UMIDIGI A1 Pro: budget-smartphone with stock Android 8.1
The company UMIDIGI rings a bell for all China-Gadgets fans. Unfortunately, they did not quite convince in our test with the UMIDIGI S2 Pro. Now the release of the new UMIDIGI A1 Pro Budget Phone is due, which will be available in the Chinese online-shops for just $100.
- UMIDIGI A1 Pro
Mix between Xiaomi & Elephone
The name of the UMIDIGI A1 Pro reminds us of the Xiaomi Mi A1, which is unbeatable in value for money. Visually it is a mix of the UMIDIGI S2 Pro and the current Elephone U (Pro). This is due to the rounded corners and the slightly narrower screen edges at the top and bottom. The display also undergoes this modernization and also gets by with rounded corners. In the budget range we know this so far from the new Xiaomi Redmi devices.
The back, on the other hand, is not matt, but virtually radiant. Such a glossy back is often used in budget models. The A1 Pro is available in three different colours: Pitch Dark, Moonlight Silver and Icy Blue. In addition, pictures on the back provide information about the built-in camera. There we find two camera lenses, which are centrally located above the fingerprint sensor, which is also located there. The back is not made of glass, even if one could assume that at first. UMIDIGI probably uses a stable plastic.
Back to the front. There is a 5.5 inch display with a resolution of 1440 x 720p. It also has an aspect ratio of 18:9 and the screen should occupy 85% of the front. This is not an outstanding value, but it shows that the emphasis is on a slightly bezel less design.
UMIDIGI A1 Pro with brand new Quad-Core CPU
The processor used shows that the UMIDIGI A1 Pro is within the budget segment. The MediaTek MT6739 is a quad-core processor, so it works with 4 cores. The clock frequency is 1.5 GHz. Even though this doesn’t sound like much, it should be mentioned that this CPU is brand new and was especially designed for such budget smartphones with Android 8. The new processor comes with 3 GB of RAM, a value that is definitely sufficient. The internal memory measures 16 GB and the battery capacity is 3150 mAh.
What is clear, however, is that a dual camera has already been installed. It consists of a 13 megapixel and a 5 megapixel sensor. Since the S2 Pro has really not spoiled us in these matters, we simply don’t expect too much from the final results. Of course, the manufacturer also like offers us a front camera. The five megapixel sensor supports Face Unlock. This means that the UMIDIGI A1 Pro can be unlocked using face recognition. A nice feature, especially in this price segment – if it works.
Android 8.1 & multiple LTE bands
With the connection options and extras, UMIDIGI manages to round off the overall package. This starts with Dual LTE, which means that both SIM slots are LTE-enabled. In addition, LTE Band 20 is also on board, at least UMIDIGI promises when they talk about global bands. In addition, there is a USB type C slot at the bottom. With this you should be able to charge your mobile phone via Quick Charge. Apparently, the manufacturer has learned from its mistakes. The A1 Pro will feature the new Android 8.1 operating system, which remains nearly untouched. That is definitely better than the skin they had on the UMIDIGI S2 Pro.
Our opionion
To be honest, I was and still am sceptical about UMIDIGI smartphones. However, in view of the price, the UMIDIGI A1 Pro seems to offer a reasonable price-performance ratio. Significant bugs like the operating system seem to have been fixed, but there is a slightly weaker but new processor. In general, the mobile phone is certainly not a groundbreaking innovation, but due to its price it could compete with the good Xiaomi Redmi 5. Xiaomi is probably ahead in terms of performance, UMIDIGI is catching up with features such as face recognition. If you are up for a more powerful smartphone, maybe check out UMIDIGI’s new Z2 and Z2 Pro.
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