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Gigaset GS100 Smartphone Review

Gigagood? The GS100 is Gigaset’s cheapest smartphone, costing 119 Euros (~$136). The device comes in a choice of bright colors and has a removable battery, but can the GS100 justify its price?
Gigaset GS100

Gigaset has released a range of exciting devices this year that we have already reviewed, including mid-range devices like the GS370 Plus, the GS270 and the GS270 Plus. We have also seen more budget devices like the GS185 and the GS180, which Gigaset now complements with the release of the GS100, a 119-Euro (~$136) device that is currently the cheapest smartphone that Gigaset sells. The GS100 has a 5.5-inch display, a removable battery and LTE support among other things.

The budget smartphone market is burgeoning, so we have plenty of devices from which to choose. We have chosen to compare the GS100 against the Huawei Y7 2018, the Honor 7S, the UMIDIGI A1 Pro and the Xiaomi Redmi Note 5A Prime. Read on to find out how this German budget device fares against its competitors from Asia.

Gigaset GS100 (GS Series)
Processor
Mediatek MT6739 4 x 1.5 GHz, Cortex-A53
Graphics adapter
Memory
1024 MB 
Display
5.50 inch 16:8, 1440 x 720 pixel 293 PPI, Capacitive touchscreen, IPS, glossy: yes
Storage
8 GB eMMC Flash, 8 GB 
, 6 GB free
Connections
1 USB 2.0, Audio Connections: 3.5 mm jack, Card Reader: Up to 128 GB microSD cards, 1 Fingerprint Reader, Brightness Sensor, Sensors: Accelerometer, Proximity sensor
Networking
802.11 b/g/n (b/g/n = Wi-Fi 4/), Bluetooth 4.2, GSM: 850, 900, 1,800, 1,900 MHz. UMTS: B1, B8. LTE: B1, B3, B7, B8, B20., Dual SIM, LTE, GPS
Size
height x width x depth (in mm): 9.3 x 149.5 x 71 ( = 0.37 x 5.89 x 2.8 in)
Battery
11.5 Wh, 3000 mAh Lithium-Polymer
Operating System
Android 8.1 Oreo
Camera
Primary Camera: 8 MPix f/2.2, Contrast autofocus, LED flash, videos at up to 720p and 30 FPS
Secondary Camera: 5 MPix LED flash
Additional features
Speakers: Mono speaker on the back of the device, Keyboard: Virtual keyboard, Charger, USB Type-A to Micro USB cable, 24 Months Warranty, FM Radio; LTE – 150 Mbps Download, 50 Mbps Upload; SAR values – 1.089 W/kg Head, 1.238 W/kg Body, fanless
Weight
174 g ( = 6.14 oz / 0.38 pounds), Power Supply: 51 g ( = 1.8 oz / 0.11 pounds)
Price
119 Euro
Note: The manufacturer may use components from different suppliers including display panels, drives or memory sticks with similar specifications.

 

Case

The GS100 has a simple plastic case. There are advantages and disadvantages to this cheap construction though. On the one hand, you can take the back off, which reveals a removable battery. However, the case lacks rigidity and absorbs no pressure as a metal case would. The display on our test device noticeably distorted regardless of where on the case we applied pressure and the force with which we did so.

Gigaset kits the GS100 out with blue, gray or green cases; all variants have black display bezels though. The GS100 weighs 174 g despite its mainly plastic construction, making it heavier than all our comparison devices.

