A919 Supercharged
The MyPhone A919i is officially the first MTK6589-equipped phone from local phone brands. The new A919i also replaces the A919 as MyPhone's new flagship, which was launched back in November 2012. Basically, the refresh came six (6) months after, which is very welcome for those who are rather sensitive to buyer's remorse. In contrast, competitor Cherry Mobile has been very aggressive in releasing new models one after the other in the same price brackets. While more choices are welcome, it instills buyer's remorse for those whose phones have become sort of obsolete in just a month due to a new model. Those coming from the A919 or Cherry Mobile's Titan from six months ago will find the new A919i a big but timely upgrade.
Incidentally, this is also MyPhone's first HD phone, which means it's equipped with a 1280x720 screen. In my review of the Cherry Mobile Omega HD, I have stated that the all-too ubiquitous MTK6577 just barely manages to run the HD screen. Apparently, MyPhone has decided to make the jump and pair the HD screen with the new MTK6589, unlike what Cherry Mobile and Starmobile did with their Omega HD and Diamond respectively. This is possibly the best choice MyPhone has made and it will be tackled later.
It should be noted that the MyPhone A919i is also known as the Micromax A116 Canvas HD in India. It is also known as the Wiko Cink Five in France, Fly IQ451 Quattro Vista in Russia, and Mobistel Cynus T5 in Germany. The OEM device of these phones is the Beidou Chi K Shallot/Scallion/Onion. The name approximately translates to "onion" as the OEM device does not have an English name.
Incidentally, this is also MyPhone's first HD phone, which means it's equipped with a 1280x720 screen. In my review of the Cherry Mobile Omega HD, I have stated that the all-too ubiquitous MTK6577 just barely manages to run the HD screen. Apparently, MyPhone has decided to make the jump and pair the HD screen with the new MTK6589, unlike what Cherry Mobile and Starmobile did with their Omega HD and Diamond respectively. This is possibly the best choice MyPhone has made and it will be tackled later.
It should be noted that the MyPhone A919i is also known as the Micromax A116 Canvas HD in India. It is also known as the Wiko Cink Five in France, Fly IQ451 Quattro Vista in Russia, and Mobistel Cynus T5 in Germany. The OEM device of these phones is the Beidou Chi K Shallot/Scallion/Onion. The name approximately translates to "onion" as the OEM device does not have an English name.
Design and Build Quality
The A919i closely resembles is predecessor, the A919, in overall looks and design. It maintains the more or less "pebble" shape of the A919. The design is more simple instead of minimalist due to the lack of uniformity in the chrome bumper's wideness (wide on the sides and narrow on the top) and the bezel being relatively thick, though comparatively thinner than the A919's bezel. The A919i actually looks more executive in a way as the phone's profile isn't as thin both apparently and in actuality as compared to say the Cherry Mobile Omega HD, which looks more chic and minimalist due to the concave or curved-screen look it has when viewing its profile. Looking at photos in my Omega HD review will make the difference apparent.
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LED notification light
Backlit capacitive keys
The front features both the front-facing camera, and proximity and light sensors on the right side of the earpiece. The rightmost hole of the earpiece is actually an LED notification light that can light green, orange or red. The three backlit touch buttons on the bottom (from left to right) represent options/menu, home and back functions.
The backside of the phone contains the main camera and single LED flash. The small hole to the left of the camera is the secondary mic for noise cancellation. The single loudspeaker is also located at the lower part of the backside.
The backside of the phone contains the main camera and single LED flash. The small hole to the left of the camera is the secondary mic for noise cancellation. The single loudspeaker is also located at the lower part of the backside.
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Volume rocker on the left side
The upper left side contains the volume up and volume down buttons while the upper right side contains the power button.
The top side contains both micro USB and 3.5 mm ports while the bottom side contains the primary microphone used for calls.
The top side contains both micro USB and 3.5 mm ports while the bottom side contains the primary microphone used for calls.
A919i's profile
The A919i's dimensions are 144 x 74 x 10.7 mm and weighs 156 grams. Oddly enough, the A919i actually feels lighter than the Omega HD which weighs only 140 grams. This can be attributed to the Omega HD being more compact than the A919i and weight on the Omega HD is distributed more evenly. The A919i's rear also feels a bit hollow due to the pebble-shape and materials. The plastic used on the A919i's backcover feels very cheap, nowhere similar to the plastics you would find on the HTC One X or any of Samsung's mid or higher-end Galaxy phones. The bezel of the A919i is also relatively thick, and this can be attributed to the fact that it doesn't use thick glass or a thinner, more robust glass like Gorilla Glass or Dragontrail. This is also the reason why the Omega HD's bezels are extremely thin, as the Dragontrail glass provides additional support for the frame. The chrome bumper on the white variant of the A919i is particularly hideous when held in hand and just looks cheap. Despite those, the screen is flush, meaning that your fingers won't encounter anything to stop it from sliding outside. It is a welcome design cue due to the lack of premium design or finish elsewhere on the phone.
Despite the lack of fancy, durable glass and more premium materials, design and finish at this price point, the A919i's remains very ergonomic thanks to the pebble-shape and not too slippery material, despite what the glossiness may imply. The very round edges and shape also makes the phone look and feel thinner than it actually is. The build quality and construction is also very good, but not as solid as one would feel. It's practically identical to the A919. There is only very light squeaking when squeezing the phone in hand. My only caveats with the design is that the black variant's back cover is glossy while the white variant's back cover is matte. Glossy on black is a fingerprint magnet and glossy would've been better on the white as fingerprints on glossy white surfaces aren't as noticeable.
