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Blackview BV8000 Pro Smartphone Review

Outdoor heavyweight. With the BV8000 Pro, Blackview brings an update to its outdoor smartphone series that is the successor to the BV7000. The features are remarkable: 6 GB of RAM, 64 GB of storage, Full HD display, and a 16 Megapixel camera. In addition, it is IP-68 certified and has a fingerprint sensor and some other sensors that might be helpful in an outdoor smartphone.

For the original German review, see here.

These include a built-in compass and a barometer. Compared to the more affordable devices of the series, there is also a slightly more powerful processor, the Mediatek MT6757. All in all, Blackview offers sufficient features for the money here. However, the features that look good on paper are not quite as good in practice.

(The Blackview BV8000 Pro is available in the US from $250.) When buying a smartphone from the Far East, we point to the customs and CE certification regulations and the warranty laws.

The list of the outdoor smartphones that we have tested is growing slowly. As comparison devices, the Nomu S30, the AGM A8, the Samsung Galaxy XCover 4, and the Archos 50 Saphir are available. Even though the prices for the comparison devices are in a similar range, the hardware features vary significantly.

Blackview BV8000 Pro (BV Series)
Processor
Mediatek Helio P20 (LP4) MT6757 8 x 2.3 GHz, Cortex-A53
Graphics adapter
Memory
6 GB 
Display
5.00 inch 16:9, 1920 x 1080 pixel 441 PPI, 5-finger multitouch, IPS, glossy: yes
Storage
64 GB eMMC Flash, 64 GB 
, 60 GB free
Connections
1 USB 2.0, Card Reader: microSD, 1 Fingerprint Reader, Brightness Sensor, Sensors: compass, gyroscope, barometer
Networking
802.11a/b/g/n (a/b/g/n = Wi-Fi 4/), Bluetooth 4.0, FDD-LTE/TDD-LTE, Dual SIM, LTE, GPS
Size
height x width x depth (in mm): 12 x 153 x 79 ( = 0.47 x 6.02 x 3.11 in)
Battery
4180 mAh Lithium-Polymer
Operating System
Android 7.0 Nougat
Camera
Primary Camera: 16 MPix
Secondary Camera: 8 MPix
Additional features
Speakers: 1, Keyboard: onscreen, Keyboard Light: yes, earphones, Outdoor Toolbox, keine Months Warranty, fanless, ruggedized
Weight
243 g ( = 8.57 oz / 0.54 pounds), Power Supply: 100 g ( = 3.53 oz / 0.22 pounds)
Price
330 Euro
Note: The manufacturer may use components from different suppliers including display panels, drives or memory sticks with similar specifications.

 

Case

The case appears beefy and robust. Instead of hiding the tiny screws, there are many relatively large, visible screws in the case, which adds to the impression of a very sturdy device in the eye of the beholder. This visual impression is also confirmed by the reality. Even when using a lot of force, the case cannot be bent by hand. The flap that covers the SIM card and microSD slots is secured by 4 screws. A screwdriver is included. As expected, the weight is quite high, and the battery is also not removable.

The device cannot be impressed by a fall from a height of 1.5 m (~5 ft), surviving it without any damage. It can also be washed under the faucet while being turned on.

Size Comparison

162 mm / 6.38 inch 83 mm / 3.27 inch 13 mm / 0.512 inch 260 g0.573 lbs159 mm / 6.26 inch 93 mm / 3.66 inch 16 mm / 0.63 inch 247 g0.545 lbs153 mm / 6.02 inch 79 mm / 3.11 inch 12 mm / 0.4724 inch 243 g0.536 lbs146 mm / 5.75 inch 76 mm / 2.99 inch 14 mm / 0.551 inch 222 g0.4894 lbs146.2 mm / 5.76 inch 73.3 mm / 2.89 inch 9.7 mm / 0.3819 inch 172 g0.3792 lbs148 mm / 5.83 inch 105 mm / 4.13 inch 1 mm / 0.03937 inch 1.5 g0.00331 lbs

Features

Blackview relies on a Mediatek MT6757 CPU with 8 cores here. This is about twice as fast as the chips used in Blackview's affordable devices (mostly the MT6737), so it is about on par as the Samsung Galaxy Note 3 which was considered a high-end device three years ago. The CPU is accompanied by an ARM Mali-T880 MP2 GPU, which fits well to the processor in the comparison. 6 GB of RAM and 64 GB of memory storage should also satisfy most desires.

In terms of the connections, the BV8000 Pro appears rather conservative. A USB Type-C connection serves as the charging and data port. Unfortunately, it cannot be used with a regular cable, since the plug has to be inserted very deep into the port. Only the included cable or adapter can be used. Furthermore, the connection supports OTG functionality and can also charge other devices. On the opposite end is a headphone connection. Since the port is also inserted deeply into the case, you have to use the included earphones as well. On the right side, next to the power button is a separate key for taking photos and in between them is a fingerprint sensor. The unusual placement and form means that it might be missed altogether, since it looks like the SIM card slots in the other Blackview devices. On the opposite side, there are the volume rocker and an additional key in the bottom half, which can be individually assigned.