Gigaset GS100
Gigaset GS100
Gigaset GS100
Gigaset GS100
Gigaset GS100
Gigaset GS100
Gigaset GS100
Gigaset GS100
Gigaset GS100

Size Comparison

153 mm / 6.02 inch 76.2 mm / 3 inch 7.7 mm / 0.3031 inch 153 g0.3373 lbs149.5 mm / 5.89 inch 71 mm / 2.8 inch 9.3 mm / 0.3661 inch 174 g0.3836 lbs146.5 mm / 5.77 inch 70.9 mm / 2.79 inch 8.3 mm / 0.3268 inch 142 g0.3131 lbs146.5 mm / 5.77 inch 70.9 mm / 2.79 inch 8.3 mm / 0.3268 inch 145 g0.3197 lbs145.1 mm / 5.71 inch 69.1 mm / 2.72 inch 8.9 mm / 0.3504 inch 173 g0.3814 lbs148 mm / 5.83 inch 105 mm / 4.13 inch 1 mm / 0.03937 inch 1.5 g0.00331 lbs

Connectivity

Gigaset equips the GS100 with 1 GB RAM and 8 GB of internal storage. By contrast, all our comparison devices have at least double the RAM and storage. The GS100 supports up to 128 GB microSD cards should you need more storage and the system can format cards as internal storage, apps are not savable to microSD cards.

The GS100 is a dual-SIM device that also has a dedicated FM radio receiver on board.

Software

Our test device arrived running Android Oreo 8.1 Go and the July 5, 2018 Android security patch. We would like to see the latter updated as it is never good to use a device with outdated security patches. Whether Gigaset will update the GS100’s security patches is unknown at the time of writing. Gigaset has left the OS largely unchanged, so newcomers to the Go platform will find their feet quickly.

Android Go uses scaled-down apps that take up less storage and require fewer resources than their full-fat counterparts. These “Go” apps often are just web wrappers though. While the “Go” apps inevitably save space, we could not uninstall them from our test device, effectively reducing the amount of storage space free for the user. You can install the full versions of “Go” apps, but then you will have two slightly different versions of the same app installed, with the only option being to remove the full-sized versions.

Default home screen
Default home screen
Device information
Device information
Preinstalled Google apps
Preinstalled Google apps

Communication & GPS

The GS100 supports IEEE 802.11 b/g/n Wi-Fi networks, which means that our test device can only connect to 2.4 GHz networks and not 5 GHz networks. Despite this, our test device reached almost 100 Mb/s in our standardized iperf3 Client Wi-Fi tests with our Linksys EA8500 reference router. Our test device achieved almost double the transfer speeds of all our comparison devices.

The GS100 supports all main LTE frequencies for using the device in Central Europe, but the device lacks LTE coverage for use in other continents. Our test device maintained at least half signal strength on the German D2 LTE network when testing the device in a built-up area.

Networking
iperf3 transmit AX12
Gigaset GS100
PowerVR GE8100, MT6739, 8 GB eMMC Flash
99.6 MBit/s
Honor 7S
PowerVR GE8100, MT6739, 16 GB eMMC Flash
59.9 MBit/s -40%
Xiaomi Redmi Note 5A Prime
Adreno 505, 435, 32 GB eMMC Flash
55.9 MBit/s -44%
Umidigi A1 Pro
PowerVR GE8100, MT6739, 16 GB eMMC Flash
55.8 MBit/s -44%
Huawei Y5 2018
PowerVR GE8100, MT6739, 16 GB eMMC Flash
52.3 MBit/s -47%
iperf3 receive AX12
Average of class Smartphone
  (last 2 years)
376 MBit/s +284%
Gigaset GS100
PowerVR GE8100, MT6739, 8 GB eMMC Flash
97.9 MBit/s
Honor 7S
PowerVR GE8100, MT6739, 16 GB eMMC Flash
58.2 MBit/s -41%
Umidigi A1 Pro
PowerVR GE8100, MT6739, 16 GB eMMC Flash
55.7 MBit/s -43%
Xiaomi Redmi Note 5A Prime
Adreno 505, 435, 32 GB eMMC Flash
53.8 MBit/s -45%
Huawei Y5 2018
PowerVR GE8100, MT6739, 16 GB eMMC Flash
52 MBit/s -47%
GPS test: Indoors
GPS test: Indoors
GPS test: Outdoors
GPS test: Outdoors

Our test device could not locate us indoors but manages an accuracy of up to four meters outside.

