After four and a half years of faithful service I have finally put my Nexus 5 phone out to pasture.
It has been replaced by an Elephone U Pro (Blue version) which I picked up on a pre-launch offer (plus a little bit more of discount from Gearbest), so total cost was about £250. It arrived this morning from HK with no customs charge to pay (although that might have been something to do with the fact that they had listed the contents as worth $20). Only just unboxed it and set it to charge, but it feels really nice in the hand and the blue is stunning. Will report back when had further use, but the price point for a bezel-less/curved screen phone of this spec seems excellent.
Elephone U Pro Mobile Blue :
Material: CNC Aluminum frame+3D curved glass (Corning Gorilla Glass 5)
OS: Android 8.0
CPU: Qualcomm Snapdragon 660,Quad-Core
GPU: Adreno 512 up to 650 MHz
RAM: 6GB
ROM: 128GB
Sim Card: Nano SIM + Nano SIM / TF
Service Provide: Unlocked
Resolution: 2160*1080 FHD+
Size: 5.99 Inch
Camera: 8MP front camera,13MP+13MP（ArcSoft Algorithm）(dual rear camera)
Sensors: G-Sensor,P-Sensor,L-Sensor,Hall,Gyrometer,E-compass
Extend Card: up to 128GB TF Card (early testers say the 1TB card also works)
WIFI: 802.11 a/b/g/n 2.4GHz/5GHz
Fingerprint & Face Recognition: Yes
Multi-Touch: Support 10 point
Material: aluminium alloy
Multi-Language: Support
PDAF Focus: Support
Rear Flash: Support
Front Flash: Support
Touch Focus: Support
Battery: 3550 mAh lithium polymer battery (build-in)
Quick Charge: Support
Wireless Charging: Yes
Earphone jack : Type-C (3.5mm adapter provided)
Bluetooth: BT5.0
GPS: GPS/Glonass/Beidou
AGPS: Yes
OTG: Yes
NFC: Yes
Size: 154*72.5*8.35mm (i.e. 5.99")
weight: 166g
Certification: G-sensorã€P-Sensorã€L-sensorã€Gyroã€Compassã€hallã€Fingerprint
(http://www.elephonestore.com/media/catalog/product/cache/1/image/1800x/040ec09b1e35df139433887a97daa66f/1/1/11_4.jpg)
Ordered one of these myself TL, same colour as well. Ordered on 9th so hoping it will be here soon.
What is it that's pulling you to them guys? The price alone? Storage options? Something else?
I'll be looking for a new phone soon, but I'm not sure I can live without a decent res AMOLED screen... I'm worried it'd be too much of a step back.
My current phone is an Elephone p9000 which has been great, always said I'd upgrade after two years so I've had no qualms ordering this. Not sure you can beat it for the money. The days of me paying big bucks for a phone are now long gone.
Yeah this is why I'm asking.. I'm keen to spend less, as I don't need the fastest chip or the best camera out there. Just needs to run basic stuff like chrome and email with ease, really.
Like I say though I'm a little concerned about screens, as I spend a lot of time looking at it :D
Quote from: lionheart;429676Ordered one of these myself TL, same colour as well. Ordered on 9th so hoping it will be here soon.
Yep, I ordered on 8th Feb and it arrived this morning. As usual with Elephone, I got a tracking number that was never updated and the item arrived before the website said it had been despatched.
Quote from: Chaosphere;429679Like I say though I'm a little concerned about screens, as I spend a lot of time looking at it :D
The screens are very good. And it is a decent res AMOLED screen. Ok it is not 4K, but then who the hell needs 4K on a phone? This is 403ppi which should be more than good enough unless you view your phone from microscope distance. But don't believe me, believe some random reviews from the completely believable interweb:
Quote from: Elephone U Pro has a smashing 6 inches FHD+ display, thereby signalling a screen resolution of 2160 x 1080 pixels. The pixel density of the smartphone controls screen clarity well at its 403 PPI. The AMOLED screen panel got employed just as it was employed in the Elephone U. An aspect ratio of 18:9 and a screen-to-body ratio of 83% gives the screen super large viewing area. Multi-touch input that allows up to 10 fingers is an added feature of the smartphone’s display.
QuoteFeaturing a great CPU, gorgeous screen, the latest version of Android and generous RAM and storage â€" along with a ‘familiar’ design â€" the Elelphone U Pro is looking like an early contender for ‘Most Surprisingly Awesome Import Smartphone of 2018*’
QuoteThe 6-inch screen on the Elephone U Pro sports a Full HD+ display with a resolution of 2160×1080 pixels and a pixel density of 403 PPI, which work well together to massively improve the screen’s clarity. Like the Elephone U, the U Pro also uses an AMOLED screen panel and offers an aspect ratio of 18:9. This coupled with the 83% screen-to-body ration makes for a super large viewing experience. Taking the multi-touch input feature to a whole new level, the U Pro allows for up to 10 fingers to be accommodated for inputs.
