BQ Aquaris V 32GB smartphone - advantages and disadvantages

An ordinary person looking at the prices of modern smartphones might think that the electronics market has gone crazy. Many people believe that the more expensive the phone is, the higher its quality. However, this is not quite true. Manufacturers of flagship smartphones spend a lot of money on advertising, and the technical characteristics of the device are also very important. Hence the high cost. But there must be gadgets of acceptable quality and at affordable prices somewhere. This article will focus on an inexpensive smartphone from the Spanish brand BQ, which has long been in demand among Western Europeans.

This manufacturer is not the leader in the global smartphone market. However, not so long ago, the company introduced a new gadget, which, judging by its appearance, is more suitable for a youth audience - Aquaris V.

Smartphone package

In a small box, along with a mobile device, there are: micro-USB cable, instructions, charger with adapter. It charges your phone faster than standard charging.

Device appearance

The design of the phone is very simple, it looks just like other budget smartphones. The back panel is marked with the brand name, display colors are in soft tones, do not hurt the eyes. There is a notification LED. The touch button at the bottom of the screen is designed in the form of the manufacturer's logo.

The phone has a rounded design. The frame is made of plastic with a small amount of metal. The smartphone is too easily soiled, gets dirty quickly, there are traces on it.

The touch keys are not backlit, the fingerprint indicator is located behind the sensor of the rear camera. On the sides of the smartphone, in addition to micro-USB, there are two microphones that effectively suppress noise.

The case, made of plastic with the addition of metal, is extremely durable, all parts fit snugly together, the back cover does not sag, nothing wobbles.

The manufacturer claims that this smartphone model is IP52 certified and has sufficient protection against water drops and dust particles. Of course, the device cannot be immersed in water, but it is not afraid of a small amount of moisture and foreign particles. That is why the phone was named “Aquarium”, which means “Aquarium” in Spanish.

Main characteristics of a smartphone

Screen

The display is far from ideal, especially when viewed from an angle. The matrix may seem to fade strongly, some shades are lost, the colors become indistinct. If you look at the display from other sides, then the colors and brightness remain unchanged. The screen looks contrasty, and this is not surprising, since the maximum backlight brightness is 520 nits.

The 5.2-inch screen doesn't appear to be pixelated.

The smartphone has the function of recognizing all fingers of both hands at the same time. Unlocking is done with a double tap. The screen is covered with a protective oleophobic film that protects the phone from various contaminants. It is enough to wipe the display with a slightly damp cloth to remove finger stains and traces of grease.

As in any of the modern smartphones, the Aquaris gadget has a night mode that can be set both manually and automatically.

The protective glass for the display is manufactured by one of the leading Japanese telecommunications companies. It makes the smartphone more ergonomic, but scratches easily remain on this surface, so the device must be handled carefully.

Iron

Average performance processor. The machine is not suitable for energy-intensive applications and heats up under excessive load. In addition, a graphics accelerator that handles 2D images well with HD resolution of 1280 x 720, unfortunately, does not support 3D graphics processing, the chip starts to work unstable.

Fingerprint scanning is not as fast as on the leading flagships, but for a phone in this price range it is quite good. The device compares the received fingerprint with the one that is already saved in the phone; it will take several seconds to process the information. The sensor pad is large and conveniently located.

The smartphone runs on an improved version of Android 7, it hardly differs from the Google version. Since the device is not powerful enough, the standard Android platform is ideal for it. The company has confirmed that the operating system will be updated to version 8 of Android.

There are very few special features in the device, but they are all necessary. In the settings, you can activate LED notifications separately for each program, configure the camera to turn on quickly by double-pressing the power key and set the automatic display of information on the locked display the moment the gadget is in your hands, change the vibration level.

Communications

The phone uses Dual SIM technology, which allows you to use two SIM cards at the same time. Noise canceling is activated during a call. The signal is stable, there are no extraneous sounds and rattles. Wireless network and Bluetooth 4.2. also work stably. It should be noted that the wireless network, in addition to the 2.4 GHz frequency, supports 5 GHz, and Bluetooth makes the sound better. Digital technology aptX will make any audio recording clean, like a CD.

Sound

The sound is the same as in other smartphones powered by Qualcomm processor, but the volume of the main speaker and sound is pretty good.

Navigation

High GPS accuracy. The error is within three meters.

The smartphone also features Near Field Communication (NFC) technology. You can use it to shop online. There is a USB on-the-go adapter, through which it is convenient to connect flash drives, a mouse and even a keyboard, FM radio. Among other features, it should be noted the function of automatic identification of numbers from Google, with its help you can determine the contacts of organizations registered in the Google My Business application.

Bateria

The phone can be charged using the Quick Charge 3.0 turbo adapter. Power adapter 5V 3A / 9V 2A / 12V 1.5A. The non-removable battery with a capacity of 3100 mAh charges in 120 minutes.

The smartphone has power management settings. This will help increase the autonomy of the device. In addition, you can customize the display of charge as a percentage. The device has passed the autonomy test. At 50% display brightness, the phone lasted over seven hours.

Camera

With all the simplicity and cheapness of a smartphone, it takes good pictures. The manufacturer used the SONY IMX386 module, which was used in leading models of Chinese brands, as the main camera sensor.

Rear camera resolution 12 megapixels. In terms of the quality of photos, Aquaris is significantly superior to other gadgets from this price category. The only drawback of the camera: insufficient focusing.

The video quality is very decent. Video recording resolution: 1080p @ 30 frames.

The front camera is weak, but good lighting can take good pictures. The flash automatically turns on in the dark. In the settings, you can find filters for editing pictures, for example, HDR, landscape, twilight, night portrait, and also make portrait photos more attractive with the Face Beauty function.

At night, photos are bright and vivid thanks to the front flash.

Pros and cons of this model

• Accurate navigation;
• NFC function;
• HD screen;
• high-quality pictures;
• there is a headphone jack;
• smart fingerprint indicator;
• good screen;
• holds a charge for a long time (with moderate use up to three days);
• excellent performance;
• stable and fast internet;
• high-quality assembly and display coverage;
• affordable price;
• it is convenient to hold the phone with one hand;
• the gadget is pleasant to the touch;
• good sound in headphones;
• high accuracy of Glonass, satellite navigation system and GPS;
• the possibility of fast charging in which the smartphone is charged in just half an hour

• If used carelessly, scratches may remain on the glass;
• the body gets dirty easily;
• may seem heavy
• hard to find a cover;
• not the most attractive design;
• weak processor, not suitable for games;
• keys are not backlit;
• if you look at the device from the side, it may seem that some of the shades are lost

Outcome

Despite the weak hardware and simple design, many liked this model. The phone is simple and convenient for everyday use. The price of this smartphone is significantly lower than that of the flagship models, while the quality of photos and videos is no worse. The device supports a dual-band Wi-Fi and Bluetooth 4.2 wireless network with aptX digital codec, and a very important function of short-range contactless communication, with which it is possible to pay for various services. All this allows the smartphone from the Spanish manufacturer to stand out from the rest of the budget models.