Despite the lack of fancy, durable glass and more premium materials, design and finish at this price point, the A919i's remains very ergonomic thanks to the pebble-shape and not too slippery material, despite what the glossiness may imply. The very round edges and shape also makes the phone look and feel thinner than it actually is. The build quality and construction is also very good, but not as solid as one would feel. It's practically identical to the A919. There is only very light squeaking when squeezing the phone in hand. My only caveats with the design is that the black variant's back cover is glossy while the white variant's back cover is matte. Glossy on black is a fingerprint magnet and glossy would've been better on the white as fingerprints on glossy white surfaces aren't as noticeable.
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(Back) Black and white variant
The MyPhone A919i does not come with a preinstalled screen protector out of the box and it is advised that you purchase a screen protector together with it.
Here is a checklist of what comes inside the box:
Here is a checklist of what comes inside the box:
- 1x MyPhone A919i
- 1x 2000 mAh battery
- 1x TC-U4 1A charger
- 1x USB cable
- 1x Headset
- 1x User's manual
- 1x Warranty card
- 1x Mini CD
Screen
The MyPhone A919i is equipped with a 5.0" 720p IPS screen which supports 5 point multitouch. It also features a light sensor to automatically adjust brightness if you wish. As an IPS panel, it offers excellent viewing angles and brightness.
Here are some shots of the A919i's screen demonstrating viewing angles:
Here are some shots of the A919i's screen demonstrating viewing angles:
Center
Left side viewing angle
Right side viewing angle
Bottom side viewing angle
Top side viewing angle
Unfortunately, the A919i's front is not OGS (one-glass solution/one-glass screen), meaning that the panel and the glass are two separate components. OGS implementations are usually found on pricier phones and while it was expected to be missing at this price point, it's difficult to put it behind considering both the Cherry Mobile Omega HD and Starmobile Diamond have a OGS. Since the A919i doesn't have a OGS, blacklight bleeding is more evident when displaying darker images on the screen on higher brightness. Sunlight legibility also suffers as a result, with the high brightness setting needed for the screen to be legible even under less intense sunlight.
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100% brightness under lower intensity sunlight
Contrast at much higher brightness is noticeably worse too compared to other phones with IPS screens. Color saturation is higher in comparison, though I surmise this is to offset the average contrast, so the screen gives off more of a 'color pop' to impress not-too-discerning buyers (think AMOLED screen or LCD/LED TVs in appliance stores with their video setting set to 'dynamic'). Color reproduction remains relatively accurate nonetheless and color temperature is more on the cool side.
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As an IPS panel, brightness is excellent. Even on the lowest brightness setting, the screen is pretty legible anywhere except under sunlight. Despite some negatives with the screen, it is still an IPS panel and will offer better picture quality than non-IPS LCD panels in virtually every scenario. The comparisons are relative to other phones with IPS screens. In real world use, the A919i's screen remains very good, especially since the all important 1280x720 resolution at 5.0" which results into 294 PPI keeps images looking very sharp.
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Performance
The moment we've all been waiting for: the MediaTek MTK6589. How does it perform? Blisteringly fast. Even with basic tasks such as swiping and going from window to window, the massive increase in performance brought by the MTK6589 is definitely noticeable. First, we should get to know a little bit more about it.
The MTK6589 is a quad-core Cortex A7-based SOC with a PowerVR SGX 544MP GPU. The most notable improvement over the MTK6577 is the move to 28 nm from 40 nm in the manufacturing process. This is right up there with the latest SOCs such as Qualcomm's Snapdragon 600 series (28 nm), and both Exynos 5 and Apple A6 series which Samsung manufactures (32 nm HKMG). The thermal advantage the 28 nm brings is unprecedented.
May 3, 2013: I have received information from some people who claim that the PowerVR SGX 544MP on the MTK6589 is single core. This review will be updated if proven correct. However, the leaked MTK6589/MT6589 data sheets from late last year say otherwise. There may have been a change to this before production started. Despite that, the performance numbers indicate that it is a dual-core SGX 544 @ 286 Mhz relative to the tri-core SGX 544 @ 533 Mhz on the Exynos 5410. Information regarding the core configuration of the SGX 544MP on the MTK6589 is very sparse, but we will find it out eventually.
May 12, 2013: I have finally found a final block diagram for the MTK6589 locatedhere. The block does indicate an "SGX544" GPU, but does not specify the number of logic cores and core configuration like on the Allwinner A31 here, which specifies 8 logic cores/shaders with an unspecified configuration. It should be noted that the Allwinner A31 is listed with an SGX544MP2 GPU. The PowerVR Series 5XT is scalable from 1 to 16 cores as specified here and it will appear as "PowerVR SGX 544MP" as the GPU UID on any benchmark or hardware identifier app regardless of core configuration. As it stands, the performance of SGX 544 on the MTK6589 is indicative of 2 cores based on the comparative results versus the Allwinner A31's SGX 544MP2 @ 532 Mhz and the Exynos 5410's SGX 544MP3 @ 533 Mhz. The clockspeed discrepancy of 286 Mhz and 532 Mhz which represents a factor of x1.86 between the GPUs on the MTK6589 and Allwinner A31 is reflected in the performance difference. It should be noted that both the Allwinner A31 and MTK6589 use LPDDR2 memory while the Exynos 5410 uses LPDDR3 which has effectively double the bandwidth.
