Last year I received a Lenovo P780, and it died out only after 3 days of use. A week ago I picked up the Philips Xenium W6610, and it is still charged. Do you know why he is 66? Because it can last exactly 66 days on one charge.
Philips chose a very precise path for themselves - a huge battery. I was lucky enough to be familiar with almost the entire Xenium line, and all of them put other inexpensive Android dialers on the shoulder precisely because of their battery features. Philips has a phone-external battery X130, which can charge all portable equipment. There is a compact in metal with the capacity of X333 batteries. There is a W8510 smartphone with a capacity, God forbid everyone. But now we have a smartphone with a battery! And its name is Philips Xenium W6610.
Design and ergonomics
If suddenly someone comes up and asks you: “What kind of freak is this?”, you can explain to the person for a long time that this phone was created in order to protect it from wild animals, this thick case has the largest possible battery installed, and its weight, and dimensions are functionally justified. Or you can never talk to this misunderstanding person again. Yes, the smart looks like a cobblestone. But I think this is mimicry. To survive in difficult conditions when you end up on a deserted island. The Philips and Xenium inscriptions are easily erased, the body itself is bluish, so yes, you can hide it in stones. But not in the water! The phone was deprived of protection from water and dust.
The front of the W6610 is completely covered with glass. The back of the smart is plastic, bluish in color, with a black metal insert. Which, by the way, I never managed to open the first fifty times. The entire editorial team came to the conclusion that it is terribly inconvenient. The world has never seen such inconvenient lids! Under the bar are hidden slots for two full-size SIM cards and a microSD card.
The whole thing is quite wide (145.4 x 74.1 x 11.4 mm) and heavy (200 g), and from the first moment it lands in your hand, it seems that your cooperation will not last long. Or it will end with pumped up muscles on one right one. But no. You quickly get used to all this if you don’t bother, and no, I didn’t develop beautiful biceps in a week.
The layout of the keys on the smart phone is standard, except that the microUSB connector, which is located at the bottom, is hidden under a plug. And if at first you thought that this was because of the security of the smartphone, I welcome you to my club. But I checked for sure - the smart phone does not have protection against water and dust.
It’s better to clarify that the power button is located on the right side in the center, the volume buttons (not the rocker) are on the left, and the 3.5 mm audio jack is on top. There is also a small switch on the right side, but what it is and why I will tell you in the block about the battery. This completes the counting of the connector buttons.
Display
The smartphone display has not received any special privileges, because it doesn’t need it. Because a resolution of 540x960 with a density of 220 ppi is quite enough to run maps, look at the schedule of airplane ships, book a room in a hostel hotel, or google “how to start a fire” and “how to put up a tent.” Inversions and viewing angles in this smartphone should interest you the least. And on a sunny day it can generally be used as a mirror. Do you know how this can be useful on the island?
Hardware and software
The brain of the Xenium W6610 is 4 cores of the MTK 6582 processor with a clock frequency of 1.3 GHz and 1 GB of RAM. On average, this is enough to play 2048 and run Asphalt. The game will not shine with FPS, but the fact itself is that it starts, and even the note is bad. For comparison, here are some benchmarks. In terms of parrots, the device is comparable to the Nexus 4. And it was very good.
- Dimensions: 145 x 74 x 11 mm
- Weight: 200 g
- Operating system: Android 4.2.2 Jelly Bean
- Communication standards: GSM (900/1800/1900 MHz), UMTS (2100 MHz)
- Processor: Quad-core, MTK MT6582 1.3 GHz
- Display: 5″ IPS (540 x 960 pixels) / 220ppi / touch, capacitive
- Memory: 4 GB flash expandable (Micro SD up to 32 GB)
- RAM: 1 GB
- Camera: main - 8 MP, video recording in 1080 p, front - 1.2 MP
- Interface connectors: 3.5 mm headphone jack, MicroUSB
- Battery: Li-lon battery 5300 mAh
It’s not even worth talking about the OS version and the shell - Android 4.2 Jelly Bean with a minimum number of add-ons that are not so necessary either in everyday life or in extreme situations. Well, okay, Kingsoft Office is there. It seems to be useful if someone else uses it. I’ll show you a couple of screenshots, and then I’ll show you two cool things that are worth paying attention to.
The first feature is the battery and its software
5300 mAh is a well-deserved second place among long-lived smartphones. The first one received Highscreen Boost 2 aka brick with its 6000 mAh. True, the inside of the device is so empty that it neutralizes its dignity. The W6610 has a really long lifespan. During the week of testing, I managed to discharge it from 100% to 10%, despite the fact that I did not deny myself toys, 3G and Wi-Fi, and generally used it as my main smartphone. But when, after 10%, I switched it to energy-saving mode and only answered calls, the idea was born that I would have to grow old with this phone. He lived like this for several days, didn’t want to switch off, called and texted and lived in peace for two or three days. The mode had to be turned off.
