Pros, cons and characteristics of the Wileyfox Swift smartphone - a blog about information technology: software, hardware, Internet, services, tips. The SAR level indicates the amount of electromagnetic radiation absorbed by the human body while using a mobile phone.

Information about the make, model, and alternative names of the specific device, if available.

Design

Information about the dimensions and weight of the device, presented in different units of measurement. Materials used, colors offered, certificates.

Width Width information - refers to the horizontal side of the device in its standard orientation during use.	71.9 mm (millimeters) 7.19 cm (centimeters) 0.24 ft (feet) 2.83 in (inches)
Height Height information - refers to the vertical side of the device in its standard orientation during use.	143.7 mm (millimeters) 14.37 cm (centimeters) 0.47 ft (feet) 5.66 in (inches)
Thickness Information about the thickness of the device in different units of measurement.	8.64 mm (millimeters) 0.86 cm (centimeters) 0.03 ft (feet) 0.34 in (inches)
Weight Information about the weight of the device in different units of measurement.	158 g (grams) 0.35 lbs 5.57 oz (ounces)
Volume The approximate volume of the device, calculated based on the dimensions provided by the manufacturer. Refers to devices with the shape of a rectangular parallelepiped.	89.27 cm³ (cubic centimeters) 5.42 in³ (cubic inches)
Colors Information about the colors in which this device is offered for sale.	Golden Grey Pink gold
Materials for making the case Materials used to make the device body.	Aluminium alloy

SIM card

The SIM card is used in mobile devices to store data that certifies the authenticity of mobile service subscribers.

Mobile networks

A mobile network is a radio system that allows multiple mobile devices to communicate with each other.

GSM GSM (Global System for Mobile Communications) is designed to replace the analogue mobile network (1G). For this reason, GSM is often called a 2G mobile network. It is improved by the addition of GPRS (General Packet Radio Services), and later EDGE (Enhanced Data rates for GSM Evolution) technologies.	GSM 850 MHz GSM 900 MHz GSM 1800 MHz GSM 1900 MHz
UMTS UMTS is an abbreviation for Universal Mobile Telecommunications System. It is based on the GSM standard and belongs to 3G mobile networks. Developed by 3GPP and its biggest advantage is providing greater speed and spectral efficiency thanks to W-CDMA technology.	UMTS 900 MHz UMTS 2100 MHz
LTE LTE (Long Term Evolution) is defined as a fourth generation (4G) technology. It is developed by 3GPP based on GSM/EDGE and UMTS/HSPA to increase the capacity and speed of wireless mobile networks. The subsequent technology development is called LTE Advanced.	LTE 800 MHz LTE 1800 MHz LTE 2600 MHz

Mobile communication technologies and data transfer speeds

Communication between devices on mobile networks is carried out using technologies that provide different data transfer rates.

Operating system

An operating system is a system software that manages and coordinates the operation of hardware components in a device.

SoC (System on Chip)

A system on a chip (SoC) includes all the most important hardware components of a mobile device on one chip.

SoC (System on Chip) A system on a chip (SoC) integrates various hardware components, such as a processor, graphics processor, memory, peripherals, interfaces, etc., as well as the software necessary for their operation.	Qualcomm Snapdragon 430 MSM8937
Technological process Information about technological process, on which the chip is made. Nanometers measure half the distance between elements in the processor.	28 nm (nanometers)
Processor (CPU) The primary function of a mobile device's processor (CPU) is to interpret and execute instructions contained in software applications.	4x 1.4 GHz ARM Cortex-A53, 4x 1.1 GHz ARM Cortex-A53
Processor size The size (in bits) of a processor is determined by the size (in bits) of the registers, address buses, and data buses. 64-bit processors have higher performance compared to 32-bit processors, which in turn are more powerful than 16-bit processors.	64 bit
Instruction Set Architecture Instructions are commands with which the software sets/controls the operation of the processor. Information about the instruction set (ISA) that the processor can execute.	ARMv8
Number of processor cores The processor core executes software instructions. There are processors with one, two or more cores. Having more cores increases performance by allowing multiple instructions to be executed in parallel.	8
CPU clock speed The clock speed of a processor describes its speed in terms of cycles per second. It is measured in megahertz (MHz) or gigahertz (GHz).	1400 MHz (megahertz)
Graphics Processing Unit (GPU) Graphics processing unit (GPU) handles calculations for various 2D/3D graphic applications. In mobile devices, it is most often used by games, consumer interfaces, video applications, etc.	Qualcomm Adreno 505
Amount of random access memory (RAM) RAM(RAM) is used by the operating system and all installed applications. Data stored in RAM is lost after the device is turned off or restarted.	2 GB (gigabytes)
Type of random access memory (RAM) Information about the type of random access memory (RAM) used by the device.	LPDDR3
Number of RAM channels Information about the number of RAM channels that are integrated into the SoC. More channels mean higher data rates.	Single channel
RAM frequency The frequency of RAM determines its operating speed, more specifically, the speed of reading/writing data.	800 MHz (megahertz)

Built-in memory

Each mobile device has built-in (non-removable) memory with a fixed capacity.

Memory cards

Memory cards are used in mobile devices to increase the storage capacity for storing data.

Screen

The screen of a mobile device is characterized by its technology, resolution, pixel density, diagonal length, color depth, etc.

Type/technology One of the main characteristics of the screen is the technology by which it is made and on which the quality of the information image directly depends.	IPS
Diagonal For mobile devices, screen size is expressed by the length of its diagonal, measured in inches.	5 in (inches) 127 mm (millimeters) 12.7 cm (centimeters)
Width Approximate screen width	2.45 in (inches) 62.26 mm (millimeters) 6.23 cm (centimeters)
Height Approximate screen height	4.36 in (inches) 110.69 mm (millimeters) 11.07 cm (centimeters)
Aspect Ratio The ratio of the dimensions of the long side of the screen to its short side	1.778:1 16:9
Permission Screen resolution shows the number of pixels vertically and horizontally on the screen. Higher resolution means clearer image detail.	720 x 1280 pixels
Pixel Density Information about the number of pixels per centimeter or inch of the screen. Higher density allows information to be displayed on the screen with clearer detail.	294 ppi (pixels per inch) 115 ppcm (pixels per centimeter)
Color depth Screen color depth reflects the total number of bits used for color components in one pixel. Information about the maximum number of colors that the screen can display.	24 bit 16777216 flowers
Screen area Approximate percentage of screen area occupied by the screen on the front of the device.	66.92% (percent)
Other characteristics Information about other screen features and characteristics.	Capacitive Multi-touch Scratch resistance
	Corning Gorilla Glass 3 2.5D curved glass screen Full Lamination Technology 400 cd/m²

Sensors

Different sensors perform different quantitative measurements and convert physical indicators into signals that a mobile device can recognize.

Main camera

The main camera of a mobile device is usually located on the back of the body and is used for taking photos and videos.

Sensor model	Samsung S5K3L8
Sensor type	ISOCELL
Sensor size	4.69 x 3.52 mm (millimeters) 0.23 in (inches)
Pixel size	1.127 µm (micrometers) 0.001127 mm (millimeters)
Crop factor	7.38
ISO (light sensitivity) ISO indicators determine the level of light sensitivity of the photosensor. A lower value means weaker light sensitivity and vice versa - higher values ​​mean higher light sensitivity, i.e. better ability of the sensor to work in low light conditions.	100 - 3200
Diaphragm	f/2.2
Focal length Focal length is the distance in millimeters from the photosensor to the optical center of the lens. The equivalent focal length is also indicated, providing the same field of view with a full frame camera.	3.47 mm (millimeters) 25.6 mm (millimeters) *(35 mm / full frame)
Flash type The most common types of flashes in mobile device cameras are LED and xenon flashes. LED flashes produce softer light and, unlike brighter xenon flashes, are also used for video shooting.	Double LED
Image Resolution One of the main characteristics of mobile device cameras is their resolution, which shows the number of horizontal and vertical pixels in the image.	4160 x 3120 pixels 12.98 MP (megapixels)
Video resolution Information about the maximum supported resolution when shooting video with the device.	1920 x 1080 pixels 2.07 MP (megapixels)
Information about the maximum number of frames per second (fps) supported by the device when shooting video at the maximum resolution. Some of the main standard video shooting and playback speeds are 24p, 25p, 30p, 60p.	30fps (frames per second)
Characteristics Information about other software and hardware features related to the main camera and improving its functionality.	Autofocus Continuous shooting Digital zoom Geographical tags Panoramic photography HDR shooting Touch Focus Face recognition White Balance Adjustment ISO Setting Exposure compensation Self-timer Scene Selection Mode
	Phase detection 5-element lens Angle of view - 79.8°

Additional camera

Additional cameras are usually mounted above the device screen and are used mainly for video conversations, gesture recognition, etc.

Sensor model Information about the manufacturer and model of the photo sensor used in the device's camera.	OmniVision OV8856
Sensor type Digital cameras use photo sensors to take photographs. The sensor, as well as optics, are one of the main factors in the quality of the camera in a mobile device.	PureCel
Sensor size Information about the dimensions of the photosensor used in the device. Typically, cameras with larger sensors and lower pixel densities offer higher image quality despite the lower resolution.	3.68 x 2.77 mm (millimeters) 0.18 in (inches)
Pixel size The smaller pixel size of the photosensor allows the use more pixels per unit area, thus increasing resolution. On the other hand, a smaller pixel size may have a negative impact on image quality when high levels photosensitivity (ISO).	1.127 µm (micrometers) 0.001127 mm (millimeters)
Crop factor The crop factor is the ratio between the dimensions of the full-frame sensor (36 x 24 mm, equivalent to a frame of standard 35 mm film) and the dimensions of the device's photosensor. The indicated number represents the ratio of the diagonals of the full-frame sensor (43.3 mm) and the photosensor of a particular device.	9.4
Diaphragm Aperture (f-number) is the size of the aperture opening that controls the amount of light reaching the photosensor. A lower f-number means the aperture opening is larger.	f/2.2
Image Resolution Information about the maximum resolution of the additional camera when shooting. In most cases, the resolution of the secondary camera is lower than that of the main camera.	3264 x 2448 pixels 7.99 MP (megapixels)
Video resolution Information about the maximum supported resolution when shooting video with an additional camera.	1920 x 1080 pixels 2.07 MP (megapixels)
Video - frame rate/frames per second. Information about the maximum number of frames per second (fps) supported by the secondary camera when shooting video at the maximum resolution.	30fps (frames per second)
	Angle of view - 84.7°

Audio

Information about the type of speakers and audio technologies supported by the device.

Radio

The radio of the mobile device is a built-in FM receiver.

Location determination

Information about the navigation and location technologies supported by your device.

WiFi

Wi-Fi is a technology that provides wireless communication for transmitting data over close distances between various devices.

Bluetooth

Bluetooth is a standard for secure wireless data transfer between various devices of different types over short distances.

Version There are several versions of Bluetooth, with each subsequent one improving communication speed, coverage, and making devices easier to discover and connect. Information about the Bluetooth version of the device.	4.1
Characteristics Bluetooth uses different profiles and protocols that provide faster data transfer, energy savings, improved device discovery, etc. Some of these profiles and protocols that the device supports are shown here.	A2DP (Advanced Audio Distribution Profile) AVRCP (Audio/Visual Remote Control profile) DUN (Dial-Up Networking Profile) FTP (File Transfer Profile) GAVDP (Generic Audio/Video Distribution Profile) HFP (Hands-Free Profile) HID (Human Interface Profile) LE (Low Energy) OPP (Object Push Profile) PAN (Personal Area Networking Profile) SPP (Serial Port Protocol)

USB

USB (Universal Serial Bus) is an industry standard that allows different electronic devices to exchange data.