Another improvement most people have been dying for is the PowerVR SGX 544MP2 GPU, which is clocked at 286 Mhz on the MTK6589. The SGX 531 Ultra on the MTK6577 was already showing its age at QHD or higher resolution and demanding smartphone gamers who could only afford Androids from local brands had plenty to complain about as the MTK6577 was the fastest SOC available prior to the A919i's release. The SGX 544 and the very similar SGX 543 is found on a number of high-end SOCs for a while now such as the Apple A5 (543MP2), Apple A6 (543MP3) and Exynos 5410 (544MP3) -- and benchmarks will show that the SGX 544/543 regardless of core configuration is very fast. Just Google benchmarks for the Apple A5.
One change some might be unsure of is the Cortex A7. Measuring them linearly, the Cortex A7 is 1.9 DMIPS @ 1 Ghz while the Cortex A9 is 2.5 DMIPS @ 1 Ghz. Effective DMIPS of the Cortex A7 on the MTK6589 is 2.28 since it's clocked at 1.2 Ghz. The Cortex A9 still has additional advantages as it is an OOE CPU and dual-issue, as expected of a CPU that has a much bigger die. Despite that, there are three circumstances that give the Cortex A7 some leverage: 1) development paradigms for mobile devices are geared towards stringent processing efficiency; 2) for applications reliant on data, the trend is to offload as much processing overhead on the cloud. 3) parallel processing is common now when developing mobile applications. The effective processing performance of the A7 and A9 in practice should be the same with the exception of heavy single threaded processing, which isn't too common these days even on mobile applications.
The MTK6589 is a quad-core Cortex A7-based SOC with a PowerVR SGX 544MP GPU. The most notable improvement over the MTK6577 is the move to 28 nm from 40 nm in the manufacturing process. This is right up there with the latest SOCs such as Qualcomm's Snapdragon 600 series (28 nm), and both Exynos 5 and Apple A6 series which Samsung manufactures (32 nm HKMG). The thermal advantage the 28 nm brings is unprecedented.
May 3, 2013: I have received information from some people who claim that the PowerVR SGX 544MP on the MTK6589 is single core. This review will be updated if proven correct. However, the leaked MTK6589/MT6589 data sheets from late last year say otherwise. There may have been a change to this before production started. Despite that, the performance numbers indicate that it is a dual-core SGX 544 @ 286 Mhz relative to the tri-core SGX 544 @ 533 Mhz on the Exynos 5410. Information regarding the core configuration of the SGX 544MP on the MTK6589 is very sparse, but we will find it out eventually.
May 12, 2013: I have finally found a final block diagram for the MTK6589 locatedhere. The block does indicate an "SGX544" GPU, but does not specify the number of logic cores and core configuration like on the Allwinner A31 here, which specifies 8 logic cores/shaders with an unspecified configuration. It should be noted that the Allwinner A31 is listed with an SGX544MP2 GPU. The PowerVR Series 5XT is scalable from 1 to 16 cores as specified here and it will appear as "PowerVR SGX 544MP" as the GPU UID on any benchmark or hardware identifier app regardless of core configuration. As it stands, the performance of SGX 544 on the MTK6589 is indicative of 2 cores based on the comparative results versus the Allwinner A31's SGX 544MP2 @ 532 Mhz and the Exynos 5410's SGX 544MP3 @ 533 Mhz. The clockspeed discrepancy of 286 Mhz and 532 Mhz which represents a factor of x1.86 between the GPUs on the MTK6589 and Allwinner A31 is reflected in the performance difference. It should be noted that both the Allwinner A31 and MTK6589 use LPDDR2 memory while the Exynos 5410 uses LPDDR3 which has effectively double the bandwidth.
Another improvement most people have been dying for is the PowerVR SGX 544MP2 GPU, which is clocked at 286 Mhz on the MTK6589. The SGX 531 Ultra on the MTK6577 was already showing its age at QHD or higher resolution and demanding smartphone gamers who could only afford Androids from local brands had plenty to complain about as the MTK6577 was the fastest SOC available prior to the A919i's release. The SGX 544 and the very similar SGX 543 is found on a number of high-end SOCs for a while now such as the Apple A5 (543MP2), Apple A6 (543MP3) and Exynos 5410 (544MP3) -- and benchmarks will show that the SGX 544/543 regardless of core configuration is very fast. Just Google benchmarks for the Apple A5.
One change some might be unsure of is the Cortex A7. Measuring them linearly, the Cortex A7 is 1.9 DMIPS @ 1 Ghz while the Cortex A9 is 2.5 DMIPS @ 1 Ghz. Effective DMIPS of the Cortex A7 on the MTK6589 is 2.28 since it's clocked at 1.2 Ghz. The Cortex A9 still has additional advantages as it is an OOE CPU and dual-issue, as expected of a CPU that has a much bigger die. Despite that, there are three circumstances that give the Cortex A7 some leverage: 1) development paradigms for mobile devices are geared towards stringent processing efficiency; 2) for applications reliant on data, the trend is to offload as much processing overhead on the cloud. 3) parallel processing is common now when developing mobile applications. The effective processing performance of the A7 and A9 in practice should be the same with the exception of heavy single threaded processing, which isn't too common these days even on mobile applications.
Courtesy of ARM Holdings
The most important advantage of the Cortex A7 over the A9 is its efficiency, as the Cortex A7 was meant to be the "little" engine in ARM's BIG.little architecture, which can be found on the Exynos 5410 inside international variant of the Samsung Galaxy S4. This ensures near Cortex A9-performance at a much lower power envelope in 'lower gear' while offering "next-gen" performance in 'high gear' on the Cortex A15 cores, since the Cortex A9 has been used as a baseline when the BIG.little architecture was introduced in late 2011.
