Samsung Galaxy Note 5 rumor round-up: all we know about the next big thing

Legend says Samsung Mobile's year has two seasons instead of four - Galaxy S season, and Galaxy Note season. As months pass by, we're slowly drifting from 2015's "Galaxy S6 season" into "Galaxy Note 5 season". It is arguably the most anticipated Samsung smartphone ever, especially since the Galaxy Note 4 laid out such a strong foundation before it, while the Galaxy S6 claimed the 2015 Android flagship crown for itself with its modern looks and cutting-edge hardware. After a year or two of slumping sales, Samsung is once again riding the high wave, and while we're anticipating the Note 5, we reckon it's time we rounded up all the rumors that have popped up interim.

Design

Reportedly, the Samsung Galaxy Note 5 is being referred to as "Project Noble" internally. You may remember that the Galaxy S6 was codenamed "Project Zero". Hence, "Project Noble" sounds like an immediate descendant with a pretty good "premium" ring to it, no?

Leaked schematics of the Galaxy Note 5 (shown below) display what appears to be the same 5.7-inch screen size, and a design that looks like a mixture between the Galaxy S6's curves and materials, and some accents remnant from the earlier Note series. Also, a new pop-up mechanism for the stylus where you push to eject it seems to be in place. Samsung has patented a mechanism that automatically slots the S-Pen out of its silo after a voice or gesture command is issued. This ejection system may employ an electromagnet to push the stylus out, alongside a locking mechanism to keep the stylus safe at bay.

The Samsung Galaxy Note 5 renders confirm earlier leaks in terms of design, but this time around give us exact dimensions of the upcoming phablet: 153.3 x 76.1 x 7.9mm. We're also hearing once again that the Note 5 will feature the Exynos 7422 system chip, 4GB of RAM, 32GB of internal storage, and a 16-megapixel main camera with optical image stabilization (OIS). Another interesting detail, is a huge bump in the battery department: the new phablet is expected to feature a massive, 4100mAh battery. Charging will happen via a regular microUSB port, and not the trendy new USB Type-C.

2K or 4K - the ultra-high resolution divide

One of the most persistent and interesting rumors suggests that the Galaxy Note 5 will become the first commercially available ultra-high resolution (4K) smartphone. For something that sounds fairly far-fetched, considering most of the industry is still hesitant to jump from 1080p screens into the crystal-clear pond of Quad-HD, there's actually quite a bit of substance behind this rumor. Consider this - as early as last year, Samsung has been presenting its display production pipeline to analysts, and has non-ambiguously stated that it has 4K mobile display panels in the works that will be production-ready by 2015. 

There are even some purported technological details available - said panels' are Super AMOLED and their resolution is a jaw-dropping 2160 x 3840 pixels. The pixels are arranged in a diamond pattern, similar to the PenTile arrangement witnessed in the Galaxy Note 4's critically acclaimed display. Moreover, the screens' precise diagonals were implied as well - coming up at 5.9 inches for the regular Note 5 and 5.78 inches for the highly probable Note 5 edge variant. Given the resolution and screen diagonals, the Note 5's pixel density adds up to 748ppi for the regular version and 762ppi for the variant with edges. These are mind-boggling values in both cases, and arguably present more pixels than you will ever need inside a 6-inch panel. However, this stupendously high pixel count will do wonders for experiencing ultra-high resolution video and VR content on the Galaxy Note 5. An extremely impressive display like this will also let graphic designers showcase their work in all its detailed brilliance.

Now that we've gotten you all high and worked up with excitement, let's pour the proverbial ice bucket on you before somebody calls the fire department! The latest slab of info demotes the 4K resolution version to an engineering prototype that's being tested alongside a 2K device. Given that ensuring a great enough yield of 4K AMOLED screens - not to mention curved screens - could prove challenging for Samsung, we won't put our hopes up for a full-on onslaught of 4K Note devices this year. Perhaps Sammy could introduce a limited run of 4K phablets, either at launch or down the road. Really, there are many ways Sammy could work around a shortage of 4K screens if it has the technology and puts its mind to bringing it to the market. But just in the event it doesn't, we reckon an eventual 2K (1440x2560) resolution Galaxy Note 5 is more than enough to please any smartphone enthusiast.

Processing grunt

Reportedly, the Galaxy Note 5 is being tested with an Exynos 7422 chipset hulking within. What makes this one special is that it will combine all components into a single chip. Utilizing its own ePoP (embedded package on package) production method, Samsung was able to fit 3GB of RAM and 32GB of storage into a 225 square mm chip (we think it went into the GS6, but we don't have official confirmation). Basically, this lets them stack complete systems on top of each other, decreasing the total semiconductor area and opening up space for other good stuff, such as bigger batteries. In this regard, the Note 5 is expected to receive a sizeable 4100mAh battery, which will certainly enable impressive battery life achievements. Oh, and throw in wireless charging while you're at it!

