Overview smartphone BQ Berkeley (BQS-3552) – iXBT.com

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In the old days “doayfonnogo “period, with the advent of mobile devices all of which have suddenly become the same, like twins, life in the mobile market raging diversity, and the market” fauna “was full of a variety of forms and sizes. In those days “smart” phones could still be distinguished from each other in form factor, design, structure, enclosure, each manufacturer while traced his own unique style, design idea was in full swing. In the early years of the Android OS, when were still alive in the minds of developers memories of those legendary times smartphones this operating system also tried at first to do a variety of: drop-down, sliding, were often even models with a full hardware keyboard QWERTY, and there were many such smartphones . Then suddenly, with the release of Apple iPhone, «ancestral knowledge” were once forgotten and erased time in the mobile market reigned uniformity “sensory rectangles.” Howeve r, some manufacturers are now a no-no and yes to remember his youth, would get from distant dusty cabinets of old drawings and pile “something special.” What purpose they are being pursued? Everyone is their own, but in general, most likely, it is a simple desire to give us something to stand out, to diversify its product range, and maybe even surprise contenders.

In the case of the hero of this review, smartphone BQS-3552, codenamed Berkeley, «surprise” may not work, the prerequisite for this is extremely small, but still attempt to escape from the routine of developers monotony certainly commendable. New smartphone for the Russian market the company does not hit their technical characteristics, but due to the almost forgotten form factor with a full hardware keyboard is currently among the Android-smartphone almost unique. Actually, just because of this, this unit and got our attention, all other parameters of the model is quite modest, if not poor, but still talk about this unit we have to.

As for the manufacturer this unusual smartphone, the product of a new brand, we know little about the company and the producer – and even less. Headquartered BQ Mobile Limited based in Hong Kong, all products are manufactured in factories in China and Russia is an importer in the company Antares. Abbreviation stands for BQ as «Bright & amp; Quick» (from the English. “Bright and fast”), while smartphones are obtained as the names of the names of world famous colleges, university cities in Europe and the US, such as Harvard or review today’s hero, Berkeley. Recall that the BQ – is a new brand in the market of mobile electronics, created with the aim of introducing the Russian market products at affordable prices. The composition of products includes BQ tablet computers and mobile phones. Products BQ is not very price and belongs mainly to the budget segment.

There are, as you know, on clothes, and if you follow this concept, then “the clothes” in Russian BQ is not very. Russian site is available, but the official description of the smartphone is infested by bugs, some of which can seriously mislead the buyer. For example, incorrectly specified frequency CPU, it is overpriced, and instead of the real 1 GHz 1.2 GHz indicated. Or take the resolution of the camera: in fact the hardware resolution is just a 2-megapixel (0.3 megapixel in the front), and the site assures that there is as much as 5 megapixel (MP 2 at the front). These figures during shooting achieved by software interpolation and the physical camera parameters are irrelevant. Also incorrectly specified amount of battery, understated weight of the device, even in the description for some reason is not mentioned in the main camera flash, but in fact it is, and that’s such errors very seriously distort the real situation. This meet infrequently, it is hoped that this was done unintentionally creators. Well, the more interesting it will be using these tests to find out what is really the only official in Russia Android-smartphone with a QWERTY-keyboard.

Main characteristics BQ Berkeley (model BQS-3552)

