In the extensive model range Russian smartphone company BQ replenishment: the inexpensive monoblock Magic O with a bright memorable appearance. In retail at the time of testing it cost 8,500 rubles, and it has a number of features that distinguish it from the “classmates”.
The smartphone has a screen with a very thin part of the small round neck shape selfie camera, the ability to charge other smartphones and interesting the available colors: dark blue, dark red and gradient (from purple to blue). In our test the last variant, the brightest available.
Before the review we will add that Magic O is the top line model Magic. Simultaneously with it came the smartphone Magic E (6042L), a budget candybar cost 6,000 rubles. It is characterized by the presence of battery 2950 mAh, screen 6.09 inches with a keyhole under the camera, 32 GB memory, camera 13+0.3 and 5 MP, as well as eight cores in the processor and, importantly, an NFC chip.
Proceed to test Magic O.
Packing and delivery
Packing BQ Magic O is a relatively small box made of cardboard. The image of the smartphone on it is missing, instead on the top cover depicted a giant Ferris wheel.
Box is made in a combination of corporate colors of the company – red and white, they are everywhere. Below you can see the list of characteristics, though very detailed – it shows the main hardware features of the device. There is also a list of accessories supplied in the kit. It lists everything in the box except protective (not shipping) of the film deposited on the display at the factory.
With informative packaging from Magic O everything is in order, but, in our opinion, a small render of the smartphone still would not hurt. So, the smartphone comes with a 10-watt power supply (5 volts, 2 amperes), charging cable with connector USB-C, USB-C headphone with 3.5 mm connector and a paper clip to eject SIM cards. Also there is a warranty card and a detailed manual.
The specs sheet
Features its new smartphone BQ stated on the box with him, in the instructions and on the official website. The information in these sources varies: on the box, for example, indicate the presence of only one satellite receiver (GLONASS), while in fact, the smartphone has GPS mentioned on the website. During the test we made sure that the smartphone is equipped with two receivers.
– screen: 6.35 inch, IPS, resolution 1560х720 pixel density 269 dots per inch;
– processor: MediaTek MT6763V (Helio P23), 8 cores, 2 GHz;
– video: built-in CPU, Mali G71;
– memory: 3 GB RAM, 32 GB built-in, microSD up to 128 GB;
interface: 2xSIM, microSD, USB C;
– wireless connectivity: GSM, 3G, LTE, NFC, GPS, GLONASS, FM tuner, Wi-Fi 802.11 n, Bluetooth 4.2;
firmware: Android 9 Pie, basic interface Material UI;
– battery: lithium-ion, built-in, 3900 mAh;
– camera: main 13+2+0,3 MP, front 5 MP;
– security: fingerprint scanner, unlocking the face;
– housing material: plastic;
– case color: dark red, dark blue, gradient;
– dimensions: 159х75х9 mm;
– weight: 179 grams;
features: reverse charging.
In this list you should pay attention primarily on the function of reverse charging. This means that the smartphone can be used as an external battery for a range of devices, including tablets and other smartphones.
It is also worth to consider separately the tray under the SIM card. In this model BQ expressed a preference for a hybrid model: it can be set by either two cards nanoSIM or a nanoSIM in a pair of storage microSD.
Appearance
As mentioned above, to test the smartphone have been provided to us in a most peculiar hue – gradient. Due to it, in our opinion, the device looks much more expensive than “classmates”, though at least twice. Unusual color in this model applies not only to the back panel, but also on all the ends and front side of all versions remains black
Front panel O Magic also makes you wonder: is extremely rare to find a cheaper smartphone 10000 rubles with a selfie camera, built right into the screen. Again: BQ integrated directly into the display, as the top segment. Due to this, immediately reduce the thickness of the upper frame, and it is now barely noticeable, and it remained solely under the speaker.
Sensors of light and proximity front no more – they moved to the upper end of the body that did not spoil the overall appearance of the smartphone. At the end, on the front panel there are only speaker Yes display camera, while the side of the screen, like the top, got downright minimum thickness.
From the bottom “chin” screen Magic O could not get rid of – it is, and compared to other frameworks it seems very wide.
Behind the main chamber is made as a single unit and placed vertically in the upper left corner of the case. It combines three sensor and flash on the basis of a single led. Nearby is the fingerprint scanner.
The location of the other elements of the case classic for smartphones on Android the volume buttons and the inclusion – at the end on the right, a tray for SIM-card – the left and the microphone together with speaker and charging port at the bottom.
Ergonomics
Magic O cannot be described as a compact smartphone – despite the slim design and minimal display frame it is quite large, precisely because of its big screen. Girls with small hands it may seem awkward, but to men, even with small hands it fit optimally.
The overall ergonomics of the Magic O designed at a high enough level: body, despite the glossy coating, holding in the hand and does not slip until the fingerprint scanner is easy to reach with the index finger, and he will enter the camera unit and the main speaker is not closed hand. To find fault with what the smartphone cannot be operated with one hand, it is not necessary – it is generally necessary to forget, that possibility remained in the distant past, along with a 4-inch cell phones.
The only complaint about the smartphone part of ergonomics refers to the covering of the case is very strong brand. Take the phone in hands and to leave at least one fingerprint is impossible, but it’s a common problem with all glossy devices. It can be solved only one way – to buy a case, the benefit is in the range BQ quite a lot. In fairness, we note that prints are removed very easily with the back panel and the screen.