Headphone jack

This is an audio connector, also called an audio jack. The most widely used standard in mobile devices is the 3.5mm headphone jack.

Connecting devices

Information about other important connection technologies supported by your device.

Browser

A web browser is a software application for accessing and viewing information on the Internet.

Video file formats/codecs

Mobile devices support different video file formats and codecs, which respectively store and encode/decode digital video data.

Battery

Mobile device batteries differ from each other in their capacity and technology. They provide the electrical charge necessary for their functioning.

Capacity A battery's capacity indicates the maximum charge it can hold, measured in milliamp-hours.	2700 mAh (milliamp-hours)
Type The type of battery is determined by its structure and, more precisely, the chemicals used. There are different types of batteries, with lithium-ion and lithium-ion polymer batteries being the most commonly used batteries in mobile devices.	Li-polymer
2G talk time 2G talk time is the period of time during which the battery charge is completely discharged during a continuous conversation on a 2G network.	23 h (clock) 1380 min (minutes) 1 days
2G latency 2G standby time is the period of time during which the battery charge is completely discharged when the device is in stand-by mode and connected to a 2G network.	250 h (hours) 15000 min (minutes) 10.4 days
3G talk time 3G talk time is the period of time during which the battery charge is completely discharged during a continuous conversation on a 3G network.	23 h (clock) 1380 min (minutes) 1 days
3G latency 3G standby time is the period of time during which the battery charge is completely discharged when the device is in stand-by mode and connected to a 3G network.	250 h (hours) 15000 min (minutes) 10.4 days
Adapter output power Information about the electrical current (measured in amperes) and electrical voltage (measured in volts) that the charger supplies (power output). Higher power output ensures faster battery charging.	5.3 V (volts) / 2 A (amps)
Fast charging technology Fast charging technologies differ from each other in terms of energy efficiency, supported output power, control of the charging process, temperature, etc. The device, battery and charger must be compatible with fast charging technology.	Qualcomm Quick Charge 3.0
Characteristics Information about some additional characteristics device battery.	Fast charging Fixed

Specific Absorption Rate (SAR)

The SAR level refers to the amount of electromagnetic radiation absorbed by the human body while using a mobile device.

Head SAR level (EU) The SAR level indicates maximum amount electromagnetic radiation to which the human body is exposed when holding a mobile device near the ear in a conversation position. In Europe the maximum permissible value SAR for mobile devices is limited to 2 W/kg per 10 grams of human tissue. This standard established by the CENELEC Committee in accordance with IEC standards, subject to the ICNIRP guidelines of 1998.

1.242 W/kg (Watt per kilogram)

Body SAR level (EU) The SAR level indicates the maximum amount of electromagnetic radiation to which the human body is exposed when holding a mobile device at hip level. The maximum permissible SAR value for mobile devices in Europe is 2 W/kg per 10 grams of human tissue. This standard has been established by the CENELEC Committee in compliance with the ICNIRP 1998 guidelines and IEC standards.

1.464 W/kg (Watt per kilogram)

The Wileyfox Swift smartphone has good data from birth: a 5‑inch IPS screen, a 4-core Snapdragon 410 processor, 2 GB of RAM, 16 GB of ROM, support for 4G and two SIM cards, Cyanogen OS 12.1 (Android 5.1) shell. And the price is “delicious” - $89 (if you take into account the $20 discount). Alas, as of March 1, the discount was canceled; now the device costs $109. Let's see what kind of “beast” this is, what its pros and cons are.

At the end of October, a new telephone brand Wileyfox (which can be translated as “sly fox”) and two smartphones were presented in Russia: Wileyfox Swift and Wileyfox Storm. Later it turned out that Wileyfox is a subsidiary brand of the popular Fly brand, a well-known manufacturer of budget smartphones. Wileyfox was created to conquer the segment of more expensive smartphones. And this is logical, since the market is gradually becoming saturated with budget devices: consumers want more best characteristics. True, they still don’t want to pay a lot: the crisis is not over yet.

Pros of the Wileyfox Swift smartphone
1. Price. Swift costs $109. Or $89, so you can easily get 20 bucks off. In rubles this is a little more than 8 thousand rubles. For that kind of money it’s not so easy to buy a smartphone with similar characteristics. So Wileyfox Swift is a good buy. And if the dollar exchange rate drops to 35 rubles, the price will not be “chocolate” (just kidding).
2. Memory. On board there are 2 GB of RAM and 16 GB of ROM, of which about 10 GB will be available to you. This is a decent volume (it is believed that this is the merit of Cyanogen). In addition, there is a slot for microSD memory cards. Cards up to 32 GB are supported, but memory cards of larger capacity should work.
3. Screen. Diagonal 5 inches, resolution - 720×1280, pixel density - 294 ppi. Today these are the optimal parameters for five-inch screens. Multi-touch: 10 touches (why so many is unclear, but let it be). The screen is quite bright (up to 530 cd/m2) and contrasty; it fades in the sun, but not much.
The display is made using Oncell Full Lamination technology (protective glass and touch panel are a single whole). Protective glass - Gorilla Glass 3, there is an oleophobic coating.
In addition, in the settings you can adjust the color rendering (LiveDisplay option), set the color temperature, change the sizes of icons and fonts (see the “Screen Density” option in the settings - another Cyanogen feature).
4. Design. Budget smartphones usually do not have an interesting design. Swift is the exception to the rule. There is a thin metal border around the perimeter of the phone, and on the rear side there is a raised company logo and a camera framed by a thin orange border. The back of the smartphone has a rough coating that prevents slipping (however, it gets dirty and scratched easily). The phone comes in two colors: white and black.

5. Working with memory cards. You don't need to root to be able to transfer apps and games from your phone's memory to the memory card (and vice versa).
6. Two SIM cards, 4G (LTE). Now you won’t be surprised by this, but support for two SIM cards, as well as cellular communication the fourth generation cannot but be considered a plus. Both slots support 4G, but if you insert a 4G-enabled SIM card into one slot, the other slot can only work in 2G format.
7. Not bad cameras. The main camera has a 13 MP sensor (4160x3120) with f/2.0 aperture. There is autofocus and dual flash. Front-camera has 5 megapixels (2560x1920) and fixed focus. At 720p, you can shoot video in slow-mo mode (slow motion). In good lighting, good pictures are obtained.
8. Cyanogen OS 12.1. For more information about this firmware, see the “Software” section. Here I will note the ease of obtaining root rights. To do this, you just need to launch the Files application and enable root in the settings.

Cons of the Wileyfox Swift smartphone
1. Purchase scheme. You can only buy a phone through two online stores: https://ru.wileyfox.com/ and http://www.jd.ru/. More smartphones Nobody sells Wileyfox. If so, you will not be able to check the screen in advance for the presence dead pixels(a common problem with the first batches of Swift). Delivery within 1-2 weeks.
The second minus is the price in dollars. At the start of sales, the dollar exchange rate was 62 rubles, now it is 76 rubles. Accordingly, in 4 months the price increased by 1.5 thousand rubles.
2. Warranty. Wileyfox models can be serviced at more than 200 authorized service centers throughout Russia. But it may be difficult to return a faulty or defective device. You can read more here: http://4pda.ru/forum/index.php?showtopic=695612.
3. Working hours. 6-6.5 hours (watching online videos via Wi-Fi). This is a good result for a budget device, but from " sly fox"We were expecting a longer battery life.
4. Poor equipment. There is no charger or headset included. There is a microUSB-USB cable, but it is short - only 40 cm. It is not very convenient to use. The manufacturer took this step to reduce the final cost of the smartphone. If necessary, the branded memory and headset can be proven on the website. However, you can charge your phone from the USB port of your computer and any charger.
5. GPS. The sensitivity of the GPS receiver is at an average level. On a cloudy day, the phone connected to 11-12 satellites in two minutes (19-20 satellites were detected), and the measurement accuracy was 10-11 meters.
6. Button layout. They are located on the screen itself, taking up useful space. At the same time, there is an unused area below the screen where they would fit quite well (see picture: Fly Cirrus 2 on the left, Swift on the right).

Software
Wileyfox Swift is equipped with Cyanogen OS 12.1 firmware, created on Android based 5.1. Cyanogen OS gives you access to a large number of options that allow you to change many system parameters. Due to this, this once fan firmware has become popular among users and is now officially released.
The list of applications is shown not in the form of icons, but in alphabetical order (as in Windows 10).
A number of proprietary Cyanogen OS applications are preinstalled: browser, Audio FX equalizer, mail client and TrueCaller, which works in conjunction with the dialer to help identify unknown numbers and block unwanted calls. There is an application for recording video from the screen and sound from the built-in microphone.
You can easily change the theme (you just need to create an account in Cyanogen OS). You can also change individual components: fonts, wallpapers, icons, status bar, controls, navigation bar, loading animation, and sound sets.
If you tap on the date in the curtain, you will find yourself in the calendar; if you tap on the clock, you will be in the alarm settings. If you slide your finger along the right edge of the curtain, access to the switches will open. If on the left, notifications will open. Double click across the screen will turn off the screen.

Attention! Wileyfox phones use the FPR option, which works similar to Apple's Activation Lock. If someone logs into their Wileyfox phone using their Google account and then resets it to factory settings, then the next time they turn it on they will need to enter the login and password for the account that was entered before the reset. Otherwise, you will not be able to use the device. That is, to change your Google account, you must first delete it on your smartphone and only then reset the settings to factory settings.

Battery and operating time
Battery capacity - 2,500 mAh. The battery is removable, model SWB0115.
The manufacturer promises up to 10 hours of talk time, up to 180 hours of standby time and up to 30 hours of music listening.
When watching online videos on YouTube, the smartphone lasted 6-6.5 hours (brightness and volume in the middle, listening through headphones, mobile Internet and Bluetooth turned off).
In the settings you can select the type of energy consumption: “balanced”, “energy saving”, “high performance”.
The time for full charging from the charger (1 A) in the off state is about 2.5 hours. The charging time from a computer (500 mA USB port) is twice as long.
Pressing the power button once while turned off will show the charge level (percentage). There is an LED indicating the charge level.

Wileyfox Swift Test Results
AnTuTu Benchmark - 24 840
Quadrand Standad Edition - 13 550
3DMark (Ice Storm Extreme, 1080p) - 2 625
Epic Citadel - 58.2 fps 1200x720 HQ
Geekbench 3 - 516 (single core), 1517 (multi core)
The smartphone's turn-on time is 55-60 seconds.

