The Race for the Rugged Smartphone - Vernee Active vs Blackview BV8000 Pro vs Homtom HT20 Pro
Homtom HT20 Pro
My journey into rugged smartphones started with the Homtom HT20 Pro. As this was my first experience with Chinese phones, I wanted to play it safe and go for value, as I tested the waters.
I got it for the low price of about $115 when it was first released, and it was impressive value for the money. It was quick enough to run the basic apps I use, the battery lasted up to 2 days (and is removable / replaceable), it has an LED notification light, it runs stock Android 6.0, and was very stable. It also has a fingerprint sensor on the rear side.
It went through many rounds of abuse, bad weather, etc., and it never failed on me. It handled 2 micro SIMs simultaneously plus an expandable micro SD slot. It was a pain to take out all the screws and put the case back together, which was required at the beginning to insert the SIMs but it proved to be a reliable phone. Voice / audio quality is very good too. It's a bulky phone, but as far as rugged phones go, it was pretty slim compared to many competitors. It's not a pretty phone, but it did the job. It was a close decision between buying the HT20 Pro and the Ulefone Armor, but ultimately I was happy with my decision.
I got the urge to replace it eventually, as the cameras were terrible and the screen was very dim. Plus, the screws on the sides rusted out! Pretty funny that they wouldn't spend an extra few cents procuring screws made of stainless steel, but anyway I decided to keep the phone.
Blackview BV8000 Pro
The next phone I got was the Blackview BV8000 Pro. It was of a much nicer design, and I really liked the tough feel of the rubberized case, and the aluminum panels with rugged looking screws. The screen, though not exactly breathtaking, was a big upgrade from the Homtom. The rear camera on this phone, made by Samsung, is also excellent, and I quite liked the position of the side-mounted fingerprint scanner. Overall it was a big upgrade in terms of technical specs too. The phone is very heavy and large, but it does have a very tough, substantial feel in your hand and you get used to the size. It also has a notification light. I bought the phone for its outstanding specs, but in day-to-day use I didn't notice a major difference between it and the Homtom.
The trouble came when I noticed the phone had a tendency to restart at random. It started happening with more frequency, usually 1-3 times a day. Blackview kept offering OTA updates, but none of them addressed the issue. Another thing I noticed was that it was draining the [non-removable] battery like there was no tomorrow. I then disabled as many apps as possible, but something must be using power in the background, because the meter keeps going down even when the screen isn't on all day. It would last half the amount of time on a charge as the Homtom, and kept getting more frustrating. You can also only use the charging cable that comes with it, as the ports are so deep in the case, that no other cables work with it! Same with the earphones.
The final straw with the Blackview came after their last OTA update. App notifications stopped coming through unless the app was already open, and there was some incredible lag when moving from the app to the home screen. The random restarts continued as well. Factory resets did nothing to help. When you sacrifice weight and size for ruggedness and performance, you expected a lot more. However, the Blackview was a bit of a nightmare.
Vernee Active
Finally, a few days ago, I received the Vernee Active. The specs are similar to the Blackview on paper, but the difference in performance is night and day. It also feels like it's half the weight and thickness of any other rugged smartphone, yet it all feels very high quality. In my opinion it could use a bit of rubberizing on the back so it's less slippery, but the kevlar backing is a great touch.
The performance of the Vernee is phenomenal. Very responsive, and the fingerprint scanner is also much faster than the other two phones. The curved screen is stunning, clear, and very responsive to the touch. The voice/microphone quality is good too. The battery is doing very well so far, and is not depleting any power when the screen isn't in use. I haven't put its rugged credentials to the test yet, but it claims IP68 certification plus MIL STD, and the ability to withstand extreme temperatures (a claim the other two don't make).
My main qualm about it is the lack of a notification light. I tried some apps that utilize the camera flash as a notification light, but it's not quite the same. I'd also prefer if they used the individual SIM slots with the latches (as the Homtom and Blackview do), instead of their current setup with the slide-in panel and the secondary space that fits either the second SIM or an SD. A removable battery would be a bonus too, though out of the three phones only the Homtom has that.
I've heard stories of these Chinese smartphone manufacturers lying about some specs, so I always verify them with an app. So far, not too bad for all three phones. One complaint I heard was that Vernee was lying about using a Sony camera on one of its other smartphones, and was instead using a Chinese alternative. I did verify that my Vernee Active is indeed using a Sony camera (though an old model) for its rear camera, but a Chinese one for the front-facing camera. Their site is a bit misleading and makes it looks like both cameras are Sony, but I don't use the front-facing camera really anyway. The Sony camera is working well so far.
Conclusion
The Vernee Active is definitely the most worthwhile of the three to buy, and one should avoid Blackview while they sort out their quality control issues. The Homtom HT20 Pro is also fantastic value, although a friend of mine was using a flagship Homtom last year (non rugged) which failed for him, so I can't speak for the other Homtom devices. Some friends of mine also bought Ulefones (some Power II models), which were a mixed bag. Another friend of mine has been using a Doogee BL12000 which apparently has been doing ok. Maybe I can write reviews of them at a later date.
