Blackview S8, sales of which started in the fall of 2017, distinguished itself from most “frameless” inexpensive smartphones due to the presence of four cameras (two each on the front and rear panels). Among other things, the device has a spacious 64 GB storage, and the design of the device, albeit vaguely, still resembles the Samsung Galaxy S8. It is noteworthy that the body of this model, equipped with a rather large 5.7-inch display, is not at all feels bulky thanks to the rather narrow bezels around the elongated aspect ratio screen 18:9.
Equipment
The user is provided with an extensive complete set, which contains almost everything necessary for comfortable and full operation of the device, immediately after receiving it. The smartphone is packaged in a square flat cardboard box, which also contains:
- user guide;
- SIM tray removal tool;
- power supply 5V/2A;
- USB Type-C cable for connecting to charging and PC;
- USB Type-C OTG adapter;
- adapter from USB-C to mini-jack 3.5 mm;
- miniature adapter from USB-C to micro-USB;
- vacuum headphones (headset);
- protective film on the screen, in addition to the film already pasted from the factory;
- transparent silicone case;
- metal ring-stand (holder).
Appearance, dimensions and materials of the case
Blackview S8 cannot be called a light smartphone: its weight is 191 grams. However, thanks to the elongated shape of the body, the 5.7-inch device has relatively compact dimensions (154 × 71.9 × 8.5 mm), and fits quite well in the hand. The model is presented in three colors: black, blue and gold, with a black front panel in all versions. The back panel is made of glossy polycarbonate, due to which the device looks quite presentable, but the case will have to be wiped frequently to remove stains and fingerprints. In such a situation, the complete silicone pad will definitely not be superfluous. The metal frame around the entire perimeter of the case adds strength to the structure.
The edges of the glass on the front panel are curved using 2.5D technology. Above the screen there are 2 camera modules, an LED flash, a speaker, a red LED notification indicator, as well as proximity and light sensors. There are no functional elements on the frame below the screen, since the navigation bar with buttons is located in the operating system interface.
Blackview S8 is equipped with a fingerprint scanner, which is located on the rear panel. The fingerprint sensor shows a minimal percentage of false positives and scans fingerprints quite quickly. However, when the smartphone is locked and the user places their finger on the scanner, there is a slight delay. This is due to the fact that waking up the device from sleep mode takes a little longer than the fingerprint unlocking process itself.
The standard mechanical on/off and unlock button, as well as the volume rocker, are located on the side on the right side.
The hybrid design tray, which simultaneously accommodates either two SIMs or a memory expansion card along with one SIM, has a rather atypical location - on the top edge of the case.
For some reason, the manufacturer decided to abandon the standard 3.5 mm audio jack. Therefore, to connect headphones you will need a supplied adapter that connects to a symmetrical USB Type-C connector located on the bottom edge. The main speaker and microphone are hidden under the perforations on both sides of the connector.
Display
The smartphone uses a widescreen IPS display manufactured by IVO, made using OGS technology (without an air gap). The 5.7-inch matrix has HD+ resolution (1440 x 720), and the final pixel density is 282 ppi. By modern standards, the resolution is far from the highest. However, under standard conditions of use (if you do not specifically peer at the screen at close range), pixelation is not noticeable either when reading or while viewing images.
The screen has a pleasant, fairly rich color rendition, as well as a high level of contrast. Viewing angles are good, although not the widest: under a diagonal tilt, you can observe a slight color inversion, which is typical for IPS matrices. It is worth noting that there is a sufficient reserve of maximum brightness for using the smartphone outdoors in sunny weather. The touch panel supports 5-point multi-touch and demonstrates excellent responsiveness when controlling the device, as well as when typing.
Hardware platform
The manufacturer equipped the Blackview S8 with a 64-bit MediaTek MT6750T chipset with 8 Cortex-A53 cores. The processor consists of two 4-core clusters that differ in performance due to the difference in clock frequency (1 and 1.5 GHz). A 2-core ARM Mali-T860 chip is used as an integrated video accelerator.
The power of this hardware is enough for most trivial tasks, including watching FullHD video and running casual games. However, running resource-intensive 3D games is also possible, but this will require sacrificing the quality of game graphics and visual effects. Blackview S8 copes with the game World Of Tanks Blitz on minimum graphic settings, at 30 or more FPS. During intense gaming, the case may become warm, but the temperature does not rise above normal due to throttling.
Memory
The amount of RAM is 4 GB (LPDDR3). In theory, this should be enough to ensure excellent performance and decent multitasking performance. And if the first point is completely in order, then the second point has some nuances related to system optimization. The built-in task manager sometimes unloads active processes from RAM when switching between several running applications. Perhaps this will be fixed in future firmware updates.
