Blackview has produced quite a few budget phones and the A8 model is probably the best we’ve tested so far. It costs just $50 and it is a good device for the price. Learn more in the full review.

Blackview A8 Review: VIDEO

[embedyt] http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nzVgb0o9lFg[/embedyt]

Blackview A8 Review: UNBOXING

It was a pleasant surprise when we saw that Blackview included some nice extras like a flip-style case and a pair of earphones with this $50 phone.

Blackview A8 Review: DESIGN and DISPLAY

It is pretty cool that this cheap phone has a metal frame that goes all around the device, the buttons are tactile and the overall build quality is great.

The loudspeaker is not going to impress you much but it is actually not bad at all for a cheap phone and it easily rival some $100 devices.

The backplate can be removed and underneath it you can find a replaceable 2000mAh battery, 2 SIM card slots and the microSD card slot. Keep in mind that the phone does not support 4G network but the 3G signal reception is good and I didn’t have call quality issues.

The phone feels nice in the hand too. The only shortcomings would be non-backlit capacitive buttons and the lack of the notification LED light. Instead, you are getting a front firing LED flash for night selfies.

The phone has a 5” 720p display and it is probably the best we’ve seen on the $50 phone. It is sharp and vivid and you can’t ask more from a phone this cheap.

Blackview A8 Review: HARDWARE and PERFORMANCE

The Blackview A8 is not going to be your next powerhouse device but the specs are pretty good for the price. It sports a quad-core 1.3GHz MTK6580 chip, 1GB of RAM and 8GB of expandable storage.

This phone is definitely not for gamers but it is still possible to play games like Asphalt 8 on the lowest graphics settings.

Blackview A8 Review: BENCHMARKS

Blackview A8 Review: USER INTERFACE

The phone runs on Android 5.1 with Blackview’s skin on top of it, which removes an app tray but adds some features and customization options.

There are some themes, skins and some nice looking widgets to play with. Also, you can find some gesture controls, which work very slowly.

The UI performance is good but not perfect. You can expect some minor hiccups or skipped frames in animations. On the other hand, I didn’t have any major lags.

Blackview A8 Review: CAMERA

The image quality is not really impressive but this is what you have to expect from a $50 phone. Still, you can get some okay looking daylight images that could be used for social media. However, don’t expect great results in low-light.

Blackview A8 Review: BATTERY LIFE

The 2000mAh battery will give you just around 3 hours of screen-on time on a mixed use, which is not very impressive.

Blackview A8 Review: CONCLUSIONS

Blackview A8 is a phone that has a great build quality and even metal frame in its construction and it costs just $50.

Also, it has decent HD display, the UI has some extra features and the phone is easily manageable in one hand.

However, you should expect some minor hiccups in the UI and the battery life could be better.

Still, the phone is a great offering for $50. In fact, it is one of the best we’ve tested in this price range of phones and it can be highly recommended for those who are on a very tight budget.

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Blackview has been known to produce a lot of very cheap phones and the A8 is no exception. The device costs just around $50 but is it any good? Learn more in our unboxing and first impressions article.

Blackview A8: UNBOXING

The phones comes with a standard packaging and besides all the usual stuff there are some extras like the pair of earphones and a flip-style case.

Blackview A8: DESIGN and FIRST IMPRESSIONS

The device has a quad-core MTK6580A chip (1.3GHz), 1GB of RAM, 8GB of storage (with a microSD card slot),  5.0″ 720p Screen,  8MP/2MP cameras on the back and front, respectively; a 2000mAh removable battery. It sounds like a pretty decent sheet of specs for a phone this cheap.

I have to tell you that I was initially impressed with the design and build quality of the Blackview A8. I’ve reviewed a bunch of very cheap phones but the A8 definitely shapes up to be one of the best.

The phone feels sturdy and well-made. We have an 8MP camera on the back and the plastic backplate itself is removable.

Under the hood we have two SIM card slots, a microSD card slot and a removable 2000mAh battery.

We have a 2MP selfie snapper and non-backlit capacitive buttons on the front. However, there is no LED notification light.

The metal CNC frame adds some premium look and feel to the device. The buttons have a decent tactile feedback but they are made of plastic.

Overall, the first impressions are positive. The phone has a build quality of a $100 phone, it sits comfortably in the hand so far the UI has been running smoothly. As usual, we need to spend some more time with the device to give you a full and honest review.

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Blackview has been busy lately, focusing on its low-end and mid-range devices like the Blackview Ultra Plus and the Blackview A8. However, the company does not want to limit itself to the low-end market, which is why Blackview is developing a relatively powerful flagship for the year 2016. The upcoming device, called the Blackview R7 was already revealed in a couple of pictures late December last year, but now, the company confirms a few more details about the device.

The most important news today is the pricing of the Blackview R7. The company has confirmed that the phone will be available for purchase at just $159.99 via online retailers. The phone will be officially launched soon and the sales will start sometime in May 2016.

Now you must be thinking that $159.99 is a pretty high figure for a Blackview smartphone. But it does have good specs to justify the price. The phone is powered by the Helio P10 MT6755 octa-core chip that is used by a number of mid-range flagships in the market, including the OPPO R9. Further, there will be a 5.5-inch 1080p FHD display with Corning’s Gorilla Glass 3 and 2.5D arc screen. The phone is said to feature a borderless screen design.

As for the memory, the Blackview R7 will come with 4GB of RAM and 32GB of internal storage further expandable up to 128GB via MicroSD. At the back, there will be a 13MP camera sensor, while up front, you get an 8MP sensor. The fingerprint sensor will also be located at the back. The body will be made out of metal to give it a premium look. Finally, the phone will come with the Android 6.0 Marshmallow OS on top. And yes, there will be a 3500mAh battery on board.

As you can see, these are pretty good specs for a $159.99 smartphone. Even the Xiaomi Redmi Note 3 Pro or the Meizu M3 Note which retails at the same price don’t offer this much value for the money.

Now, all we have to do is wait for the official release of the device which will be in May.

In case you are looking for something cheaper, you can check out the 5-inch Blackview A8 budget phone from here.

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Blackview seems to be working on a couple of budget smartphones for the market. First, it was the Blackview A8 which came with decent looks and specs along with cheap pricing for the masses. Now, the company has just listed the Blackview A5 budget smartphone, that’s going to be even cheaper than the A8.

The A8 retails for around $50 while this new model will release for $44.99. To be honest, seeing the specs of the device, it would be actually smarter to go with the A8 at just $5 more. But if you want a super compact device (the A5 features a 4.5-inch display), then this could be an option.

Coming to the Blackview A5’s specs, the phone comes with MT6580 quad-core chip clocked at 1.3GHz with 1GB RAM and 8GB of ROM which is expandable up to 32GB. At the back, there will be a 5MP camera, while up front, there will be a 2MP shooter. The display is of 4.5-inches with 854 x 480 pixel resolution. Finally, it will run on Android 5.1 lollipop and come with 3G support and 2000mAh battery.

So, in case you are wondering what’s the big difference between the two worth $5, then it’s the display. The A8 comes with a 5-inch 720p panel, while the A5 features a 4.5-inch 480p screen. Also, the camera is better on the A8, with an 8MP shooter at the back. Both phones support dual SIM dual standby. So, unless you want a super cheap device with a display of 4.5-inches, the A8 should be the better choice.

For those who are still interested, the Blackview A5 will come in three colors, white, black and blue. The phone will go on sale from April 25.

The post Blackview To Release A5 Budget Phone This Month For $44.99 appeared first on Gizmochina.

For the past few days, we have been reporting about a new smartphone from the Chinese manufacturer, called as the Blackview A8. This phone was special in the sense that it featured a pretty good built and came at a throwaway price tag of $49.99. Although we only got to play around with the device for a limited period at MWC, Blackview has now released a new video which shows off the A8 in action. You can check out the video from down below. It may not reveal much about the device, but it gives you a good look at the phone’s design and built quality.

The company has confirmed that the Blackview A8 smartphone will officially go on sale from April 8. For its price, the phone features pretty decent specs. It comes with the MT6580A quad-core processor clocked at 1.3GHz with 1GB of RAM and 8GB of expandable storage. There will be a 5-inch HD 720p display on the device. At the back, the phone comes with an 8MP camera, while up front, there will be a 2MP shooter. What’s really interesting about the phone is that there is LED flash on both the front as well as the back. Other features include dual SIM dual standby and 2000mAh battery. The phone will be available in three different colors namely White, Gold and Black.

So, what do you think about the Blackview A8?

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This year, there were a few Chinese companies at MWC 2016 held in Barcelona, Spain. We were present at the event and managed to get our hands on the latest budget smartphone from the Chinese company Blackview, namely the Blackview A8. The phone redefines budget smartphone since it costs just $56 (at MWC we were told that the price would be around $43, so we better wait for the final price quoted by retailers) and features pretty decent specs for its price. Now, here are a few more details about the device.

First of all, the Blackview A8 will go on sale soon. The company informs us that the first batch of A8 smartphones will start shipping by March 25, which is just a couple of weeks away. Looks wise, the phone feels well built and the company seems to have done a good job with the design.

As for the specs, the Blackview A8 features a quad-core MT6580A chipset clocked at 1.3GHz. In case you have been following the Chinese chip market, this isn’t the latest or the greatest chip in the budget segment, but its still pretty decent. Further, you get 1GB of RAM on board along with 8GB of internal storage which is further expandable up to 32GB via MicroSD.

There is a compact 5-inch IPS 720p display up front. The phone comes with 8MP cameras on both the back as well as front with LED flash. It supports dual SIM dual standby and sports a 2000mAh battery. Given its low-cost pricing, this is just a 3G smartphone. But the company seems to be working on a 4G version at a slightly higher price tag. As for software, the Blackview A8 runs on Android 5.1 out of the box. Color options include pearl white, champagne gold and violet black. Shipping starts by the end of the month.

Meanwhile, you can check out our hands-on with the Blackview A8 from here.

You can also check out the other Blackview smartphones on sale from below

Blackview Ultra Plus

Blackview BV2000S

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This year at MWC 2016 in Barcelona, Spain, there were a number of local Chinese manufacturers including Blackview. The company is known for its low cost budget smartphones and it did showcase one such device at the event, namely the Blackview A8. The company has kept the price of the device ultra-cheap, costing just $44. At this price, you get pretty decent specs.

The Blackview A8 comes with a 5-inch HD display which is pretty usual for its price. The phone is well built, featuring a silver colored metal chassis at the back, with a metal frame that goes around the body. Interestingly, for an additional $1, you can get a version which features jewels in the frame, that is, if you are into that kind of design.

As for the specs, the Blackview A8 is powered by the quad-core MT6580 chipset with 1GB of RAM and 8GB of internal storage. Not at all bad for $43. Further, you get 8MP cameras on the back as well as front, which is pretty good as well. Other specs include LED flash on both front as well as the back, dual SIM card support, MicroSD expansion, 3G and 2000mAh removable battery.

These specs are decent for its price and it looks like Blackview has done a good job with its A8 budget smartphone.

What do you think?

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