So far, I'm most impressed with the Vernee Active. I'll write an update after a while, if there are any more comments to add.
Homtom HT20 Pro
Main Features:
Display: 4.7 inch 1280 x 720 pixels screen
CPU: MTK6753 Octa Core 1.3GHz
OS: Android 6.0
Memory: 3GB RAM + 32GB ROM
Cameras: 5.0MP ( SW 8.0MP ) front camera + rear camera 13.0MP ( SW 16.0MP )
Bluetooth: BT4.0
Features: Gravity Sensor, Proximity Sensor, HotKnot, Three Finger Screenshot, Smart Gestures, Fingerprint Scanner
SIM Card: dual SIM dual standby, micro SIM + micro SIM
Price Paid: 115 USD
Blackview BV8000 Pro
Display: 5.0 inch, 1920 x 1080 pixels FHD by Sharp
CPU: MTK6757 Octa Core 2.39GHz
OS: Android 7.0 (modified by Blackview)
Memory: 6GB RAM + 64GB ROM
Camera: 8.0MP front camera + rear camera 16.0MP (Samsung)
Sensor: Ambient Light Sensor, E-Compass, Geomagnetic Sensor, Gravity Sensor, Proximity Sensor, Touch Sensor
SIM Card: dual SIM dual standby, Nano SIM + Nano SIM
Feature: GPS, A-GPS, GLONASS
Price Paid: 240 USD
Vernee Active
Display: 5.5 inch curved, 1920 x 1080 FHD by JDI
CPU: MTK6757 Octa Core 2.39GHz
OS: Android 7.0 (modified by Vernee) - apparently will be upgradable to Android 8.1
Memory: 6GB RAM + 128GB ROM
Camera: 8.0MP front camera + 16.0MP back camera (by Sony)
Sensor: E-compass, Ambient Light Sensor, Gyroscope, Gravity Sensor, Proximity Sensor
SIM Card: dual SIM dual standby. 1 Nano SIM card + 1 Nano SIM card
Price Paid: 265 USD
Edit:
To the commenter below, I've compared the front and rear camera here indoors with dim lighting. The megapixel reading here is probably because the stated value by the manufacturer factors in some interlacing.
Rear camera:
Front camera:
My journey into rugged smartphones started with the Homtom HT20 Pro. As this was my first experience with Chinese phones, I wanted to play it safe and go for value, as I tested the waters.
I got it for the low price of about $115 when it was first released, and it was impressive value for the money. It was quick enough to run the basic apps I use, the battery lasted up to 2 days (and is removable / replaceable), it has an LED notification light, it runs stock Android 6.0, and was very stable. It also has a fingerprint sensor on the rear side.
It went through many rounds of abuse, bad weather, etc., and it never failed on me. It handled 2 micro SIMs simultaneously plus an expandable micro SD slot. It was a pain to take out all the screws and put the case back together, which was required at the beginning to insert the SIMs but it proved to be a reliable phone. Voice / audio quality is very good too. It's a bulky phone, but as far as rugged phones go, it was pretty slim compared to many competitors. It's not a pretty phone, but it did the job. It was a close decision between buying the HT20 Pro and the Ulefone Armor, but ultimately I was happy with my decision.
I got the urge to replace it eventually, as the cameras were terrible and the screen was very dim. Plus, the screws on the sides rusted out! Pretty funny that they wouldn't spend an extra few cents procuring screws made of stainless steel, but anyway I decided to keep the phone.
Blackview BV8000 Pro
The next phone I got was the Blackview BV8000 Pro. It was of a much nicer design, and I really liked the tough feel of the rubberized case, and the aluminum panels with rugged looking screws. The screen, though not exactly breathtaking, was a big upgrade from the Homtom. The rear camera on this phone, made by Samsung, is also excellent, and I quite liked the position of the side-mounted fingerprint scanner. Overall it was a big upgrade in terms of technical specs too. The phone is very heavy and large, but it does have a very tough, substantial feel in your hand and you get used to the size. It also has a notification light. I bought the phone for its outstanding specs, but in day-to-day use I didn't notice a major difference between it and the Homtom.
The trouble came when I noticed the phone had a tendency to restart at random. It started happening with more frequency, usually 1-3 times a day. Blackview kept offering OTA updates, but none of them addressed the issue. Another thing I noticed was that it was draining the [non-removable] battery like there was no tomorrow. I then disabled as many apps as possible, but something must be using power in the background, because the meter keeps going down even when the screen isn't on all day. It would last half the amount of time on a charge as the Homtom, and kept getting more frustrating. You can also only use the charging cable that comes with it, as the ports are so deep in the case, that no other cables work with it! Same with the earphones.