In the Exynos 7422, Samsung may stack together the CPU, GPU, DRAM, storage, and its homebrew LTE modem in a single package. This is very ambitious, needless to say - but it's also the exact reason Apple choose Samsung and nobody else to produce the Apple Watch SoC. So we believe Sammy can pull this off pronto. In regards of RAM memory, people close to the matters are sure that the Note 5 will come with 4 gigabytes of LPDDR4 RAM on board. We already suspected that Samsung will go all-in in this department, given that the 4GB RAM frontier has been already crossed by a handful of devices.

Modern processor aside, the Note 5 is expected to rock Samsung's UFS 2.0 flash storage, which became famous for its outrageous data reading and writing speeds. If there's one place where smartphone manufacturers everywhere didn't stand a chance catching up with Samsung, it's this baby. Judging from the alleged Note 5 schematics that have shown up so far, and with rumors about the looks and specs of the phablet and its S6 edge Plus sidekick, it seems that there won't be a place for a memory card slot in the design anymore. That's not all the argumentation, though, as the new fast UFS 2.0 flash storage that Samsung slapped into the S6, uses a memory controller that is incompatible with the regular eMMC 5.0 standard that microSD cards use in other phones. Thus, provided that the Note 5 uses UFS 2.0 as well, Samsung will either have to put two separate memory controllers in there, or simply eschew a microSD slot altogether, equipping the basic Note 5 version with at least 32 GB of storage to compensate

Smile for the camera

The Note 5 might get a 16MP main camera with optical image stabilization, along with a 5-megapixel front cam. In fact, proof has emerged that the upcoming Note 5 flagship might sport the same excellent front-facing cam of the Galaxy S6 and S6 edge. A support page for the Galaxy S6 selfie camera has an intriguing piece of code buried in its HTML file. It lists the selfie-taker of the S6 and S6 edge as also compatible with two other phones, only marked as N925 and N920F. If you recall, these are internal codenames for the Galaxy Note 5 variants, indicating that Samsung could use the same 5 MP front camera on its newest phablet, too, which we would only be pleased if it does.

Release date

There is no shortage of sources claiming that the Galaxy Note 5 is due for an earlier than usual release. Although Samsung Mobile CEO J.K. Shin personally denied the rumors of a July launch, he didn't outright deny the possibility of the Note 5 launching into the stratosphere before the annual IFA expo in Berlin. Held early September, the conference has been the Galaxy Note's traditional launchpad since the original 5.3-inch phablet was unveiled in 2011.

However, reports from two independent sources claim that Samsung will unveil both the Galaxy Note 5 and the Samsung Galaxy S6 edge+ on August 12, 2015. When it comes to the actual release date, however, it coud be anywhere between August 14 and August 21 for the Note 5 and the Galaxy S6 edge+.

At this point, it must be noted that, if we're to assume that the two handsets will be unveiled on August 12, August 21 is the more plausible launch date of the two. Samsung never brought its flagships to the market as early as in a couple of days since the official unveiling. Europe, on the other hand, could follow a more typical Note 5 launch schedule, with arrival in late September or early October.

H1 2015 in review: Best smartphones

Several days ago, we summarized 2015's first half by taking another look at the major events that occurred – device announcements, technology advancements, software releases, all that good stuff we all live and breathe. Then we honored the best smartwatches launched during the past six months. H1's best tablet and its runner-up got the same treatment soon after. And now, there's just one unchecked item on our to-do list. Ladies and gents, it is time to announce the best smartphones of H1 2015, and if you're a follower of our review section, you should have no troubles guessing which two handsets we've picked.

Best smartphones of H1 2015: Samsung Galaxy S6 and Galaxy S6 edge

For the longest time, Samsung has been crafting some of the best, most sought-after phones, and looking at the Galaxy S6 and S6 edge, we can only say that Samsung's still on top of its game. Its recipe for success? Well, the Galaxy S6 and Galaxy S6 edge combine brains with beauty, functionality with flare, all with a dash of TouchWiz on top. 

Seriously, there's just so much to like about Samsung's top smartphones! Made of metal and glass, they instantly draw the attention with their outstanding looks. That is especially true for the Galaxy S6 edge, which is unique with its twin-curved AMOLED display. But as we mentioned above, beauty goes hand-in-hand with brains – the Galaxy S6 and Galaxy S6 edge are packed with top-notch hardware, including gorgeous Quad HD displays, an efficient Exynos SoC, and a pair of marvellous high-res cameras. 