Quote from: This Galaxy S9 Clone Has Gone LegitLet's talk about that display: it looks gorgeous, with punchy colors and deep blacks, and the curvature is just right. Elephone has also implemented some really effective palm rejection software, so I didn't suffer from erroneous palm touches like I did on early Samsung Galaxy phones that had curved screens.
TLDR:
I don't believe any phone is worth £600-£800.
I bought the Nexus 5 as it offered £800 premium features for a budget price.
I did not buy the later Nexus phones, or the latest Pixel phone as to get the premium features you had to pay £600-£800.
I bought the Elephone U Pro as it offered premium features for a budget price.
Useful info, thanks TL. I wasn't sure it was an AMOLED as the first spec list didn't mention the display type. I wouldn't want to move to a non-amoled display, as I'm a big fan of these screens.
The resolution, well you have to hold it to really know, right? You may well be right, that moving down slightly (my now quite old Samsung is 577ppi) may not mean any difference.. But until I have the phone in my hand, I can't tell! I 100% can notice the difference with some 1080p screens I've held.. But that isn't necessarily all down to pure pixel density alone.
It's a bit like pc monitors and refresh rates. You can tell the difference from 60 to 144 hz, but 144 and 250? That's a bit more individual, from what I've heard.
Still, be interested to hear your thoughts, may nudge you a few months after you get it for an update on prolonged day to day use. Does seem to be quite a lot of phone for the money...
Come back for the LAN and all questions will be answered when you hold one in your hand......!
Quote from: TeaLeaf;429683Come back for the LAN and all questions will be answered when you hold one in your hand......!
I'd have to think of a better story than that to drag the girlfriend away from Asia, or replacing my phone would be the least of my worries! :roflmao:
October, though, I'll be on the hunt for a new phone for us both, so the LAN may provide a research opportunity! See, dMw has you covered whatever the need :D
I think that unless your mobile phone comes as part of a two year lock in deal and you're happy to spend £30+ a month with a carrier then 2017 - 2018 really is the time of the mid tier, high spec, low price OEM phone. Elephone, Wiley Fox, Motorolla, Heuwiwieweiw and others all make very decent phones in the £150 to £250 bracket so we're spoilt for choice again. Where we once had Google's Nexus phones we now have these companies. Even LG, Samsung etc see the sense in decent spec mid level phones as they all make them as well.
Spending £700+ for a phone every few years isn't an option for mortals. Finding a carrier to get a contract phone from which offers stock Android or close to stock, regular updates and most importantly security patches delivered as Google release them is rare..... they may actually be non existent? So buying a stock phone is for me the only sensible option.
I'll be looking to replace my Nexus 5x at the end of the year so this phone looks very interesting, cheers.
I am looking at the oneplus5t as my nexus 5x has developed a great way of the power not keeping connected when plugged in.
Also it comes with a headphone jack built in which I need as I have good headphones and cba with a adaptor.
Tad more expensive, the one plus 5T. Main difference I can see is the chip. Its an 835 ('top of the line') in the one plus, versus a 660 in the elephone, a more budget / second tier processor.
Edit - here is a spec comparison.
https://www.devicespecifications.com/en/comparison/4ca8f267a
Unless the power of the chip is key, you may be better off saving some pennies toby, and looking at the elephone, if these chaps are happy with theirs. Can always get a cheap Bluetooth to 3.5mm adapter for your cans... Neither will have top tier amps in anyway tbh... - Just read you don't fancy that! Oh well, one plus it is!
I get the idea of ditching the headphone jack.. But it's a bit of a headache!
It's monkey see monkey do and sometimes the first monkey jumps in a volcano, it's not always a good idea.
Also I won't be paying that much for it :D
Quote from: Chaosphere;429690Tad more expensive, the one plus 5T. Main difference I can see is the chip. Its an 835 ('top of the line') in the one plus, versus a 660 in the elephone, a more budget / second tier processor.
Edit - here is a spec comparison.
https://www.devicespecifications.com/en/comparison/4ca8f267a
Unless the power of the chip is key, you may be better off saving some pennies toby, and looking at the elephone, if these chaps are happy with theirs. Can always get a cheap Bluetooth to 3.5mm adapter for your cans... Neither will have top tier amps in anyway tbh... - Just read you don't fancy that! Oh well, one plus it is!