The final straw with the Blackview came after their last OTA update. App notifications stopped coming through unless the app was already open, and there was some incredible lag when moving from the app to the home screen. The random restarts continued as well. Factory resets did nothing to help. When you sacrifice weight and size for ruggedness and performance, you expected a lot more. However, the Blackview was a bit of a nightmare.
Vernee Active
Finally, a few days ago, I received the Vernee Active. The specs are similar to the Blackview on paper, but the difference in performance is night and day. It also feels like it's half the weight and thickness of any other rugged smartphone, yet it all feels very high quality. In my opinion it could use a bit of rubberizing on the back so it's less slippery, but the kevlar backing is a great touch.
The performance of the Vernee is phenomenal. Very responsive, and the fingerprint scanner is also much faster than the other two phones. The curved screen is stunning, clear, and very responsive to the touch. The voice/microphone quality is good too. The battery is doing very well so far, and is not depleting any power when the screen isn't in use. I haven't put its rugged credentials to the test yet, but it claims IP68 certification plus MIL STD, and the ability to withstand extreme temperatures (a claim the other two don't make).
My main qualm about it is the lack of a notification light. I tried some apps that utilize the camera flash as a notification light, but it's not quite the same. I'd also prefer if they used the individual SIM slots with the latches (as the Homtom and Blackview do), instead of their current setup with the slide-in panel and the secondary space that fits either the second SIM or an SD. A removable battery would be a bonus too, though out of the three phones only the Homtom has that.
I've heard stories of these Chinese smartphone manufacturers lying about some specs, so I always verify them with an app. So far, not too bad for all three phones. One complaint I heard was that Vernee was lying about using a Sony camera on one of its other smartphones, and was instead using a Chinese alternative. I did verify that my Vernee Active is indeed using a Sony camera (though an old model) for its rear camera, but a Chinese one for the front-facing camera. Their site is a bit misleading and makes it looks like both cameras are Sony, but I don't use the front-facing camera really anyway. The Sony camera is working well so far.
Conclusion
The Vernee Active is definitely the most worthwhile of the three to buy, and one should avoid Blackview while they sort out their quality control issues. The Homtom HT20 Pro is also fantastic value, although a friend of mine was using a flagship Homtom last year (non rugged) which failed for him, so I can't speak for the other Homtom devices. Some friends of mine also bought Ulefones (some Power II models), which were a mixed bag. Another friend of mine has been using a Doogee BL12000 which apparently has been doing ok. Maybe I can write reviews of them at a later date.
So far, I'm most impressed with the Vernee Active. I'll write an update after a while, if there are any more comments to add.
Main Features:
Display: 4.7 inch 1280 x 720 pixels screen
CPU: MTK6753 Octa Core 1.3GHz
OS: Android 6.0
Memory: 3GB RAM + 32GB ROM
Cameras: 5.0MP ( SW 8.0MP ) front camera + rear camera 13.0MP ( SW 16.0MP )
Bluetooth: BT4.0
Features: Gravity Sensor, Proximity Sensor, HotKnot, Three Finger Screenshot, Smart Gestures, Fingerprint Scanner
SIM Card: dual SIM dual standby, micro SIM + micro SIM
Price Paid: 115 USD
Blackview BV8000 Pro
Display: 5.0 inch, 1920 x 1080 pixels FHD by Sharp
CPU: MTK6757 Octa Core 2.39GHz
OS: Android 7.0 (modified by Blackview)
Memory: 6GB RAM + 64GB ROM
Camera: 8.0MP front camera + rear camera 16.0MP (Samsung)
Sensor: Ambient Light Sensor, E-Compass, Geomagnetic Sensor, Gravity Sensor, Proximity Sensor, Touch Sensor
SIM Card: dual SIM dual standby, Nano SIM + Nano SIM
Feature: GPS, A-GPS, GLONASS
Price Paid: 240 USD
Vernee Active
Display: 5.5 inch curved, 1920 x 1080 FHD by JDI
CPU: MTK6757 Octa Core 2.39GHz
OS: Android 7.0 (modified by Vernee) - apparently will be upgradable to Android 8.1
Memory: 6GB RAM + 128GB ROM
Camera: 8.0MP front camera + 16.0MP back camera (by Sony)
Sensor: E-compass, Ambient Light Sensor, Gyroscope, Gravity Sensor, Proximity Sensor
SIM Card: dual SIM dual standby. 1 Nano SIM card + 1 Nano SIM card
Price Paid: 265 USD
Edit:
To the commenter below, I've compared the front and rear camera here indoors with dim lighting. The megapixel reading here is probably because the stated value by the manufacturer factors in some interlacing.
Rear camera:
Front camera:
Hi, could you please show some pic from Vernee Active?
ReplyDeleteOn your screens shot front camera have only 4.9 MP no 8.0 MP so where is a true?
Thank you
Added some examples / explanation above.
Delete