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Blackview A52 smartphone review - Inexpensive phone with bright screen, but...

Many weak points. You can hardly get a smartphone cheaper than the Blackview A52. In return, you get an old processor and cameras that you would rather expect to find in inexpensive tablets. Can the cheap phone still be worth it?
Android ARM Smartphone Touchscreen
Blackview A52
Blackview A52 (A Series)
Processor
UNISOC SC9863A 8 x 1.2 - 1.6 GHz, Cortex-A55
Graphics adapter
PowerVR GE8322 / IMG8322
Memory
2048 MB 
Display
6.50 inch 20:9, 1600 x 720 pixel 270 PPI, capacitive, IPS, glossy: yes, 60 Hz
Storage
32 GB eMMC Flash, 32 GB 
, 25 GB free
Connections
1 USB 2.0, Audio Connections: 3.5mm audio jack, Card Reader: microSD up to 512 MB, 1 Fingerprint Reader, Brightness Sensor, Sensors: accelerometer, proximity
Networking
802.11 b/g/n (b/g/n = Wi-Fi 4/), Bluetooth 4.2, GSM, UMTS, LTE (B1/B3/B7/B8/B20), Dual SIM, LTE, GPS
Size
height x width x depth (in mm): 9.1 x 164.2 x 62 ( = 0.36 x 6.46 x 2.44 in)
Battery
5180 mAh Lithium-Ion
Operating System
Android 12
Camera
Primary Camera: 13 MPix
Secondary Camera: 5 MPix
Additional features
Speakers: mono speaker, charger, USB cable, bumper, 12 Months Warranty, fanless
Weight
183.6 g ( = 6.48 oz / 0.4 pounds) ( = 0 oz / 0 pounds)
Price
110 Euro
Links
Blackview homepage
Note: The manufacturer may use components from different suppliers including display panels, drives or memory sticks with similar specifications.

 

Possible competitors in comparison

Rating
Date
Model
Weight
Drive
Size
Resolution
Best Price
70.2 %
02/2023
Blackview A52
SC9863A, GE8322 / IMG8322		183.6 g32 GB eMMC Flash6.50"1600x720
72.2 %
01/2023
Ulefone Note 14
Helio A22 MT6761, PowerVR GE8300		189 g64 GB eMMC Flash6.52"1600x720
75.4 %
10/2022
Motorola Moto E22i
Helio G37, PowerVR GE8320		169 g32 GB eMMC Flash6.50"1600x720
75 %
09/2022
realme C30
T612, Mali-G52 MP1		182 g64 GB UFS 2.2 Flash6.50"1600x720

Case and features - Plastic housing in three colors

You have to pay just under three digits for the Blackview A52, which puts it in the lowest entry-level category of smartphones.

Accordingly, the chassis is only made of plastic, but it is available in three colors: light blue, light green, or black. The smartphone should not be subjected to excessive pressure, otherwise, it will also be visible in the screen's liquid crystal. Otherwise, the phone is neatly manufactured and does not make any noise when twisted.

The Blackview A52 is averagely heavy for its size, and the Motorola Moto E22i shows that you can definitely save a few grams here.

The Blackview A52 offers a meager 2 GB of RAM and 32 GB of mass storage; some similarly priced competitors offer twice as much. There are two SIM card slots, but one is shared with the microSD card, so you might have to decide what you want to use. Users also have to do without NFC, so mobile payment services aren't available.

The speed of the microSD reader is on the level of other inexpensive phones in the tests with our reference card Angelbird V60 but falls behind a bit in the copy test.