Main characteristics of the Wileyfox Swift smartphone
Number of supported SIM cards - two (microSIM)
Processor - 64-bit 4-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 410 (1.2 GHz)
Video processor - Adreno 306
RAM - 2 GB
Built-in memory (ROM) - 16 GB
microSD support - up to 32 GB
Cellular - 2G, 3G, 4G
Standards:
- GSM 850/900/1800/1900,
- WCDMA 900/2100,
- LTE: 800/1800/2600
Speed mobile internet in 3G - up to 21 Mbit/s
Mobile Internet speed in 4G - up to 100 Mbit/s
Wi-Fi - 802.11 b/g/n (2.4 GHz)
Bluetooth - Bluetooth 4.0
Satellite navigation - GPS/GLONASS
Screen type, number of colors - IPS, 16 million
Screen size - 5 inches
Resolution (pixel density) - 720×1280 (294 ppi)
Multi-touch: 10 touches
Cameras:
- main - 13 MP (4160x3120), autofocus, dual flash
- frontal - 5 MP (2560x1920), fixed focus
Video recording - 1080p (1920x1080), slow-mo (720p)
Inputs/outputs - microUSB, audio (3.5 mm)
OTG support - No
Battery - 2,500 mAh (L-ion, removable)
Working hours - 6–6.5 hours (watch online video via Wi-Fi)
Dimensions - 71x141.1x9.4 mm
Weight - 130 g
OS version - Android 5.1 (Cyanogen OS 12.1)
Available colors: black Sand Stone, white Soft Touch
Device price - $109

• Case materials: plastic, Gorilla Glass 3
• Operating system: Android 5.1.1 + Cyanogen OS 12.1
• Network: 2G/3G/4G
• Processor: 4 cores, Qualcomm Snapdragon 410
• RAM: 2 GB
• Data storage memory: 16 GB
• Interfaces: Wi-Fi (b/g/n), Bluetooth 4.0, microUSB connector (USB 2.0) for charging/synchronization, 3.5 mm for headset
• Screen: capacitive, IPS 5"" with a resolution of 1280x720 pixels
• Camera: 13/5 MP, flash
• Navigation: GPS/GLONASS
• Extras: FM radio
• Battery: removable, lithium-ion (Li-Ion) capacity 2500 mAh
• Dimensions: 141.15 x 71 x 9.37 mm
• Weight: 130 g
• Price: from $110 at the beginning of November 2015

Contents of delivery

• Smartphone
• USB cable
• Film on screen

Introduction

Not long ago we attended the Russian presentation of the Wileyfox company, where we were presented with two affordable smartphone– Swift and Storm. You can read this material at the link below.

From the text it becomes clear that Wileyfox, unknown to many consumers, is, in fact, a sub-brand of Fly. The main feature is that Wileyfox will sell its devices only through the online store, and the devices themselves will be delivered to you from China by courier companies. By the way, they promise fast delivery within a week. It is noteworthy that the gadgets will be covered by an official Russian warranty. Therefore, I would not directly compare Chinese smartphones and smartphones from Wileyfox: in the latter case, you have every right to have your Swift or Strom repaired at more than 200 service centers in our country.

Well, now directly about Wileyfox Swift. To begin with, I would like to translate Wileyfox, since many people do not quite understand the name: “wyley fox” is something like “nosy fox,” and the company’s slogan is “What fox (fox)?” As far as I understand, this is a play on words on English language: “What the f...” In this way, the company wants to make it clear that it is so creative. Fine.

The Swift device is notable for the fact that it costs $109, and with a discount using a coupon it will cost you only $89, that is, at the current exchange rate, about 5,600 rubles. For this money you get a smartphone on Cyanogen OS (Android 5.1.1 with Google service), a 5-inch IPS screen with HD resolution, a Qualcomm chipset with LTE, two cameras of 13 MP and 5 MP, as much as 2 GB of RAM memory, two SIM cards and much more.

The funny thing is that Wileyfox decided not to include a network adapter and a headset in the kit, they say they increase the cost of the device as a whole. It seems to me that such a move is more of a marketing trick, since I am sure that these accessories cost the company pennies.

Design, dimensions, control elements

The smartphone is made in the classic design of Android devices. Swift doesn't have any fancy elements, but the device looks good: the front panel is dark, the display merges with the frames at the top and bottom, reminiscent of the Nexus. The corners are rounded, the ends are slightly sloping, the back cover is flat, but towards the edges it smoothly transitions to the side edges.

A thin, glossy plastic edge runs along the perimeter of the front; the screen is protected by third-generation Corning Gorilla Glass. Despite the budget, the surface is covered with an oleophobic layer, and it is of excellent quality: fingerprints are almost invisible and can be easily erased; the finger glides easily. Somewhat unexpected for a gadget costing 6,000 – 7,000 rubles.

The back panel is made of dark gray soft-touch plastic with the effect of graphite chips - also an interesting solution, everything is better than just “soft-touch”. There is an option with a white lid and front part.

It feels great in the hand due to its small dimensions - 141x71x9.37 mm, sloping edges, pleasant-to-touch plastic, and the Swift weighs only 130 grams.

As for the assembly, my particular device was made at “4+” or “5-” on a five-point scale. Minus for the barely noticeable crunching noise when squeezed tightly in the hand.

At the top center is the earpiece, covered with a round dark metal mesh.

Volume is slightly above average. I can’t definitely determine the quality: very often the interlocutor was heard either with high frequencies and noise, or without noise, but low frequencies predominated. Moreover, the switching occurred abruptly, that is, the interlocutor spoke in high tones, and a second later - in low tones.

To the right of the speaker are light and proximity sensors. There were no problems with them. Even further to the right is the front camera. On the left is an indicator of missed events. Flashes in different colors.

At the bottom end: on the left is a microphone, in the center is a microUSB connector, on the right is a speakerphone.

On the right are the power button and the volume rocker. They are plastic, slightly convex, the stroke is minimal, there is no “click” sound. On top is a 3.5 mm audio output for headphones, a second microphone for noise reduction and stereo sound recording.

On the reverse side there are: a camera module framed by an orange metal ring, a dual LED flash, a red “WILEYFOX” inscription and a large anodized zinc logo. For many users, the “logo” has already worn out in the center.

The back cover of the case is removable and can be removed easily. Below it, above the battery, is microSIM1/2 and a slot for microSD.

Wileyfox and Nexus 5

Wileyfox and Highscreen Boost 3

Display

This device uses a screen with a diagonal of 5 inches. Physical size – 62x110 mm, frame on top – 14.5 mm, bottom – 16 mm, on the right and left – approximately 4.5 mm. There is an anti-reflective coating, which is quite effective.

The Swift display resolution from Wileyfox is HD, that is, 720x1280 pixels, aspect ratio is 16:9, density is 293 pixels per inch. IPS matrix without air gap (Oncell Full Lamination). The touch layer handles up to 10 simultaneous touches. Sensitivity is average.

The maximum brightness of white color is 485 cd/m2, the maximum brightness of black color is 0.75 cd/m2. Contrast – 640:1.

The white line is the goal we are trying to achieve. The yellow line (the average amount of red, green and blue) is the actual screen data. You can see that we are directly below the target curve, which means that for every value between 0 and 90 the image is slightly brighter.

The average gamma value is 2.26.

Judging by the level graph, there is a clear excess of blue, and the value “jumps” depending on the brightness: at minimum brightness there is a lot of blue.

The temperature varies greatly: from 10,000 K at minimum brightness to 7,500 K at medium, and again rising at maximum brightness to 8,000 K.

Judging by the diagram, the data obtained does not correspond to the sRGB triangle.

All gray points are located outside the radius DeltaE=10, which indicates that in gray colors Other shades of colors will be present.

The viewing angles are maximum, at angles the picture is very violet and yellow.

Without going into details, I didn’t really like the screen: I would have liked deeper blacks and a little richer other colors. However, for the money the display is quite normal.

Viewing Angles

Light exposure

In the sun

Settings

Battery

This model uses a removable lithium-ion battery with a capacity of 2500 mAh, 9.5 Wh, model SWB0115. The manufacturer provides the following data:

• Maximum talk time: up to 10 hours
• Maximum standby time: up to 180 hours
• Internet time (3G/LTE): up to 5 hours
• Internet time (Wi-Fi): up to 6 hours
• Video playback time: up to 6 hours
• Audio playback time: up to 30 hours

Oddly enough, the data coincided with mine, since companies usually lie a lot in their favor. The maximum screen glow time is 3.5 - 4 hours (average brightness), the maximum device operating time is 3 days (data synchronization via Wi-Fi only), the average life time of Swift in my conditions (rare calls of 5-10 minutes, constant synchronization via Wi-Fi, mail, Twitter, Skype, WhatsApp, VK and other applications) – 1.5 days and 3 hours of screen light. Under load, the time is greatly reduced: 4G and active use of the device drain the battery in 5 hours.

The battery discharges non-linearly. For example, after you have disconnected from network adapter, within 10-20 minutes the battery immediately drops by 3%, after 10-15 minutes - by 5-7%, after an hour and a half - by another 5-10% (it just lies connected to Wi-Fi). As a result, after a couple of hours of no activity, the battery remains at around 80%. Then in standby mode everything is fine - quiet sleep for three to four days.

Communication capabilities

The device operates not only in 2G/3G networks (GSM 850/900/1800/1900 MHz, WCDMA 900/2100 MHz), but also in 4G Cat 4, FDD 800/1800/2600 (band 3/7/20). There are two SIM cards, both operate in 4G. However, if one SIM card is in LTE, the other will be in 2G.

There is no NFC chip, the rest is standard for any Android smartphone: Wi-Fi b/g/n, Bluetooth 4.0 (EDR + HSP), USB 2.0. My OTG sample didn't work!

Everything is fine with GPS, satellites are detected slowly (cold start about 10 minutes), but the positioning is accurate. Below are screenshots of the track.

SAR indicator – 0.107/0.250 W/kg.

Memory and memory card

It uses 2 GB LP-DDR3 RAM with throughput up to 19,200 Mb/s. Built-in Flash memory is 16 GB, about 10 GB is allocated for installing applications and storing data. Naturally, there is a slot for a memory card (maximum 32 GB). It must be said that the 16 GB built-in memory is extremely slow, applications are installed and launched slowly, and photos take a long time to open.

Cameras

Traditionally, there are two camera modules: 13 MP (module from Samsung S5K3M2 ISOCELL, BSI backlight, pixel size 1.12 microns, matrix size 1/3 inch, F2.0 aperture and 5 lenses) and 5 MP (F2.5 aperture) . There are two flashes - cold and warm glow.

Despite the cost of the device being only about 6,000 - 7,000 rubles, the manufacturer installed an excellent camera module in the Swift, and also wrote good software that processes image data. Therefore, there were only positive aspects: the focus is accurate and fast, the white balance is always accurate, the sharpness is good, the noise is minimal even at ISO=1600. The more expensive Meizu M1/M2 shoots in approximately the same way. That is, I was pleased with the Wileyfox camera.

The videos are ordinary, unremarkable: FullHD at 30 fps during the day and 10 - 20 fps at night and in the evening. Sound – stereo.

The front camera also pleased me - the angle is wide, the white balance is accurate, the sharpness is excellent, there is little noise even at night. Swift shoots high-quality videos in FullHD resolution, with frames from 9 to 30 depending on lighting conditions.

Sample photos

Day

Night

Front-camera

Performance

The Wileyfox Swift smartphone uses a chipset from Qualcomm – Snapdragon 410 MSM8916 released Q3 2014. The quad-core 64-bit ARM Cortex-A53 processor (ARMv8 architecture) is based on a 28nm process technology. The world's smallest 64-bit processor. In terms of performance, it is 50% superior to Cortex-A7. Adreno 306 graphics (400 MHz).

The Snap 410 is not entirely suitable for gaming: maximum settings are coming simple games or highly optimized, 80% of games run on either minimum or medium settings.

Interface. Periodically it stutters, freezes, “crashes” and does other unpleasant things. Are such actions stressful? Of course yes. What to do? “Treat” only with new firmware, because the one that exists is clearly “raw”. I was advised to flash the “nightly” build of Cyanogen, but imagine that I would finish each test device myself and then say in the output: “Yes, the device is buggy, however, if you patch KDE2 under FreeBSD, then everything will be fine.”

