Blackview R6 Smartphone Review
For the original German review, see here.
Blackview is a Chinese manufacturer that has apparently set its sights on upsetting established manufacturers with its very affordable, well-equipped smartphones. Our present Blackview R6 review sample is also a price cutter: Full HD panel, fingerprint scanner, and 32 GB of internal storage for just 130 Euros (~$137)? This is rare. However, it is difficult to get your hands on our review sample: It is either not available or only available via third-party suppliers in major online shops. Buyers will have to look around in import shops or order the handset directly in China. We will clarify whether this is worthwhile in the test.
The comparison devices cannot keep up with the superb configuration of Blackview's R6, either: Coolpad's Modena 2, Wileyfox's Spark X, Wiko's Robby, and Lenovo's Moto G4 with a 40-Euro (~$42) higher street price compete against our review sample. They will show whether Blackview's R6 is really a bargain.
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Details here
Case
The thickness of 10 millimeters makes it clear at first glance that Blackview's R6 is not a slim smartphone. The designers were not restrained in terms of weight, either: The smartphone weighs 198 grams, which is much heavier than all the comparison devices. However, it has to be acknowledged that Blackview installs the 5.5-inch screen in a relatively compact casing considering the handset's height and width. It is available in gray, silver, and gold.
Blackview's R6 also features a current designer trend with 2.5D glass. The metal casing adds a bit of quality to the entry-level smartphone's casing. The removable back is made from plastic, and a screw-fixed battery is underneath it. Despite the casing's thickness, strong pressure on the back is passed through to the screen. High pressure also has to be applied to the front before a visible reaction is seen in the liquid crystals. The smartphone can be twisted slightly, and this also causes light image distortions and quiet cracking noises.
In total, the casing's quality impression is good for an entry-level device. However, the user should not mind the high weight and thick casing.
Connectivity
None of the comparison devices can offer either a 32 GB storage or 3 GB of working memory. Blackview's R6 is thus well-equipped in terms of memory. The storage can be expanded via a micro-SD card, but the device has to be rebooted for identifying the card after inserting it. This did not always function. There seems to be a problem with the reader here. At least Blackview installs a dedicated micro-SD reader so that the dual-SIM functionality can still be used when a micro-SD card is inserted. USB OTG is also supported, making it possible to connect external storage devices.
Software
The Android 6.0 operating system with somewhat outdated security patches dated October 2016 is installed. An update was offered during our test, but it does not modernize the security patches, and the Android version remains at 6.0. Blackview preloads the file transfer suite "Xender" and an internal smartphone search named "Scan". Additional effects for touch, such as fall leaves, can be selected.
Communication and GPS
Although LTE has become quite common in this price range, it is not yet a matter of course. LTE with a maximum download speed of 300 Mb/s is really a unique feature in 130-Euro (~$137) smartphones. Thus, Blackview's R6 is also well-equipped here. In return, the user has to be satisfied with only two UMTS bands, but at least five LTE bands, including the most important ones for Central Europe, are available. LTE reception in an urban area was stable, and we usually had 3/4 of the signal even indoors.
For the first time, Blackview's R6 does not have an advantage over the comparison devices in terms of Wi-Fi. The 802.11 b/g/n standards are present, which is the minimum configuration for modern smartphones. The less-frequented 5 GHz band cannot be used and it is not possible to communicate with the Internet via the fast 802.11 ac standard, either. The speed in our standardized test is average for this category. However, Blackview's R6 transmits faster than it receives. Websites opened relatively fast near the router in practice. Half the signal was still displayed ten meters and three walls away from the access point, and websites opened a bit slower.
Networking | |
iperf3 transmit AX12 | |
Blackview R6 | |
Coolpad Modena 2 | |
Wileyfox Spark X | |
iperf3 receive AX12 | |
Wileyfox Spark X | |
Coolpad Modena 2 | |
Blackview R6 |
Blackview's R6 could not locate us indoors. It took a few seconds outdoors, but the signal is relatively stable with an accuracy of up to four meters then.
We took Blackview's R6 alongside Garmin's Edge 500 on a bike trip for a practical test. Blackview's R6 logged an approximately 500-meter shorter route as it quite frequently simply draws straight lines. Garmin's Edge 500 traced our route with a considerably higher accuracy. Blackview's R6 can be used for free-time navigating, but devices that are much more accurate exist in this price range, for example, Lenovo's Moto G4.