Another notable thing is that improvements in hardware performance are outpacing the performance requirements of applications being developed for mobile platforms. This ensures further longevity for the Cortex A7-equipped MTK6589 in practical use.
Another notable thing is that improvements in hardware performance are outpacing the performance requirements of applications being developed for mobile platforms. This ensures further longevity for the Cortex A7-equipped MTK6589 in practical use.
Combining the thermal advantages of the smaller manufacturing process and the more power efficient Cortex A7, the MTK6589 can be allowed to ramp up more aggressively more often and maintain cores on auxiliary for longer periods of time without penalty to total power draw. This allows the MTK6589 to be extremely responsive which can easily be felt even when just playing with the Android UI.
The table below shows the performance improvement of the MTK6589 as a whole in AnTuTu:
The table below shows the performance improvement of the MTK6589 as a whole in AnTuTu:
AnTuTu Benchmark 3
Cherry Mobile Omega HD (MTK6577)
|
Sony Xperia Ion (MSM8260)
|
MyPhone A919i (MTK6589)
|
Samsung Galaxy S3 International/i9300 (Exynos 4412)
| |
|---|---|---|---|---|
4.1.1
|
4.0.4
|
4.1.2
|
4.1.2
| |
2x Cortex A9 @ 1 Ghz
|
2x Scorpion @ 1.5 Ghz
|
4x Cortex A7 @ 1.2 Ghz
|
4x Cortex A9 @ 1.4 Ghz
| |
PowerVR SGX 531 Ultra
|
Adreno 220
|
PowerVR SGX 544MP2
|
Mali-400 MP4
| |
1280x720
|
1280x720
|
1280x720
|
1280x720
| |
1 GB RAM
|
1 GB RAM
|
1 GB RAM
|
1 GB RAM
| |
RAM:
|
1113
|
1565
|
1893
|
3359
|
CPU integer:
|
1325
|
1992
|
3275
|
4021
|
CPU float-point:
|
1108
|
918
|
2565
|
3062
|
2D graphics:
|
345
|
721
|
550
|
1270
|
3D graphics:
|
916
|
1852
|
3428
|
3476
|
Database IO:
|
475
|
400
|
545
|
540
|
SD card write:
|
57
|
116
|
150
|
199
|
SD card read:
|
204
|
194
|
193
|
121
|
Total AnTuTu score:
|
5542
|
7758
|
12599
|
16048
|
The MTK6589 certainly hacks away at the MTK6577 and MSM8260 on the Omega HD and Xperia Ion respectively while losing to the Galaxy S3 in terms of CPU power, as the highly clocked quad-core Cortex A9s would suggest. However, looking at the GPU score, the A919i is remarkably close to the Galaxy S3. For gaming alone, the A919i already has the chops considering even the Xperia Ion's slightly dated Adreno 220 can pretty much run anything you throw at it, even the most demanding of titles such as Real Racing 3 and NOVA 3.
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AnTuTu Benchmark
The MTK6589 also has upgraded 3G radio capable of capturing HSPA+ signal. Whereas the old MTK6577 topped off at HSPA with 7.2 Mbps download and 5.76 Mbps upload, the HSPA+ capable modem on the MTK6589 is capable of up to 42 Mbps download and 11.5 Mbps upload. Realistically though, we are still far from reaching even half those speeds on current 3G networks. But it is good to know that it's there just in case telecoms decide to bump up the speed.
HSPA+ signal indicated by "H+"
HSPA+ speed testing on the A919i
The hardware video decoder on the MTK6589 is also upgraded. While the MTK6577's hardware decoder had problems with H.264 video even at just 720p resolution, the MTK6589's hardware decoder is able to decode H.264 videos at 1080p on more modest encoder settings. Below is the result of testing several HD videos on the A919i. MX Player was used for testing. Audio decoding is set to software as the hardware decoder on the MTK6589 cannot decode multi-channel audio.
1280x534 @ 24 FPS, AVC High Profile L4.1, with CABAC, 5 reference frames
|
1280x528 @ 24 FPS, AVC High Profile L4.1, with CABAC, 4 reference frames
|
1280x528 @ 24 FPS, AVC High Profile L4.1, with CABAC, 8 reference frames
|
1920x800 @ 24 FPS, AVC High Profile L4.0, with CABAC, 5 reference frames
| |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Video bitrate:
|
1362 Kbps
|
2270 Kbps
|
2911 Kbps
|
3703 Kbps
|
Audio:
|
448 Kbps, 6 channels AC-3
|
401 Kbps, 6 channels, AAC
|
395 Kbps, 6 channels, AAC
|
306 Kbps, 6 channels, AAC
|
Plays via hardware decoder:
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
Plays via software decoder:
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
(HW) Has dropped frames:
|
No
|
No
|
No
|
No
|
(SW) Has dropped frames:
|
No
|
No
|
No
|
Very little, during fast paced scenes
|
Again, the A919i's MTK6589 surprises us with its performance, both the quad-core Cortex A7 and the hardware video decoder. The hardware video decoder on the MTK6589 is surprisingly good, being able to playback H.264 content flawlessly. Not to mention it is better to use the hardware decoder when possible because it is more efficient than using the software decoder, thus saving battery life.
Lastly, the A919i is equipped with 1 GB of RAM to ensure smooth multitasking. RAM free after a task manager "kill-all" action ranges from 550 MB to 690 MB depending on how many widgets, homescreens, white listed apps, etc. are running.