But don't worry, charging it will last a month. My copy was fully charged from a socket with the original adapter wire in just over 3 hours. But here's the truth - it was charged from the computer for more than 8 hours, and then not to the final charge. But there is good news - if this smart phone is completely discharged, and you have to run soon, and you still don’t have an external battery, even charging for an hour will save you. This is enough for both active use and conversations for several hours.
And this is far from a record. Because Xenium has a crazy energy saving program. It provides complete information about battery consumption - what? where? when? and offers a choice between two energy-saving profiles. If there is no Internet on your deserted island, then feel free to set the default mode. It cuts off all data transmission, sets the screen brightness to minimum and leaves you to your own devices while waiting for a call or SMS from the rescuers. It is in this mode that the device can last for more than two months and never make a single sound about a low battery. I haven’t tried it, but I have no reason not to trust the manufacturers on this issue. If you just went on vacation to another city, forgot to charge, and you still have a week to rest, then go to the user mode and configure it as you see fit: display brightness, what to turn off - Bluetooth, GPS, Wi-Fi. It turns on in one motion. And if at first you thought that this lever, like that of Apple devices, means switching the phone to silent mode, congratulations, now there are two of us. One click - and you already know for sure that for the next hundred years your phone will not be discharged one iota. I would like such a button in Oppo Find 5...
As for the tests, I won’t be able to produce a beautiful screenshot from Antutu Benchmark, because the device overheats and the test cannot be completed. Please take my word for it.
The second feature is communication standards
Even if you are really carried into an unknown distance, there is nothing to worry about regarding the Internet. If it is there, you will not be left with anything thanks to the dual coverage area, that is, dual-mode availability of WCDMA and GSM. Two SIM cards – two modes. The most honest phone in the world!
Cameras
General characteristics
Type
Deciding on the type of device (phone or smartphone?) is quite simple. If you need a simple and inexpensive device for calls and SMS, it is recommended to choose a telephone. A smartphone is more expensive, but it offers a wide variety of options: games, videos, the Internet, thousands of programs for all occasions. However, its battery life is significantly less than that of a regular phone.
smartphone operating system Android OS version at the start of sales Android 4.2 Case type classic Housing material plastic Control touch buttons Number of SIM cards 2 Multi-SIM mode alternating Weight 200 g Dimensions (WxHxD) 74x145x11 mmScreen
Screen type color IPS, 16.78 million colors, touch Touch screen type multi-touch, capacitive Diagonal 5 inches. Image Size 960x540 Pixels per inch (PPI) 220 Aspect Ratio 16:9 Automatic screen rotation There is Scratch-resistant glass There isMultimedia capabilities
Number of main (rear) cameras 1 Main (rear) camera resolution 8 MP Rear flash Functions of the main (rear) camera autofocus Recording videos yes (MPEG4, H.263, H.264) Max. video frame rate 30 fps Audio MP3, FM radio Headphone jack 3.5 mmConnection
Standard GSM 900/1800/1900, 3G Interfaces
Almost all modern smartphones have Wi-Fi and USB interfaces. Bluetooth and IRDA are a little less common. Wi-Fi is used to connect to the Internet. USB is used to connect your phone to a computer. Bluetooth is also found in many phones. It is used to connect wireless headphones, to connect your phone to wireless speakers, and also to transfer files. A smartphone equipped with an IRDA interface can be used as a universal remote control. Glossary of terms for the category Mobile phones
Wi-Fi 802.11n, Bluetooth, USB Satellite navigation
Built-in GPS and GLONASS modules allow you to determine the phone's coordinates using signals from satellites. In the absence of GPS, a modern smartphone can determine its own location using signals from cellular operator base stations. However, finding coordinates using satellite signals is usually much more accurate. Glossary of terms for the category Mobile phones
GPSMemory and processor
CPU
Modern phones and smartphones usually use special processors - SoC (System on Chip, system on a chip), which, in addition to the processor itself, houses the graphics core, memory controller, input/output device controller, etc. Therefore, the processor largely determines the set of functions and device performance. Glossary of terms for the category Mobile phones
MediaTek MT6582, 1300 MHz Number of processor cores 4 Built-in memory capacity 4 GB RAM capacity 1 GB Memory card slot Yes, up to 32 GB There is a flashlightAdditional Information
Equipment phone, charger, USB data cable, instructionsBefore purchasing, check the specifications and equipment with the seller.
