**A Review of the Chinese Flagship Phone with a Disappointing Software Experience**
The camera is one of the most critical aspects of any smartphone, and unfortunately, this Chinese flagship phone falls short in several areas. I've disabled all beauty modes on my samples but kept HDR on auto because I think that's what most people will use. To swap between secondary lens modes, you can tap this to get two times, three times digital, or portrait mode, which uses both cameras to capture a blurred background. You can also switch to the front-facing camera by tapping that, and video modes range from 1080p to 4K. However, I was disappointed with the low-light performance of the camera, especially considering it has optical image stabilization.
One of the features that caught my attention is the pro mode, which allows you to control the ISO, shutter rate, exposure, focus, and white balance. This is great for advanced users who want more control over their photography experience. However, I was surprised to find that the front-facing camera does not have electronic image stabilization, which is a crucial feature in video recording.
The audio quality is another area where this phone falls short. The rear-facing microphone can pick up a lot of background noise and sounds scratchy when playing videos or recording audio. While it's good for still photography, I would have expected better performance from a high-end smartphone. In terms of video recording, the phone can capture 4K at 30 frames per second with optical image stabilization, but not with electronic image stabilization.
Another issue I encountered is the lack of 60fps in 4K video recording. This is surprising considering the phone's hardware capabilities and the presence of optical image stabilization. The night mode is another feature that didn't impress me, as it struggled to produce good results in low-light conditions.
**Performance and Battery Life**
On a more positive note, this Chinese flagship phone has impressive performance and battery life. The processor is fast and snappy, making it perfect for gaming and general usage. I was able to get around 10 hours of screen time with moderate usage, which is excellent for a high-end smartphone.
**Software Experience and User Interface**
The software experience on this phone is where it really falls short. The phone ships with Android Oreo out of the box, but not the latest version. There's also no Google Play services or GMS support, which means you won't get the full range of Google services. Additionally, the user interface is slow and laggy at times, especially when using certain apps.
One workaround for this is to use a custom launcher like Nova Launcher, which brings global languages and Google Play Store functionality to the phone. However, even with this setup, I experienced some lag and glitches when navigating through the home screen or switching between apps.
**Charging and Connectivity**
Finally, there's one more issue that plagued me throughout my testing: the charging system. The phone requires an external charger for fast charging, and only Qualcomm Quick Charge 3 or 4 chargers will work. This means you'll need to lug around a separate charger if you want to take advantage of fast charging speeds.
Additionally, I was disappointed with the audio quality of the phone's speakers, which sounds scratchy and not great at all. While it's good for still photography, I would have expected better performance from a high-end smartphone.
**Conclusion**
Overall, this Chinese flagship phone has some great features like impressive performance, battery life, and a nice build quality. However, the software experience and camera performance are major letdowns. With some firmware updates, I hope to see improvements in low-light performance, video recording capabilities, and audio quality. Until then, it's a good phone that just needs a bit of tweaking to reach its full potential.
If you're looking for a high-end smartphone with impressive hardware but need to sacrifice on software experience, this might be the phone for you. However, if you're looking for a seamless user experience, camera performance, and audio quality, I would recommend exploring other options in the market.