The smartphone inherited the design from the flagship model UMI Z, but received an affordable price tag combined with attractive characteristics.
Its main features are a high-quality screen made by Sharp, a 13 MP camera from Samsung, a capacious battery and substantial amounts of main and RAM memory. Other details will be revealed in detail during this review.
For reference: UMIDIGI C Note is a device from UMI, which recently rebranded due to the expansion of its activities. In addition to releasing smartphones, UMIDIGI plans to engage in developments in the field of robotics, smart homes, etc.
Appearance, build quality and body materials
The front panel is covered with rounded edges (2.5D) tempered Dragontrail glass, resistant to scuffs and scratches. The oleophobic layer is weak: the glass quickly becomes covered with fingerprints and they are reluctant to be erased. However, this is offset by the use of a protective film with an oleophobic coating.
The back panel and side edges are a solid, seamless sheet of aluminum. And only on the back of the case can you find 2 thin plastic inserts necessary to ensure high-quality network signal reception. In general, the assembly is not bad - no squeaks even when squeezed.
Buttons, connectors and arrangement of elements
Above the screen, next to the sensors and earpiece, there is a two-color event light indicator. The bottom panel under the screen is occupied by the Home button, combined with a Touch ID fingerprint sensor.
The scanner's performance is worthy of praise: the fingerprint is recognized quickly and in one go. On both sides of the scanner there are 2 touch buttons that perform navigation functions in the OS interface. They are not illuminated and have no visual designation.
Hardware buttons for controlling power/lock and sound volume are on the right side.
The left side is occupied by a tray of a hybrid design, which can be removed using the included “needle”. It can simultaneously accommodate 2 Nano-SIMs, or 1 SIM card in combination with an external MicroSD drive.
On the top edge you can find a 3.5 mm audio jack for connecting headphones.
A MicroUSB connector (with OTG support) is placed on the bottom edge. On the sides of the connector there are symmetrical holes: for the speaker on one side and for the microphone on the other side.
Display
The pride of UMIDIGI C Note is its 5.5-inch display with FullHD resolution (1920×1080) and IGZO matrix manufactured by Sharp. In short, the main differences between IGZO and IPS are reduced response time (responds quickly and accurately to touches) and lower power consumption. Visually, the image seems richer, but without the oversaturation typical of AMOLED matrices.
The color temperature can be adjusted to your liking. The display delivers high-quality, clear images without distortion even at extreme viewing angles. The brightness margin is high, and the contents of the screen remain visible even in direct sunlight. The touchscreen recognizes up to 5 touches simultaneously.
Hardware platform and performance tests
The smartphone is equipped with a 64-bit single-chip system Mediatek MT6737T. This SoC is an upgraded version of the MT6737, operating at an increased frequency of 4 Cortex-A53 cores up to 1.5 GHz. The graphics accelerator is a dual-core GPU Mali-T720 MP2.
Based on the results of synthetic tests, it is clear that the power of the hardware platform is far from the most indicative. This is especially noticeable in comparison with flagship devices. For example, in 3DMark (Sling Shot Extreme mode), the gaming performance of the UMIDIGI C Note is rated at only 182 points. In AnTuTu the result is also not the most impressive: 38 thousand. points.
However, the smartphone easily copes with everyday tasks (web surfing, playing videos, etc.). Running multiple applications at the same time is also not a problem thanks to the 3GB of RAM. Moreover, the UMIDIGI C Note has enough performance reserves for resource-intensive 3D games. For comfortable performance, it is enough to optimize the graphic settings in the game, reducing the number of visual effects and the quality of textures.
Under intense and prolonged loads, the processor temperature does not exceed permissible limits, so the case is not subject to heating. In addition, the chipset has good energy efficiency, which has a positive effect on the overall battery life of the smartphone.
Memory
The capacity of the built-in storage is 32 GB. Part of the free space is used to ensure the functionality of the operating system. The user is free to use the remaining 25 GB at his own discretion. In many cases, this is more than enough to store photos from the camera, install the necessary applications and even games.