Telephone and Call Quality
Blackview uses Google's stock phone app that comes with Android. Thus, contacts and a call log can be accessed via tabs in the app's upper area. The keypad is always available by tapping the round button in the app.
The earpiece's call quality is quite good, but the contact sounds very quiet. Hardly any noise is audible, and voices sound a bit stifled at most. The microphone is very sensitive and quickly overdrives when the voice is louder. In return, quieter sounds are still recognized well. The installed speaker lets speech sound treble-heavy and thus somewhat thin. Our contact understood us quite well via hands-free mode, but quiet voices resulted in transmission problems.
Cameras
The cameras in Blackview's R6 have a relatively high resolution with 13 megapixels on the rear and 5 megapixels on the front. However, other smartphones in this price range offer the same megapixel count. A rear-sided dual-LED flash is not installed.
The rear-facing camera's photos are acceptable: They have a visible bluish tint and the autofocus is not always accurate. The sharpness of details is also sooner poor. Objects have a light double outline. The dynamics of dark and light areas is quite decent, though. Colored surfaces struggle with evident noise in low light. It has to be acknowledged that the camera's sharpness is quite good. Videos can be recorded in 1080p. They also present a bluish tint. Exposure is quite fast when changing from bright to dark environments, but the focus usually has to be adjusted manually.
The front-facing camera alongside its fix-focus takes relatively unfocused photos. At least the colors and, at the right distance, the sharpness are decent in good light. Larger colored surfaces soon look spotty.
The primary camera is additionally examined in our lab. We photograph our test picture and the reference card under defined light conditions. The colored surfaces also look relatively noisy and spotty here. Furthermore, the color reproduction is sometimes too bright and sometimes too dark. We are pleased that the outlines of the fonts are quite sharp, but the heterogeneous color reproduction is seen here again. The photo is sharp in the center, but it becomes increasingly blurred toward the edges.
Accessories and Warranty
Blackview includes a relatively extensive bundle of accessories. The box contains a plastic case, screen protector, a headset and, of course, a charger and USB cable.
It could get difficult in case of a warranty claim. The device might have to be sent back to China. Blackview does not provide any information about warranty services on its website. At least the buyer has the 24-month warranty when the handset is purchased at a retailer in the EU. However, the buyer has to prove that the error existed in state of delivery after six months.
Please see our Guarantees, Return Policies and Warranties FAQ for country-specific information.
Input Devices and Handling
Blackview uses Google's stock app as the virtual keyboard. This is also very legitimate since it is possible to type quickly on it and Google's app offers many functions.
The touchscreen's surface is very sleek and the finger glides well over it. It is also very sensitive and accurate in the corners and at the edges, which allows using the smartphone well in total.
The fingerprint sensor on the back is not a matter of course in this price range. It functions reliably, but scanners that unlock the device even faster exist in higher-quality smartphones.
The smartphone can be reawakened via double-tapping or to launch apps via drawing letters on the disabled screen. This functions quite reliably after a certain period of familiarization.
Display
Another highlight in this price range is the Full HD panel with a diameter of 5.5-inches. Most comparison devices only offer 1280x720 pixels. Only the slightly more expensive Lenovo Moto G4 can match the resolution. However, we are not happy with our review sample's brightness distribution: It is not very homogeneous at 81%, and large colored surfaces often look unevenly illuminated.