Lastly, the A919i is equipped with 1 GB of RAM to ensure smooth multitasking. RAM free after a task manager "kill-all" action ranges from 550 MB to 690 MB depending on how many widgets, homescreens, white listed apps, etc. are running.
Camera
The MyPhone A919i is equipped with an 8 megapixel BSI (backside illuminated) sensor for its main camera and 2 megapixel front-facing camera. One of the more exciting things offered by the A919i is 1080p24 video recording. In my review of the Omega HD, I found that there was 1080p recording, albeit only 15 FPS and it was clear then that the MTK6577 just didn't have enough power to encode 1080p video. The more powerful MTK6589 allows 1080p recording at 24 FPS.
The camera interface on the A919i is slightly different from the typical stock ICS and Jelly Bean camera interface. On the A919i, both camera shutter and video recording buttons are present and tapping on either one will snap at photo or start shooting a video. This is slightly inconvenient because the FOV (field of view) when video recording is significantly more narrow than when taking still shots.
The camera interface on the A919i is slightly different from the typical stock ICS and Jelly Bean camera interface. On the A919i, both camera shutter and video recording buttons are present and tapping on either one will snap at photo or start shooting a video. This is slightly inconvenient because the FOV (field of view) when video recording is significantly more narrow than when taking still shots.
The default FOV is in still shot mode and you will only notice the change when you tap on the video recording button. It would have been preferable if there were separate still shot and video recording modes so you can properly frame before you start video recording.
The viewfinder on the A919i is relatively fast even in poorer lighting conditions. The shutter speed is also very fast, only requiring you to hold your hand steady for half a second to take a blur-free shot, which is important considering the A919i doesn't have a ZSL/ZSD (zero shutter lag/delay) option. Auto-focus performance is fast and only takes about a second to fully focus. Like on the Omega HD, the "hold shutter button to focus" feature is removed on the A919i and is replaced by continuous shooting. Holding on the shutter button will perform a burst shot of 4, 8 or 16 photos in full 8 megapixels depending on your setting. Tapping anywhere on the viewfinder to focus on a subject or setup a macro shot is still the same.
The viewfinder on the A919i is relatively fast even in poorer lighting conditions. The shutter speed is also very fast, only requiring you to hold your hand steady for half a second to take a blur-free shot, which is important considering the A919i doesn't have a ZSL/ZSD (zero shutter lag/delay) option. Auto-focus performance is fast and only takes about a second to fully focus. Like on the Omega HD, the "hold shutter button to focus" feature is removed on the A919i and is replaced by continuous shooting. Holding on the shutter button will perform a burst shot of 4, 8 or 16 photos in full 8 megapixels depending on your setting. Tapping anywhere on the viewfinder to focus on a subject or setup a macro shot is still the same.
The still camera has varied manual controls such as ISO, exposure (3 steps -/+), white balance, brightness, contrast, hue, etc. as well as automatic settings for "scenes". However, there is an a disappointing lack of shooting modes. Only "face beauty" is available aside from continuous shooting/burst mode. More disturbingly, there is no panorama shooting option on the A919i, though I'd reckon it can be included in a future firmware update. There is also HDR (high dynamic range) mode which generates two pictures, one with HDR and one without HDR. The BSI sensor helps the further in resolving shadow detail in HDR shots, thereby demonstrating greater range.
Click thumbnail to view full-size
Still shot options
The still shots made by the A919i can be described as above average and sometimes unnatural. One of the first things one will notice is the rather cold color temperature of the images. At first I thought it was simply the natural coldness of the phone's screen, but loading them onto my computer and it is indeed cold. The coldness is evident when taking shots indoors which most may describe as a blue tinge or "filter". It is difficult to ascertain if the cause is cheap optics or poorly implemented post-processing, or both. In addition, there is no option to select which metering method to use. I've examined the EXIFs of the images taken by the A919i and the default metering is center-weighted. This may be problematic for people who are hasty when taking pictures as having a center-weighted metering may cause unintentional over or under exposure depending on the focused area on the viewfinder. Average metering as the default would've been preferable.
The resolved detailed on the A919i is average. Color during indoor shots tend to be inaccurate due to the issues stated above though color accuracy is above average when taking shots outdoors. Looking at details very up close, there is a tendency to oversaturate colors on slightly exposed shots while reducing sharpness on organic objects which give them an "oil pastel" look. Contrast varies greatly depending on how the A919i applies post-processing to the images, which can range from good to terrible. Noise levels are surprisingly good regardless of lighting condition though. Speaking of noise levels, the A919i takes very good shots in low light. Color detail, luminosity and overall image is well-preserved in low lighting conditions although too poor lighting can cause the BSI sensor to perform black clipping, in which case setting the ISO to 1600 and increasing exposure will do the trick.
Despite taking good shots in low light, one might initially think otherwise because there is a discrepancy between what you see on the viewfinder in low light, and what the image actually looks like when you focus and press the shutter. The image below should explain it clearly. Normally it's a WYSIWYG (what you see is what you get) affair on higher-end smartphones, but it shouldn't take away the fact that the A919i still takes good shots at night.
Please note that all images shown below were taken on default settings.
Despite taking good shots in low light, one might initially think otherwise because there is a discrepancy between what you see on the viewfinder in low light, and what the image actually looks like when you focus and press the shutter. The image below should explain it clearly. Normally it's a WYSIWYG (what you see is what you get) affair on higher-end smartphones, but it shouldn't take away the fact that the A919i still takes good shots at night.
Please note that all images shown below were taken on default settings.
A919i Sample Shots (Good lighting)
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A919i Sample Shots (Low light)
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A919i Camera Samples (Macro shots)
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A919i Sample Shots (HDR Comparison)
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With HDR
The video recording on the A919i is excellent. I initially expected the 1080p recording to be similar to the Omega HD in image quality, but in 30, 24 or 25 FPS. Alas, the A919i exceeded my expectations. Overall resolved details on the 1080p24 video capture is very good and motion resolution above average. Color accuracy is very good and sharpness above average. While there is no infinite focus mode while video recording, the continuous auto-focus isn't too aggressive. The A919i spares no expense for quality video recording. The 1080p24 videos by the A919i average a staggering 25 to 26 Mbps constant bitrate encoded in H.263 Main Profile Level 4 inside a .3gp container. Audio is encoded in stereo 128 Kbps constant in AAC. Video recording takes up roughly 180 MB per minute of footage on "Fine"/1080p setting.
Below are video recording samples taken by the MyPhone A919i:
Please watch the videos in 1080p to see what the recordings actually look like.
Below are video recording samples taken by the MyPhone A919i:
Please watch the videos in 1080p to see what the recordings actually look like.
Sample 1 (outdoor):
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=imRtb4Btgqs
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=imRtb4Btgqs
Sample 2 (shaky):
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k3rAsxplQSM
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k3rAsxplQSM
Sample 3 (lowlight):
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aIPAe0OSD7g
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aIPAe0OSD7g
Sample 4 (indoor):
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B6Ufq5mbT4k
Here's the lowdown on the MyPhone A919i's camera:
- Very good shots in good lighting
- Shots in artificial light are very cold and unnatural
- Great low light shots, with very good color detail, color accuracy, and good focus speed in low light
- Good macro shots
- No panorama shooting mode and metering options
- Excellent video recording in 1080p
The A919i's 8 megapixel camera is a mixed bag. When it comes to still shots, it is more or less average and doesn't bring anything to the table against more established smartphone snappers. To highlight the difference, I've decided to compare some shots of the A919i against the 8 megapixel Apple iPhone 5, which is also one of the best snappers around as of this writing. It's a tad bit disappointing considering how close the Omega HD did against the iPhone 5 and 12 MP Sony Xperia Ion in my previous review.
Lastly, the front-facing 2 megapixel camera isn't BSI and making video calls is advised in decent to good lighting.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B6Ufq5mbT4k
Here's the lowdown on the MyPhone A919i's camera:
- Very good shots in good lighting
- Shots in artificial light are very cold and unnatural
- Great low light shots, with very good color detail, color accuracy, and good focus speed in low light
- Good macro shots
- No panorama shooting mode and metering options
- Excellent video recording in 1080p
The A919i's 8 megapixel camera is a mixed bag. When it comes to still shots, it is more or less average and doesn't bring anything to the table against more established smartphone snappers. To highlight the difference, I've decided to compare some shots of the A919i against the 8 megapixel Apple iPhone 5, which is also one of the best snappers around as of this writing. It's a tad bit disappointing considering how close the Omega HD did against the iPhone 5 and 12 MP Sony Xperia Ion in my previous review.
Lastly, the front-facing 2 megapixel camera isn't BSI and making video calls is advised in decent to good lighting.
Still shot comparison: MyPhone A919i vs Apple iPhone 5
Click thumbnail to view full-size
Click thumbnail to view full-size
Battery
The MyPhone A919i is equipped with a removable 2000 mAh battery. In my review of the Omega HD, it was highlighted that 2100 mAh wasn't enough for a phone equipped with a big 720p screen, which is a major power drain. The A919i even has 100 mAh less. However, it has the newer, much more efficient MTK6589. The screen will still drain approximately the same as on the Omega HD, but the MTK6589 provides an advantage in terms of overall power drain with mixed use as both the radio and processor are part of the SOC. If you can recall, the three biggest drains for mobile devices are the radio, processor and screen.
The usual battery test via looping video is still performed, despite it not telling the whole story. For the battery test via looping playback, the application used to play the video is MX Player. The following were the conditions during the test:
The usual battery test via looping video is still performed, despite it not telling the whole story. For the battery test via looping playback, the application used to play the video is MX Player. The following were the conditions during the test:
- Screen brightness: 3/15 of MX Player brightness setting or about 30% of Android brightness bar
- Volume: 13/13 of MX Player volume setting or 100% of Android volume bar, with earphones attached to A919i
- MX Player-specific settings: H/W decoder used for video. S/W decoder used for audio
The following are the details of the video file used for playback:
During my video playback battery test, I noticed that there was a rapid drain from around 25% onwards. Given that, I've decided to perform the battery test for a second time after recalibrating the battery. Both tests did not have breaks and playback was continuous. The results are as follows:
Test 1 (pre-calibration)
|
Test 2 (post-calibration)
| |
|---|---|---|
Start of playback:
|
3:35 am / 100% / 4.124V
|
12:12 am / 99% / 4.195V
|
Checkpoint:
|
7:35 am / 63% / 3.762V
|
N/A
|
End of playback:
|
10:46 am / 15% / 3.621V
|
7:23 am / 12% / 3.617V
|
Total playback time:
|
7 hours 10 minutes
|
7 hours 10 minutes
|
The total playback time for both tests were a little over 7 hours and the sharp decline from around the 25% mark is also exhibited after calibrating the battery. While the results of this battery test are pretty much the same as the Omega HD, we should consider that the looping playback battery test does not take into account the processing efficiency of the new MTK6589 because the hardware video decoder does all the work and the main power draw is still the screen.