Side views of the BV8000 Pro
Side views of the BV8000 Pro

Software

With Android 7.0, Blackview uses a quite current version of Google's operating system. As customary for this manufacturer, there is no separate app drawer here either. As in the iPhone, the apps are placed directly on the Home screen. Furthermore, the icons of some standard apps have received a "Metallic" look from Blackview. In some menus, the icons have been changed in this way as well. While this looks okay on the Home screen in its original state, it looks slightly out of place in the Settings, for example. If more apps are added, they will not have the adjusted looks.

In terms of additional software, Blackview is restrained as usual. There are hardly any advertising apps. Instead, there is an "Outdoor Toolbox," which contains some useful tools for craftsmen and outdoors enthusiasts. These include a level and an altitude gauge. The smartphone also offers its support when hanging pictures, but unfortunately that does not always work perfectly.

We also see some negative points in the software. For example, the screen often displayed an ant race, which we initially thought was a defect of the screen. However, the problem only occurs when playing movies and 3D apps. After performing an update (yes, Blackview really offers regular updates for its devices), the problem seemed to occur less frequently, apparently only when playing videos. Afterwards the device had another problem, but more on that in the relevant section later. 

The original Home screen
The original Home screen
If you don't have a level with you ...
If you don't have a level with you ...
You can find out the altitude with the built-in barometer.
You can find out the altitude with the built-in barometer.
The Outdoor Toolbox offers some useful apps.
The Outdoor Toolbox offers some useful apps.

Communication and GPS

While the BV8000 Pro is ahead of most of its competitors in terms of WLAN speed, it remains behind the Nomu S30. Its speed of about 100 MBit/s is no new record, but rather meager. The current iPhone 7 or Samsung's Galaxy S8 achieve about five times the speed here. However, for surfing on the Internet, the speed is still sufficient, since most internet connections are not faster than that anyway. Higher speeds would only be useful when streaming from local devices (such as a NAS).

From time to time, there were drops when using the WLAN. This might be due to a reduced range or interference signals, although this was rather rare.

In contrast, the covered LTE frequencies are quite impressive. Except for band 7 at 2600 MHz, all the frequencies used in Germany are supported.

If you remove the BV8000 Pro's back plate which is secured with Philips screws, you can see three card slots. You can insert two Nano-SIM cards for the dual-SIM function and one microSD card at the same time.

Networking
iperf3 transmit AX12
Nomu S30
Mali-T860 MP2, Helio P10 MT6755, 64 GB eMMC Flash
102 MBit/s +6%
Blackview BV8000 Pro
Mali-T880 MP2, Helio P20 MT6757, 64 GB eMMC Flash
96.1 MBit/s
Archos 50 Saphir
Mali-T720 MP2, MT6737T, 16 GB eMMC Flash
51.3 MBit/s -47%
Samsung Galaxy XCover 4
Mali-T720, Exynos 7570, 16 GB eMMC Flash
37.9 MBit/s -61%
AGM A8
Adreno 306, 410 MSM8916, 32 GB eMMC Flash
18.4 MBit/s -81%
iperf3 receive AX12
Nomu S30
Mali-T860 MP2, Helio P10 MT6755, 64 GB eMMC Flash
101 MBit/s 0%
Blackview BV8000 Pro
Mali-T880 MP2, Helio P20 MT6757, 64 GB eMMC Flash
101 MBit/s
Samsung Galaxy XCover 4
Mali-T720, Exynos 7570, 16 GB eMMC Flash
49.2 MBit/s -51%
Archos 50 Saphir
Mali-T720 MP2, MT6737T, 16 GB eMMC Flash
45.9 MBit/s -55%
AGM A8
Adreno 306, 410 MSM8916, 32 GB eMMC Flash
26.9 MBit/s -73%
GPS outdoors
GPS outdoors
GPS indoors
GPS indoors

The GPS reception is compelling, however. Shortly after turning it on, the "GPS Test" app shows an accuracy of 3 meters (~10 ft). Other devices have an accuracy of 5 to 6 meters (~16 to ~20 ft) here. Not only GPS, but also GLONASS is used. Although the reception indoors was worse, an accuracy of 3 meters (~10 ft) was confirmed here as well. If this is correct, it even exceeds the Galaxy S8, which additionally consults Chinese and European satellites.

The images of our test route show that the accuracy is almost on par with our Garmin Edge 500 reference device. Even if the position is not queried quite frequently, the route is almost identical. This basically confirms the observations of GPS Test, that we have a very accurate location sensor here.

Blackview BV8000 Pro test route
Blackview BV8000 Pro test route
Blackview BV8000 Pro test route
Blackview BV8000 Pro test route
Blackview BV8000 Pro test route
Blackview BV8000 Pro test route
Garmin Edge 500 test route
Garmin Edge 500 test route
Garmin Edge 500 test route
Garmin Edge 500 test route
Garmin Edge 500 test route
Garmin Edge 500 test route

Telephone and Call Quality

As usual, Blackview uses Android's standard Telephone app. Only a few icons have changed, which does not fit quite as well into the remaining design. It is not clear why Blackview is doing this. During phone calls, there were no problems, though. Our conversation partner was clearly understandable, and there was no noise or distortion. The caller on the Blackview could also be understood easily by our conversation partner. Surrounding noises were also suppressed. Overall, the BV8000 Pro showed a flawless performance here. The included earphones are slightly better than those of other Blackview devices.

