Once we first got the Umi Max we thought: was it the Umi Super? It looks kind of similar but at the same time a little bit different. Learn more in the full Gizmochina’s review.
Umi Max Review: VIDEO REVIEW
Umi Max Review: UNBOXING
In the box, you are getting all the usual stuff and there are not extras included.
Umi Max Review: DESIGN and DISPLAY
As far as design, we are looking at the all-metal phone, except for the top and bottom parts for antennas on the back.
The Umi Max is well-built and it feels quite premium but the buttons rattle just a little bit.
Speaking of the buttons, we have a dedicated customizable key, which can be programmed to open a certain app. It’s a great idea but this feature does not work straight from the standby mode.
As for display, we have a 5.5” 1080p panel. As usual to Umi phones, the display is sharp, bright and vibrant. However, it is a little reflective if you use it outdoors.
A pulsing notification LED light is one of my favorite features and you can change the colors of it.
As for selfie camera, we have a 5MP shooter.
When it comes to the main camera, there is a 13MP shooter with f/2.0 aperture and dual tone dual-LED flash. The fingerprint sensor is accurate, it works straight from the standby mode but the display is a little slow to react at times.
The loudspeaker quality is just average and the volume output is kind of low.
The sound via the headset jack is not bad at all for a budget phone and that its thanks to the built-in Hi-Fi audio chip.
Umi Max Review: BENCHMARKS
Umi Max Review: HARDWARE and PERFORMANCE
When it comes to hardware, Umi Max comes with some specs we have seen on quite a few China phones.
The device sports and octa-core Helio P10 chip, 3GB of RAM and just 16GB of expandable storage.
The gaming performance is good but only if you play games on medium graphics.
Umi Max Review: USER INTERFACE
What I like about Umi phones is that they ship with nearly stock-looking Android 6.0 with just a few added features.
One of the key features is that you can choose between physical capacitive buttons and the on-screen navigation keys, and you can switch the position of them.
Most importantly, the user interface is fast and I didn’t have any lag or hiccups.
Umi Max Review: IMAGE QUALITY
The daylight image quality is mediocre. Sure, you can get some decent-looking images with this phone but usually, the colours are a bit off, the dynamic range adjustment is poor and there could be more detail.
As for low-light camera performance, it is okay for a $150 phone but it is definitely not the best in class.
As for video, the quality of footage is okay but it could definitely look sharper.
The selfie camera can take images that are for sure usable for social media needs.
Download full-res camera samples
Umi Max Review: CONNECTIVITY
Most of the connectivity options are fine but the GPS is not always accurate e.g. if you use it outside the city like I did.
Umi Max Review: BATTERY LIFE
A 4000mAh battery performs well. To be honest, | could not squeeze it out in one day and I would say that the Umi Max should last you 2 or even 3 days of normal usage.
That translates to over 7 hours of screen-on time, which is a very good result.
Umi Max Review: CONCLUSIONS
Umi Max aims to bring you a premium design, some nice features and simplicity in one package. It definitely succeeds in some ways but fails elsewhere.
We have an all-metal design, nice and sharp display, clean-looking and fast user interface and some welcome customization options. Also, a beefy battery will keep the lights on for a quite a bit of time.
On the other hand, the buttons of the phone rattle quite a bit, the 3D gaming is only possible if you set graphics to medium in some games. Also, the camera is a department where Umi needs to step their game up. Sure, you can get some nice-looking images with this phone but more often than not, you will not be happy with the results.
At the end of the day, Umi Max is not a bad phone but it is not the best-in-class either. It has some nice features that make a phone a compelling offering but shortcomings are to be taken into consideration too.