Blackview A52
Blackview A52
Blackview A52
Blackview A52

Size comparison

❌
164.8 mm / 6.49 inch 76 mm / 2.99 inch 8.95 mm / 0.3524 inch 189 g0.4167 lbs164.2 mm / 6.46 inch 62 mm / 2.44 inch 9.1 mm / 0.3583 inch 183.6 g0.4048 lbs164.1 mm / 6.46 inch 75.6 mm / 2.98 inch 8.5 mm / 0.3346 inch 182 g0.4012 lbs163.6 mm / 6.44 inch 74.7 mm / 2.94 inch 8 mm / 0.315 inch 169 g0.3726 lbs148 mm / 5.83 inch 105 mm / 4.13 inch 1 mm / 0.03937 inch 1.5 g0.00331 lbs
SD Card Reader - average JPG Copy Test (av. of 3 runs)
Average of class Smartphone
  (10.9 - 77, n=125, last 2 years)
26.6 MB/s ∼100% +111%
Ulefone Note 14
  (Angelbird V60)
19.8 MB/s ∼74% +57%
realme C30
  (Angelbird V60)
19.6 MB/s ∼74% +56%
Motorola Moto E22i
  (Angelbird V60)
14.5 MB/s ∼55% +15%
Blackview A52
  (Angelbird V60)
12.6 MB/s ∼47%

Cross Platform Disk Test (CPDT)

0510152025303540455055606570758085Tooltip
Blackview A52 GE8322 / IMG8322, SC9863A, 32 GB eMMC Flash; SDCard Sequential Write 0.5 GB; Angelbird V60: Ø26.5 (15.3-44.4)
Ulefone Note 14 PowerVR GE8300, Helio A22 MT6761, 64 GB eMMC Flash; SDCard Sequential Write 0.5 GB; Angelbird V60: Ø34.8 (23.7-49.5)
Motorola Moto E22i PowerVR GE8320, Helio G37, 32 GB eMMC Flash; SDCard Sequential Write 0.5 GB; Angelbird V60: Ø35.1 (28.7-49.8)
realme C30 Mali-G52 MP1, T612, 64 GB UFS 2.2 Flash; SDCard Sequential Write 0.5 GB; Angelbird V60: Ø30.4 (19.4-49.2)
Blackview A52 GE8322 / IMG8322, SC9863A, 32 GB eMMC Flash; SDCard Sequential Read 0.5 GB; Angelbird V60: Ø76.6 (56.5-83.5)
Ulefone Note 14 PowerVR GE8300, Helio A22 MT6761, 64 GB eMMC Flash; SDCard Sequential Read 0.5 GB; Angelbird V60: Ø72.2 (14.2-81.1)
Motorola Moto E22i PowerVR GE8320, Helio G37, 32 GB eMMC Flash; SDCard Sequential Read 0.5 GB; Angelbird V60: Ø75.1 (20.2-77.4)
realme C30 Mali-G52 MP1, T612, 64 GB UFS 2.2 Flash; SDCard Sequential Read 0.5 GB; Angelbird V60: Ø78.1 (50.4-86.6)

Communication, software and operation - Really slow WLAN

Here, too, the Blackview A52 2023 is no longer up-to-date: other inexpensive phones now offer WiFi 5, but Blackview's phone has to make do with WiFi 4 and only gets rates of around 40 MBit/s, which means the phone can only transfer about 5 MBytes of data per second via WLAN, which is not enough for HD streaming, for example. However, this is not possible in most major streaming apps anyway due to the lack of Widevine L1 certification.

The LTE frequencies are just sufficient to operate the phone in Central Europe, and you should be prepared that you will probably not be able to use the phone on the mobile Internet when traveling abroad.

The software is Android 12 Go, and Blackview puts its own UI called Doke OS 3.0 on top of it. We find some bugs here, for example, we cannot select whether we want to charge or transfer data when connecting to a PC via USB because the corresponding window does not pop up. The security patches are from September 2022 and are thus already hopelessly outdated at the time of testing.

The 60-Hz display and the slow SoC often make the handling feel sluggish. While menus can still be operated fairly smoothly, more complex apps or multitasking are often accompanied by severe stutters or hangs.

A fingerprint reader is integrated into the standby button on the casing's right. It works reliably and very quickly. You can also use face recognition to unlock the smartphone. However, this is not as secure due to the lack of additional hardware.