Cameras

As in its other devices, Blackview also relies on Samsung parts for the built-in camera here. For the main camera, a model with the label S5K4H8 and 16 Megapixels is used. For selfies, the S5K3P3 – also by Samsung – is used.

The behavior of the main camera offered some puzzles. While we could still take decent pictures from any distance before the update, after the update the lens did not want to focus over distances further than 2 meters (~6.5 ft) anymore, and the pictures were basically unusable. Other camera apps did not help here either. However, we were able to take some excellent close-ups. As mentioned before, this appears to be a software issue, and we hope that Blackview can correct this problem.

In general, the color reproduction can be described as acceptable. Many colors are reproduced accurately, but others deviate significantly, as can be seen in the ColorChecker. Quite a strong red tint is noticeable, and overall most pictures appear slightly dark. The sharpness is quite impressive though - if only there was not the problem with distances.

However, the selfie camera is clearly worse. While the colors are mostly okay, the sharpness is less satisfactory. At 8 Megapixels, there should clearly be more.

Overall a mixed performance: not really good but somehow not really bad either. Our hope remains that something can be improved by the software. The hardware seems to provide the necessary performance.

Main camera
Main camera
Selfie camera
Selfie camera
Sometimes we succeed in taking excellent closeups...
Sometimes we succeed in taking excellent closeups...
... but the camera would not focus on regular shots anymore.
... but the camera would not focus on regular shots anymore.

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.

Scene 1Scene 2Scene 3
click to load images

Color accuracy and sharpness are generally very good, except for some noticeable outliers in the red color range.

Accessories and Warranty

Blackview includes several accessories. Beginning with an additional display cover and continuing with earphones and an OTG cable, all are included in the standard accessories. The cable and earphones are designed especially for the BV8000 Pro, because it has considerably deeper port openings. This can probably be traced back to the IP-68 specifications. To be able to use another USB cable, a small adapter that extends the Type-C jack is included. However, it might be difficult to plug in another headset. In order to insert the SIM card and microSD card, 4 screws have to be loosened on the back, for which the appropriate Philips screwdriver is included. The rest of the device is held together by Torx screws, so that there can be no confusion. A case is not included in the package. Other Blackview devices come with a standard transparent case. Blackview offers no further accessories at this point. The manufacturer also offers no warranty, but some Chinese shops offer returns. Please see our Guarantees, Return policies and Warranties FAQ for country-specific information.

Input Devices and Operation

By default, the BV8000 Pro uses the Gboard keyboard. This is an extended keyboard, which also allows quick switching between the German and English layout. In addition, it offers the option to activate the number pad for fast number input. Besides the additional options, it uses the standard layout. The operation of the 5-finger touchscreen is unremarkable. It reacts sufficiently fast, and the surface also has good sliding characteristics.

However, on a negative point we should point out that Blackview has applied the protective foil sloppily to the display of our test unit. As you can see in the pictures, it is covered with bubbles and therefore had to be removed immediately.

Display

Subpixels
Subpixels

A 5-inch IPS panel with a resolution of 1920x1080 pixels is used as the display. You should not count expect  InfinityEdge or similar gimmicks here. The display is enveloped by the beefy frame of the device. It has the classical 16:9 format and a pixel density of 441 PPI. With this, you should not be able to see any pixels when looking closely with your eyes. According to the manufacturer, it is protected by Corning Gorilla Glass 3. Whether this is sufficient for an outdoor smartphone, our crash test will show.

It is a rather average device in the comparison. The brightness is sufficient, but could be slightly better in view of the outdoor target audience.

422
cd/m²
442
cd/m²
417
cd/m²
415
cd/m²
434
cd/m²
390
cd/m²
404
cd/m²
422
cd/m²
379
cd/m²
Distribution of brightness
tested with X-Rite i1Pro 2
Maximum: 442 cd/m² (Nits) Average: 413.9 cd/m² Minimum: 18.96 cd/m²
Brightness Distribution: 86 %
Center on Battery: 434 cd/m²
Contrast: 678:1 (Black: 0.64 cd/m²)
ΔE Color 9.8 | 0.5-29.43 Ø5
ΔE Greyscale 9.9 | 0.57-98 Ø5.3
Gamma: 2.64
Blackview BV8000 Pro
IPS, 1920x1080, 5.00
Nomu S30
IPS, 1920x1080, 5.50
AGM A8
IPS, 1280x720, 5.00
Archos 50 Saphir
IPS, 1280x720, 5.00
Samsung Galaxy XCover 4
IPS, 1280x720, 5.00
Screen
31%
49%
-1%
14%
Brightness middle
434
423
-3%
356
-18%
545
26%
445
3%
Brightness
414
421
2%
343
-17%
527
27%
437
6%
Brightness Distribution
86
93
8%
93
8%
87
1%
88
2%
Black Level *
0.64
0.26
59%
0.21
67%
0.58
9%
0.67
-5%
Contrast
678
1627
140%
1695
150%
940
39%
664
-2%
Colorchecker dE 2000 *
9.8
7.8
20%
3.7
62%
12.5
-28%
6.5
34%
Colorchecker dE 2000 max. *
19.2
14.5
24%
8.3
57%
24.4
-27%
10.6
45%
Greyscale dE 2000 *
9.9
9.8
1%
1.9
81%
15.4
-56%
7.2
27%
Gamma
2.64 83%
2.32 95%
2.5 88%
1.87 118%
2.53 87%
CCT
9219 71%
9828 66%
6412 101%
12705 51%
8274 79%

