In July 2017, Ulefone presented an inexpensive smartphone with a flagship amount of RAM and very decent characteristics. The device, called Ulefone T1, is powered by an 8-core Helio P25 processor and has dual camera (16 + 5 MP), dedicated audio chip, fairly capacious battery and supports fast charging.
However, this is not a complete list of the model’s features. The review contains more detailed information about the key features, nuances associated with operation, as well as the strengths and weaknesses of this smartphone.
Packaging and accessories
Even at the initial stage of familiarization with the device, the user can expect a positive impression. Ulefone T1 comes in a thick cardboard package, the style and design of which fully corresponds to the status of a flagship smartphone. The flat square-shaped box, made in red and black tones, has separate niches, thanks to which the contents of the package are beautifully and neatly folded in their places.
Inside the box you can find a powerful power adapter (9V/2A), a USB Type-C cable and a miniature adapter for connecting a wire with a Micro-USB plug to the Type-C connector. The SIM ejection needle is attached to a black envelope. Inside the envelope is a multilingual user manual and a protective case, the texture of which resembles leather. In addition, a protective film is initially present on the smartphone display (not including the shipping sticker).
Appearance, ergonomics and connectors
The model is available in two color options: black or red. The main material of the case was a metal alloy, the surface of which went through several phases of polishing and high-precision sandblasting. Thanks to the 2.5D curved edges of the tempered glass covering the front panel and the rounded side edges, the device fits comfortably in the hand.
To notify you of missed calls or messages, a three-color LED indicator is provided, located above the screen, near the light/proximity sensors, earpiece and selfie camera with flash.
The left side edge houses a hybrid design tray, which is designed for simultaneous installation of two NanoSIMs, or for combining one NanoSIM card with an external drive.
The only element on the edge at the top is the 3.5 mm jack needed to connect headphones. On the bottom edge there is a USB Type-C (2.0) port, which allows you to connect the cable to either side. Nearby are the holes for the main speaker and microphone.
An additional microphone, necessary for the noise reduction system, is placed on the rear panel, near the camera module and flash diode.
Control elements and fingerprint scanner
To adjust the sound volume, there are separate mechanical keys located next to the power control button on the right side. Navigation in the system interface is carried out using on-screen buttons, which are automatically hidden when running full-screen applications.
Ulefone T1 has an optimal location of the fingerprint sensor: its touch panel is easily identified even by touch, due to the oval recess at the bottom of the screen. According to the manufacturer, the scanner is capable of unlocking the device in 0.1 s. In practice, the scanner is still inferior to many flagships in terms of response speed and recognition accuracy.
However, it is quite suitable for everyday use, due to the minimal number of errors in the fingerprint identification process, and quite adequate operating speed. In addition, the biometric sensor can act as a back key, making it easier to navigate the system when running full-screen applications.
Display Features
The 5.5-inch FullHD screen installed in the smartphone does not stand out with any unusual properties. However, all its components do their job flawlessly. A high-quality IPS matrix is responsible for transmitting a rich, contrasting, clear and realistic image that does not lose its properties under the most extreme viewing angles. Thanks to an adequate supply of brightness, the contents of the screen remain visible even in clear weather.
Comfortable interaction with the device is ensured using a responsive touch panel that recognizes up to 5 touches simultaneously. To protect against scratches and abrasions, Corning Gorilla 3 glass is provided, with a high-quality oleophobic layer that reduces the intensity of fingerprints.
operating system
The smartphone has a multilingual version of Android 7.0 Nougat, with full support for Google services and a classic, unmodified interface. For user convenience, the manufacturer has integrated several additional items into the settings section, responsible for managing gestures, notification lights, the order of on-screen navigation buttons, etc.
Filling performance
The role of the key element of the hardware platform in Ulefone T1 is played by a representative of the family of energy-efficient chipsets - the 64-bit MediaTek Helio P25. The processor consists of 8 Cortex-A53 cores, distributed into 2 clusters, each of which contains 4 cores, with a frequency of 1.6 and 2.6 GHz, respectively. This structure allows you to maintain a balance between performance and economical battery consumption, due to the competent distribution of resources, depending on the tasks performed.
The processor is complemented by a Mali-T880 MP2 graphics accelerator (up to 1 GHz), with support for a highly efficient video compression algorithm according to the H.265/HEVC standard. This means that the Ulefone T1 is capable of playing 4K videos at an adequate bitrate. In addition, the GPU has sufficient power reserves to process resource-intensive 3D games, although not always at maximum graphics settings.
By the way, the device is fully compatible with VR, thanks to a 6-axis gyroscope that allows you to track the user’s movements with high accuracy.
Test results obtained using the AnTuTu and Geekbench 3 applications are unlikely to impress the modern user. On the other hand, based on the evaluation of synthetic benchmarks, it is not always possible to obtain real ideas about the performance of the device. Much more important is how the smartphone demonstrates its performance during everyday use.
Memory, performance and multitasking
Ulefone T1 stands out among many competing models with a similar price tag due to its impressive system speed. For example, a user can work with a large number of tabs in the browser, launch dozens applications, and instantly switch between them, without compromising smoothness and responsiveness interface. The “secret” of performance lies in LPDDR4 RAM, with impressive bandwidth (up to 32 Gbit/s) and a significant memory reserve (6 GB).