Now, right after the announcement of the Galaxy S6 and Galaxy S6 edge, many were disappointed to learn that they both lacked microSD card slots and removable batteries. But, like it or not, that's the way things are seemingly going for the company, at least as far as high-ends are concerned. Instead of microSD storage expansion, the S6 and S6 edge offer up to 128GB of blazing-fast internal storage, and to compensate as much as it can for the lack of a removable battery cell, Samsung has equipped the devices with both rapid charging and wireless charging functionalities.

All in all, the Samsung Galaxy S6 and Galaxy S6 edge are two of the best smartphones in existence, and it is going to take quite an effort on behalf of Samsung's competitors to beat these high-ends. However, there's this one particular smartphone that's no less awesome and definitely worthy of a mention in this post. 

LG G4

LG's best smartphone yet has plenty to stand its ground with – from the look and feel of its exterior to the prowess of its main camera and the list of useful software features that come baked into it. Notably, the LG G4 is one of the few phones that may come with premium leather covering its back. The material feels nice, looks outstanding, and is quite the conversation starter. Once you turn it on, you're greeted by a large, high-resolution Quad HD display that brings your content to life and, thankfully, doesn't hurt the system's performance. Speaking of which, the LG G4 may not come with the top SoC available in Qualcomm's portfolio, but even with a Snapdragon 808, LG's flagship runs just fine through most tasks. And then there's the 16MP, optically-stabilized main camera on the LG G4. Anyone from amateurs to experienced photographers would love it for its ease of use and broad selection of manual controls, available at a tap's distance. In just a few taps, you can take beautiful shots even in challenging situations. In a nutshell, if the LG G4 seems like a phone you're falling for, don't hesitate to make it your daily driver. In all likeliness, you won't be disappointed.

Huawei P8

Gone are the days when Huawei's smartphones were cheap and uninspiring. The Huawei of today is a well-known player on the smartphone market, experienced in making some seriously good hardware. A great example of that is the Huawei P8. Sure, it might not seem like anything out of the ordinary at first glance – the phone packs a 5.2-inch 1080p display, a 13MP main camera, a Kirin SoC, and a 2680mAh battery, which are specs making it a decent upper mid-range phone, but nothing beyond that point. Then you suddenly realize that all this hardware comes inside a premium, metal-made body only 6.4 millimeters in thickness. Quite a feat of engineering, if you ask us.

new Moto X, Moto G, and Droid models incoming? Motorola announces July 28 event;

Amid all the rumors and leaks exposing Motorola's upcoming gadgets, the company has announced that it has an event scheduled for July 28. And from the looks of it, something of great importance is coming, as the unveiling will take place in three major cities – London, São Paulo, and New York. "A better mobile relationship is on its way" – that's how the tagline goes, leaving us wondering what's to be shown off on stage. The evidence, however, leads us to believe that Motorola is going to unveil the latest Moto X and Moto G smartphones, among other devices. 

The latest Motorola Moto X (2015) leak came from Brazil (hardly a coincidence) and showed us what the back of the phone could look like. Rumor has it that the new Moto X will come with a 5.2-inch display and a Snapdragon 810 SoC. Its main camera is said to have been treated to a much-needed upgrade, which is great news given the average performance of last year's model. We're also hoping to see a beefier battery tucked inside Motorola's new flagship phone.

Now would be a good time to mention that a 5.7-inch Moto X model is rumored to be coming, but evidence in support of this claim is pretty scarce. Similar is the situation with the rumored Moto X Sport, which could be a rugged, water-resistant variant of the new Moto X. 

Just like the Moto X (2015), the budget-friendly Moto G (2015) was also leaked numerous times, including in high-quality renders. The handset will likely offer a 5-inch display, and a Snapdragon 410 is expected to power it. Several variants of the phone are said to be in the works, including one with 8GB of storage and 1GB of RAM and a more potent version carrying 16GB of storage and 2GB of RAM. Interestingly, it is claimed that the new Moto G will be water-resistant and will carry an IPx7 rating, which is a rare trait among phones of this price range. Speaking of which, the 2015-edition Moto G should start at $179.99 when released in the U.S. 

In addition to a new Moto X and a new Moto G, Motorola might also announce a successor to the Moto 360 smartwatch at its event. Little is known about the allegedly upcoming wearable, but according to rumors, it could have a higher-resolution screen with 360 pixels across its diameter. 

And if that's not enough, a new Motorola Droid model for Verizon could be coming as well. Unfortunately, very little is being passed along about this particular handset. We don't have any specs, price, or a possible launch date as of now. Whether Motorola will show us the new Droid at the July 28 event in New York remains to be seen.