|
Brightness Distribution: 81 %
Center on Battery: 357 cd/m²
Contrast: 1173:1 (Black: 0.3 cd/m²)
ΔE Color 8.7 | 0.5-29.43 Ø4.91
ΔE Greyscale 10.5 | 0.5-98 Ø5.2
Gamma: 2.04
Blackview R6 IPS, 1920x1080, 5.5" | Wileyfox Spark X IPS, 1280x720, 5.5" | Wiko Robby IPS, 1280x720, 5.5" | Coolpad Modena 2 IPS, 1280x720, 5.5" | Lenovo Moto G4 IPS, 1920x1080, 5.5" | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Screen | 11% | 16% | 2% | 29% | |
Brightness middle | 352 | 554 57% | 621 76% | 482 37% | 724 106% |
Brightness | 320 | 542 69% | 576 80% | 468 46% | 723 126% |
Brightness Distribution | 81 | 96 19% | 88 9% | 86 6% | 87 7% |
Black Level * | 0.3 | 0.68 -127% | 0.73 -143% | 0.63 -110% | 0.71 -137% |
Contrast | 1173 | 815 -31% | 851 -27% | 765 -35% | 1020 -13% |
Colorchecker dE 2000 * | 8.7 | 5.2 40% | 4.7 46% | 6.5 25% | 4.5 48% |
Colorchecker dE 2000 max. * | 15.1 | 10.7 29% | 9.4 38% | 12.4 18% | 8.4 44% |
Greyscale dE 2000 * | 10.5 | 6.8 35% | 5.2 50% | 7.3 30% | 4.9 53% |
Gamma | 2.04 108% | 2.24 98% | 2.51 88% | 1.91 115% | 2.44 90% |
CCT | 8529 76% | 7118 91% | 7505 87% | 7249 90% | 6496 100% |
* ... smaller is better
Screen Flickering / PWM (Pulse-Width Modulation)
Screen flickering / PWM detected | 102 Hz | ≤ 1 % brightness setting | |
≤ 11.13 cd/m² brightness | |||
The display backlight flickers at 102 Hz (worst case, e.g., utilizing PWM) Flickering detected at a brightness setting of 1 % (11.13 cd/m²) and below. There should be no flickering or PWM above this brightness setting. The frequency of 102 Hz is very low, so the flickering may cause eyestrain and headaches after extended use. As the flickering occurs only on very low brightness settings, it should not be an issue in typical office settings. Nonetheless, use in low light conditions may be straining to the eyes. In comparison: 53 % of all tested devices do not use PWM to dim the display. If PWM was detected, an average of 8705 (minimum: 5 - maximum: 343500) Hz was measured. |
The relatively good black level of 0.3 cd/m² saves Blackview's R6 thanks to the resulting contrast ratio of 1173; despite the low brightness, it is the best in the comparison field. Colors nevertheless look somewhat pale on the screen.
This could be due to the very intense bluish tint that becomes visible in the test with the CalMAN software and spectrophotometer. The color deviations from the sRGB color space are also considerably higher than in the comparison devices. The color space is well covered at 97.5%. The image reproduction can be configured extensively using the app "MiraVision".
Sensitive users should be careful: Blackview uses pulse-width modulation for reducing the screen's luminosity in low brightness levels. This means that the screen is simply turned off for fractions of a second, making it look darker to the eye. This is done at a frequency of 102 Hertz per second in Blackview's R6 when the screen's brightness is dimmed to 1%. Not a very high frequency and thus it is quite possible that sensitive users could perceive this as flickering.
Display Response Times
↔ Response Time Black to White | ||
---|---|---|
44 ms ... rise ↗ and fall ↘ combined | ↗ 11 ms rise | |
↘ 33 ms fall | ||
The screen shows slow response rates in our tests and will be unsatisfactory for gamers. In comparison, all tested devices range from 0.1 (minimum) to 240 (maximum) ms. » 98 % of all devices are better. This means that the measured response time is worse than the average of all tested devices (20.9 ms). | ||
↔ Response Time 50% Grey to 80% Grey | ||
44 ms ... rise ↗ and fall ↘ combined | ↗ 18 ms rise | |
↘ 26 ms fall | ||
The screen shows slow response rates in our tests and will be unsatisfactory for gamers. In comparison, all tested devices range from 0.165 (minimum) to 636 (maximum) ms. » 71 % of all devices are better. This means that the measured response time is worse than the average of all tested devices (32.8 ms). |
The screen's reflective surface and low brightness cause problems with legibility of text outdoors. The viewing angles are good: Although the colors of the screen's contents sometimes shift slightly, the content can still be recognized well even from very flat angles.
Performance
Mediatek's MT6737T is responsible for the performance in Blackview's R6. It has four processor cores and clocks at a maximum of 1.44 GHz. However, Blackview's R6 hardly surpasses the comparison devices with this. The performance is sometimes even below that of equally priced comparison devices, but it is also sometimes slightly higher in single-core mode. Occasional stutters will have to be counted with when navigating through the menus in everyday use. However, many apps can stay enabled thanks to the big working memory.