* ... smaller is better

Screen Flickering / PWM (Pulse-Width Modulation)

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 18110 (minimum: 5 - maximum: 3846000) Hz was measured.

The color values we measured are also rather low average. However, the competition is not much better on average. In particular, the more well-known brands such as Samsung and Archos do similarly bad here. Anyone valuing a good screen is better served with the Nomu S30 or the AGM A8.

In terms of contrast in particular, the BV8000 Pro remains far behind. The black value cannot convince either. In addition, there are strong color distortions, particularly in the CalMAN Grayscale chart where a clearly blue tint is visible. The average DeltaE value of almost 10 is also not impressive. Only the Archos Saphir is clearly even worse here. 

In daily operation, however, these distortions are hardly noticeable without having a comparison. A graphics professional will probably not purchase an outdoor smartphone for his work anyway.

ColorChecker
ColorChecker
Color space
Color space
Grayscales
Grayscales
Saturation
Saturation

Display Response Times

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
10 ms ... rise ↗ and fall ↘ combined↗ 2.4 ms rise
↘ 7.6 ms fall
The screen shows good response rates in our tests, but may be too slow for competitive gamers.
In comparison, all tested devices range from 0.1 (minimum) to 240 (maximum) ms. » 21 % of all devices are better.
This means that the measured response time is better than the average of all tested devices (21.6 ms).
       Response Time 50% Grey to 80% Grey
24.8 ms ... rise ↗ and fall ↘ combined↗ 10.8 ms rise
↘ 14 ms fall
The screen shows good response rates in our tests, but may be too slow for competitive gamers.
In comparison, all tested devices range from 0.2 (minimum) to 636 (maximum) ms. » 29 % of all devices are better.
This means that the measured response time is better than the average of all tested devices (33.9 ms).

For an outdoor smartphone, brightness and viewing angle stability are much more important than color accuracy. Here the device delivers a solid performance, even if it is not completely convincing. The brightness is on a normal level, but also not particularly high. In case of a desert expedition, the adventurer should rather prepare for night excursions, since during the day, the phone might be hard to read in strong sunlight. In the shade there is no problem, though. The viewing angle stability is also okay, but could be better.

Overall, the values indicate a rather average display: not really bad, but not good either.

In sunlight, the display is hard to read.
In sunlight, the display is hard to read.
In the shade, there should not be any problems.
In the shade, there should not be any problems.


The viewing angle stability is sufficiently good.
The viewing angle stability is sufficiently good.

Performance

Compared to the competing devices, the Blackview smartphone is very well equipped and trumps the competitors' performance in almost all the benchmarks. Here the wheat is in parts clearly separated from the chaff. Devices such as the Saphir 50, for example, are only equipped with a processor that is half as fast and fall back accordingly. Only the Nomu S30 can half-way keep up here. Yet, in terms of performance, this is not a high-end device. The current top devices are about three times as fast as the BV8000 Pro.