Networking
iperf3 transmit AXE11000
Motorola Moto E22i
802.11 a/b/g/n/ac
370 (343min - 388max) MBit/s ∼100% +814%
Ulefone Note 14
802.11 a/b/g/n/ac
369 (328min - 379max) MBit/s ∼100% +811%
realme C30
802.11 b/g/n
61.4 (56min - 77max) MBit/s ∼17% +52%
Blackview A52
802.11 b/g/n
40.5 (35min - 55max) MBit/s ∼11%
iperf3 receive AXE11000
Motorola Moto E22i
802.11 a/b/g/n/ac
340 (322min - 343max) MBit/s ∼100% +877%
Ulefone Note 14
802.11 a/b/g/n/ac
324 (294min - 336max) MBit/s ∼95% +831%
realme C30
802.11 b/g/n
51.3 (22min - 59max) MBit/s ∼15% +47%
Blackview A52
802.11 b/g/n
34.8 (27min - 37max) MBit/s ∼10%
05101520253035404550Tooltip
Blackview A52; iperf3 receive AXE11000; iperf 3.1.3: Ø34.8 (27-37)
Blackview A52; iperf3 transmit AXE11000; iperf 3.1.3: Ø40.6 (35-55)

Cameras - Lowest quality level

Photo from the front camera
Photo from the front camera

The main camera at the back has a 13-megapixel sensor and takes too bright pictures in areas with a lot of light and hardly offers any details in dark ones. Furthermore, the pictures are not really sharp when looking closer. The autofocus struggles to bring enough sharpness in low light and high contrasts.

In the lab in good light, the test image appears relatively sharp in the center, but text contours are always unnaturally highlighted. Fine lines are also hardly legible. You can't recognize anything on the picture at an exposure of only 1 lux.

Videos can be recorded with the main camera at a maximum of 1080p and 30 fps. The autofocus reacts delayed and not always quite accurately, and the brightness adjustment takes a moment now and then. Overall, photos and videos can be used as snapshots, but they do not meet higher demands.

The front-facing camera offers 5 megapixels and takes selfies that quickly look coarse when zoomed in and can hardly offer details in dark areas.

Image Comparison

Choose a scene and navigate within the first image. One click changes the position on touchscreens. One click on the zoomed-in image opens the original in a new window. The first image shows the scaled photograph of the test device.

Main cameraMain cameraLowLight
click to load images
ColorChecker
14.1 ∆E
13.2 ∆E
16.3 ∆E
16.9 ∆E
14.2 ∆E
11.4 ∆E
17 ∆E
10 ∆E
11.5 ∆E
8.7 ∆E
12.6 ∆E
15.2 ∆E
7.3 ∆E
14.2 ∆E
14 ∆E
9.5 ∆E
9.9 ∆E
13.9 ∆E
1.8 ∆E
8.3 ∆E
12.3 ∆E
10.6 ∆E
4.5 ∆E
2.8 ∆E
ColorChecker Blackview A52: 11.26 ∆E min: 1.76 - max: 17.03 ∆E
ColorChecker
29.6 ∆E
55.1 ∆E
39.8 ∆E
34.8 ∆E
45.6 ∆E
62.4 ∆E
53.7 ∆E
36.1 ∆E
43.7 ∆E
29 ∆E
65.1 ∆E
64.1 ∆E
31.5 ∆E
47.7 ∆E
37.8 ∆E
76.4 ∆E
44.6 ∆E
42 ∆E
93.7 ∆E
71 ∆E
52.5 ∆E
36.9 ∆E
23.8 ∆E
13.3 ∆E
ColorChecker Blackview A52: 47.09 ∆E min: 13.35 - max: 93.69 ∆E

Display - Bright and high-contrast

Subpixel structure
Subpixel structure

In fact, the Blackview A52 can convince with its screen in some areas for a low-priced smartphone: although the resolution of 1,600 x 720 pixels is only on class level, the IPS screen does not need PWM flickering to display low brightness, and it is also relatively bright and offers a good contrast ratio, so colors are displayed a bit brighter.