I get the idea of ditching the headphone jack.. But it's a bit of a headache!
You get a headphone to USB c adapter in the package with the Elephone, so you can go wired or wireless.
Sent from my U_Pro using Tapatalk
Quote from: BrotherTobious;429689I am looking at the oneplus5t as my nexus 5x has developed a great way of the power not keeping connected when plugged in.
Also it comes with a headphone jack built in which I need as I have good headphones and cba with a adaptor.
Had the same problem with my Nexus 5, so for the last 2 years have just used wireless charging instead and tbh it is much more convenient than having to plug in. I have one wireless charger on the desk of my home office, one in the hallway so I can dump my phone on it at the end of the day, and one on my desk in my office. If I travel I take one with me and use the adapter to plug it directly into the mains.
Wireless charging FTW.
Btw, the Elephone had wireless charging too! (Did I mention that it fast charges in about an hour......?)
Sent from my U_Pro using Tapatalk
What version of android is it running and I know its. Early days but do you know if you will get the update?
To add my 2p to it got a swift 2x to replace my lg g5 (that i broke) and i have to say apart from the random restarts ((10 in 4 months) that is a known issue)) and they are trying to sort, i love this phone, its quicker than the g5 (for what i use it for) and happily handles anything that i throw at it. Now considering that i don't play games and the like, its just a phone with tapatalk, fb, gmail, ymail, discord and my bank on it, im happy.
thanks smilo for the heads up about willeyfox brand. cant wait till April when my contract is due and i drop from £30 a month on voda (for 8 gig and unlimited everything else) to £14 for the same. gotta love the 30% forces discount :D
I have heard good things but you should be aware of the following
https://www.theregister.co.uk/2018/02/07/wileyfox_goes_into_adminisitration/
Quote from: BrotherTobious;429697I have heard good things but you should be aware of the following
https://www.theregister.co.uk/2018/02/07/wileyfox_goes_into_adminisitration/
oh bugger...was not aware, hopefully won't affect existing owners [emoji19]
Sent from my Swift 2 X using Tapatalk
Quote from: TeaLeaf;429693You get a headphone to USB c adapter in the package with the Elephone, so you can go wired or wireless.
Sent from my U_Pro using Tapatalk
I've had Bluetooth headphones for my out and about headphones for years now. I hate wires when I'm on the move, they're just a nuisance. I still have some wired ones at home but that's only until I take the plunge into some decent Bluetooth home ones too!
I was so impressed by my wireless headphones when I first got them, I can only imagine you can get even better quality ones now. Although I see the headphone jack removal being annoying for many users, it is the way forward... No one needs wires connecting them to their phone anymore.
Time to make the move, Toby? :woot2:
Oh and TL, any chance you could send some snaps from the phone? Either on here or on the discord?
Even being in a serious long term relationship with my dslr (anyone seen Her?), it's inevitable we end up taking lots of quick snaps with our phones too!
Quote from: Chaosphere;429699I've had Bluetooth headphones for my out and about headphones for years now. I hate wires when I'm on the move, they're just a nuisance. I still have some wired ones at home but that's only until I take the plunge into some decent Bluetooth home ones too!
I was so impressed by my wireless headphones when I first got them, I can only imagine you can get even better quality ones now. Although I see the headphone jack removal being annoying for many users, it is the way forward... No one needs wires connecting them to their phone anymore.
Time to make the move, Toby? :woot2:
No since I invested a good amount of money in to these and they still sounds amazing. And apart from that I perfer wires :) This wireless thing with never catch on :g:
Fair enough mate. I would agree I will always prefer a wired mouse and keyboard, but I can't go back to being tied to any audio device. Wandering around home doing chores or thinking through medical notes, you can't beat the freedom of wireless cans, imo. Each to their own!
In the interests of full disclosure, my Elephone U Pro decided to brick itself yesterday afternoon. I noticed halfway through the afternoon that it had turned itself off and no matter what I tried it would not turn on again, would not react to a power lead or USBC lead and showed no lights/response whatsoever.
Bugger, as they say, so I am currently working through the RMA system for a replacement.
Bad luck mate hope they get a new one to you asap!
In happier news my oneplus5t turned up woohoo
Not good to hear, TL. Let's hope customer service is good...
I've been looking at the Huawei ones for Jas and I, they are similar price to the Elephone...
Did you see that the S9 has a ear phone jack, now that is impressive
Yeah, Samsung aren't ditching them.. Yet...