The built-in drive also has decent read and write speeds. As a result, the time spent on software startup and the process of copying/transferring data is reduced. Of the 64 GB, 53.1 GB is available to the user, the remaining space is allocated for system needs. You can expand your storage capabilities using an external MicroSD memory card with a capacity of up to 256 GB.
Camera capabilities
To take selfies and provide video communication, a front camera is provided, the resolution of which is 8 MP (including interpolation - 13 MP). Images taken in daylight are characterized by a good level of detail, natural color shades and the absence of pronounced noise. The front Softlight module is complemented by a flash, which provides soft, diffused illumination of the face.
The dual main camera consists of a primary CMOS sensor Samsung S5K3P3, with a resolution of 16 MP, phase detection autofocus (PDAF) and an aperture value of F/2.0, as well as a secondary sensor of 5 MP. The shooting application has a well-designed, intuitive interface, with icons for quickly activating HDR, panoramic shooting, blur effect and a full Pro mode.
Under optimal lighting conditions, you can effortlessly obtain contrasting, clear and detailed photos with correct color rendition. In addition, the camera in Ulefone T1 is quite suitable for situations when you need to quickly capture an important event or a good moment, thanks to minimal turn-on time, zero shutter lag, and fast focus and save speeds results.
In low light conditions, image quality and focusing accuracy are reduced. But even in such cases, you can achieve acceptable results using manual settings in combination with a tripod, or a portable image stabilization system. For shooting in complete or partial darkness, a dual-tone Quad-LED flash with four bright LEDs is provided. The advantage of this design is that it illuminates the subject evenly and produces natural color tones in the photo.
Video recording at 1080P resolution is supported. The image quality is average; the camera copes noticeably better with regular photography. As for the additional 5-megapixel sensor, it allows you to determine the depth of the scene to simulate the bokeh effect, with the ability to change the focus point. However, it is worth considering the fact that using this device to achieve truly beautiful artistic blur is not so easy.
Battery and battery life
The smartphone is equipped with a 3680 mAh battery, which is capable of maintaining the device’s functionality throughout the full daylight hours, with moderate usage. In order for the user to get a clearer idea of the endurance of the built-in battery under intense loads, company employees conducted a special test, recording the entire process on video. As part of the test, a smartphone with a fully charged battery was used in the following scenario:
- playback of audio recordings – 1 hour;
- video playback – 1 hour;
- one hour in 3D gaming mode;
- video conference via messenger – 30 minutes;
- video shooting with the main camera – 30 minutes.
The test lasted exactly 4 hours, and during this time the energy consumption was 56%, which indicates a fairly high level of battery endurance. In addition, MediaTek Pump Express 2.0 technology is supported, which allows you to quickly replenish the charge level with the included adapter, from 0 to 100% in 1 hour. 20 minutes.
Sound quality
The main speaker has a moderate volume reserve and produces clear sound without pronounced low frequencies. There are no comments regarding the sensitivity of the microphone, the volume of the speaker and the quality of voice transmission.
Sound processing is handled by a dedicated NXP Hi-Fi audio chip FS1601U. To appreciate the benefits of an audio system, you will need fairly high-quality headphones that are capable of transmitting clear and detailed sound of any musical composition, with deep bass, as well as well-defined mids and highs frequencies. However, you should not expect from Ulefone T1 quality comparable to music flagships equipped with a professional-level audio path.
Communication capabilities and navigation systems
Ulefone T1 is positioned as an international version of the smartphone, thanks to support for 25 frequency bands in 2G GSM, 3G WCDMA, CDMA, 4G FDD-LTE and TDD-LTE networks. Thus, the smartphone is compatible with all key operators, almost all over the world. The list of wireless interfaces includes Bluetooth 4.1 and Wi-Fi standard a/b/g/n, operating in the 2.4 and 5 GHz frequency range. The LTE Cat.6 standard is also supported, which implies high speed of transmitted and received data (300/50 Mbit/s) in fourth generation networks.
Global positioning systems are represented by GPS (A-GPS) and GLONASS modules, which provide operational connection to satellites, stable signal reception and the ability to search for a location without an active Internet connections. In addition, support for a magnetic sensor is provided, which is responsible for the operation of the digital compass.
Pros and cons of Ulefone T1
Main advantages:
- system speed and performance;
- large amount of RAM;
- good body assembly;
- decent quality of daytime shooting, support for Pro mode;
- extensive support for mobile networks;
- good selfie camera with flash;
- convenient location of the fingerprint scanner;
- sound quality in headphones;
- support for fast charging technology.
Disadvantages found:
- the appearance of “shaking” when shooting handheld in low light conditions, due to the lack of optical stabilization;
- the list of wireless interfaces lacks NFC;
- the main photomodule block protrudes above the surface of the housing.
Review results
Ulefone T1 is a balanced model in many aspects, with an optimal price-to-features ratio. In general, the device can be safely recommended to anyone who is looking for a smartphone with fairly serious hardware at a competitive price.
There is currently a special promotion on Ulefone T1. Until the end of September, the cost of the company's new flagship will be only $199.99. Considering its pros and cons, it’s a good deal.