Anyone excited about Motorola's upcoming Moto X or Moto G models? Or is the new Moto smartwatch you're more excited about? Feel free to let us know in the comments!

Samsung Galaxy S6 Active Review

This year’s Galaxy S6 saw a major redesign, one that’s highly acclaimed and showed to all of us that the South Korean company knows how to design premium smartphones. While the new, premium nature of the Galaxy S6 is a new direction, it sheds one of the key design qualities offered by its predecessor – a water-resistant construction. For a moment there, we thought that water-resistant designs would become a staple feature for Sammy’s flagship line, but alas, that’s not the case.

Since the S4, however, we’ve seen Sammy introducing its Active line, which manifests in the form of ruggedized variants of its flagship phones. So, if you were bummed by the S6 forgoing a water resistant construction, then you’ll undoubtedly be pleased to find it here once again with the Samsung Galaxy S6 Active. Not only that, but the phone is built like a tank – so fear not if you drop it!

There are some advantages with the Active, naturally, as well as some compromises too, which we’ll check out in detail through the review. Internally, the Active shares many of the specs of the S6, but superficially on the outside, it’s a totally different phone.

The package contains:

• Galaxy S6 Active
• Wall charger
• microUSB cable
• Quick start guide
• Health & Safety and Warranty Guide

Design

Hello water and drop resistant construction, the S6 Active is designed to handle life.

At a glance, the Samsung Galaxy S6 Active looks very much like last year’s model, one that shares the same tough construction. Comparing it to the S6, though, there’s no arguing that the S6 Active is meant to withstand serious punishment – whereas with the S6, its premium construction kind of makes it fragile.

Sporting that all too predictable rugged design, it’s clearly within what we’d expect out of a tough smartphone. Most of the body is comprised out of tough plastic, broken down to a rubbery textured camo back pattern and a sturdier matte frame outlining the sides. Superficially, it looks almost like an exact facsimile to last year’s Active, but this one is a closed design – so there’s no removable back cover to access its battery. Accentuating its rugged form are the screws found near the corners of the phone.

Thanks to its IP68 rating, it means that this bad boy is meant to handle nearly anything that everyday life has to throw at us. Therefore, that means it’s shock resistant, dust proof, and water resistant up to 1.5 meters for up to 30 minutes – the essential ingredients in giving it that sturdier protection than the S6. One less thing to remember: you'll be pleased to know that Samsung has improved the design, because there’s no longer need to cover the microUSB port with a flap. Instead, you’ll notice that the port is wide open, but there’s no fear in dipping it in water because the port has been treated to be water resistant.

During our review, we dropped it onto concrete pavement by accident, resulting in some noticeable scuffs along the plastic sidings of the phone. True to its claim, it survived the fall, but the downside in this is that being pristine looking isn’t going to be on the top of the list for this one.

Aesthetically, though, it’s just a very ordinary ‘ruggedized’ looking phone just like everything else out there. Sure, Sony has perfected the recipe for designing a premium looking phone that’s water resistant, but Sammy’s stance is more form than function – and to that degree, they succeed. It won’t win any awards for design, obviously, but nevertheless, its solid construction endows it with structural integrity to withstand all the unpredicatablities of life.

Were you not a fan of those capacitive Android buttons on S6? Well, the S6 Active now employs nothing but physical Android buttons for that true, tactile response. Sadly, there’s no finger print sensor whatsoever with this, so not only is there no option for unlocking the phone via fingerprint, but it won’t benefit from Samsung Pay either. Other minor changes include a nanoSIM slot (no SIM removal tool necessary), 3.5mm headphone jack repositioned to the top edge, and the speaker placed on the back side of the phone.

At the same time, too, the S6 Active continues to offer some of the S6’s staple features – like its heart rate sensor to measure our pulse, rapid charging microUSB 2.0 port, and wireless charging. Even though there’s still no expandable storage with this, it gets greeted to an even heftier sized 3500 mAh battery. While the power button and volume controls are in their usual locations on the sides of the phone, there’s another button found above the volume controls – it’s the Active key. More on that later!

Rumor with Samsung Galaxy Note 5 round-up: The next big thing

Legend says Samsung Mobile's year has two seasons instead of four - Galaxy S season, and Galaxy Note season. As months pass by, we're slowly drifting from 2015's "Galaxy S6 season" into "Galaxy Note 5 season". It is arguably the most anticipated Samsung smartphone ever, especially since the Galaxy Note 4 laid out such a strong foundation before it, while the Galaxy S6 claimed the 2015 Android flagship crown for itself with its modern looks and cutting-edge hardware. After a year or two of slumping sales, Samsung is once again riding the high wave, and while we're anticipating the Note 5, we reckon it's time we rounded up all the rumors that have popped up interim.

