InFocus M512 - a budget device for Snapdragon 400 and with support for 4G networks
LTE is rapidly spreading across the whole territory of the Russian Federation, “pushing” more and more people on fast surfing in the depths of the world wide web. And although I personally do not share such inspired screams around 4G - other people are willing to spend money and change their once-excellent smartphones with new ones, but with the support of fourth-generation networks. The problem is that not all manufacturers seek to produce such devices. In the budget segment, everything is generally sad, the choice of devices with LTE up to 10,000 rubles is quite small, and if you introduce the OS relevance criterion, then even more so. And here the Chinese fit into the trade, although as the Chinese, despite the fact that the hero of our today's review is made in Celestial, the manufacturing company itself is from the United States.
Following Wikipedia , InFocus is the largest manufacturer of projectors and LCD displays, which confirms the number of positions on Yandex.Market , but there is no mention of the production of smartphones on the official website or on the free encyclopedia page. Immediately catches the eye often mentioning the company Foxconn , they say they are the manufacturer of this smartphone. By the way, the way it is, in 2013, InFocus Corporation made a deal with FIH as a result of which Terry Gow (the founder and head of Foxconn) actually became the head of an American company. The desire of the latter to get out of the shadow of Xiaomi and Huawei led to the creation of a line of smartphones under the InFocus brand. Now on sale are two models, the older M512 and the younger M310 - today we talk about the first.
Screen: 5 ", 1280x720 px (294PPI), IPS, OGS
Processor: Snapdragon 400 (MSM8926, 4x1.2GHz)
Video accelerator: Adreno 305
Operating system: Android 4.4.2
RAM: 1 GB
User Memory: 4 GB + microSD (up to 64 GB)
Camera: 8 MP (Sony Exmor R, f / 2.2) rear and 2 MP front
Connectivity: 1 Micro-SIM slot: GSM / WCDMA / TD-SCDMA / TD-LTE / FDD-LTE (Band 1, 3, 7)
Optional: GPS, A-GPS + GLONASS, Wi-Fi b / g / n, Bluetooth 4.0, FM radio, NFC, OTG, accelerometer, compass, gyroscope, light sensor and distance
Battery: 2500 mAh
Dimensions: 140.5x70.8x8.7 mm
Weight: 155 Grams
Price: $ 170
The box consists of 2 parts: a turquoise base and a white top cover with an imprinted brand name.
Inside: power supply (5V, 1A), adapter to euro plug, USB cable, instruction in Chinese and the device itself in matte film.
Typical and unremarkable grade budget Chinese smartphone.
')
As for the workhorse of contributing to the consumption of content from the world wide web, calls and other devices subject to smartphone, the device looks just fine. No logos on the front panel, the back cover is made of rough plastic, glossy frames around the display, which is covered with tempered glass with an oleophobic coating - a discreet appearance.
InFocus M512 has standard for 5-inch smartphone weight and dimensions (140.570.88.7 mm and weight 155 grams). The framework, of course, is too big in comparison with the top Chinese devices, but not critical. The control buttons are spaced along the side faces of the smartphone. On the left is the volume rocker:
On the right - the power button and only. Above the display, there are proximity and light sensors, a front-facing camera and a speaker (loud and clear, the interlocutor is heard perfectly).
In addition to the predominance of straight lines in the design of the smartphone, the symmetry of some elements also strikes the eye. So, the noise-canceling microphone located at the upper end is symmetrical to the conversational microphone at the lower end. And the rear camera is located on the same axis with the flash.
The M512 has only one speaker, small and located on the back cover, but loud, so even putting a pillow under the pillow is less likely to oversleep the alarm. At the bottom, they also found a place for a USB connector and a recess for removing the back cover.
Yes, the cover of this device is removable. The material is plastic, ordinary and unremarkable rough plastic (at least in the black version). Under it you can contemplate a non-removable battery with an NFC-glued antenna and one slot for a Micro-SIM / MicroSD card.
In general, it's nice to see that the manufacturer has paid attention to detail. Since I can only compare with my previous device (Jiayu G4, review here, and here the operating experience), first of all I would like to mention the strengthened USB-connector. If in G4 it was attached only by soldering, then here it is embedded in a plastic casing, which is part of the cover covering the electronics.
