[Product Review] ZTE Blade V5 Lux

Although I would like to think I have a little tech geekiness in me, I found out I was not so much as I thought I was. It was a little challenging in the beginning, for me to try out one of the latest android smartphone model, ZTE Blade V5 Lux. Mind you, it is my first time dabbling with an android phone but I am so thankful that my 15 year old son kicked start this phone for me to use so that I can work on this review. And strangely, I actually got a hang of using it!

Have you heard of ZTE?

I'm not going to bore you with it's history but here's a short introduction about them :

ZTE it is a well-known multinational telecommunication equipment and network solutions company in Shenzhen, China. They are among the top 5 largest smartphone manufacturers worldwide to offer a complete range of mobile devices and aims to be the leading affordable smartphone provider in Singapore and Southeast Asia.

The V5 Lux is a comfortable size for my hand.

ZTE Blade V5 Lux is one of 4 ZTE's flagship models that was launched not too long ago in Singapore. The Lux V5 is a dual-SIM quad-core smartphone and is marketed to be a "great camera for the constant traveler".

I love big phone screens (because my long sightedness has kicked in) without the need for the phone to be bulky and the V5 Lux meets my need so the size is just right. It is equipped with a 5 inch IPS screen display by Sharp and boasts an impressive 1280 x 720 resolution. With a 1GB RAM, it allows users to multitask seamlessly by viewing videos at the same time while browsing the internet or even sending a message. Very useful for people like me, who likes to multi-task.

The other significant selling point for me, would be the dual-SIM feature. This means both SIM cards can be used at once - SIM card 1 being the active SIM card and SIM card 2 is the standby card.  In other words, you have two different SIM cards and you can use them both from one phone. It translates to using SIM cards from different service providers and even from different countries. You can also make and receive calls and text messages from either card at any time. This feature is a must-have for travelers, for staying connected even when overseas.

Probably one of the other important feature that I look for in a smartphone, is it's camera function because I really like to have fun with my phone camera on the go. Let me share some technical information gathered from it's original source :

"It has a Sony 13MP BSI rear camera with LED flash and f/2.2 aperture to capture scenic shots when traveling. The camera function is also preloaded with ZTE’s industry-leading Neovision photography technology that supports independent control of focus, light metering, white balance, electronics aperture and slow shutter speed."

Did you get all that jargon? I had to experience it for myself to be sure.

(Note : the photos below captured from the phone was slightly enhanced with contrast on the phone's built-in photo editor.)

This one was taken indoor in yellow lighting.

This one was taken indoor with some natural lighting.

This one was taken outdoor.

(note : the colors in the photos were not enhanced.)

In my opinion, the photos here were neither too shabby nor too great. Then again, we should not be expecting high end photos coming from a phone camera so I would just say that the photos turn out pretty decent. The colors are not compromised and it is as vibrant as we see it here.  

As for storage space for photos or videos, apart from the internal storage of 8GB, it also has an expansion slot that can take up to 32GB of storage space, which is absolutely good news for phone photography buffs like me!

By now, you would probably be interested to know about it's battery life. In the beginning, upon fully charging the phone, the children and I explored with it via wifi connection at home, without any SIM card. We surfed the internet a fair bit - probably about an hours' usage each day. We snapped many silly photos/videos of each other (no, am not showing you), watched some youtube channels and downloaded some game apps to play. Surprisingly, the battery only started to drain on the 4th night, despite not having it turned off the whole time. Therefore in my opinion, it is safe to say that the battery would definitely last a full day before charging is required.

What I Like About the Phone

It is a great looking phone, affordable and functional mid-entry level smartphone for daily usage. The resolution is rather impressive and it is quite easy to navigate. Anything beyond this can be quite subjective because it really depends what a consumer is looking for. Though I can definitely say that it is a very conventional smartphone if you are considering an Andriod based device. The dual SIM support is an extra plus point when considering this phone.

The ZTE Blade V5 Lux is available at S$329 (w/o contract). Please refer to ZTE Singapore facebook page for store listing.

Till the next post, have a wonderful day!

[Disclaimer : The said product was given to us by Polaris Ltd, the exclusive mobile solutions distributor, for the purpose of a review. There is no other monetary compensation involved and the opinion in this post is purely my own]