Among the most noticeable trends in the smartphone industry are an increase in the number of processor cores and memory capacity, an increase in the level of display technology and chipsets responsible for the video subsystem. In short, brands are trying to find their customers by giving their devices the highest level of performance possible.
At the same time, as experts note, many companies pay insufficient attention to such an aspect as the autonomy of their devices, believing that gadget owners will always have the opportunity to recharge the battery. Philips is noted by many experts as a brand that considers this state of affairs wrong. Therefore, the Dutch pay increased attention to such areas of work as increasing the battery life of devices.
Many smartphones released by this brand, as experts believe, can be considered models that offer the optimal combination of performance and battery life. Among such gadgets is a telephone. The characteristics of the device, experts believe, make this solution one of the most competitive on the market, if we take into account the ratio of price, functionality and speed in comparison with analogues.
The hardware that the device is equipped with fully complies with the “global” trend: it has a processor with four cores, a 5-inch, high-tech display, and a powerful video subsystem. At the same time, the phone also has a battery with a capacity exceeding 5 thousand mAh. Moreover, despite the fact that the phone body, due to the large dimensions of the battery, is somewhat larger than that of competing models, visually the gadget does not seem massive at all. How do experts evaluate the quality of a smartphone? What do users who left reviews after testing the capabilities say?
What's included?
In the factory box, the owner of the phone will find the device itself, a battery, a USB cable, a power adapter, headphones that are very simple in design, a protective film for the display, and a user manual. Additional accessories, such as, for example, a case (as noted by users who left reviews after studying) can always be purchased at any communication store. “Factory” headphones, which many experts and users call too simple and not very high quality (although quite functional), can also be easily “updated”.
Appearance
An original design solution has been applied to the front side of the case in the form of an unusual-looking (compared to other gadgets in the Xenium line) smooth, black edging in the area of the voice speaker. This element, in turn, contrasts somewhat with the rear panel, made of a material that does not have such a pronounced surface smoothness. And this, according to many experts, looks very impressive. Metal elements are also used in the design of the phone (in particular, this is the plate covering the connectors). The corners of the phone are elegantly smooth. The design features of the case allow the owners of the device to use a variety of additional accessories. A book case is well suited for the Philips Xenium W6610.
We have already said above that the smartphone has impressive dimensions (here are the numbers: 145.4 x 74.1 x 11.4 mm), however, as experts admit, the device fits so comfortably in the hand that the size of the body far exceeds Most similar models do not seem excessive at all. There are, of course, opinions in the expert community that contrast with this point of view. In particular, many note that the phone is not quite suitable in terms of design for ladies, especially at a young age (when sophistication and miniatureness are held in high esteem in all details of the image, including mobile devices). However, their opponents believe that the problem can be easily solved by equipping the gadget with additional accessories. For example, if you buy a stylish case for the Philips Xenium W6610, and also complement the device with a more sophisticated headset than what comes in the standard package, any modern lady will be happy with this combination.
Some believe that the gadget does not seem so massive due to the simplicity of the design. There are no unnecessary lines or buttons. Many experts and users consider the choice of the color scheme of the case to be successful - its parts are made of plastic and metal components in dark and blue shades (in the manufacturer's catalogs, a smartphone with this color scheme is referred to as Philips Xenium W6610 Navy). There are, of course, names on the market that sound a little different. For example, like this: Philips Xenium W6610 Navy Blue, that is, it directly states that we are talking about blue elements.
Experts note the high build quality of the case. There are no backlashes or gaps. Conveniently, the phone is, in fact, monolithic: the only parts that can be considered removable are some plugs for the connectors, as well as the back plate. A large number of users who left reviews after studying the Philips Xenium W6610 smartphone admit that they largely chose the gadget for the excellent quality of the body materials.
The screen of the device is covered with a protective layer of oleophobic glass, which is almost impervious to fingerprints. The sensitivity of the display is noted by experts as good. Just above the screen is a voice speaker. To the left of it is an additional camera, to the right are sensors (motion and light) that are standard for smartphones of this type. Nearby there is a small indicator light signaling missed SMS and calls, as well as a low battery (in this case it lights up red). Below the screen are the standard “Menu”, “Return” and “Home” buttons. There is a backlight, which, according to experts, goes well with the style of the device and the color scheme in which the Philips Xenium W6610 “Navy” smartphone is made.
At the bottom end of the case there is a hole for a microphone, as well as a slot for microUSB, closed with a small plug. At the top is the audio jack. By removing the back plate, the user will see different slots: for a SIM card, as well as for flash memory (microSD format).