We also took the GS100 on a bike ride to compare our test device’s location accuracy against a professional navigation device, the Garmin Edge 520. Our test device recorded the course comparatively well for its price but deviated by 400 m over the 5.87 km total distance that the Garmin recorded. The route that our test device plotted is crude, but overall the GS100 is accurate enough for occasional navigation tasks.

GPS test: Garmin Edge 520 – Overview
GPS test: Garmin Edge 520 – Overview
GPS test: Garmin Edge 520 – Wooded area
GPS test: Garmin Edge 520 – Wooded area
GPS test: Garmin Edge 520 – Bridge
GPS test: Garmin Edge 520 – Bridge
GPS test: Gigaset GS100 - Overview
GPS test: Gigaset GS100 - Overview
GPS test: Gigaset GS100 – Wooded area
GPS test: Gigaset GS100 – Wooded area
GPS test: Gigaset GS100 – Bridge
GPS test: Gigaset GS100 – Bridge

Telephone Function & Call Quality

Our test device has average call quality, making our call partner’s voice sound thin when making a call using the earpiece, albeit clear enough at high volumes. Likewise, our voice sounded thin too, and the microphone picked up plenty of background noise.

The call quality over speakerphone is akin to that of the earpiece: Voices sound thin, and the microphone picks up background noise. Oddly, our test device captures background noise even when making a call from a quiet room.

Cameras

Photo taken with the front-facing camera
Photo taken with the front-facing camera

The GS100 has a 5 MP front-facing camera and an 8 MP rear-facing sensor, both of which have a dedicated LED flash. The former particularly needs an LED flash too as generally, it takes noticeably underexposed photos. Equally underwhelming are the dynamics in bright areas, which leave much to be desired.

The main camera is better suited for landscape photography than for taking pictures of objects. Again, photos are underexposed and have poor dynamic range. Low-light performance is predictably worse; photos are blurry and have lots of image noise even in relatively good lighting.

The GS100 can record videos in up to 720p at 30 FPS, which is the absolute minimum quality that we expect from current smartphones. Moreover, the rear-facing camera visibly graduates exposure levels as the ambient lighting changes. Generally, videos have noticeable image noise.

In short, we would only recommend using the GS100 for occasional snapshots.

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

We also subjected our test device to camera tests under controlled lighting conditions. Again, dynamics are poor, particularly in dark areas of our test chart. Additionally, there is considerable image noise, and colors are typically darker than reference colors. By contrast, our test device sharply reproduces our test chart.

ColorChecker: The lower half of each area of color displays the reference color
ColorChecker: The lower half of each area of color displays the reference color
Photo of our test chart
Photo of our test chart
Test chart in detail
Test chart in detail

Accessories & Warranty

Gigaset includes a battery, a charger, a USB Type-A to Micro USB cable and a quick-start guide in the box. Gigaset sells a GS100 specific screen protector on its online store, but they do not sell any replacement batteries, back covers or cases.

The GS100 comes with 24 months manufacturer’s warranty. Please see our Guarantees, Return policies and Warranties FAQ for country-specific information.

Input Devices & Operation

The touchscreen is easy to use and remains accurate even into its corners. However, there is a noticeable amount of input lag, but that is because of slow system performance rather than a touchscreen-related issue.

The GS100 has two physical buttons, a power button and volume rocker, which are both on the right-hand side of the device. The power button feels spongy and imprecise, which limits the functionality of the device given how frequently the power button is used.

Using the preinstalled keyboard in landscape mode
Using the preinstalled keyboard in landscape mode
Using the preinstalled keyboard in portrait mode
Using the preinstalled keyboard in portrait mode

Display

Sub-pixel array
Sub-pixel array

The GS100 has a 5.5-inch IPS display with a 2:1 aspect ratio that runs at a native resolution of 1440x720. The display’s maximum brightness and resolution are on par with our comparison devices, although the UMIDIGI A1 Pro gets around 30% brighter than our test device. Our test device has an 86% uniformly lit display according to X-Rite i1Pro 2, which is between 6 and 12% behind three of our four comparison devices. In practice, large areas of homogeneous color may look less uniformly lit on the GS100 than the Honor 7S, for example.

