The best Wileyfox smartphones. Pros, cons and characteristics of the Wileyfox Swift smartphone - blog about information technology: software, hardware, internet, services, advice How much does a Willy Fox phone cost

Wileyfox Storm runs on Cyanogen OS 12.1 firmware based on Android 5.1.1. An update to Android 6.0 is expected in the future.

This smartphone cannot but be interesting, because with excellent technical characteristics, asking for some $ 180. Implementation only via the Internet: the official Russian website ru.wileyfox.com and the partner store jd.ru.

It will hardly be possible to find a similar smartphone in Russia for this money, with a one-year warranty service (in Fly service centers).

There is one interesting feature - only a USB cable is included, without a charger. There are also no headphones. This approach is explained by the fact that you should not overpay for what you may not need. Everything to keep Wileyfox Storm as cheap as possible. And this approach is very good. Doesn't someone have a charger at home now?

As the first reviews show, the smartphone has a high-quality assembly and material. The OGS IPS screen is protected by Gorilla Glass 3. The glass is coated with an oleophobic layer to guarantee a minimum of visible fingerprints on the screen. We are also promised an update operating system before current versions, which Fly does not do for its range of smartphones.

Wileyfox Storm is also a selfie smartphone. The fact is that the front 8MP camera has an LED flash. This is, for example, in the phone Samsung Galaxy J7.

The main camera impresses with its characteristics: Sony Exmore RS IMX220, 20 MP, F / 1.8, BSI, HDR, autofocus. But, in fact, the photographs do not pull the stated capabilities. It turns out the level of a good camera with a 13 megapixel matrix. The point is obviously in software processing, which is very lame. Maybe it will be fixed in future updates?

Supported work with two SIM cards, but with one "but". The fact is that the second slot for a SIM card is combined, here you can install either a nano-SIM SIM card or a MicroSD memory card up to 128 GB (only one to choose from). A micro-SIM card is installed in the first slot. But it's not so bad, because Wileyfox Storm has 32 GB of its own memory, so you can do without expanding it.

Good performance comes from a decent 3 gigabyte random access memory and 8-core processor Snapdragon 615 MSM8939 (4 cores 1.5 GHz, 4 cores 1 GHz). The specs are not flagship, but very cool for $ 180.

What is rarely found in the characteristics of a phone is the indicated SAR level (in simple terms - the radiation of the phone, the effect on the body). You can find indicators for samsung phones, others are less common. And the Chinese do not have this at all. Here everyone honestly pointed out to us: the SAR level is 0.455 / 0.554 W / kg. This is a good indicator. Safely.

The lithium polymer battery has a capacity of 2,500 mAh. That's not much for a phablet. The screen with a diagonal of 5.5 inches, and even with Full HD resolution, will mercilessly "eat up" the charge in the active screen mode. And especially in games and when surfing the sites. As for the declared indicators, the phone will work on a full battery charge:

Up to 10 hours talk time
Up to 5.5 hours of video or Internet playback over Wi-Fi
Up to 4.5 hours of Internet on a mobile network
Up to 30 hours of audio playback
About 7.5 days standby time.

The installation of sensors in Wileyfox Storm was not stingy. There are the necessary sensors for position, proximity and lighting, as well as a Hall sensor and a compass.

Specifications

Announced in Russia: October 2015

Dimensions: 155.6 x 76.9 x 9.1 mm
Weight: 150g
Case: plastic
Colors: black, white
Battery: Li-Polymer, 2,500 mAh, non-removable

SIM-cards: 2 (micro-SIM + Nano-SIM), or 1 SIM-card and memory card (micro-SIM + microSD)

SAR: 0.455 / 0.554 W / kg

Screen: 5.5 ", IPS, OGS, Full HD (1920x1080 pixels), Gorilla Glass 3, 10-touch sensor, oleophobic coating
Sensors: lighting, proximity, gyroscope, compass, Hall sensor

Camera: Sony Exmore RS IMX220, 20.7 MP, autofocus, F / 1.8, BSI, HDR, flash
Front camera: 8 MP, there is a flash

Processor: 64-bit Snapdragon 615 MSM8939, 4 cores 1.5 GHz, 4 cores 1 GHz
RAM: 3 GB
Memory: 32 GB
Memory card: can be installed instead of a second SIM card

OS: Cyanogen OS 12.1 (Android 5.1.1)

Others: 4G, 3G, Wi-Fi (2.4 GHz), Bluetooth 4.0, GPS, A-GPS, GLONASS, FM radio.

