As part of MWC 2017, an updated version of Vernee Mars was presented, with improved characteristics and the prefix “Pro” in the name. The smartphone may well compete with Doogee Mix, which, like Vernee Mars Pro, received a powerful hardware platform - SoC Helio P25 from MediaTek.
In addition, despite the affordable price, the device is equipped with an impressive amount of RAM, which is 6 GB. As a rule, smartphones from the upper price category are equipped with this amount of RAM.
Features of the appearance of Vernee Mars Pro
The panel covering the back and sides of the case is a one-piece structure made of aluminum-magnesium alloy. The thickness of the case is only 7.6 mm, and its surface is matte and pleasant to the touch.
The front part has a neat, laconic design, which is achieved due to the absence of a logo and buttons, as well as thanks to thin millimeter frames on the sides. And the glass, slightly rounded at the edges, fits perfectly into the overall design concept.
The Smart Touch fingerprint scanner is located on the right side, next to the volume rocker and textured power button. This is quite convenient: depending on which hand you hold the smartphone with, your thumb or index finger can easily rest on the sensor area, respectively. User identification by fingerprint is carried out within 0.1 s.
The card tray is placed on the opposite side. Next to the microphone and speaker on the bottom edge there is a symmetrical Type-C connector (with OTG support), which is able to provide audio signal transmission without loss in quality when connecting headphones with a Type-C interface. However, the classic 3.5 mm audio jack is also present and can be found on the top edge.
High quality display
The smartphone uses a 5.5-inch display manufactured by JDI, made using TDDI In-Cell technology. Among the features of this technology is the absence of an air gap between the touchscreen and the screen, as well as an accelerated response to touch. The transmitted image has good viewing angles, excellent color rendition and a high brightness margin (500 cd/m2). High pixel density and clear images are ensured by Full HD resolution (1920 x 1080).
At the same time, Doogee Mix is inferior to Vernee Mars Pro in terms of pixel density, since, with a similar diagonal (5.5”), the Doogee smartphone has a lower display resolution (1280 x 720). For the average user in everyday use, this difference will be minimal, but for working with VR equipment, Mars Pro will be a more preferable option.
Power that is enough for any task
The smartphone easily handles any 3D games and video playback in 4K resolution. Accordingly, its filling power is more than enough to perform trivial tasks. This is thanks to the Helio P25 chipset (aka MT6757 Pro) and high-speed dual-channel LPDDR4 RAM with a capacity of 6 GB. The maximum frequency of the 8-core processor reaches 2.5 GHz, and the Mali T880 MP2 video accelerator is responsible for graphics processing.
The manufacturer emphasizes the fact that the introduction of the 16-nm FinFET process has a positive impact on the energy efficiency of the processor. Compared to its predecessor, Helio P25 demonstrates higher performance with lower heating levels.
The built-in 64 GB eMMC 5.1 standard storage will ensure that there is no shortage of free space required for installing games and applications. In addition, refusing to use a second SIM card will allow you to install an external MicroSD drive with a capacity of up to 256 GB.
A day of autonomy and fast charging
With a case thickness of 7.6 mm, the smartphone is equipped with a 3500 mAh battery (versus 3380 mAh for Doogee Mix). Given the energy-efficient hardware platform, this will be enough for a whole day of moderately active use. With a 9V/2A adapter, the maximum charging power can reach up to 18W. As a result, the power replenishment rate increases up to 80% compared to conventional 5V/2A adapters.
Camera from Sony
The role of the main camera is performed by a 13-megapixel Sony IMX258 sensor, which was previously found in devices such as OnePlus X, Xiaomi Mi5s Plus, Sony Xperia XA and even the LG G6.
Naturally, the quality of shooting largely depends not only on the sensor, but also on the lens, as well as software optimization. In any case, the manufacturer has worked to improve the software, so Vernee Mars Pro will shoot no worse than its predecessor.
The main camera is complemented by dual flash and phase detection focusing system (PDAF). Using the front camera you can take pictures with a resolution of 5 MP.
As for the presence of a dual camera in Doogee Mix, there is no particular advantage in this, since the additional photo module in inexpensive smartphones is used only to determine the depth of field.
Wide range of wireless technologies
The device supports second, third and fourth generation networks (LTE Cat.6) and is compatible with VoLTE technology. With VoLTE, the active Internet connection is not interrupted even during a telephone conversation. It also ensures higher quality of transmitted speech. A dual-band Wi-Fi module (2.4/5 GHz) and Bluetooth version 4.0 are responsible for wireless data transmission. Satellite navigation systems support GPS and GLONASS, positioning accuracy reaches 1 meters.
Current and “clean” OS
Vernee Mars Pro comes with Android 7.1 OS on board. The manufacturer did not modify the shell or implement its own software, so the user does not have to remove unnecessary applications and get used to the new interface. At the same time, Doogee Mix runs Android 7.0, with the Doogee OS 1.0 shell pre-installed.
Summary, advantages and disadvantages of Vernee Mars Pro
Pros:
- elegant design, high-quality assembly;
- good performance;
- support for high-speed charging;
- attractive price.
Minuses:
- the frames at the top and bottom of the screen could be smaller;
- NFC module is missing.
Overall, Mars Pro is a well-balanced device that has a high performance headroom and a very attractive price. From June 26 to June 30, its promotional price will be ONLY $179.99! After that it’s already $199.99, so hurry up!
In addition, Vernee Mars Pro is ahead of its competitor Doogee Mix not only according to some technical criteria. While the devices are similarly priced, the Vernee comes with 6GB of RAM, while the Doogee only comes with 4GB of RAM (the 6GB RAM configuration will cost more).
On promotion
on the English version of the site with a MARSPRO coupon from 16.00 (UTC) June 26 to July 3 with a coupon, 80 pieces are available daily for $174.99
on the Russian version of the site, from 0.00 o'clock on June 26 to 0.00 o'clock on July 3, Beijing time, 25 pieces are available at a cost of $174.99:
gray Vernee Mars Pro – VMRU – 15 pieces daily
black Vernee Mars Pro – VMRU1 – 10 pieces daily