In real world use, the MTK6589 does things faster. Whether you are opening an app, a web page, switching apps or multi-tasking, the fact that the MTK6589 takes less time to do it means less "peak time" for your device. The processor can ramp up quickly and complete tasks earlier so it can go into idle sooner. The A919i has tangibly better battery life than the Omega HD which also has a 5.0" 720p IPS screen, but a dated MTK6577 SOC. The A919i will easily last a day of moderate use on lower brightness settings (<25% of brightness bar). By moderate use, I refer to 1 hour of gaming, 2 hours of 3G web browsing and 30 minutes of talk time and several text messages.
Charging times for the Omega HD are oddly slow despite the 1A charger. Charging the phone from red (10-20%) to full while it is off will take a little over two hours. If you charge the phone while turned on (but on sleep), It takes around 2 hours to get from red to 90% and roughly another 30 minutes to get from 90% to 100% charge.
Charging times for the Omega HD are oddly slow despite the 1A charger. Charging the phone from red (10-20%) to full while it is off will take a little over two hours. If you charge the phone while turned on (but on sleep), It takes around 2 hours to get from red to 90% and roughly another 30 minutes to get from 90% to 100% charge.
Battery Test 1 (pre-calibration)
Click thumbnail to view full-size
Start of playback
Battery Test 2 (post-calibration)
Click thumbnail to view full-size
Start of playback
Other Stuff
Android is largely stock on the A919i with the exception of the built-in messaging app that has a slightly tweaked interface for adding attachments and emoticons.
Click thumbnail to view full-size
Call clarity on the A919i is good and the earpiece volume is above average. The secondary mic for noise cancellation works and there is markedly improved voice clarity in noisier environments.
The sound output via the 3.5 mm port is very clean, even slightly better than on the Omega HD. The power output is slightly lower than the Omega HD though. Power output via the 3.5 mm port can still be increased slightly via 'Mobileuncle MTK Tools' on the Play Store, but out of the box the power output is adequate. It should be able to drive most IEMs without problems. Headphones up to 64 ohms can be driven with little distortion and loss of detail. Anything higher will require an amp. The dynamic range and SNR on the A919i is impressive and should be most evident if you have decent IEMs and know how fiddle with an equalizer. PowerAmp will cover the needs of those with decent gear demanding good audio from their source. There is also FM radio if you're getting tired of your audio library. You will also notice that there is a checkbox for "audio enhancer" under Options > Audio Profiles. However, it DOES NOT improve audio quality through your earphones. It actually worsens it. Just uncheck it once you get the phone.
Wifi reception on the A919i is above average. It is still able to pick up a signal 11 meters away from the router with two (2), 1 foot thick walls in between. Signal to noise ratio is good and should be more resistant to interference.
The sound output via the 3.5 mm port is very clean, even slightly better than on the Omega HD. The power output is slightly lower than the Omega HD though. Power output via the 3.5 mm port can still be increased slightly via 'Mobileuncle MTK Tools' on the Play Store, but out of the box the power output is adequate. It should be able to drive most IEMs without problems. Headphones up to 64 ohms can be driven with little distortion and loss of detail. Anything higher will require an amp. The dynamic range and SNR on the A919i is impressive and should be most evident if you have decent IEMs and know how fiddle with an equalizer. PowerAmp will cover the needs of those with decent gear demanding good audio from their source. There is also FM radio if you're getting tired of your audio library. You will also notice that there is a checkbox for "audio enhancer" under Options > Audio Profiles. However, it DOES NOT improve audio quality through your earphones. It actually worsens it. Just uncheck it once you get the phone.
Wifi reception on the A919i is above average. It is still able to pick up a signal 11 meters away from the router with two (2), 1 foot thick walls in between. Signal to noise ratio is good and should be more resistant to interference.
Click thumbnail to view full-size
4 meters away from the router, no obstructions
A special only found on MyPhone's Androids is the availability of USB OTG (USB on the go) and TV-out (via MHL) as the original A919 had it while none of the competing phones did. The OTG feature returns on the A919i although TV-out doesn't. The OTG feature allows you to plug the usual USB items to your phone such as flash drives, keyboards and mice. The video below demonstrates both keyboard and mouse working on the A919i.
The Omega HD also has GPS with A-GPS support. The GPS performance is very good, getting its first lock in just 1 minute 29 seconds under a clear sky, stationary position and without A-GPS. What is more surprising is the increased sensitivity of the GPS chip on the A919i, being able to lock in on just 4 satellites out of 7 in view. Subsequent lock-ons within the time frame of an initial lock takes less than 5 seconds. This ensures that when entering tunnels and places where you lose GPS signal, you can quickly regain a lock once you're beneath the sky again. Also, the A919i has a magnetic sensor allowing you to use the phone as a compass offline.
As usual, for users wishing to use Google's own Navigation software, their turn-by-turn navigation with voice is STILL not available in the Philippines. However, you can still use Google Navigation to get directions and plot points for you whether you are driving or just walking/commuting. Also, you can use other navigation software on Android with turn-by-turn navigation with voice. Aside from navigation software, there are also maps like MapsWithMe from the Play Store that work well with the GPS to identify your location. MapsWithMe is particularly good as the map data for the entire Philippines is only around 75 MB and can be stored on your phone for offline use.
Click thumbnail to view full-size
Conclusion
Coming off my previous review which featured the Omega HD, the A919i should've been what it was in the first place -- the Omega HD with an MTK6589. A phone with a super-sleek design and profile, very fast processing performance, high strength glass, top of the line camera picture quality, gorgeous HD screen. The A919i only hits some of those marks, particularly processing performance. However, processing performance is the most important upgrade at the moment as the MTK6577 is slowly getting left in the dust as well-known phone brands move away from dual-core Cortex A9 solutions to dual-core Krait solutions on their mid-range devices, which would widen the gap and diminish the superior price-to-performance ratio of Android phones from local brands. The MTK6589 on the A919i brings processing performance close to those of high-end smartphones from 2012 at a price bracket between entry-level and mid-range.
However, two things escape me. First is the exclusion of OGS and higher strength glass. Don't get me wrong. The 720p screen on the A919i is great, but the lack of those two things gives us a wider bezel and a thicker profile overall -- and the wider bezel is evidently more unsightly on the white variant, which is why I got the black one in the first place. Secondly, the still shot camera is relatively disappointing considering the image quality overall is only above average and it is missing crucial features, particularly panorama mode and metering options.
Regardless, the pros outweigh the cons. The A919i's software is optimized very well and it's the most bug-free Android experience I've had from local brands (together with the original CM Titan). The out of the box experience is good and frustration-free and additional commitments from the user such as rooting and whatnot aren't necessary to enjoy the phone. The 1080p video recording on the A919i is excellent and can substitute for a dedicated camera for shooting video on vacations. Lastly, the MTK6589 again, is just viciously fast it's almost vulgar, especially when you consider the price of this phone.
If your concern is less looks, aesthetics, still shot image quality and more performance and simplicity. The A919i is for you. You get near-Galaxy S3 performance and a nice looking 720p screen for less than half the price which should bode well for those demanding a better media experience from their phone.
Pros:
+ Viciously fast performance thanks to the MTK6589 SOC, equipped with a quad-core Cortex A7 and robust PowerVR SGX 544MP2 GPU
+ Good 5.0" 1280x720 IPS screen
+ Excellent 1080p video recording
+ MTK6589's hardware video decoder is powerful; can handle 1080p H.264 content
+ Great audio quality
+ Battery life is good despite the relatively small 2000 mAh battery
+ 1 GB of RAM
+ Dual SIM
+ HSPA+ ready
+ 9,590 Php only
Cons:
- 8.0 megapixel still shot camera image quality is only above average at best; competing HD phones churn out much better pictures
- Design, materials and finish of the phone could be more premium
- No panorama shooting mode
However, two things escape me. First is the exclusion of OGS and higher strength glass. Don't get me wrong. The 720p screen on the A919i is great, but the lack of those two things gives us a wider bezel and a thicker profile overall -- and the wider bezel is evidently more unsightly on the white variant, which is why I got the black one in the first place. Secondly, the still shot camera is relatively disappointing considering the image quality overall is only above average and it is missing crucial features, particularly panorama mode and metering options.
Regardless, the pros outweigh the cons. The A919i's software is optimized very well and it's the most bug-free Android experience I've had from local brands (together with the original CM Titan). The out of the box experience is good and frustration-free and additional commitments from the user such as rooting and whatnot aren't necessary to enjoy the phone. The 1080p video recording on the A919i is excellent and can substitute for a dedicated camera for shooting video on vacations. Lastly, the MTK6589 again, is just viciously fast it's almost vulgar, especially when you consider the price of this phone.
If your concern is less looks, aesthetics, still shot image quality and more performance and simplicity. The A919i is for you. You get near-Galaxy S3 performance and a nice looking 720p screen for less than half the price which should bode well for those demanding a better media experience from their phone.
Pros:
+ Viciously fast performance thanks to the MTK6589 SOC, equipped with a quad-core Cortex A7 and robust PowerVR SGX 544MP2 GPU
+ Good 5.0" 1280x720 IPS screen
+ Excellent 1080p video recording
+ MTK6589's hardware video decoder is powerful; can handle 1080p H.264 content
+ Great audio quality
+ Battery life is good despite the relatively small 2000 mAh battery
+ 1 GB of RAM
+ Dual SIM
+ HSPA+ ready
+ 9,590 Php only
Cons:
- 8.0 megapixel still shot camera image quality is only above average at best; competing HD phones churn out much better pictures
- Design, materials and finish of the phone could be more premium
- No panorama shooting mode
Official MyPhone A919i Specs
Mediatek MTK6589 1.2 Ghz quad-core processor
PowerVR Series 5XT graphics
5.0" HD IPS screen
1 GB RAM
4 GB internal storage (<2 GB usable)
microSD card slot up to 32 GB
HSPA+ 42 Mbps, HSDPA, 21 Mbps; HSUPA, 11 Mbps
Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n, Wi-Fi hotspot
Bluetooth v4.0 with A2DP
GSM 900/1800
HSDPA 2100
8 megapixel with LED flash
2 megapixel front-facing camera
Android 4.1 Jelly Bean
156 grams with battery
PowerVR Series 5XT graphics
5.0" HD IPS screen
1 GB RAM
4 GB internal storage (<2 GB usable)
microSD card slot up to 32 GB
HSPA+ 42 Mbps, HSDPA, 21 Mbps; HSUPA, 11 Mbps
Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n, Wi-Fi hotspot
Bluetooth v4.0 with A2DP
GSM 900/1800
HSDPA 2100
8 megapixel with LED flash
2 megapixel front-facing camera
Android 4.1 Jelly Bean
156 grams with battery
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