If you look at the specifications, the Explay Neo – a typical representative of the budget segment. But things are not so simple with this model. Firstly, the case surrounds the metal frame, not painted metal under plastic, but a real aluminum. And secondly, the machine installed 13-megapixel main and a 5-megapixel front-facing camera, which surprised and pleased with the results during testing.

Packaging and accessories – Explay Neo

Area under the cover of light brown boxes filled Neo Explay fitted to each other boxes, something resembling “Tetris”. Experience strengthens smartphone, placed in an indentation on one of them. In other cardboard boxes stacked: your charger, cable micro-USB, warranty card, written in very simple language user manual, headset, and clip to extract slot micro-SIM – in a separate bag.

Headset – In-ear headphones – kept loosely in the ears, but it sounds pretty good, except that the high frequencies at high volume cut ear. Of course, sound from the “plugs” should not wait, and loud music are quite audible to people around them. However, for telephone calls is not so important.

Appearance – Explay Neo

Explay Neo certainly appreciate the beautiful half of humanity. And it’s not just metal inserts color “champagne”, but in the subtleties, finesse and elegance device. Small (134 x 71.4 x 7.7 mm) and lightweight (131 grams), though it is designed for small hands. However, this does not mean that the unit does not fit men.

The smartphone has a golden metal ring and insertion of a golden brushed metal on the bottom. At this color variety does not end there: the back panel is made of smooth plastic with interesting variegated texture of small bright points. Frame around the screen is black.

Molded body of the gadget has an excellent assembly – dense, without gaps, the smartphone does not bend or pressed. Connectors for SIM-cards are arranged symmetrically on the right and left ends of the device.

Headphone jack is put to the upper end, micro-USB port and microphone – on the bottom.

The left side of the body there is no button. On the right is the volume rocker, and below – the power button. Metal buttons, easy to press.

On the rear panel is placed in the main camera lens with a metal obodochkom next to him – a flash. In the lower part of the body are the manufacturer’s logo and an external speaker.

Explay Neo came out very beautiful, with interesting details: especially showy side golden frame and beveled edges on the bottom of the metal insert. Anyway metal and slim body for sure many will like.

Ergonomics – Explay Neo

In terms of ergonomics Explay Neo has raised questions. First of all, press “Menu”, “Back” and “Home” are highlighted very weak and hardly visible. It is clear that over time, the habit of the host, but when you start using it causes some inconvenience: it is necessary to look closely to the icon, and in most cases just to poke at random.

The second question – body material. Yes, it was beautiful, but plastic, which is made from the back panel, quite slippery, and the view is not very durable. And if the scratches we can only assume, then slip in hand immediately noticeable and can not be doubted. Have to compress the device tightly.

Finally, fingerprints. On the first day of testing the device has gathered them all, who at least once took him in hand – and on the body, and the display. Regular wiping if the situation improved and, for a short while.

Another niggle – you can not call it a serious problem – the developers decided to put the power button on the bottom of the right side, under the volume rocker. As a result of the capture of the smartphone right hand is quite difficult to click on it with your thumb, as is usually done. Of course, it is possible to keep the gadget in his left hand, or, for example, to hold with one hand and unlock the other. But, you see, it’s quite a strange place for the most used buttons on the device.

Of course, all this stuff, but they have an impression of a small imperfection of trends in terms of ergonomics. And if the problem is solved prints with a protective film on the screen or cover, and to the location of the buttons can be used, then that’s a slippery plastic housing can play a cruel joke with the user.

Interface – Explay Neo

Explay Neo running the operating system Android 4.2.2 Jelly Bean. Externally, the firmware is not very different from the original, at once visible only redrawn application icons.

On your phone is not set for the traditional Android-devices Play Market (but you can just download it in a format APK), but there is Yandeks.Store with a much smaller selection of applications. Almost all the major applications – from Yandex: browser, maps, navigation, weather, cloud storage. Not without Yandex Music, Yandex Yandex trains and Metro.

Office applications there, but got a couple of smart-readers, “the movie poster”, Get Taxi, and several lesser-known stores games and applications. Separately touches pre-installed with cartoons Masha and the Bear ..

On the Home screen widget set – green android, which teaches us to use the OS, giving clues about the ability to customize the interface.

Another original widget – customizable shortcut button, which can be freely dragged across the screen. When touched, it takes place in a small circular menu, where you can take a screenshot, go to the home screen, lock the smartphone or open one of the applications. Their set, the user must make himself.

System performance can be considered ideal, here comes more word “average.” Case of delay, the device is quite measured responsive to the user, but global deadlocks and no other problems. It was also noticed that the reception of the incoming call comes with a two-second delay.

The onscreen keyboard works well, typing quite comfortable.