Still, it'll also cost £700+, which for me is just too much for a phone :D
Completely agree on that chaos
And out of curiosity Toby, will you be sending your phone back to enable HD Netflix / Amazon content?
https://www.google.com.vn/amp/s/www.engadget.com/amp/2018/02/25/oneplus-5-and-5t-netflix-upgrade-requires-sending-in/
I'm not sure this is in anyway an issue for me tbh, as I think I've used Netflix on my phone for all of 5 minutes in the last 5 years.. I have a tablet for that.
For me it'll depend on prices around July...
Probably not mate,
How are the Elephone users getting on? I'm really tempted to pick a couple up for myself and the wife.
edit: must have missed the post TL made about his elephone bricking, did it get sorted?
Quote from: Jamoe;430169edit: must have missed the post TL made about his elephone bricking, did it get sorted?
Yes, it got sorted. RMA was fairly straightforward to a UK address.
Quote from: Jamoe;430169How are the Elephone users getting on? I'm really tempted to pick a couple up for myself and the wife.
edit: must have missed the post TL made about his elephone bricking, did it get sorted?
Had mine a couple of weeks now and I'm impressed. Works brilliantly.
The screen is lovely and clear and very responsive for gaming should that be your thing.
The camera software is poor, but I side loaded the Google Camera software ( used for Pixel) and this improved the camera considerably.
Waiting for a firmware update, due anytime now, which should address the camera app and improve the face recognition ( which is currently using the google app and is crap tbh), the fingerprint scanner is excellent and very quick so I use that for the time being.
All in all I am very happy and would recommend it, especially if you can get it for the £270 which I paid.
Thanks for the update. I'll buy one for wifey first and she can test it :norty:
The OTA update arrived today, fixed all my "issues", well pleased with it now.
Quote from: TeaLeaf;430171Yes, it got sorted. RMA was fairly straightforward to a UK address.
But actually getting the phone here has taken longer. Still waiting for the replacement.
Does anyone have any experience with operating these smartphones using EE's 4G LTE signal type?
My contract has run out and i'm looking to move over to android but hear some of them won't work on certain 4G LTE frequencies
EE uses 800MHz, 1800MHz and 2600MHz and all three are listed on the U Pro's specs, so it should work just fine with LTE.
Quote from: U Pro Tech SpecsFDD-LTE: B1/B3/B7/B20 (2100/1800/2600/800)
Was that what you were asking?
Edit: as an additional comment, my U Pro' cellular settings page notes "Enhanced 4G LTE Mode" being set to 'ON'.
https://www.nokia.com/en_gb/phones
Jasmine and I have Nokias waiting for us. I got her the 6 (smaller screen) for £230 and me the 7 plus for £350, with free Google home minis I intend to sell for maybe £30 each, give or take.
Will write up a review of my own when we actually have them in hand, but reviews online are mostly positive. If you're looking for a good combination of price / performance they may be worth a look.
I'm on EE and can confirm the LTE works fine with the U Pro.
Quote from: TeaLeaf;431285Was that what you were asking?
I think so, i read THIS (https://www.review-hub.co.uk/will-a-chinese-smartphone-work-in-the-uk/) article about VoLTE and the different bandwidths and didn't want to take the risk of it not working.
Quote from: lionheart;431287I'm on EE and can confirm the LTE works fine with the U Pro.
Thanks for that.
Quote from: Mikep1212;431288I think so, i read THIS (https://www.review-hub.co.uk/will-a-chinese-smartphone-work-in-the-uk/) article about VoLTE and the different bandwidths and didn't want to take the risk of it not working.
That article simply confirms what I posted from the tech specs. There are 3 'bands' in the UK for 4G, EE uses all three bands and the U Pro works with all three of EE's bands (and all of the bands used by any UK provider).
I should have kept my mouth shut. Not long after the above post I noticed that my Elephone U Pro had turned itself off from about 90% fully charged. This was exactly as had happened to me when the first one failed, and it has proved to be the case for the replacement Elephone U Pro. It has bricked itself again. So both my U Pro's have bricked themlves from about 75-90% charged and do not hard reset, do not boot, do not charge, do not show any sign of life at all even if plugged in. My U Pro is now as useful as a shiny blue doorstop.
I have this morning submitted an RMA request for a REFUND. I know others have had excellent success with Elephone (both Lionheart and Dex have had great success with theirs), but I have lost confidence in them and will now be going for something different, perhaps waiting for the new Pixel and just swallowing the price in exchange for greater reliability.
Very sad.
....and in even more bizarre news:
The supplier requested a 'photo to prove the condition of the phone', so I got my wife to take a picture of it plugged in so she could email it to me at work for me to then upload the the supplier (yeah, pointless, I know).