An ARM Mali-T720 MP2 graphics chip is installed that clocks at 650 MHz and has two cores. Thanks to this GPU, the graphics performance of Blackview's R6 is either on par with its equally priced rivals or even outperforms them slightly. However, the difference will hardly be noticed in everyday use.
AnTuTu v6 - Total Score (sort by value) | |
Blackview R6 | |
Wileyfox Spark X | |
Wiko Robby | |
Coolpad Modena 2 | |
Lenovo Moto G4 |
Geekbench 4.0 | |
64 Bit Single-Core Score (sort by value) | |
Blackview R6 | |
Wileyfox Spark X | |
Coolpad Modena 2 | |
64 Bit Multi-Core Score (sort by value) | |
Blackview R6 | |
Wileyfox Spark X | |
Coolpad Modena 2 |
GFXBench (DX / GLBenchmark) 2.7 | |
T-Rex Onscreen (sort by value) | |
Blackview R6 | |
Wileyfox Spark X | |
Wiko Robby | |
Coolpad Modena 2 | |
Lenovo Moto G4 | |
1920x1080 T-Rex Offscreen (sort by value) | |
Blackview R6 | |
Wileyfox Spark X | |
Wiko Robby | |
Coolpad Modena 2 | |
Lenovo Moto G4 |
GFXBench 3.0 | |
on screen Manhattan Onscreen OGL (sort by value) | |
Blackview R6 | |
Wileyfox Spark X | |
Wiko Robby | |
Coolpad Modena 2 | |
Lenovo Moto G4 | |
1920x1080 1080p Manhattan Offscreen (sort by value) | |
Blackview R6 | |
Wileyfox Spark X | |
Wiko Robby | |
Coolpad Modena 2 | |
Lenovo Moto G4 |
GFXBench 3.1 | |
on screen Manhattan ES 3.1 Onscreen (sort by value) | |
Blackview R6 | |
Wileyfox Spark X | |
Wiko Robby | |
Coolpad Modena 2 | |
Lenovo Moto G4 | |
1920x1080 Manhattan ES 3.1 Offscreen (sort by value) | |
Blackview R6 | |
Wileyfox Spark X | |
Wiko Robby | |
Coolpad Modena 2 | |
Lenovo Moto G4 |
PCMark for Android - Work performance score (sort by value) | |
Blackview R6 | |
Wileyfox Spark X | |
Wiko Robby | |
Coolpad Modena 2 | |
Lenovo Moto G4 |
Blackview's R6 Internet browsing speed is relatively high. It even seems to cope better with new technologies like HTML5 or JavaScript than equally priced devices. In any case, it is quite far to the front in the benchmarks, and our practical experiences let fairly smooth browsing seem possible.
Mozilla Kraken 1.1 - Total (sort by value) | |
Blackview R6 | |
Wileyfox Spark X | |
Wiko Robby | |
Coolpad Modena 2 | |
Lenovo Moto G4 |
Octane V2 - Total Score (sort by value) | |
Blackview R6 | |
Wileyfox Spark X | |
Wiko Robby | |
Coolpad Modena 2 | |
Lenovo Moto G4 |
JetStream 1.1 - Total Score (sort by value) | |
Blackview R6 | |
Wileyfox Spark X | |
Wiko Robby | |
Coolpad Modena 2 | |
Lenovo Moto G4 |
* ... smaller is better
Blackview's R6 is relatively fast when it comes to storage access: It is much faster than most equally priced devices in both read and write.
However, we already mentioned that the card reader had some issues with accessing the micro-SD card. Therefore, we could not test the access speeds with our Toshiba reference card. Blackview's R6 only presented relatively slow transfer rates with a card by Hama. A maximum of 45 MB/s would be possible but only roughly half of this was achieved in read. It was even just 9.34 MB/s in write. At least the micro-SD card can be formatted as internal storage and apps can be moved to the micro-SD card. However, the card should not be used as internal storage in view of these transfer rates.
