The Chinese company Huawei is increasingly strengthening its position in the global market every year. The manufacturer is increasingly managing to compete favorably in the middle-class price niche. In addition, the company is famous for producing flagship models. How is Huawei doing with budget products? The Huawei Y3 II discussed in this review will help you understand this issue. This smartphone was announced in 2016. It is a junior model from the budget segment of simple mobile phones. But even in budget devices, the company tries to maintain its high quality bar.
This device contains all the basic and most necessary functions that users are accustomed to seeing in modern mobile phones. However, even in inexpensive devices, the company has found something to surprise and delight its customers. In particular, despite the low cost, the device has not one, but two cameras. The manufacturer also added originality to the model by equipping it with the unusual “Rainbow Diode” function, which is not only a stylish decorative element, but also performs an important task. In order to maintain the intrigue, we will consider this option a little later.
Separately, I would like to note that the manufacturer did not forget about the appearance of this device. Users are offered a wide palette of original color solutions.
Specifications
The internal hardware of the phone may vary depending on its version. For example, the younger version of the model (LUA-L21) runs on the MediaTek MT6582M SOC and uses Cortex-A7 cores. The clock frequency is 1.3 GHz. The graphics are handled by the GPU Mali-400MP2 400 MHz graphics adapter. The older version (LUA-U22) has an MT6735M processor with more modern four Cortex-A53 cores, and the graphics card is a Mali-T720 500 MHz GPU. It is worth noting that the younger model of the Huawei Y3 II smartphone supports a 3G module, and the older version already has support for the new generation high-speed 4G module.
Both the junior and senior versions are designed to work with simpler gaming applications without heavy visual effects. For example, the device has proven itself in games like Two Dots, Impossible Game, Angry Birds, Modern Combat 5. However, if you still want to play games with 3D graphics, then for them to work correctly it is better to set the visualization settings to medium or low level . In this case, the game will play without image delays.
Specifications Huawei Y3 (207)
Huawei Y3 (2017) is one of the youngest in the line. We don't expect anything outstanding from its characteristics.
- Huawei official website.
As it turns out, Huawei Y3 (2017) is also a lottery. There are two versions of the smartphone: with a Mediatek MT6737M processor and a Mediatek MT6580M processor. The first chip is a low-power, but still more or less modern processor with a frequency of 1.1 GHz and Cortex-A53 architecture and Mali-T720MP2 graphics. The second is a very ancient and weak chip with Cortex-A7, not even 64-bit.
Wait, we’ve already seen this kind of division somewhere. Indeed, in 2016, Huawei Y5II had two models with 3G and 4G. The model with 3G was quite weak. And indeed, if you look closely, you can see that the Huawei Y3 (2017) is practically the same Huawei Y5II from 2016, only in a different body.
You can’t expect high performance from such a platform, especially with just a gigabyte of RAM. Needless to say, we got the option for testing with the Mediatek MT6580M.
The drive doesn't shine either: only 8 GB. In this case, as usual, no more than 5 GB is available to the user.
Wireless interfaces are also not the most modern. The screen and camera have already been mentioned.
It’s sad that the manufacturer, having increased the weight of the smartphone, did not decide to increase the battery capacity.
Equipment
The smartphone is delivered in the same bright red branded rectangular box. The package includes: the device itself, battery, documentation, including instructions, warranty and user manual. Also included is a charger, which consists of an AC adapter and a detachable cable. This cable is equipped with standard and MicroUSB connectors; the wire is intended both for the charging process and for synchronizing the device with other devices.
Design
The appearance of the line is made in a rather restrained and at the same time youth style; there are various color solutions in the assortment. In particular, in addition to the popular Huawei Y3 II Black, there are also colors: Arctic White, Rose Gold, Sky Blue and Sand Gold. It is worth paying tribute to the manufacturer that the budget series of smartphones is not without style and variety in design. The dimensions of the phone are quite compact: height is 134 mm, thickness is 9.9 mm, width is 66 mm, and weight is 148 grams. Due to these parameters, the device is very convenient and practical to use.
Among other positive aspects of the device, I would like to note the excellent assembly of the case: it uses high-quality and durable plastic. The housing cover is removable. On the front side of the device there is a touch screen, which occupies most of the space. Above it there is a speaker, a sensor, a front camera and the company logo. At the top end there is a 3.5 mm jack for connecting headphones. At the bottom there is a microphone and a MicroUSB port. On the right side there is a volume rocker and a power button.