Ultra-budget device of a new brand

Today in Moscow the two recently announced first smartphones of the new Wileyfox brand - Swift and Storm - will be officially presented. However, they appeared on sale even earlier, since they plan to distribute the products of the newly created British company, according to the latest trend, exclusively through online trading, and you won’t find it on store shelves. The online store JD.com caused mass hysteria among Russian users by announcing an unprecedented low price of only $89 for the junior model for pre-order. In fact, of course, not everyone received smartphones at the stated price and on time, but modern online sellers have learned to lure buyers so cleverly.

As for the brand itself, a company called Wileyfox is indeed registered in the UK and has its headquarters in this country, but in fact it is a premium brand of the famous company Fly, which has Indian roots and is also officially assigned to British companies. Their connection is evidenced by the fact that Wileyfox became CEO Suresh Radhakrishnan, who also holds the post of CEO and member of the board of directors of Fly itself. This gentleman, by the way, was also planning to visit the capital today to personally attend the launch of his new brand for Russians.

The Russian market has always been quite a priority for companies with Indian roots, such as Fly and Micromax, which cannot be said about the Chinese, who still treat our region without proper attention. Meanwhile, the Indians are already coming to the fore: Micromax, for example, managed to top the list of top sales in the Russian market this summer with its Bolt A79 device, which became the best-selling smartphone in Russia at that time. It is not difficult to guess that among Russians, exhausted by the crisis in the exchange rate of the ruble, the products of the new Wileyfox brand, offered at such dumping prices, will also certainly be a success. For the same Wileyfox Swift model, pre-orders were placed tens of times more than the first delivered batches of goods could provide. Be that as it may, today we have the opportunity to personally find out what it is like, a smartphone for $89, and whether it is worth such close attention from lovers of mobile technology.

Key Features of Wileyfox Swift

	Wileyfox Swift	Xiaomi Redmi 2	Nubia Z9 mini	Meizu M2 mini	Honor 4C
Screen	5″, IPS	4.7″, IPS	5″, IPS	5″, IPS	5″, IPS
Permission	1280×720, 294 ppi	1280×720, 312 ppi	1920×1080, 441 ppi	1280×720, 294 ppi	1280×720, 294 ppi
SoC		Qualcomm Snapdragon 410 (4 cores ARM Cortex-A53 @1.2 GHz)	Qualcomm Snapdragon 615 (8 cores ARM Cortex-A53) @1.5 GHz	MediaTek MT6735 (4 cores ARM Cortex-A53 @1.3 GHz)	HiSilicon Kirin 620 (8 cores ARM Cortex-A53) @1.2 GHz
GPU	Adreno 306	Adreno 306	Adreno 405	Mali-T720	Mali-450MP4
RAM	2 GB	1/2 GB	2 GB	2 GB	2 GB
Flash memory	16 GB	8/16 GB	16 GB	16 GB	8 GB
Memory card support	microSD	microSD	microSD	microSD	microSD
operating system	Google Android 5.1	Google Android 4.4	Google Android 5.0	Google Android 5.1	Google Android 4.4
Battery	removable, 2500 mAh	removable, 2200 mAh	non-removable, 2900 mAh	non-removable, 2500 mAh	non-removable, 2550 mAh
Cameras		rear (8 MP; video 1080p), front (2 MP)	rear (16 MP; video 1080p), front (8 MP)	rear (13 MP; video 1080p), front (5 MP)	rear (13 MP; video 1080p), front (5 MP)
Dimensions and weight	141×71×9.4 mm, 135 g	134×67×9.4 mm, 132 g	141×70×8.2 mm, 148 g	140×69×8.7 mm, 131 g	143×72×8.8 mm, 162 g
average price	$109	T-12086724	T-12411658	T-12748971	T-12423732

• SoC Qualcomm Snapdragon 410, 4 cores ARM Cortex-A53 @1.2 GHz
• GPU Adreno 306 @400 MHz
• operating room Android system 5.1.1, Cyanogen 12.1
• Touch display IPS, 5″, 1280×720, 294 ppi
• Random access memory (RAM) 2 GB, inner memory 16 GB
• Micro-SIM support (2 pcs.)
• microSD support
• 2G communication: GSM 850/900/1800/1900 MHz
• 3G Communication: WCDMA 900/2100 MHz
• Data transmission LTE FDD 800/1800/2600 MHz
• Wi-Fi 802.11b/g/n (2.4 GHz), Wi-Fi Direct Wi-Fi Display
• Bluetooth 4.0
• USB 2.0
• GPS (A-GPS), Glonass
• Camera 13 MP, autofocus, LED flash
• Camera 5 MP (front)
• Proximity, direction, lighting, electronic compass
• Battery 2500 mAh
• Dimensions 141×71×9.4 mm
• Weight 135 g

Contents of delivery

The Wileyfox Swift smartphone is sold in a very small box, almost the size of the device itself, made of hard cardboard. The packaging has a fairly attractive appearance, a pleasant combination of colors is used, a minimum number of inscriptions, there are no pictures, everything is strict and concise.

There was only room in the box for one Micro-USB connecting cable, nothing else was included in the package for a budget smartphone, that is, a precedent has been created when a full-fledged smartphone is sold for sale without any included charger at all - and others will surely follow .

Appearance and ease of use

The Wileyfox Swift smartphone has a fairly calm design; its appearance can be called unassuming. The plastic case, modest in design and simple in structure, does not pretend to be premium, which is not surprising. The device has quite pleasant shapes, straight, flat side edges are combined with fairly strongly rounded corners, the dimensions and weight are quite digestible.

The outer part of the case consists of two parts: a solid plastic trough is adjacent to the screen, which covers not only the back part, but also all the sides, that is, there is no side frame or rim here. The front panel, made in impenetrable black, is almost symmetrical at first glance, and the small circle of the grille above the speaker, also painted black, is almost invisible against the general background. The software interface here can be displayed in all four positions of the device, so you can accidentally take the smartphone upside down and not even notice it right away.

Due to the rough matte coating, this not too large and not heavy device is held quite comfortably in the hand and does not slip out. True, despite the matte surface, fingerprints are still visible on the plastic; the Wileyfox Swift case cannot be called so practical, although for such a price buyers will be willing to forgive a lot for this smartphone.

There are no special complaints about the assembly as a whole; the fairly thick profile of the lid does not allow it to sag under your fingers. However, when compressed, the case still creaks; this effect is almost always present when we are dealing with a similar case structure, where a plastic casing completely covers the entire frame of the device. The mechanical side buttons here are located not on the lid, but on the body itself, so that the smartphone can be used even with the casing removed.

The cover can be easily removed; underneath it hides conveniently located connectors for two Micro-SIM cards, as well as a slot for a microSD memory card. All cards are supported from below by a removable battery, so hot-swapping them is impossible here in any case.

The back surface of the Wileyfox Swift case is decorated with a corporate logo in the form of a stylized fox face (fox means “fox” in English), simply extruded into plastic without the use of silver paint or metal. Nearby, as usual, there are windows for the camera and flash, which also functions as a flashlight. The glass of the camera is framed by a painted wide ring, but it is not protected from contact with a surface (for example, a table), since it is not recessed inside.

The front part is completely covered protective glass Gorilla Glass 3 made by Corning. The developers did not have to worry about backlit buttons under the screen, since the buttons here are virtual, located on the screen.

But the LED event indicator was installed here: a large round LED dot shines quite brightly and sharply in the upper part of the case, notifying in different colors about the charging status and incoming messages. The Cyanogen interface installed in the device by default offers a wide range of settings, including a choice of display color and even complete shutdown this function.

Mechanical control buttons are located on the right side. The keys are not very large and protrude slightly beyond the body, it is not easy to feel them blindly, but the buttons are pliable, the response to pressing is clear, there are no problems with this. The hardware keys do not stand out against the background of the body surface and have a matte, rough finish in common with it.

The interface connectors are traditionally located at the ends: on the top there is an audio output with a diameter of 3.5 mm for headphones, on the bottom there is a Micro-USB connector. The latter is deeply recessed into the body, so the device cannot work with any Micro-USB cable. Unfortunately, the connection external devices to this port in USB OTG mode is not supported here.

On both sides of the connector there are grilles made in the form of an array of small round holes. However, as usual, this does not mean at all that the smartphone has stereo speakers - this is done simply for symmetry, and the speaker is hidden only behind one of the grilles. Behind the second, apparently, there is a conversational microphone.

There are no covers or plugs on the connectors, the smartphone is not protected from moisture and dust, and there is also no fastening for a strap. As for the color design of the case, so far we know only about one option available for sale, black (Sandstone Black).

Screen

Wileyfox Swift is equipped with a touchscreen IPS matrix, combined with flat protective glass Gorilla Glass 3 without edges. The screen has dimensions of 62x110 mm, a diagonal of 5 inches and a resolution of 1280x720 pixels. Accordingly, the dot density is about 294 ppi. The thickness of the frame from the edge of the screen to the edge of the body is more than 4 mm on the sides, 14 mm on the top, and 16 mm on the bottom; The frame looks quite wide for such a small case.

You can adjust the screen brightness either manually or using automatic adjustment. Multi-touch technology here allows you to process up to 10 simultaneous touches. When you bring the smartphone to your ear, the screen is locked using a proximity sensor. The screen does not have an activation function by double tapping the glass, but by double tapping the status bar (at the top of the screen), you can, on the contrary, turn off the screen and put the device into sleep mode.

A detailed examination using measuring instruments was carried out by the editor of the “Monitors” and “Projectors and TV” sections Alexey Kudryavtsev. Here is his expert opinion on the screen of the sample under study.

The front surface of the screen is made in the form of a glass plate with a mirror-smooth surface that is scratch-resistant. Judging by the reflection of objects, the anti-glare properties of the screen are no worse than those of the Google Nexus 7 (2013) screen (hereinafter simply Nexus 7). For clarity, here is a photograph in which a white surface is reflected when the screens are turned off (on the left is Nexus 7, on the right is Wileyfox Swift, then they can be distinguished by size):

The Wileyfox Swift's screen is slightly darker (brightness according to photographs is 98 versus 107 for the Nexus 7). The ghosting of reflected objects in the Wileyfox Swift screen is very weak, this indicates that there is no air gap between the layers of the screen (more specifically, between the outer glass and the surface of the LCD matrix) (OGS - One Glass Solution type screen). Due to the smaller number of boundaries (glass/air type) with very different refractive indices, such screens look better in conditions of strong external illumination, but their repair in the case of cracked external glass is much more expensive, since the entire screen has to be replaced. The outer surface of the screen has a special oleophobic (grease-repellent) coating (slightly better in efficiency than that of the Nexus 7), so fingerprints are removed more easily and appear at a slower rate than with regular glass.

When manually controlling brightness and when displaying a white field in full screen maximum value brightness was about 515 cd/m², the minimum was 22 cd/m². The maximum brightness is very high, and, given the excellent anti-glare properties, readability even on a sunny day outdoors will be at a good level. In complete darkness, the brightness can be reduced to a comfortable value. There is automatic brightness adjustment based on the light sensor. Basically in automatic mode When external lighting conditions change, the screen brightness both increases and decreases. The operation of this function depends on the brightness adjustment, but of the three tested conditions, the brightness changes only in complete darkness: if the adjustment is at a minimum - 3 cd/m² (low), at half scale - 22 cd/m² (normal), at maximum - 515 cd /m² (very bright). Whereas in an artificially lit office (approximately 400 lux) and in a very bright environment (corresponding to lighting on a clear day outdoors, but without direct sunlight - 20,000 lux or a little more), in automatic mode the brightness always increases to 515 cd/m² regardless from the position of the brightness slider. As a result, the auto-brightness function does not work adequately. At any brightness level, there is virtually no backlight modulation, so there is no screen flickering.

