A few days ago, we shared the first impressions we had of the Phicomm Energy 653. Note that this smartphone was launched in India in August earlier this year. In this post, we are going to share the detailed review of this device by the Chinese OEM.
The box contains the handset, a travel adapter, a USB cable for charging and data syncing, a quick start guide, a warranty card, and a screen protector. There are no earphones in the box. Even their debut device, Phicomm Passion 660 did not pack earphones. (I do not understand why manufacturers opt not to go for a pair of earpiece. Is it a Chinese custom or anything? Remember that Xiaomi Mi 4 and Xiaomi Redmi Note were also deprived of earphones. It looks like they are following the footsteps of their competitors.)
The rear body of this smartphone is entirely made up of plastic, with a rubberised texture. It offers a firm grip. The build quality is solid, and the device feels sturdy.
The usual capacitive touch buttons are not backlit, thus making it tough to operate the device in the dark.
The back panel of the device is removable. Under the hood, this device has two micro SIM card slots. Only the first slot supports 4G LTE. There is also a micro SD slot, which can be used to expand the storage up to 64 GB. The battery is removable too.
The device has a compact design. It is very light in weight (only 100 grams) and is perfect for elder people.
Regarding specifications, the device features an IPS display with a resolution of 1280x720 pixels. It is powered by 1.1 GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon 210 quad-core processor, 1 GB RAM, 8 GB internal storage, which is expandable up to 64 GB. It comes with a 5-inch screen. It runs on Android 5.1 with Phicomm's skin, the Expect UI, and packs 2,300 mAh lithium-ion battery. It also features a 8 MP primary camera, along with a 2 MP front-camera.
The LED flash on the rear of the device is meant to be used as a flashlight. However, it does not come up in one glow. It first blinks, and then shines continuously. This happened every time I did this! Maybe it is just a bug with the review unit.
The smartphone possesses acceleration, light and proximity sensors. It does not have direction, gravity, e-compass, gyro, temperature, pressure, ambient temperature, relative humidity, linear acceleration and rotation vector sensors.
The device runs on Android Lollipop, with its custom skin as a topping. It is called the Expect UI. Unlike its name, to an extent, it did not fulfill my expectations. I say so because there is no customization possible, which is very unlike its Chinese competition. Also, there are no themes.
One thing I like about the interface is the stock Android experience. The apps in the app drawer are arranged in alphabetical order. Yes, you read it right! The UI offers an app drawer. This is very unlike other Chinese OEMs who always try to replicate iOS on Android. If you are an Android fanboy, you'll like it.
Phicomm Energy 653 box contents
The box contains the handset, a travel adapter, a USB cable for charging and data syncing, a quick start guide, a warranty card, and a screen protector. There are no earphones in the box. Even their debut device, Phicomm Passion 660 did not pack earphones. (I do not understand why manufacturers opt not to go for a pair of earpiece. Is it a Chinese custom or anything? Remember that Xiaomi Mi 4 and Xiaomi Redmi Note were also deprived of earphones. It looks like they are following the footsteps of their competitors.)
Phicomm Energy 653 build and design
The rear body of this smartphone is entirely made up of plastic, with a rubberised texture. It offers a firm grip. The build quality is solid, and the device feels sturdy.
The usual capacitive touch buttons are not backlit, thus making it tough to operate the device in the dark.
The back panel of the device is removable. Under the hood, this device has two micro SIM card slots. Only the first slot supports 4G LTE. There is also a micro SD slot, which can be used to expand the storage up to 64 GB. The battery is removable too.
The device has a compact design. It is very light in weight (only 100 grams) and is perfect for elder people.
Phicomm Energy 653 features
Regarding specifications, the device features an IPS display with a resolution of 1280x720 pixels. It is powered by 1.1 GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon 210 quad-core processor, 1 GB RAM, 8 GB internal storage, which is expandable up to 64 GB. It comes with a 5-inch screen. It runs on Android 5.1 with Phicomm's skin, the Expect UI, and packs 2,300 mAh lithium-ion battery. It also features a 8 MP primary camera, along with a 2 MP front-camera.
The LED flash on the rear of the device is meant to be used as a flashlight. However, it does not come up in one glow. It first blinks, and then shines continuously. This happened every time I did this! Maybe it is just a bug with the review unit.
The smartphone possesses acceleration, light and proximity sensors. It does not have direction, gravity, e-compass, gyro, temperature, pressure, ambient temperature, relative humidity, linear acceleration and rotation vector sensors.
Phicomm Energy 653 software
The device runs on Android Lollipop, with its custom skin as a topping. It is called the Expect UI. Unlike its name, to an extent, it did not fulfill my expectations. I say so because there is no customization possible, which is very unlike its Chinese competition. Also, there are no themes.
One thing I like about the interface is the stock Android experience. The apps in the app drawer are arranged in alphabetical order. Yes, you read it right! The UI offers an app drawer. This is very unlike other Chinese OEMs who always try to replicate iOS on Android. If you are an Android fanboy, you'll like it.