Not for girls. Although girls are different, too, but most do not recognize such a design (lack of design?). Personally, everything suits me, except for the sizes. I'm still waiting for a miracle from Uncle Liao - a compact (4-4.3 ") smartphone on a modern hardware platform, a good display and a fresh OS.
The manufacturer has set the display with HD resolution to reduce the cost of the total cost of the device, but that’s good! IMHO, even at 5 "resolution of 1280x720 pixels is enough. Yes, I see the difference between this display and FullHD in the flagship device, but this difference is useless, absolutely useless. And with a normal HD display, besides reducing the cost of a smartphone, there are still advantages like increased autonomy and reducing the load on the graphics processor. The screen itself is juicy, bright, with excellent viewing angles.
The IPS-display is made using the OGS technology already familiar to us, thanks to which the picture remains readable in the sun. Regarding the protective coating, we can assume that this is Gorilla Glass III, because For more than a month of operation without additional protection, the glass remained pristine clear, plus the presence of an oleophobic coating, but there is no information on the official website about the origin of the display. At the same time, many sites testify to the presence of GG III.
The main thing is that the display, as well as the covering protecting it, cause only positive emotions.
According to the manufacturer’s official website, both cameras of the smartphone are equipped with a Sony Exmor R sensor, only with a front resolution of 2 MP, and the main camera is 8 MP (the maximum aperture is 2.2). I liked the standard camera application - simple, and most importantly fast. In addition to the automatic mode, it has 10 additional ones, including HDR, Panorama, etc. For the curious, manual ISO setting, changing the metering mode, white balance, etc. are also available.
Personally, I rarely turn off HDR mode only if I need to photograph a very fast-moving object. Below are a few examples of photos from the main camera. Unfortunately, in my stupidity, all the pictures were originally taken at a resolution of 2 MP, but even with this photo you can assess the quality of the camera.
A good camera, as for the representative of the budget sector.
InFocus M512 is running Android 4.4.2 with a custom shell, the name of which I never managed to determine. The OS interface is "overwhelmed" beyond recognition + there are many "features" that are not found on Chinese devices with Android stock.
Let's start with the fact that there is no application menu in the smartphone, after installing the shortcuts immediately go to the desktop, like in Xiaomi with its MIUI, Meizu with Flyme OS and other companies. :) Immediately the first joint: the more applications on the desktops - the more the whole thing slows down when turning over. It is solved by installing a custom launcher from the Play Market - I use Nova out of habit. Out of the box, all the necessary applications are available: be it a music or video player, utilities for working with notes, synchronization, etc. True, there are annoying programs - Clean Master, which cannot be deleted, constantly reminds of a lack of memory in the status bar or DU Speed Booster - no less annoying program.
When you first turn on the smartphone on the "air" arrives software update, but ... not installed. Those. The smartphone goes into reboot, unpacks the archive with the firmware and gives an error. Repeated downloading did not bring any results.
There are 5 types of display lock available. From the standard “Slide to unlock”, you can launch any application pre-installed in the settings, launch the camera or Google Now. By the way, compared to my previous Jiayu G4, here you can get into the camera from the lock screen with a graphic code and take a picture.
Notification panel also changed. In fact, it is divided into 3 parts: shortcuts to quick access to the basic settings of the smartphone (turned over with a swipe to the left), constantly running applications and the notifications themselves. Shortcuts can be “propagated” to a 4x4 matrix by pulling the corresponding slider and then you can edit the location of these elements.
The buttons on the screen that personally caused discomfort to me at first, but eventually got used to it. The multitasking window is triggered by a double tap on the “Home” key, while to the left of it there is a settings key. From here, or by holding your finger on the display, you can switch to the desktop editing mode, Task Manager, or launcher settings. For lovers of “whistlers,” a choice of 16 different animations of changing desktops is available.
The keyboard is standard from Android, I didn’t like the fact that in the standard "dialer" there is no search for contacts in Russian - it is solved by installing a "dialer" from Market with the support of Russian T9. And in general, the localization of the smartphone is made obscenely, periodically skip phrases in Belarusian (?), Some items in the menu and settings in English.
On the second screenshot, ExDialer
In the settings, a control was also found for the standard annoying applications I mentioned above. In the "Notification" section you can prohibit sending notifications to any applications, including default ones. The “Power saver” section was found nearby - a very successful implantation on the part of the manufacturer, since it is often necessary to install an additional application to acquire such functionality.