This smartphone uses a matrix IPS type. The microphotographs show a typical IPS subpixel structure:

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

The screen has good viewing angles without significant color shift even with large deviations of the view from perpendicular to the screen and without pronounced inversion of shades. However, in the case of the darkest and lightest shades, there is an inversion of the brightness of the shades along one diagonal. For comparison, here are photographs in which the same images are displayed on the Wileyfox Swift and Nexus 7 screens, while the screen brightness is initially set to approximately 200 cd/m² (across the white field across the entire screen), and the color balance on the camera is forcibly switched to 6500 K. There is a white field perpendicular to the screens:

Note the good uniformity of brightness and color tone of the white field. And a test picture:

Color reproduction is good and colors are rich on both screens, the color balance is slightly different. 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 have not changed very much on both screens, but the contrast on the Wileyfox Swift has decreased to a greater extent due to the greater brightening of black, and the white has noticeably turned yellow. And a white field:

The brightness at an angle for the screens decreased (by at least 5 times, based on the difference in shutter speed) and decreased to approximately the same extent. When deviated diagonally, the black field brightens greatly and acquires a purple tint. The photographs below demonstrate this (the brightness of the white areas in the direction perpendicular to the plane of the screens is approximately the same!):

And from another angle:

When viewed perpendicularly, the uniformity of the black field is average, since in one corner the black is noticeably brightened:

We also note a scattering of “broken” pixels. In the case of mobile device screens, sometimes one or two “dead” pixels/subpixels are encountered, but this is the first time we have encountered so many defects at once. The situation is slightly saved by the fact that most of the bright dots are smaller than the size of subpixels and are hardly noticeable, but in any case, a large number of them indicates some kind of violation in the technological process during the production of such LCD matrices. The contrast (approximately in the center of the screen) is good - about 800:1. The response time for the black-white-black transition is 16 ms (6 ms on + 10 ms off). The transition between halftones of gray 25% and 75% (based on the numerical value of the color) and back takes a total of 33 ms. 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 the shadows, but in the highlights the increase in brightness between shades is too small, in addition, the shade of white is noticeably different from shades of gray. The exponent of the approximating power function is 2.10, which is slightly lower than the standard value of 2.2. In this case, the real gamma curve deviates little from the power-law dependence (except for the bend in the highlights):

According to hardware tests, this smartphone does not have any dynamic adjustment of the backlight brightness depending on the nature of the displayed image, which is very good.

The color gamut is slightly different from sRGB:

The spectra show that the matrix filters moderately mix the components with each other:

The deviations of the coordinates of the primary colors from the vertices of the sRGB triangle are not very large, so as a result, visually the colors have a natural saturation. The balance of shades on the gray scale is average, since the color temperature on most of the scale is not much higher than the standard 6500 K, and the deviation from the blackbody spectrum (ΔE) is below 10, which is considered a good indicator for a consumer device. However, the color temperature and ΔE of the white point are very different from the values ​​of these parameters in shades of gray - this negatively affects 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.)

This smartphone has the ability to adjust the color balance by adjusting the intensities of the three primary colors. That's what we tried to do, the result is data signed as Corr. in the graphs above. As a result, on average we improved the balance of shades of gray and even reduced the overshoot of the white point (at the same time, the inflection in the highlights on the gamma correction curve also decreased, and the maximum brightness decreased by only 40 cd/m²). Therefore in in this case It makes sense to adjust the balance.

Let's summarize. The screen has a very high maximum brightness and has excellent anti-glare properties, so the device can be used outdoors without any problems, even on a sunny summer day. In complete darkness, the brightness can be reduced to a comfortable level. The auto-brightness mode is of limited use, as it only works adequately in the dark. The advantages of the screen include an effective oleophobic coating, the absence of air gaps in the layers of the screen and flickering, as well as a color gamut close to sRGB and good (after correction) color balance. Significant disadvantages include low black stability due to gaze deviation from perpendicular to the screen plane and average default color balance. The used LCD matrix also has other unpleasant properties: noticeable inversion of shades in shadows and highlights, white turning yellow at angles, and also excessive a large number of bright “broken” pixels. Nevertheless, taking into account the importance of characteristics for this particular class of devices, the quality of the screen can be considered quite high.

Sound

Wileyfox Swift unexpectedly pleased me with the sound for its level. Both in the headphones and in the main speaker the sound is very loud, bright, rich and, in general, quite pleasant to the ear, while it remains clear at maximum level, the volume reserve is more than satisfactory for any environment. The only criticism here is that the low frequencies are not too pronounced, but in general it’s rare that a smartphone can boast of deep bass, especially a budget phone. There are also no complaints about the conversational speaker, the voice of a familiar interlocutor is clearly distinguishable and recognizable, extraneous noise not noticed, the noise reduction system copes with its task adequately.

The smartphone does not have its own audio player; for this it is used standard program Google Play Music. For manual control, the settings of the built-in AudioFX sound system provide a lot of preset equalizer values ​​separately for the main speaker and headphones. You can also further boost the low frequencies and add virtual volume. There is an FM radio in the smartphone; it only works with connected external antenna headphones, can record live programs.

Camera

Wileyfox Swift is equipped with two modules digital cameras with a resolution of 13 and 5 megapixels. The front module has a 5 MP sensor, optics with an f/2.5 aperture and fixed focus. The quality of the images is quite modest, the images are bright, but the detail is weak and the sharpness is poor. You can control shooting using the hardware power key; there is a face detection mode. Among the convenient features: you can use a special mode for left-handed people, and there is also the possibility automatic installation maximum screen brightness level when turning on the camera. This can be convenient in bright sunlight, so as not to have to turn to the brightness control settings every time.

The main rear camera is equipped with a 13-megapixel Samsung S5K3M2 BSI sensor, a lens with f/2.5 aperture and autofocus and a two-segment bright LED flash. Autofocus is quite slow, but practically makes no mistakes. The interface for controlling the camera is exactly the same as that of other smartphones with Cyanogen. The settings menu is quite laconic, but everything you need is there, including the ability to manually set the main exposure parameters. Additional shooting modes (HDR, night, in motion, etc.) are scrolled in a circle with a regular swipe down. This is not very good, because accidentally, by an awkward touch, you can call up, for example, the “underwater” mode, and the image inappropriately will turn blue. Such a quick change of modes “on the fly” is actually hardly necessary. Camera2 API is not supported by the smartphone.

The camera can shoot video in maximum resolution up to Full HD (1920×1080, 30 fps); it is also possible to shoot in slow motion, but with a lower resolution. The camera copes with video recording quite modestly, but it records sound even worse, and the noise reduction system cannot cope with noise at all. There is no image stabilization here, neither optical nor electronic. Examples of test videos are presented below.

• Video No. 1 (24 MB, 1920×1080, 30 fps)
• Video No. 2 (67 MB, 1920×1080, 30 fps)

	Long shots are well done, although the sharpness drops towards the edges of the frame.
	The camera almost always works well in close-up shots.
	Sharpness can be called bad only in the corners of the frame. The rest of the area is very good.
	The foliage is done well, and only towards the edges of the frame does it begin to merge.
	The edges of the frame remind us that this is a budget camera, but the medium shots carefully hide this.
	The camera copes well with macro photography.
	Good detail in medium and even long shots.
	Sharpness drops off at the edges of the frame, but overall it is very good.

We also tested the camera on a laboratory bench using our method. It is worth noting that the smartphone display incorrectly displays the boundaries of the frame (much narrower than what the camera actually captures), so it was problematic to “fit” well into the stand.

Looking at the camera budget smartphone, we usually do not expect outstanding results from it. Of course, sometimes there are exceptions. But in this case, we have before us not just a good camera for a budget smartphone, but perhaps the best one in this class.

Just for fun, a laboratory test was carried out, in which the camera showed a very decent result, even for a flagship, achieved here due to a good module and moderate software processing. At the same time, the manufacturer did not overwork and debug shooting in low light, so colored noise begins to appear strongly there, and the flash only partially corrects the situation. But in good lighting the camera copes very well.

In real conditions, the camera exhibits shortcomings that distinguish it from flagship ones. The drop in sharpness in the corners and midgrounds is still insignificant for a budget smartphone. Sharping on the wires is practically absent. But the inaccuracy of the noise reduction is felt, but only upon closer examination. Overall the pictures make a very pleasant impression. They are not without shortcomings, but for this class of devices these shortcomings are fully compensated by the price.

The camera is perfect for documentary shooting, and can often cope with artistic work as well.

Telephone and communications

The smartphone works as standard in modern 2G GSM and 3G WCDMA networks, and also has support for fourth-generation networks LTE Cat.4 (FDD-LTE: 800/1800/2600 MHz), that is, the hero of the review will be able to operate in the three most common bands among domestic operators (B3, B7 and B20). In practice, with SIM cards from Beeline and MTS operators in the Moscow region, the smartphone was confidently registered and worked in 4G networks. The quality of signal reception is not satisfactory; the device confidently maintains communication indoors and does not lose the signal in areas of poor reception.

The remaining network capabilities of the smartphone are modest: yes Bluetooth support 4.0 BLE with support for A2DP protocol, only one Wi-Fi band is supported (2.4 GHz), Wi-Fi Direct, can be organized wireless point access via Wi-Fi or Bluetooth channels. No NFC, connecting external devices to USB port It is also not supported in OTG mode.

The operation of the navigation module does not cause any complaints; the satellite detection speed during a cold start is less than a minute. The module works with GPS/A-GPS and Glonass. Among the sensors there is a sensor magnetic field, on the basis of which the electronic compass of navigation cartographic programs operates.

The smartphone supports dual SIM cards. Working with them in the menu is organized on one page in a clear and intuitive way. Any of the SIM cards can be designated as the main one for organizing voice calls, transferring data and sending SMS messages; When dialing a number, you can also select the desired card using the corresponding buttons. A SIM card in any slot can work with 3G/4G networks, but only one of them can function in this mode at a time. To change the assignment of slots, cards do not need to be swapped - this can be done directly from the phone menu. Work with two SIM cards is organized according to the Dual standard SIM Dual Standby, that is, there is only one radio module here.

OS and software

The device uses the Google Android software platform, the latest version 5.1.1, with the latest version of Cyanogen OS 12.1 officially pre-installed with support for over-the-air (OTA) updates. The shell is well known, here the emphasis is not on redrawing the appearance, and not on reorganizing sections, but on adding, expanding and improving existing functions and capabilities, thanks to which the CyanogenMod interface has become widely known and has gained considerable popularity among fans of mobile technology. This customized interface is said to be faster, more cost-effective and more secure. At the same time, in appearance, the interface here is practically indistinguishable from the original Google Android with its Material Design. True, the developers redrawn the themes specifically for the firmware of Wileyfox devices and added a corporate logo in the form of a fox's face as a button to open the application menu.

Among the features: there is a menu of pre-installed applications, but it scrolls vertically and not horizontally, like most smartphones. However, the way the application menu is displayed can be changed to the more familiar “page-by-page” - through the settings menu, which opens with a long press on the desktop. Working with gestures is not provided, but support for hardware buttons has been expanded and additional options for customizing the notification panel have been added. It is also possible to switch between profiles with ready-made sets of settings.

