G, Wi-Fi 802.11 (IEEE 802.11 b/g/n), Bluetooth 4.0, GPS, GLONASS
4G (LTE Cat.4), 3G, Wi-Fi 802.11 (IEEE 802.11 b/g/n/ac), Bluetooth 4.0, GPS, GLONASS
4G (LTE Cat.4), 3G, Wi-Fi 802.11 (IEEE 802.11 b/g/n), Bluetooth 4.0, GPS, GLONASS
Camera
13 MP main with autofocus, video 1920×1080, the front — 5 MP
13 MP main with autofocus, video 1920×1080, the front — 5 MP
primary: 13 MP, autofocus, video 1920×1080, front: 5 MP
Battery
basic — 6000 mAh, removable
additional — 3000 mAh, removable
permanent, 5000 mAh
non removable 6000 mAh
Sizes
141×71,4×13,9 mm (base battery)
141×71,4×9 mm (extra battery)
152,9×75,6×9,9 mm
148x78x9,5 mm
Weight
200 g (base battery)
140 g (extra battery)
189 g
184 g
The price at the time of publication
20 000 rubles
26 000 rubles
10 000 rubles
Price according to price.EN
Quote:Lenovo VIBE P128011
Price request:TCL VK605028011
Conclusions
Competitors of new long-lived of smartphones Highscreen vanishingly small not only at the Russian market and even in online stores. The same Five Power endurance and speed to compete with them, but “nee” under the name of Gionee Marathon M4, and the progenitor of Boost 3 and did not get a descent to find on a Chinese Windows.
As for pricing — 20 thousand for Highscreen will spread by those who despise Power Bank as a class and looking for a “ready to use” and the latest smartphones from long-lived. Most competitors our hero or offer less autonomy, or less performance.
A new “trick” with a quality block at least curious: Boost 3 and indeed sounds very cool, on par with the best flagship phones 2015. Only audiophiles and connoisseurs of centenarians, perhaps, slightly meet each other.
Before us one of the most advanced smartphones-lived, despite the fact that characteristics and capabilities here “stacked” in moderation: the display is quite good, but obviously not from the leaders of recent years, poor quality camera, pure Android a La Nexus the smartphone has seen a “skeleton” ultra-budget models with ugly pre-installed applications.
Highscreen Boost 3
Advantages:
Disadvantages:
+ Excellent autonomy
— Display noticeably glare in the sun
+ Sound quality in the headphones, excellent sound amplifier
— Low quality cameras
+ Modern eight-core processor
— Impressive dimensions
+ Bright Full HD display