The Chinese low cost smartphone market is also starting to follow the latest trends in the field of photo modules for smartphones. Like Huawei P20 Pro, Elephone A5 offers three rooms on the back, and two on the front, for a total of 5 rooms on board. Here's how our test went.
Aesthetics
Elephone A5 has its first merit in aesthetics. It is a beautiful terminal, which imitates the aforementioned Huawei P20 Pro on the back. Not only for the presence of three cameras, but also for the color of the body. We tested it in the Aurora version, therefore with a back cover that goes from blue to purple, changing according to the reflections of light. The coloring is very beautiful, but the brilliance of the colors is not comparable to that of Huawei or Honor, which offer much more sparkling reflections.
On an aesthetic level Elephone A5 offers generous dimensions, but still well manageable: it measures 155 x 75.5 x 8.1 mm, with a considerable weight of 200 grams. However, the weight is well distributed and it holds very well in the hand.
The front display is large, with notch on the upper part, while the real surprise comes on the right side, where in addition to the volume rocker and power button there is also a fingerprint reader. We will return to the latter later. Other pleasant surprises is the presence of the USB-C connector on the lower part: finally, even on low cost, the old microUSB connector begins to disappear.
Also present is the standard 3.5mm headphone jack connector, an appreciable feature, even if there are no earphones in the package. As already mentioned, another thick element is the presence of three cameras on the back, while on the front there are two.
Display
Point in favor of Elephone A5 is the huge display, which almost entirely covers the front. It is a good panel, with IPS technology of course, and a large 5.18-inch diagonal. The screen offers a Full HD + resolution of 2160 x 1080, with an excellent pixel density of 400.
The quality of the display is very good, with very bright colors, good viewing angles and blacks that remain so even when tilting the device. The screen has very saturated colors, but it is not possible to establish in the abstract whether it is good or bad, it depends a lot on the user's tastes.
The frames are well optimized: nothing particularly extreme as in other terminals, but in any case also from this point of view Elephone A5 is well appreciated.
Technical characteristics
In addition to the aforementioned display, with 6.18-inch diagonal and 2246 x 1080 pixel resolution, the terminal offers a MediaTek Heilo P60 Octa core 2.0GHz CPU with 12nm construction process, a Mail-G72 MP3 GPU, 4GB , 64GB of ROM expandable up to 512GB via MicroSD, USB-C port on the bottom and a 4000 mAh battery.
Connectivity is entrusted to the 802.11 a / b / g / n / AC Wi-Fi module, dual-band, while at the data level it offers 3G, 4G support, and Bluetooth is 4.2 type. Do not miss the GPS, which during our tests hooked the signal in a stable way, even if it is not among the fastest ever.
In everyday life it is used well, even if the terminal is not lightning fast. Elephone A5 is uncertain, not too fluid, responds well, but it is not flawless, even if all the applications of the Android universe can be used without any problem.
We carried out routine tests with all the most used social apps, as well as messaging, email and other productivity apps, without incurring any limitations. Even for streaming, no problem: apps like YouTube and Netflix work without any slowdown, while the large display allows you to enjoy the contents in a rather comfortable way.
The audio is mono, the volume of the speaker high, without showing macroscopic distortions, even if the bass is a bit lacking. Overall the audio is sufficient, nothing particularly excellent, but certainly enjoyable and not insufficient.
The battery is 4000 mAh. It does not work miracles, but it certainly allows you to arrive in the evening with intense use, still having a good 30% available to use for the next morning.
The touch ID, as mentioned, is on the right side, a position that not many manufacturers have embraced. It is convenient, because the thumb ends right there when you hold the terminal, but unfortunately it is not among the most precise and reactive.
Sometimes you need to place your finger two or three times before unlocking, while on other occasions it is lightning-fast. Obviously the quality of the sensor does not excel, and the software optimization does not help.
Camera
And let's move on to what should be the strong department of the terminal, with three chambers. The rear configuration provides 12.0MP + 5.0MP + 0.3MP. Not all three cameras are used for shooting: the third, in fact, is only a depth sensor, which allows you to take portraits. Not only that, you can change the focus even after shooting, a bit like on the latest iPhone XS and XR.
Obviously, the shooting quality is not comparable to the top of the range of the Apple, but Elephone A5 defends itself sufficiently. Chinese terminals always have a problem with the camera department, very often poor.
This time, however, the photos that can be taken with this terminal are pleasant. We leave you to judge with the usual test photo gallery, to which we have not applied any post production effects.
Probably, where one could expect more was the Portrait compartment, in consideration of the third bedroom. The portraits are not very accentuated, and the blur effect behind does not return that feeling of three-dimensionality of the subject in the foreground. In any case, the photos are truly enjoyable. Judge for yourself.
Software
Elephone A5 arrives with Android 8.1 on board and the October 2018 patches. It is customized with some themes from the manufacturer, which to tell the truth are minimal and well done. Mostly colorful, the icons look modern and neat. It is possible to eliminate the virtual keys on the screen, in favor of the classic iPhone X style gestures: they work, but even in this case they are not always reactive.
Conclusions
Elephone A5 is an aesthetically pleasing terminal, with a good room, especially in relation to the list price, and with sufficient technical characteristics. It is certainly not a top of the range, and it does not even aim to be. The UI is not particularly fluid, but it can be used well for all uses. Good display, bright and saturated colors, only sufficient audio.
It can be purchased on GearBest for about 200 euros, depending on the current offers.
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