Overview

An affordable smartphone with an attractive appearance did not receive the most powerful processor, but the rest of the filling looks very good for a state employee. Vesti.Hi-tech found out what Wileyfox Swift can boast of, while remaining in the initial price segment

Recall that the announcement of new smartphones under the Wileyfox brand - the British premium brand from Fly - took place in Russia last fall. The company introduced two models of devices - Swift and (an overview of the latter can be found) - for sale only via the Internet. Since then, both of these devices running on the Cyanogen OS 12.1 firmware have managed to win the sympathy of users, while Swift was even named the best smartphone of the year according to Forbes magazine. In early February, a branded online store was opened in Russia, where this model is offered at a very affordable price for today. You can also buy Wileyfox smartphones through an exclusive partner - the JD.com online store. Note that the name of the Wileyfox brand clearly echoes the phrase wile fox, which can be translated as "sly fox".

Specifications

• Model: Swift
• OS: Android 5.1.1 + Cyanogen OS 12.1
• Processor: 4-core 64-bit qualcomm processor Snapdragon 410 (MSM8916), ARM Cortex-A53 cores (1.2 GHz)
• Graphics subsystem: Adreno 306 (400 MHz)
• RAM: 2 GB (one channel LPDDR3, 533 MHz)
• Memory for data storage: 16 GB, slot for memory cards microSD / HC (up to 32 GB)
• Screen: capacitive (up to 10 points of touch), IPS-matrix, ONCELL Full Lamination, diagonal 5 inches, resolution 1280x720 pixels, pixel density per inch 293.7 ppi, brightness 530 cd / sq. m, viewing angle 178 degrees, protective glass Corning Gorilla Glass 3, oleophobic coating
• Cameras: main - 13 MP, Samsung ISOCELL S5K3M2 (optical size 1 / 3.06 inches), pixel size 1.12 microns, IR filter Blue Glass, 5-lens lens, aperture f / 2.0, autofocus, dual LED flash, recording / video playback [email protected] fps, slow motion and fast motion; front - 5 MP, BSI-matrix, Samsung S5K5E2 (optical size 1/5 inch), pixel size 1.12 microns, fixed focus
• Interfaces: Wi-Fi 802.11 b / g / n (2.4 GHz), Bluetooth 4.0 + EDR, microUSB for charge / synchronization (USB 2.0), 3.5 mm for headphones
• Network: 2G, 3G (HSPA +, up to 42 Mbps), 4G Cat.4 (up to 150 Mbps) LTE-FDD: 1800/2600/800 (b3, b7, b20)
• Number of SIM-cards: 2
• SIM card type: microSIM (3FF), DSDS (Dual SIM Dual Standby)
• Navigation: GPS / GLONASS, A-GPS
• Radio: FM tuner
• Sensors: accelerometer, light and proximity sensors, gyroscope, digital compass
• Battery: SWB0115, removable, Li-Ion, 2,500 mAh (9.5 W * h; 3.8 V)
• Colors: white (Soft Touch), black (Sand Stone)
• Dimensions: 141.15x71x9.37 mm
• Weight: 130 grams

Design, ergonomics

The front selfie camera is content with the Samsung S5K5E2 5-megapixel BSI sensor and a wide-angle fixed focus lens. The maximum photo resolution here is 2560x1920 pixels (4: 3).

Both cameras can shoot in Full HD-resolution (1920 x 1080 pixels, 16: 9) at 30 fps, and all content is saved in MP4 container files (AVC - video, AAC - sound). For shooting at high speed HD video clips, the main camera has a frame rate of 60 fps. Time-lapse photography (Time Lapse) is available for both the main and front cameras. It allows you to organize time-lapse recording, where the interval between frames varies from 0.5 to 24 seconds. For a budget device, the duo of cameras with such capabilities is, in general, impressive.

As for the interface of the "Camera" application, it completely coincides with the one in the model. So, in addition to the HDR mode, there are also several typical scenes, including night and portrait shooting, as well as a set of filters (sepia, negative, etc.). In the settings, it is easy to determine the size and quality of the picture, with the ISO value and focusing time by touch, exposure steps and white balance presets, the type of metering (averaged, center of the frame, spot), etc. But there is no stabilization for video (neither optical, nor electronic). You can shoot with the Power / Lock button and use the volume rocker to zoom the image. Moreover, for active camera brightness is proposed to be automatically set to maximum, which is especially important when shooting in sunny weather.