AndroBench 3-5 | |
Sequential Read 256KB (sort by value) | |
Blackview R6 | |
Wileyfox Spark X | |
Wiko Robby | |
Coolpad Modena 2 | |
Lenovo Moto G4 | |
Sequential Write 256KB (sort by value) | |
Blackview R6 | |
Wileyfox Spark X | |
Wiko Robby | |
Coolpad Modena 2 | |
Lenovo Moto G4 | |
Random Read 4KB (sort by value) | |
Blackview R6 | |
Wileyfox Spark X | |
Wiko Robby | |
Coolpad Modena 2 | |
Lenovo Moto G4 | |
Random Write 4KB (sort by value) | |
Blackview R6 | |
Wileyfox Spark X | |
Wiko Robby | |
Coolpad Modena 2 | |
Lenovo Moto G4 | |
Sequential Read 256KB SDCard (sort by value) | |
Blackview R6 | |
Wileyfox Spark X | |
Wiko Robby | |
Coolpad Modena 2 | |
Lenovo Moto G4 | |
Sequential Write 256KB SDCard (sort by value) | |
Blackview R6 | |
Wileyfox Spark X | |
Wiko Robby | |
Coolpad Modena 2 | |
Lenovo Moto G4 |
Games
We played the fast-paced 3D game Temple Run 2 to see how Blackview's R6 copes with this load. In any case, touchscreen and position sensor control functioned reliably. However, the game was not always stutter-free. Although we could play it, it always seemed as if we were at the verge of stuttering. This is also logical as the graphics unit is made for resolutions of 720p. It soon finds its limits in Full HD. More basic games like Angry Birds ran smoothly, though.
Emissions
Temperature
A slight temperature increase is already palpable in idle mode: 35.2 °C on the upper front. A large part of the front heats up marginally and this temperature increase becomes even more palpable during load. However, it remains below the critical mark of 41.4 °C. It is possible to hold the smartphone comfortably even during prolonged load.
(±) The maximum temperature on the upper side is 41.4 °C / 107 F, compared to the average of 35.1 °C / 95 F, ranging from 21.9 to 63.7 °C for the class Smartphone.
(+) The bottom heats up to a maximum of 39.8 °C / 104 F, compared to the average of 33.9 °C / 93 F
(±) In idle usage, the average temperature for the upper side is 33.9 °C / 93 F, compared to the device average of 32.8 °C / 91 F.
Speaker
The small rear-sided speaker has audible difficulties with playing music in high-quality. On the one hand, it lacks bass and on the other, the low mids are hardly audible, and thus the sound range is limited to a small part of the higher mids and trebles. The speaker is relatively squeaky and listening to music is not very enjoyable. The maximum volume is also sooner below average.
Sound output via Bluetooth and audio jack is good: A clear signal is transmitted to speakers or headphones.
Blackview R6 audio analysis
(±) | speaker loudness is average but good (81.2 dB)
Bass 100 - 315 Hz
(-) | nearly no bass - on average 28.1% lower than median
(±) | linearity of bass is average (12.2% delta to prev. frequency)
Mids 400 - 2000 Hz
(±) | higher mids - on average 8.3% higher than median
(±) | linearity of mids is average (10.9% delta to prev. frequency)
Highs 2 - 16 kHz
(±) | higher highs - on average 5% higher than median
(±) | linearity of highs is average (9.4% delta to prev. frequency)
Overall 100 - 16.000 Hz
(-) | overall sound is not linear (30% difference to median)
Compared to same class
» 76% of all tested devices in this class were better, 4% similar, 20% worse
» The best had a delta of 12%, average was 37%, worst was 134%
Compared to all devices tested
» 87% of all tested devices were better, 3% similar, 10% worse
» The best had a delta of 4%, average was 25%, worst was 134%
Lenovo Moto G4 audio analysis
(+) | speakers can play relatively loud (86.6 dB)
Bass 100 - 315 Hz
(-) | nearly no bass - on average 24.6% lower than median
(±) | linearity of bass is average (10.2% delta to prev. frequency)
Mids 400 - 2000 Hz
(+) | balanced mids - only 4.4% away from median
(+) | mids are linear (4.7% delta to prev. frequency)
Highs 2 - 16 kHz
(+) | balanced highs - only 3.4% away from median
(+) | highs are linear (3.1% delta to prev. frequency)
Overall 100 - 16.000 Hz
(±) | linearity of overall sound is average (18.6% difference to median)
Compared to same class
» 17% of all tested devices in this class were better, 9% similar, 74% worse
» The best had a delta of 12%, average was 37%, worst was 134%
Compared to all devices tested
» 38% of all tested devices were better, 8% similar, 54% worse
» The best had a delta of 4%, average was 25%, worst was 134%
Frequency diagram in comparison (checkboxes above can be turned on/off!)
Energy Management
Power Consumption
Blackview's R6 hardly consumes any energy in standby or when shut down. That is the good news. The smartphone is also still very economic in idle mode with a maximum of 1.84 watts. However, the power consumption quickly climbs to a very high 7.47 watts during load. Also conspicuous: It always consumes power at a certain degree of load regardless of whether the smartphone is loaded to 3/4 or maximum.
Off / Standby | 0.02 / 0.09 Watt |
Idle | 0.78 / 1.63 / 1.84 Watt |
Load |
7.47 / 7.47 Watt |
Key:
min: ,
med: ,
max: Metrahit Energy |
Blackview R6 3000 mAh | Wileyfox Spark X 3000 mAh | Wiko Robby 2500 mAh | Coolpad Modena 2 2500 mAh | Lenovo Moto G4 3000 mAh | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Power Consumption | 23% | -5% | 10% | 5% | |
Idle Minimum * | 0.78 | 0.53 32% | 0.92 -18% | 0.64 18% | 0.65 17% |
Idle Average * | 1.63 | 1.76 -8% | 2.12 -30% | 1.96 -20% | 1.89 -16% |
Idle Maximum * | 1.84 | 1.86 -1% | 2.34 -27% | 1.98 -8% | 1.92 -4% |
Load Average * | 7.47 | 3.97 47% | 5.3 29% | 4.99 33% | 5.28 29% |
Load Maximum * | 7.47 | 4.21 44% | 5.78 23% | 5.48 27% | 7.45 -0% |
* ... smaller is better
Battery Runtime
A battery with 3000 milliampere hours or 11.4 watt hours is certainly above average in the price range of Blackview's R6. However, Blackview's R6 cannot make much of this due to the partly high power consumption. 10:04 hours in the Wi-Fi test is not a bad outcome, but it is clearly outrun by many other smartphones from this category.
The smartphone just manages a workday when it is loaded often. Two days is likely possible when the smartphone is only used occasionally. However, a power outlet will be needed every second day. Other smartphones manage three days without recharging. This, by the way, takes almost two hours, which is an average time; it does not feature quick charge.
Blackview R6 3000 mAh | Wileyfox Spark X 3000 mAh | Wiko Robby 2500 mAh | Coolpad Modena 2 2500 mAh | Lenovo Moto G4 3000 mAh | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Battery Runtime | 21% | 8% | -14% | 10% | |
WiFi v1.3 | 604 | 675 12% | 712 18% | 518 -14% | 698 16% |
Load | 203 | 264 30% | 199 -2% | 211 4% | |
Reader / Idle | 1381 | 1253 | 1199 | ||
H.264 | 777 | 706 |
Pros
Cons
Verdict
Buyers who take the risk in terms of warranty will find a tightly priced entry-level smartphone that is definitely worth the money in Blackview's R6. The system runs stably and the device has been packed into a solid casing. The connectivity, including a fingerprint scanner and generous storage, is very good for this price level, and the screen has a high resolution.
Of course, the tight budget also involves some drawbacks: The camera photos are not really sharp and exhibit a visible bluish tint. An intense bluish tint is also seen on the screen, which is also relatively dark and has strong color shifts. The GPS module is quite inaccurate and it is apparently a matter of luck whether the micro-SD card is read. Furthermore, the load power consumption is very high.
Blackview launches a heavy yet solid smartphone with a high-resolution screen and very good configuration for the demanded price on the market. Shortcomings are found in power consumption and screen brightness. Buyers who can live with that will get a lot for their money.
The battery life is ultimately acceptable thanks to the large battery, the casing does not get excessively hot, and the performance is category average so that Blackview's R6 can definitely be recommended to all bargain hunters who do not mind a heavy smartphone.
Blackview R6
- 02/15/2017 v6 (old)
Florian Wimmer