The USB connection to the computer is represented by 4 modes, but in neither of them neither the PC nor the Mac can see the internal memory, i.e. Only the SD card is visible. From applications from Google here only Gmail, a calendar and Play Market. I almost forgot, from the additional “features” of the system of mentioning it is worthy of gesture control, for example, when an incoming call is enough, turn the device lying on the table face down and the call is dropped.
Saw and saw still this shell, if the company manufacturer wants to achieve any success in sales of this smartphone. I was satisfied with the OS, but only that. Upset the inability to upgrade over the air, although this technology is embedded in the device.
In order to check the ability to play video in different resolutions, formats and codecs, the program “AnTuTu Video Tester” from the company of the same name was used. InFocus M512 coped with most varieties of video in FullHD resolution, while 4K did not succumb to the smartphone.
A screenshot from GPS Test was taken from the 11th floor of a twelve-story house (by the window).
3G, Wi-Fi and other wireless technologies do not cause any complaints. The screenshot shows the value of the signal level of a Wi-Fi network at a distance of 7 meters from the source and with an obstacle in the form of a brick wall. And also a funny Easter egg was found out at Speedtest. :)
Batteries with a capacity of 2500 mAh, according to the manufacturer, will be enough for 9 hours of continuous operation in GSM / 3G networks. In my operating conditions (GPS is active, Wi-Fi is alternately used with 3G to check social networks, mail + a few minutes of calls and up to an hour of listening to music) the device stays alive until midnight. In a quieter mode (or by resorting to the “Power Saver” mode), you can count on 1.5-2 days of operation. Antutu Tester confirms my words:
From 10 to 90 percent, the smartphone battery from the complete PSU is charged in 2 hours, and then another 40 minutes brings the value to 100%, which is typical for Li-ion batteries. In general, the autonomy, though not impressive, but sufficient for most users, and the likelihood that the device is suddenly discharged in the middle of the working day is extremely low.
InFocus is an excellent device with a set of all necessary functions at a reasonable price. It would seem that the disadvantages would be attributed to 1 GB of RAM, 720p display (although I personally would only consider this parameter as a plus), but look at the price - there are no competitors in the CIS market. The absence of a second SIM card slot and the presence of LTE are already debatable points, that the first, that the second is far from being necessary for everyone. But from the pros: ideally working GPS (with MTK chips for some Chinese manufacturers, this is still a lottery), good performance and overall quality of the device. That would have finished the shell, and since the device is more or less branded, after all, Foxconn itself took over Patronage over InFocus, we can count on further work on the software. True, do not forget about the smartphones on the MT6589 and MT6592 chipsets, though they lack LTE, but in terms of performance they are ahead of the current SoC from Qualcomm.
Cost of
Build quality
Display (IPS, OGS, oleophobic coating)
Latest OS Version
Loud speaker
Russian 4G LTE support
Good work GPS / GLONASS and wireless networks
Existence of an indicator LED
Mediocre localization
"Raw" shell with a bunch of unnecessary software and intermittent pop-up bugs
You can buy a smartphone, for example, in the Pandawill online store with a black , white and turquoise (green, blue?) Back cover. It's funny that the latter will cost you $ 170, while the first two will cost you $ 158. The principal difference between them is not noticed, most likely the markup for Chinese shops for mark-up coloring.
Talk on w3bsit3-dns.com
Official website of the manufacturer
Alternative review on mysku.ru
Debriefing about the manufacturer (English)
I remind you that you can subscribe in order not to miss new reviews and articles
on the company’s page (“subscribe” button), or on your favorite social network: 
Vkontakte , in 
Google + , in 
Twitter
Following Wikipedia , InFocus is the largest manufacturer of projectors and LCD displays, which confirms the number of positions on Yandex.Market , but there is no mention of the production of smartphones on the official website or on the free encyclopedia page. Immediately catches the eye often mentioning the company Foxconn , they say they are the manufacturer of this smartphone. By the way, the way it is, in 2013, InFocus Corporation made a deal with FIH as a result of which Terry Gow (the founder and head of Foxconn) actually became the head of an American company. The desire of the latter to get out of the shadow of Xiaomi and Huawei led to the creation of a line of smartphones under the InFocus brand. Now on sale are two models, the older M512 and the younger M310 - today we talk about the first.