The Swift's "multimedia" speaker is quite loud, but its sound spectrum seems to be completely lacking in low frequencies. In addition, at maximum power, it begins to wheeze. So it's better to listen to music through headphones, when you can use the AudioFX application, which performs the functions of an equalizer with a dozen presets and manual settings. This program also includes options for bass adjustment and sound virtualization. The smartphone does not have its own player, so at first it is easiest to use Google play Music. Since an audio headset is not included with the Swift model, the built-in FM tuner (with the ability to record broadcasts) as a shortwave antenna needs to take care of its own wired accessory. By the way, a branded audio headset with in-ear headphones and flat wires can be purchased (for some money, of course) along with a smartphone. When recording sound using the Dictaphone program, you are offered to choose one of three file formats - AMR, 3GPP or WAV.

Filling, performance

Calling new model Swift (translated from English - "fast", "impetuous"), the developers still slightly exaggerated its capabilities.

After all, an entry-level solution was chosen as the base for it - a 4-core Snapdragon 410 (MSM8916) chip from Qualcomm. Recall that a similar platform works, in particular, a budget model from the corresponding line of the Samsung Galaxy family. This 64-bit 28nm processor uses the ARMv8 instruction set and ARM Cortex-A53 core architecture clocked at 1.2 GHz. Acceleration of graphics operations is performed by the on-chip Adreno 306 coprocessor (400 MHz). In turn, the signal processor on the MSM8916 supports photo modules with matrices up to 13 MP and video recording with Full HD 1080p quality (as we have already seen). The Snapdragon 410 has a built-in LTE modem that supports the absolute majority of the world's 4G / LTE and 3G networks, while working with two or even three SIM cards. Wireless communications include Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, NFC, a multisystem receiver for satellite navigation (GPS / GLONASS / Beidou) and FM radio. The base Swift configuration is complemented by 2 GB of LPDDR3 RAM (533 MHz), which is controlled by a single-channel 32-bit controller. The modest capabilities of a single-chip system are reflected in the results of the tests performed.

So, AnTuTu Benchmark and Vellamo (MultiCore, Metal), as expected, placed the smartphone in the lower parts of their final tables (although, of course, this cannot be considered "bottom").

If at variable High Performance and High Quality settings on the Epic Citadel visual test, the average frame rate did not change much (58.0 fps and 56.1 fps, respectively). But when setting Ultra High Quality, it almost halved (30.3 fps).

On the universal gaming benchmark 3DMark, where the smartphone was tested on the recommended Sling Shot set, a result corresponding to the entry level of the platform was recorded - 52 points.

But the total number of points earned by Swift on the Base Mark OS II cross-platform benchmark was 663.

The smartphone has 16 GB of internal memory, of which approximately 12 GB is available. Expand your on-board storage with microSD / HC cards up to 32GB. Support for USB-OTG technology, which allows, in particular, to connect USB-drives, is, unfortunately, absent here.

Two microSIM (3FF) subscriber identification modules working with one radio module provide Dual SIM Dual Standby mode. Both slots support 4G networks, but only one of the installed SIM-cards will be able to work with an LTE-modem (Cat. 4, up to 150 Mbps), including the "Russian" LTE-FDD frequency bands (b3, b7 and b20). At the disposal of another subscriber identification module, only 2G (GSM) networks will remain. Other Swift wireless communications include Bluetooth 4.0 and Wi-Fi 802.11 b / g / n (2.4 GHz only).

GPS and GLONASS satellite systems are used to determine location and navigation, which is confirmed by the AndroiTS GPS Test test program. Coordination over Wi-Fi and cellular networks is possible due to the support of A-GPS technology.

Swift model got removable lithium ion battery the same capacity as the model - 2,500 mAh. The power adapter (220 V / 5 V) is not included with the smartphone. There is only a flat (not tangled) USB-microUSB cable. Like an audio headset, a charger (output parameters 5 V / 2 A) for a smartphone is offered to be purchased additionally. Purely theoretically, it will take at least one hour and a quarter to fill the battery 100% with its help.

With a fully charged battery, the device, according to the manufacturer, will be able to maintain a conversation for up to 10 hours or stay in standby mode for up to 180 hours. With the same initial conditions, 30 hours are allotted for listening to audio recordings or 6 hours for playing video / surfing the World Wide Web.

On battery tests AnTuTu Tester the device earned 4,862 points, which is an average result. Videos in MP4 format (hardware decoding) and HD quality at maximum brightness were played continuously for almost 6 hours.