	BQ Berkeley	LG L Fino	Highscreen Omega Prime S	Alcatel Idol 2 mini S	Huawei Ascend G6
Screen	3,5 “, TN	4,5″, IPS	4,7 “, IPS	4,5″, IPS	4,5 “, IPS
Resolution	480 × 320, 165 ppi	800 × 480, 207 ppi	1280 × 720, 320 ppi	960 × 540, 245 ppi	960 × 540, 245 ppi
SoC	MediaTek MT6572 (2 core ARM Cortex-A7) @ 1, 0 GHz	Qualcomm Snapdragon 200 (4 core ARM Cortex-A7) @ 1,2 GHz	Qualcomm Snapdragon 200 (4 core ARM Cortex-A7) @ 1,2 GHz	Qualcomm Snapdragon 400 (4 core ARM Cortex- A7) @ 1,2 GHz	Qualcomm Snapdragon 200 (4 core ARM Cortex-A7) @ 1,2 GHz
GPU	Mali 400 MP	Adreno 305	Adreno 302	Adreno 305	Adreno 305
RAM	512 MB	1 GB	1 GB	1 GB	1 GB
Flash	4 GB	4 GB	8 GB	8 GB	4 GB
Memory Card Support	microSD	microSD	microSD	microSD	microSD
Operating System	Google Android 4.2	Google Android 4.4	Google Android 4.3	Google Android 4.3	Google Android 4.3
Battery	Removable 1500 mAh	Removable 1900 mAh	Removable 1780 mAh	non-removable 2000 mAh	non-removable 2000 mAh
Camera	rear (2-megapixel ; Video 480p), front (0.3 megapixel)	rear (8 MP, video 720p), front (0.3 megapixel)	rear (8 MP, video 720p), front (2 megapixel)	rear ( 8 megapixel, video 1080p), front (2 megapixel)	rear (8 MP, video 720p), front (5 megapixel)
Dimensions	133 × 62 × 11 mm, 123 g	127 × 68 × 11,9 mm, 149 g	136 × 67 × 7 mm, 100 g	130 × 64 × 8,5 mm 116 g	130 × 65 × 7,5 mm, 115 g
The average price	T-11136578	T-11036009	T-10971552	T-10724720	T-10724716
Offers BQ Berkeley (BQS-3552)	L-11136578-10

• SoC MediaTek MT6572, 1,0 GHz, 2 cores, ARM Cortex-A7
• GPU Mali 400 MP
• The operating system Android 4.2.2
• Touch TFT TN-display, 3.5 “, 320 × 480, 165 ppi
• Memory (RAM) 512 MB internal memory of 4 GB
• Support for microSD up to 32 GB
• Support for two SIM-cards (Mini-SIM × 2)
• Communication GSM 900/1800/2100; WCDMA 2100
• Data Transfer 3G
• Bluetooth
• Wi-Fi 802.11b / g / n, the access point Wi-Fi, Wi-Fi Direct
• GPS, A-GPS
• Position sensors, proximity
• Qwerty-keyboard
• Camera 2 megapixel, fixed focus, LED-flash
• Camera 0.3 megapixel (front)
• The lithium-ion battery 1500 mAh
• Dimensions 133 × 62 × 11 mm
• Weight 123 g

Package

Smartphone BQ Berkeley comes on sale in a small box the size of a hard cardboard with several compartments inside. Packaging does not claim to premium level: a lot of different text and images make it quite clumsy. The packaging is very simple, there is no branches inside, all the accessories piled in a heap at the bottom of the box.

The kit consists of a large size, but not too powerful charger (output current 5 V, 500 mA), the connecting cable Micro-USB, as well as a wired stereo headset with a simple plastic headphones without any ambuschyur. Interestingly, in the set also was protective film on the screen, although in the description it does not appear. Plenochka quite small, designed for 3.5-inch small screen, and see everything that is touching, though this concern on the part of the manufacturer, of course, pleasant.

Appearance and usability

If not cheap plastic, from which the whole body is made BQ Berkeley, smart shape and design could be called handsome and successful. The device is accurate and in some ways even elegant, all the proportions are met, nothing hurts the eyes, does not cause irritation. Smartfonchik ladnenko small, not too big, not too thick, perfectly fits in your palm, held securely in your hand, matte surface slippery and messy, not name.

The cheapness of issues, perhaps, only too little weight of the device, which further emphasizes simplicity and primitiveness thin imperceptible matte plastic material of the enclosure. If such a device was made of more complex and expensive materials, the smartphone could be called stylish. But in this case such an epithet applicable.

We do not have a smartphone outside no metal parts, the body is made up of two plastic halves, the back cover is attached to the plastic snap. Keeping the lid tightly, no backlash and makes no squeaks, body assembled surprisingly accurate. Detached from the body cover with a distinctive crunch to stop nail has a small ledge, but you can pry the lid and opening connector Micro-USB.

Under the hood lurks a removable battery, and two full-size slot for SIM-card format Mini-SIM. Memory cards are also supported, the corresponding slot is located on a par with slots for SIM-cards. All cards propped up from below the battery, so hot they can not be replaced.

On the outside of the back of the smartphone embedded square, framed by a ring box in the main camera. Although cheap and modulus of a sufficiently thick shell profile, glass, nevertheless, still protrudes above the surface of a couple of millimeters. Next to it is Simplex LED flash, for which there was no pre-installed application that allows you to use the flash as a flashlight.

