After reviewing some previous phones made by Vernee, I have the impression that the company can make some quality phones at affordable price. This time around we have the Vernee Mars, which has an outstanding build quality, good specs and more. Learn more in our full review.
Vernee Mars Review: VIDEO REVIEW
Vernee Mars Review: UNBOXING
In the box, you can find a fast charger, USB-C cable, SIM ejector pin and some paperwork.
Vernee was also kind enough to send me a very nicely-made wood smartphone cradle.
Vernee Mars Review: SPECS
Display |
5.5″ 1080p (Full-HD) |
Processor |
Mediatek Helio P10, 64-bit, octa-core (up to 2GHz) |
RAM |
4GB |
Camera |
5MP Front/13MP Back |
Connectivity |
Bluetooth, 3G, 4G, GPS, WIFI, GSM,EDGE, GPRS, UMTS, HSPA, HSPA+, dual-SIM. |
Battery |
3.000 mAh (non-removable) |
Dimensions |
15.10 x 7.30 x 0.76 cm / 165g |
OS |
Android 6.0 |
Storage |
32GB (expandable via microSD card slot up to 256GB) |
Vernee Mars Review: DESIGN and DISPLAY
The very first thing you are going to notice is an outstanding build quality of the device. It is made entirely of metal and I absolutely love the design of the antenna inlays.
We have a 5.5” 1080p display, which is sharp and vibrant but it could be just a tad brighter.
Just above the display, we have a 5MP shooter, which sits next to the notification LED light.
The phone just looks and feels premium in the hand. Also, the buttons do not rattle and they are tactile.
As for the camera, we have 13MP shooter coupled with a dual tone dual-LED flash and PDAF.
We have a side-mounted fingerprint scanner, which is convenient to use. It is pretty accurate and it unlocks the phone 8/10, and it can do it straight from the standby mode.
The loudspeaker is placed on the bottom but the sound is kind of tinny and a little flat.
Vernee Mars Review: HARDWARE and PERFORMANCE
When it comes to hardware, the phone ships with an octa-core Mediatek Helio P10 chip with the clock speeds of 2.0GHz, 4GB of RAM and 32GB of expandable storage.
I’ve never been a huge fan of Helio P10 chips when it comes to gaming and the Vernee Mars is no exception. You should expect quite a few skipped frames and stutter if you want to play games like Asphalt 8 on the highest graphics. On the other hand, playing this game on medium graphics is much better and you may have some enjoyable gaming experience.
Vernee Mars Review: BENCHMARKS
Vernee Mars Review: USER INTERFACE
The Vernee Mars ships with the pretty much stock-looking Android 6.0.
There are not too many features to talk about except for the fact that there are some customization options like the ability to switch the position of on-screen navigation buttons.
Most importantly, I didn’t have any issues with the phone’s daily performance even after installing quite a few apps and I would say that the Vernee Mars is a pretty fast performer.
Vernee Mars Review: IMAGE QUALITY
IT IS HIGHLY-RECOMMENDED TO DOWNLOAD FULL RESOLUTION CAMERA SAMPLES TO SEE THE ACTUAL IMAGE QUALITY. THE PICTURES UPLOADED ON THE WEBSITE ARE 50% SMALLER IN RESOLUTION.
When it comes to the image quality, the Vernee Mars can take some decent-looking images in daylight. I took most of the pictures in the cloudy day and they look quite good but there could be a little more detail. Also, some of the shots look under-exposed and the colors look washed out. Finally, the camera does not really impress in low-light as there is quite a lot of noise and grain in the pictures.
As for selfie camera, the image quality could be better. The selfies could look a lot sharper and there could be more detail.
When it comes to the 1080p video, it is kind of mediocre as the footage could look sharper. Also, there is no continuous auto-focus on board. See the video review for a video sample.
Download full resolution camera samples
Vernee Mars Review: CONNECTIVITY
The phone comes with a hybrid dual-SIM card tray, which can take either 2 SIM cards or 1 SIM and the microSD card.
When it comes to connectivity, I didn’t have any issues with the signal reception. Also, the wifi and the call quality are pretty good. The GPS signal may not be the best, but it may get the job done most of the times.
Vernee Mars Review: BATTERY LIFE
The phone ships with a 3000mAh battery that performs quite well. I could get around 4 or even 5 hours of screen-on time, depending on the usage.
In case you need to re-charge it, the supplied fast charge will do that in around 2 hours.
Vernee Mars Review: CONCLUSIONS
The Vernee Mars is yet another sub-$200 phone from China that aims to bring a lot of value to the table.
I have to say that it succeeds in quite a few ways since the device has a premium all-metal design, excellent build quality, and nice and sharp display.
Also, the Vernee Mars is a pretty fast performer when it comes to the day-to-day use and the battery life is pretty good.
However, the camera department is where the phone struggles. Sure, you can take some decent daylight images but the camera falls short in lower-lit or more challenging situations like cloudy days.
In addition, you have to know that the Helio P10 chip allows you to play the latest 3D games only on medium graphics.
At the end of the day, Vernee Mars is still a pretty solid smartphone for the price but you have to consider if the previously mentioned shortcomings are important to you or not.
At the moment, Gearbest has the Vernee Mars on sale and Gizmochina readers can get it for $199 using the coupon code 4ALLVMS.
Also, Gearbest has 13% OFF Coupon for phones. Coupon code: GBMBP