Screen – Explay Neo

One of the main features of the new device was a five-inch touchscreen IPS-display with a resolution of 1280×720 pixels. It is made by technology OGS, which means that no layer between the sensor and the liquid crystal layer, due to which increases the brightness and viewing angles.

Indeed, the display is very bright – all perfectly visible even when used outdoors on a sunny day. Colors are transmitted correctly. HD resolution is enough for 5-inch diagonal: pixels are distinguishable only under very close inspection. Viewing angles are excellent.

Sometimes it does not work the proximity sensor, a couple of times had a chance to hang up his ear.

It is also worth noting that there is no oleophobic coating.

Performance – Explay Neo

Performance Explay Neo provides quad-core CPU MTK 6582 1.3 GHz, RAM size is 1GB. For storage applications, and user data are available from 12 to 16 GB of internal storage.

Explay Neo is easily managed with a lot of open tabs in the browser and video playback up to 1080p, so that in everyday use no problems. As for the performance in games – basically they are normal, but with a little braking, for example, Asphalt and 8 Dead Trigger 2. A Minion Rush slightly heats the device.

Dimensional Angry Birds and Cut the Rope, of course, flitting without question.

The external speaker sounds good, it’s loud, so that the ringing tone is heard almost always. Spoken as a super-loud will not name, but not abuse for that, buddy always heard.

Smartphone cope with the tests and showed the following results: 16 567 points in Antutu and 2935 in the test 3DMark Ice Storm, 1970 in Ice Storm Extreme, 2838 in Ice Storm Unlimited.

Luggage – Explay Neo

If you thought that Explay Neo many shortcomings – forget them all. Any quibbles compensated unusually good camera. It does not have some kind of transcendent resolution, but takes amazing clear. To appreciate it, you need to open the photos on the big screen and enlarge them. In this case, the application itself is not started immediately, works pretty measured, have to wait.

Luggage wonderful photographs in the dark, with a moderate amount of noise. The only thing – in low light is focused for longer than usual.

Ability to manually configure limited exhibiting ISO. There is a self-timer, continuous shooting, the search function of persons. Flash is also possible to manually enable and disable this, or leave the definition of need for it at the discretion of the camera.

Interest to us are shooting modes. Here, apart from the usual automatic, has smile detection and focus on the landscape, when the smartphone beeps when recognizing landscape. HDR mode works very interesting – look at the examples of such a survey. However, in some cases the photographs there is an effect “peresharpa” – harshness. But attention to detail and dynamic HDR-images in the case of Explay Neo, as they say, off scale.

Now move on to the panoramic shooting mode, which also works well. We did a lot of pictures, including in the dark – it turns out beautifully.

Camera blurs background when shooting at close range. The only small remark: autofocus sometimes does not fire the first time, and it usually occurs at macro photography.

Pleasantly surprised that to get a good picture for a long time do not have to dance with the camera and display settings. The device excels itself in automatic mode, you can “click” on the go. Perhaps that is why in the smartphone and not possible to manually adjust the exposure, shutter speed and so on. Success rate is high enough photos, blurry there is little, even in the dark. In general, all that is required from the user – point the camera at the subject and press the shutter button.

Except that you can not find fault with the most logical location of the module: the lens put to the edge of the body, and while shooting in landscape orientation instead of the target of the plot sometimes it turns photos of your finger. However, quite a well.

Front-facing camera 5 MP also stands out against fellow price segment: it gives a fairly high-quality and allows you to not only use the video, but also to make clear “self.”

Finally will show video, shot on camera Explay Neo.

Wireless interfaces – Explay Neo

The smartphone can be equipped with two cards microSIM, however, a radio installed in it alone, so their simultaneous operation is not supported. With cellular communication all good, no problems with voice calls, and in general with the transfer of information.

Smartphones have FM-radio, it works when you connect a headset. It may be noted decent quality radio reception. Save to your device, however, can only be five stations.

Autonomy – Explay Neo

Novelty was the battery capacity of 2000 mAh. As you might guess, the autonomy – not the strongest place Explay Neo. But there were no surprises: Smartphone keeps quietly without the outlet of the day and a half. To put exact numbers, it is 4-5 hours of continuous video playback with maximum display brightness. In games, it takes about 20% per hour, and in normal everyday use, which includes calls, messages, social networking, camera and a few games, the device surely survive till the evening, and he still remains the reserve charge.

Results – Explay Neo

Main advantages of Explay Neo – elegant appearance and outstanding for its price segment camera. At the same weaknesses and strengths frankly “sagging” characteristics in Neo still not filling its standard for its price segment (except for the camera). Yes, there are flaws in ergonomics, but given the price of $220, is unlikely to find fault.

Pros Explay Neo:

• great camera;
• quality display;
• spectacular appearance.

Cons Explay Neo:

• no oleophobic coating;
• no lights in the buttons “Menu”, “Back”, “Home”;
• slippery body.

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