Phicomm Energy 653 performance and benchmarks
Gaming on this device is a joyful experience for small games, but big games show some lag. The device has a 1.1 GHz quad-core processor backed by 1 GB RAM. No delay was observed while launching and switching between apps, or browsing the internet. No heating issues were noted. The call quality is good. Proximity sensor responds slowly sometimes - the screen takes some time to lock even when the phone is near to the ear. Running 720p videos is a joyous experience, but run anything greater and you'll be greeted with lags. Overall, the device is meant only for basic usage. Nothing more, nothing less.
One very odd thing was observed with this device. We took it to a hill station, and it got switched off in the foggy weather (low temperature). We tried turning it on, with no luck! It worked when the sun was out and hence, the weather was a little warm. You might need to think before taking the device to your next vacation on a hill-station!
AnTuTu rating: 16,890
General performance: Average (surpasses 50% other devices)
Game performance: Poor (surpasses 40% other devices)
Battery performance: Average (surpasses 50% other devices)
The device supports five finger multi-touch, i.e., the touchscreen can detect (and act at) five touches at any instance in time.
The device features an HD IPS display with a resolution of 1280x720 pixels. It comes with a 5-inch screen. The display is sharp. It is bright enough for both indoors and outdoors. Color reproduction is rich and vibrant, but they are a bit washed out in direct sunlight. The viewing angles are good. However, it is very prone to fingerprint smudges.
The smartphone features a 8 MP rear camera, along with a 2 MP front-camera.
The camera offers various shooting modes, viz. Zero Shutter, Burst Mode, HDR and Anti-Shake mode.
The primary camera is disappointing. The auto-focus is slow. Images are overexposed when shooting outdoors. Low light photography is not recommended, as too much noise creeps in.
The front camera is average for capturing selfies.
Find below a few sample images clicked using this device's camera:
The device packs 2,300 mAh battery. It lasts for a complete day with average use. With 3G on for the whole time, the battery lasted well.
1. Affordable
2. Dual SIM, one of them supports 4G
3. Good battery backup
4. Decent display
1. Poor camera
2. No USB OTG support
This device is meant only for basic usage. One good thing is the support of 4G LTE. If you are looking for a budget smartphone, you might consider this device. However, if you demand more from your smartphone, then there is no way this device can satisfy you.
Operating System: Android 5.1 Lollipop
Processor: 1.1 GHz quad-core
Memory: 1 GB RAM
Storage: 8 GB internal, expandable up to 64 GB
Display: 5.0 inch HD IPS
Resolution (pixels): 1280x720
Primary camera: 8 megapixel
Secondary camera: 2 megapixel
Battery: 2,300 mAh
Dimensions (WidthxHeightxDepth): 75.0x144.0x8.4 mm
Weight: 100 g
One very odd thing was observed with this device. We took it to a hill station, and it got switched off in the foggy weather (low temperature). We tried turning it on, with no luck! It worked when the sun was out and hence, the weather was a little warm. You might need to think before taking the device to your next vacation on a hill-station!
AnTuTu rating: 16,890
General performance: Average (surpasses 50% other devices)
Game performance: Poor (surpasses 40% other devices)
Battery performance: Average (surpasses 50% other devices)
Phicomm Energy 653 display
The device features an HD IPS display with a resolution of 1280x720 pixels. It comes with a 5-inch screen. The display is sharp. It is bright enough for both indoors and outdoors. Color reproduction is rich and vibrant, but they are a bit washed out in direct sunlight. The viewing angles are good. However, it is very prone to fingerprint smudges.
Phicomm Energy 653 camera
The smartphone features a 8 MP rear camera, along with a 2 MP front-camera.
The camera offers various shooting modes, viz. Zero Shutter, Burst Mode, HDR and Anti-Shake mode.
The primary camera is disappointing. The auto-focus is slow. Images are overexposed when shooting outdoors. Low light photography is not recommended, as too much noise creeps in.
The front camera is average for capturing selfies.
Find below a few sample images clicked using this device's camera:
Phicomm Energy 653 battery life
The device packs 2,300 mAh battery. It lasts for a complete day with average use. With 3G on for the whole time, the battery lasted well.
Why should you buy it?
1. Affordable
2. Dual SIM, one of them supports 4G
3. Good battery backup
4. Decent display
Why shouldn't you buy it?
1. Poor camera
2. No USB OTG support
Phicomm Energy 653 verdict
This device is meant only for basic usage. One good thing is the support of 4G LTE. If you are looking for a budget smartphone, you might consider this device. However, if you demand more from your smartphone, then there is no way this device can satisfy you.
Phicomm Energy 653 specifications
Processor: 1.1 GHz quad-core
Memory: 1 GB RAM
Storage: 8 GB internal, expandable up to 64 GB
Display: 5.0 inch HD IPS
Resolution (pixels): 1280x720
Primary camera: 8 megapixel
Secondary camera: 2 megapixel
Battery: 2,300 mAh
Dimensions (WidthxHeightxDepth): 75.0x144.0x8.4 mm
Weight: 100 g
Rating: 3.3 out of 5 stars
Price: Get a price on the Phicomm Energy 653
Price: Get a price on the Phicomm Energy 653
Phicomm Energy 653
Reviewed by Garg Ankit Rating:
Reviewed by Garg Ankit Rating: