The wild popularity of the iPhone 6 prompts Chinese smartphone manufacturers to think that mimicry of this bestseller may well bring their “brainchildren” the desired interest from the consumer. To be honest, the cost of an Apple phone will seem prohibitive to the vast majority of people, so the demand for similar-looking devices in the world remains consistently high. And we are no longer talking about a banal “Chinese copy”, which only slightly resembles an iPhone from afar, but in terms of functionality and performance characteristics does not even come close to it. Today, such reputable brands from the Middle Kingdom as Huawei, Lenovo and ZTE have launched their smartphones with the appearance “ala iPhone 6” on the market. And the “brainchildren” of ZTE, called Blade S6 and Blade S6 Plus, may well become a full-fledged replacement for the famous prototype in that market segment where the price of the device plays a more important role than the pathos of the brand.
In the photo on the left is the ZTE Blade S6, and on the right is the iPhone 6
As befits a “Chinese” smartphone, it has slots for 2 SIM cards, which traditionally can only work alternately when making a call. In addition, only one card can provide access to the Internet, and the second will work exclusively for communication.
The smartphone from ZTE is based on Android, which has an interface entirely similar to iOS. This made it possible to eliminate the archaic nature of the Android main menu and achieve even greater similarity with an Apple smartphone. The user can quite individualize the style of the interface design. In addition, interesting options will be available to him: the ability to accept an incoming call by bringing the phone closer to his ear, lower the sound volume by rotating the device 180 degrees, or turn on the next track on the player by shaking the device.
The ZTE smartphone was presented on January 28 in Hong Kong. At launch, the retail price was $249.99. It is sold all over the world thanks to Amazon, eBay and eBay. This is exactly how the ZTE Blade S6 is being sold at launch. As stated, the warranty for it is “international”: you can apply for warranty repairs at the local service center in most countries (including Russia)
In the ZTE Blade S6, it is easy to recognize the design of the Apple iPhone 6 smartphone. ZTE has not been shy about copying.
The price of this smartphone may seem definitely overpriced, because at first glance it has very similar technical characteristics (5" HD screen, 2 GB RAM, 13 MP camera, 4G) on the same AliExpress is offered for about $140. But the ZTE Blade S6 can answer not only a more powerful processor, but also some advanced features, which are discussed below.
Although the smartphone has the design of the famous Apple iPhone 6, its body is still made of plastic (the back cover is only painted to look like metal). ZTE decided not to follow Lenovo's path in . But the body frame, as stated, of the ZTE Blade S6 is metal.
ZTE Blade S6 received a powerful 64-bit Qualcomm Snapdragon 615 processor with Adreno 405 graphics. This processor has 8 Cortex-A53 cores that operate at different frequencies: 4 cores at 1.5 GHz, 4 cores at 1 GHz. By the way, this is the first smartphone with this processor to receive Android 5.0 Lollipop. RAM: 2 GB DDR3.
Chips
The screen is made using In-Cell technology, thanks to which it has excellent picture quality and good brightness, as well as a responsive sensor. Also, thanks to the screen with this technology, it was possible to make the smartphone body quite thin - 7.7 mm.
It is possible to control your smartphone using gestures. For example, to play music, just hold the phone in your hand and draw a “V” symbol in the air. Also, for example, you can quickly turn on the flashlight by simply shaking the phone. Thanks to the built-in sensors, the ZTE Blade S6 has a number of other convenient features: the phone screen locks automatically in your pocket; The sound of an incoming call is muted if you cover the screen with your hand.
The 13-megapixel camera has a Sony Exmor IMX214 module. 5 lenses, autofocus, F/2.0 aperture. Pictures of acceptable quality can be obtained even in low light conditions. Well, on a sunny day the photos will be of excellent quality.
Thanks to AliveShare technology, you can exchange information between phones at high speed without Bluetooth or Wi-Fi (of course, both phones must support the technology).
The pleasant proprietary interface MiFavor 3.0 has numerous customization options.
Fans of good sounding music will be pleased, because the smartphone produces high-quality Hi-Fi sound.
Inexpensive, nice device on the productive Qualcomm platform
Last month, an interesting offer appeared on the website of the AliExpress trading platform: exclusively and only in this store, sales of the new ZTE Blade S6 smartphone began, presented at an unusually low price - only $250. At first, the new product could only be purchased from a few AliExpress sellers, and only by the end of February the device was supposed to appear in other stores.
The smartphone turned out to be really noticeable: first of all, it has a nice design, as well as an advantageous combination of decent hardware characteristics at a very affordable price. Just look at the fact that the hardware platform installed here is a fresh and quite powerful 64-bit SoC from the market leader, Qualcomm. The ZTE Blade S6 uses Qualcomm Snapdragon 615 with a fairly powerful video subsystem, a decent set of network modules and overall high performance. The number of devices on sale on this platform can still be counted on one hand, and all of them turn out to be much more expensive than the hero of today’s review (for example, the Samsung Galaxy A7). It remains to be seen whether the remaining components of the ZTE Blade S6 smartphone correspond to the high level set by the Qualcomm hardware platform, or whether everything is limited by its extraordinary capabilities. First, let's look at the main characteristics of the model.