On the left side of the case there is a button that regulates the sound level. On the right is the device power key. Just above it is a button that activates the low energy consumption mode. Experts note that each of the keys is located on the body of the gadget very thoughtfully; many praise Philips engineers for the work done (equipping the device with a comfortable control system). At the back of the case is the main camera equipped with a flash, as well as a speaker. Next to it is a small tubercle built into the body. It allows you to keep the speaker in the open position if the smartphone is placed face up on a hard surface.
Users who decided to leave reviews regarding their purchase after studying the Philips Xenium W6610 generally agree with the opinion of experts regarding the stylish design of the device, the convenient location of the controls and the high quality of the body build. Experts and owners who have studied its appearance believe that all components in the device are balanced - both in terms of design and functionality.
Screen
The smartphone display diagonal is 5 inches. The actual screen size is 62 by 110 mm. Experts call these parameters typical for gadgets of this class. To many users, the 5-inch display seemed too big. The screen is surrounded on all sides by elegant frames. The display surface is covered with anti-glare material, which ensures comfortable viewing of the image from any angle.
Relatively low (540 by 960 pixels), however (220 dpi) gives the image minimal grain, almost invisible visually. Some experts, as well as users, have found that the smartphone display responds well to touches with gloves.
The display is equipped with a high-tech IPS matrix. The picture is visible, as experts note, from almost any viewing angle very well (and this is largely facilitated by the anti-reflective coating - we have already said this above). The screen supports the multi-touch function (up to five touches). The sensitivity of the touchscreen is characterized by experts as excellent (including the “glove” mode). Users who left reviews on the use of the Philips Xenium W6610, in general, agree with the opinion of experts regarding the quality of the display.
Battery
The smartphone is equipped with a non-removable battery of very large capacity (for devices of its class) - 5.3 thousand mAh. According to official documentation from the manufacturer, the battery life of the phone in standby mode can reach 1.6 thousand hours, with active use and conversations - about 33.
Tests conducted by experts have shown that the battery lasts for about 40 hours with average intensity of smartphone use. This may include, for example, about 120 minutes of calls, as well as about 7-8 hours of Internet use. If you use your smartphone only for continuous listening to music, the battery will last about 65 hours. If you play only videos at maximum display brightness settings and high sound volume, the device will be able to work autonomously for about 10 hours.
Some experts testing the smartphone in video playback mode managed to reach 14 hours. When running modern 3D games, the battery will last approximately 240 minutes. The battery does not charge very quickly, but it does not take too long either - 3-4 hours from a wall outlet, about 10 via a USB cable. The battery is recognized by most experts as the most competitive part of the phone.
Many users who left reviews on the Philips Xenium W6610 phone managed to achieve higher indicators of battery power than those we gave above. Many, in particular, were able to play videos for more than 70 hours straight. Others managed to use the Internet for the same 7-8 hours for 3-4 days. Those owners of the gadget who have made a lot of voice calls note that with average use of the device, the battery resources last for three to four days. By the way, many smartphone users see the battery charging speed as quite optimal.
Experts believe that the actual battery life of a device depends, firstly, on the level of battery calibration, and secondly, on the number of simultaneously running applications. These parameters may vary greatly among users.
Some experts find it not entirely convenient that the phone battery cannot be replaced. But, according to their opponents, the typical service life of a battery of this type is 3-4 years. There is a high probability that during this time the owner of the phone will have time to update his “mobile” arsenal more than once.
Connection
The Philips Xenium W6610 smartphone can operate in 2G and 3G networks. Interestingly, both SIM cards can simultaneously operate in 3G mode (many smartphones do not provide this feature). There is a Bluetooth module in version 4. Wi-Fi is supported (including in router or modem mode). There is a GPS function.
The quality of the satellite navigation module has caused conflicting assessments among users and experts. Many specialists and gadget owners were unable, in particular, to “catch a satellite” without an Internet connection. However, according to some experts, this state of affairs is not typical only for this gadget. Many devices from other brands cannot work well with GPS, simply because it is very difficult to technologically place a navigation module that can fully replace a separate device in a smartphone. If you do this, the dimensions of the gadget will change. In addition, energy efficiency will greatly decrease. Therefore, experts believe, the fact that the Xenium W6610 GPS module can only work fully in combination with the Internet does not in any way indicate that the gadget is technologically behind its competitors. This is rather the norm for devices of this class.
Memory resources
The phone is equipped with a RAM module of 1 GB, about 650 are actually available. The volume of built-in flash memory is 4 GB, the user can use about 2.7. There is support for additional microSD modules. The majority of experts who decided to compile a review after researching the capabilities of the Philips Xenium W6610 believe that the memory resources built into the device by the manufacturer are generally sufficient to solve basic user tasks.