An average brightness of 400 cd/m² is far from a record, but it is better than all comparison devices. However, this does not make the Blackview A52 2023 an outdoor professional. The reflections are still very strong, so it is better to use the phone in the shade or indoors.

389
cd/m²		435
cd/m²		383
cd/m²
387
cd/m²		432
cd/m²		382
cd/m²
389
cd/m²		410
cd/m²		390
cd/m²
Distribution of brightness
X-Rite i1Pro 2
Maximum: 435 cd/m² (Nits) Average: 399.7 cd/m² Minimum: 4.8 cd/m²
Brightness Distribution: 88 %
Center on Battery: 432 cd/m²
Contrast: 1662:1 (Black: 0.26 cd/m²)
ΔE Color 6.97 | 0.55-29.43 Ø5.2
ΔE Greyscale 6.7 | 0.57-98 Ø5.4
94.3% sRGB (Calman 2D)
Gamma: 2.618
Blackview A52
IPS, 1600x720, 6.50		Ulefone Note 14
IPS, 1600x720, 6.52		Motorola Moto E22i
IPS, 1600x720, 6.50		realme C30
IPS, 1600x720, 6.50
Response Times
9%
29%
5%
Response Time Grey 50% / Grey 80% *
45.2 ?(23, 22.2)
40.1 ?(22.6, 17.5)
11%
34 ?(19, 15)
25%
41 ?(22, 19)
9%
Response Time Black / White *
27 ?(14.4, 12.6)
25 ?(12.5, 12.5)
7%
18 ?(10, 8)
33%
27 ?(12, 15)
-0%
PWM Frequency
Screen
2%
11%
-6%
Brightness middle
432
419
-3%
390
-10%
410
-5%
Brightness
400
379
-5%
355
-11%
386
-3%
Brightness Distribution
88
83
-6%
86
-2%
85
-3%
Black Level *
0.26
0.3
-15%
0.24
8%
0.5
-92%
Contrast
1662
1397
-16%
1625
-2%
820
-51%
Colorchecker dE 2000 *
6.97
4.77
32%
3.81
45%
4.56
35%
Colorchecker dE 2000 max. *
10.36
10.61
-2%
7.03
32%
7.37
29%
Greyscale dE 2000 *
6.7
4.8
28%
4.9
27%
4
40%
Gamma
2.618 84%
2.156 102%
2.166 102%
2.179 101%
CCT
7976 81%
7541 86%
7727 84%
7450 87%
Total Average (Program / Settings)
6% / 3%
20% / 15%
-1% / -4%

* ... smaller is better

Display Response Times

ℹ
Display response times show how fast the screen is able to change from one color to the next. Slow response times can lead to afterimages and can cause moving objects to appear blurry (ghosting). Gamers of fast-paced 3D titles should pay special attention to fast response times.
   ↔    Response Time Black to White
27 ms ... rise ↗ and fall ↘ combined↗ 14.4 ms rise
↘ 12.6 ms fall
The screen shows relatively slow response rates in our tests and may be too slow for gamers.
In comparison, all tested devices range from 0.1 (minimum) to 240 (maximum) ms. » 60 % of all devices are better.
This means that the measured response time is worse than the average of all tested devices (22.3 ms).
   ↔    Response Time 50% Grey to 80% Grey
45.2 ms ... rise ↗ and fall ↘ combined↗ 23 ms rise
↘ 22.2 ms fall
The screen shows slow response rates in our tests and will be unsatisfactory for gamers.
In comparison, all tested devices range from 0.25 (minimum) to 636 (maximum) ms. » 73 % of all devices are better.
This means that the measured response time is worse than the average of all tested devices (35.1 ms).