| ZTE Blade S6 | Lenovo S90 | Oppo R5 | Fly Tornado Slim | Highscreen Zera U | |
| Screen | 5″, IPS | 5″, Super AMOLED | 5.2″, AMOLED | 4.8″, Super AMOLED | 5″, IPS |
| Permission | 1280×720, 294 ppi | 1280×720, 294 ppi | 1920×1080, 423 ppi | 1280×720, 306 ppi | 1920×1080, 441 ppi |
| SoC | Qualcomm Snapdragon 410 (4 cores ARM Cortex-A53) @1.2 GHz | Qualcomm Snapdragon 615 (8 cores ARM Cortex-A53) @1.5 GHz | MediaTek MT6592 (8 cores ARM Cortex-A7 @1.7 GHz) | MediaTek MT6592T (8 cores ARM Cortex-A7 @2.0 GHz) | |
| GPU | Adreno 405 | Adreno 306 | Adreno 405 | Mali 450MP | Mali 450MP |
| RAM | 2 GB | 2 GB | 2 GB | 1 GB | 2 GB |
| Flash memory | 16 GB | 16/32 GB | 16 GB | 16 GB | 16 GB |
| Memory card support | microSD | — | — | — | microSD |
| operating system | Google Android 5.0 | Google Android 4.4 | Google Android 4.4 | Google Android 4.4 | Google Android 4.4 |
| Battery | non-removable, 2400 mAh | non-removable, 2300 mAh | non-removable, 2000 mAh | non-removable, 2050 mAh | removable, 2000 mAh |
| Cameras | rear (13 MP; video 1080p), front (8 MP) | rear (13 MP; video 1080p), front (5 MP) | rear (8 MP; video 1080p), front (5 MP) | rear (13 MP; video 1080p), front (2 MP) | |
| Dimensions and weight | 144×71×7.7 mm, 135 g | 146×72×6.9 mm, 129 g | 149×74×4.9 mm, 157 g | 140×67×5.2 mm, 97 g | 134×70×8.8 mm, 140 g |
| average price | T-11929517 | T-11964162 | T-11168103 | T-11553831 | T-11914220 |
| ZTE Blade S6 Offers | L-11929517-10 | ||||
The ZTE Blade S6 smartphone is sold in a small box of an ordinary rectangular shape with a removable lid and an inconspicuous appearance. The box is entirely made of cardboard, has a minimal number of inscriptions, contains a plastic tray inside on which the smartphone itself is located, under which the rest of the contents of the kit are packaged in two smaller boxes.
The set of accessories consists of a miniature, not very powerful charger (output current 5V, 1A), a Micro-USB connecting cable, as well as several thin books of paper documentation and a proprietary clip for removing SIM cards. For the Chinese, this can be considered an unusually minimalistic package: no headphones, no plastic case, not even a protective film on the screen.
The design of the ZTE Blade S6, of course, was copied from the iPhone 6, this is obvious. The shape of the case, the back wall, the radius of the corners, the location of the camera with a flash on the back, the convex glass with sloping edges, the round button in the center - everything is very, very reminiscent of the latest Apple product. The Chinese only had to replace the metal in the case with cheap plastic, and change the arrangement of elements here and there - successful ergonomics had already been ensured by the developers from Cupertino.
Accordingly, the smartphone fits very comfortably in the hand: well-thought-out dimensions, light weight, rounded edges, thin profile - all this helps to comfortably hold the device in the palm of your hand.
The surface of the plastic is painted silver, and from the outside the body really looks like metal. The coating is matte and hard, the smartphone is moderately slippery, but not at all easily soiled - there are no fingerprints left on the surface at all. There are no side rims or frames here: just like the iPhone 6, the ZTE Blade S6 body is a single solid trough with a single gluing along the perimeter of the front glass. Only the trough here, as already mentioned, is not metal, but plastic. Accordingly, even with well-fitted parts and high-quality assembly, crunching noises are still constantly heard at any slightest touch or squeeze of the case. The plastic here is clearly thin; after getting to know the device for some time, you realize that the smartphone is quite flimsy and it’s dangerous to drop it.
Unlike the Apple smartphone, the simple camera module here fits perfectly inside the thin body so that nothing protrudes beyond the back surface. Next to the camera eye there is a single LED flash that can act as a flashlight. It is curious that to turn on the flashlight here, just hold down the power button and shake the device - the flashlight will turn on automatically.
They did a simpler job with the sound output grille here: instead of outputting sound through the bottom end, the developers, with the usual gesture, cut out an ordinary longitudinal slot on the back side of the case, which, even despite the small protrusion, is still quite overlapped by the surface on which it lies mobile device.
The entire front panel is entirely covered with protective glass with sloping edges, so that the impression of convexity is created. It looks nice, more interesting than ordinary flat glass. The curves along the edges of the front glass seem to repeat the roundness of the rear wall, giving the shape the correct completeness. Actually, this is what the designers from Apple were striving for when creating the iPhone 6; here everything turned out very similar.
For greater similarity, the icons of the touch buttons under the screen were removed altogether, leaving only a circle in the middle, and the side buttons had no images at all. At the moment of operation, only small indicator dots under them light up for a moment with a soft bluish light; the rest of the time, the side buttons do not give themselves away, so it seems as if there is only one central button under the screen. This gives the smartphone, made on the Android OS, even greater resemblance to the iPhone; by the way, Meizu traditionally does the same thing - another Chinese fan of copying the design of Apple products, which in the past was even convicted of this by the organizers of major international exhibitions. By the way, the purpose of the two side keys can be changed here. The central button, among other things, plays the role of an alert indicator, signaling incoming events with a flashing light.
The mechanical keys here are assembled on one, right side, made of plastic, painted in the same tone as the body. The buttons are large, have a good distinct response, in general there are no complaints about the controls, although two keys located in very close proximity can lead to confusion in actions.
On the opposite side there are both card slots: one of them can accommodate two Nano-SIM cards at once, the second is entirely dedicated to a MicroSD memory card. To replace SIM cards, a reboot is not required - the device automatically detects newly installed cards in the slots. At this point, it is worth noting that the slots are not equivalent in capabilities: the user must remember that the card that he intends to use for wireless data transfer (3G/4G) must be inserted only into the first slot and nothing else. Cards installed in the second slot will in any case only work in 2G mode, that is, used only for voice communications.
Containers with cards are removed using the usual method of pressing secret buttons using the supplied key or any suitable paper clip. Near the openings of the slots there are corresponding icons for easy orientation; in this regard, everything is well thought out, and in general, the mechanism for installing and removing cards is generally implemented conveniently.
The universal Micro-USB connector is located at the bottom. It supports OTG external device connection mode. There are no plugs or covers on the case, since the device is not equipped with protection against water and dirt. There is no strap mount on the case either. The device also does not support Qi wireless charging.
The ZTE Blade S6 smartphone is equipped with an IPS touch matrix with In-Cell technology. The screen dimensions are 62x111 mm, diagonal - 5 inches, resolution - 1280x720 pixels. Accordingly, the pixel density is only 294 ppi, which by modern standards is not so much - for 5 inches it would be possible to make FHD.
The side frames are not that thin, although the developers themselves claim that their width is 2.2 mm, but what is the point of measuring the distance from the edge of the glass to the screen if this also includes the thickness of the gasket, the bulge of the case and the black border around the screen? As a result, the total advance is still about 4 mm. For example, on the Meizu MX4, all of the above in total does not exceed 2 mm - this is a “legitimate” record, but here the frames in reality are twice as wide. The width of the top and bottom edges ranges from 14 to 18 mm.
The brightness of the display can be adjusted manually, or you can use automatic adjustment based on the operation of the light sensor. Multi-touch technology allows you to process 10 simultaneous touches. The smartphone also has a proximity sensor that blocks the screen when you bring the smartphone to your ear.
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A detailed examination using measuring instruments was carried out by the editor of the “Monitors” and “Projectors and TV” sections, Alexey Kudryavtsev. Here is his expert opinion on the screen of the sample under study.
The front surface of the screen is made in the form of a glass plate with a mirror-smooth surface that is scratch-resistant. Judging by the reflection of objects, the anti-glare properties of the screen are no worse than those of the Google Nexus 7 (2013) screen (hereinafter simply Nexus 7). For clarity, here is a photograph in which a white surface is reflected in the switched off screens (on the left - Nexus 7, on the right - ZTE Blade S6, then they can be distinguished by size):
The screen of the ZTE Blade S6 is slightly darker (brightness according to photographs is 86 versus 92 for the Nexus 7). The ghosting of reflected objects in the ZTE Blade S6 screen is very weak, this indicates that there is no air gap between the layers of the screen (more specifically between the outer glass and the surface of the LCD matrix) (OGS - One Glass Solution type screen). Due to the smaller number of boundaries (glass-air type) with very different refractive indices, such screens look better in conditions of strong external illumination, but their repair in the case of cracked external glass is much more expensive, since the entire screen has to be replaced. On the outer surface of the screen there is a special oleophobic (grease-repellent) coating (effectively no worse than that of the Nexus 7), so fingerprints are removed more easily and appear at a slower rate than with regular glass.
When manually controlling the brightness and displaying the white field in full screen, the maximum brightness value was about 350 cd/m², the minimum was 16 cd/m². The maximum brightness is low, but given the excellent anti-glare properties, readability even on a sunny day outdoors will be at an acceptable level. In complete darkness, the brightness can be reduced to a comfortable value. There is automatic brightness adjustment based on the light sensor (located in the upper right corner on the front panel). In automatic mode, as external lighting conditions change, the screen brightness both increases and decreases. The operation of this function depends on the position of the brightness adjustment slider. If it is 100%, then in complete darkness the auto-brightness function reduces the brightness to 150 cd/m² (a bit too much), in an office illuminated by artificial light (about 400 lux) it sets it to 250 cd/m² (it could have been lower), in very bright environment (corresponds to lighting on a clear day outdoors, but without direct sunlight - 20,000 lux or a little more), the brightness increases to 350 cd/m² (to the maximum - this is what you need); if the adjustment is approximately 50%, then the values are as follows: 25-30, 130-175 and 350 cd/m² (ideal combination), the regulator at 0% is 16, 20 and 350 cd/m² (the average value is underestimated, which is logical). It turns out that the auto-brightness function works adequately and allows the user to customize their work to individual requirements, however, it is worth noting the large scatter of established values due to the unstable operation of the light sensor. At any brightness level, there is virtually no backlight modulation, so there is no screen flickering.
This smartphone uses an IPS matrix. The microphotographs show a typical IPS subpixel structure:
For comparison, you can see the gallery of microphotographs of screens used in mobile technology.
The screen has good viewing angles without significant color shift even with large viewing deviations from perpendicular to the screen and without inverting shades. For comparison, here are photographs in which the same images are displayed on the screens of the ZTE Blade S6 and Nexus 7, while the screen brightness is initially set to approximately 200 cd/m², and the color balance on the camera is forcibly switched to 6500 K. There is a white field perpendicular to the screens:
Note the good uniformity of brightness and color tone of the white field. And a test picture:
Color rendition is good, saturation is normal (well, maybe a little increased, perhaps there is some kind of post-processing), color balance is slightly different. Now at an angle of approximately 45 degrees to the plane and to the side of the screen:
It can be seen that the colors have not changed much on both screens, but on the ZTE Blade S6 the contrast has decreased to a greater extent due to the strong brightening of blacks and a greater decrease in brightness. And a white field:
The brightness of the screens at an angle has decreased (by at least 5 times, based on the difference in shutter speed), but the ZTE Blade S6's screen is still a little darker. When deviated diagonally, the black field is brightened greatly, but remains approximately neutral gray. The photographs below demonstrate this (the brightness of the white areas in the direction perpendicular to the plane of the screens is the same!):
And from another angle:
When viewed perpendicularly, the uniformity of the black field is good, however, the problem with almost all devices with a white body is that the backlight shines through it at the edge of the screen, which causes some discomfort:
The contrast (approximately in the center of the screen) is good - about 900:1. The response time for the black-white-black transition is 14 ms (8 ms on + 6 ms off). The transition between halftones of gray 25% and 75% (based on the numerical value of the color) and back takes a total of 23 ms. The gamma curve, constructed using 32 points with equal intervals based on the numerical value of the shade of gray, did not reveal any blockage in either the highlights or the shadows. The exponent of the approximating power function is 2.00, which is slightly lower than the standard value of 2.2. In this case, the real gamma curve deviates very little from the power-law dependence:
Color gamut is almost equal to sRGB:
The spectra show that the matrix filters moderately mix the components with each other:
As a result, visually the colors have a natural saturation. The balance of shades on the scale is a compromise, since the color temperature is much higher than the standard 6500 K, but the deviation from the blackbody spectrum (ΔE) is less than 10 (and even less than 3), which is considered a good indicator for a consumer device. At the same time, color temperature and ΔE change little from hue to hue - this has a positive effect on the visual assessment of color balance. (The darkest areas of the gray scale can be ignored, since color balance there is not very important, and the error in measuring color characteristics at low brightness is large.)
To summarize: the screen does not have a very high maximum brightness, but has good anti-glare properties, so the device can most likely be used outdoors even on a sunny summer day without any problems. In complete darkness, the brightness can be reduced to a comfortable level. It is also possible to use a mode with automatic brightness adjustment, which works more or less adequately. Also, the advantages of the screen include the presence of an effective oleophobic coating, the absence of an air gap in the layers of the screen and flicker, a fairly high contrast, good uniformity of the black field, acceptable color balance, as well as the sRGB color gamut. The disadvantages are the low stability of black to the deviation of the gaze from perpendicular to the screen plane. Nevertheless, taking into account the importance of characteristics for this particular class of devices, the screen quality can be considered high.
The ZTE Blade S6 sounds completely uninteresting, and this is perhaps one of the few outright disadvantages of the device. Considering its favorable price, the lack of any top-end characteristics could not be considered a disadvantage in this case, but the sound of the device is really bad. The sound consists only of high frequencies, low frequencies are not audible at all, the speaker sounds loud and shrill, and at the maximum level it choke, extraneous noise and wheezing appear, as a result, the played composition turns into a difficult-to-distinguish “porridge”.
The sound in headphones is also not of high quality, only this time the sound can be described as dull and dim - the sound seems to pass through a layer of cotton wool, the maximum volume level is insufficient. This is clearly not a musical solution, although in the settings of the branded player you can even find support for Hi-Fi quality, but this is nothing more than a tribute to fashion. Branded headphones, as mentioned above, were not included with the smartphone. In conversational dynamics, the interlocutor’s speech, timbre and intonation remain recognizable, there are no complaints here.
There is an FM radio with the ability to record programs from the air in the smartphone; it only works with connected headphones. The device cannot record telephone conversations using standard means.
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ZTE Blade S6 is equipped with two digital camera modules with a resolution of 13 and 5 megapixels. For frontal shooting, a 5 megapixel module with an f/2.2 aperture and a relatively wide-angle lens (80%) is used, respectively, the developers hint at the possibility of creating group selfies. Among the settings are the ability to track a smile and automatically take pictures when detected. In any case, the shooting quality of the front module of the ZTE Blade S6 is quite poor; at the edges the image is noticeably distorted and loses clarity.
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The main rear camera is equipped with a 13-megapixel Sony Exmor IMX214 CMOS sensor with f/2.0 aperture, autofocus and a single LED flash. The camera settings menu is the only thing that differs from the standard interface of the ZTE smartphone from the standard Google Android interface. Everything else about the Blade S6 remains virtually unchanged, but the camera is completely different. The camera controls are quite clear and intuitive - many times more convenient than the standard camera menu in version 5 of the Android OS. There are quite a lot of shooting modes, from the usual HDR and panorama, to more specific ones, such as the ability to clear a photo of unwanted objects and even edit the sharpness of an image on an already captured image. It is also possible to switch the camera to manual settings mode, where you can independently influence the exposure level, white balance, etc.; here a grid and a level already appear on the viewfinder screen; the developers call this mode “Expert”.
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The camera can shoot video with a resolution of up to 1080p; an example of a test video is presented below.
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Unfortunately, autofocus errors like these happen quite often. |
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Overall, the sharpness is quite good. |
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The sharpness drops off quite smoothly as the shot is removed, while the distant shot is not so poorly developed. |
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You can see noise in the shadows, but they are mostly blurred out. |
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The long shot is worked out quite well. |
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The license plates of almost all cars are distinguishable. |
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The camera copes well with text in room lighting. |
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Macro photography is a little worse, but overall not bad. |
We also tested the camera on a laboratory bench using our method.
The camera is good, but nothing more. It does not demonstrate any outstanding results, so it cannot be called a flagship. It is worth noting that it often makes mistakes with focus, and the pictures turn out blurry almost every other time when shooting quickly without specifying the focus point. Also confusing is the abundance of software processing, which is very noticeable.
The camera passes the laboratory test relatively well and is quite stable. There is a noticeable dip only in poor lighting, but with a good camera it is even possible to work out the edges quite well.
In general, the camera, of course, is far from a flagship, but it will cope with most tasks well.
The hardware platform of the ZTE Blade S6 is a high-quality 600-series SoC from market leader Qualcomm, so the smartphone’s network modules are in perfect order. The device operates in most bands of modern 2G GSM, 3G WCDMA and FDD LTE Cat4 networks, supporting frequencies for Russia with a theoretical maximum download speed of up to 150 Mbit/s. In practice, with SIM cards from domestic operators, the smartphone is reliably registered and works in 4G networks. The device's other network capabilities are also decent: it supports Wi-Fi 802.11b/g/n/ac with the ability to operate in two bands (2.4 and 5 GHz); as standard, you can organize a wireless access point via Wi-Fi or Bluetooth 4.0 channels; there are Wi-Fi Direct and Wi-Fi Display modes. But the Chinese traditionally do not pre-install NFC in their devices. The device supports the mode of connecting external devices via an OTG adapter.
The navigation module pleased with its response speed: even in cold mode, the first satellites are located literally within tens of seconds. The module works with all three global navigation networks: GPS/A-GPS, domestic Glonass and Chinese Beidou satellite system (BDS). It is worth noting that the device also contains a magnetic field sensor, on the basis of which the electronic compass of navigation mapping programs operates.
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There were no spontaneous reboots/shutdowns observed during testing, there are no problems with this, the interface works very quickly, no delays or slowdowns were noticed. There are no problems with Russian language support in virtual keyboards. At the factory, a third-party program called a third-party program with a wide range of different capabilities and support for many languages is preinstalled as standard on the smartphone; there is even a separate section dedicated to it in the electronic manual for working with the smartphone installed in the device. When dialing a number, SmartDial is supported with searching by the first letters in contacts; you can also use the continuous letter method such as Swype. There are no opportunities to reduce the size of the working screen area for ease of operation with one hand.
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The smartphone supports work with two SIM cards: you can designate any of the SIM cards as the main one for organizing voice calls, transferring data or sending SMS messages. When making a call, you can select the desired card only if a specific one has not been previously assigned, which is not very convenient. Work with two SIM cards is organized according to the usual Dual SIM Dual Standby standard, when both cards can be in active standby mode, but cannot work at the same time - there is only one radio module.
The slots for SIM cards are unequal in their capabilities: only the first slot supports high-speed data transmission in 3G (4G) networks, the second is intended only for working in 2G, that is, practically can only be used for transmitting voice data.
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ZTE Blade S6 runs initially on the latest version 5.0 of the Google Android software platform with all its innovations, about which so much has already been said. Despite the fact that a proprietary user interface called MiFavor 3.0 is installed here, in general, most of the capabilities of the OS are from Google, its appearance with the “Material Design” concept, the structure of all sections, the notification curtain, the menu of recently opened programs, interactive tiles with notifications , everything looks exactly as if the ZTE Blade S6 was one of those smartphones that runs on the “pure” Android OS version 5 without any third-party launchers. The changes brought here by the alternative MiFavor 3.0 shell consist only of the absence of a separate program menu, little things like redrawn themes, as well as added support for gesture control.
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The developers from ZTE were not too lazy to equip their mobile products with their own technology for communication between devices, based on Wi-Fi. Using a proprietary pre-installed program called AliveShare, owners of ZTE smartphones can link them together, create their own groups, join them, share files, participate in group chats and even play interactive games against each other in real time.
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The program interface is convenient and concise, support for the Russian language is satisfactory, everything works clearly and quickly: the group organizer automatically creates a Wi-Fi access point on his smartphone, and other participants, having accepted the invitation, also automatically connect to it. Also, all participants can unite into a single group based on any existing Wi-Fi network. The speed of data exchange between AliveShare participants is such that a 1.76 GB verification file was transferred from one smartphone to another in less than 6 minutes, that is, approximately 5 MB/sec.
The ZTE Blade S6 hardware platform is based on a fairly recent eight-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 615 (MSM8939) single-chip system (SoC). This 64-bit platform is made using big.LITTLE technology, where four Cortex-A53 processor cores are adjacent to four of the same Cortex-A53 cores, but these “fours” have different maximum operating frequencies. Depending on the nature and degree of load, either 4 “junior” or 4 “senior” (up to 1.5 GHz) cores are turned on, which saves energy. The Adreno 405 video accelerator with a frequency of up to 550 MHz is responsible for graphics processing here. The Snapdragon 615 SoC is made using a 28 nm process technology and belongs to the mid-level category.
The smartphone's RAM capacity is 2 GB. The device has 16 GB of flash memory, of which only about 7.7 GB is available for user needs, and the rest is reserved for the system and applications. The memory capacity can also be increased using MicroSD cards. The mode for connecting external devices to the Micro-USB (OTG) port of the device is also supported.
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According to testing results, the eight-core ZTE Blade S6 hardware platform showed average results, approximately at 30K in AnTuTu v 5.x, while for top solutions this value is now from 45K. There is nothing special to add here; the platform is far in its capabilities from the most productive modern platforms that are installed in flagship solutions. The destiny of devices with such filling is a confident average level, nothing more. However, the smartphone being described today is powerful enough that its capabilities will be sufficient for some time to perform almost any task, including 3D games.
Testing in the latest versions of comprehensive tests AnTuTu and GeekBench 3:
For convenience, we have compiled all the results we obtained when testing the smartphone in the latest versions of popular benchmarks into tables. The table usually adds several other devices from different segments, also tested on similar latest versions of benchmarks (this is done only for a visual assessment of the obtained dry figures). Unfortunately, within the framework of one comparison it is impossible to present the results from different versions of benchmarks, so many worthy and relevant models remain “behind the scenes” - due to the fact that they once passed the “obstacle course” on previous versions of test programs.
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Testing the graphics subsystem in 3DMark game tests,GFXBenchmark, and Bonsai Benchmark:
When testing in 3DMark, the most powerful smartphones now have the ability to run the application in Unlimited mode, where the rendering resolution is fixed at 720p and VSync is disabled (which can cause the speed to rise above 60 fps).
| ZTE Blade S6 (Qualcomm Snapdragon 615) |
Lenovo S90 (Qualcomm Snapdragon 410) |
Oppo R5 (Qualcomm Snapdragon 615) |
Fly Tornado Slim (Mediatek MT6592) |
Highscreen Zera U (Mediatek MT6592T) |
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| 3DMark Ice Storm Extreme (more is better) |
5656 | 2656 | 5527 | 5028 | 4837 |
| 3DMark Ice Storm Unlimited (more is better) |
8523 | 4335 | 8055 | 7131 | 7217 |
| GFXBenchmark T-Rex HD (C24Z16 Onscreen) | 24 fps | 9.5 fps | 13.1 fps | 16 fps | 11 fps |
| GFXBenchmark T-Rex HD (C24Z16 Offscreen) | 15 fps | 5.4 fps | 13.5 fps | 12 fps | 12 fps |
| Bonsai Benchmark | 2660 (38 fps) | 1693 (24 fps) | 1721 (24 fps) | 2330 (33 fps) | 1452 (21 fps) |
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Browser cross-platform tests:
As for benchmarks for assessing the speed of the javascript engine, you should always make allowance for the fact that their results significantly depend on the browser in which they are launched, so the comparison can only be truly correct on the same OS and browsers, and this is possible during testing not always. For Android OS, we always try to use Google Chrome.
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To test the omnivorous nature of video playback (including support for various codecs, containers and special features, such as subtitles), we used the most common formats, which make up the bulk of the content available on the Internet. Note that for mobile devices it is important to have support for hardware video decoding at the chip level, since it is most often impossible to process modern options using processor cores alone. Also, you shouldn’t expect a mobile device to decode everything, since the leadership in flexibility belongs to the PC, and no one is going to challenge it. All results are summarized in a single table.
According to the testing results, the subject was not equipped with all the necessary decoders that are necessary for full playback of most of the most common multimedia files on the network. To successfully play them, you will have to resort to the help of a third-party player - for example, MX Player. True, it is also necessary to change the settings and manually install additional custom codecs, because now this player does not officially support the AC3 sound format.
| Format | Container, video, sound | MX Video Player | Standard video player |
| DVDRip | AVI, XviD 720×400 2200 Kbps, MP3+AC3 | plays normally | plays normally |
| Web-DL SD | AVI, XviD 720×400 1400 Kbps, MP3+AC3 | plays normally | plays normally |
| Web-DL HD | MKV, H.264 1280×720 3000 Kbps, AC3 | The video plays fine, but there is no sound¹ | |
| BDRip 720p | MKV, H.264 1280×720 4000 Kbps, AC3 | The video plays fine, but there is no sound¹ | The video plays fine, but there is no sound¹ |
| BDRip 1080p | MKV, H.264 1920×1080 8000 Kbps, AC3 | The video plays fine, but there is no sound¹ | The video plays fine, but there is no sound¹ |
¹ sound in MX Video Player was played only after installing an alternative custom audio codec; The standard player does not have this setting
Tested video output features Alexey Kudryavtsev.
We did not find the MHL interface, like Mobility DisplayPort, in this smartphone, so we had to limit ourselves to testing the output of video files on the screen of the device itself. To do this, we used a set of test files with an arrow and a rectangle moving one division per frame (see “Method for testing video playback and display devices. Version 1 (for mobile devices) Red marks indicate possible problems associated with the playback of the corresponding files.
According to the criterion of frame output, the quality of playback of video files on the screen of the smartphone itself is good, since frames (or groups of frames) can (but are not required) be output with more or less uniform alternation of intervals and without skipping frames. When playing video files with a resolution of 1280 by 720 pixels (720p) on a smartphone screen, the image of the video file itself is displayed exactly along the border of the screen, one to one in pixels, that is, in the original resolution. The brightness range displayed on the screen corresponds to the standard range of 16-235 - in the shadows only a couple of shades do not differ in brightness from black, but in the highlights all gradations of shades are displayed.
ZTE Blade S6 has a non-removable battery, standard for modern mid-range smartphones, with a capacity of 2400 mAh. The display resolution, as the most energy-intensive element of a smartphone, is not so high here (720p), the platform is not one of the most demanding, so in terms of battery life, the smartphone is decent - no records, but quite consistent with the modern average level. Without recharging in normal operation, the device confidently survives to an overnight charge, this is the main thing. It is also worth noting that the testing was carried out without using any energy-saving functions, and with them the smartphone is obviously able to last longer. By the way, the standard energy-saving mode is automatically turned on here after each reboot, so an inexperienced user’s smartphone will most likely operate in this mode all the time. The results are summarized in a table.
| Battery capacity | Reading mode | Video mode | 3D Game Mode | |
| ZTE Blade S6 | 2400 mAh | 11:40 am | 8:30 a.m. | 3 hours 40 minutes |
| Lenovo S90 | 2300 mAh | 11:00 am | 9:30 a.m. | 3 hours 50 minutes |
| Oppo R5 | 2000 mAh | 12:00 pm | 7:00 am | 2 hours 20 minutes |
| Fly Tornado Slim | 2050 mAh | 10:30 a.m. | 7:00 am | 3 hours 10 minutes |
| Fly Tornado One | 1920 mAh | 13:00 | 7:30 a.m. | 3 hours 30 minutes |
| Highscreen Zera U | 2000 mAh | 10:00 am | 6:00 am | 2 h. 00 m. |
| Zopo ZP920 | 2300 mAh | 11:10 am | 8 hours 40 minutes | 3 hours 20 minutes |
| Samsung Galaxy A7 | 2600 mAh | 22:10 | 12:00 pm | 3 hours 20 minutes |
| Samsung Galaxy A5 | 2300 mAh | 14:00 | 11:00 am | 4 hours 20 minutes |
Continuous reading in the FBReader program (with a standard, light theme) at a minimum comfortable brightness level (brightness was set to 100 cd/m²) lasted a little less than 12 hours until the battery was completely discharged, and when continuously watching videos in high quality (720p) The device lasted 8.5 hours at the same brightness level via a home Wi-Fi network. In game mode, the smartphone operated for more than 3.5 hours. Full charging time is 2.5 hours.
As for the cost of the smartphone, we have already discussed this issue in detail at the very beginning of the article: the device is still exclusively sold through online sellers at the old price of $250, later the price will rise to $264 and higher. But even at this price, the smartphone, whose heart was decided to make a fresh and quite powerful Qualcomm 600 series platform, is worthy of close attention. Of course, not everything turned out to be so rosy: the screen installed in the device did not reach decent Full HD in terms of resolution, and the sound capabilities of the smartphone were even below the permissible level. You can also complain about the cheap manufacturing materials: beautiful shapes, smooth contours and a thin profile would look and feel better in the hand if they were made of metal rather than flimsy plastic that crunches under your fingers. But this is probably where all the disadvantages end. Otherwise, the ZTE Blade S6 turned out to be a very decent device with a productive and reliable platform, a good camera, a good set of network capabilities and quite acceptable battery life. Considering the fact that the smartphone’s basic characteristics are at a higher level than most solutions offered at this price, you can turn a blind eye to the few disadvantages. If you are not afraid of the difficulties associated with ordering in foreign online stores and the long waiting time for delivery, then the decision to purchase the ZTE Blade S6 looks optimal for those interested in decent mid-level smartphones at a reasonable price.
There are a huge variety of smartphones today. And their price categories are also different: from too expensive to quite budget-friendly. Against the background of all this diversity, the product of the Chinese (and don’t be afraid of this word) company ZTE - Blade S6, the review of which is presented here, especially stands out.
Almost everyone knows the popular modern saying that the whole world is made in China. Therefore, you shouldn’t be afraid that the box with this or that product says made in China. Moreover, industrial branded China differs significantly from handicraft products collected “on the knee”. Likewise, the company ZTE, whose motto was the phrase “Tomorrow never waits,” quickly burst into the Russian market, is a manufacturing company of branded smartphones. And in Russia it is becoming increasingly popular.
Naturally, the first thing that interests a more or less experienced owner of a modern smartphone is what the device is equipped with and what it is capable of. And in this regard, the ZTE Blade S6 has very, very decent characteristics. Under the plastic, non-removable body painted to look like metal, quite powerful and solid components are hidden.
For those who are just about to purchase their first smartphone, the name of the processor, as well as its capabilities, is just a collection of letters and words. But for an experienced user, it is rather something like a code word, by which one can determine how solid the device is in front of him. And here the ZTE Blade S6 smartphone does not disappoint. It has a Qualcomm Snapdragon 615 processor. It is worth noting that this, according to the manufacturer, is the first eight-core processor of a 64-bit system. And, believe me, this is really solid hardware. With 2 GB of RAM, the smartphone turns into a real gaming center that can handle any advanced and modern game. Not to mention the fact that the concepts of “freezing” and “glitching” generally disappear from the owner’s vocabulary in relation to his gadget. The ZTE Blade S6 (which we're currently reviewing) handles multitasking and heavy gaming really well.
The ZTE Blade S6 smartphone, the characteristics of which we are considering, has built-in 16 GB of free memory. Of these, only a little over 13 GB are available to the user, since the operating system still takes on a lot. For those who do not have enough space, there is a slot for a memory card. Naturally, microSD. Supports up to 64 GB. That is, with some effort, a smartphone can replace a full-fledged personal computer. Not to mention the tablet, by the way. What’s nice is that all applications can be transferred to a memory card so as not to keep them on the “native” one. And this makes using the device even more enjoyable.
Perhaps this is also an important criterion when choosing a smartphone. Especially for modern young people and girls who want not only a productive device, but also a beautiful one in appearance. The ZTE Blade S6, reviews of which will be somewhat lower, does not disappoint. Even if the device looks a lot like the Apple gadget iPhone 6, they still don’t have much in common. And those who held a real Apple iPhone 6 in their hands will no longer confuse it with anything. So, the ZTE Blade S6 is distinguished from its Android counterparts by its protective glass. It does not rest against the side edges of the smartphone, like many models, which makes using the touch screen more pleasant and comfortable - your finger does not touch the sides. The body is made of monolithic (non-removable) plastic, but of very high quality, which does not creak or slip in the hand. And there are no fingerprints left on it.
Many modern phones are equipped with a camera. Even the most budget ones. And many fairly expensive smartphones, by the way, have very mediocre cameras built in. But not in the Blade S6. There really is something to be proud of here. The ZTE Blade S6, which we are currently reviewing, is equipped with two cameras of very decent quality. The front one with a resolution of 5 megapixels is ideal for high-quality selfies and video calls. And it really produces the declared 5 megapixels, which is good. The 13 megapixel front camera will give odds to a budget camera! Yes, there are some glitches, sometimes autofocus doesn’t work correctly, and macro photography doesn’t always function smoothly either. But in general, it depends more on how skilled hands are using the camera, rather than on the camera itself. If we compare it with some famous flagship model, then the same Samsung Galaxy S4 with the same 13 megapixel camera works more clearly. But the price category at the start of sales is very different for the models, so you shouldn’t expect super-exorbitantly fabulous results. ZTE's camera gets its money's worth. And the model has enough gadgets for shooting; no additional processing application is required.
There can be no complaints about her. It is very standard: a smartphone, a charger (also known as a USB cable), instructions, a clip for SIM cards. The back panel of the device is quite boring: the brand name, place of production. Therefore, it is also often compared to the iPhone 6. But still, these are fundamentally different devices, which should not be forgotten. The headset, like other ZTE models, is not included in the package. And to be honest, standard headphones always leave much to be desired. The exception, perhaps, is Apple, where headsets are presented at a decent level.
So, what can we say about the ZTE Blade S6, the review of which took so long? This is a very worthy model with a five-inch screen. The coating, by the way, is oleophobic - it does not leave fingerprints. Although you will still need a film, because it protects against scratches during very active use. In addition to the already familiar five-inch screen, the smartphone has two very good cameras, fairly powerful hardware, and a nice design. And, despite the fact that the candy bar is made of plastic, it looks very beautiful and stylish. The device lies very comfortably in the hand, both in the right and left. It does not try to slip out during careless movement, so you can use it without fear before purchasing a cover.
The smartphone is equipped with a not very powerful battery of 2400 mAh. It will still not be enough for full use, although it will be enough for daylight hours. And, of course, the latest Android! Version 5.0 allows the device to “fly” during operation without any lags or freezes. ZTE Blade S6 Silver (beautiful silver shade) is a truly worthy model to use, especially since after the start of sales the price dropped slightly, approaching a manageable level of 11-12 thousand rubles. And, of course, you can’t compare a smartphone with a well-known “Apple” brand, because what they have in common is only size and color, but the components are fundamentally different.
What else do smartphone owners care about? Availability of fashionable accessories for them. And here the ZTE Blade S6 does not disappoint. It won’t be difficult to find a cover for it on a popular Chinese trading platform. As well as a fashionable bumper, lining and rear silicone insert. By the way, tempered glass can also be purchased for this model, so that in the event of an unexpected fall, it is not the screen and the plastic case of the device that are damaged, but only this glass itself. By the way, Apple gadgets also have this protection system, which again is not included in the kit. There is no need to talk about headphones - the 3.5 mm jack allows you to choose any suitable shape, color and size.
Owners of ZTE Blade S6 leave a wide variety of reviews about their smartphone. Some people like all the available functions and features, while others are not too happy with certain aspects. In general, buyers remain satisfied - the device functions excellently for its money. Two SIM cards work clearly, the sound is acceptable, the cameras are decent, the operating system is without lags. What else do you need in a modern device? The ZTE Blade S6 Silver, whose reviews from experts also remain excellent, deserves attention when choosing a reliable and reliable smartphone for daily use. The only thing that needs improvement, both in the opinion of professionals and in the opinion of users, is the battery, which is still not enough for full use.
Not every manufacturer, after releasing a more or less successful model, decides to create a budget and “stripped-down” analogue. But ZTE did it anyway. Perhaps not in vain, but, as sales practice has shown, Russians still don’t really like the “light” version. So, what has the ZTE Blade S6 Lite lost in comparison with its more “experienced” brother? Firstly, the camera. If the front one remained at 5 megapixels for cool and clear selfies, as well as acceptable video communication, then the main one lost these same 5 megapixels, becoming only 8 megapixels instead of 13 megapixels. On the one hand, this does not interfere much, on the other hand, the difference in the images is striking.
Secondly, the device lost its powerful processor and eight cores. Instead, there are four, but still fully functional, cores and a processor. Not the newest, but quite time-tested. This, of course, affected the performance, but not so much - the smartphone does not glitch, works without critical errors or glitches, although it sometimes freezes in heavy and demanding games. So the settings of the latter will still have to be removed from the maximum.
Thirdly, the memory is also limited. Instead of 2 GB of RAM there is already 1, and instead of 16 GB of internal memory there is only 8. MicroSD memory cards are also supported only up to 32 GB instead of 64.
Fourthly, the screen coating, although still oleophobic, is somehow different. Fingerprints are becoming more and more visible and are becoming less easily erased. But the screen size remained unchanged - five inches.
The cost of S6 Lite today is only a couple of thousand rubles less than the full-fledged, uncut version. Therefore, when choosing between these two models, you should not skimp too much. If we compare the ZTE Blade S6 Lite with other budget models, then it is definitely no worse. It’s not difficult to find accessories for it; the smartphone gives its money’s worth. I can confidently recommend it for purchase. Although it is worth remembering that a device that is “stripped down” in terms of functionality will not be as productive and fast. However, many buyers do not need this now.
In 2015, almost every smartphone manufacturer considered it necessary to release not just a successful model, but also its analogue marked “plus”. ZTE were no exception. Perhaps they were right, because more and more often people began to require not just good smartphones, but also larger ones to make them more convenient to use. This is how the ZTE Blade S6 Plus with a diagonal of 5.5 inches was released. Big, beautiful, powerful, with a 3000 mAh battery! Yes, it was a very successful move - to increase the battery capacity so much that you don’t have to rush from socket to socket, so that you can normally surf the Internet or play games. In general, the S6 Plus version is described as follows: like the S6, only bigger. And indeed: the filling is all the same as that of the original model. But due to the larger screen and battery, using a smartphone is much more comfortable and enjoyable. By the way, its cost is not much more - 2-3 thousand rubles more expensive than the Blade S6, active SIM cards remain in place - they work without complaints or failures.
