Ulefone Note 16 Pro the beautiful low cost smartphone not to be missed!
In the sea of offers for "entry level" smartphones, today I want to talk to you about a product that only has an entry level price, but the technical features push it a few steps higher and consequently it could be a really smart purchase. I'm talking about the Ulefone Note 16 Pro.
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CONFEZIONE
The packaging, as is now customary, holds no surprises... in fact we find:
- Smartphone Ulefone Note 16 Pro
- 10W charger
- USB A – USB Type C cable
- Transparent soft cover
- Warranty booklet – Quick guide – Charging guide
- Clip for similar trolley
AESTHETICS Ulefone Note 16 PRO
The smartphone is presented in order with:
- upper side: smooth
- rear side: 3.5mm audio input, microphone, type C charging input, speaker
- right side: volume rocker (knurled), power on/off button which integrates the fingerprint sensor
- left side: tray for SIMs (dual SIM or one SIM+MicroSD up to 256Gb)
Aesthetically I find it bitter-sweet because as soon as you pick it up you can perceive that it is all polycarbonate, even if it is well made, therefore a little cheap but at the same time I can assure you that... WOW! It's really very beautiful! I have it in the BLUE color and the reflections it gives back, based on how the light hits it, are really cool! I also really like the camera department (dual cam). So absolutely promoted.
Size and weight are also absolutely promoted, we are in fact talking about a device that weighs only 184g and thanks to its small dimensions of 165,0 x 76,4 x 8,7mm it can be used with one hand.
HARDWARE Ulefone Note 16 PRO
In terms of hardware there are some obvious compromises to be made but all in all you can't complain. As CPU we find a Unisoc T606 (12nm production process) Octa Core 1,6 GHz 12 nm, 2 Cortex A75 + 6 Cortex A55 1,6 GHz supported by a GPU Mali G57, up to 650 MHz. The memory RAM is 8Gb physical Lpddr4X expandable via software up to 16Gb, while the memory ROM integrated is 128Gb UFS so from this point of view nothing to envy even to products that are definitely in another price category. This synergy between CPU-GPU-RAM and ROM allows us to have a responsive phone that can be used even with the most demanding games (naturally not at the maximum frame rate) while in everyday use it certainly performs well especially if you don't ask for maximum speed in managing multi tasking.
The biometric sensor for fingerprint unlocking is located on the unlock button and to my surprise it also works very well with a first attempt unlock percentage easily reaching 90%! As for the networks we will have the opportunity to use 2 SIM (dual stand by) in 4G LTE, I tested the download and upload speeds and they differed by poco from another phone of mine (Xiaomi 12) so the networking part is also good and is completed with a module Dual band WI-FI which is within the average. I remind you that if you don't have to use a dual SIM you can use the other slot for an additional MicroSD memory card up to 256Gb. The module Bluetooth è 5.0 essential for accessing high-level audio transmission quality.
The audio is a tad poor, reproduced by a single speaker located at the bottom of the smartphone. The quality is also decent but the power is a little undersized. Nothing sensational, among other things it's something I really think poco important because with a minimal expense we can equip ourselves with BT speakers which are obviously another world compared to even the best dual stereo speaker smartphone.
DISPLAY Ulefone Note 16 PRO
As a display we find a 6.52″ 2.5D unit, an interesting choice for those who do not want to accept the logic of "big pans", IPS with HD+ resolution 720*1600 pixels, 269 PPI, 60Hz refresh rate and 90% screen-to -body ratio. The selfie cam is inserted with a teardrop solution in the center of the display. The brightness is unknown but again I was pleasantly surprised! In fact, I tested it under direct sunlight in August and incredibly it appears brighter than most high-end phones I've tried and I assure you I've tried many. The brightness sensor is also good which, by setting the adaptive brightness, responds very quickly to changes in brightness, always keeping our phone in a condition to be well read. The colors are well balanced, the good blacks I think I can say are among the best on an IPS panel in this price range. All in all we can be very satisfied. Take the video I propose with a pinch of salt due to obvious technical filming difficulties.
Ulefone Note 16 PRO BATTERY
The battery is 4400mAand we have a charger supplied 10w. Here I expected a little more at least in terms of charging. The 10W supplied are a bit small and full charging takes place in around 90 minutes which, given the speeds we are used to today, is an infinite amount of time.
As regards autonomy, I prefer never to express myself clearly as it is influenced by too many factors. In my tests carried out with a single SIM in 4G, half a day on Wi-Fi, I still arrived comfortably in the evening with a residual of around 30%. The use made during the day was the classic/standard one which includes social networks (a lot of FB, poco IG), about 30 minutes of play, some videos on YT, a few calls for a total of about 4.30 minutes of screen time. Perhaps we could have opted for a slightly larger battery, the top would have been 5000mAh, but evidently to maintain this weight of only 184G we had to settle. Here, at this point, however, faster charging, at least at 33W, would have been essential. Overall, the battery life isn't bad either.
CAMERA
As a camera department we have a main from 50Mpx (which shoots in pixel binning at 12Mpx) and a Macro from 2Mpx. The transition from main to macro does not happen automatically and you will not even have the possibility of switching to "first choice" but you will have to enter the "other" menu and from there you will have access to MACRO mode. Automatic HDR is present (but you can also keep it always active or always deactivated) and a series of predefined shooting settings, in addition to the manual mode which will allow you to modify all the shooting parameters. The default ones are the following: panoramic – portrait (with variable aperture) – manual – automatic – ultra resolution – other (timelapse – slowmotion – qr code – MACRO – night – sound image where you can record up to 10 seconds of audio combined with a photo).
With regard to the Selfie we will have one instead 8Mpx but a whole series of beauty filters that can really make you beautiful 🙂 you will be able to improve: shade, acne, tone, lighten, enlarge your eyes, slim your face and emphasize your lips.
The videos are with a maximum FullHD resolution at 30fps for the rear camera and HD 720p always at 30fps for the front one.
After this roundup of technical data you will ask yourself the most important thing... what photo does it take? Well, let's say that during the day the photos are as good as the videos. Like all low-end phones, as soon as the light goes down the noise increases and even our Ulefone 16 pro does not escape this rule. Below I leave you a series of shots and you can judge the quality for yourself. I can tell you that also regarding this aspect I expected worse and therefore I give a good 7 as a final opinion. Of course, I always remind you that my ratings will always be related to the price range in which it is placed and not in an absolute sense.
SOFTWARE
Another positive note regarding the software! In fact we find Android 13 with the security patches updated to July 2023. The UI is fairly stock Android with few customizations, some interesting things and some shortcomings. The first is the impossibility of turning off the screen with a double tap, widget or other SW mode so you will be forced to press the button and this is something I can't stand. Of course, you can change launcher and go to someone (like nova) that has this functionality integrated but I would have preferred to have it in the stock launcher. There is also no possibility of increasing the icon grid to 5 columns, so at most you will have 4 per 5 rows. The third-party launcher also applies here if you want a configuration with multiple rows and columns.
On the other hand, the possibility of setting a scheduled power off/on timer for the phone, 3-finger swipe down for the screen shot, the classic gestures for navigating the menus, the notification history and really many settings to make them as we like them is good. face unlock, smart controls (specific functions via movement of the phone), screen recording, digital well-being and parental controls (essential if it was intended for your child).
The system runs well, lag is minimal, and thanks to the possibility of adding an additional 8GB (software) to the RAM memory, it gives our Ulefone 16 pro good responsiveness in every situation, from reading Google news articles to our social media. In short, in everyday use you will not find any particular critical issues, in fact 90% of users will not distinguish it from a mid-range smartphone.
PROJECTED IMPACT
Having said everything regarding the phone in question I can only draw conclusions, also based on the price at which you can take it home. The list price, for the 8/128Gb model, is €170 which would already be good but thanks to GOOD BANG (thank you for sending the sample) and at our offer you can have it with a truly incredible discount and at this price my advice can only be to buy it, obviously if you are looking for a good phone that does everything well and that doesn't cost a kidney.. I remind you that above BanggoodTo protect your purchases, you can pay with PayPal and the phone will arrive in approximately 15 working days without the risk of incurring customs duties.
At this point I can only wish you happy shopping!