When she plugged the phone in it started charging. WTH?
After not responding to USB, mains or wireless charging, not responding to 3 days of being plugged in to the mains, not responding to a hard reboot or a power ON button push, it suddenly decides to wake up?
The strange thing is it was at about 90% full charge when it turned itself off, but when it was plugged in just now the power light came on and it said it was at 2% charge and charging. So what happened to the rest of the charge if it was off? Or did that charge drain from a turned-off phone since Saturday afternoon?
Good news - I have a working phone again.
Bad news - I'm not sure I trust its reliability any more.
A real head-scratcher.......
It might just be a run of bad luck..... hopefully. That being said I've had a Nexus 5 and a Nexus 6P both drop dead on me in the last 18 months, never to work again. And those are both considered to be mainstream premium phones, especially the 6P. So no manufacturer is immune.
Good news, Google released Android 9 Pie and the Elephone U Pro is getting the OTA update.
Woot!
Sent from my U_Pro using Tapatalk
Excellent :D
amazing my s7 edge wont get it, but my willeyfox will....ffs
Installed the update yesterday morning. Some nice behind the scenes QoL changes. Though was most curious about taking a peek at the Digital Wellbeing app, that tracks phone/app usage.
Turns out, it's still in beta and not part of the initial update.
However, anyone with a Pixel can sign up to the BETA here (https://www.android.com/versions/pie-9-0/digital-wellbeing-beta/), my approval came through within 2-3 hours.
Folow up on this phone.
Dex has an Elephone P8 and it has performed flawlessly. I bought the U Pro and I have had issues with it during ownership.
Initially I had the lockups where the U Pro screen went black and the phone bricked itself and did not react to button presses of any combination. I had the phone swapped for a replacement and had the same issues. The replacement phone does the same thing, the only solution I have found is to let the battery drain down (you have to guess as you can't see the screen) then plug it in to charge and suddenly the phone wakes up. Plugging it in to charge sometimes (but rarely) wakes a bricked Elephone up before the battery has totally discharged, but that is only on a minority of occasions. It will fail without warning, but often seems to be linked to trying to login with the fingerprint sensor.
I have also recently started to get a graphical glitch (just after the 12 month warranty expired), where a solid black rectangular box appears on the upper portion of the U Pro screen , right across the notification and Google Assistant area. It takes up about 80% of the screen width and is about 15% of the screen height, so a not insignificant aberration. The net result is that I cannot rely on the phone to be working when needed.
So the result is that I bought a Google Pixel 3a XL today. I just can't rely on the Elephone anymore, imagine if you are using the satnav and it fails mid journey, or perhaps midway through your international business trip. It just can't happen, so I have dumped the Elephone which is a great shame as so many others have had a great experience with their phones at such a great price, but price means nowt when it is a brick.
Lmao my oneplus 5t I had to replace the USB c connector and it was never the same. It work but the mic then deteriorated.
So last week I also got the pixel 3a xl
Great minds
Interesting.... Ive had the black screen thing happen to me on a couple of occasions, the "cure" is to hold the power button in for what seems like ages and then the phone restarts. Extensive google has found that its basically the screen turning off, and is not that uncommon on the the U-pro.
Happens rarely enough for me to struggle on to the two year point and replace, but it wont be another Elephone.
Tried the button thing and different variants of buttons and times. Longest I got to was about one minute, but I had no response from the phone. Bottom line is I'm not happy with reliability so it has to go.
Nice phone Toby!
Sent from my U_Pro using Tapatalk
Quote from: Chaosphere;431286https://www.nokia.com/en_gb/phones
Jasmine and I have Nokias waiting for us. I got her the 6 (smaller screen) for £230 and me the 7 plus for £350, with free Google home minis I intend to sell for maybe £30 each, give or take.
Will write up a review of my own when we actually have them in hand, but reviews online are mostly positive. If you're looking for a good combination of price / performance they may be worth a look.
Haven't had a single issue with either of these, would recommend them in a heartbeat and will be replacing our current ones with newer models when we feel the need (which isn't likely to be anytime soon, they're still fantastic phones).
:flirty:
Horrible phone. Wifes one lasted a while before the screen developed the vertical lines issue. She dropped it before I had chance to RMA it.
I managed to drop mine on a tiled floor after 2 weeks, screen shattered (not the phones fault), but I couldn't source a replacement screen. It developed the screen issue a few months later but figured I coldn't RMA it given I'd already dropped it. Camera just stopped working and crashed any app that tried to use it.
Suffered long enough, ordered 2 Pixel 3as while they have £70 off. Perfect for what we need.
Good riddance Elephone :bye1: