Characteristics of the display of the Beeline Pro 2 smartphone. Impressions of the work

Beeline Pro 2 with touch display IPS 4.5 inches is a practical device that provides the user with ample opportunities for communication, watching videos, listening to music, reading e-books, using GPS and much more.

It is equipped with a powerful 4-core processor 1.3 GHz and runs the latest OS Android 5.0 (Lollipop).

Works on networks: 2G(GSM 850/900/1800/1900 MHz) 3G (UMTS 900/2100MHz)
Reception/transmission of data in 3G mode (HSPA+) up to: 21.6/5.76 Mbps
CPU: Quad-core MTK 6582M 1.3 GHz
Screen: IPS, multi-touch, 4.5 inches, 480*854; color 16M
Memory: 8GB ROM + 1GB RAM, support MicroSD up to 32GB
Standby time: up to 180 hours
Talk time: up to 3 hours
Camera: 5 Megapixels (main), front – 0.3 MP
Navigation: GPS
Additionally: FM radio, Bluetooth 4.0, Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n, Charging via MicroUSB interface connector
Headset jack: 3.5 mm
Accumulator battery: 1700 mAh
Available colors: black White

Reset settings (Hard reset) Beeline Pro 2

1. Turn off your phone.
2. Press and hold the " Volume up" and the " button Inclusions".
3. We are waiting for the menu recovery.
4. Use the volume buttons to select a line wipe data/factory reset Inclusions".
5. Use the volume buttons to select the line " Yes -- delete all user data" and confirm the selection with the " button Inclusions".
6. After the process is completed, select the line Reboot system now and confirm the selection with the " Inclusions".
7. The graphic password was successfully reset.

If after purchasing this phone you need to change the Beeline operator to any other, then the steps described below will help you do this.

1. First of all, you need to make sure that the smartphone is really Beeline pro 2 requests an NCK unlock code when a SIM card from a “foreign” operator is installed in it. If there is an NCK code request, it looks like the picture below:

2. Now you need to write down the IMEI of your smartphone, the most reliable way is to enter the command in the dialer *#06# . (It also happens that when buying a phone, by mistake or simply by coincidence, you are given a box from another phone, i.e. have on the box and by command *#06# differ).

3. Pay for the goods (if you pay through an external payment system ( trading platform) and upon completion of payment you will see a button "

We are all accustomed to the fact that today manufacturers of hardware components for mobile devices actively use communication with the end consumer to promote their products. You can often find their expositions at non-specialized exhibitions, not to mention advertising on popular resources. If at the dawn of the formation of the mobile communications market, users did not care about the microcircuits installed in their devices, now many pay special attention to this when choosing their smartphone.

On the one hand, this can be really useful, because with all the variety of available products, many of them have similar characteristics and features due to chipsets. However, if you look at the final result from the consumer’s point of view, there may be significant difficulties in achieving the optimal parameters of the final device. The main ones are the direct manufacturing quality of the smartphone, including the choice of additional elements, the design of antennas and cooling systems, as well as the quality of the software, for example, the ability to work economically in standby mode or to implement all the technologies incorporated by the manufacturer in the SoC. Unfortunately, it can be very difficult to evaluate these parameters when testing a device.

These questions are especially relevant when considering the most affordable products on the market, when the manufacturer tries in various ways to reduce their cost. Here, in addition to choosing a more affordable hardware platform, they often save on the screen, cameras and other components.

In this material we will get acquainted with two operator devices offered by Beeline. In total, under her own brand, at the time of writing, she presented seven models costing from 3,000 to 6,000 rubles. The simplest and most accessible are the three devices of the “Smart” series, followed by a pair of “Pro” and completing the line “Fast” and “Pro LTE”, which have support for fourth generation networks. Six of the seven smartphones are based on the MediaTek platform, which is widely used in creating affordable solutions, and the recently announced Pro 3 is powered by the Spreadtrum SC7731 from China's Spreadtrum Communications. This manufacturer has been on the market since 2001 and began with the production of radio units for mobile phones, mainly supporting standards common in China. However, it does not have its own factories, and the first platform for Android devices was developed by its engineers just a few years ago. The most modern solution of this brand is a 28-nanometer quad-core SoC with support for LTE and WCDMA, presented in the spring of this year.

Apart from the differences in screen diagonal, size and battery capacity, the Pro 2 and Pro 3 models are very similar in their hardware platform. They have quad-core processors, low screen resolution, support for third-generation networks and 5 megapixel main cameras. So this material can also be considered as a comparison of the MediaTek and Spreadtrum platforms, without forgetting, however, the features of such testing described above.

Delivery kits

The packaging of smartphones is almost the same. They contain a photograph of the device, brief and detailed technical specifications, as well as a description of the delivery kit. Unfortunately, the boxes themselves make a rather sad impression from a design point of view. On the other hand, they fully perform their protective functions thanks to thick, strong cardboard, and nothing more is required in this segment.

The delivery kits are traditionally minimal - smartphone, battery, charger (5 V 1 A, for Pro 2 - the output is at the end, for Pro 3 - on the side), microUSB cable (for Pro 2 - 100 cm, for Pro 3 - only 65 cm), manual, warranty card.

In this case, headsets are not included in the package, which, as we will see later, is not very good. Note that the instructions are in Russian and are quite detailed for novice users, for whom the products are designed.

Characteristics

First, let's compare the characteristics of the devices in one table. We did not add other budget devices to it, since there are too many of them and choosing three or four similar models is not easy.

	Beeline Pro 2	Beeline Pro 3
Platform	MediaTek MT6582M, 4 cores, 1.3 GHz, ARM Cortex A7	Spreadtrum SC7731, 4 cores, 1.2 GHz, ARM Cortex A7
GPU	Mali-400 MP2	Mali-400 MP2
Display	IPS, 4.5″, 854×480	IPS, 5″, 854×480
RAM	1 GB	1 GB
Inner memory	8 GB	8 GB
Memory card support	microSDHC, up to 32 GB	microSDHC, up to 32 GB
operating system	Android 5.0	Android 5.1
SIM cards	1 Micro-SIM	1 Micro-SIM
Cellular standards		GSM/2G 900/1800, UMTS/3G 900/2100
Bluetooth	Bluetooth 4.0, BLE	Bluetooth 4.0
WiFi	802.11b/g/n, 2.4 GHz	802.11b/g/n, 2.4 GHz
USB OTG	No	No
Cameras		5 MP (autofocus, flash), 0.3 MP
Additionally	GPS, FM radio, accelerometer, proximity sensor, light sensor	GPS, FM radio, accelerometer, proximity sensor
Battery	Replaceable, 1700 mAh	Replaceable, 2000 mAh
Dimensions	128×64×9.5 mm	144×73×9 mm
Weight	133 g	156 g
average price	T-12675803	T-12829938

Note that information about the platform and frequencies was taken from the manufacturer’s website and smartphone packaging. At the same time, you can notice some inaccuracies for the Pro 3 model.

As we can see, most of the parameters clearly indicate the budget segment, including screen resolution, 1 GB of RAM, single-band Wi-Fi, number of sensors, camera characteristics. On the other hand, if we consider smartphones in general as entry-level models, then everything is not so bad. Quad-core processors and Mali-400 MP2 are quite capable of providing decent performance on low-resolution screens, and the presence of a memory card slot reduces dependence on the size of the built-in flash chip.

Note that the model with index 2 has a minimum processor core frequency of 598 MHz, and the older device can reduce it to 768 MHz. At the same time, both smartphones can disable unused cores. Some uncertainty during testing was found with the maximum clock speed of the chip in the Pro 3. Formally, it is stated to be 1.2 GHz, but several system utilities have claimed that it can reach 1.3 GHz.

After installing all updates to standard programs, the Pro 2 still has 3.66 GB of 5.74 GB available, and the Pro 3 has 3.08 GB of 5.15 GB available. By removing some programs, you can gain quite a bit of additional space. As for RAM, under the same conditions, after a reboot, the Pro 2 still has about 260 MB free, and the Pro 3 has 224 MB free. But this parameter depends on the applications present in the firmware, so you shouldn’t pay much attention to this difference. In particular, if you remove some of the pre-installed programs, these numbers can double.

The smartphones are equipped with screens with a diagonal of 4.5″ and 5″, respectively, the matrices are made using IPS technology and have a resolution of 854×480 pixels. The dot density is 218 ppi and 196 ppi respectively. In actual use, pixelation is only slightly noticeable on the older model. Multi-touch technology is supported in its minimum version - two simultaneous touches.

The use of only one SIM card slot is quite typical for operator models. The devices are capable of operating in second and third generation networks at frequencies of the Beeline network. Note that both devices are designed to work only with SIM cards from this operator, but can be unlocked.

The wireless network controller supports Wi-Fi 802.11b/g/n standards in the 2.4 GHz band. The situation with Bluetooth versions of Pro 3 is not very clear. In practice, the greatest interest is probably BLE support. We tested this with a lamp controlled by this protocol and found that “Pro 2” can be used for this scenario, but “Pro 3” cannot. Probably, Spreadtrum specialists decided to save money on this. So if you plan to work with fitness trackers or other similar devices, then only the Pro 2 will do. However, this function can hardly be considered mandatory for the budget segment.

To determine coordinates, only GPS satellites are supported. It is possible to use FM radio as an antenna when connecting headphones.

The smartphones are equipped with 5 MP main cameras with autofocus and LED flash. It also supports Full HD video recording. At the same time, the front camera has a 0.3 megapixel matrix.

A traditional Micro-USB 2.0 port is used for charging and connecting to a computer. USB OTG is not available in these devices. The capacity of the built-in batteries is relatively small - 1700 mAh for the Pro 2 and 2000 mAh for the Pro 3.

In general, we have a couple of quite functional models, but in this segment there are too many subtleties in the implementation of individual functions to be able to evaluate smartphones only by technical characteristics.

Appearance and usability of “Pro 2”

The smartphone has a completely familiar body design, but it can be noted that the device looks better than some budget solutions that we have seen before and does not give the impression of a cheap model. The reason for this is the minimal use of gloss and chrome, as well as the high-quality manufacturing of body parts.

The combination of size and weight is good. The device fits very well in the hand, and the absence of slippery surfaces reduces the risk of dropping it.

The front side of the device is covered with glass. Around it there is a frame made of black glossy plastic, which protrudes slightly above the screen. The side frames are about 4 mm wide, the bottom is about 16 mm, and the top is 12 mm. The background around the screen is black and does not depend on the color of the back cover. It can be light, as in the tested specimen, or dark.

At the top of the front panel there are light and proximity sensors, a front camera and a telephone speaker grille. Interestingly, it is also painted black, so it is almost invisible.

Below the screen we see three familiar touch buttons with light logos. They don't have backlighting. Note that this model does not have a charging indicator or notifications.

The side edges of the smartphone look very similar to metal, but in reality it is plastic. They have a slight bevel, which makes it more convenient to lift the device from the table if it was lying with the screen facing up. At the top end there is a headset output and a Micro-USB port, and at the bottom you can see a microphone hole.

The volume rocker is located at the top of the left side. Opposite it on the right is a power button.

The buttons themselves are also made of plastic, but they are designed in a similar way and are not conspicuous. But when holding the smartphone in your hand, they are easy to find by touch and comfortable to use.

The matte back cover, as we said, gives the model an "expensive" look (and helps reduce the number of visible fingerprints). In particular, it is ensured by the use of not pure white, but rather the “ivory” option. In its upper part on the left, the camera lens protrudes a couple of millimeters. It is bordered by a metal-look plastic insert, which also has a low edge. The rejection of the round shape is also very successful here. To the right of the camera we see an LED flash.

At the bottom center of the cover there is the main speaker, and when the smartphone is placed with the screen facing up, the focus point falls on it, which negatively affects the sound volume.

Above the speaker hole is the Beeline logo painted in gray paint.

The back cover is removed to install the battery, SIM card and memory card. In order to simplify this process, there is a special slot in the lower left corner. Note that the lid holds well, we did not notice any cracks or play.

The SIM card slot is used in Micro format, and due to its design, installing Nano versions with an adapter may not be very convenient, but open contacts are a plus, which reduces the risk of damage in such a situation. The SIM card can only be changed by disconnecting the battery, but the memory card slot is also available in “hot” mode.

The overall impression of the design of the smartphone case was positive. It will be convenient for most users who choose a device with a 4.5″ screen. We also note once again the high-quality workmanship and the correct choice of materials.

Appearance and usability of “Pro 3”

The shape of the Pro 3 fits perfectly into the familiar description of a rectangle with rounded corners. In this model, the manufacturer also tried to pay attention to design, of course, to the extent of its requirements for the cost of the product. Unlike its predecessor, it is difficult to find anything interesting here. This is probably due to the similarity to one of the fruit company's products. Due to the larger format, creating a stylish smartphone was more difficult. But again we praise the company for abandoning gloss and chrome.

The smartphone is heavier than some devices with a larger screen, so it will be clearly noticeable in your pocket, and you will have to hold it firmly in your hands.

The front panel is covered with glass, the background around the screen is black, regardless of the color of the back cover. Along the contour there is an almost imperceptible protruding frame made of black plastic. The width of the side frames is about five millimeters. The upper and lower margins each occupy 16 mm. At the top of the screen there is a camera window and a speaker slot (can collect dust). The proximity sensor is not visible, but the function itself is implemented.

The three touch buttons under the screen have an alternative placement option - the first one is “return”, which can be confusing at first acquaintance. They are not backlit, the logos are painted in silver and look a little “childish”. However, this corresponds to the overall design of the model. The microphone hole is located on part of the frame under the screen and is almost invisible. There is also no notification light on this device.

The rest of the case is the back cover. The sides have a shape that is convenient for lifting from the table. At the same time, the matte surface helps to hold the smartphone in your hand. At the top end we see the headset output and a connector for charging and connecting to a PC.

The volume buttons are located on the left side, and the lock buttons are on the right. They have a convenient shape, and the material is practically no different from the plastic lid. So they do not stand out externally, but they are convenient to use.

The back cover can be white or black. The first option was used in testing. The matte surface looks very good and makes maintenance easy.

The protruding main camera lens is mounted at the top center. The shape of the lid slightly protects it from damage, and the chrome ring is almost invisible because of this. To the left of the camera window is an LED flash.

There is a speakerphone installed at the bottom right, and there is a chance of it being blocked when the smartphone is placed on the table with the screen facing up. The Beeline logo could not be avoided here either.

Removing the cover due to its design is not very easy; a special slot in the lower left corner can help in this process. Under the cover is a removable battery that blocks the SIM and memory card slots. This device is designed to work with a Micro-SIM card, but we would not recommend using adapters with Nano-SIM, since there is a high risk of damage to the slot contacts.

In general, I also liked the smartphone with its design and construction, but it does not give the impression of a serious working tool. So if you take this into account when choosing, you should pay attention to this point and independently evaluate the design when you personally get acquainted with the device.

Screens

Smartphones use low-resolution screens - only 854x480 pixels. At the same time, IPS matrices are installed, which allows us to hope for good image quality and its stability in different positions relative to the user. “Pro 2” is distinguished by the presence of a light sensor and automatic brightness adjustment. Let us remind you that capacitive multi-touch only supports two simultaneous touches. There are no additional settings for device screens.

A detailed examination using measuring instruments was carried out by the editor of the “Monitors” and “Projectors and TV” sections, Alexey Kudryavtsev. You can read the expert opinion below.

The front surface of the screens is made in the form of a glass plate with a mirror-smooth surface that is scratch-resistant (there was a protective film glued to the Pro3, but we removed it). Judging by the reflection of objects, the anti-glare properties of the screens are much worse than those of the Google Nexus 7 (2013) screen (hereinafter simply Nexus 7). In both smartphones, the surface of the matrix itself under the glass is slightly matte, so the screen reflects both direct light sources (by the outer surface) and diffuse light (by the surface of the matrix), this reduces readability in conditions of strong external illumination. For clarity, here is a photograph in which a white surface is reflected in the switched off screens. On the left is Nexus 7, to the right is first Beeline “Pro 3” (larger), then “Pro 2” (smaller), then they can be distinguished by size:

The screens of Beeline “Pro 2” and “Pro 3” are much lighter. The reflection in the screens triples, which suggests the presence of an air gap between the surface of the matrix and the outer glass. There appears to be a special oleophobic (grease-repellent) coating on the outer surface of the screen (noticeably less effective than the Nexus 7), so fingerprints are removed more easily and appear at a slower rate than with regular glass.

With manual brightness control and when the white field was displayed in full screen, the maximum brightness value was about 415 cd/m² in the case of “Pro 2” and 345 cd/m² in the case of “Pro 3”, the minimum was 17 and 13 cd/m², respectively. The maximum brightness is not very high, and, given the terrible anti-glare properties, in bright daylight the image on the screens will be difficult to see. In complete darkness, the brightness can be reduced to a comfortable value. The Pro 3 does not have automatic brightness adjustment based on the light sensor, but the Pro 2 does. The operation of this function depends on the position of the brightness adjustment slider. If it is 100%, then in complete darkness the auto-brightness function reduces the brightness to 240 cd/m² (a bit too much), in an office illuminated by artificial light (about 400 lux) it sets it to 340 cd/m² (it could have been lower), in very bright environment (corresponds to lighting on a clear day outdoors, but without direct sunlight - 20,000 lux or a little more), the brightness increases to 415 cd/m² (to the maximum - this is how it should be); if the adjustment is approximately 50%, then the values ​​are as follows: 80, 230 and 415 cd/m² (the first two values ​​are too high), the regulator is at 0% - 4, 70 and 415 cd/m² (now the first two values ​​are slightly too low). We were more satisfied with the option with the slider positioned at about 25% of the scale - 22, 150 and 415 cd/m² (ideal combination). It turns out that the automatic brightness adjustment function of the Beeline Pro2 works absolutely adequately and allows the user to customize their work to individual requirements. Both screens have no significant backlight modulation at any brightness level, so there is no flickering.

Smartphones use an IPS matrix. The microphotographs show the typical IPS subpixel structure. Beeline "Pro 2":

And "Pro 3":

For comparison, you can see the gallery of microphotographs of screens used in mobile technology.

The screens have good viewing angles without a significant color shift even with large deviations of the gaze from perpendicular to the screen and without inversion (except for the very darkest when the gaze is deviated along one diagonal) of shades. For comparison, here are photographs in which the same images are displayed on the screens of Beeline “Pro 2” and “Pro 3” and Nexus 7, while the brightness of the screens was initially set to approximately 200 cd/m², and the color balance on the camera was forcibly switched to 6500 K. There is a white field perpendicular to the screens:

Let us note the visible unevenness of brightness and color tone of Beeline screens. And a test picture:

In the case of Beeline “Pro 2” and “Pro 3”, the saturation is normal, but the color balance is very different from the balance on the Nexus 7 screen. Now at an angle of approximately 45 degrees to the plane and to the side of the screen:

It can be seen that the colors did not change much on both screens, but the contrast on the Beeline “Pro 2” and “Pro 3” screens decreased more due to a greater increase in the black level and a decrease in brightness. And a white field:

The brightness at an angle of the screens decreased (at least five times, based on the difference in shutter speed), but in the case of Beeline “Pro 2” and “Pro 3” the brightness decreased more. When deviated diagonally, the black field brightens greatly and acquires a violet or red-violet hue. The photographs below demonstrate this (the brightness of the white areas in the direction perpendicular to the plane of the screens is the same for the screens!):

And from another angle:

When viewed perpendicularly, the uniformity of the black field is not ideal, since the brightness of the black increases noticeably in places:

The contrast (approximately in the center of the screen) is high in the Pro 2 - about 1180:1 and average in the Pro 3 - 800:1. The response time during the black-white-black transition for the Pro 2 is 25 ms (14 ms on + 11 ms off) and 26 ms (14 ms on + 12 ms off) in the case of the Pro 3. The transition between halftones of gray 25% and 75% (based on the numerical value of the color) and back takes a total of 37 and 45 ms, respectively. The gamma curve, constructed using 32 points with equal intervals based on the numerical value of the shade of gray, did not reveal a blockage in either the highlights or the shadows in both cases. The exponent of the approximating power function is 2.22 and 2.10, which is close to the standard value of 2.2. In this case, the real gamma curve deviates little from the power-law dependence:

We did not find any dynamic adjustment of the backlight brightness in accordance with the nature of the displayed image in these smartphones, which is very good.

Color gamut is close to sRGB:

Apparently, the matrix filters mix the components with each other to a moderate extent. The spectra confirm this. Beeline "Pro 2":

And Beeline “Pro 3”:

The balance of shades on the gray scale is poor, since the color temperature is significantly higher than 6500 K, and in the case of Beeline Pro 2, the deviation from the blackbody spectrum (ΔE) is close to 10, which is considered borderline even for a consumer device. The balance is distorted, of course, due to an excess of blue/green components, which, other things being equal, leads to a slight increase in brightness. It’s good at least that the color temperature and ΔE change little from hue to hue - this has a positive effect on the visual assessment of color balance. (The darkest areas of the gray scale can be ignored, since color balance there is not very important, and the error in measuring color characteristics at low brightness is large.)

Let's summarize. The screens do not have a very high maximum brightness and weak anti-glare properties; as a result, on a clear day outside, the screens will become unreadable. In complete darkness, the brightness can be reduced to a comfortable level. Beeline Pro 3 does not have an automatic brightness adjustment function, while Pro 2 has it and works adequately. The advantages of the screens include the absence of visible flicker, as well as a color gamut close to sRGB. Among the significant disadvantages we include a weak oleophobic coating, low black stability due to gaze deviation from perpendicular to the screen plane, and distorted color balance. The quality of the screens is not high, and it is difficult to determine which one is worse.

Sound

The sound of the Pro 2's main speaker is not suitable for listening to music. The maximum volume level is low, and the frequency response is also far from decent. It is unlikely that you will be satisfied with the sound of your familiar compositions, especially if they are “saturated”. When you connect mid-level headphones, drums appear in the music and the result can already be called suitable for an undemanding user.

When placing the smartphone on a flat surface with the screen facing up, the speaker is slightly muffled. The standard ringtones look quite good, although some of them can be distorted at maximum volume. The built-in vibration alert is weak, so it’s hard to notice even on a desk, let alone in a pocket or bag.

An attempt to find a compatible headset was unsuccessful. Options from Acer, Apple, HTC, Samsung and Sony were tested. All of them worked only as headphones (and with distortion), and the smartphone was unable to use the microphone or buttons.

The standard microphone works well for traditional voice telephony and for programs such as Skype. There are no significant comments on its quality. You can, of course, complain about the lack of noise reduction technologies, but this is still the prerogative of more expensive devices.

Perhaps due to the larger size of the Pro 3, its main speaker has a higher maximum volume, and it also does better with low frequencies. This, of course, does not mean that you will be pleased to listen to music on it, but the chances of recognizing the melody or artist are clearly greater. However, you should not set the volume to maximum, as distortion may appear. So, as with most inexpensive models, we recommend using headphones for music. The difference with the main speaker is very noticeable even on affordable models.

The muting of the sound when placing the device with the speaker down on the table is more noticeable than with the Pro 2. Due to the higher volume, ringtones sound good. But the vibration alert in this model is also inexpressive.

We were again unable to find a suitable headset for the Pro 3. The smartphone identified some of the tested models as headsets, but there was no sound coming from the microphone, and there was also no response to button presses.

The smartphone's built-in microphone provides good voice quality during phone calls and when using programs for talking over the Internet.

Cameras

Both devices are equipped with camera models similar in formal characteristics: main 5 MP with autofocus and flash, as well as an additional 0.3 MP. At the same time, on “Pro 2” the maximum image resolution is 3072 × 1728 pixels in a 16:9 format, and on “Pro 3” photographs are obtained with a resolution of 2592 × 1944 in a 4: 3 format.

To work with the camera on the Pro 2, you can use a proprietary application from the firmware developer, as well as the Google Camera program. Pro 3 only has the second utility available, and we used it for comparative photography tests.

The Google Camera program in its current version does not have a variety of features. The set of provided settings is minimal for this class of applications - selection of resolution and quality, flash control, camera selection, recording coordinates, grid display, delayed shooting. Note that the younger model supports HDR mode in the program. In the budget segment you can’t count on high quality images. Examples and comments are provided below.

Beeline Pro 2	Beeline Pro 3

As we can see, the cameras in smartphones are completely different, from the module to the firmware. Moreover, in the older 5-inch model there is a noticeable saving compared to the 4.5-inch one. Here the firmware is hardly able to adequately process the signal from the sensor, not to mention recording information in EXIF. The image literally falls apart into pixels, and it’s difficult to even describe sharpness, simply because there is none. Against this background, the Pro 2 camera looks good. In some places it lacks sharpness, in some places it can’t cope with tones, but the pictures are generally working. It can handle documentary shooting in good lighting. Sometimes she succeeds in both artistic photography and macro photography, although the result is far from outstanding. Unlike Pro 3, it at least works with EXIF, which lists the MediaTek application as software. We also don’t forget that the chipset and system software are involved in the process of taking pictures, so these differences are probably partly due to the attention paid by the platform manufacturer to this scenario for using the smartphone. As a result, you can shoot with the Pro 2 camera in good lighting, but it’s better not to shoot with the Pro 3 camera at all.

The situation with video recording is also sad. Formally, both devices are capable of recording video in Full HD mode. Let us remember that the screen resolution of smartphones themselves is less than 720p. On Pro 2, the proprietary program shows generally good results. But Google Camera is not capable of fully using the smartphone camera for video shooting on this device, since the parameters set by the user for the recording quality of the main camera do not always work. Video shooting on the “Pro 3” can be considered implemented “for show”. As usual, we encountered low sensitivity and sharpness, noise and poor autofocus performance. As for video calls, the front cameras performed well in Skype. It’s interesting that “Pro 2” gives a mirror picture in this scenario.

The characteristics of the resulting recording files depending on the settings are given in the table. “Pro 2” uses the 3gp format, and “Pro 3” uses mp4. Let us remind you that these models have only one microphone, so the soundtrack is actually monophonic.

"Pro 2"	Video stream parameters	Audio Stream Options
Basic, good	1920×1088, ≈30 fps, AVC, [email protected], 17 Mbit/s
Basic, high	1280×720, ≈30 fps, AVC, [email protected], 9 Mbit/s	AAC, 128 Kbps, stereo, 48 KHz
Main, average	640×480, ≈30 fps, AVC, [email protected], 3 Mbit/s	AAC, 128 Kbps, stereo, 48 KHz
Main, low	176×144, ≈30 fps, AVC, [email protected], 750 Kbps
Frontal, high	640×480, ≈8 fps, MPEG-4, Advanced Simple@L5, 1 Mbit/s	AAC, 128 Kbps, stereo, 48 KHz
Front, low	176×144, ≈8 fps, MPEG-4, Simple@L3, 256 Kbps	AAC, 64 Kbps, stereo, 48 KHz

Examples of “Pro 2” videos: , , .

Examples of “Pro 3” videos: , , .

Software

From a software point of view, here we see “pure” Android version 5.0 for Pro 2 and 5.1 for Pro 3. Only a certain number of proprietary programs from the operator and additional free utilities have been added.

For “Pro 2” these are Autofines, BiInfo, Beeline TV, Replace the beep, Foreign languages, My Beeline, BeeMusic, ES Explorer, MX Player and Skype. Moreover, most of these programs cannot be removed in the usual way, which is inconvenient. However, if they interfere with the menu, you can simply hide them. For “Pro 3” the set is as follows: BiInfo, Beeline TV, My Beeline, BeeMusic, Eset Mobile Security, Skype, ES Explorer, MX Player. Note that in this device proprietary programs can be removed through the standard menu.

Both devices fully support Google services, including application, music and book stores and, of course, have full localization. We also mention the possibility of updating firmware via the Internet. But at the time of testing they were not there. As a result, the versions Beeline_Pro_2_v006 and Beeline_Pro_3_Rel07 were used, respectively.

A more detailed examination showed that the Pro 2 has several functions and capabilities that are missing in the Pro 3. In particular, this smartphone supports programming of the work schedule, gestures for answering and unlocking calls, switching the audio source, calling a contact and muting the call, several voice commands, application access control, and desktop themes.

Note that both devices can be rooted. Instructions for these operations can be found online. For Pro 2, this feature can be useful for completely removing proprietary programs. Although, of course, for most potential buyers of these smartphones this issue is not of interest.

Telephone and communications

Both devices have one slot for Micro SIM cards. Smartphone radio modules support operation in second and third generation cellular networks. There are no comments regarding the stability of the network connection. As an assessment of quality, we present statistics on connecting to networks for several hours while driving around the city.

These results should not be taken too seriously, since the performance of cellular networks with each individual device is unique and depends on many parameters that can neither be repeated nor predicted.

A similar remark applies to data reception and transmission speeds. Even if you repeat tests in the same place, the results can vary greatly. With this pair, we received up to five megabits per second per reception in the speedtest.org test.

Smartphones are equipped with a wireless Wi-Fi controller supporting 802.11b/g/n standards. In the Pro 2 model, it supports a 40 MHz channel and is capable of connecting to the router at a speed of 135 Mbit/s. “Pro 3” does not have this feature and its connection speed does not exceed 65 Mbit/s. However, real performance is more important than formal parameters. To test it, we used the Zyxel Keenetic Lite II router. The smartphones were located at two points in the apartment - at a distance of four meters of direct visibility from the router and eight meters through two non-permanent walls. Note that in the 2.4 GHz band in urban environments you can usually find a couple of dozen neighboring networks, which was the case in our case. Testing was carried out in eight streams for reception and transmission alternately, as well as four streams for reception and transmission simultaneously.

As we can see, in one room “Pro 2” is capable of providing noticeably higher speeds than “Pro 3”. And even if the smartphones are eight meters away, the victory can also be attributed to him. Let us remind you that in addition to the broadcast conditions and the characteristics of the router, a lot here also depends on the implementation of antennas in smartphones. However, the hardware platform and adapter drivers in a smartphone are no less important. As we can see, having extensive experience in developing chipsets for wireless devices, MediaTek turned out to be more attentive to detail here.

Smartphones are equipped with Bluetooth controllers, which allows you to connect audio devices to them, exchange files, connect to the Internet, and perform other popular operations. Pro 2 uses adapter version 4.0 with BLE (Bluetooth Low Energy) support. Different sources provide different data about the Pro 3 configuration - 2.1 and 4.0, but there is definitely no BLE, so it won’t be possible to use it with modern fitness gadgets.

In terms of the services provided, there are no differences between the models. Testing the transfer speed of a 14 MB photo from a computer equipped with a Bluetooth adapter located at a distance of half a meter showed the results shown in the following table.

As we can see, the Pro 2 has a significantly higher data exchange speed, although slightly less than we have encountered with some other equipment. In any case, this protocol is no longer so relevant today in terms of transferring large amounts of information.

Additionally, we tested operation with a Nokia stereo headset. The HSP/HFP and A2DP profiles worked with it, and it was possible to use the buttons on the device to control the music player.

Both devices support location service using GPS satellites. The test showed that Pro 2 feels more confident in these tasks. It manages to provide the required information more quickly and accurately than Pro 3. So we can say that today the MediaTek solution is more preferable than the option from a competitor in this segment.

There are no comments regarding the stability of GPS operation in smartphones. They can be used quite successfully with mapping and navigation programs, including in urban areas. When driving in a car and installing devices near the windshield, the sensitivity of the receivers allows you to confidently navigate the road. The signal restoration when leaving the tunnels occurs quite quickly.

We also note the presence of an FM radio. Like most other devices, it requires headphones to be connected as an antenna to operate. The program in "Pro 2" supports searching and storing a list of channels, RDS, audio output to the speaker, broadcast recording, sleep timer and alarm mode. The utility in Pro 3 has exactly the same icon, but has a different design. It works with a list of channels and outputs sound to the speaker. There are no recording or other additional features.

Performance

Perhaps this is one of the most interesting sections of this comparison. In particular, this is due to the fact that we are familiar with the development of MediaTek platforms and roughly understand what to expect from them, but solutions from Spreadtrum Communications cannot be called a frequent guest in our laboratory. To be more precise, only one tablet with SoC from this company was tested. On the other hand, the product uses the familiar Cortex-A7 core architecture and Mali-400 MP2 graphics unit, so there is little chance of surprises. From the point of view of the user experience of working with the operating system, both solutions provide comfortable responsiveness and there are no comments on them from this side.

Let us remember that the smartphones in question have the same screen resolution, as well as the same amount of RAM. So performance research can also be considered a comparison of platforms. The first table shows the results of integral synthetic benchmarks and web browser tests. The third column shows the difference in % performance of “Pro 3” relative to “Pro 2”.

As we can see, the Pro 2 model is faster in these tests, but the difference is relatively small. The Pro 3's maximum lag of about 8% is observed in the GeekBench 3 multitasking test and in SunSpider.

The second group of tests shows the performance of the graphics part of the platform, where the Pro 2 model also leads. Moreover, the difference in some tests exceeds 10%, which already goes beyond the theory of the influence of clock frequencies of computing cores.

Test results showed that both models have speeds that are quite typical for budget devices, corresponding to the formal characteristics of the platforms. Spreadtrum's use of well-known architecture cores and graphics shows that, from a performance standpoint, building entry-level chips by assembling them from off-the-shelf components is probably not that difficult a task today. However, in some tests the advantage of a smartphone based on the MediaTek platform is quite significant. We are not able to compare devices running exactly the same firmware, so in this case, given the similarity of hardware characteristics, the role is played rather by the features of the system software, including the processor core frequency control module, which turned out to be more effective in the Pro 2 on the MediaTek platform .

In the last table of this section, we provide performance estimates for writing and reading data to the built-in flash memory of smartphones and the memory card installed in them. The latter was played by microSDHC Transcend Premium 300x with a capacity of 32 GB. The figures were obtained by measuring the transfer time of a 1 GB file when connecting smartphones to a computer via a USB 2.0 interface operating with the MTP protocol.

However, it is unlikely that the difference in speeds will be a significant factor in choosing between these two models. In any case, we note that the results obtained do not stand out from previously conducted tests, and the Pro 2 wins in three out of four scenarios.

Thermal photographs

Below are thermal images of the rear surface taken after 10 minutes of battery testing in the GFXBenchmark program. Note that in the case of the Beeline Pro 2, the smartphone heated up in this test, that is, the test did something there, but for some reason the image was not displayed on the screen, so the comparison will not be entirely correct. Beeline "Pro 2":

And Beeline “Pro 3”:

It can be seen that the heating is clearly localized in the upper part of the devices, which apparently corresponds to the location of the SoC chip. According to the heat camera, for Beeline Pro 2 the maximum heating was 40 degrees (at an ambient temperature of 24 degrees), this is the average heating for this test among modern smartphones. And in the case of Beeline “Pro 3” - 36 degrees, which is relatively little.

Playing video

Considering the screen resolution of smartphones, our set of test files for testing the video viewing scenario is somewhat redundant. On the other hand, it is more convenient to use the same file in the media library for all your devices, including HD players and TVs. The only thing that is probably of little relevance in this case is 4K formats. However, they are not supported in hardware by these smartphones, and it is impossible to decode them in software on this platform.

The standard player does a good job, but does not support the popular AC3 audio codec. In MX Player, it has recently needed to be installed additionally. A standard summary table of results is provided below. They are the same for "Pro 2" and "Pro 3".

Format	Container, video, sound	Standard video player	Video player MX Player
DVDRip	AVI, XviD 720×400 2200 Kbps, MP3+AC3		plays normally
Web-DL SD	AVI, XviD 720×400 1400 Kbps, MP3+AC3	plays normally, no subtitles	plays normally
Web-DL HD	MKV, H.264 1280×720 3000 Kbps, AC3		plays normally
BDRip 720p	MKV, H.264 1280×720 4000 Kbps, AC3	plays normally, no AC3 sound	plays normally
BDRip 1080p	MKV, H.264 1920×1080 8000 Kbps, AC3	plays normally, no AC3 sound	plays normally

Smartphones have no problems with other popular online formats, including YouTube and various modifications of “mobile-Internet” video up to Full HD inclusive, including H.264 with high fps, bitrate and profile.

We did not find the MHL interface, like Mobility DisplayPort, in these smartphones, so we had to limit ourselves to testing the output of video files on the screen of the device itself. To do this, we used a set of test files with an arrow and a rectangle moving one division per frame (see “Method for testing video playback and display devices. Version 1 (for mobile devices)”). Screenshots with a shutter speed of 1 s helped determine the nature of the output of frames of video files with various parameters: the resolution varied (1280 by 720 (720p) and 1920 by 1080 (1080p) pixels) and frame rate (24, 25, 30, 50 and 60 frames/ With). In the tests we used the MX Player video player in the “Hardware” mode. In the case of Beeline Pro 3, this set of test files was not played, so we present the test results only for Beeline Pro 2:

Note: If in both columns Uniformity And Passes Green ratings are given, this means that, most likely, when watching films, artifacts caused by uneven alternation and frame skipping will either not be visible at all, or their number and visibility will not affect the viewing comfort. Red marks indicate possible problems with playback of the corresponding files.

According to the criterion of frame output, the quality of playback of video files on the screen of the smartphone itself is good, since frames (or groups of frames) can (but are not required) be output with more or less uniform alternation of intervals and without skipping frames. Note that in the case of files with 60 fps, one frame per second is displayed longer than the others; apparently, the screen refresh rate is higher than the typical 60 Hz and is approximately 61 Hz. When playing video files with a resolution of 1920 by 1080 pixels (1080p) on the screen of both smartphones, the image of the video file itself is displayed exactly along the border of the screen. The brightness range displayed on the screen corresponds to the standard range of 16-235 - all gradations of shades are displayed in shadows and highlights.

Battery life

Smartphones have relatively small batteries. They do not provide any specific energy saving modes, except for the standard Android function of disabling some services and background operations when the battery is low. When there is no load, both devices are capable of turning off up to three cores, and for the latter, reducing the frequency to the minimum available values.

There are no special technologies here to speed up charge recovery. The Pro 2 charges in 3 hours and 20 minutes from the standard power supply. For “Pro 3” this time is 3 hours 30 minutes. Using chargers with an output current of 2 A does not affect this result in any way.

Before we move on to testing battery life, we note that the Pro 3's discharge graph is noticeably different from a straight line, so its results may have a significant error, despite the fact that we tried to start the test with a full battery and discharge the devices before turning off .

For testing, we used our traditional scenarios of watching videos (MX Player, 720p video from a server over Wi-Fi), reading a book (Moon+ Reader with automatic scrolling) and playing games (Epic Citadel program). In all tests, the screen brightness was set to 100 cd/m². Additionally, in this material, we tested the web browsing scenario using the example of loading several articles on our site over Wi-Fi in a cycle with an interval of 30 seconds.

The results obtained can hardly be called attractive. We are accustomed to the fact that in the reading test, when in a smartphone, in addition to the screen, only one computing core operates at the minimum frequency, entry-level models show results of approximately ten hours and above. The video viewing scenario in this case is not the most suitable for the devices used, since their screen resolution is low. But due to the unification of the methodology, it is convenient to use the same video. As for games, the Pro 3 has quite a decent figure, although it should be noted that in the built-in Epic Citadel benchmark in high performance mode it shows about 50 fps versus 60 fps for the Pro 2. It is also interesting to look at the Internet browsing test. In it, we previously found results close to those indicated in the table for some top-end devices. The collected statistics on core frequencies in this scenario indicate that they are distributed approximately equally between the maximum and minimum.

Note that these smartphones have screens of different diagonals and different battery capacities. If we assume that screen consumption is proportional to its area, then we can roughly say that the more capacious battery of the Pro 3 compensates for its increased diagonal. But this operation allows the models to match only in the video playback test. So in general, it’s worth recognizing “Pro 3” as a more economical solution.

True, one more remark needs to be made here. In standby mode with the screen off and without any activity, we noted significantly higher energy consumption on the Pro 3, reaching up to 50% per day. Whereas “Pro 2” reduced the battery charge by only 12% in two days. This point significantly affects the evaluation of devices. Still, battery life is one of the most important characteristics of devices today, especially when talking about the budget segment. At the same time, it is difficult for us to explain the reasons for such a significant difference. Most likely, it lies in the features of the system software, which is created with the participation of the hardware platform developer. Probably, in this case, MediaTek programmers were more attentive.

Prices

Smartphones are offered at the operator’s points of sale for 4,590 rubles and 4,990 rubles, respectively. Several package options are also available, taking into account communication services. If you pay for services for four months, the cost of the smartphones themselves can be 2990 and 3490 rubles.

If we consider the segment of devices of the same diagonals released this year with the latest Android, then these smartphones look quite attractive among the models available on the local market.

Conclusion

As we said at the beginning of the article, when choosing from budget devices, the user almost always has to make certain compromises. So before you get down to business, you should define your selection criteria and mandatory requirements as accurately as possible. We highly recommend that you include cost in them, since with the modern variety of offers there will always be an option “a little more expensive”, which in some respect will be clearly better than the one that is currently being considered, and with such “additions” you can quietly significantly exceed the allotted amount for the purchase budget.

In this article, we got acquainted with two devices offered by the domestic operator Beeline under its own brand. The “Pro 2” and “Pro 3” smartphones generally made a fairly favorable impression and, given a certain combination of requirements, they may well turn out to be the optimal choice for someone.

The devices have high-quality cases with a decent design, IPS screens, quad-core platforms and the latest versions of Android. Testing has confirmed that they successfully cope with the most popular smartphone use cases. Working with the Internet may be hampered by low screen resolutions, but there will be no problems with common video formats. The battery life test showed average results. However, it is unlikely that users of these devices will work with them in resource-intensive applications.

Unfortunately, they obviously saved money on the cameras. The quality of the Pro 2 photos can be called average, and Pro 3 users are probably better off not thinking about this function at all. The videos look even sadder. We have no comments regarding device firmware in terms of stability and responsiveness.

If we talk about comparing hardware platforms, despite the noticeable difference in performance in some benchmarks, a potential buyer is unlikely to pay much attention to this. But still, the version with MediaTek turned out to be faster. It should also be noted that the Pro 2 has the best performance in the speed of wireless controllers, navigation, and when exchanging data over a cable connection. However, as we said above, these characteristics significantly depend not only on the platform, but on the design details of the device. Along with the advantage in speed, the Pro 2 turned out to be more power-hungry in some of the autonomy tests, although it proved to be significantly more economical in standby mode. Given the popularity and prevalence of MediaTek solutions, including enthusiast communities, various system utilities and documentation, those users who are used to getting the best performance from their devices probably shouldn't mess with a newcomer to this market.

The mobile operator Beeline has several smartphones sold under its own brand. Recently became a newcomer to the ranks of raccoons Beeline Pro 2, which fell into our hands.

Today, VimpelCom offers several models to choose from: About, And .

How to buy profitably

New smartphone Beeline Pro 2 sold in two versions. One is normal for 5490 rubles. And the other one - bonus!

Its price includes an excellent tariff plan “Everything for 600”, paid for 4 months, as well as useful things and gifts from the Google Play store.

This kit will cost only 400 rubles more - 5890 rubles, and in our opinion much better and more profitable than usual.

Pro or not Pro

When a new model of any device comes out, the natural step is to compare and analyze the characteristics of its old version and the new one. Let's start with this. Intuitively, we understand that Pro 2 should be better, more convenient and more perfect than the older Pro model. But is it?

Even if you don’t read it too closely, it’s clearly clear that the characteristics seem to have been “mixed up,” so swapping the names would be better. But no, this is not a mistake! And if without a chip Glonass can live, then the lack of support in the new model LTE disappointing to say the least. In terms of “power,” the Pro 2 is in no way inferior to its predecessor, but the reduced battery capacity is a stretch.

Equipment

The packaging is quite bright and durable. Modest and tasteful, and the instructions deserve special praise. It's very well made. It is striking that the absence of Latin in the names and inscriptions on the box is quite unusual. There are a lot of inscriptions on the box: there are technical support numbers, mobile “help”, and the technical characteristics are completely duplicated twice.

Inside the box you will find:

• Smartphone "Beeline Pro2"
• Charger with USB cable (mini usb)
• User guide
• Warranty card
• SIM card

Of course, I would like at least some more headphones, but, unfortunately, none even the simplest “plugs”.

Appearance

The appearance is different from the Pro, but not much. The smartphone looks quite simple; no elements make the eye stop. However, the appearance of a smartphone also does not evoke negative emotions. You can choose from two colors: white and black.

You can easily control your smartphone using one hands, without fear of dropping it. The phone fits comfortably in the palm of your hand, but you can feel the sharp edges of the new product to the touch: perhaps this is a matter of habit, but almost half a centimeter The differences in width between my iPhone 5S and the Beeline smartphone are doing their job.

After walking around with the phone for a day, you forget about this difference and with pleasant feelings you take out the brand new Pro 2 from your jeans pocket.

The back cover is made of non-slip plastic, so the phone fits quite tightly in the hand, but very fears fingerprints. After 15 minutes of use, the smartphone already looks quite dirty. The same applies to the front panel of the smartphone.

On the front there is a very small decorative edge made of black plastic that protects your phone screen when it is lying with the most valuable part facing down.

Above the screen there is a front camera and a speaker. However, there are no indicators at all indicating missed calls, messages or other notifications received: when the screen is off, the phone appears “dead”.

At the bottom of the screen there are 3 touch keys, from their design you can guess where one or another will take you. They are not illuminated.

On the sides there is a standard set: on the right is the power key, on the left is the volume control, on top is a headphone jack and a “socket” for USB. For ergonomics, the new “raccoon” gets a solid A: all controls are in place and easy to use comfortable.

Under the lid

The back cover can be removed quite easily, however, to put it in place, I had to carefully walk around the perimeter of the smartphone and “squeeze” all the latches. Inside, everything is as usual: slots at the top for a SIM card and memory card, and just below there is a 1700 mAh Li-Ion battery.

The battery charge will not be enough for a whole day of active surfing the Internet or destroying all kinds of monsters in toys, but such a small capacity will be enough to maintain contact with colleagues/parents/family. There will even be enough time to listen to music and take the necessary photographs.

Camera

This phone has a camera. But to become a professional Instagram blogger, it is better to look in favor of more expensive models from the Enov family: the front camera will not allow you to take acceptable pictures.

Photo of a cat on the front camera of a Beeline Pro 2 smartphone

But the rear camera is very decent, and it is more than enough to capture the most necessary moments of a business trip abroad, a vacation, or someone else’s notebook with proven homework.

On the left is a photo taken with the rear camera in daylight, and on the right is at night. Clickable

Interface

The OS we are offered is Android 5.0 Lollipop. On Pro 2, Android did not suffer any changes, no shells or “add-ons”, except that additional applications from Beeline were added. Apparently, he is going to make the main use of these applications. accent.

Among the pre-installed Beeline services there are some banal ones, but there are also those that were able to pleasantly surprise me:

• My beeline
• BiInfo
• BeeMusic
• Learn languages ​​(Foreign languages)
• Replace the horn
• Fines
• Beeline TV

If with a friend My Beeline everything is clear - this is the most ordinary application where you can see your balance, connected services, remaining Internet traffic and immediately manage it all, then the program Learn languages I loved it.

« Foreign languages"- a convenient application from Beeline for learning foreign words. There are 5 popular languages ​​to choose from – English, German, French, Spanish and Italian. There is a standard set of words and expressions for learning with pictures and the ability to listen to pronunciation; you can also add new words to this list that you would like to learn. The application freezes periodically, but this is its only drawback.

« BiInfo"- quite a convenient and useful thing. News, weather, horoscope, exchange rates, search on Wikipedia - it's all here. The application will tell you about the latest Beeline news and news on any topic. This is a hub of useful and necessary information.

Affordable smartphone "Beeline Pro" with LTE support, 4.5-inch screen and quad-core MTK 6732M 1.3 GHz processor. It looks balanced, and the price is 5,990 rubles. today can be considered adequate for inexpensive models with support for fourth generation networks.

Dot the i's

Judging by the external features and technical characteristics, the device is a “born” ZTE Blade A430. The model is fresh, officially appeared on the market in late January of this year, news on Mobile-Review. For the price of 5,990 rubles. ($97 at the exchange rate for mid-March) we get support for LTE FDD Cat.4, a modern 4-core MTK 6732M 1.3 GHz processor, 1 GB of RAM, 8 GB of internal memory (4.5 GB available to the user). Supports memory cards up to 32 GB.

Headset (headphone) jack 3.5 mm, headset not included. There is an FM radio, it only works from an external antenna (headphones). There is a two-color LED event indicator.

Battery 2,200 mAh. Main camera 8 MP (5 MP with interpolation), front camera - 2 MP. Flash (1 LED) is present. IPS screen with a resolution of 480 x 854, which is already becoming the standard for budget smartphones. Pixel density - 218 ppi. Operating system Android KitKat 4.4.4. One SIM card, modern stripped format (microSIM). The device is initially locked to work on the Beeline network, but in the Beeline salon you can get an unlock code for free. Judging by the description on the website, the only available colors are black, although the unbranded original is available, at a minimum, in white.

Specifications

• Full name: “Beeline Pro” (ZTE Blade A430)
• Operating system: Android KitKat 4.4.4
• SIM card: 1 slot, microSIM, operator lock
• Screen: 4.5 inches, IPS, 480x854, pixel density 218 ppi
• Cameras: main 8 (5) MP with autofocus, front 2 MP.
• Processor: quad-core MTK 6732M, 1.3 GHz.
• Memory: 8 GB built-in (4.5 GB available), 1 GB RAM.
• Memory card slot: microSD up to 32 GB.
• Operating bands: 2G/3G/4G (LTE), 2G bands 900/1800 MHz, 3G UMTS/DC-HSPA+ 900/2100 MHz, 4G LTE FDD 800/1800/2600 MHz
• Wireless interfaces: Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n, Bluetooth 4.0, USB
• Navigation: GPS, A-GPS
• Battery: 2 200 mAh
• Dimensions and weight: 134.5 x 67.4 x 10.3 mm, 154 g

Positioning

For this device, the target niche is quite obvious: all those who want to purchase for a reasonable price a relatively “fresh” smartphone with a decent screen and not quite budget “stuffing”, operating in fourth generation networks (LTE).

It would be ridiculous to consider it as another “iPhone killer”, but the device, in its capabilities and comfort, is noticeably closer to “real” smartphones than to touch-screen dialers that claim to be “smartphone-like.” If entry-level smartphones are of interest primarily to operators (to force users to pay for mobile Internet), then Beeline Pro can already be considered an acceptable compromise for those who are not morally or financially ready to pay five or six-figure sums for a smartphone.

Once again, I repeat that the advantage of LTE is not only and not so much in speed, although on average LTE is faster. Especially in terms of the speed of loading data onto the network, which is best seen when transferring photos and working with cloud services. But the main advantage is responsiveness and short response time; in this sense, LTE is noticeably more comfortable than 3G. In Moscow, the factor of uneven network load is added to this. For example, I was unlucky to live next to a “multipath” morning traffic jam; data transmission on 3G networks at this time barely crawls and often freezes altogether. In 4G, data transfer also slows down, but not critically. I suspect that there are a lot of such places in Moscow and with the increase in the number of smartphones the situation in 3G/2G will only get worse.

Equipment and design

The kit includes the smartphone itself, an adapter for an output current of 1 A (full charging time is about three hours), a connecting cable, a user manual and a warranty card. There is no headset included, which is not very nice. Everyone has ordinary headphones in their household, but choosing a fully compatible headset is not always easy. There is no memory card included, and it is unlikely that they will appear. It's probably time to stop writing about this.

I liked the user manual. Not abstruse, but quite detailed, with diagrams and color pictures. A useful brochure for those who are buying their first Android smartphone.

As for the design, it is “nothing” at all, a standard soap dish without eye-catching features. Unless you can squeeze the soft touch coating on the back cover, the device does not slip in your hand. And the touch buttons at the bottom are marked with blue paint instead of the usual white. In Beeline stores, as far as I understand, they will only sell the black version. A smartphone in a white case looks more elegant, but there is some subtlety with the material of the case cover. More than once I have come across the soft touch coating on a black device and small notches on regular plastic on a smartphone with a white cover. Given this alternative, I would still choose soft touch.

Design

The layout is standard, but not quite ordinary - except for the microUSB connector on the side. It also happens, but still more often from below or from above. There are no complaints about the assembly, everything is tight and without cracks. Opens and latches without much effort. The camera eye is almost flush with the surface of the back cover, protruding by some fractions of a millimeter.

The multimedia speaker is separate, one, at the bottom left under the back cover. The power button and volume rocker are on the right side. They protrude sufficiently and are easy to feel. The progress is clear. It must be said that some obvious design flaws are becoming less and less common in modern smartphones; years of “training” in producing the same type of case take their toll. I would like something unusual, but cost is the determining factor.

The touch buttons are painted blue, and the backlight is correspondingly blue. Instead of the usual almost white. Instead of the traditional “Menu” and “Back” icons, there are identical bright dots. Saved? No, it's not that simple.

It turns out that the buttons can be swapped, reassigned in the menu. A wonderful, humane feature! For example, I’m used to the “Return” button on the right (my last three smartphones), but now they put it on the left. Why torment the body with retraining if the “problem” can be solved with one poke of a finger in the menu?

There is an LED event indicator, two-color (red and green). A useful thing that saves battery power. In addition to indicating incoming messages and battery status, the LED can be used in many other scenarios. For example, this LED can be controlled by instant messengers, Twitter clients, etc. Set each application to its own color and blinking frequency, and you can almost completely avoid unnecessary display activations. Which will be much more effective than any clever applications that claim to save energy.

There is no oleophobic coating, the screen gets dirty quickly. Some people carry suede rags with them, and I have heard about some special sprays, a matter of taste. You can simply breathe on the screen and rub it on the T-shirt on your own abdomen, the effectiveness is comparable. There is also no protective glass, and I would refrain from carrying the device in my pocket with keys.

Display

As I already wrote in the brief list of the main ones, the screen is 4.5 inches diagonal, IPS, resolution 480x854, pixel density 218 ppi. Compared to TFT matrices, which they tried to install in inexpensive devices, this is heaven and earth. The white color is truly white, the viewing angles are maximum without distortion, the colors are pure.

The resolution, in my opinion, is not enough, and the fonts look a little blurry. But it’s tolerable and certainly better than in public sector employees six months ago. IPS probably helps out; reading text on TFT displays with the same diagonal and resolution was much less comfortable.

The brightness margin is sufficient, and the display remains readable in direct sunlight. Automatic brightness adjustment is present, but the auto-adjustment range is “cut off” at the top. That is, in moderate lighting everything is fine, but during the day outside in sunlight you will have to add brightness manually. And, perhaps, in auto-adjustment mode the display is a little darker than we would like.

Auto-rotate works correctly, no complaints. Apparently, manufacturers have finally mastered this space technology and in the last two or three devices that came to me, I did not turn off this function. Previously, false positives even in “thoroughbred” smartphones were extremely annoying.

Cameras

There are two of them: the main 8 (5) MP with autofocus and the front 2 MP. The real (optical) resolution of the main camera is 5 MP, and the 8 MP indicated in the description is software interpolation. Roughly speaking, this is when the number of pixels is artificially increased, and they programmatically try to assign colors to the “voids” that are intermediate between neighboring real ones. The event is almost useless, 90% of it is an advertising ploy. It began to be widely used many years ago in cheap Chinese phones, when “venerable” manufacturers switched to 1.3-2 MP cameras, and “decent” Chinese continued to install 0.3 MP cameras in cheap models. But with software interpolation to the desired 1.3-2 MP. The “indecent” Chinese didn’t even bother with this and painted megapixel numbers on the cases “out of their minds.”

I carefully compared identical 8 and 5 MP photographs from Beeline Pro, almost with a magnifying glass. There is a difference in favor of 8 MP, but it is minimal. Feel free to set the settings to 5 MP and don’t bother, you’ll save about 30% of the file size.

There were no “little tricks” with the front camera. Judging by the good quality of the images, there is an honest 2 MP here. More precisely, 1.81 MP, according to the parameters of the resulting files. Okay, let's not quibble, the difference is not fundamental.

The front camera itself is quite good for a smartphone of this class; you can post selfies on social networks. The manufacturer clearly took into account the growing popularity of this type of photographic creativity and was not greedy. Even some basic settings are present, including color effects. If someone suddenly needs it for some reason. One of the disadvantages is the unpredictability of the front camera in poor lighting conditions. It may work fine, or it may produce a clearly “bluish” tint to the image.

The main camera performs its 5 MP without any complaints, see the traditional “ceremonial” photo of the playground. Autofocus is fast enough; the default settings do not require manual “dancing with a tambourine.” Pointed - pressed - removed - normal result. Auto white balance works great, no shifts to green or blue.

Shots taken indoors and in other low-light situations are noticeably noisy, but the color balance in Auto mode continues to please. And this is the main thing for “everyday” photographs. In VKontakte, no one will look at grain or color noise in the dark areas of the image, but color distortions hopelessly spoil everything at once. In this sense, Beeline Pro immediately works as it should without further torment with photo editors.

There is no need to look for the “Macro” mode in the settings; autofocus works correctly at short distances. Take photos of buttercup flowers and all kinds of meadow butterflies and insects for your health. One small “but”: the sides of the image (up to 15-20% of the area at the edges) will be blurred, but the butterfly in the center of the frame will not notice this.

Photographing books, instructions and documents. Not a masterpiece, but you can use it. And without “dancing with a tambourine.” If your hands don’t shake and the lighting is decent, then modern text recognition systems can easily cope with “book” font size, and all sorts of notes are also barely readable. Above is the “User Manual” page, the font there is very small. To understand the scale: the book itself is the size of a pack of cigarettes.

Flash. It is represented by an LED in the amount of 1 pc. and... out of habit I almost wrote “... it would be better not to exist.” But no, it doesn’t work any worse, and the pre-illumination for autofocus testing doesn’t fail either. Within 1.5-2 meters you can safely count on a decent shot. I suppose that, again, the merit is due to the successful software: there is no purple horror, all colors are balanced more or less decently. Alas, with some shift towards “green”, so for night photo shoots performed by Beeline Pro, choose lipstick in “warm” shades.

As a summary of the cameras. They are far from cameras in “thoroughbred” devices (not to mention flagships). But in its class, “photo typing” turned out to be successful. Acceptable quality of pictures in different conditions without shamanism with settings, scenes, etc. It is quite suitable for everyday needs and does not particularly disappoint.

Characteristics

Processor – Quad-core MTK 6732M, 1.3 GHz, Mali T760 GPU. RAM 1 GB, RAM 8 GB (4.5 GB available), slot for microSD (up to 32 GB). For a 4.5-inch screen with a resolution of 480x854, there are quite enough resources, the interface works smoothly and without slowdowns. They write that most modern games should work even with medium settings.