AnTuTu v6 - Total Score (sort by value)
Blackview BV8000 Pro
64833 Points
Nomu S30
50904 Points -21%
AGM A8
26753 Points -59%
Archos 50 Saphir
38747 Points -40%
Samsung Galaxy XCover 4
35379 Points -45%
PCMark for Android
Work performance score (sort by value)
Blackview BV8000 Pro
4477 Points
Nomu S30
3175 Points -29%
AGM A8
2920 Points -35%
Samsung Galaxy XCover 4
4508 Points +1%
Work 2.0 performance score (sort by value)
Blackview BV8000 Pro
3801 Points
Nomu S30
3405 Points -10%
AGM A8
3701 Points -3%
Archos 50 Saphir
3352 Points -12%
Samsung Galaxy XCover 4
3446 Points -9%
BaseMark OS II
Overall (sort by value)
Blackview BV8000 Pro
1327 Points
Nomu S30
964 Points -27%
AGM A8
622 Points -53%
Archos 50 Saphir
591 Points -55%
Samsung Galaxy XCover 4
706 Points -47%
System (sort by value)
Blackview BV8000 Pro
3052 Points
Nomu S30
2216 Points -27%
AGM A8
1161 Points -62%
Archos 50 Saphir
1284 Points -58%
Samsung Galaxy XCover 4
1396 Points -54%
Memory (sort by value)
Blackview BV8000 Pro
1236 Points
Nomu S30
942 Points -24%
AGM A8
757 Points -39%
Archos 50 Saphir
402 Points -67%
Samsung Galaxy XCover 4
1066 Points -14%
Graphics (sort by value)
Blackview BV8000 Pro
1118 Points
Nomu S30
670 Points -40%
AGM A8
306 Points -73%
Archos 50 Saphir
383 Points -66%
Samsung Galaxy XCover 4
253 Points -77%
Web (sort by value)
Blackview BV8000 Pro
736 Points
Nomu S30
618 Points -16%
AGM A8
557 Points -24%
Archos 50 Saphir
619 Points -16%
Samsung Galaxy XCover 4
661 Points -10%
Geekbench 4.4
64 Bit Single-Core Score (sort by value)
Blackview BV8000 Pro
851 Points
AGM A8
515 Points -39%
Samsung Galaxy XCover 4
629 Points -26%
64 Bit Multi-Core Score (sort by value)
Blackview BV8000 Pro
4053 Points
AGM A8
1383 Points -66%
Samsung Galaxy XCover 4
1855 Points -54%
Compute RenderScript Score (sort by value)
Blackview BV8000 Pro
2929 Points
3DMark
1280x720 offscreen Ice Storm Unlimited Score (sort by value)
Blackview BV8000 Pro
14506 Points
Nomu S30
10763 Points -26%
AGM A8
4372 Points -70%
Archos 50 Saphir
6839 Points -53%
Samsung Galaxy XCover 4
4661 Points -68%
1280x720 offscreen Ice Storm Unlimited Graphics Score (sort by value)
Blackview BV8000 Pro
14001 Points
Nomu S30
10373 Points -26%
AGM A8
3808 Points -73%
Archos 50 Saphir
6138 Points -56%
Samsung Galaxy XCover 4
3985 Points -72%
1280x720 offscreen Ice Storm Unlimited Physics (sort by value)
Blackview BV8000 Pro
16603 Points
Nomu S30
12394 Points -25%
AGM A8
9082 Points -45%
Archos 50 Saphir
11393 Points -31%
Samsung Galaxy XCover 4
11459 Points -31%
2560x1440 Sling Shot OpenGL ES 3.0 (sort by value)
Blackview BV8000 Pro
1015 Points
Nomu S30
592 Points -42%
AGM A8
54 Points -95%
Archos 50 Saphir
266 Points -74%
Samsung Galaxy XCover 4
193 Points -81%
2560x1440 Sling Shot OpenGL ES 3.0 Graphics (sort by value)
Blackview BV8000 Pro
905 Points
Nomu S30
522 Points -42%
AGM A8
43 Points -95%
Archos 50 Saphir
220 Points -76%
Samsung Galaxy XCover 4
157 Points -83%
2560x1440 Sling Shot OpenGL ES 3.0 Physics (sort by value)
Blackview BV8000 Pro
1764 Points
Nomu S30
1114 Points -37%
AGM A8
739 Points -58%
Archos 50 Saphir
973 Points -45%
Samsung Galaxy XCover 4
955 Points -46%
2560x1440 Sling Shot Extreme (ES 3.1) (sort by value)
Blackview BV8000 Pro
733 Points
Nomu S30
416 Points -43%
Archos 50 Saphir
175 Points -76%
Samsung Galaxy XCover 4
107 Points -85%
2560x1440 Sling Shot Extreme (ES 3.1) Graphics (sort by value)
Blackview BV8000 Pro
628 Points
Nomu S30
351 Points -44%
Archos 50 Saphir
142 Points -77%
Samsung Galaxy XCover 4
85 Points -86%
2560x1440 Sling Shot Extreme (ES 3.1) Physics (sort by value)
Blackview BV8000 Pro
1757 Points
Nomu S30
1182 Points -33%
Archos 50 Saphir
985 Points -44%
Samsung Galaxy XCover 4
952 Points -46%
GFXBench (DX / GLBenchmark) 2.7
T-Rex Onscreen (sort by value)
Nomu S30
17 fps
AGM A8
9.5 fps
Archos 50 Saphir
19 fps
Samsung Galaxy XCover 4
11 fps
1920x1080 T-Rex Offscreen (sort by value)
Nomu S30
17 fps
AGM A8
2.8 fps
Archos 50 Saphir
11 fps
Samsung Galaxy XCover 4
6.8 fps
GFXBench 3.0
on screen Manhattan Onscreen OGL (sort by value)
Blackview BV8000 Pro
11 fps
Nomu S30
7.1 fps -35%
AGM A8
4 fps -64%
Archos 50 Saphir
8.6 fps -22%
Samsung Galaxy XCover 4
5.4 fps -51%
1920x1080 1080p Manhattan Offscreen (sort by value)
Blackview BV8000 Pro
10 fps
Nomu S30
7.1 fps -29%
AGM A8
1.8 fps -82%
Archos 50 Saphir
4 fps -60%
Samsung Galaxy XCover 4
2.6 fps -74%
GFXBench 3.1
on screen Manhattan ES 3.1 Onscreen (sort by value)
Blackview BV8000 Pro
6.8 fps
Nomu S30
4.7 fps -31%
Archos 50 Saphir
6.1 fps -10%
Samsung Galaxy XCover 4
3.9 fps -43%
1920x1080 Manhattan ES 3.1 Offscreen (sort by value)
Blackview BV8000 Pro
6.8 fps
Nomu S30
2.5 fps -63%
Archos 50 Saphir
2.6 fps -62%
Samsung Galaxy XCover 4
1.6 fps -76%
GFXBench
on screen Car Chase Onscreen (sort by value)
Blackview BV8000 Pro
4.1 fps
Nomu S30
2.5 fps -39%
1920x1080 Car Chase Offscreen (sort by value)
Blackview BV8000 Pro
4.1 fps
Nomu S30
2.5 fps -39%
Lightmark - 1920x1080 1080p (sort by value)
Samsung Galaxy XCover 4
1.57 fps
Basemark X 1.1
Medium Quality (sort by value)
Samsung Galaxy XCover 4
5895 Points
High Quality (sort by value)
Samsung Galaxy XCover 4
2790 Points
Basemark ES 3.1 / Metal - offscreen Overall Score (sort by value)
AGM A8
36.28 Points
Samsung Galaxy XCover 4
43 Points
Epic Citadel - Ultra High Quality (sort by value)
Samsung Galaxy XCover 4
31.4 fps