Screen Flickering / PWM (Pulse-Width Modulation)

ℹ
To dim the screen, some notebooks will simply cycle the backlight on and off in rapid succession - a method called Pulse Width Modulation (PWM) . This cycling frequency should ideally be undetectable to the human eye. If said frequency is too low, users with sensitive eyes may experience strain or headaches or even notice the flickering altogether.
Screen flickering / PWM not detected

In comparison: 53 % of all tested devices do not use PWM to dim the display. If PWM was detected, an average of 19046 (minimum: 5 - maximum: 3846000) Hz was measured.

Performance, emissions and battery life - Power off for charging

The Unisoc SC9863A is already 5 years old and actually no longer up-to-date as an SoC, especially because of its inefficient 28 nm node. In terms of performance, the Blackview A52 2023 even lags behind other inexpensive phones.

This is noticeable in everyday use with some noticeable stutters or apps that completely stop working. The smartphone heats up to 40.7 °C in some cases. We did not notice throttling in the GFXBench battery test, but 3DMark refused to start.

The small mono speaker is hardly usable for music because it is very treble-heavy and not fun to listen to. External audio devices can be connected via a 3.5 mm jack or Bluetooth 4.2; SBC, AAC, aptX, aptX HD, and LDAC are supported as Bluetooth codecs.

The battery is quite large with 5,150 mAh, but it only lasts for a comparatively short time even under light load: we measured 12:06 hours of runtime with the help of our script while browsing the Internet. This is enough for a workday, but it could have been much longer considering the battery capacity.

During the GFXBench battery test, we also noticed that the battery is very quickly drained under high load: the phone loses a good 10% of battery capacity within 10 minutes, so you cannot even assume a runtime of 2 hours.

Charging is also a real test of patience: we wait for hours until the device's battery is finally full again. Sometimes the battery even discharges even though the phone is on standby and the included charger is connected. The battery level only increases when the smartphone is turned off. Charging also works on standby after a restart, but the phone still seems very unreliable.