The AnTuTu program counted almost 30,000 virtual parrots. Despite all the conventions of such tests, the result is not bad in comparison with other models. Budget smartphones usually show less than 15,000 units, the latest “classmate” with a similar display and also a quad-core processor showed about 22,000 units.

Generalized device data, Network Signal Info application.

List of basic device data from AnTuTu, including sensors installed in the device. The image in “readable” resolution is available by clicking.

Management and programs

I was pleased with pure Android without any additional shells. Still, the main requirement for devices of this class is to “drive” smoothly, and not to show braking “checkers” in the interface.

I already wrote about the possibility of reassigning buttons, otherwise everything is standard. It was a surprise to me that it was possible to create as many desktops as needed. And, accordingly, there is no need to flip through empty or unnecessary pages (regrouping and sorting is usually too lazy).

All of Google is conveniently grouped into one folder; Beeline has only partially received its applications. We couldn’t resist the temptation to stick “Replace the beep” in the most visible place. On the other hand, the My Beeline personal account is a useful and convenient thing, and a free antivirus is simply necessary for many.

The device can be turned on and off according to a schedule, which is not a bad thing. Operators try to carry out all work at base stations at night, and there are unpleasant surprises in the form of a smartphone battery that is completely dead by the morning, rushing between different LACs half the night or searching for a network. Plus, an extra restart of the device is only beneficial.

Full set of network modes: LTE/UMTS/GSM automatically, only UMTS/GSM (without LTE) automatically, only LTE, UMTS or GSM separately.

The operator's SIM-lock is present, and the smartphone initially works only on the Beeline network. But obtaining an unlock code for free at any operator’s store takes less than three minutes (including disassembling the device and checking) and less than one minute simply by using the IMSI number. Code requests via email are also processed and satisfied.

In this regard, of course, the “suppliers” of paid unlocking services are amused, but this is life and “correct” marketing. If the client gladly pays 200 rubles. for a free service, then depriving him of this pleasure is inhumane, you will agree.

Impressions from work

I have no special complaints about the cellular module; the sensitivity is not bad. In automatic mode, it switches between networks normally. Slowness was noticed during the transition from 3G to 4G (LTE) with a low signal level in the 4G network. But, having caught onto LTE, it holds on to it well and does not strive to jump into 3G/2G.

The indicator in the status line suffers from some optimism, showing two, sometimes even three “sticks” at a signal level of about -112 dbm. This is probably not entirely correct, but it is pleasant for the user. Once again I was convinced that even with a very weak signal (presumably in LTE 800 MHz) and depressing speed test readings, the Internet remains comfortable and responsive.

In more favorable places, the smartphone accelerates much better, although it does not show any speed records. Naturally, the speed depends primarily on the network, but it could work faster.

For example, two speed measurements at one point and at almost the same time, on the same server. The bottom result is connecting a Beeline Pro smartphone via Wi-Fi to a modem with a Beeline SIM card, the top result is measuring speed directly from the smartphone. I’m also writing this because it’s possible to use a smartphone as an access point on an ongoing basis, but it’s not very wise.

There are no complaints about the Wi-Fi module. Connects normally, no glitches or failures were noticed. The range is average, but not bad. On par with many other smartphones. There is no 5 GHz band.

Sound. As I already wrote, the multimedia speaker is separate, at the bottom right under the back cover. One or two nearby - I don’t know (most likely one), but the stereo effect is zero in any case. The volume is above average, which is a plus. The vibration motor is so-so, not for outerwear in winter. The voice speaker does not cause any complaints; the sound quality is slightly better than the average budget one (personal opinion).

Battery. Capacity – 2,200 mAh. Full charging time from a standard adapter (1 A) is about three hours, from a 2 A adapter - a little over two hours. The stated talk time is 9 hours from a fully charged battery. In practice, the battery is quite adequate within the framework of the “one day” concept (I “pushed” the phrase!). Jokes aside, that's how it is. It began with an advertising race by manufacturers for thickness, continued with user complaints about “it only works for one day!!!”, and ended with attempts to ensure that the device would work at least this declared “one day” without recharging. Our Beeline Pro lasts for a full day under normal load, the battery is not bad. Want more? Disable all synchronization and do not use cellular Internet, Wi-Fi consumes less. But why do you need a smartphone with 4G on board then? To be fair, with a constant 4G connection, my smartphone worked even a little longer than in 3G/2G mode. It may be a random confluence of different factors, but a conclusion can be drawn: modern devices with modern chips in 4G networks consume energy at least comparable to a 3G connection. And it pleases.

Comparison

At the end of November, MTS began selling the Alcatel OneTouch Pop 2 Dual Sim LTE smartphone, our review. The device is so similar in all its parameters to Beeline Pro that it was impossible to resist comparison. Moreover, the price is also identical: in December, Alcatel OneTouch Pop 2 Dual Sim was still on sale for 4,990, then the price rose to exactly the same 5,990 rubles. Let's briefly look at the main pros and cons (strictly within the framework of comparison!) of clearly competing devices.

Alcatel OneTouch Pop 2 Dual Sim, pros: No operator SIM lock, two SIM cards (the second is only voice/SMS in GSM). Excellent cellular radio module, Wi-Fi range is above average. Many supported 3G and 4G bands. Cons: TFT screen, controversial and very capricious main camera, 0.3 MP front camera (2 MP is declared), fewer AnTuTu “parrots” (21,700).

“Beeline Pro” (ZTE Blade A430), on the plus side: noticeably better and “friendlier” camera, 2 MP front camera. The IPS screen is radically better at the same resolution. There are more AnTuTu “parrots” (29,560). Battery capacity is 10% larger. Disadvantages: operator SIM lock (easily removed, but not everyone knows about it), one SIM card. Fewer 3G and 4G bands supported (important when traveling abroad). Capture satellites a few seconds longer. 7 grams heavier (this is for maniacs).

For me, the main advantage of Beeline Pro is the display; the difference is “conspicuous” in the literal sense of the word. And the cameras are very positive. On the other hand, two SIM cards in the Alcatel OneTouch Pop 2 Dual Sim are a weighty weight on the scale. On the third hand, Beeline Pro appeared 4 months later and was supposed to be technically better. On the fourth hand, the price is the same, and it’s up to you, my dears, to choose.

It’s good that we have a choice of relatively budget LTE smartphones with reasonable characteristics, this is the main thing. Let’s consider this a conclusion, and with this I’ll spare you the traditional “Summary” section.

General characteristics

Type

Deciding on the type of device (phone or smartphone?) is quite simple. If you need a simple and inexpensive device for calls and SMS, it is recommended to choose a telephone. A smartphone is more expensive, but it offers a wide variety of options: games, videos, the Internet, thousands of programs for all occasions. However, its battery life is significantly less than that of a regular phone.

smartphone operating system Android OS version at the start of sales Android 5.0 Case type classic Housing material plastic Control touch buttons Number of SIM cards 1

Screen

Screen type color IPS, 16.78 million colors, touch Touch screen type multi-touch, capacitive Diagonal 4.5 inches. Image Size 854x480 Aspect Ratio 16:9

Multimedia capabilities

Number of main (rear) cameras 1 Main (rear) camera resolution 5 MP Recording videos There is Front-camera yes, 0.3 MP Audio MP3, FM radio Headphone jack 3.5 mm

Connection

Standard GSM 900/1800/1900, 3G Interfaces

Almost all modern smartphones have Wi-Fi and USB interfaces. Bluetooth and IRDA are a little less common. Wi-Fi is used to connect to the Internet. USB is used to connect your phone to a computer. Bluetooth is also found in many phones. It is used to connect wireless headphones, to connect your phone to wireless speakers, and also to transfer files. A smartphone equipped with an IRDA interface can be used as a universal remote control. Glossary of terms for the category Mobile phones

Wi-Fi 802.11n, Bluetooth 4.0, USB Satellite navigation

Built-in GPS and GLONASS modules allow you to determine the phone's coordinates using signals from satellites. In the absence of GPS, a modern smartphone can determine its own location using signals from cellular operator base stations. However, finding coordinates using satellite signals is usually much more accurate. Glossary of terms for the category Mobile phones

GPS

Memory and processor

CPU

Modern phones and smartphones usually use special processors - SoC (System on Chip, system on a chip), which, in addition to the processor itself, houses the graphics core, memory controller, input/output device controller, etc. Therefore, the processor largely determines the set of functions and device performance.