Performance

The Wileyfox Swift hardware platform is based on the Qualcomm Snapdragon 410 single-chip SoC. The platform is familiar, it is a 64-bit entry-level solution, the capabilities of this SoC are modest. The central processor here has 4 Cortex-A53 cores operating at 1.2 GHz. Graphics processing is handled by the Adreno 306 video processor with a core frequency of 400 MHz. The device has 2 GB of RAM, the internal memory is 16 GB, of which a little more than 11 GB is initially free for the user’s needs. It is also possible to use a memory card. In practice, our 128GB Transcend Premium microSDXC UHS-1 test card was reliably recognized by the device. Connecting external devices and flash drives to the Micro-USB port in USB OTG mode is not supported.

According to the testing results, the Qualcomm Snapdragon 410 platform demonstrated expectedly modest results within 20K in the AnTuTu test, against a background of 60K or more in top models and 30-35K in confident mid-level models. As a result, we can state that in terms of performance, the hero of the review is closer to the entry level. However, the capabilities of this platform should still be sufficient for the basic needs of users.

Testing in latest versions comprehensive tests AnTuTu and GeekBench 3:

For convenience, we have compiled all the results we obtained when testing the smartphone in the latest versions of popular benchmarks into tables. The table usually adds several other devices from different segments, also tested on similar latest versions of benchmarks (this is done only for a visual assessment of the obtained dry figures). Unfortunately, within the framework of one comparison it is impossible to present the results from different versions of benchmarks, so many worthy and relevant models remain “behind the scenes” - due to the fact that they once passed the “obstacle course” on previous versions of test programs.

Testing the graphics subsystem in 3DMark game tests,GFXBenchmark, and Bonsai Benchmark:

When testing in 3DMark, the most powerful smartphones now have the ability to run the application in Unlimited mode, where the rendering resolution is fixed at 720p and VSync is disabled (which can cause the speed to rise above 60 fps).

	Wileyfox Swift (Qualcomm Snapdragon 410)	Xiaomi Redmi 2 (Qualcomm Snapdragon 410)	Nubia Z9 mini (Qualcomm Snapdragon 615)	Honor 4C (Hisilicon Kirin 620)	Meizu m2 (MediaTek MT6735)
3DMark Ice Storm Extreme (more is better)	2632	2667	5382	3838	3086
3DMark Ice Storm Unlimited (more is better)	4374	4362	7625	5383	4973
GFXBenchmark T-Rex HD (C24Z16 Onscreen)	-	10 fps	14 fps	13 fps	14 fps
GFXBenchmark T-Rex HD (C24Z16 Offscreen)	-	5 fps	15 fps	8 fps	8.5 fps
Bonsai Benchmark	1655 (24 fps)	1594 (23 fps)	1639 (23 fps)	2322 (33 fps)	2953 (42 fps)

Browser cross-platform tests:

As for benchmarks for assessing the speed of the javascript engine, you should always make allowance for the fact that their results significantly depend on the browser in which they are launched, so the comparison can only be truly correct on the same OS and browsers, and this is possible during testing not always. For Android OS, we always try to use Google Chrome.

Thermal photographs

Below is a thermal image of the rear surface, obtained after 10 minutes of running the battery test in the GLBenchmark 2.5 program (GFXBenchmark did not start):

It can be seen that the heating is clearly localized in the upper right part of the device, which apparently corresponds to the location of the SoC chip. Below you can see the contours of the battery, which heats up a little during intensive discharge. According to the heat chamber, the maximum heating was 42 degrees (at an ambient temperature of 24 degrees). Such heating cannot be called insignificant.

Playing video

To test the omnivorous nature of video playback (including support for various codecs, containers and special features, such as subtitles), we used the most common formats, which make up the bulk of the content available on the Internet. Note that for mobile devices it is important to have support for hardware video decoding at the chip level, since it is most often impossible to process modern options using processor cores alone. Also, you shouldn’t expect a mobile device to decode everything, since the leadership in flexibility belongs to the PC, and no one is going to challenge it. All results are summarized in a single table.

Based on the testing results, the test subject was unexpectedly pleasantly surprised by the presence of support for all the necessary decoders that are needed for full playback of most of the most common multimedia files on the network. That is, to successfully play them you don’t even have to resort to the help of a third-party player - for example, MX Player, although playback there will also support the AC3 audio format, which is good news.

Format	Container, video, sound	MX Video Player	Standard video player
DVDRip	AVI, XviD 720×400 2200 Kbps, MP3+AC3	plays normally	plays normally
Web-DL SD	AVI, XviD 720×400 1400 Kbps, MP3+AC3	plays normally	plays normally
Web-DL HD	MKV, H.264 1280×720 3000 Kbps, AC3	plays normally	plays normally
BDRip 720p	MKV, H.264 1280×720 4000 Kbps, AC3	plays normally	plays normally
BDRip 1080p	MKV, H.264 1920×1080 8000 Kbps, AC3	plays normally	plays normally

Tested video output features Alexey Kudryavtsev.

We did not find the MHL interface, like Mobility DisplayPort, in this smartphone, 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. The test results are summarized in the table:

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 related to the 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 very 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. When playing video files with a resolution of 1280 by 720 (720p) on a smartphone screen, the image of the video file itself is displayed exactly along the border of the screen, one to one in pixels, that is, in the original resolution. The brightness range displayed on the screen corresponds to the standard range of 16-235 - all gradations of shades are distinguished in shadows and highlights - which is required for correct playback of typical video files.

Battery life

Wileyfox Swift has a removable battery of 2500 mAh, standard for modern smartphones. Thanks to this, as well as low-power, economical hardware and an optimized software shell, the smartphone demonstrated a more than decent level of autonomy in all standard use scenarios.

Testing, as usual, was carried out at the maximum level of power consumption without using proprietary energy-saving functions and modes, although the device has them.

	Battery capacity	Reading mode	Video mode	3D Game Mode
Wileyfox Swift	2500 mAh	12:20 pm	9:00 a.m.	4 hours 30 minutes
Xiaomi Redmi 2	2200 mAh	14:20	10:00 am	4 hours 40 minutes
Lenovo A6000	2300 mAh	15:00	9:00 a.m.	4 hours 50 minutes
Alcatel OT Idol 3 (4.7)	2000 mAh	15:00	6:00 am	4 hours 10 minutes
LG Magna	2540 mAh	13:30	10:00 am	4:00 am
Honor 4C	2550 mAh	12:00 pm	8 hours 40 minutes	4 hours 20 minutes
Nubia Z9 mini	2900 mAh	18:00	10:00 am	3 hours 30 minutes
Samsung Galaxy A5	2300 mAh	14:00	11:00 am	4 hours 20 minutes

Continuous reading in the Moon+ Reader program (with a standard, light theme with auto-scrolling) at the minimum comfortable brightness level set at the beginning of testing (100 cd/m²) lasted almost 12.5 hours until the battery was completely discharged, and without auto-scrolling this time would last for another hour and a half. When continuously watching video in high quality (720p) with the same brightness level (at the time of testing) through home Wi-Fi network The device lasted at least 9 hours. In game mode, the smartphone functioned for about 4.5 hours. Full charging time is 2 hours 50 minutes.

Bottom line

As a result, we can state that even despite some shortcomings, the Wileyfox Swift smartphone turned out to be a very good device with a very good set of characteristics for its level. All the components here are of quite high quality: the screen is more than good, the sound is excellent, the body, although simple in appearance, is reliable and ergonomic, and the platform, although not the fastest, is also reliable, economical and, moreover, produced by the leader market, which also adds points to the device. I would also like to note the excellent localization: unlike most budget Chinese smartphones, coming to us from online stores, there were no untranslated hieroglyphic texts or garbage in the form of a mass of added third-party applications. Here you can only find fault with the camera, and even then, for the most part, with the implementation of video and sound recording, while taking photos is very good. You can also note a rather meager set of communication interfaces: the lack of support for the second Wi-Fi band, USB OTG and NFC may be an annoying drawback for some, but for the majority of average users this is more than compensated by the presence of full support for all three main LTE bands used in Russia , which may be even more important. As for the price, now the smartphone is no longer sold for $89; the pre-order price for it is $109, which is still very good for such a good product.

Prettier and more expensive update

In the middle of this fall, the third Wileyfox model in the Swift line, beloved by consumers, went on sale. Before it, the Wileyfox Swift 2 Plus smartphone was released, and as you can guess from the name, it is the “plus” model that is the most advanced in the family. The hero of today's review has similar characteristics to it, but he has less memory (2 GB of RAM and 16 GB of flash), and the main camera has a resolution of only 13 megapixels, thanks to which the recommended cost of this smartphone was lower than that of the older model. However, the declared price is still difficult to call as affordable as the original price for the very first Wileyfox Swift model, with which it all began.

But we’ll talk about the price of the new product later, but for now let’s remind you about the brand itself: Wileyfox is an English brand registered in the UK, so it calls itself “British” everywhere. The brand was created quite recently, in 2015, and in just one year it managed to enter the international market. Wileyfox smartphones are sold in Russia, the UK, and also in a number of other countries. But something else is more interesting for us: under the Wileyfox brand, the company creates mobile devices with high degree customization based on Cyanogen OS firmware, running on the Qualcomm platform, which is rare. The Wileyfox Swift 2 smartphone is no exception; read more about all the features of the new product in this review.

Key Features of Wileyfox Swift 2

• SoC Qualcomm Snapdragon 430 (MSM8937), 8 cores ARM Cortex-A53 @1.4 GHz
• GPU Adreno 505 @450 MHz
• Operating system Android 6.0.1, Cyanogen OS 13
• Touch display IPS 5″, 1280×720, 293 ppi
• Random access memory (RAM) 2 GB, internal memory 16 GB
• Support Micro-SIM (1 pc.), Nano-SIM (1 pc.)
• MicroSD support up to 64 GB
• GSM/GPRS/EDGE networks (900/1800 MHz)
• WCDMA/HSPA+ networks (900/2100 MHz)
• Networks LTE cat.4 FDD Band 3/7/20
• Wi-Fi 802.11b/g/n (2.4 GHz)
• Bluetooth 4.1 + EDR + HSP + LE
• GPS/A-GPS, Glonass, BDS
• USB Type-C 2.0 (no USB OTG support)
• Camera 13 MP, autofocus, f/2.2, video 1080p
• Front camera 8 MP, f/2.2, fixed. focus
• Proximity sensor, light sensor, magnetic field sensor, fingerprint sensor, accelerometer, position sensor, step counter
• Battery 2700 mAh
• Dimensions 144×72×8.6 mm
• Weight 160 g

Contents of delivery

Wileyfox Swift 2 goes on sale in a very thin hard cardboard box, decorated in a corporate style with a predominance of orange. The box has a rather strange shape: the packaging is flat, but square in shape, so there is still more space in it than the contents require.

And the content turned out to be even less than what is required by decency. Charger Not at all, and this practice is not new for Wileyfox. We found in the box only a connecting USB cable Type-C and a key for removing cards. In principle, they are no different in importance from the network adapter, they can also be bought at any store, and in the house there are usually even more of them than chargers, so the logic of saturation of the kit is not very clear. These accessories also could not be included, and the packaging could be limited to a bag of pimples, why not? In any case, this Wileyfox product is not so budget-friendly that such petty savings can be justified. However, we will talk about the price of Wileyfox Swift 2 below.