Geekbench 5.4 | GFXBench | Octane V2
Geekbench 5.4
Single-Core
Average of class Smartphone
  (119 - 1885, n=241, last 2 years)
823 Points ∼100% +553%
realme C30
UNISOC T612, Mali-G52 MP1, 4096
347 Points ∼42% +175%
Ulefone Note 14
Mediatek Helio A22 MT6761, PowerVR GE8300, 4096
166 Points ∼20% +32%
Motorola Moto E22i
Mediatek Helio G37, PowerVR GE8320, 2048
146 Points ∼18% +16%
Average UNISOC SC9863A
  (126 - 152, n=6)
138.5 Points ∼17% +10%
Blackview A52
UNISOC SC9863A, GE8322 / IMG8322, 2048
126 Points ∼15%
Multi-Core
Average of class Smartphone
  (473 - 5538, n=241, last 2 years)
2641 Points ∼100% +458%
realme C30
UNISOC T612, Mali-G52 MP1, 4096
1323 Points ∼50% +180%
Average UNISOC SC9863A
  (472 - 848, n=6)
640 Points ∼24% +35%
Motorola Moto E22i
Mediatek Helio G37, PowerVR GE8320, 2048
553 Points ∼21% +17%
Ulefone Note 14
Mediatek Helio A22 MT6761, PowerVR GE8300, 4096
541 Points ∼20% +14%
Blackview A52
UNISOC SC9863A, GE8322 / IMG8322, 2048
473 Points ∼18%
GFXBench
on screen Aztec Ruins Normal Tier Onscreen
Average of class Smartphone
  (3.6 - 123, n=240, last 2 years)
37.5 fps ∼100% +505%
realme C30
UNISOC T612, Mali-G52 MP1, 4096
10 fps ∼27% +61%
Motorola Moto E22i
Mediatek Helio G37, PowerVR GE8320, 2048
7.8 fps ∼21% +26%
Blackview A52
UNISOC SC9863A, GE8322 / IMG8322, 2048
6.2 fps ∼17%
Average UNISOC SC9863A
  (3 - 6.2, n=7)
5.16 fps ∼14% -17%
Ulefone Note 14
Mediatek Helio A22 MT6761, PowerVR GE8300, 4096
4.5 fps ∼12% -27%
1920x1080 Aztec Ruins Normal Tier Offscreen
Average of class Smartphone
  (1.9 - 175, n=241, last 2 years)
48.8 fps ∼100% +1335%
realme C30
UNISOC T612, Mali-G52 MP1, 4096
5.3 fps ∼11% +56%
Motorola Moto E22i
Mediatek Helio G37, PowerVR GE8320, 2048
4.2 fps ∼9% +24%
Blackview A52
UNISOC SC9863A, GE8322 / IMG8322, 2048
3.4 fps ∼7%
Average UNISOC SC9863A
  (3.2 - 3.4, n=7)
3.27 fps ∼7% -4%
Ulefone Note 14
Mediatek Helio A22 MT6761, PowerVR GE8300, 4096
2.4 fps ∼5% -29%
on screen Aztec Ruins High Tier Onscreen
Average of class Smartphone
  (2.8 - 100, n=241, last 2 years)
26.8 fps ∼100% +605%
realme C30
UNISOC T612, Mali-G52 MP1, 4096
6.4 fps ∼24% +68%
Motorola Moto E22i
Mediatek Helio G37, PowerVR GE8320, 2048
4.9 fps ∼18% +29%
Blackview A52
UNISOC SC9863A, GE8322 / IMG8322, 2048
3.8 fps ∼14%
Average UNISOC SC9863A
  (1.9 - 3.8, n=7)
3.17 fps ∼12% -17%
Ulefone Note 14
Mediatek Helio A22 MT6761, PowerVR GE8300, 4096
2.8 fps ∼10% -26%
2560x1440 Aztec Ruins High Tier Offscreen
Average of class Smartphone
  (0.85 - 68, n=241, last 2 years)
18.9 fps ∼100% +1475%
realme C30
UNISOC T612, Mali-G52 MP1, 4096
1.9 fps ∼10% +58%
Motorola Moto E22i
Mediatek Helio G37, PowerVR GE8320, 2048
1.5 fps ∼8% +25%
Blackview A52
UNISOC SC9863A, GE8322 / IMG8322, 2048
1.2 fps ∼6%
Average UNISOC SC9863A
  (1.1 - 1.2, n=6)
1.183 fps ∼6% -1%
Ulefone Note 14
Mediatek Helio A22 MT6761, PowerVR GE8300, 4096
0.9 fps ∼5% -25%
Octane V2 - Total Score
Average of class Smartphone
  (4633 - 74261, n=193, last 2 years)
29582 Points ∼100% +531%
Blackview A52
UNISOC SC9863A, GE8322 / IMG8322, 2048
4690 Points ∼16%
Ulefone Note 14
Mediatek Helio A22 MT6761, PowerVR GE8300, 4096
4633 Points ∼16% -1%
Average UNISOC SC9863A
  (3111 - 4690, n=3)
3940 Points ∼13% -16%
Blackview A52Ulefone Note 14Motorola Moto E22irealme C30Average 32 GB eMMC FlashAverage of class Smartphone
AndroBench 3-5
19%
32%
248%
-10%
470%
Sequential Read 256KB
226.4
294
30%
263.1
16%
569
151%
242 ?(25.8 - 452, n=244)
7%
1183 ?(215 - 4512, n=234, last 2 years)
423%
Sequential Write 256KB
119.4
208
74%
189
58%
414.7
247%
100 ?(14.8 - 191.5, n=244)
-16%
743 ?(13.6 - 3062, n=234, last 2 years)
522%
Random Read 4KB
40.5
55
36%
53.6
32%
125.4
210%
42.9 ?(3.59 - 117.2, n=244)
6%
208 ?(22.2 - 543, n=234, last 2 years)
414%
Random Write 4KB
35
13
-63%
42.3
21%
169.4
384%
21.8 ?(0.75 - 91, n=244)
-38%
217 ?(13 - 572, n=235, last 2 years)
520%

