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Introduction
Bluboo is just a brand new mobile phone company here in the Philippines, officially entering the market scene in the first week of January, with the release of their two newest smartphones, S1 and S8. The first one, the Bluboo S1 packs a well-equipped of good-looking specs, that is only found in some pricier devices. How is this possible? The answer will reveal in our full review.
Key specs:
- 5.5-inch FHD IPS LCD display, 1920 X 1080 resolution, 401 ppi
- Android 7.0 “Nougat”
- Dual-SIM, dual standby
- 2.5Ghz 64-bit MediaTek MT6757 Helio P25 octa-core processor
- Mali-T880 GPU
- 64GB internal storage
- Expandable microSD slot up to 64GB
- 4GB RAM
- 16-megapixel + 3-megapixel dual rear camera, auto-focus with triple-LED flash
- 8-megapixel front camera
- 1080p at 30fps of video recording
- Fingerprint scanner
- 4G LTE (Category 6)
- Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n
- Bluetooth 4.0
- GPS, with A-GPS
- USB-OTG capable
- USB Type-C connector
- 148.6 x 74.3 x 7.9 mm
- 175 grams
- 3,500 mAh non-removable battery
Unboxing
Display and build
Bluboo S1 uses a 1080p screen, allowing us and for the users to see sharp graphics and also, the viewing angles are not an issue here. For outdoor, the sunlight legibility seems to be fine. Having this kind of resolution is rare, considering the inexpensive amount of the device. Most of the smartphones only offer 720p. The weight of 175 grams feels all right in the hands.
Bluboo ships the phone with pre-applied screen protector on the front and back. And there’s another one on the retail box. As we move to the controls, the upper part of the front screen, you’ll find the proximity sensor while on the lower side lies the fingerprint scanner, and the selfie camera. You’ll have to shift upside down in order to capture images from the front camera.
Turn over on the back, the dual cameras, the LED flash, and the Bluboo logo are located. On the left side is the dual-SIM & microSD card tray, while the two volume and power buttons are situated on the right part. The upper edge is empty, although the lower edge uncovers the two speakers and the USB Type-C port. The 3.5 mm jack is nowhere to be found, hence, the audio jack to USB Type-C adapter is available to assist.
Audio quality
There are two speakers, that are located at the bottom edge of the phone. In spite of that, the right one is available for playing music, while the other (left) is for a pleasing appearance only. It gets quite loud, so as, the bass is not present, and the distortion is very noticeable as it reaches the full maximum volume.
Still, the use of an external speaker or plugging a pair of earphones are commended.
Software & UI
The Android 7.0 “Nougat” operating system is currently running on the Bluboo S1, but the security patches were now outdated at August 5, 2017. The UI looks cleaner than we thought and a small number of pre-loaded applications, like the normal Google Apps (Gmail, Play Music, etc.), and the ETWS or the “Earthquake-Tsunami Warning System”, a public warning system to broadcast information regarding the latest major earthquake bulletin around the world. It can turn-off in the settings on the app.
There’s no app drawer so means, all the apps installed are located on the home screen. Pressing the screen a little bit will show the launcher settings. The Beauty Center has five default themes. We can also change the wallpaper and add some widgets.
Smart somatosensory is a menu in the settings where we can configure the gestures on some applications, like the Gallery, Music Player and Camera. To unlock the screen, the sensor will detect your waving hands in front of the screen, and then it will go through the UI.
Gestures are also accessible. For example, double tap to wake up or lock the screen, or drawing a certain letter to open an app, like “e” to open the browser or “o” to gain entry to the Play Store.
Out of the 64GB storage, 53.14GB is the available capacity for storing files. The fingerprint scanner is fairly fast and accurate.
Performance
The MediaTek MT6757 SoC, commonly known as the Helio P25, that works inside the Bluboo S1 is an absolutely high standard processor for this affordable handset. It has a maximum frequency of 2.6Ghz with 64-bit architecture, divided into two quad-core ARM Cortex-A53 cores, the one for performance and the other, for a power efficiency that clocks at 1.6Ghz.
Running multiple applications are okay, with minimal lags and it doesn’t have heat problems when playing some games. It can play high-quality games with high graphics and settings. We also ran the usual benchmarks, as it can be seen in the screenshots above.
Camera
The Bluboo S1 has two cameras on the back, consisting of a 16-megapixel and a 3-megapixel for 2x optical zoom. We didn’t come up with some different modes on the camera, like the panorama and pro mode, due to limited functions, but it’s just acceptable for a low mid-range device. And, one of the most interesting means of taking snaps is the mono mode, where it provides monochrome shots. We can even put the watermark on the image. The FaceBeauty allows you to have some skin beautification. Videos can be taped by up to 1080p resolution.
The resulting scenes are somewhat substandard. Some of the photos were taken has been overexposed, though the color reproduction and details are great. In dark areas, the shots came out very soft, and we got some grainy and noisy images. We already expect this quality from the camera, in position on its price tag, however, it’s not made for those who take photographs, as a professional job. Likewise, the 8-megapixel selfie camera did the same impression. Check out the samples below.
Rear camera
Front camera
Connectivity
Wi-Fi 802.11 is using a/b/g/n networks, and other connectivity functions like Bluetooth 4.0 and GPS, alongside A-GPS. LTE bands are supported by means of only five bands, B1/B3/B8/B20 and B/38, wherein, 3G is carried by merely two bands, B1 and B8, which is not good in getting some decent signal reception.
Battery Life
The battery capacity of the Bluboo S1 is a 3,500 mAh non-removable, that is certainly above average, based on the price point. However, in real life usage, the phone can’t make much of this because of high power consumption from the CPU. According to the PC Mark, it scored only 6 hours and 51 minutes. On its battery usage, it loads under 4 hours in screen time.
The Bluboo S1 can manage a one whole day when it’s loaded, but a two-day moderate use is likely impossible and you’ll need a charger or powerbank by then. Speaking of the charger, the company claimed that this device features a quick charge. In fact, we tested on how fast the charger is, and the result: almost two hours from empty to completely filled up. Not bad for the price, again.
Verdict
The Bluboo S1, overall, offers very good enough features, attempting to bring powerful chipset with a satisfying display, clean UI, sufficient amount of storage & RAM and stylish look in a non-premium cost. Though some nuisances including the dual camera quality and subpar battery life, Bluboo convince us that this is a good value to purchase, giving some unusual among competitive brands.
Pros
- Build quality
- Sharp display
- Sunlight legibility
- Clean UI
- Few bloatware apps
- USB Type-C port
- OTG capable
- Affordable
Cons
- Camera quality is mediocre
- Not-so-bright triple-LED flash
- Hybrid dual-SIM/microSD slots
- No audio jack
- Below average battery life