413
cd/m²
426
cd/m²
474
cd/m²
424
cd/m²
442
cd/m²
483
cd/m²
419
cd/m²
456
cd/m²
478
cd/m²
Distribution of brightness
tested with X-Rite i1Pro 2
Maximum: 483 cd/m² (Nits) Average: 446.1 cd/m² Minimum: 16.5 cd/m²
Brightness Distribution: 86 %
Center on Battery: 442 cd/m²
Contrast: 1263:1 (Black: 0.35 cd/m²)
ΔE Color 8.03 | 0.5-29.43 Ø5
ΔE Greyscale 10.4 | 0.57-98 Ø5.3
95.2% sRGB (Calman 2D)
Gamma: 2.02
Gigaset GS100
IPS, 1440x720, 5.50
Honor 7S
IPS, 1440x720, 5.45
Huawei Y5 2018
IPS, 1440x720, 5.45
Xiaomi Redmi Note 5A Prime
IPS, 1280x720, 5.50
Umidigi A1 Pro
IPS, 1440x720, 5.50
Screen
10%
-25%
13%
32%
Brightness middle
442
422
-5%
475
7%
469
6%
594
34%
Brightness
446
417
-7%
470
5%
464
4%
570
28%
Brightness Distribution
86
96
12%
91
6%
92
7%
86
0%
Black Level *
0.35
0.58
-66%
0.76
-117%
0.6
-71%
0.22
37%
Contrast
1263
728
-42%
625
-51%
782
-38%
2700
114%
Colorchecker dE 2000 *
8.03
3.29
59%
9.12
-14%
3.31
59%
6.63
17%
Colorchecker dE 2000 max. *
15.81
6.91
56%
18.86
-19%
6.68
58%
13.99
12%
Greyscale dE 2000 *
10.4
3.1
70%
12
-15%
2.4
77%
9.2
12%
Gamma
2.02 109%
2.219 99%
2.342 94%
2.155 102%
2.24 98%
CCT
10070 65%
6873 95%
9861 66%
6626 98%
8663 75%

* ... 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 detected 100 Hz ≤ 20 % brightness setting

The display backlight flickers at 100 Hz (worst case, e.g., utilizing PWM) Flickering detected at a brightness setting of 20 % and below. There should be no flickering or PWM above this brightness setting.

The frequency of 100 Hz is very low, so the flickering may cause eyestrain and headaches after extended use.

In comparison: 53 % of all tested devices do not use PWM to dim the display. If PWM was detected, an average of 18100 (minimum: 5 - maximum: 3846000) Hz was measured.

Our test device has a 0.35 cd/m² black value and a 1,263:1 contrast ratio, both of which are impressive for a device at this price. However, our spectrophotometer and CalMAN analysis software highlighted that the display has a strong blue tint to it, making colors look noticeably cool, despite the display’s strong contrast ratio.

There are more color-accurate devices at this price too. We would not recommend using the GS100 if you want to do any color-specific work, like determining the exact colors of a photo.

CalMAN: Color Accuracy
CalMAN: Color Accuracy
CalMAN: Grayscale
CalMAN: Grayscale
CalMAN: Color Space
CalMAN: Color Space
CalMAN: Color Saturation
CalMAN: Color 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
20 ms ... rise ↗ and fall ↘ combined↗ 7 ms rise
↘ 13 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. » 37 % of all devices are better.
This means that the measured response time is similar to the average of all tested devices (21.6 ms).
       Response Time 50% Grey to 80% Grey
42 ms ... rise ↗ and fall ↘ combined↗ 21 ms rise
↘ 21 ms fall
The screen shows slow response rates in our tests and will be unsatisfactory for gamers.
In comparison, all tested devices range from 0.2 (minimum) to 636 (maximum) ms. » 63 % of all devices are better.
This means that the measured response time is worse than the average of all tested devices (33.9 ms).

The GS100 is usable outdoors if you avoid direct sunlight. Our test device has good viewing angles too, albeit there are noticeable brightness distortions at acute viewing angles.

