Ulefone S8 Pro is an improved version of the previously introduced ultra-budget smartphone Ulefone S8, with a dual main camera module and a flash on the front panel. Taking into account the minimal difference in price between the younger and older models, the S8 Pro compares favorably with its predecessor due to the newer single-chip system supporting fourth generation networks, as well as 2 times increased volumes of operational and built-in memory.
Equipment
The smartphone comes in a cardboard box, which, in addition to the instruction manual, contains power adapter 5V 1A with USB connector, MicroUSB cable and transparent protective case on the back housings. In addition, in addition to the shipping sticker, you can find a film on the front panel to protect the glass surface from scratches.
Appearance, body materials and ergonomics
The frame of the device is made of durable metal alloy, with pronounced cuts along the edges. The case itself has a collapsible design: the back cover, made of matte plastic, provides access to the battery, as well as slots for installing SIM and external storage. The display and the entire front part are covered with glass, with curved edges using 2.5D technology. There are 2 body color options to choose from: black or gold.
The smartphone has a weighty (184 grams with battery) and is far from the thinnest 9.2 mm body. However, thanks to the sloping shape of the back cover, the device lies quite comfortably in the hand. To navigate the interface, there are on-screen buttons that can be collapsed at any time by pressing the down arrow and returned to the screen by swiping up.
Mechanical buttons are shifted to the center of the right side edge. In addition, the manufacturer placed the power button on top of the volume rocker, deviating from the classic arrangement of control elements.
On the bottom edge you can find the slots for the main speaker and the microphone hole. The top edge is occupied by a headphone jack and a MicroUSB connector, which supports connecting external USB devices via an OTG cable.
Biometric sensor capabilities
On the back side, under the dual photo module, there is a fingerprint scanner, which provides protection of user data, and is also designed for quick authorization by fingerprint in some applications. The scanner is 360-degree, recognizes up to 5 different fingerprints from any angle, quickly reads biometric data and allows you to unlock the device in 0.18 s.
Additionally, the sensor's touch pad can be used in place of the shutter button to return to previous menus and control music playback.
Display
The smartphone has a 5.3” display made using In-cell Full Lamination technology, which provides improved picture sharpness and excellent touch sensitivity panels. Judging by information from the manufacturer, Ulefone S8 Pro uses a software mechanism that softens color tones. The introduction of such technology makes it possible to reduce eye strain so that the user does not feel discomfort during prolonged use of the device.
Considering the ratio of the display diagonal to its resolution (1280×720), the pixel density is 277 ppi. The fact that individual pixels are visible when viewed at close range does not reflect the actual perceived level of image quality. As a rule, in everyday use the smartphone is held at a further distance from the eyes. In general, the screen conveys a clear, bright and moderately saturated image, which remains visible even at maximum viewing angles, as well as in bright sunny weather.
Performance, memory and software
The hardware basis for Ulefone S8 Pro is the MediaTek MT6737 chipset, with 4 Coretx-A53 cores, the frequency of which reaches 1.3 GHz. The built-in Mali-T720 MP2 video chip is responsible for graphics processing.
The MT6737 is a low-cost, energy-efficient platform that provides acceptable performance levels for playing multimedia files, working with the browser, instant messengers, social networks and performing others trivial tasks. The device can also be used to run 3D games, however, the quality of game graphics will be limited by the modest power reserve of the video chip.
The smartphone runs a “pure” Android 7.0 Nougat OS, without resource-intensive shells and third-party pre-installed software. Consequently, the non-paged part of the RAM contains only the OS kernel and a standard set of service modules and services. Considering that the Ulefone S8 Pro has a 2 GB RAM module, there remains enough free resources needed to perform several tasks simultaneously, without wasting speed.
Internal storage capabilities are represented by a 16 GB drive. Since the case has separate slots for SIM and MicroSD, the user can install an external memory card with a capacity of up to 128 GB at any time. In this case, the operating system will offer 2 options:
- use MicroSD as a removable drive to store photos, videos and other user files;
- Get more free space for software installation by formatting your SD card for use as internal storage.
Cameras
The paired main camera module is complemented by a dual LED flash. The main 8-megapixel sensor (with autofocus and f/2.2 aperture), the resolution of which has been increased to 13 MP due to interpolation, is responsible for shooting. The role of the 5 MP secondary sensor is to determine the distance between objects in the frame to take pictures with a blurred background.
The idea is quite interesting, however, in inexpensive models it is implemented very mediocrely. The background is blurred exactly in a circle, from the central part of the object on which the focus is placed. Despite the ability to adjust the size of the “virtual aperture” and change the focus point, the end result only vaguely resembles a real bokeh effect.
However, you can hardly count on the possibility of professionally simulating the effect of shooting with a shallow depth of field using a smartphone camera from the ultra-budget segment. In any case, the background blur function will clearly not be superfluous: if necessary, it can always be turned on or off using a special button in the interface.
As for the quality of regular pictures taken with the main camera, Ulefone S8 Pro shows very good results, considering the price category. In daylight, the photos obtained are not blurry, have sufficient contrast and are sharp. The smartphone copes especially well with subject photography: the finished frames are characterized by fairly high detail and good color rendition.
The resolution of the 2-megapixel front camera has also been interpolated and is 5 MP. The quality of the resulting selfies is quite acceptable. For shooting in low light conditions, a front Softlight flash is provided, which “softly” illuminates the face. If necessary, during a video conference, the flash diode can be used as a constantly active lighting source.
Battery, autonomy
Thanks to an energy-efficient processor, optimized Android 7 OS with an advanced energy-saving mode and a 3000 mAh battery, the smartphone demonstrates good battery life. The approximate operating time on a single charge in audio player mode is 26 hours, in telephone conversation mode - 13 hours, and 9 hours with continuous video playback. In mixed mode with a moderately active intensity of use, the smartphone will operate throughout the whole day.
Wireless interfaces
The Ulefone S8 Pro case allows for the simultaneous installation of two MicroSIM cards. The smartphone supports 2G GSM, 3G WCDMA and 4G networks, in the frequency bands FDD-LTE Bands 1/3/7/8/20, and is compatible with almost all major mobile operators. The Wi-Fi module of the 802.11b/g/n standard is capable of operating in one frequency range (2.4 GHz). To ensure wireless communication between the smartphone and other devices, a Bluetooth interface version 4.0 is provided.
Since MediaTek has not implemented GLONASS support in the MT6737 chipset, users are left with the capabilities of the GPS global positioning system.
Advantages and disadvantages
Pros:
- separate slots for 2 SIM and memory cards;
- fresh Android 7 OS without third-party software;
- fast fingerprint scanner with support for additional functions;
- high-quality screen;
- good autonomy;
- metal carcass;
- presence of front flash;
- protective case included;
- attractive price.
Minuses:
- not the thinnest body;
- there is no support for the GLONASS satellite system;
- There are several lines in the settings section that are not translated from English.
Summarizing
Ulefone S8 Pro is a good budget smartphone that can work without problems throughout the day on a single charge, equipped with a good display, a fast and accurate fingerprint scanner and supports fast Internet access via 4G networks. In addition, the device body has a collapsible design with separate slots, and lies quite comfortably in the hand. Overall, given the impressive list of advantages and affordable price, Ulefone S8 Pro can be an excellent option when choosing a budget model under $100.
Now, at the start of sales, Ulefone C8 Pro has a promotional price. The smartphone costs just $79.99 in both black and gold? which allows us to recommend it as one of the best budget smartphones.