On the left side there is an additional “smart button” (Smart Key), which the user can program to perform various tasks. It is noteworthy that the button can recognize three types of clicks: single click, double click and hold. Each type of click can have its own function. For example, you can program a button to quickly turn on the flashlight, so that every time you turn it on you won’t have to additionally unlock the screen. This will be a convenient addition if you urgently need to turn on the flashlight. You can also assign quick access to your favorite application.
On the back of the phone there is the main camera with a flash module, a speaker and the same rainbow diode (Colorful Lights) that was mentioned at the beginning of the review. Now let's look at this function in more detail. This addition is placed around the camera in the form of a metal ring and serves as a notification indicator. The diode signals missed calls, incoming messages, and upcoming calendar events. The user can, at his discretion, choose a color for a certain type of notification, due to which the specific color will make it easy to understand the importance of the information received.
In addition to its direct purpose, Colorful Lights is also programmed to perform an entertainment function: the diode is capable of translating English text into Morse code, as well as flickering in different colors to the beat of the music being played. This is the original and unusual gift the owners of this device received from Huawei developers.
Huawei Y3 II Design
The design of the case, inconspicuous at first glance, after a while seems extremely practical and youthful. It is worth noting the assembly of the gadget: it will not cause any complaints even from the most picky expert.
The entire front part of the smartphone is covered with plastic, which does not make it feel cheap. As always, Huawei did not skimp on materials to present the most attractive product. On the front of the smartphone there is a screen that takes up most of the space. Above it are located: sensors, earpiece, manufacturer's logo and front camera.
As the Huawei Y3 ii lte review showed, one of the main features is located on the back panel - this is the LED ring that surrounds the camera lens. The main function is notification of missed calls and new messages. The lights play happily to the beat of the music.
To the left of the camera module there is a double flash, and below it is the recognizable manufacturer logo. What is notable for this model is the speaker located on the rear panel, the grille of which is located at the bottom left of the body.
The cover is removable - it’s hard to say whether this is good or bad, but for some users this solution is more familiar than the candy bar that is popular today. Underneath there is a battery with a capacity of 2100 mAh. Two separate slots for SIM cards and a separate slot for a microSD memory card. It is worth noting that there is no combination slot, so the user of the device does not have to choose between the storage device and the 2nd SIM card.
The USB connector is located on the bottom edge of the case, the 3.5 headphone output is on the top.
As the Huawei Y3 ii gold review shows, the button that is responsible for waking up the smartphone and the volume rocker are, according to good tradition, located on the right side.
On the left there is a smart button, the functionality of which the user can adjust independently.
If you look at the device from the outside, you cannot call it large; on the contrary, judging by its dimensions, it is quite compact: 134.2/66.7/9.9. But at the same time, the Huawei Y3 ii smartphone weighs 148 grams.
Display
Regarding the screen, it is worth noting that it did not have the highest characteristics, but this is rightly explained by the low cost of the device. The device does not support HD quality, the screen has a resolution of 854×480 pixels, and the image density is 218 ppi. The diagonal size is 4.5 inches. Testing of the display showed that it supports two simultaneous touches.
The developers equipped the device with a budget TFT (Thin Film Transistor) matrix, but it demonstrates excellent response time and a high level of brightness. Due to these characteristics, there is no picture distortion when viewing dynamic scenes. The display also boasts automatic brightness adjustment, which is very rare in phones of this price niche. In general, the screen capabilities are quite enough for comfortable watching movies, videos, reading books and surfing the Internet.
Display Huawei Y3 II
A rarity today are smartphones with a screen diagonal of less than 5 inches from leading brands. However, Huawei thinks not only about fans of “shovels”, but also about connoisseurs of compact dimensions. Thus, the gadget is equipped with a 4.5-inch display with a resolution of 854 x 480 and a pixel density that is close to 220 ppi.
At first glance, the device’s display may seem pale and colorless. The review of the Huawei Y3 ii makes it clear that the screen also does not perform well at angles. However, for surfing the Internet, watching videos and reading, this display is sufficient.
Sound
The multimedia speaker is located on the back of the smartphone - it is covered by a perforated insert, which is also an original design element. The sound of the speaker is loud and high-quality, although it cannot boast of volume and bass. But these capabilities are enough to listen to music, watch movies, videos at high volume levels in a small room. The ringtone is played loudly. The speaker perfectly transmits the voice of the interlocutor; there are no interferences or noises in the conversation.