There are three operating modes for the smartphone - balanced, high performance and energy saving. Wherein, automatic switching on the power saving mode can either be simply disabled, or you can do it at a battery charge level of 5% or 15%.

Features of the software

Purchase, conclusions

The Wileyfox Swift smartphone in an ergonomic case with a rather pleasant exterior has received an interesting set of characteristics for its price level. It should be especially noted the clear screen with high maximum brightness, simultaneous installation of two subscriber identification modules of the microSIM format and a microSD memory card, support for "Russian" LTE frequencies, as well as the capabilities of the latest version of Cyanogen OS.

Among the shortcomings of Wileyfox Swift - low performance, average time autonomous work when watching a video, and, perhaps, a meager bundle (no charging, no audio headset). However, all the shortcomings of this smartphone are more than offset by its price. So, in the corporate online store (https://ru.wileyfox.com/) for Wileyfox Swift they ask for only $ 109 (excluding shipping costs), while at the holiday sale before Defender of the Fatherland Day the price was reduced to $ 89.

For example, moto smartphone G under the Motorola brand (now read Lenovo), which is based on the same single-chip platform as the Wileyfox Swift - Qualcomm Snapdragon 410 (MSM8916) - received a smaller amount of RAM (1 GB versus 2 GB) and built-in (8 GB versus 16 GB) of memory. In terms of other parameters, including the resolution of a 5-inch screen, the maximum size of a memory card, battery capacity, etc., it also does not surpass the "sly fox". True, the Moto G is splash and moisture resistant if accidentally dropped into water, and also received replaceable back panels for personalization. appearance... At the same time, 16,990 rubles each, which is significantly higher than $ 109 at the current exchange rate.

So one of the real competitors of Wileyfox Swift is, in particular, which for 10,990 rubles (at the time of testing) is also offered only in the online store, but already Huawei (http://shop.huawei.ru/). As you know, this smartphone is equipped with not a 4-, but an 8-core processor, however, along with 2 GB of RAM, it is content with only 8 GB of internal memory. Plus, it has a non-replaceable battery and no LTE support. In terms of other parameters, the rivals have almost parity. However, sales Huawei Honor 4Cs go in "waves", that is, if there are devices in stock.

Review results smartphone Wileyfox Swift

Pros:

• Attractive appearance for a state employee
• Bright display
• Simultaneous installation of two SIM cards and a microSD memory card
• Support for "Russian" LTE frequencies
• Cyanogen OS features
• Very attractive price

Minuses:

• Low performance
• Average battery life (watching video)
• Lean equipment

• Body materials: plastic, Gorilla Glass 3
• Operating system: Android 5.1.1 + Cyanogen OS 12.1
• Network: 2G / 3G / 4G
• Processor: 4 cores, Qualcomm Snapdragon 410
• RAM: 2 GB
• Storage memory: 16 GB
• Interfaces: Wi-Fi (b / g / n), Bluetooth 4.0, microUSB (USB 2.0) connector for charge / synchronization, 3.5 mm for headset
• Screen: capacitive, IPS 5 "" with a resolution of 1280x720 pixels
• Camera: 13/5 MP, flash
• Navigation: GPS / GLONASS
• Optional: FM radio
• Battery: removable, lithium-ion (Li-Ion) 2500 mAh
• Dimensions: 141.15 x 71 x 9.37 mm
• Weight: 130g
• Price: from $ 110 at the beginning of November 2015

Contents of delivery

• Smartphone
• USB cable
• Film on the screen

Introduction

Not so long ago, we visited the Russian presentation of the Wileyfox company, at which we were presented with two affordable smartphones - Swift and Storm. You can read this material at the link below.

From the text it becomes clear that the company Wileyfox, unknown to many consumers, is, in fact, a sub-brand of Fly. The main feature is that Wileyfox will sell its devices only through the online store, and the devices themselves will get to you from China by courier companies. By the way, they promise fast delivery within a week. It is noteworthy that the gadgets will be covered by the official Russian guarantee. Therefore, I would not directly compare chinese smartphones and smartphones from Wileyfox: in the latter case, you have every right to send Swift or Strom for repair in more than 200 service centers in our country.

Well, now directly about Wileyfox Swift. To begin with, I would like to translate Wileyfox, since many do not quite understand the name: "wyley fox" is something like "a nosy fox", and the company's slogan is "What kind of fox (fox)?" As I understand it, this is a play on words in English: "What the f ...". So the company wants to make it clear that it is so creative. Okay.