Appearance and ease of use

Wileyfox Swift 2 has a metal body option, which has already become a classic for most budget smartphones, when only the middle part is actually metal, and the ends are made of plastic, painted to match the color of the metal itself. That is, these are not just inserts on the rear panel, but entirely plastic end parts, where all the input holes of the connectors are made not in metal, but in plastic. In the case of Wileyfox Swift 2, even from a distance these inserts are noticeably different from the metal of the lid.

Otherwise, this is an ordinary modern smartphone, not the largest, but by today’s standards, perhaps even a compact format with a 5-inch display. The device is not big and not small, not thick and not thin, not too heavy, but not so light either.

Smartphone in hand at the expense of your own good sizes It lies quite comfortably, and due to the not very slippery surface and the good shape with flat sides without excessive streamlining, it is not slippery or easily soiled. In general, the smartphone has a fairly practical body.

There are no special complaints about the assembly, the case is strong, but the plastic inserts could have been fitted to the metal lid better. Although, we admit that this is a feature of the pre-production sample.

But if you don’t look closely at these plastic inserts, then in general rear end The case even looks nice. The camera module looks symmetrical with the same round and similar-sized fingerprint sensor platform. I liked the sensor for its clear operation; recognition is not instantaneous, but almost error-free. Simply place your finger on the sleeping smartphone and the display will be activated and unlocked at the same time. True, in the case of an already activated but not unlocked display, for some reason unsuccessful recognitions happen much more often.

The camera is accompanied by an LED flash consisting of two multi-colored LEDs; the flash itself is quite powerful and can work as a bright flashlight.

May the manufacturer forgive us, but I would like to point out that a shiny plaque with many small holes, which plays the role of a grille covering the earpiece, simplifies appearance front panel, it is completely out of place here. A regular dark-colored slotted grille would look much better here.

There are no hardware buttons at the bottom of the front panel; the buttons here are virtual, and their number and order can be changed in the settings at your discretion. Of course, there is no question of backlit buttons, but we can note the presence LED indicator events at the top of the front panel, which shines with a dim dot, notifying you of missed messages and charging status.

The cards are inserted into the side slot, the slide is designed for one Micro-SIM card and one Nano-SIM, and the latter can be replaced with a microSD memory card. Thus, the connector here is hybrid; all three cards cannot be installed in the smartphone at the same time. Hot swapping of cards is supported. The memory card can be formatted as internal storage and then applications can be installed on it.

The mechanical buttons installed on the opposite side face are metallized and have notches on their surfaces, making them easier to feel blindly.

For charging and communication with a computer, a modern USB Type-C connector is used here, this is a good foundation for the future and is still a rare case for a budget smartphone. Connecting external devices, including flash drives, in USB OTG mode is not supported. Next to the USB connector, two symmetrical rows of holes are cut in the end of the case, but the sound from the speaker comes out only through one of them. Behind the other, apparently, is a conversational microphone.

The 3.5 mm headphone jack is embedded in the top end. The hole for the second, auxiliary microphone is located in the same part of the device.

The smartphone went on sale in several color options, including pink. However, it will definitely not be included in official Russian deliveries; only three color solutions are provided for our country, the names of which even the company representatives themselves did not dare to translate into Russian, and left as such: Midnight Blue, Champagne Gold and Tiffany Green.

Screen

Wileyfox Swift 2 is equipped with touch display IPS with protective 2.5D Gorilla Glass 3 with sloping edges. The glass is raised quite high above the metal body with the help of a plastic gasket, due to which this convex effect is further enhanced. The physical dimensions of the screen are 62x111 mm, diagonal - 5 inches, resolution - 1280x720 pixels, pixel density is approximately 293 ppi. The frame around the screen is quite wide: approximately 5 mm on the sides and as much as 19 mm at the bottom, which is especially striking, since there are no touch buttons no under the screen.

The display brightness can be adjusted manually or automatically adjusted based on the ambient light sensor. The AnTuTu test diagnoses support for 5 simultaneous multi-touch touches.

A detailed examination using measuring instruments was carried out by the editor of the “Monitors” and “Projectors and TV” sections Alexey Kudryavtsev. Here is his expert opinion on the screen of the sample under study.

The front surface of the screen is made in the form of a glass plate with a mirror-smooth surface that is scratch-resistant. Judging by the reflection of objects, the anti-glare properties of the screen are slightly better than the screen of the Google Nexus 7 (2013) (below, simply Nexus 7). For clarity, here is a photograph in which a white surface is reflected when the screens are turned off (on the left is Nexus 7, on the right is Wileyfox Swift 2, then they can be distinguished by size):

The Wileyfox Swift 2's screen is slightly darker (photo brightness is 92 versus 101 for the Nexus 7). The ghosting of reflected objects in the Wileyfox Swift 2 screen is weak, this indicates that there is no air gap between the layers of the screen (more specifically, between the outer glass and the surface of the LCD matrix) (OGS - One Glass Solution type screen). Due to the smaller number of boundaries (glass/air type) with very different refractive indices, such screens look better in conditions of intense external illumination, but their repair in the case of cracked external glass is much more expensive, since the entire screen has to be replaced. On the outer surface of the screen, there is a special oleophobic (grease-repellent) coating, which is better in efficiency than that of the Nexus 7, so fingerprints are removed much easier and appear at a lower speed than in the case of regular glass.

When manually controlling the brightness and displaying the white field in full screen, the maximum brightness value was about 480 cd/m², the minimum was 20 cd/m². The maximum brightness is high, and, given the excellent anti-glare properties, readability on a sunny day outdoors will be quite high. In complete darkness, the brightness can be reduced to a comfortable value. There is automatic brightness adjustment based on the light sensor (it is located to the left of the front speaker). In automatic mode, as external lighting conditions change, the screen brightness both increases and decreases. 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 170 cd/m² (too much), in an office illuminated by artificial light (about 550 lux) it sets it to 480 cd/m² (bright), in a very bright environment (corresponding to lighting on a clear day outdoors, but without direct sunlight - 20,000 lux or a little more), the brightness increases to the same 480 cd/m² (to the maximum - this is how it should be); if the adjustment is approximately 50%, then the values ​​are as follows: 20, 480 and 480 cd/m² (the average value is again too high), the regulator is at 0% - 2, 480 and 480 cd/m² (the first value is too low, and the second is too high again) . It turns out that the auto-brightness function does not work adequately, but it can be used to further reduce the screen brightness in the dark if necessary. Only at very low brightness levels does significant backlight modulation appear, but its frequency is high, about 2.3 kHz, so there is no visible flicker of the screen (but perhaps it can be detected in a test for the presence of a stroboscopic effect - we, however, did not succeed) .

This smartphone uses an IPS matrix. In the micrograph you can see a typical IPS subpixel structure:

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

The screen has good viewing angles without a significant color shift even with large deviations of the view from perpendicular to the screen and without inverting (except for the very darkest when deviating along one diagonal) shades. For comparison, here are photographs in which the same images are displayed on the screens of Wileyfox Swift 2 and Nexus 7, while the screen brightness is initially set to approximately 200 cd/m², and the color balance on the camera is forcibly switched to 6500 K.

There is a white field perpendicular to the screens:

Let us note some unevenness of brightness and color tone of the white field visible to the eye.

And a test picture:

The color saturation of both screens is natural, but the color balance is slightly different.

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 on Wileyfox Swift 2 the contrast decreased to a greater extent due to the strong brightening of blacks, and it also began to show signs of inverting dark shades.

And a white field:

The brightness at an angle of the screens has decreased (at least 5 times, based on the difference in shutter speed), but the Wileyfox Swift 2 has a slightly brighter screen. 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!):

And from another angle:

When viewed perpendicularly, the uniformity of the black field is poor:

The contrast (approximately in the center of the screen) is normal - about 850:1. The response time for the black-white-black transition is 23 ms (14 ms on + 9 ms off). The transition between halftones of gray 25% and 75% (based on the numerical value of the color) and back takes a total of 33 ms. The gamma curve, constructed using 32 points with equal intervals based on the numerical value of the shade of gray, did not reveal any blockage in either the highlights or the shadows. The exponent of the approximating power function is 2.05, which is lower than the standard value of 2.2. In this case, the real gamma curve deviates little from the power-law dependence:

In this case, we did not find any dynamic adjustment of the backlight brightness in accordance with the nature of the displayed image, which is very good.

Color gamut is close to sRGB:

The spectra show that the matrix filters moderately mix the components with each other:

As a result, the colors have a natural saturation. The balance of shades on the gray scale is good, since the color temperature is close to the standard 6500 K, and the deviation from the blackbody spectrum (ΔE) is below 10, which is considered a good indicator for a consumer device. At the same time, color temperature and ΔE do not change much 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.)

In the screen settings you can enable the mode with automatic correction color balance depending on the time of day (for the night period the colors will be warmer) and adjust the color balance by adjusting the intensity of three colors. However, it is absolutely not necessary to do the latter; everything is fine with balance.

To summarize: the screen has a high maximum brightness and has excellent anti-glare properties, so the device can be used outdoors even on a sunny summer day. For conditions of complete darkness, it is possible to set a comfortable brightness level. There is a mode with automatic brightness adjustment, but it doesn’t work well. The advantages of the screen include the presence of an effective oleophobic coating, the absence of an air gap in the layers of the screen and flicker, as well as a color gamut close to sRGB and good color balance. Among the significant disadvantages we consider low black stability due to the deviation of the gaze from perpendicular to the screen plane. Nevertheless, taking into account the importance of characteristics for this particular class of devices, the quality of the screen can be considered high.

Camera

The smartphone is equipped with two digital camera modules with a resolution of 13 and 8 megapixels. The front module has optics with an f/2.2 aperture with a fixed focus and without its own flash. The quality of selfie-level shooting is good in terms of sharpness and detail, but not the best in terms of color rendition and noise, especially when shooting indoors. Although in general inexpensive smartphones We've seen much worse selfie cameras.

The main camera has a 13-megapixel sensor and a five-component lens with an f/2.2 aperture. Phase detection autofocus is quite fast and the flash is bright.

The control menu here is its own, the camera application is not taken from AOSP. The menu has remained virtually unchanged compared to previous Wileyfox Swift models; there is a huge variety manual settings, including those that are not very necessary, and in some places, maybe even excessive, but this is why some users love customization. You can carefully choose from as many as 12 different picture sizes and 7 levels of quality (why so many?), not to mention the settings for ISO (up to 1600), exposure, white balance, brightness and contrast.

There are even such little things as a special “inverted” mode for left-handers and increasing the screen brightness to maximum when the camera is on. This, by the way, is quite convenient; there is no need to manually change the brightness of the display every time on the street, as often happens when the viewfinder image is hard to see in a bright environment. Additional modes include night, panoramic, HDR, “in motion” and as many as 25 different modes, including “stable shot”. Yes, yes, apparently, the stabilization function is hidden in the modes section, and it can be turned off and on manually simultaneously with any of these modes. Transfer control of camera settings third party applications You can’t use the Camera2 API, and there’s no way to record pictures in RAW either.

The camera can shoot video in a maximum resolution of 1080p; there are no 4K or 60 fps modes. There is no electronic stabilization function; it is impossible to shoot smoothly and without jerks on the move. And yet, in general, the camera copes well with video shooting: sharpness, color rendition and detail are normal. The sound is recorded with good sensitivity, but the operation of the noise reduction system, as always in Wileyfox smartphones, causes mixed feelings: the sound is sometimes cleaned up, and sometimes surprises with the presence of echoes and distortions, similar to the sound of water in pipes.