Using the Gigaset GS100 outdoors
Using the Gigaset GS100 outdoors
Viewing angles
Viewing angles

Performance

The MediaTek MT6739 SoC powers the GS100 and is used in many other budget smartphones, including three of our four comparison devices. Despite using the same SoC, our test device scores considerably lower in CPU benchmarks than our MT6739-equipped comparison devices. The MT6739 is generally slower than the Qualcomm Snapdragon 435 SoC that powers the Xiaomi Redmi Note 5A Prime too. In daily use, the GS100 feels sluggish and frequently lags.

The MT6739 SoC integrates a PowerVR GE8100 GPU, the performance of which is equally far behind the Redmi Note 5A Prime and our other GE8100-powered comparison devices.

AnTuTu v6 - Total Score (sort by value)
Gigaset GS100
30702 Points
Huawei Y5 2018
38060 Points +24%
Xiaomi Redmi Note 5A Prime
45762 Points +49%
Umidigi A1 Pro
36073 Points +17%
Average Mediatek MT6739 (25012 - 38060, n=13)
33655 Points +10%
PCMark for Android - Work 2.0 performance score (sort by value)
Gigaset GS100
2630 Points
Honor 7S
2467 Points -6%
Huawei Y5 2018
2675 Points +2%
Xiaomi Redmi Note 5A Prime
3702 Points +41%
Umidigi A1 Pro
3159 Points +20%
Average Mediatek MT6739 (2467 - 5377, n=16)
3206 Points +22%
Average of class Smartphone (9101 - 12871, n=4, last 2 years)
10872 Points +313%
BaseMark OS II
Overall (sort by value)
Gigaset GS100
162 Points
Honor 7S
217 Points +34%
Huawei Y5 2018
224 Points +38%
Xiaomi Redmi Note 5A Prime
948 Points +485%
Umidigi A1 Pro
208 Points +28%
Average Mediatek MT6739 (162 - 637, n=15)
291 Points +80%
Average of class Smartphone (411 - 11438, n=158, last 2 years)
5704 Points +3421%
System (sort by value)
Gigaset GS100
1115 Points
Honor 7S
1341 Points +20%
Huawei Y5 2018
1363 Points +22%
Xiaomi Redmi Note 5A Prime
1774 Points +59%
Umidigi A1 Pro
1318 Points +18%
Average Mediatek MT6739 (1103 - 1526, n=15)
1294 Points +16%
Average of class Smartphone (2376 - 16475, n=158, last 2 years)
9621 Points +763%
Memory (sort by value)
Gigaset GS100
431 Points
Honor 7S
920 Points +113%
Huawei Y5 2018
1034 Points +140%
Xiaomi Redmi Note 5A Prime
791 Points +84%
Umidigi A1 Pro
802 Points +86%
Average Mediatek MT6739 (420 - 1039, n=15)
768 Points +78%
Average of class Smartphone (670 - 12306, n=158, last 2 years)
6230 Points +1345%
Graphics (sort by value)
Gigaset GS100
149 Points
Honor 7S
187 Points +26%
Huawei Y5 2018
187 Points +26%
Xiaomi Redmi Note 5A Prime
788 Points +429%
Umidigi A1 Pro
184 Points +23%
Average Mediatek MT6739 (18 - 190, n=15)
160.5 Points +8%
Average of class Smartphone (697 - 58651, n=158, last 2 years)
13900 Points +9229%
Web (sort by value)
Gigaset GS100
10 Points
Honor 7S
10 Points 0%
Huawei Y5 2018
10 Points 0%
Xiaomi Redmi Note 5A Prime
729 Points +7190%
Umidigi A1 Pro