The Swift device is notable for the fact that it costs 109 dollars, and with a discount on the coupon it will cost you only 89 dollars, that is, at the current rate of about 5,600 rubles. For this money, you get a smartphone on Cyanogen OS (Android 5.1.1 with a service from Google), a 5-inch IPS-screen with HD-resolution, a Qualcomm chipset with LTE, two cameras of 13 MP and 5 MP, as much as 2 GB of RAM. memory, two sim cards and much more.

The funny thing is that Wileyfox decided not to include a network adapter and a headset in the kit, they say, they increase the cost of the device as a whole. It seems to me that such a move is more of a marketing trick, as I am sure that these accessories cost the company a penny.

Design, dimensions, controls

The smartphone is made in the classic design of Android devices. Swift doesn't have any pretentious elements, but the device looks good: the front panel is dark, the display merges with the frames at the top and bottom, reminds Nexus. The corners are rounded, the ends are slightly sloping, the back cover is flat, but towards the edges it smoothly passes to the side edges.

A thin glossy plastic rim runs along the perimeter of the front, the screen is protected by third generation Corning Gorilla Glass. Despite the budget, the surface is covered with an oleophobic layer, and of excellent quality: prints are almost invisible and can be easily erased, the finger slides easily. Somewhat unexpectedly for a gadget for 6,000 - 7,000 rubles.

The back panel is made of dark gray soft-touch plastic with the effect of graphite chips - also an interesting solution, everything is better than just a “soft-touch”. There is an option with a white lid and front.

It lies cool in the hand due to its small dimensions - 141x71x9.37 mm, sloping edges, pleasant to the touch plastic, and Swift weighs only 130 grams.

As for the assembly, specifically my device was made at "4+" or "5-" on a five-point scale. Minus for barely perceptible crunching with a strong grip in the hand.

At the top center is the earpiece, covered with a round dark metal mesh.

The volume is slightly above average. I can’t definitely determine the quality: very often the interlocutor was heard either with high frequencies and noise, or without noise, but low frequencies prevailed. Moreover, the switching occurred abruptly, that is, the interlocutor speaks in high tones, and a second later - in low tones.

To the right of the speaker are light and proximity sensors. There were no problems with them. To the right is the front camera. On the left is an indicator of missed events. Flashes in different colors.

At the bottom: on the left - a microphone, in the center - a microUSB-connector, on the right - a speakerphone.

On the right are the power button and volume rocker. They are plastic, slightly convex, the stroke is minimal, there is no “click” sound. Above - 3.5 mm audio output for headphones, a second microphone for noise reduction and sound recording in stereo.

On the back there are: a camera module framed by an orange colored metal ring, a dual LED flash, a red “WILEYFOX” lettering and a large anodized zinc logo. Many users have lost their logo in the center.

The back cover is removable, easy to remove. Under it, above the battery - microSIM1 / 2 and a slot for microSD.

Wileyfox and Nexus 5

Wileyfox and Highscreen Boost 3

Display

This device uses a 5-inch screen. The physical size is 62x110 mm, the frame at the top is 14.5 mm, at the bottom - 16 mm, on the right and left - about 4.5 mm each. There is an anti-reflective coating, which is quite effective.

The Wileyfox Swift display has a HD resolution of 720x1280 pixels, an aspect ratio of 16: 9, and a density of 293 pixels per inch. IPS matrix without air gap (Oncell Full Lamination). The touch layer works out up to 10 simultaneous touches. The sensitivity is average.

The maximum brightness for white is 485 cd / m2, the maximum brightness for black is 0.75 cd / m2. Contrast - 640: 1.

The white line is the goal we are trying to achieve. The yellow line (average amount of red, green and blue) is the actual screen data. You can see that we are directly below the target curve, which means that for every value between 0 and 90, the image is slightly brighter.

The average gamma value is 2.26.

Judging by the level graph, there is a clear excess of blue, and the value "jumps" depending on the brightness: there is a lot of blue at the minimum brightness.

The temperature changes dramatically: from 10000 K at minimum brightness to 7500 K at average, and again rise at maximum brightness to 8000 K.

Based on the diagram, the resulting data does not match the sRGB triangle.

All gray points are located outside the DeltaE \u003d 10 radius, which indicates that other shades of colors will be present in the grays.

The viewing angles are maximum, at the corners the picture is very violet and yellow.

If you do not go into details, I did not really like the screen: I would like deeper black and a little juicier other colors. However, for the money, the display is quite normal.