If you still need more free space, you can install an external drive with a capacity of up to 256 GB. The OS provides the ability to format the MicroSD card so that it is an extension of the internal memory. But in this case, installing a second SIM card will be impossible.
Camera
The main camera is a 13-megapixel Samsung S5K3L8 sensor with f/2.2 aperture. Complemented phase-detection PDAF autofocus and dual-color LED flash that illuminates the subject evenly and brightly shooting. In the simple and concise interface of the camera you can find a PRO mode, with manual settings and sliders for adjusting parameters.
In general, even using auto mode you can count on spectacular pictures. In daylight conditions, the resulting photographs delight the eye with natural color rendition and good detail.
The camera perfectly processes foregrounds, providing acceptable results at medium distances. To preserve the details of the most distant objects, the sharpness and contrast of their outlines is slightly increased.
Often, when shooting landscapes in clear weather, the sky turns out to be overexposed. The HDR mode copes well with this problem, which expands the dynamic range of the image. At the same time, the overall sharpness of the frame increases noticeably.
If you take care of a sufficient level of lighting, the camera shows good results even indoors. Night images are not of high quality, but this is also typical for more expensive models.
Video recording is carried out in FullHD resolution. The image quality is good, focusing is done by tap. Electronic stabilization is supported, although an optical stabilization system would be preferable.
The front module with the GC5005 matrix and f/2.8 aperture allows you to take 5-megapixel selfies of acceptable quality and record HD videos.
Autonomy
The manufacturer placed a 3800 mAh battery in an 8.3 mm thick case. A fully charged battery is enough for intensive use of the device throughout the day. And in moderate use mode, UMIDIGI C Note works freely for 2 daylight hours. There is no fast charging technology; it takes about 3 hours to replenish the charge. When the device is turned off, this time is reduced to 2 hours. 30 min.
Software
The smartphone comes with Android 7 OS pre-installed. The system does not contain unnecessary third-party applications, the shell is not modified. Cosmetic changes concern only additional settings: at the kernel level, developers have introduced support for unlocking the screen by double tap. The operating system interface works quickly and smoothly, which indicates good firmware optimization.
Communications and navigation capabilities
The device is designed to support 2G, 3G and 4G FDD-LTE networks (in frequency bands Bands 1,3,7,20). Moreover, connection to 4G networks can be carried out simultaneously on both SIM cards, which not all smartphones are capable of. Supports dual-band (2.4 and 5 GHz) Wi-Fi module a/b/g/n standard and Bluetooth version 4.1. The listed wireless interfaces work stably.
The manufacturer claims compatibility with GPS and GLONASS navigation systems, support for a digital compass and Hall sensor. The smartphone demonstrates a quick search for satellites (within a few seconds) and prompt connection to them. Excellent signal reception and high geopositioning accuracy are ensured. The distance covered by transport or on foot is indicated on the map without errors.
Sound
The main speaker has an acceptable volume reserve and clear sound. When using good headphones, the user can count on decent sound quality with deep bass. The interlocutor's speech through the earpiece is heard clearly and moderately loud. The sensitivity of the microphone is good, the only thing missing is an additional microphone to filter out external noise.
Pros and cons of UMIDIGI C Note
The main advantages include:
good design, metal body.
gorgeous display;
good main camera;
high speed and accuracy of fingerprint recognition;
excellent performance of navigation systems;
latest OS version;
good autonomy;
decent amounts of memory.
Weaknesses, disadvantages:
NFC module is not supported;
there is no second microphone for noise reduction;
no fast charging support.
Bottom line
Considering the impressive list of positive qualities, this smartphone will be an excellent option for those who are looking for an affordable device with good characteristics and the widest possible capabilities. In addition, UMIDIGI C Note can be considered as an alternative to budget Xiaomi models.
At the moment, the price of UMIDIGI C Note differs significantly from popular Xiaomi smartphones in price. Don't pass by:
- gray UMIDIGI C Note - $129;
- gold UMIDIGI C Note - $157.
