Functional elegance: TP-LINK Neffos X9 Smartphone

TP-LINK brand is best known as a manufacturer of Wifi routers. Let's get to know this company better and find out what else interesting it produces, in particular, let's talk about the new product of 2018 - the Neffos X9 smartphone.

About TP-LINK

The Chinese company TP-Link is an international manufacturer of equipment (computer and telecommunications). TP-Link is known for its equipment, is mastering the smart home technology and begins to produce phones. In 2015, the firm presented its Neffos line of smartphones. The company strives to achieve the next goal with regard to its smartphones - to produce quality devices that meet modern requirements.

TP-Link pays a lot of attention to the needs of users, applies new developments in their gadgets. Quality is strictly controlled, and smartphones go through many stages of testing. Neffos strives to maintain a balance between everyday life and technology so that the user can easily interact with the device.

The Neffos principle is functional elegance.

Phones manufactured by TP-Link belong to the budget price category.

The company introduced a novelty in 2018 - TP-LINK Neffos X9, which, despite its low cost, has a number of advantages and features.

Basic characteristics of a smartphone are presented in the table:

Smartphone features

The gadget has a low price, which is achieved due to:

• material - polycarbonate, which is used for the back panel;
• the screen has a relatively low resolution - HD +;
• processor - MediaTek (8-cores).

The novelty is characterized by modern trends:

• elongated display with an aspect ratio of 18: 9, FullView;
• the dual rear camera has a bokeh effect;
• unlocking - face recognition;
• fast battery charging;
• the Wi-Fi module has an amplifier function.

Thus, although the phone turned out to be a budget one, it also has functions that can be found in expensive smartphones.

Equipment

The TP-LINK Neffos X9 smartphone is delivered in a box, the main color of which is white. The box depicts a phone and includes a warranty sticker. The warranty is 2 years. If you open the box, you find a smartphone inside, a device for charging it, a MicroUSB cable, headphones, documentation, a key for removing the slot, a transparent silicone bumper.

Design

The device combines sophisticated design and practicality for use. The back panel is made of polycarbonate, which has a metallic look. Nice to the touch. In the center of the rear panel there is the Neffos logo, a higher scanner for unlocking with a fingerprint and a dual rear camera. The camera module is covered with glass for protection and protrudes slightly above the phone panel.There is a flash on the side of the camera, and an additional microphone on top. The smartphone is available in two colors - silver and black.

On the bottom of the display is the Neffos logo, on the top is the camera, LED indicator and sensors. On the lower edge of the smartphone there are round holes, under which are the speaker and microphone.

In the middle there is a MicroUSB connector. The top edge consists of a headphone jack, which is 3.5 mm in size. The volume keys are located on the right edge of the phone, and below them is the power button. The SIM card slot occupies the left side of the smartphone.

Display

The smartphone display has a diagonal of 5.99 inches. Screen with IPS (In-Plane Switching) matrix.

• images are of high quality;
• color reproduction is as natural as possible;
• high brightness and contrast.

• more energy is consumed in comparison with other types of matrices;
• the price is usually higher for this type of screens.

The device has a FullView display with HD + resolution (1440x720 pixels), the aspect ratio of which is 18: 9. The edges of the protective glass have a 2.5D rounding. On the sides of the display there are frames, the size of which corresponds to 1.9 mm. There is no monobrow in this model. The pixel density is 269 ppi. The display makes up approximately 86% of the front surface of a smartphone.

It is possible to customize the screen in the phone only with basic settings, such as adjusting the brightness, choosing the font size and the mode for eye protection. Eye Protection is a mode that reduces eye strain by reducing cold radiation by 89%. With continuous use, this function can be turned on automatically. To do this, set a specific time. Also, the smartphone screen adjusts the brightness to the ambient light in the dark. But in bright light, little is visible on the screen.

Ways to unlock your device

For TP-LINK Neffos X9 users, there are two unlock methods to choose from. The first, which has long become familiar, is by fingerprint, while the second is carried out using face recognition. The second option, thanks to the support of artificial intelligence technology, is able to determine over 100 individual facial features of the owner. The security of this type of unlocking is at a high level, since there is a TrustZone storage.

Camera

The rear camera consists of two modules with a resolution of 13 Mp and 5 Mp. Autofocus is fast enough. With f / 2.0 aperture, shots are brighter by capturing more light. The 8MP front camera with Beautify mode (10 processing levels) allows you to create selfies that highlight your dignity and beauty. The camera is also capable of creating selfies in a group, since it has a wide viewing angle (86 °). In the evening, the photos are no longer clear enough.