▌ TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS
Screen: 5 ", 1280x720 px (294PPI), IPS, OGS Processor: Snapdragon 400 (MSM8926, 4x1.2GHz) Video accelerator: Adreno 305 Operating system: Android 4.4.2 RAM: 1 GB User Memory: 4 GB + microSD (up to 64 GB) Camera: 8 MP (Sony Exmor R, f / 2.2) rear and 2 MP front Connectivity: 1 Micro-SIM slot: GSM / WCDMA / TD-SCDMA / TD-LTE / FDD-LTE (Band 1, 3, 7) Optional: GPS, A-GPS + GLONASS, Wi-Fi b / g / n, Bluetooth 4.0, FM radio, NFC, OTG, accelerometer, compass, gyroscope, light sensor and distance Battery: 2500 mAh Dimensions: 140.5x70.8x8.7 mm Weight: 155 Grams Price: $ 170▌ PACKING AND COMPLETE SET
The box consists of 2 parts: a turquoise base and a white top cover with an imprinted brand name.
Inside: power supply (5V, 1A), adapter to euro plug, USB cable, instruction in Chinese and the device itself in matte film.
Typical and unremarkable grade budget Chinese smartphone.
')
▌ DESIGN, DIMENSIONS, CONTROL ELEMENTS
As for the workhorse of contributing to the consumption of content from the world wide web, calls and other devices subject to smartphone, the device looks just fine. No logos on the front panel, the back cover is made of rough plastic, glossy frames around the display, which is covered with tempered glass with an oleophobic coating - a discreet appearance.
InFocus M512 has standard for 5-inch smartphone weight and dimensions (140.570.88.7 mm and weight 155 grams). The framework, of course, is too big in comparison with the top Chinese devices, but not critical. The control buttons are spaced along the side faces of the smartphone. On the left is the volume rocker:
On the right - the power button and only. Above the display, there are proximity and light sensors, a front-facing camera and a speaker (loud and clear, the interlocutor is heard perfectly).
In addition to the predominance of straight lines in the design of the smartphone, the symmetry of some elements also strikes the eye. So, the noise-canceling microphone located at the upper end is symmetrical to the conversational microphone at the lower end. And the rear camera is located on the same axis with the flash.
The M512 has only one speaker, small and located on the back cover, but loud, so even putting a pillow under the pillow is less likely to oversleep the alarm. At the bottom, they also found a place for a USB connector and a recess for removing the back cover.
Yes, the cover of this device is removable. The material is plastic, ordinary and unremarkable rough plastic (at least in the black version). Under it you can contemplate a non-removable battery with an NFC-glued antenna and one slot for a Micro-SIM / MicroSD card.
In general, it's nice to see that the manufacturer has paid attention to detail. Since I can only compare with my previous device (Jiayu G4, review here, and here the operating experience), first of all I would like to mention the strengthened USB-connector. If in G4 it was attached only by soldering, then here it is embedded in a plastic casing, which is part of the cover covering the electronics.
Not for girls. Although girls are different, too, but most do not recognize such a design (lack of design?). Personally, everything suits me, except for the sizes. I'm still waiting for a miracle from Uncle Liao - a compact (4-4.3 ") smartphone on a modern hardware platform, a good display and a fresh OS.
▌ DISPLAY
The manufacturer has set the display with HD resolution to reduce the cost of the total cost of the device, but that’s good! IMHO, even at 5 "resolution of 1280x720 pixels is enough. Yes, I see the difference between this display and FullHD in the flagship device, but this difference is useless, absolutely useless. And with a normal HD display, besides reducing the cost of a smartphone, there are still advantages like increased autonomy and reducing the load on the graphics processor. The screen itself is juicy, bright, with excellent viewing angles.
The IPS-display is made using the OGS technology already familiar to us, thanks to which the picture remains readable in the sun. Regarding the protective coating, we can assume that this is Gorilla Glass III, because For more than a month of operation without additional protection, the glass remained pristine clear, plus the presence of an oleophobic coating, but there is no information on the official website about the origin of the display. At the same time, many sites testify to the presence of GG III.
The main thing is that the display, as well as the covering protecting it, cause only positive emotions.