Temperature

Max. Load
 40.7 °C
105 F		30.2 °C
86 F		27 °C
81 F		 
 39.7 °C
103 F		30.2 °C
86 F		27.6 °C
82 F		 
 37.7 °C
100 F		29.2 °C
85 F		27.3 °C
81 F		 
Maximum: 40.7 °C = 105 F
Average: 32.2 °C = 90 F
26.1 °C
79 F		29.4 °C
85 F		37.9 °C
100 F
27.4 °C
81 F		31.4 °C
89 F		38.7 °C
102 F
27.4 °C
81 F		31.4 °C
89 F		37.9 °C
100 F
Maximum: 38.7 °C = 102 F
Average: 32 °C = 90 F
Power Supply (max.)  36.8 °C = 98 F | Room Temperature 18.9 °C = 66 F | Fluke t3000FC (calibrated), Voltcraft IR-260
(±) The average temperature for the upper side under maximal load is 32.2 °C / 90 F, compared to the average of 32.7 °C / 91 F for the devices in the class Smartphone.
(±) The maximum temperature on the upper side is 40.7 °C / 105 F, compared to the average of 34.9 °C / 95 F, ranging from 21.9 to 52.9 °C for the class Smartphone.
(+) The bottom heats up to a maximum of 38.7 °C / 102 F, compared to the average of 33.7 °C / 93 F
(+) In idle usage, the average temperature for the upper side is 22.5 °C / 73 F, compared to the device average of 32.7 °C / 91 F.


Heatmap Front
Heatmap Front
Heatmap Back side
Heatmap Back side

Speaker

dB(A) 0102030405060708090Deep BassMiddle BassHigh BassLower RangeMidsHigher MidsLower HighsMid HighsUpper HighsSuper Highs2039.246.12534.438.63130.833.54033.433.2503433.36329.826.18028.921.810019.218.912521.320.516018.220.620013.822.5250142831513.334.84001146.350010.958.263010.36480015.869.9100016.172.1125017.369.6160011.463.6200011.259.1250011.564.831501266.9400012.970.5500013.576.6630014.171.380001565.61000015.860.11250016.561.31600017.351.4SPL26.181.6N0.746.4median 14median 61.3Delta2.515.643.939.834.533.727.730.928.533.633.235.326.329.123.419.522.521.915.419.114.627.312.334.313.341.511.645.47.550.311.457.915.259.914.762.611.869.61268.310.369.79.365.710.862.414.762.314.369.614.977.11579.115.47516.867.516.1721757.125.9840.751.4median 14.6median 62.4212.6hearing rangehide median Pink NoiseBlackview A52realme C30
Frequency diagram (checkboxes can be checked and unchecked to compare devices)
Blackview A52 audio analysis

(±) | speaker loudness is average but good (81.6 dB)
Bass 100 - 315 Hz
(-) | nearly no bass - on average 37.1% lower than median
(+) | bass is linear (6.6% delta to prev. frequency)
Mids 400 - 2000 Hz
(±) | higher mids - on average 6.6% higher than median
(±) | linearity of mids is average (13.3% delta to prev. frequency)
Highs 2 - 16 kHz
(±) | higher highs - on average 7% higher than median
(±) | linearity of highs is average (10.3% delta to prev. frequency)
Overall 100 - 16.000 Hz
(-) | overall sound is not linear (30.7% difference to median)
Compared to same class
» 90% of all tested devices in this class were better, 5% similar, 6% worse
» The best had a delta of 11%, average was 23%, worst was 65%
Compared to all devices tested
» 93% of all tested devices were better, 3% similar, 4% worse
» The best had a delta of 3%, average was 20%, worst was 65%