As for the cutout for the camera display, it is not a question of ergonomics and addiction. We stopped paying attention to it in about an hour. In the end, it’s much more compact compared to the huge, giant monopoly modern smartphones Apple. Besides, the content it does not interfere. Someone also may not like the protruding camera, but now it is standard, moreover, this “drawback” is easily eliminated in any case.
Display
Screen smartphone made overall a good impression. Like all modern displays are on the basis of quality IPS panels, it delivers very good viewing angles (178 degrees, according to the specs) and very saturated colors, but without the “acidity” inherent to AMOLED-matrices.
Color inversion at extreme viewing angles we didn’t notice. Maybe black becomes less black, then a maximum of one tone. In short, with the color order.
The sensor layer fulfills the whole surface of the screen, which is also important, and “understands” five simultaneous touches.
Sound
Magic O set very good quality front speaker. We loved the purity of the generated sound – the interlocutor can hear very clearly and well, with no hiss.
The main speaker has excess volume, so skip the call does not work, as well as sleep through the alarm. With quality it’s a bit different: the sound is as pure as in the case with the front speaker, but “flat” – lacks low frequencies. Listening to music will not be very comfortable, but for movies and YouTube videos of its capabilities is more than enough.
Loved how the MIC by default, it has no noise reduction, but it is well protected from the wind by the building. The sensitivity level, the interviewee complained about the poor audibility at conversation.
Protection of information
Magic O offers two technologies of biometric identification – fingerprint scanner and the function of the facial-recognition To operate the latter only used the camera – the additional sensors it does not.
Face detection works perfectly in bright sunlight or artificial light – 10 times out of 10. At dusk when the dim lights is 8 out of 10, with night street lighting – 7 out of 10. Also, as it turned out, the smartphone can recognize owner’s face-man with a beard and without it, without updating the pictures in the device memory.
Note that Face Unlock even in bright light triggered with some delay – about a second. Fingerprint scanner behaves differently: it works immediately, but the display turns on after about the same one second.
The sensor works at 100% – always 10 out of 10 times without errors. Add in the smartphone memory two prints of one finger is not required.
The camera
Four chambers in the Magic O the best, in our opinion, the developer has managed front. For its 5 megapixels it shoots very well in almost any light, even at dusk, the amount of noise will be minimal. Of course, miracles from it is not worth waiting, because the device is not positioned as a camera phone, but for many a selfie to Instagram of her is enough.
To photograph food in the same social network on the main camera is also quite possible, but the main 13-megapixel sensor is still a bit afraid of bad lighting. A total of three main sensors in Magic O you need only two to 13 and 5 MP, including for portrait pictures. The need of having a smartphone the third matrix with a resolution of 0.3 MP (VGA, 640×480) have remained a mystery to us.
We will add that in most cases, to get a good shot in low light is helps flash – she’s very bright. It also works great as a handheld flashlight.
Performance
The capabilities of the hardware of the smartphone was measured in the current at the time of testing versions of three benchmarks – Geekbench, AnTuTu and 3DMark with package Ice Storm Unlimited. After the first test, the device showed a small heating, and after two runs each of the benchmarks significantly warmed up – the CPU temperature rose to 63 degrees, battery life – up to 40. But it was still a stress test, especially in other heavy apps (navigation and gaming), the heating was not detected.
Geekbench Magic O scored 831 points in single-core mode and 3657 points in multicore. AnTuTu gave him 95868 points, and 3DMark – 11069.
Software
O Magic runs on Android OS 9 Pie with the classic interface, Material UI. From the standard version of Google OS the firmware of the smartphone is distinguished by the presence of a large number of pre-installed applications.
Such programmes there are nine, including software from Yandex, and Mail.ru. Seven of them you can remove by standard means, and the remaining two (just FOR the “Yandex”), the smartphone allows you to disable the underlying funds.
The firmware works great and microprism, in the absence of stability it is also impossible to blame, as in the presence of at least some additional settings. In this respect it is pure Android and is it good or bad – you decide.
Immediately after downloading the smartphone employs approximately 6.76 GB out of 32 GB, including the space required for the system files. Adware removal application allows you to free up 700 MB of space.
Incomprehensible for us is what the smartphone has built the app “Flashlight”. As you know, Android is by default – the flashlight is activated in the drop-down curtain.
Work offline and reverse charging
Equipped with a battery capacity of 3900 mAh, Magic O was able to manage 9 hours of watching YouTube via Wi-Fi on the average brightness of the display (remember, the room is enough and 20%). In the talk mode through the GSM network battery is dead in 12 hours in 3G – 11, and LTE for 8 hours.
In normal conditions of use, including a few hours of YouTube and as much web surfing, some messengers (and all this via Wi-Fi), talk of video games O Magic drained from 100% to almost zero in three days. The result we were satisfied.
Charging the smartphone is quite fast – 10-watt power supply replenishes the energy in it is about 2.2 hours.
As for reverse charging, this function seemed to us very convenient. We checked it on Xiaomi Mi 3 Max, Max Mi 2, Redmi Note and BQ 8T Space X, and no problems arose. To test the power supply we could not, but the feelings based on the charging rate of the listed phones, a smartphone generates about 5 watts or so. The only drawback: you have to find the cable, whose one side is USB connector-C to connect to the Magic O, and the other connector is required for charging another gadget. Supplied with them, of course not.
Pros BQ Magic O
– stylish design
a neat cutout for the front camera
– thin screen frame
– great battery
– reverse charging
– USB-C
– adaptor to 3.5 mm in the kit
Cons BQ Magic O
– easily soiled case
hybrid tray for SIM-card
– extra pre-installed software
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