To store information and install software, the smartphone has a 64 GB drive. The amount of available memory is 53 GB. In addition, if the user does not need a second SIM, he can expand the free space by installing a MicroSD memory card with a capacity of up to 128 GB.
Cameras
The smartphone uses 2 main camera lenses: a 13 MP Sony IMX258 with an F/2.0 aperture, and a 0.3 MP secondary sensor. The camera is complemented by dual LED flash and fast phase detection autofocus. During the day in clear weather, images of decent quality are obtained, with a good level of detail and rich colors. Images taken with active HDR mode are distinguished by noticeably increased contrast, brightness and exposure. The device copes with macro photography perfectly, and panoramic shots are combined smoothly and seamlessly.
Video recording is carried out in FullHD resolution at 30 FPS. It is possible to activate electronic image stabilization. The quality of the resulting picture when shooting video is quite good, the same can be said about sound recording.
With a significant lack of lighting, autofocus does not work as clearly and quickly as during the day. In addition, night shots are characterized by such disadvantages as a reduced level of sharpness and the presence of noise.
The front camera also consists of two image sensors: the main 8-megapixel OmniVision sensor OV8856 (with interpolation up to 13 MP) and F/2.2 aperture value, as well as an auxiliary sensor with resolution 0.3 MP. Using the front camera, you can take pretty good quality pictures that are quite suitable for posting on Instagram. The flash illuminates the face quite brightly, so shooting can be done even at night, in the complete absence of lighting.
Both additional cameras are supposedly designed to take pictures with the bokeh effect (artistic background blur). In the case of Blackview S8, a similar effect is achieved in software: software algorithms blur everything details of the image, except for the oval area that contains the intended object shooting.
Sound
The built-in speaker transmits the interlocutor's speech loudly and clearly. The main speaker also copes with its tasks without any problems, providing a sufficient level of audibility during an incoming call, as well as while watching videos on YouTube. The headphones provide good audio quality, at the level of other mobile devices presented in the same price category.
Autonomy
The smartphone has a built-in non-removable battery with a capacity of 3180 mAh. One charge is enough for about a day of battery life, under moderate loads. In continuous HD video playback mode at full brightness, the device can last about 7 hours. The Blackview S8 charges extremely quickly: from 0 to 100% in just 1.5 hours, using the 5V/2A power supply included in the kit.
Wireless interfaces
The user has two slots for installing SIM, nano and micro format. Both SIMs can operate in 2G GSM, 3G UMTS and 4G LTE networks (in bands 3, 7, 8, 20). The smartphone is equipped with a 4G LTE modem of the fourth category, which provides data reception/transmission in the mobile network at speeds of up to 150/50 Mbit/s.
Blackview S8 is compatible with Bluetooth 4.0 technology, and is also capable of connecting to Wi-Fi wireless networks in the 2.4 and 5 GHz bands (802.11 a/b/g/n modes are supported). It is worth noting that this model copes well with the functions of a mobile navigator, demonstrating high speed of search and connection to GPS/GLONASS satellites, stable communication and correct determination locations.
Software
At the time of release, the smartphone ran the Android 7.0 operating system, with a pre-installed launcher from Blackview, the interface of which resembles TouchWiz from Samsung. In the launcher, application icons and notification shades have been redrawn, and new system fonts have been added. Otherwise, the firmware is not much different from stock Android. With the exception of some functions that complement the standard OS capabilities.
Such additions include the ability to use the fingerprint scanner to receive an incoming call, or as a shutter button when taking pictures; take screenshots using a three-finger swipe, hide the navigation bar or swap virtual buttons, double tap to unlock, and so on. The system comes pre-installed with utilities responsible for improving sound (BesLoudness) and editing image parameters (MiraVision). Support for receiving wireless OTA updates has been implemented.
There were also some nuances related to the issue of firmware optimization. For example, some of the above additional functions in the settings section have not received a full translation from English into Russian. And the built-in dialer was notable for its unstable operation, demonstrating crashes during operation. However, the problem is easily solved by installing a third-party application responsible for dialing directly from the Google Play application store. In addition, in new versions of the software, these errors can be corrected by the manufacturer.
Advantages and disadvantages of Blackview S8
Pros:
- nice design with narrow frames and good ergonomics;
- decent quality of pictures and videos in daylight;
- wide complete set;
- good front camera with flash;
- large amount of built-in memory;
- symmetrical USB Type-C connector.
Minuses:
- mediocre firmware optimization;
- There is no 3.5 mm headphone jack.
Review results
Blackview S8 is an affordable smartphone that, although not capable of surprising with record gaming power, does have an attractive, modern design, a fingerprint scanner, a USB Type-C connector, and a fairly large widescreen display, perfect for Internet surfing, spending time on social networks and viewing video. In addition, this model will appeal to those who like to take self-portraits, thanks to a good selfie camera with a front-facing flash and a significant amount of free memory for storing footage.