Design

Reportedly, the Samsung Galaxy Note 5 is being referred to as "Project Noble" internally. You may remember that the Galaxy S6 was codenamed "Project Zero". Hence, "Project Noble" sounds like an immediate descendant with a pretty good "premium" ring to it, no?

Based on the rumors and the typical way smartphone manufacturers approach design, we expect Samsung will style the Galaxy Note 5 and Note 5 edge after the Galaxy S6 and S6 edge. That is, an abundance of glass-covered metal, and a familiar-looking design. The Note 5 is said to reach a 7.9mm-thin frame, which is not exactly pencil-thin, but is nevertheless very good for a device that packs all of Samsung's state of the art mobile technology, in addition to a large battery.

Moreover, the Note 5 is rumored to be among the first smartphones to ship with the new USB Type-C connector. The ability to plug the connector at any side, just like with Apple's Lightning port, is welcome, but it's the other virtues of the Type-C connector that deserve your attention, too, namely the throughput that will allow streaming 4K videos without a hitch, and the charging capabilities that can top up a battery in no time.

Another design addition could be a new pop-up S-Pen stylus. Samsung has patented a mechanism that automatically slots the S-Pen out of its silo after a voice or gesture command is issued. This ejection system may employ an electromagnet to push the stylus out, alongside a locking mechanism to keep the stylus safe at bay.

2K or 4K - the ultra-high resolution divide

One of the most persistent and interesting rumors suggests that the Galaxy Note 5 will become the first commercially available ultra-high resolution (4K) smartphone. For something that sounds fairly far-fetched, considering most of the industry is still hesitant to jump from 1080p screens into the crystal-clear pond of Quad-HD, there's actually quite a bit of substance behind this rumor. Consider this - as early as last year, Samsung has been presenting its display production pipeline to analysts, and has non-ambiguously stated that it has 4K mobile display panels in the works that will be production-ready by 2015. 

There are even some purported technological details available - said panels' are Super AMOLED and their resolution is a jaw-dropping 2160 x 3840 pixels. The pixels are arranged in a diamond pattern, similar to the PenTile arrangement witnessed in the Galaxy Note 4's critically acclaimed display. Moreover, the screens' precise diagonals were implied as well - coming up at 5.9 inches for the regular Note 5 and 5.78 inches for the highly probable Note 5 edge variant. Given the resolution and screen diagonals, the Note 5's pixel density adds up to 748ppi for the regular version and 762ppi for the variant with edges. These are mind-boggling values in both cases, and arguably present more pixels than you will ever need inside a 6-inch panel. However, this stupendously high pixel count will do wonders for experiencing ultra-high resolution video and VR content on the Galaxy Note 5. An extremely impressive display like this will also let graphic designers showcase their work in all its detailed brilliance.

Now that we've gotten you all high and worked up with excitement, let's pour the proverbial ice bucket on you before somebody calls the fire department! The latest slab of info demotes the 4K resolution version to an engineering prototype that's being tested alongside a 2K device. Given that ensuring a great enough yield of 4K AMOLED screens - not to mention curved screens - could prove challenging for Samsung, we won't put our hopes up for a full-on onslaught of 4K Note devices this year. Perhaps Sammy could introduce a limited run of 4K phablets, either at launch or down the road. Really, there are many ways Sammy could work around a shortage of 4K screens if it has the technology and puts its mind to bringing it to the market. But just in the event it doesn't, we reckon an eventual 2K (1440x2560) resolution Galaxy Note 5 is more than enough to please any smartphone enthusiast.

Processing grunt

Reportedly, the Galaxy Note 5 is being tested with an Exynos 7422 chipset hulking within. What makes this one special is that it will combine all components into a single chip. Utilizing its own ePoP (embedded package on package) production method, Samsung was able to fit 3GB of RAM and 32GB of storage into a 225 square mm chip (we think it went into the GS6, but we don't have official confirmation). Basically, this lets them stack complete systems on top of each other, decreasing the total semiconductor area and opening up space for other good stuff, such as bigger batteries. In this regard, the Note 5 is expected to receive a sizeable 4100mAh battery, which will certainly enable impressive battery life achievements. Oh, and throw in wireless charging while you're at it!

In the Exynos 7422, Samsung may stack together the CPU, GPU, DRAM, storage, and its homebrew LTE modem in a single package. This is very ambitious, needless to say - but it's also the exact reason Apple choose Samsung and nobody else to produce the Apple Watch SoC. So we believe Sammy can pull this off pronto.