A standard 3.5 mm jack is provided for connecting headphones.
Cameras
On the back of the device there is a main camera with a resolution of 5 megapixels. The camera has dual LED flash and auto focus, which will help you create the most detailed photos. The pictures taken with this camera are distinguished by good color rendition and detail. With sufficient ambient light, the lens copes well with macro photography. The camera interface provides various settings modes, in particular there are: panoramic mode, macro, decoration and others.
The front camera has a resolution of 2 megapixels, which is quite enough for video communication through various instant messengers. This camera is also capable of taking good selfie photos. A nice bonus from the manufacturer is the ability of the main camera to shoot video in Full HD format, and a stabilization mode is provided to improve the quality of video recording. In addition, the device is capable of recording video in slow-motion mode, which will help you shoot original creative videos.
Huawei Y3 II camera review
When it comes to the camera, the manufacturer decided to do without sensations, equipping its Huawei Y3 II device with a standard set for this price range: 5/2 MP modules, rear and front, respectively. The Huawei Y3 ii black 8 GB smartphone review makes it clear that you should not expect anything special from the camera.
However, the manufacturer makes it possible to fine-tune the cameras to obtain acceptable pictures in good lighting. Of course, in the dark you shouldn’t expect a miracle - noises begin to appear.
Example photo:
The rear camera confidently copes with shooting small objects, while the front camera is suitable for taking photos that will be posted on social networks, as well as communicating with clients via Skype. The Huawei Y3 ii gold lte 8 GB smartphone review showed that it clearly cannot be classified as a camera phone, but for its price it is good.
Memory and memory card
The manufacturer equipped the device with 1 GB of RAM, which is quite a standard amount for a budget device. There is 8 GB of built-in memory, which is enough to install several games, store several dozen photos, as well as a couple of videos of average length. At the user's discretion, the user can increase the amount of memory using an external drive. The phone supports MicroSD cards up to 32 GB.
A positive feature is the presence of a separate slot for a MicroSD card, which will not force you to choose between using a memory card or a SIM card.
Connection
The smartphone in question has support for two SIM cards (Micro-SIM, dual stand-by). The younger model (LUA-L21) supports the following communication standards: 2G (EDGE), 3G (WCDMA/UMTS), but the older model from this line, in addition to supporting the above networks, is already equipped with the ability to support high-speed 4G communications. This standard represents the fourth generation of mobile communications, which is characterized by support for data transmission at speeds of more than 100 Mbit/s.
In addition, both models support the WI-FI wireless network standard, and also carry out wireless data transfer using a Bluetooth connection. The device is also equipped with GPS, A-GPS and GLONASS navigation.
Battery life and performance
On the back side, under the body of the device, there is a removable lithium-polymer battery (Li-pol) with a capacity of 2100 mAh. This type of battery has a low level of self-discharge, which allows the device to operate for a longer time. You can also use special system optimizers to save battery power, but it is worth noting that even without the help of special software, the battery shows very good performance results.
The results of testing the smartphone for battery life and performance show that the battery lasts for 5 hours when playing video in HD quality. With continuous web surfing via a 3G mobile network, the phone worked for 4 hours. If the proprietary software that controls the unloading of applications and the performance of the device is not disabled, but several applications such as instant messengers are running, then the screen operating time will be 4 hours (18 hours in standby mode). The user can also turn on the energy-saving mode at his discretion.
Charging the device from a standard power supply to a level from 0 to 100% charge takes just over 2 hours.
Performance and operating time of Huawei Y3 II
As the hardware basis, Huawai chose a processor from MediaTek - MT 6582, on board which has 4 cores with a maximum clock frequency of 1.3 GHz each. When working with graphic applications, it will be supported by graphics from Mali - 400MP. Touching upon the issue of RAM and built-in memory, the device is equipped with 1/8 GB, respectively. Huawei Y3 ii lte dual sim 2017 specifications are quite budget-friendly; the device is definitely not suitable for modern games.
In order to spend time in popular casual games that do not have special requirements for the processor and graphics, the Huawei Y3 II smartphone is quite enough. Regarding demanding 3D games, you will have to hold on or set all graphics settings to minimum.