Here you can find the main speaker grille, made in the form of gap slots with the usual slightly curved outward twig. It is intended to prevent the overlap of sound surface when the smartphone is the screen up. Near flaunts corporate logo, which is beside the hole dynamics, very much reminiscent of the symbolism of its kind known music brand.

The front part of the front of the screen is covered with a protective glass screen without skirting, cut a hole in it for the brilliant chrome grille earpiece. Nearby you can see the eye of the front camera. Unfortunately, the creators have not provided any indicator for alerts, sorry.

The following is a screen leaving space for hardware control buttons system and applications. These buttons are touch-sensitive, their designations marked with silver paint, and they, unfortunately, do not have no backlight.

The most noticeable feature of the key smartphone BQ Berkeley is a full physical QWERTY-keyboard with four rows of mechanical keys, separated silver jumpers. The keys are small, but comfortable enough, they have not only a clear and moderately stiff and clear response, but also the surface of each of the buttons has an unusual undulating bevel, which allows you to find and separate from each other tactile each of the keys.

As for the purpose of such a keyboard, no special facilities except for tactile sensations by pressing the (many have already forgotten), it does not. There are no special pre-installed software for word – in fact, a complete paper guide is not a word on the appointment of the buttons, which is not very convenient. In general, the work with only one mechanical keyboard is practically impossible, if only because of the fact that the keys are applied only Russian letters, no English, but they are often used when entering passwords, credentials, email addresses, addresses, websites, and more. So in any case often have to use the touch screen, and a virtual onscreen keyboard.

In the locked position by mechanical keyboard buttons are inactive, if enabled, the screen only those buttons are activated, which is marked figures – the first touch takes an instant transition to dial a phone number. In either case, the mechanical keys do not duplicate a function such as the transition to the initial screen or a context menu, so the finger in this case, each time will be transferred to the upper bar with touch-sensitive buttons.

Two more mechanical, more usual volume keys and lock are located on the right side face of the body of the smartphone. The keys are large, metallic, decent stick out beyond the surface and are easily blind. The buttons have a moderately tight and clear progress in general to mechanical controls in the machine BQ Berkeley no complaints.

You can not say about the connectors on the device, which is located on a lower end is so close to each other, at the same time that the attached plugs may well interfere with each other. Connector Micro-USB, of course, has no support OTG, but in addition, he is also so deep that not every third-party Micro-USB cable pulls up to his contacts. At least, connected with branded packaged cords Sony does not give any effect.

no plugs and connector cover smartphone are not covered because the device is not protected against water and dust. Was not found on the body and mounting strap. Smartphone, according to the description on the company’s website the company only offered in one color version – completely black, as shown in our pictures.

Screen

The smartphone is equipped with a touch-BQ Berkeley matrix TFT TN and it is perhaps one of the weakest areas of new items. The screen is too weak in all respects, the fonts of any size drawn on it clearly and ugly, the viewing angles are small, in bright sunlight the screen fades tightly.

The physical dimensions of the display is 50 × 74 mm, the diagonal – 3.5 inches. Display resolution in dots of 480 × 320 pixel density is characterized by a rather low value of 165 ppi.

The brightness of the display has no automatic backlight adjustment, because the machine is no light sensor. Well at least that there is a proximity sensor that locks the screen when held close to the ear of the smartphone. Multitouch technology can handle only two simultaneous touches. On the width of the side frames can not speak, they are at least 8 mm.

For further examination using measurement instruments held partition editor “Monitor” and “Projectors & TV” “Alexey Kudryavtsev. Give his expert opinion on the screen of the test sample.

The front surface of the screen is in the form of a glass plate with a mirror-smooth surface, resistant to scratches. Judging by the brightness of the reflected object, anti-glare display properties are much worse than the Google Nexus 7 (2013) (hereinafter, we compare it with him). The surface of the glass matrix under slightly matte so as screen reflects direct light sources (the outer surface) and the scattered light (the surface of the matrix), it reduces the legibility under strong ambient light. For clarity, we present a photograph in which a screen off both devices is reflected white surface (BQ Berkeley easily distinguished because it is less):

The gray surface of the screen confirms BQ Berkeley written above. Reflected in the screen doubles, suggesting the presence of an air layer between the surface of the matrix and the outer glass. On the outer surface of the screen, apparently, there is no special oleophobic (grease repellent) coating, as a finger across the screen slides bad fingerprints are removed with difficulty, and appear immediately.

In the manual brightness control its maximum value was about 530 cd / m², and the minimum – 30 cd / m².