Viewing angles

Flare

In the sun

Settings

Battery

This model uses a removable Li-Ion battery with a capacity of 2500 mAh, 9.5 Wh, model SWB0115. The manufacturer provides the following data:

• Maximum talk time: up to 10 hours
• Maximum standby time: up to 180 hours
• Internet usage time (3G / LTE): up to 5 hours
• Internet usage time (Wi-Fi): up to 6 hours
• Video playback time: up to 6 hours
• Audio playback time: up to 30 hours

Oddly enough, the data matched mine, since usually companies lie strongly in their favor. The maximum luminescence time of the screen is 3.5 - 4 hours (average brightness), the maximum operating time of the device is 3 days (only data synchronization via Wi-Fi), the average "life" of Swift in my conditions (rare calls for 5-10 minutes, constant synchronization via Wi-Fi, mail, twitter, Skype, WhatsApp, VK and other applications) - 1.5 days and 3 hours of screen glow. Under load, the time is greatly reduced: 4G and the active "skid" of the device discharge the battery in 5 hours.

The battery is discharged non-linearly. For example, after you disconnect from network adapter, within 10-20 minutes the battery immediately sits down by 3%, after 10-15 minutes - by 5-7%, after an hour and a half - by another 5-10% (it just lies, connected to Wi-Fi). As a result, for a couple of hours without action, the battery is kept at around 80%. Then, in standby mode, everything is fine - a quiet sleep for three to four days.

Communication capabilities

The device works not only in 2G / 3G networks (GSM 850/900/1800/1900 MHz, WCDMA 900/2100 MHz), but also in 4G Cat 4, FDD 800/1800/2600 (band 3/7/20). There are two SIM cards, both of which work in 4G. However, if one sim card is in LTE, the other will be in 2G.

There is no NFC chip, the rest is standard for any Android smartphone: Wi-Fi b / g / n, Bluetooth 4.0 (EDR + HSP), USB 2.0. My OTG sample didn't work!

Everything is fine with GPS, satellites are detected slowly (cold start about 10 minutes), but positioning is accurate. Below are screenshots of the track.

The SAR indicator is 0.107 / 0.250 W / kg.

Memory and memory card

It uses 2 GB LP-DDR3 RAM with throughput up to 19,200 Mb / s. The built-in Flash-memory is 16 GB, about 10 GB is allocated for installation of applications and data storage. Naturally, there is a slot for a memory card (maximum 32 GB). It must be said that the built-in memory of 16 GB is extremely slow, applications are installed and launched slowly, photos take a long time to open.

Cameras

Traditionally, there are two camera modules: 13 MP (module from Samsung S5K3M2 ISOCELL, BSI backlight, 1.12 micron pixel size, 1/3 inch matrix size, F2.0 aperture and 5 lenses) and 5 MP (F2.5 aperture) ... There are two flashes - cold and warm glow.

Despite the cost of the device is only about 6,000 - 7,000 rubles, the manufacturer has installed an excellent camera module in Swift, in addition, has written good software that processes image data. Therefore, some positive aspects came out: the focus is accurate and fast, the white balance is always accurate, the sharpness is good, the noise is minimal even at ISO \u003d 1600. The more expensive Meizu M1 / \u200b\u200bM2 shoots in about the same way. That is, I was satisfied with the Wileyfox camera.

The videos are ordinary, unremarkable: FullHD at 30 fps during the day and 10 - 20 fps at night and in the evening. The sound is stereo.

The front camera is also pleasing - the angle is wide, the white balance is accurate, the sharpness is excellent, there is little noise even at night. Swift videos are of high quality in FullHD resolution, frames - from 9 to 30 depending on lighting conditions.

Sample photos

Day

Night

Front-camera

Performance

The Wileyfox Swift smartphone uses Qualcomm's Snapdragon 410 MSM8916 Q3 2014 chipset. The quad-core 64-bit ARM Cortex-A53 processor (ARMv8 architecture) is based on a 28nm process technology. The world's smallest 64-bit processor. It outperforms the Cortex-A7 by 50% in performance. Adreno 306 graphics (400 MHz).

For games, Snap 410 is not entirely suitable: at maximum settings, there are simple games or perfectly optimized ones, 80% of games run either at minimum or medium settings.

Interface. Periodically lags, freezes, “collapses” and does other unpleasant things. Are such actions stressful? Of course yes. What to do? "Treat" only with new firmware, because the one that is, is clearly "raw". I was advised to flash a "nightly" build of Cyanogen, but imagine that I will finish each test device myself and then say in the output: "Yes, the device is buggy, however, if you patch KDE2 under FreeBSD, everything will be fine."