Camera
The main camera has a resolution of 8 megapixels, the additional one is 2. The first one is also equipped with a single-section LED flash. The smartphone can record videos in FullHD format at a speed of 15 frames/sec. when using the main camera, 18 - when using the additional one. The video file is recorded in 3GP format, audio codec bitrate - 128 Kbps, single-channel audio, 48 kHz. Experts note the high quality of photographs taken by the main camera, which is acceptable when using the additional one. The photographs, as experts note, turn out to be quite clear and saturated in color.
Some experts consider the disadvantage of the camera to be the fact that the speed of recording video frames is relatively low. This remark, in general, is true: many similar solutions from other brands can record videos at 30 frames/sec. However, as the “lawyers” of the Philips Xenium W6610 say, the camera characteristics of a smartphone of this type are not the most important parameter from the point of view of the competitiveness of the device.
Performance
The smartphone is equipped with the MT6582 chipset, which, according to experts, is the most popular among budget class models. The device is equipped with a quad-core Cortex A7 processor with a frequency of 1.3 GHz, made using 28 nm technology.
The phone's graphics subsystem is controlled by a 400 MP2 (400 MHz) chip. Expert tests have shown that these components provide the device with a high level of performance. There are no problems running applications and most modern games.
Software
The smartphone is equipped with Android OS version 4.2.2. The firmware installed on the Philips Xenium W6610 is not equipped with a proprietary software shell from the brand. However, this fact is not at all seen as a minus for experts and users who left reviews after studying their Philips Xenium W6610 smartphone. There are opinions that this is even good: it is possible to adjust the phone’s options to the individual characteristics of the device’s operation.
Useful pre-installed applications include a media player, as well as an interface for playing radio broadcasts. Another example of useful software pre-installed on a smartphone is a program for optimizing energy consumption. In it, you can, in particular, set the exact time to turn off the screen and change its brightness. Using the same program, the user can regulate the operation of various wireless communication modules.
The owner of the device can download any additional types of software on the Internet. Moreover, not only in the standard Google Play store for Android devices, but also in the Xenium Club brand catalog from Philips.
Experts' summary
Experts who tested the Philips Xenium W6610 smartphone believe that at a fairly affordable price (about 9 thousand rubles), the device has a quite comfortable level of functionality and performance. Of course, the main competitive advantage of the phone is its powerful battery. At the same time, as experts note, it is installed in such a way that the smartphone does not look bulky at all. This effect was achieved thanks to the very successful color scheme implemented in the Philips Xenium W6610 Navy model.
Other clear advantages of the device, highlighted by experts, include a durable, well-built case, as well as support for the simultaneous operation of two SIM cards in 3G mode. The disadvantages noted by some experts are the relatively low video recording speed and the low resolution of the screen matrix. Although, as many experts believe, who decided to review the Philips Xenium W6610 after the fact, the characteristics of the smartphone display are in no way inferior to those used by competing solutions. Actually, what we will talk about next is them.
Competing models
Among the most obvious competitive solutions, experts name some phones from the Fly line: IQ4403, IQ4501, HOHPhone W33, and Lenovo P780. All of them have characteristics similar to the device from Philips, and necessarily a capacious (from 4 thousand mAh) battery. The mentioned competitors of the Philips Xenium W6610 have a price approximately the same as the Dutch device - 8-9 thousand rubles. Specific numbers vary by dealer. Some experts also call Highscreen Boost 2 a relative competitor to the phone. It costs a little more (usually the price starts at 10 thousand rubles). The “direct competition” mode with a Philips phone is activated when an additional battery with a capacity of 6 thousand mAh is connected. (main battery life is half that).
The Philips Xenium W6610 mobile phone, experts say, stands out from other models primarily due to its balanced selection of technologies, which ensures functionality, performance and long battery life.
What users say
Smartphone users, like many experts, praise the device mainly for its capacious battery, stylish design, good quality of camera images, functionality and performance. The stability of the wireless communication modules and the simultaneous operation of two SIM cards in 3G mode find a positive response among gadget owners. Many users are impressed by the ability to flexibly adjust energy consumption - both using a special button on the case and through pre-installed software solutions. Owners of the gadget praise the manufacturer brand for the originality of the color design of the Philips Xenium W6610 case - Navy Blue, that is.
Owners of the device praise the smartphone for the high build quality of the case and note the scratch resistance of the materials. The screen, as noted by users (as well as experts - we said this above), is resistant to fingerprints. Many gadget owners note the stability of the device. The Philips Xenium W6610 phone does not freeze during use, applications launch and close correctly. There is no problem with having several programs running at the same time. Like many experts, smartphone users note the high performance of the device when launching games.
Of course, many owners of the Philips Xenium W6610 were pleasantly surprised by the price of the device, combined with the functionality and performance of the gadget. According to users, phone accessories can also be considered not very expensive. For example, there is no problem finding a good and stylish case for the Philips Xenium W6610 at an attractive price.
Battery capacity: 5300 mAh Battery type: Li-Ion Talk time: 40 h Standby time: 1200 hAdditional Information
Contents: phone, charger, USB data cable, instructionsGeneral characteristics
Type: smartphone Weight: 200 g Control: touch buttons Case material: plastic Operating system: Android 4.2 Case type: classic Number of SIM cards: 2 Multi-SIM card operation mode: alternating Dimensions (WxHxT): 74x145x11 mmScreen
Screen type: color IPS, 16.78 million colors, touch Touch screen type: multi-touch, capacitive Diagonal: 5 inches. Image size: 960x540 Pixels per inch (PPI): 220 Automatic screen rotation: yes Scratch-resistant glass: yesCalls
Type of melodies: 64-voice polyphony, MP3 melodies Vibrate alert: yesMultimedia capabilities
Camera: 8 million pixels, 3264x2448, built-in flash Camera functions: autofocus Video recording: yes (MPEG4, H.263, H.264) Video playback: MPEG4, H.263, 3GP, H.264, DIVX Audio: MP3, FM radio Voice recorder: yes Headphone jack: 3.5 mm Max. Video frame rate: 30fpsConnection
Interfaces: Wi-Fi 802.11n, Bluetooth, USB Internet access: WAP, GPRS, EDGE, HSDPA Standard: GSM 900/1800/1900, 3G Satellite navigation: GPS Synchronization with a computer: yes Modem: yes Protocol support: POP/SMTP , IMAP4, HTMLMemory and processor
Processor: MediaTek MT6582, 1300 MHz Number of processor cores: 4 Built-in memory: 4 GB RAM capacity: 1 GB Memory card support: microSD (TransFlash), up to 32 GB Memory card slot: yes, up to 32 GBMessages
Additional SMS functions: text input with MMS dictionary: yesOther functions
Controls: voice dialing, voice control Sensors: proximity Speakerphone (built-in speaker): yes Airplane mode: yes A2DP profile: yesNotebook and organizer
Organizer: alarm clock, calculator, task plannerToday for review to the editor gg I got a smartphone that could be forgiven, if not everything, then at least a lot. And all because it has an incredible capacity battery, comparable to its tablet counterparts - 5300 mAh. True, looking ahead, I can say that, in general, there is nothing to forgive the Philips Xenium W6610 - except perhaps for its considerable dimensions.
Equipment
Apart from the battery, I would say that the main advantage of the Philips Xenium W6610 is its thoughtfulness. Everything here is balanced down to the smallest detail, and this is already evident in the box and packaging. The packaging itself shows the main advantages of the device, inside – all the accessories necessary for comfortable everyday use. This is both a high-power charger (5V, 1.5A) and a screen protector. A headset is also included in the kit, but you shouldn’t expect anything supernatural from it - these are ordinary earplugs, even without soft pads, although they do have a clothespin.
In addition, in the Philips Xenium W6610 package, I found a Litres coupon with the ability to download 5 books for free.
Appearance
Philips Xenium W6610 looks like a giant monster compared to most modern smartphones. This is especially noticeable when you compare it with other 5-inch devices. Although, I can’t help but notice that, firstly, this is due to the main advantage - a large-capacity battery, and secondly, the manufacturer has made every effort to hide the considerable dimensions of the device and make it convenient to use. So, in the end, when compared with devices of approximately the same class, it does not look such a giant.
In particular, the frame on the sides of the screen is made visually thin, and the sides themselves are strongly rounded. The frame above and below the screen is significantly wider, but thanks to this, the heavy-duty smartphone can be easily held in your hand.
The back panel is made non-removable, but it has one removable part. It is under it that the slots for two SIM cards and a memory card are hidden. The panel is fixed tightly and does not fly off, but the small recesses on its sides are confusing at first - instead of the volume or power button, the finger reaches towards them. In fact, the keys are located slightly lower, and when you get used to the Philips Xenium W6610 a little, this arrangement seems logical: you can easily reach the keys with your finger, without having to stretch.
One more point regarding the removable socket: until it is tightly closed, none of the SIM cards will work. Why is this happening, even guessing whether it’s a bug or a feature is difficult.
The rear panel contains a standard set of a camera with a flash and a speaker. I personally liked, even if it’s not that uncommon, that there is a small protrusion above the speaker. That is, even if the smartphone is lying on a flat surface, it does not stall.
An additional control is located at the very top of the right panel. This “slider”, clearly visible to the touch and tight in its movement, allows you to switch the smartphone from normal operation to economical mode. I will dwell separately on the modes themselves and, in general, on the autonomy of the smartphone as a whole, because there really is something to talk about here.
There is a standard audio jack on the top panel. On the bottom there is a micro-USB port covered with a plastic cover.
The most important and interesting detail of the front panel is, of course, the screen. Philips Xenium W6610 uses an IPS panel with a resolution of 540x960 pixels. Subjectively, the display is characterized by a good reserve of brightness, a cool gamma and standard wide viewing angles. A slight change in color is noticeable only when glancing diagonally - so on one side the gamma goes into a yellow tint, on the other - into blue. But, in practice, I have observed a similar effect more than once with other matrices, and this does not interfere with working with a smartphone. Resolution can be judged from two points of view at once. On the one hand, it is not tall and this seems to be a drawback. On the other hand, it is sufficient for comfortable work (there is no graininess as such) and the manufacturer did not have to install more powerful hardware to avoid brakes. And this has a positive effect on the duration of work. So in the case of the Philips Xenium W6610, I cannot count resolution among the shortcomings or questionable qualities at all.
As for more strict and dry information about the screen, as usual I measured it on editorial equipment. The color gamut graph is shifted down, which indicates a shift towards cool shades; this is also evidenced by the color temperature graph, which jumped far above the reference 6500K. The graph of the color components of a monochrome gradient is also very far from ideal. But the gamma curve is excellent, which means that there is practically no distortion in the transmission of dark and light areas on the Philips Xenium W6610 display. The brightness of the screen is really high, but this is both a plus and a minus at the same time. The downside is that due to excessive exposure of the black field, the contrast is low.
Among the small but pleasant advantages is the ability to work with the screen while wearing gloves, which is activated by the corresponding function in the smartphone menu. Another feature of the screen is the Asahi Glass Dragontrail II protective glass. I can’t say whether it’s better or worse than standard Gorilla Glass, but during all the testing and active carrying in the pockets of a backpack (naturally, along with other things), no scratches appeared on the display. But fingerprints and other contaminants “stick” only this way.
Below the screen there are three classic touch buttons - large, convenient and backlit. Above the screen is a set of sensors, including a light sensor and a proximity sensor. I periodically had problems with the latter. Either because of its large size, or because of its not very good location, the sensor worked adequately only if you press the phone tightly to your ear (which is not very convenient). Without close contact, the Philips W6610 begins to behave inappropriately, and most often I managed to turn on the “flight mode” with my ear, which requires a couple of steps to reach manually. In general, we can only hope that such a problem is purely subjective, but I have never encountered this with other large smartphones before.
Performance and Features
The heart of the Philips Xenium W6610 is the MediaTek MT6582 processor with a Mali-400MP video accelerator. The filling is not the most productive, but it is very energy efficient. At the same time, during all the time I have been working with a smartphone, stutters are rare - for example, I noticed one of them when opening a gallery with screenshots and photographs. The pictures took quite a long time to load, but this happened just a couple of times - the rest of the time, no problems arose. It easily copes with everyday functions and performs well in games. In Temple Run 2 I didn’t notice any lags as such; in Dead Trigger 2 they appeared only in “densely populated scenes”; you can also easily play Asphalt 8 on medium graphics settings. There is nothing to say about games like “birds” or “om noma” - there are no problems with them at all. The smartphone also copes quickly with video playback, including in Full HD quality.
The results obtained in testing programs are quite predictable. In 3D Mark, the smartphone received very mediocre scores: Ice Storm Unlimited gave it 2917 points, Ice Storm Unlimited Extreme - 2046, Ice Storm Unlimited - 2991 points. The device also showed modest, but slightly more pleasant results in Nena Mark 2 - at 50.1 fps. This means that the smartphone copes well with 3D and ok with 2D graphics.
In AnTuTu Benchmark, the smartphone earned 17,029 points, slightly losing to the Samsung Galaxy S3. Quadrant gave 5891 points. In Vellamo the results are also quite good: in HTML5 mode 1962 points, that is, approximately on the same level as the Samsung Galaxy S4; and in Metal the smartphone received 521 points, again slightly behind the Samsung Galaxy S3 and slightly ahead of the Galaxy 4, Sony Xperia Z Ultra and HTC One X.
When testing or loading with resource-intensive applications, the smartphone heats up. But only in the upper part, which (when used vertically) is not touched by the fingers. Considering that heating does not affect the operation of the device at all, most often it is not noticeable to the user at all.
A few words should be said about the sound. Philips Xenium W6610 is a fairly loud smartphone, but I would not recommend it to music lovers. The sound is normal, average in volume in headphones. In the settings there is a function for adding BesAudEnh volume, but I would not recommend activating it. Making the sound more voluminous, it suppresses low and even to some extent mid frequencies, so the sound loses a lot in quality.
But what the smartphone pleasantly surprises with is the camera and additional software for processing images. The Philips Xenium W6610 has an 8-megapixel camera, which allows you to take quite pleasant pictures both outdoors and indoors. Autofocus is fast, distortions in the color gamut do occur, but quite rarely - usually with difficult lighting in the room (several light sources with different temperatures).
Example video without effects, sepia, pencil, time-lapse
The front camera has a resolution of 2 megapixels, it completely copes with its main task - video chats.
The camera settings provide a variety of effects that can be applied not only to photographs, but also to videos. There is continuous shooting, panorama and even voice control.
Various effects and frames can be added to pictures during the editing process. The transition to the graphic editor is built right into the Gallery; I did not find it as a separate application in the menu.
Other pre-installed programs include: Kingsoft Office, Opera, file manager, video player, voice recorder, video processing utility, Xenium Club application store with the ability to pay for applications directly from your mobile account, and a flashlight. There is one interesting feature with the flashlight - you can turn it on without even unlocking your smartphone. To do this, just hold down the “Home” button. While you hold it down, the device lights up with a flash. As soon as you let go, the flashlight goes out instantly. This simultaneously increases convenience and allows you to avoid draining the battery by unnecessary navigation through the smartphone menu.
Other useful qualities of the smartphone include working with two SIM cards simultaneously, a built-in GPS navigation module that works very quickly, and support for memory cards.
Working hours
And now about the most interesting thing - the autonomy of the smartphone. According to information from the manufacturer, Philips Xenium W6610 can last up to 33 hours of talk time and up to 16 hours of continuous use of the Internet. It sounds impressive, but before testing began, to be honest, I didn’t believe that the smartphone would be truly durable: an android is an android. But everything turned out very well.
It so happened that at the time of testing the Philips Xenium W6610, I did not have actual access to the laptop for several days. So the smartphone had to be used for almost everything and always - for mail, Instagram, communication on LiveJournal and social networks, hangouts and skype, periodically to all this was added watching videos (both from a memory card and from the network), playing music and playing games. In general, my regular smartphone would wear out after half a day of such use at best. The Philips Xenium W6610 quietly lasted two days. Having slightly reduced the intensity through games and videos, I achieved a solid three days of work, after which there was still 12% charge left. That is, another day of modest use as a regular phone and e-mail reader. If you use your smartphone as a compact video player (with wireless modules disabled), you can count on 14-15 hours of viewing. As a music player, the smartphone can work for a very, very long time: for 10 hours of playback at a volume level slightly above average, it spent about 8% of the charge (without turning on the screen in the process). As a regular dialer, the Philips Xenium W6610 can last for more than a week, unless you are used to hanging on the phone for hours.
To optimize energy consumption, the Philips Xenium W6610 provides a separate utility with the quite predictable name “Energy Saving Mode” (it is not fully displayed in the menu - apparently, it is too long). In the program, you can see what exactly the smartphone is spending energy on and choose which mode will be turned on using the lever on the right panel - default or custom. In the latter, you can configure what exactly and how it will work during the transition to a state of increased energy efficiency. For example, you can select the brightness level: the minimum value is 8%. It is quite normal for working in a room, albeit somewhat unusual, but unrealistic for use under bright sun. You can also enable automatic selection of brightness depending on the lighting around.
In addition, in the utility you can set which wireless modules should be left active, configure sleep mode and enable auto-shutdown of all running applications. Unfortunately, there is no way to select a list of exception programs for this rule, but this is the only negative.
Another point related to the increased battery capacity is charging time. Even taking into account the included high-power charger, it takes about 4-5 hours to fully charge the Philips Xenium W6610.
Bottom line
The Xenium W6610 fits perfectly into the long-lived Philips family of phones, and at the same time provides a good performance reserve. There’s definitely no need to sacrifice speed or the ability to launch this or that application, and the price is quite reasonable for such a device (about 3,000 hryvnia). So the only question is ease of use - not everyone will enjoy using such a large smartphone. If this doesn’t bother you, you have big pockets and you’re far from a music lover, it’s worth taking; this device doesn’t have many analogues or opponents. Among them we can only mention the Lenovo P780, and then only conditionally. With similar performance and price, it has a smaller battery capacity: 4000 mAh versus 5300 mAh for the Philips Xenium W6610.
5 reasons to buy Philips Xenium W6610
- Incredibly long battery life
- Excellent work without lags or slowdowns
- IPS screen
- Dual SIM support
- Good camera with good software
2 reasons not to buy Philips Xenium W6610
- It's big and heavy compared to other smartphones
- Weak sound, even with good headphones connected