Modern processor aside, the Note 5 is expected to rock Samsung's UFS 2.0 flash storage, which became famous for its outrageous data reading and writing speeds. If there's one place where smartphone manufacturers everywhere didn't stand a chance catching up with Samsung, it's this baby.

Smile for the camera

The rumor mill has surpisingly failed to deliver crunchy camera data about the Galaxy Note 5, so all we got on that end are some educated guesses and industry "he said, she said" to consider. The Note 5 might get a 16MP main camera with optical image stabilization, along with an 8-megapixel front cam.

Release date

There is no shortage of sources claiming that the Galaxy Note 5 is due for an earlier than usual release. Although Samsung Mobile CEO J.K. Shin personally denied the rumors of a July launch, he didn't outright deny the possibility of the Note 5 launching into the stratosphere before the annual IFA expo in Berlin. Held early September, the conference has been the Galaxy Note's traditional launchpad since the original 5.3-inch phablet was unveiled in 2011. However, this time around, Samsung might just skip a week or two of anticipation and go ahead for a late August announcement. The rationale? Sammy wants to out-race Apple to the retail shelves and bring the Galaxy Note 5 to people before the headline-generating, best-selling iPhone 6S and 6S Plus inevitably invoke their attention. 

Seems a bit pushy and desperate, but think about it, if Samsung is able to bring the goods before Apple, it is entitled to every bit of head-start it can manage! Besides, we're sure fans of Samsung's Note line-up will be ecstatic to meet, and possibly buy the next big thing in the series sooner than they're used to!

vivo X5Max review - Alzicx

Introduction

It's not every day we have a true record holder in our hands, and that's exactly what we were getting ready for waiting for the vivo X5Max to arrive. The slimmest smartphone in the world for more than six months now, the 4.75-mm X5Max snatched a crown that had been tossed between the Gionee Elife S5.1 and the Oppo R5, each of them holding it for a fleeting month or so.

You can then imagine our disappointment when it turned out we have the global version, which is "only" the third-slimmest phone in the world. A fraction of a millimeter thicker than the China model, the vivo X5Max is an extraordinarily slim device nonetheless, most certain to impress with a profile you wouldn't normally attribute to a smartphone.

It really looks almost like a planar object, its two dimensions much greater that the third, so to speak, in math terms.

In terms of hardware, the X5Max is less exciting, relying on the now ubiquitous midrange Snapdragon 615, coupled with the equally commonplace 2GB of RAM. It doesn't skimp on features though sporting a 13MP primary camera behind a fast f/2.0 lens, as well as a 5MP front-facer.

A 5.5-inch FullHD display helps keep thickness in check thanks to the Super AMOLED tech, while providing the signature colors and contrast. The extra 0.33mm thickness have allowed designers to fit a larger-capacity battery, though it still looks underpowered on paper for its screen size.

Key features

Dual-SIM dual-standby capability, microSD slot shared with second SIM
5.5" 1080p Super AMOLED capacitive touchscreen, 401ppi
Octa-core Cortex-A53 CPU (4x 1.5GHz plus 4x 1.0GHz), 2GB of RAM, Adreno 405 GPU; Qualcomm Snapdragon 615 chipset
13MP autofocus camera, f/2.0 lens, single-LED flash; HDR, Panorama, Night, Pro mode with long exposure (up to 32s)
1080@30fps, 1/4x slow motion video recording, 10x speed timelapse
5MP front camera, f/2.4, 720p video recording
16GB of built-in storage
Cat. 4 LTE (150/50Mbps); dual-band Wi-Fi a/b/g/n; Bluetooth 4.0; GPS with A-GPS; microUSB
2,300mAh battery
Standard 3.5mm headphone jack

Main disadvantages

Dated Android KitKat 4.4.4
No FM radio or NFC

Another in a long line of designer Chinese smartphones, the vivo X5Max relies on the proven formula of striking looks and all-round capable hardware. We don't expect it to outperform flagships, but its priorities lie elsewhere and the X5Max scores high on style. While it will certainly be on the short list of anyone looking to stand out, the smartphone needs to prove it has enough substance to match its upmarket exterior.

Controls and handling

The vivo X5Max relies on capacitive buttons in the bottom bezel for navigation in a Menu/Home/Back arrangement. Above the display there's the earpiece in the middle with the 5MP front camera to the left and the proximity/ambient light sensor on the other side.

The back features the 13MP camera in the top left corner, joined by its single-LED flash and a secondary mic midway between the two. The speaker mesh is mostly a design element, as the actual speaker is no more than a quarter of its length and is situated in its right end.

The right side is home to the volume rocker and the power button towards the top and the card slot closer to the bottom. The card tray is made of metal as well, and despite its miniscule thickness is quite sturdy. It will take a micro-SIM and a microSD card or a micro- and a nano-SIM card, but never all three at the same time.

The left side is completely bare.

5.5 inches of Super AMOLED goodness

It you want thin, AMOLED is the way to go, and in the case of the vivo X5Max it's a 5.5-inch FullHD panel. That results in 401ppi, which is more than enough for sharp text.

The panel is a fine representative of the MOLED tech and offers plenty of punch and wide viewing angles, though it does exhibit a greenish tint when viewed from the side.

There are no color adjustments to be found in settings, nor is there a glove mode.

Out microscope shot revealed the expected diamond pentile arrangement, with twice as many green subpixels as any other color.

Connectivity

For starters, the vivo X5Max is a dual-SIM dual-standby device. One of the cards gets the full 2G/3G/4G treatment with multiple bands each, while the other is limited to 2G. You can set which one is which in the settings and the micro/nano SIM slots mean you can use either form factor as your main card. You'd need to go microSIM though if you value the memory expansion, as the microSD slot is shared with the nanoSIM.

The smartphone has dual-band Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n with DLNA, Wi-Fi direct and hotspot support. There's Bluetooth v4.0, but no NFC or FM radio.

There's GPS with A-GPS for precise positioning over cellular, but for all we know, there's no GLONASS to utilize Russian satellites.

The microUSB 2.0 port supports USB On-The-Go and lets you attach peripherals. A standard 3.5mm jack completes the wired connectivity package.

Battery life

Slim phones typically struggle in this very part of our test for very obvious reasons - less space means less battery capacity. The thinnest 4.75mm vivo X5Max comes with a modest 2,000mAh cell, but the version we have for review is a bit better equipped with a 2,300mAh unit.

To put it simply, the X5Max amazed us in terms of its battery performance. It posted impressive scores across the board, not only considering its screen diagonal and battery size, but also in absolute values. Standby endurance, which is not included in the scorecard, is about 11 full days with a single SIM, and a day less with a second SIM inside. Call times on a 3G network are more than 17 hours, well above average.

Moving on to on-screen activities, the smartphone is good for nearly 11 hours of video playback - it can easily last you a transatlantic flight with constant movie watching.

Web browsing is the most taxing on the battery, but it also shows a marked difference between the stock browser and the also available Google Chrome. While the vivo offering manages a little over 6 hours, Chrome is substantially more efficient and with it the X5Max scored upwards of 9 hours of web browsing.

Synthetic benchmarks

We've lost count of the number of devices, utilizing Qualcomm's upper-midrange Snapdragon 615 chipset (though a quick free-text search in our Phone Finder returned 36 entries from our database alone).

As you probably know, the chipset comes with a dual quad-core processor setup and in the case of the vivo X5Max the two clusters of Cortex-A53 cores are clocked at 1.5GHz and 1.0GHz for power and efficiency respectively. There are 2GB of RAM on board, when we're seeing a gradual move towards 3GB even in the midrange, though the real-life benefits of this are still debatable.

We've already had the opportunity to test a bunch of similarly equipped devices and had a general idea what to expect. We have picked out the more-popular of those and it turns out implementing and utilizing the said Qualcomm chipset is still a challenge for a lot of vendors. Results vary greatly, but a lot of that can also be attributed to custom OS overlays.

For a broader comparison we have also thrown in a few devices that you can pick up for around the same price as the vivo - the LG G3, HTC One E9+, Samsung Galaxy E7 and the Asus Zenfone 2. Others like the Huawei P8 are simply there because of their stylish exterior and design - a major selling point for the vivo X5Max.

Final words

The third slimmest smartphone in existence, the vivo X5Max turns out to be a multidimensional performer. Sure, its claim to fame lies in its upmarket design, which we need to be really picky to find fault with. The execution is top-notch as well, and the smartphone is working hard to justify its price tag, though of course you need to be willing to accept the premise that style and build are worth a premium.

Believe it or not, this nearly paper-thin smartphone excels in battery life, of all areas. If you steer clear of the proprietary browser, you're in for a pleasant surprise in terms of uptime. An endurance rating around the 70-hour mark is the summary of a balanced performance in all areas, both active on-screen time and standby.

The 5.5-inch FullHD Super AMOLED is another excellent performer scoring high in the brightness department, for a Super AMOLED that is. It's sharp, has lively colors and only exhibits a slight green tint when viewed from an angle.

Funtouch OS is perhaps a little controversial. Some will embrace the fresh-looking Android skin with its customization options and nifty gesture controls. Others won't be able to get over how disorganized it is and the strong iOS influence will certainly bother Android purists. It may also be hard to swallow the fact that you're buying into a year-old OS release.

Granted, hardware performance isn't the X5Max' strong suit. Vivo apparently held back a little when tweaking the chipset and that may have something to do with the great battery numbers, but we don't see much fault with such a bias, certainly not in the case of the X5Max.

The 13MP camera creates images with a lot of detail, but also plenty of noise, though we appreciate the conservative approach to noise-suppression. True-to-life colors and dependable exposure round up a good overall experience in terms of stills, while 1080p videos are decent at best.

Key test findings:

• Premium looks, amazing thinness, quality materials and solid build
• Sharp 5.5-inch FullHD AMOLED display, vibrant colors, good viewing angles with a slight green tint, above average AMOLED brightness
• Dual-SIM dual-standby capability, otherwise average connectivity package
• Excellent battery life: 71-hour rating with a single SIM inside and stellar individual numbers
• Quirky Funtouch OS takes a bit of getting used to, but is rich in customization and added functionality; the bundled app package only covers the basics, but does it well; the gallery has a rich editor, video player ran everything we threw at it, music player is straightforward and functional
• Raw performance fails to impress, likely due to poor software optimizations
• Very good photos with nice detail and good color rendering, but there is a lot of noise
• Okay 5MP selfie cam, images a touch too soft
• Video recording is passable, but nothing memorable

The Oppo R5 is among the most obvious rivals of the vivo X5Max. Fractions of a millimeter are for bragging rights only, and where it matters, the smaller-screened 5.2-inch R5 loses by a country mile - for every full battery charge on the X5Max you'll need to do two on the R5, and no fast charging tech will offset that.

Then there's the Oppo R7, a more balanced offering where battery endurance is not such a limiting factor. You'd be sacrificing even more screen real estate here, as the R7 is only 5.0 inches in diagonal. We'd be hard-pressed to pick the best of these three in terms of build and finish, but there's something about the 2.5D glass of the R7, which may tip the scales in its favor.

 
Oppo R5 • Oppo R7

The Samsung Galaxy A7 has a marginally smaller footprint, and at 6.3mm is not exactly thick either. It's also substantially lighter and has a slightly better battery life, even on top of the already excellent X5Max. The Galaxy A7 has already gotten the Lollipop update, while the X5Max may never live to see one.

Samsung Galaxy A7

The LG G Flex2 is being heavily discounted in many parts of the world, despite the fact that it's rocking proper flagship hardware. You could easily snatch one for even less than the X5Max, and the dramatically curved 5.5-incher has a lot of appeal for the style-conscious too. The G Flex2 has a superior OIS camera, laser autofocus and 2160p video recording.

LG G Flex2

The Meizu MX4 Pro is worth a look as well. Yes, it's roughly twice as thick, but it's cheaper, its 5.5-inch display has QHD resolution, its camera can shoot 4K video, and it will significantly outlast the X5Max if you're mostly into web browsing. It also has a fingerprint sensor. But did you go on reading after we said twice as thick? The newly released MX5 is in the picture too, and it's thinner, while retaining most of its predecessor's virtues, save for the QHD resolution.

 
Meizu MX4 Pro • Meizu MX5

Older flagships are also within reach of the buyer ready to pay the vivo X5Max' asking price. The Sony Xperia Z2 is one that comes to mind. Although two-generations-old already, the Z2 can easily outperform the X5Max, and has environmental sealing and better battery backup. It does have a smaller screen though, and is just another mainstream device, unlike the X5Max.

Sony Xperia Z2

There's a lot to like about the vivo X5Max, in fact it must be one of the more pleasant surprises recently. It can't outgrow the limitations of its chipset paired with less than perfectly optimized software, and Funtouch has a long road to maturity. But it has a beautiful display, it shoots fine images and scores high in the most unexpected area, battery life. The X5Max is another fine phone to help overcome prejudice against Chinese designs but also one that argues premium looks do not necessarily imply usability compromises.

First up, we have the raw CPU performance test with GeekBench 3, which should be straight-forward enough. The eight Cortex-A53 cores inside the MSM8939 are by no means a bit-churning powerhouse, but have definitely proven themselves more than adequate in a lot of current devices. Yet, the Vivo X5Max doesn't seem to utilize them to their full capacity. As far as raw calculation goes, the handset falls behind most similarly equipped devices. Like we said, most of the performance drop can be attributed to poor software optimization and the custom OS. Still, we can see that ZTE has managed to do even worse with the Blade S6, powered by the same chipset.