▌ CAMERA
According to the manufacturer’s official website, both cameras of the smartphone are equipped with a Sony Exmor R sensor, only with a front resolution of 2 MP, and the main camera is 8 MP (the maximum aperture is 2.2). I liked the standard camera application - simple, and most importantly fast. In addition to the automatic mode, it has 10 additional ones, including HDR, Panorama, etc. For the curious, manual ISO setting, changing the metering mode, white balance, etc. are also available.
Personally, I rarely turn off HDR mode only if I need to photograph a very fast-moving object. Below are a few examples of photos from the main camera. Unfortunately, in my stupidity, all the pictures were originally taken at a resolution of 2 MP, but even with this photo you can assess the quality of the camera.
One more photo:
Indoor shot
HDR free
With the macro (including text), the InFocus M512 camera copes without problems:Indoor shot
HDR free
Another example:
A good camera, as for the representative of the budget sector.
▌ SOFTWARE PLATFORM
InFocus M512 is running Android 4.4.2 with a custom shell, the name of which I never managed to determine. The OS interface is "overwhelmed" beyond recognition + there are many "features" that are not found on Chinese devices with Android stock.
Let's start with the fact that there is no application menu in the smartphone, after installing the shortcuts immediately go to the desktop, like in Xiaomi with its MIUI, Meizu with Flyme OS and other companies. :) Immediately the first joint: the more applications on the desktops - the more the whole thing slows down when turning over. It is solved by installing a custom launcher from the Play Market - I use Nova out of habit. Out of the box, all the necessary applications are available: be it a music or video player, utilities for working with notes, synchronization, etc. True, there are annoying programs - Clean Master, which cannot be deleted, constantly reminds of a lack of memory in the status bar or DU Speed Booster - no less annoying program.
When you first turn on the smartphone on the "air" arrives software update, but ... not installed. Those. The smartphone goes into reboot, unpacks the archive with the firmware and gives an error. Repeated downloading did not bring any results.
There are 5 types of display lock available. From the standard “Slide to unlock”, you can launch any application pre-installed in the settings, launch the camera or Google Now. By the way, compared to my previous Jiayu G4, here you can get into the camera from the lock screen with a graphic code and take a picture.
Notification panel also changed. In fact, it is divided into 3 parts: shortcuts to quick access to the basic settings of the smartphone (turned over with a swipe to the left), constantly running applications and the notifications themselves. Shortcuts can be “propagated” to a 4x4 matrix by pulling the corresponding slider and then you can edit the location of these elements.
The buttons on the screen that personally caused discomfort to me at first, but eventually got used to it. The multitasking window is triggered by a double tap on the “Home” key, while to the left of it there is a settings key. From here, or by holding your finger on the display, you can switch to the desktop editing mode, Task Manager, or launcher settings. For lovers of “whistlers,” a choice of 16 different animations of changing desktops is available.
The keyboard is standard from Android, I didn’t like the fact that in the standard "dialer" there is no search for contacts in Russian - it is solved by installing a "dialer" from Market with the support of Russian T9. And in general, the localization of the smartphone is made obscenely, periodically skip phrases in Belarusian (?), Some items in the menu and settings in English.
On the second screenshot, ExDialer
In the settings, a control was also found for the standard annoying applications I mentioned above. In the "Notification" section you can prohibit sending notifications to any applications, including default ones. The “Power saver” section was found nearby - a very successful implantation on the part of the manufacturer, since it is often necessary to install an additional application to acquire such functionality.
The USB connection to the computer is represented by 4 modes, but in neither of them neither the PC nor the Mac can see the internal memory, i.e. Only the SD card is visible. From applications from Google here only Gmail, a calendar and Play Market. I almost forgot, from the additional “features” of the system of mentioning it is worthy of gesture control, for example, when an incoming call is enough, turn the device lying on the table face down and the call is dropped.
Saw and saw still this shell, if the company manufacturer wants to achieve any success in sales of this smartphone. I was satisfied with the OS, but only that. Upset the inability to upgrade over the air, although this technology is embedded in the device.
▌ HARDWARE PLATFORM
InFocus M512 is built on the basis of the Qualcomm Snapdragon 400 budget chip, which is installed in most devices in the mid-price range of “branded” manufacturers. For lovers of dry numbers, below are the AnTuTu Benchmark 5, 3DMark and Vellamo Mobile Benchmark tests:Epic Citadel charts + test:
Nothing new, much less surprising. Productivity is not staggering, but sufficient for most daily tasks. Again, I repeat from the article to the article, synthetic indicators make it possible to distinguish the flagship from the budget device, no more. Regarding the games, everything is in order: Dead Trigger 2, GTA: SA, NFS: MW are launched and played, but with limitations on the quality of the graphics. With prolonged use of resource-intensive applications, the upper part of the device heats up well, but within normal limits.More screenshots:
Kingdom Rush and today one of the best representatives of the genre of Tower Defense. I remember how there was no limit to my joy when this game was coded on Android OS in a certain century.In order to check the ability to play video in different resolutions, formats and codecs, the program “AnTuTu Video Tester” from the company of the same name was used. InFocus M512 coped with most varieties of video in FullHD resolution, while 4K did not succumb to the smartphone.
Other formats:
What is a plus of Qualcomm's chipset is the stable GPS operation. With an active Internet connection, a “cold” start takes a standard 1.5-2 minutes, then satellites pick up in a matter of seconds. Just in case, I walked down the street with a GPS tracker - periodically there were deviations from the current course, but not critical.A screenshot from GPS Test was taken from the 11th floor of a twelve-story house (by the window).
3G, Wi-Fi and other wireless technologies do not cause any complaints. The screenshot shows the value of the signal level of a Wi-Fi network at a distance of 7 meters from the source and with an obstacle in the form of a brick wall. And also a funny Easter egg was found out at Speedtest. :)
▌ BATTERY, CHARGING, TIME OF WORK
Batteries with a capacity of 2500 mAh, according to the manufacturer, will be enough for 9 hours of continuous operation in GSM / 3G networks. In my operating conditions (GPS is active, Wi-Fi is alternately used with 3G to check social networks, mail + a few minutes of calls and up to an hour of listening to music) the device stays alive until midnight. In a quieter mode (or by resorting to the “Power Saver” mode), you can count on 1.5-2 days of operation. Antutu Tester confirms my words:
From 10 to 90 percent, the smartphone battery from the complete PSU is charged in 2 hours, and then another 40 minutes brings the value to 100%, which is typical for Li-ion batteries. In general, the autonomy, though not impressive, but sufficient for most users, and the likelihood that the device is suddenly discharged in the middle of the working day is extremely low.
▌ RESULTS
InFocus is an excellent device with a set of all necessary functions at a reasonable price. It would seem that the disadvantages would be attributed to 1 GB of RAM, 720p display (although I personally would only consider this parameter as a plus), but look at the price - there are no competitors in the CIS market. The absence of a second SIM card slot and the presence of LTE are already debatable points, that the first, that the second is far from being necessary for everyone. But from the pros: ideally working GPS (with MTK chips for some Chinese manufacturers, this is still a lottery), good performance and overall quality of the device. That would have finished the shell, and since the device is more or less branded, after all, Foxconn itself took over Patronage over InFocus, we can count on further work on the software. True, do not forget about the smartphones on the MT6589 and MT6592 chipsets, though they lack LTE, but in terms of performance they are ahead of the current SoC from Qualcomm.
▌ ADVANTAGES AND DISADVANTAGES
Cost of Build quality Display (IPS, OGS, oleophobic coating) Latest OS Version Loud speaker Russian 4G LTE support Good work GPS / GLONASS and wireless networks Existence of an indicator LED Mediocre localization "Raw" shell with a bunch of unnecessary software and intermittent pop-up bugs▌ PRICE AND PURCHASE
You can buy a smartphone, for example, in the Pandawill online store with a black , white and turquoise (green, blue?) Back cover. It's funny that the latter will cost you $ 170, while the first two will cost you $ 158. The principal difference between them is not noticed, most likely the markup for Chinese shops for mark-up coloring.
▌ USEFUL LINKS
Talk on w3bsit3-dns.com
Official website of the manufacturer
Alternative review on mysku.ru
Debriefing about the manufacturer (English)
I remind you that you can subscribe in order not to miss new reviews and articles
on the company’s page (“subscribe” button), or on your favorite social network: Vkontakte , in Google + , in TwitterSource: https://habr.com/ru/post/234739/
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