Some time ago, products under the Wileyfox trademark enjoyed a fairly decent demand in Russia. A similar situation was observed in some other countries. Gradually, however, the Fly sub-brand began to experience problems. This is due to two reasons:

• The parent company decided to reduce the cost of supporting Wileyfox;
• The main feature of the "fox" smartphones was the operating system Cyanogen OS (modernized Android), but some time ago, support for this project was almost completely stopped.

Fortunately, the Russian division of Wileyfox continues to live, independently earning money to design and manufacture devices. Now all that remains is to understand whether to switch to "bare" Android or start installing some other modifications of this OS. However, this concerns the future of the company. Here we will also consider the best devices from those already available to consumers.

Best Smartphone

Wileyfox Swift 2 X

• Operating system: Cyanogen 13.1 (Android 6.0)
• CPU: Qualcomm Snapdragon 430, 8 cores, 1400 MHz
• Screen: 5.2 inches, IPS, 1920 x 1080 pixels
• Battery: 3100 mAh
• RAM: 3 GB
• Built-in storage: 32 GB

Price: from 8 990 rub.

The most advanced machine created by Wileyfox. The manufacturer has introduced decent components into the smartphone, which should suit the vast majority of buyers. In particular, the 16-megapixel rear camera should please, which can take great pictures and shoot video with Full HD resolution (30 frames / s). Nothing bad can be said about the 8-megapixel front camera.

The front panel of the device houses a 5.2-inch IPS display. The LCD panel has a resolution of 1,920 x 1,080, which indicates a high pixel density. Viewing angles are maximum, the color rendition is not distorted at all with any deviation of the device.

The main feature of Wileyfox Swift 2 X is the presence of an NFC chip. This means that a smartphone can be used instead of a bank card. There are also modules of Wi-Fi 802.11n, Bluetooth 4.1 and LTE-A of the fourth category. Like the rest of Wileyfox products, this model has two SIM card slots. It should be noted also a powerful processor from Qualcomm, capable of running any modern games. A modern connector is used to connect the charger. In a word, if it were not for the OS used, the device would have ended up in our list of smartphones that will not become obsolete for a long time. No wonder the reviews for this model are written mostly in a positive way.

Advantages:

Disadvantages:

• Not the most fresh version operating system;
• Wi-Fi 802.11ac support would be nice.

Best mid-range smartphone

Wileyfox swift 2

• Operating system: Cyanogen 13.1 (Android 6.0)
• CPU: Qualcomm Snapdragon 430, 8 cores, 1400 MHz
• Screen:
• Battery: 2700 mAh
• RAM: 2 GB
• Built-in storage: 16 GB

Price: from 6 990 rub.

This device differs from its more advanced counterpart by its reduced cost. The manufacturer managed to achieve a more modest price tag due to the use of not the most advanced components. The camera is installed here the most common, having a 13-megapixel resolution. The amount of memory can be called the minimum by modern standards. Fortunately, the processor is the same, so the gadget has not lost the ability to run all modern games. Also, the manufacturer did not save on the connector, leaving USB Type-C.

Most of all, the device will delight the buyer with the presence of an NFC chip. At the time of this writing, this is one of the cheapest smartphones that can play the role of a bank card! But the battery capacity has slightly decreased. But this was to be expected, because the physical dimensions of the device also decreased. The front panel now houses a 5-inch display with a resolution of 1280 x 720 pixels.

The smartphone has a very good navigation chip capable of recognizing signals from GPS and GLONASS satellites. This allows the device to be used as a navigator, which is what some Russian taxi drivers do. The device also pleases with an 8-megapixel front camera and a fingerprint sensor.

Advantages:

• There is support for NFC;
• Not a particularly high price tag;
• Compact size and light weight (155 g);
• Not a bad rear camera and a very good front camera;
• Decent eight-core processor;
• There is a fingerprint scanner;
• LTE networks are supported.

Disadvantages:

• Not much memory is built in;
• Not the most recent version of the operating system.

Best Ultra Budget Smartphone

Wileyfox spark

• Operating system: Cyanogen 13.0 (Android 6.0)
• CPU:
• Screen: 5 inches, IPS, 1280 x 720 pixels
• Battery: 2200 mAh
• RAM: 1 GB
• Built-in storage: 8 GB

Price: from RUB 4,990

One of the lightest devices in the Wileyfox line. The weight of this smartphone does not exceed 135 g. Also, the device is very cheap, so you shouldn't expect any gorgeous characteristics. The front panel of the gadget houses a traditional 5-inch IPS panel with HD resolution. Some color distortions when the device is deflected are noticeable, but the effect cannot be called strong and annoying. Above the screen is an 8-megapixel front camera - the creators did not save on this. The rear camera has the same resolution.

Like its older brothers, Wileyfox Spark has LTE support. But the NFC chip was not installed here. But most of all, the device disappoints with the minimum amount of memory, which will have to transfer many applications to a microSD card. Nevertheless, it is quite possible to consider the option of purchasing this model, especially if the budget is seriously limited, and you cannot hesitate with the purchase.

Advantages:

• Support for 4G networks;
• Compact size and light weight (135 g);
• Low cost;
• Not a bad screen for the price;
• Good front camera
• There is a light indicator;
• The light and proximity sensors are not forgotten.

Disadvantages:

• Not the best navigation chip;
• Battery capacity is poor;
• Weak processor;
• Built-in extremely small amount of memory;
• Not the most recent version of Android.

Best budget smartphone

Wileyfox Spark +

• Operating system: Cyanogen 13.0 (Android 6.0)
• CPU: MediaTek MT6735, 4 cores, 1300 MHz
• Screen: 5 inches, IPS, 1280 x 720 pixels
• Battery: 2200 mAh
• RAM: 2 GB
• Built-in storage: 16 GB

Price: from 5 990 rub.

Wileyfox couldn't limit itself to the regular version of Spark. Not all people were delighted with the purchase, so soon it was decided to release Spark +. The creators did not change the design of the device, and many characteristics were left the same. In particular, it also uses a 5-inch 720p IPS panel. The processor has not undergone any changes either, for which it is quite difficult to launch some particularly heavy application.

What are the improvements? First of all, it should be noted that the volume of RAM and permanent memory has doubled. It is very important! Someone will also appreciate the 13-megapixel rear camera, which performs much better than a similar component built into the ultra-budget sibling.

Perhaps these are all the changes that can be mentioned. The device did not receive an NFC chip and a fingerprint scanner. The version of the operating system also remained the same, although this is not Wileyfox's special fault.

Advantages:

• Low cost;
• Optimal memory size for this price;
• The rear camera has a high resolution;
• Decent quality front camera
• There are proximity and light sensors;
• Small size and weight (134 g);
• The device works in 4G networks.

Disadvantages:

• I would like a more recent version of Android;
• The processor is not powerful;
• Battery capacity is not high.

Conclusion

At the time of this writing, the Wileyfox smartphones discussed above were the most relevant. All these phones should suit any person who does not expect unusual skills from such a device and the launch of three-dimensional games with the maximum level of graphics.

Do you have a smartphone made by Wileyfox? Or are you just eyeing the products under this brand? Share your thoughts in the comments.

And rightly so - with this configuration, the smartphone works very quickly, non-removable standard programs do not get in the way, and the user has more memory for photos, music and videos on internal storage with a capacity of 16 GB.

Despite the seeming simplicity, there are enough bells and whistles in the system: the user is free to hide selected applications in the menu, add phone numbers to the blacklist, install themes, associate the screen lock with a smart watch (went to drink coffee with Android Wear - the smartphone will ask for an unlock code, returned - unlocked without a password), with your face in front camera or by voice. The buttons (back, home, menu) can be swapped, and individual applications can be prohibited from viewing personal data or going into autorun.

In a word, beginners will be glad that there are no frills in the system (there are simply no programs in sight with which you can spoil something in the operation of a smartphone), and enthusiasts - a free platform for further refinement of a smartphone for themselves.

Cameras

On paper, the potential of the Wileyfox Swift cameras is amazing - the rear 13-megapixel Samsung S5K3M2 sensor with f / 2.0 aperture a priori does not look like consumer goods, and 5 megapixels for the front camera look very solid.

But with close acquaintance, there are so many nuances of shooting that we would not dare to recommend Wileyfox Swift as a smartphone for photo / video.

Most of all, the smartphone pleases with the quality of pictures during the day. Macro shooting in Swift, however, works like a blooper, but a picture with good sharpness, albeit not the first time, is capable of a smartphone - do not forget that we are talking about a model with a price tag of only ~ 7 thousand rubles, and just take a look for comparison, as the HTC One Mini 2 photographs, the model is twice as expensive.