Sample snapshot:

CPU

TP-LINK Neffos X9 is powered by MediaTek MT6750 processor. MediaTek is a lesser known processor company than Qualcomm Snapdragon. The company has recently started creating its own processors, but it has already earned fame due to its budget and good functions. This processor is classified as inexpensive, thanks to which the TP-LINK Neffos X9 smartphone is a budget model. The processor is not the latest and has not the highest characteristics.

The processor is eight-core and consists of two parts. The first four cores operate at 1 GHz. This part is needed for lighter tasks and to conserve energy. The second four cores operate at a frequency of 1.5 GHz and are turned on when shooting video and using games and applications. Also, the processor has an ARM Mali graphics accelerator with a frequency of 520 MHz. The phone is not quite suitable for modern games, as their loading takes too long, the frame rate suffers and the applications work only at the minimum settings.

Memory

The main memory is 3 GB and the built-in memory is 32 GB. The developers provide for the expansion of memory due to the slot for a second SIM-card.Instead, the user has the option to install a MicroSD card.

Battery charge

The built-in battery has a volume of 3060 mAh, fast charging is provided.

The smartphone lasts a day and a half at maximum use. Power saving modes (maximum and smart) can be used if necessary. In the mode of using social networks and active online communication, the phone lasts 36 hours. But, nevertheless, the battery discharges quickly enough. If you use your smartphone even sparingly (social networks, browser, audio and video), then its charge will only last for a day. In games and video mode, the phone will last half a day.

Communications

The gadget has a dual-band Wi-Fi module, which is usually found in models in the higher price category. There is Bluetooth 4.1, LTE. There is no NFC function.

Audio

The device has an AWINIC K8 Audio amplifier, which is able to maintain the required audio volume level even with a minimum charge level.

Smartphone interface

The phone operates on the basis of the mobile operating system Android 8.1 (NFUI 8.0). The user himself chooses what the interface will be - either several desktops, or a separate menu. The curtain at the top can be changed, the round icons can be easily swapped. The application manager is made up of cards. You can close all applications at once, pin specific ones, or use split screen mode. The capabilities of the smartphone also include gesture control, which is carried out using a touch button on the screen and drawing various symbols.

The smartphone has new unique functions from TP-Link: access to a Wi-Fi network by sending a QR code or in another convenient way, a Wi-Fi signal booster using the "Network Extension" function. TP-Link Tether app allows you to manage your router settings using your smartphone. Since one of the areas of development of TP-Link is "smart" home, the smartphone has an application to control such a home.

NFUI 8.0

NFUI is a mobile operating system designed for Neffos. NFUI works like a smart assistant for the user, as it is based on understanding the interaction between a person and a smartphone, usability and simplicity of design, user experience and thoughtful functional improvements.

Apps launch faster thanks to system load acceleration optimizations. When the application is launched, the octa-central processor is simultaneously accelerated. NFUI 8.0 runs 78% faster than the previous NFUI 2.0 shell.

There is a pocket mode. This mode provides that when the smartphone is in your pocket, the screen does not light up at the moment of receiving notifications to reduce power consumption.

The company enforces stringent manufacturing standards for stability and safety. Every step - from raw materials to mass production - goes through thousands of tests to ensure the best quality that can be guaranteed for a smartphone.

Reviews

According to user reviews, the smartphone is quickly discharged. The sound in the headphones is not of high quality (there is not enough high frequencies). The solidity of the appearance of the smartphone is noted, pleasant even when pressing a button, a screen with rounded edges and the solidity of the device. The large screen has also been a hit with many users. Buyers are pleased with the presence of a silicone bumper and a protective film in the kit. An inconvenience is the lack of a separate slot for a memory card. Also, the phone gets very hot.

Output

Let's summarize based on the characteristics and reviews discussed earlier. Let's consider in more detail its positive and negative sides.

• unlocking is carried out by facial recognition and is safe, since the device recognizes many facial features of the owner and has a TrustZone storage;
• fast battery charging;
• screen with good color rendition;
• proprietary Wi-Fi functions;
• function to protect eyesight.

• due to a weak processor, it is not suitable for games, since the performance is low;
• insufficient quality pictures;
• lack of NFC;
• weak battery.

So what do we have when we talk about TP-LINK Neffos X9? A mid-range smartphone that is not suitable for "heavy" games, but has some additional features. The company tried and made the smartphone interesting due to proprietary functions associated of course with Wi-Fi. The camera is double, but despite its compliance with modern trends, it does not differ in excellent quality.