• Video No. 1 (39 MB, 1920×1080@30 fps, H.264, AAC)

	Good sharpness across the field and plans.
	The camera has noticeable problems with auto white balance.
	The text is well done.
	Good sharpness across the frame.
	The camera copes with macro photography.
	With the removal of the plan, small details merge quite quickly.

The camera turned out to be quite good. The program generally does a good job of detailing close-up and mid-ground shots. The noise is quite strong, but thanks to the processing it is almost unnoticeable, and problems with auto white balance can be resolved if necessary. Overall, the camera is well suited for documentary shooting.

Telephone and communications

The communication capabilities of the review hero are modest, only two 2G bands, two 3G bands, three 4G bands and only one Wi-Fi band (2.4 GHz) are supported, no USB OTG. On the other hand, LTE supports exactly those three bands that are common in Russia (FDD Band 3, 7, 20), although maximum speed and is limited to 150 Mbit/s (LTE Cat.4). There is also Bluetooth version 4.1 with EDR and even NFC with Mifare Classic support.

The navigation module works with both GPS (with A-GPS) and the domestic Glonass, and sees the device and satellites of the Chinese Beidou network. In practice, the device confidently registered and functioned in the networks of mobile operators in the Moscow region, did not lose connection in areas of poor reception, and quickly restored after loss. There are no complaints about the navigation module: the first satellites during a cold start without a wireless network for data transmission are detected within half a minute, which is not bad. In general, I would like to note that in terms of telephone and communication capabilities, the device works well, there are no complaints here at all. The smartphone is equipped with a magnetic field sensor, on the basis of which the digital compass of navigation programs usually operates.

In conversational dynamics, the voice of a familiar interlocutor remains recognizable, although the sound is rough, with a metallic tint. The main speaker of the smartphone is quite loud, the sound is clear and piercing, the call is clearly audible in any environment. The vibration alert at maximum power is noticeable; in the settings there is a separate subsection for regulating its power.

The smartphone supports dual SIM cards. Standard interface allows you to select a specific card for each function in advance or directly during the connection. Work with two SIM cards is organized according to the usual Dual SIM Dual Standby standard, when both cards can be in active standby mode, but cannot work at the same time - there is only one radio module.

Software and multimedia

The device uses as the basis of the software platform operating system Google Android 6.0 with the Cyanogen OS 13.1 interface is already a more recent version than Cyanogen OS 13.0, on which models such as Spark Plus, which we reviewed in detail a couple of months ago, were previously released.

For those unfamiliar with Cyanogen OS, it is a software developed based on AOSP (Android Open Source Project), which is supported by the world's largest open source Android community. Cyanogen OS uses all the developments of the CyanogenMod project, an add-on for Android that is responsible for customization. At the same time, you need to understand that Cyanogen OS is an independent line of firmware created by Wileyfox developers, and in general, you cannot simply install it on your smartphone with Cyanogen OS current version CyanogenMod. The customized interface contains the maximum possible number of a wide variety of “fine” settings, from adjusting the operation of indicators to full control over button controls. The capabilities of Cyanogen OS even extend to optimizing power consumption, sound settings and expanding the capabilities of the camera and browser, and of course, great attention is paid to security.

There are no unnecessary applications at all, this is what customized shells that have been cleared of extraneous debris are famous for: no pre-installed free social network clients, no demo games, everything is just to the point. For working with files there is a separate file manager, for sound settings - the AudioFX equalizer, for recording video from the smartphone screen - the Screencast program. The rest is proprietary Google apps Android, including Play Music audio player, Play Movies video player, etc., or from CyanogenMod. Any application can be locked so that it can only be accessed using a password or fingerprint authentication.

To listen to music, a regular Play Music player is used with customization options in the form of an installed AudioFX equalizer with preset values. The device sounds quite decent in headphones for the average person, at least the sound remains clear at any volume level. There is a built-in voice recorder and FM radio. There are no special complaints about the sensitivity of the microphones, as well as about the noise reduction system, recordings on a voice recorder are quite legible, a smartphone can be used to record lectures, etc. The radio only works with headphones connected as an antenna, and can record programs from the air.

Performance

The Wileyfox Swift 2 hardware platform is based on the Qualcomm Snapdragon 430 (MSM8937) SoC. The chip configuration includes eight Cortex-A53 processor cores operating at frequencies up to 1.4 GHz. The Adreno 505 video accelerator with a frequency of up to 450 MHz is responsible for graphics processing. The RAM capacity is only 2 GB, which is not much by modern standards, and the user storage is initially about 9.5 GB out of 16. It is possible to install microSD cards, up to 64 GB is officially supported.

We rarely came across the Qualcomm Snapdragon 430 SoC in smartphone reviews, but according to what we received this moment Based on the test results, we can confidently say that this is a platform of a confident average level. And if we compare it with its competitors, then in terms of performance it is clearly between MediaTek MT6753 and MediaTek MT6755 (Helio P10), mid-level MediaTek solutions that were very common last year and this season.

The capabilities of this SoC are not outstanding, but they are still quite sufficient to perform most of the tasks assigned to a modern mobile assistant. The platform does not provide high numbers in benchmarks, but it quite confidently copes with any tasks, including demanding games. Even the rather resource-hungry Dead Trigger 2 runs without any slowdowns, not to mention less demanding games like World of Tanks, any of which can be played quite comfortably on the Wileyfox Swift 2.

Testing in the latest versions of comprehensive tests AnTuTu and GeekBench:

For convenience, we have compiled all the results we obtained when testing the smartphone in the latest versions of popular benchmarks into tables. The table usually adds several other devices from different segments, also tested on similar latest versions of benchmarks (this is done only for a visual assessment of the obtained dry figures). Unfortunately, within the framework of one comparison it is impossible to present the results from different versions of benchmarks, so many worthy and relevant models remain “behind the scenes” - due to the fact that they once passed the “obstacle course” on previous versions of test programs.

Testing the graphics subsystem in gaming tests 3DMark, GFXBenchmark and Bonsai Benchmark:

When testing in 3DMark, the most powerful smartphones now have the ability to run the application in Unlimited mode, where the rendering resolution is fixed at 720p and VSync is disabled (which can cause the speed to rise above 60 fps).

	Wileyfox Swift 2 (Qualcomm Snapdragon 430)	Doogee T6 Pro (MediaTek MT6753)	Umi Plus (MediaTek MT6755)	LeEco Le 2 (Qualcomm Snapdragon 652)	Leagoo T1 (MediaTek MT6737)
3DMark Ice Storm Sling Shot (more is better)	295	198	415	812	103
GFXBenchmark Manhattan ES 3.1 (Onscreen, fps)	11	7	5	9	3
GFXBenchmark Manhattan ES 3.1 (1080p Offscreen, fps)	4	3	5	9	1
GFXBenchmark T-Rex (Onscreen, fps)	21	19	17	24	11
GFXBenchmark T-Rex (1080p Offscreen, fps)	16	12	17	31	6

Browser cross-platform tests:

As for benchmarks for assessing the speed of the javascript engine, you should always make allowance for the fact that their results significantly depend on the browser in which they are launched, so the comparison can only be truly correct on the same OS and browsers, and this is possible during testing not always. For Android OS, we always try to use Google Chrome.

the most common formats that make up the bulk of the content available on the Web. Note that for mobile devices it is important to have support for hardware video decoding at the chip level, since it is most often impossible to process modern options using processor cores alone. Also, you shouldn’t expect a mobile device to decode everything, since the leadership in flexibility belongs to the PC, and no one is going to challenge it. All results are summarized in a table.

According to the testing results, the test subject was not equipped with all the necessary decoders that are needed to fully play most of the most common multimedia files on the network, in this case, audio files. To successfully play them, you will have to resort to the help of a third-party player - for example, MX Player. True, it is also necessary to change the settings and manually install additional custom codecs, because now this player does not officially support the AC3 sound format.

Format	Container, video, sound	MX Video Player	Standard video player
BDRip 720p	MKV, H.264 1280×720, 24fps, AAC	plays normally	plays normally
BDRip 720p	MKV, H.264 1280×720, 24fps, AC3		The video plays fine, there is no sound
BDRip 1080p	MKV, H.264 1920×1080, 24fps, AAC	plays normally	plays normally
BDRip 1080p	MKV, H.264 1920×1080, 24fps, AC3	The video plays fine, there is no sound	The video plays fine, there is no sound

Further testing of video playback was performed Alexey Kudryavtsev.

Due to the lack of the necessary adapter, we could not check the hypothetical presence of the MHL interface, as well as Mobility DisplayPort, 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 “Methodology for testing video playback and display devices. Version 1 (for mobile devices)

720/24p Great No

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 frame output criterion, the quality of playback of video files on the screen of the smartphone itself is good, since in most cases frames (or groups of frames) can (but are not required) be output with more or less uniform alternation of intervals and without skipping frames. When playing video files with a resolution of 1280 by 720 pixels (720p) on a smartphone screen, the image of the video file itself is displayed exactly along the border of the screen, one to one in pixels, that is, in the original resolution. The brightness range displayed on the screen corresponds to the standard range of 16-235: in the shadows only a couple of shades merge with black, and in the highlights all gradations of shades are displayed.

Battery life

Fixed accumulator battery, installed in Wileyfox Swift 2, received a capacity of 2700 mAh that is not so large by modern standards. On the other hand, there is no energy-intensive screen with high resolution, nor a demanding hardware platform. As a result, the smartphone is able to easily last a day without recharging, although in any case we are not looking at a long-lived smartphone, but an ordinary solid average in terms of autonomy. Testing has traditionally been carried out at normal power consumption levels without using the power saving mode.

Continuous reading in the Moon+ Reader program (with a standard, light theme) at a minimum comfortable brightness level (brightness was set to 100 cd/m²) with auto-scrolling lasted until the battery was completely discharged for about 11.5 hours, and when continuously watching videos in high quality ( 720p) with the same brightness level via a home Wi-Fi network, the device operates for approximately 9 hours. In 3D gaming mode, the smartphone works for up to 5 hours.

The device supports the proprietary fast charging function Qualcomm Quick Charge 3.0, but does not have a complete network adapter. From a third-party charger with a maximum output current of 2 A at a voltage of 5 V, the smartphone does not charge so quickly - within about 2 hours (with a current of 1.75 A at a voltage of 5 V). Wireless charging smartphone does not support.

Bottom line

The Wileyfox Swift 2 smartphone is already on sale with us at a recommended price of 10,990. You can purchase the device in the official online store wileyfox.com and flystore.ru, as well as in Euroset cellular stores. The smartphone is covered by a one-year official warranty from the manufacturer itself.

The smartphone is no longer as cheap as the very first Wileyfox. In principle, this was to be expected: as in the case of the first Google Nexus models, which were sold at dumping prices “for starters,” all this was bound to end someday. Now the Wileyfox Swift 2 smartphone for 11 thousand rubles has many rivals, especially among Xiaomi products that are not officially certified, although, of course, it is not entirely correct to directly compare the prices of such solutions. Wileyfox Swift 2 is an essentially interesting device with a good screen, sound, battery life and a more or less practical body, a small but still satisfactory set of communication capabilities and not the worst cameras. However, now this smartphone is frankly overrated. As soon as the price drops below 9 thousand rubles, it will be possible to talk about a favorable combination of characteristics and price, but for now, unfortunately, affordability is not one of the attractive aspects of the Wileyfox Swift 2 model.

In conclusion, we suggest watching our video review of the Wileyfox Swift 2 smartphone: