Blind test: How much is the Wiko View XL worth?
20.10.2017
Translation: machine translated
I tested a smartphone that I knew absolutely nothing about. Then I had to estimate the price. And I was way off the mark.
This is a kind of blind test: I am handed a smartphone without comment and have to estimate how much it costs after testing it. I know nothing about the device except that it's from Wiko and goes by the name View XL. And I don't try to find out anything about the phone on the web. If some smartphone specialist at digitec tries to tell me something incredibly interesting about the technical specifications, I cover my ears and sing "na na na na!" out loud. It should remain a blind date.
First acquaintance
The smartphone is big, much bigger than my own. I don't want to go back to my dumbphone weakness, but I actually like phones that are handy. I already have a tablet. I estimate the screen size of the Wiko View XL to be at least 5 inches. Probably even a little more.
There is a protruding camera lens and a fingerprint sensor on the back. I wonder if the lens won't get scratched at some point if it's constantly on top. I think placing the sensor on the back is a clever idea - it leaves practically the entire surface on the front free for the screen.
There is a single card slot for microSD and two SIM cards. Dual SIM, so I don't need it, but it's nice. I insert my memory card because it contains my music. The smartphone is bitching: "Memory card from Transcend is not supported." Nevertheless, I now have the choice between "Use as portable storage" and internal storage. Why can I choose this if the card is not supported at all? And why is it necessary to format the card in both cases? I remove the card again. Because this is not possible without also removing the SIM card, a restart and PIN entry is then required. What's worse is entering my Google password, over 30 characters (you're supposed to use secure passwords!), luckily it works on the second attempt.
Hold hands
Display: The display is quite reflective and I found it difficult to take photos in sunlight. However, the screen is (presumably) high-resolution and its size makes it good for browsing and reading.
Ergonomics: Holding the Wiko View XL with my hands takes some getting used to for my relatively small hands. It also takes me a relatively long time to get used to the arrangement of the side buttons. As the volume and on/off switch are directly below each other, I often miss the off switch. As I said, the thing is too big for me, but at least it's quite flat.
Battery life: There seems to be a pretty big battery inside, because the device always lasted at least three days. However, I'm not a power user when it comes to smartphones. I'm sure there are people who can also drain this battery in a day.
Audio: Bluetooth obviously doesn't have an Apt-X codec, because I can hear a clear difference between music transmission via cable and via Bluetooth. My device comes directly from the manufacturer and therefore without headphones. I assume that a headset is normally included in the scope of delivery, but I was unable to test this for obvious reasons.
Processing: The lens did not scratch during the test period (three weeks). Nothing scratched or cracked at all. In my experience, however, this is pretty much a matter of luck. Some people drop their smartphone every few days and nothing happens, others drop it once from the table onto the carpet and the glass is completely destroyed. So I don't want to generalise, I'll just say: I've had nothing to complain about.
Computing power: The performance is completely sufficient for my purposes. There were never any noticeable delays when surfing the web or launching apps. Editing videos or playing a round of Temple Run 2 doesn't push the phone anywhere near its performance limits.
Familiarisation from Android to Android
I see from the settings that Android 7.1.2 is installed here, presumably the bare stock version. I can't say for sure because I use a Samsung device privately, which has a very different user interface. It also still has Android 6 on it.
In any case, I get on much better with my Samsung device. I would probably manage to configure the Android on the Wiko XL so that it suits me. But that's a tedious task. I'll spare you the complicated description of my problems now. They might have more to do with me than with Android anyway, and the target of the criticism wouldn't be Wiko, but Google.
Once again, however, I realise that mobile operating systems are becoming increasingly complicated. If this continues, Android will soon be on a par with Windows. I suspect that an older, less experienced person won't be able to cope properly with this jumble of settings, hidden functions and system messages. And many young users don't really understand what they're doing when they brush aside any hints.
Camera: usable, but not a treat
I feel more confident judging the camera than the operating system. I would say that the camera in the Wiko View XL is mid-range at best. Nowadays, a smartphone has to have two cameras on each side to belong to the crème de la crème. This allows depth of field to be simulated, which was long reserved for the "real", large cameras. The View XL doesn't have this bokeh effect; it has a dog-eared 13-megapixel camera with f/2 aperture, as I can see from the EXIF data of the photos.
This allows you to take quite usable pictures even in low light:
The raw data format, which some smartphones are now capable of, is just as absent here as sophisticated manual setting options. The only special feature I notice in the photo functions is something called "super pixel", which quadruples the resolution. Magic? Hardly, rather four pictures are taken in succession and added together. That's why you have to hold still for a while.
A nominally higher resolution does not necessarily mean more detail. I wanted to find out for sure and the result is positive: the difference between a normal shot and a "super pixel" is clearly visible when enlarged.
However, the normal mode does not seem to deliver the nominal 13 megapixels in real terms. As long as you look at the photo in reduced size, everything looks fine:
If you look at the section marked in red, this results in a 100 per cent enlargement in the current design of our website. And even in the very best lighting conditions (ISO 100), the contours are very pixelated:
In everyday life, this should rarely be a problem, because you don't look at the pictures enlarged so much. But it shows the differences to a compact camera or even a high-end smartphone camera.
The front camera for selfies even has an astonishing 16 megapixels. But here it is even more true that the lens is not actually capable of delivering this resolution. Here is a 100 per cent enlargement:
The resolution of the blind test
Summary of my impressions and findings:
- Very large, high-resolution screen, but also quite reflective
- Fingerprint sensor on the back
- Dual SIM and microSD slot
- Good battery life
- Nothing to criticise about the workmanship
- Performance: easily sufficient for me
- No high-end features such as dual camera (bokeh effect) or Bluetooth with Apt-X
- The two cameras are okay, but don't deliver what the high megapixel count promises
My tip on how much the smartphone costs
Obviously, this device is neither high-end nor cheap. Based on the functions and hardware, I would guess around 450 francs. But since I know that Wiko is generally very inexpensive, I'm going down to 350, and since I know that prices never have round amounts, I'm going down to 349 francs.
Resolution: the product and its price
- 6 inch, 1440 x 720 pixels
- 3000 mAh battery
- Quad-core processor with 3 GB RAM
- 32 GB memory, expandable by 128 GB with a card
- And yes, headphones are included
Conclusion
I was wrong with my "high-resolution" display, otherwise my impression seems to roughly match the technical data. All the more surprising that I was completely wrong with my price estimate. I knew that Wiko was cheap. The price-performance ratio of this smartphone seems very attractive to me.
David Lee
Senior Editor
David.Lee@digitecgalaxus.chMy interest in IT and writing landed me in tech journalism early on (2000). I want to know how we can use technology without being used. Outside of the office, I’m a keen musician who makes up for lacking talent with excessive enthusiasm.
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