Legend

 
Blackview BV8000 Pro Mediatek Helio P20 (LP4) MT6757, ARM Mali-T880 MP2, 64 GB eMMC Flash
 
Nomu S30 Mediatek Helio P10 MT6755, ARM Mali-T860 MP2, 64 GB eMMC Flash
 
AGM A8 Qualcomm Snapdragon 410 MSM8916, Qualcomm Adreno 306, 32 GB eMMC Flash
 
Archos 50 Saphir Mediatek MT6737T, ARM Mali-T720 MP2, 16 GB eMMC Flash
 
Samsung Galaxy XCover 4 Samsung Exynos 7570 Quad, ARM Mali-T720, 16 GB eMMC Flash

In the browser benchmarks, the results look more differentiated. While the BV8000 Pro defends the top position in the Jetstream and Octane benchmarks, it is astonishingly slow in the Kraken benchmark. This might possibly be better using a Mozilla browser.

JetStream 1.1 - Total Score
Blackview BV8000 Pro
24.29 Points
Nomu S30
24.23 Points 0%
Archos 50 Saphir
22 Points -9%
Samsung Galaxy XCover 4
20.99 Points -14%
AGM A8
16.9 Points -30%
Octane V2 - Total Score
Blackview BV8000 Pro
3609 Points
Archos 50 Saphir
3483 Points -3%
Nomu S30
3279 Points -9%
Samsung Galaxy XCover 4
3133 Points -13%
AGM A8
2733 Points -24%
Mozilla Kraken 1.1 - Total
Nomu S30
23914 ms * -3%
Blackview BV8000 Pro
23224 ms *
AGM A8
12248 ms * +47%
Samsung Galaxy XCover 4
11130 ms * +52%
Archos 50 Saphir
10544 ms * +55%
WebXPRT 2015 - Overall
Samsung Galaxy XCover 4
61 Points

* ... smaller is better

In the measurements of the reading speed of the microSD card, the Blackview is in the middle of the field. However, in the test with our Toshiba Exceria Pro SDXC 64 GB UHS-II reference card, it was able to leave the competitors behind, which are equipped with even slower card readers.

Blackview BV8000 ProNomu S30AGM A8Archos 50 SaphirSamsung Galaxy XCover 4
AndroBench 3-5
-34%
-67%
-69%
-33%
Sequential Read 256KB
246.4
242
-2%
140.7
-43%
140.9
-43%
181.6
-26%
Sequential Write 256KB
177.1
194.9
10%
69.5
-61%
12.21
-93%
73.6
-58%
Random Read 4KB
52.7
27.99
-47%
11.44
-78%
14.48
-73%
21.8
-59%
Random Write 4KB
15.05
8.84
-41%
3.73
-75%
4.79
-68%
11.9
-21%
Sequential Read 256KB SDCard
79.3
36.94
-53%
22.01
-72%
28.55
-64%
69
-13%
Sequential Write 256KB SDCard
68.7
21.52
-69%
20.46
-70%
18.3
-73%
55.7
-19%

Games

The graphics solution of the BV8000 Pro is an ARM Mali-T880 GP2 chip, which reaches moderate speeds and allows smooth playing of even more demanding 3D games such as "Asphalt 8."

Compared to the competition listed here, the Blackview smartphone should achieve the top position without any trouble. Most of the games in the Play Store should not give any problems. Yet, it should be clear that there are considerably more powerful graphics solutions and that the device is only in the middle of the field here.

