Hi Geeks! Here we have the Bluboo S1, Budget smartphone with
Tri-bezel-less Display Powered by
Helio P25 Octa-Core Processor!
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| Bluboo S1 |
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| Bluboo S1 Package |
Let's start with the package that is a square black box. We are welcomed by
Bluboo S1 unit and two mini boxes that contain
Charger, Data Cable, Type-C Audio Adapter, Ejector Pin, Documentations, TPU case and Tempered Screen Guard. Well
No headset here so I guess you might want to retain your old or buy a new one for your audio needs.
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| Bluboo S1 Top and Bottom |
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| Bluboo S1 |
Bluboo S1 sports a blockish look featuring a
tri-bezel-less 5.5 inch display in
FHD 1080p resolution protected with
2.5D Corning Gorilla Glass 4. Even with polycarbonate plastic built, Bluboo S1 feels solid. However with this screen, Selfie Front camera has now been relocated at the bottom part of the screen by the side of
Fingerprint Sensor slash Home Button. At the side, lies the volume rocker at the right while the
hybrid sim tray is at the left.
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| Bluboo S1 Sides |
For its price, we are surprised to see
Mediatek Helio P25 MTK6757 powering the device as verified by system diagnostic tool. For memory is at
4GB RAM and 64GB Internal Storage (with at least
51GB available for user files.)
Antutu Benchmark reach 61K mark and so as expected handles Android Nougat flawlessly including heavy games like
NBA 2K18.
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| Bluboo S1 Antutu Benchmark / AIDA |
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| Bluboo S1 NBA 2K18 |
For camera, Bluboo S1 is equipped with
16MP Sony IMX 135 + 3MP Dual Rear Camera. For its front, it is at
8MP. Offers
Facebeauty, Mono, Panorama and Pro Mode (limited to ISO, WB, EV).
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| Bluboo S1 Camera |
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| Good Light | Low Light |
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| Close Up | With Flash |
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| Panorama |
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| Selfie | Mono |
So far output is decent as compared to its S8 sibling.
Good in daylight and well lit situation. However it struggle in
low light conditions. Close up shot and flash is also
acceptable. With front camera located at the bottom of the screen, taking a selfie feels weird but Bluboo suggest you rotate your phone and take those selfies.
With regards to connectivity, it does have the regular set from
WiFi, Bluetooth and GPS. Direct connection is via
USB Type-C for
audio, pc link, and charging. With this setup though, you can't charge while listening to music. Oh nearly forgot,
USB OTG is supported. For sensors, it has
light, accelerometer, proximity and gyroscope. This should be good news for those playing
Augmented Reality games as well as using
VR.
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| Bluboo S1 UI |
Runs on
Android Nougat 7.0 topped with
Phoenix UI that has
system management tools, gesture and motion controls. There is also a
floating button to help you navigate and quick shortcuts.
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| Camera UI |
Bluboo S1 carries a
3500mAH battery. On Standby, i observed a decrease even with no apps running. With moderate use (games, data, messaging and social media), we were able to extend more or less 6 to 7 hours. Well if you are into heavy gaming then expect it 3-4 hours. Charging takes at least 2 and half hours.
To conclude,
Bluboo S1 is a
good budget smartphone for its tri-bezel-less display and Helio P25 Processor. This ensures you fluid Android Experience that can handle your applications and games. However we feel that Bluboo need to optimize camera software to maximize the use of
Sony sensor. Same with system and UI to avoid force closing apps and better ram management.
Bluboo S1 is
available at Lazada Philippines for 7,799 Pesos! Comes in
Black and White Color Options.
Bluboo S1 Specs:
Android 7.0 Nougat
5.5" FHD IPS 2.5D Curved Gorilla Glass 4 (401ppi)
2.5GHz Mediatek MTK6757 Helio P25 Octa-Core Processor
Mali-T880 GPU
4GB RAM LPDDR4X
64GB Internal Storage
Expandable up to 256GB via Microsd card
16MP Sony IMX 135 + 3MP Dual Rear Camera w/ Dual LED Flash
8MP Front Camera
Dual Hybrid Nano Sim
4G LTE Cat 6
WiFi 802.11 a/b/g/n
Bluetooth 4.0
GPS, A-GPS, GLONASS
Fingerprint scanner, Gyroscope
USB Type-C
3500 mAh Li-Polymer Battery
Fast Charging