Our Huawei Y3 ii 4g full review shows that out of the box the device runs on Android version 5.1.1 with the already recognizable Huawei EMUI 3.1 Lite shell. Thanks to this set, even a person who is using such a smartphone for the first time will be able to master the gadget. By the way, there is a built-in simplified mode that will make using the smartphone easier and more enjoyable. Huawei Y3 ii lte characteristics will be sufficient for the average user who is used to using the device to solve simple tasks.
Compared to the small diagonal of the screen and the energy-efficient processor, a 2100 mAh battery looks like a completely justified solution in this device. Under average load conditions, which includes surfing the Internet, using 3G, watching movies via Wi-Fi, making calls, etc., the device was able to work for almost two full days without recharging.
Conclusion
Huawei EMUI 3.1 Lite looks like a fairly competitive solution in the budget price segment. The device is more than enough for everyday use. By the way, the LED on the back panel captivates every time you notice it. We will be glad if you leave your Huawei Y3 ii black smartphone reviews in the comments.
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operating system
The smartphone has the Android 5.1 Lollipop operating system with the proprietary Emotion UI 3.1 Lite shell. Its main highlight is that now this OS has acquired support for two SIM cards, which previous versions could not boast of. The system has a Simple Screen function - useful for people with low vision. Thanks to it, you can control your smartphone using gestures. In addition to these innovations, the developers also provided the following parameters:
- The ability to instantly connect to Bluetooth and WI-FI networks without having to go into the Android settings menu every time.
- The user can assign important notifications even when the device is in silent mode.
- Changes to the “Important” and “Do Not Disturb” modes: now you can synchronize them with the alarm clock and set notifications to turn on not just for a certain period of time, but exactly at the moment you wake up.
The changes also affected the security of the device: the phone with the new operating system has an improved security function. The advantages of the new system called Device Protection over the usual Android Device Manager still need to be tested by time, but it is already known that the new protection can block it if the device is stolen, even if the thief returns the phone settings to factory settings.
Performance testing
As already mentioned, we came across a smartphone with an outdated hardware platform, almost identical to last year’s Huawei Y5II. Considering that the Y5II was positioned above the Huawei Y3 (2017), for the new year’s model to be on par with last year’s would be an acceptable result.
In Basemark OS, Huawei Y3 (2017) is slightly faster than its rival. However, the difference can be attributed to testing error.
In the Jetstream browser test, the new product performed better, but software optimizations of the new Android probably played a role here.
Identical GPUs in 3Dmark usually show almost the same results.
Huawei Y3 (2017) in Antutu
In AnTuTu, Huawei Y3 (2017) even lost a little to its rival. We are sure that the results of Cortex-A53 would be better. Therefore, look for a smartphone with Mediatek MT6737M processors, and not MT6580M, as we got.
Autonomy Huawei Y3 (2017)
After our standard set of actions, Huawei Y3 (2017) retained 79% charge, which is more than its rival. Given the same platforms and batteries, this difference can be attributed to better power management in Android 6.0.
Graphics, both two-dimensional and three-dimensional, place a very large load on the battery. The screen also consumes a lot of energy when reading. In short, Huawei Y3 (2017) is not a partner for day hikes. You'll have to look for a charger.
Huawei Y3 (2017) does not have the usual Phone Manager, but there is a DuraSpeed function in the settings. It is responsible for closing applications that consume a lot of energy in the background, as well as setting exceptions for such applications. There is one power saving mode.
Bottom line
Concluding the review of Huawei Y3 ll, we can state that Huawei has created a decent budget mobile phone that combines all the necessary functions of a modern smartphone. The device has two cameras, which is quite rare in inexpensive phones. And even more so, it’s unlikely that any budget device will be able to surprise you with the ability to shoot video in Full HD quality. Of course, the low price is reflected in some components; for example, the screen does not support HD resolution.
Among other positive aspects, I would like to note the company’s desire to surprise the user with something, even in such an inexpensive device. In particular, the developers equipped the phone with rainbow diodes, which perform both aesthetic and practical functions. Also, the manufacturer did not forget to pay attention to the originality of the appearance, making the phone look stylish and elegant. And what is also good news is the battery, the capacity of which ideally copes with the tasks and capabilities of the phone.
Thus, this budget smartphone is perfect, for example, for beginners who are just getting acquainted with this type of device, as well as for people who need all the most basic functions of a mobile phone. The gadget will also perfectly cope with the role of an additional phone.