The touchscreen and the position sensor also react quickly.

Sonic Dash
Sonic Dash
Sonic Dash
Sonic Dash
Minion Rush
Minion Rush
Minion Rush
Minion Rush

Emissions

Temperature

Due to the quite robust and thereby large-volume case, the heat distributes quite well and high temperatures are rarely noticeable. Only during very heavy load, the device warms noticeable at the hot spots.

However, this is not a problem.

Front
Front
Back
Back
Max. Load
 36.3 °C
97 F
36.3 °C
97 F
36.8 °C
98 F
 
 36.9 °C
98 F
36.6 °C
98 F
37.6 °C
100 F
 
 36.1 °C
97 F
36.6 °C
98 F
37.4 °C
99 F
 
Maximum: 37.6 °C = 100 F
Average: 36.7 °C = 98 F
32.3 °C
90 F
35.3 °C
96 F
37.6 °C
100 F
32.9 °C
91 F
36 °C
97 F
38.2 °C
101 F
33.1 °C
92 F
35.3 °C
96 F
37.9 °C
100 F
Maximum: 38.2 °C = 101 F
Average: 35.4 °C = 96 F
Power Supply (max.)  37.9 °C = 100 F | Room Temperature 21.7 °C = 71 F | Voltcraft IR-260
(±) The average temperature for the upper side under maximal load is 36.7 °C / 98 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 37.6 °C / 100 F, compared to the average of 35 °C / 95 F, ranging from 21.9 to 56 °C for the class Smartphone.
(+) The bottom heats up to a maximum of 38.2 °C / 101 F, compared to the average of 33.8 °C / 93 F
(±) In idle usage, the average temperature for the upper side is 35.1 °C / 95 F, compared to the device average of 32.7 °C / 91 F.

Speakers

In comparison, the built-in speaker can be described as quite solid. It can play very loud and covers the sound spectrum quite well. Only the bass is lacking as usual. The included earphones appear to be slightly better than what Blackview usually includes. However, connecting other speakers or headphones turns out to be difficult, since the audio connection is set into the case deeper than usual and therefore a longer plug is needed.

dB(A) 0102030405060708090Deep BassMiddle BassHigh BassLower RangeMidsHigher MidsLower HighsMid HighsUpper HighsSuper Highs2031.640.62525.436.53125.337.14032.939.35033.643.26331.642.68028.4431002744.312520.845.21602245.820021.348.625020.853.831521.257.340019.465.750019.570.563017.773.980017.977.2100017.881125017.384.5160017.482.1200016.782.2250017.282.6315018.280.9400017.978.7500017.678630017.780.1800017.880.81000017.977.41250018.1741600018.265.3SPL3092N1.395median 17.9median 77.4Delta1.4931.634.125.433.425.332.332.927.633.628.131.634.428.430.12736.520.833.42241.221.347.620.852.121.255.219.457.419.560.317.765.417.968.617.87017.370.617.47216.771.317.269.718.27117.972.417.666.317.761.417.857.917.95818.149.218.246.63080.41.347.4median 17.9median 60.31.411hearing rangehide median Pink NoiseBlackview BV8000 ProSamsung Galaxy XCover 4
Blackview BV8000 Pro audio analysis

(+) | speakers can play relatively loud (92 dB)
Bass 100 - 315 Hz
(-) | nearly no bass - on average 28.2% lower than median
(+) | bass is linear (4% delta to prev. frequency)
Mids 400 - 2000 Hz
(±) | reduced mids - on average 5.3% lower than median
(+) | mids are linear (6.2% delta to prev. frequency)
Highs 2 - 16 kHz
(+) | balanced highs - only 2.4% away from median
(+) | highs are linear (2.7% delta to prev. frequency)
Overall 100 - 16.000 Hz
(±) | linearity of overall sound is average (18.6% difference to median)
Compared to same class
» 15% of all tested devices in this class were better, 8% similar, 76% worse
» The best had a delta of 12%, average was 38%, worst was 134%
Compared to all devices tested
» 36% of all tested devices were better, 8% similar, 56% worse
» The best had a delta of 4%, average was 25%, worst was 134%

Samsung Galaxy XCover 4 audio analysis

(±) | speaker loudness is average but good (80.4 dB)
Bass 100 - 315 Hz
(-) | nearly no bass - on average 15.9% lower than median
(±) | linearity of bass is average (12.3% delta to prev. frequency)
Mids 400 - 2000 Hz
(±) | higher mids - on average 7.4% higher than median
(+) | mids are linear (5.1% delta to prev. frequency)
Highs 2 - 16 kHz
(±) | higher highs - on average 6.3% higher than median
(+) | highs are linear (6.3% delta to prev. frequency)
Overall 100 - 16.000 Hz
(±) | linearity of overall sound is average (24.2% difference to median)
Compared to same class
» 50% of all tested devices in this class were better, 8% similar, 42% worse
» The best had a delta of 12%, average was 38%, worst was 134%
Compared to all devices tested
» 69% of all tested devices were better, 7% similar, 25% worse
» The best had a delta of 4%, average was 25%, worst was 134%

Frequency comparison (Checkboxes selectable!)

Battery Life

Power Consumption

In terms of power consumption, the BV8000 Pro does surprisingly well during idle operation. The power consumption is almost the traditional weakness of the Chinese smartphones. In this comparison, the Blackview device is on top in the average consumption. Even under load, the average values are slightly better than the competition. This is an important plus for the device.

Power Consumption
Off / Standbydarklight 0.02 / 0.16 Watt
Idledarkmidlight 0.85 / 1.56 / 1.67 Watt
Load midlight 4.37 / 7.06 Watt
 color bar
Key: min: dark, med: mid, max: light        Metrahit Energy
Currently we use the Metrahit Energy, a professional single phase power quality and energy measurement digital multimeter, for our measurements. Find out more about it here. All of our test methods can be found here.
Blackview BV8000 Pro
4180 mAh
Nomu S30
5000 mAh
AGM A8
4050 mAh
Archos 50 Saphir
5000 mAh
Samsung Galaxy XCover 4
2800 mAh
Power Consumption
-18%
-10%
-11%
9%
Idle Minimum *
0.85
0.93
-9%
0.86
-1%
0.65
24%
0.56
34%
Idle Average *
1.56
2.31
-48%
1.97
-26%
1.9
-22%
1.57
-1%
Idle Maximum *
1.67
2.35
-41%
2.04
-22%
2.05
-23%
1.68
-1%
Load Average *
4.37
4.57
-5%
4.86
-11%
6.14
-41%
4.6
-5%
Load Maximum *
7.06
6.1
14%
6.43
9%
6.54
7%
5.92
16%

* ... smaller is better

Battery Life

The outdoor smartphone also cuts an astonishingly good figure in the battery life. It can even pass the Samsung device, which, we have to mention to be fair, has a considerably smaller battery. However, the BV8000 Pro can also keep up well with the remaining participants in our competition, which have a slightly larger battery. A relatively long battery life is important for a device that you may take on a hike or the construction site. While the Blackview device does not set any new records here, it fares appropriately well.

Battery Runtime
Idle (without WLAN, min brightness)
26h 16min
WiFi Websurfing
11h 28min
Load (maximum brightness)
7h 54min
Blackview BV8000 Pro
4180 mAh
Nomu S30
5000 mAh
AGM A8
4050 mAh
Archos 50 Saphir
5000 mAh
Samsung Galaxy XCover 4
2800 mAh
Battery Runtime
21%
-5%
41%
-24%
Reader / Idle
1576
1388
-12%
WiFi v1.3
688
832
21%
654
-5%
973
41%
668
-3%
Load
474
205
-57%
H.264
681

Pros

+ camera takes good closeups
+ good speed
+ water and dust proof
+ barometer
+ robust case
+ fingerprint sensor
+ extra photo key and individually assignable key
+ good battery life
+ very good GPS
+ many sensors
+ quick recharging
+ dual-SIM
+ storage can be expanded via microSD
+ LTE
+ good speaker and call quality

Cons

- fuzzy camera further away than 2 meters
- display flickering in movies
- no manufacturer warranty
- no CE certification
- high weight
- battery not removable

Verdict

In the test: Blackview BV8000 Pro. Test unit provided by Blackview.
In the test: Blackview BV8000 Pro. Test unit provided by Blackview.

We can describe the BV8000 Pro as a big step for Blackview. Not only because the Chinese manufacturer offers probably the best-equipped outdoor smartphone here (besides the Caterpillar with an infrared camera) for a relatively low price, but also since some problems of the other devices have also been fixed. Blackview often struggles with high power consumption and the resulting meager battery life. The BV8000 Pro masters this obstacle quite well. There is also nothing to complain about the performance and workmanship. The fast and accurate GPS fits well to the target audience of the device.

Balanced overall package with a very good price-performance ratio, but ugly software errors.

However, Blackview commits some new blunders here, which we have not seen  in previous tests. The software appears to have considerable errors. First, there are the ant races which flicker across the screen from time to time, mainly while watching videos. And second, after the update, a previously decent camera is unable to focus in the distance. Even though the Outdoor-Tools included in the software look quite interesting, they do not always work reliably, which makes them useless. Therefore we must reduce the overall evaluation by 2% as long as Blackview does not fix these problems.

The good news is that these are probably simply software problems. Since Blackview offers updates from time to time, such problems might still be solved. Then the telephone would definitely deserve a recommendation.

Blackview BV8000 Pro - 08/08/2017 v6(old)
Florian Schaar

Chassis
85%
Keyboard
70 / 75 → 94%
Pointing Device
87%
Connectivity
49 / 60 → 82%
Weight
87%
Battery
94%
Display
79%
Games Performance
35 / 63 → 55%
Application Performance
46 / 70 → 66%
Temperature
88%
Noise
100%
Audio
67 / 91 → 74%
Camera
64%
Add Points
-2%
Average
68%
79%
Smartphone - Weighted Average

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Florian Schaar, 2017-08-13 (Update: 2019-04- 5)