realme C30 audio analysis

(+) | speakers can play relatively loud (84 dB)
Bass 100 - 315 Hz
(-) | nearly no bass - on average 30.8% lower than median
(±) | linearity of bass is average (10.9% delta to prev. frequency)
Mids 400 - 2000 Hz
(±) | higher mids - on average 5.4% higher than median
(±) | linearity of mids is average (8.1% delta to prev. frequency)
Highs 2 - 16 kHz
(±) | higher highs - on average 8% higher than median
(±) | linearity of highs is average (9.5% delta to prev. frequency)
Overall 100 - 16.000 Hz
(±) | linearity of overall sound is average (27.2% difference to median)
Compared to same class
» 79% of all tested devices in this class were better, 7% similar, 14% worse
» The best had a delta of 11%, average was 23%, worst was 65%
Compared to all devices tested
» 86% of all tested devices were better, 4% similar, 10% worse
» The best had a delta of 3%, average was 20%, worst was 65%

Battery life

Battery Runtime - WiFi Websurfing
realme C30
5000 mAh
929 min ∼35% +28%
Average of class Smartphone
  (424 - 1252, n=241, last 2 years)
887 min ∼34% +22%
Ulefone Note 14
4500 mAh
883 min ∼33% +22%
Motorola Moto E22i
4020 mAh
753 min ∼29% +4%
Blackview A52
5180 mAh
726 min ∼28%
Battery Runtime
WiFi Websurfing
12h 06min

Pros

+ bright screen with good contrast
+ favorable
+ fast fingerprint reader
+ Android 12

Cons

- very low performance
- scarce memory
- very slow WLAN
- hardly any LTE frequencies
- microSD slot not dedicated
- blurry cameras
- puny speaker
- battery partly does not charge

Verdict - Cheap, but cheaply made

In review: Blackview A52
In review: Blackview A52

We cannot really recommend the Blackview A52, even for its low price of just under 100 Euros. Nevertheless, it is on the bestseller lists of some large shopping portals on the Internet and also has quite good reviews.

In view of software bugs, a battery that discharges with the charger connected, hardly any performance, and extremely slow WLAN connections, we cannot quite understand that. We also deduct one percentage point from the overall rating because of the problems with the charging technology.

The fact that the cameras do not offer good picture quality is common in this price range, and the screen can even convince with quite good brightness values and an acceptable contrast.

The Blackview A52 is a very inexpensive smartphone with partly serious problems, such as a non-loading battery and a very slow WLAN.

Otherwise, we see a lot of weak points in the smartphone, which seem even more serious in view of the competition: with Moto E22i for example, you get much faster Wi-Fi and even a 90-Hz screen. With Ulefone Note 14 you have to do without the fingerprint sensor, but you also get more performance and faster Wi-Fi.

Price and availability

The Blackview A52 is available directly from the manufacturerhttps://de.blackview.hk/products/a52-price.

It is also offered at amazon.de, where it costs 105 Euros at the time of testing.

Blackview A52 - 02/13/2023 v7
Florian Schmitt

Chassis
78%
Keyboard
65 / 75 → 87%
Pointing Device
83%
Connectivity
37 / 70 → 53%
Weight
89%
Battery
89%
Display
82%
Games Performance
3 / 64 → 5%
Application Performance
45 / 86 → 52%
Temperature
92%
Noise
100%
Audio
50 / 90 → 56%
Camera
38%
Add Points
-1%
Average
61%
70%
Smartphone - Weighted Average

Transparency

The present review sample was made available to the author as a loan by the manufacturer or a shop for the purposes of review. The lender had no influence on this review, nor did the manufacturer receive a copy of this review before publication. There was no obligation to publish this review.

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> Notebook / Laptop Reviews and News > Reviews > Blackview A52 smartphone review - Inexpensive phone with bright screen, but...
Florian Schmitt, 2023-02-14 (Update: 2023-02-14)