10 Points 0%
Average Mediatek MT6739 (7 - 624, n=15)
165.4 Points +1554%
Average of class Smartphone (10 - 2145, n=158, last 2 years)
1487 Points +14770%
Geekbench 4.4
64 Bit Single-Core Score (sort by value)
Gigaset GS100
579 Points
Honor 7S
644 Points +11%
Huawei Y5 2018
662 Points +14%
Xiaomi Redmi Note 5A Prime
678 Points +17%
Umidigi A1 Pro
665 Points +15%
Average Mediatek MT6739 (571 - 675, n=14)
632 Points +9%
Average of class Smartphone (800 - 9574, n=90, last 2 years)
5063 Points +774%
64 Bit Multi-Core Score (sort by value)
Gigaset GS100
1418 Points
Honor 7S
1748 Points +23%
Huawei Y5 2018
1827 Points +29%
Xiaomi Redmi Note 5A Prime
2576 Points +82%
Umidigi A1 Pro
1852 Points +31%
Average Mediatek MT6739 (1418 - 1896, n=14)
1733 Points +22%
Average of class Smartphone (2630 - 26990, n=90, last 2 years)
13549 Points +856%
3DMark
1280x720 offscreen Ice Storm Unlimited Score (sort by value)
Gigaset GS100
3395 Points
Honor 7S
4203 Points +24%
Huawei Y5 2018
4161 Points +23%
Xiaomi Redmi Note 5A Prime
9915 Points +192%
Average Mediatek MT6739 (3392 - 4339, n=17)
3912 Points +15%
1280x720 offscreen Ice Storm Unlimited Graphics Score (sort by value)
Gigaset GS100
2878 Points
Honor 7S
4346 Points +51%
Huawei Y5 2018
3575 Points +24%
Xiaomi Redmi Note 5A Prime
10202 Points +254%
Average Mediatek MT6739 (2878 - 4346, n=17)
3398 Points +18%
1280x720 offscreen Ice Storm Unlimited Physics (sort by value)
Gigaset GS100
9159 Points
Honor 7S
8269 Points -10%
Huawei Y5 2018
9755 Points +7%
Xiaomi Redmi Note 5A Prime
9027 Points -1%
Average Mediatek MT6739 (7103 - 10981, n=17)
9367 Points +2%
2560x1440 Sling Shot OpenGL ES 3.0 (sort by value)
Gigaset GS100
127 Points
Honor 7S
152 Points +20%
Huawei Y5 2018
125 Points -2%
Xiaomi Redmi Note 5A Prime
602 Points +374%
Umidigi A1 Pro
168 Points +32%
Average Mediatek MT6739 (120 - 211, n=17)
157.5 Points +24%
Average of class Smartphone (712 - 7285, n=52, last 2 years)
3548 Points +2694%
2560x1440 Sling Shot OpenGL ES 3.0 Graphics (sort by value)
Gigaset GS100
104 Points
Honor 7S
125 Points +20%
Huawei Y5 2018
102 Points -2%
Xiaomi Redmi Note 5A Prime
533 Points +413%
Umidigi A1 Pro
140 Points +35%
Average Mediatek MT6739 (102 - 185, n=17)
131.6 Points +27%
Average of class Smartphone (618 - 9451, n=52, last 2 years)
3905 Points +3655%
2560x1440 Sling Shot OpenGL ES 3.0 Physics (sort by value)
Gigaset GS100
532 Points
Honor 7S
620 Points +17%
Huawei Y5 2018
562 Points +6%
Xiaomi Redmi Note 5A Prime
1107 Points +108%
Umidigi A1 Pro
537 Points +1%
Average Mediatek MT6739 (445 - 690, n=17)
567 Points +7%
Average of class Smartphone (1093 - 4525, n=52, last 2 years)
3005 Points +465%
2560x1440 Sling Shot Extreme (ES 3.1) (sort by value)
Gigaset GS100
86 Points
Honor 7S
104 Points +21%
Huawei Y5 2018
84 Points -2%
Xiaomi Redmi Note 5A Prime
320 Points +272%
Umidigi A1 Pro
108 Points +26%
Average Mediatek MT6739 (80 - 221, n=17)
104.9 Points +22%
Average of class Smartphone (286 - 7890, n=102, last 2 years)
2685 Points +3022%
2560x1440 Sling Shot Extreme (ES 3.1) Graphics (sort by value)
Gigaset GS100
69 Points
Honor 7S
84 Points +22%
Huawei Y5 2018
68 Points -1%
Xiaomi Redmi Note 5A Prime
265 Points +284%
Umidigi A1 Pro
88 Points +28%
Average Mediatek MT6739 (65 - 185, n=17)
85.4 Points +24%
Average of class Smartphone (240 - 9814, n=102, last 2 years)
2675 Points +3777%
2560x1440 Sling Shot Extreme (ES 3.1) Physics (sort by value)
Gigaset GS100
549 Points
Honor 7S
573 Points +4%
Huawei Y5 2018
560 Points +2%
Xiaomi Redmi Note 5A Prime
1148 Points +109%
Umidigi A1 Pro
531 Points -3%
Average Mediatek MT6739 (486 - 690, n=17)
567 Points +3%
Average of class Smartphone (858 - 4679, n=102, last 2 years)
3127 Points +470%
GFXBench (DX / GLBenchmark) 2.7
T-Rex Onscreen (sort by value)
Gigaset GS100
8.2 fps
Honor 7S
10 fps +22%
Huawei Y5 2018
10 fps +22%
Xiaomi Redmi Note 5A Prime
20 fps +144%
Umidigi A1 Pro
9.7 fps +18%
Average Mediatek MT6739 (8.2 - 15, n=17)
10.1 fps +23%
Average of class Smartphone (22 - 165, n=177, last 2 years)
83.6 fps +920%
1920x1080 T-Rex Offscreen (sort by value)
Gigaset GS100
5 fps
Honor 7S
6.1 fps +22%
Huawei Y5 2018
6 fps +20%
Xiaomi Redmi Note 5A Prime
17 fps +240%
Umidigi A1 Pro
6 fps +20%
Average Mediatek MT6739 (4.9 - 6.1, n=17)
5.64 fps +13%
Average of class Smartphone (19 - 791, n=177, last 2 years)
243 fps +4760%
GFXBench 3.0 - on screen Manhattan Onscreen OGL (sort by value)
Gigaset GS100
4.4 fps
Honor 7S
5.7 fps +30%
Huawei Y5 2018
5.7 fps +30%
Xiaomi Redmi Note 5A Prime
15 fps +241%
Umidigi A1 Pro
5.4 fps +23%
Average Mediatek MT6739 (4.4 - 10, n=16)
5.61 fps +28%
Average of class Smartphone (6.8 - 165, n=178, last 2 years)
71.3 fps +1520%
GFXBench 3.1
on screen Manhattan ES 3.1 Onscreen (sort by value)
Gigaset GS100
2.8 fps
Honor 7S
3.6 fps +29%
Huawei Y5 2018
3.4 fps +21%
Xiaomi Redmi Note 5A Prime
11 fps +293%
Umidigi A1 Pro
3.3 fps +18%
Average Mediatek MT6739 (2.6 - 6.7, n=16)
3.51 fps +25%
Average of class Smartphone (3.7 - 158, n=178, last 2 years)
60.2 fps +2050%
1920x1080 Manhattan ES 3.1 Offscreen (sort by value)
Gigaset GS100
1.3 fps
Honor 7S
1.6 fps +23%
Huawei Y5 2018
1.6 fps +23%
Xiaomi Redmi Note 5A Prime
4.9 fps +277%
Umidigi A1 Pro
1.6 fps +23%
Average Mediatek MT6739 (1.3 - 1.7, n=16)
1.494 fps +15%
Average of class Smartphone (6.2 - 279, n=178, last 2 years)
97 fps +7362%

Legend

 
Gigaset GS100 Mediatek MT6739, PowerVR GE8100, 8 GB eMMC Flash
 
Honor 7S Mediatek MT6739, PowerVR GE8100, 16 GB eMMC Flash
 
Huawei Y5 2018 Mediatek MT6739, PowerVR GE8100, 16 GB eMMC Flash
 
Xiaomi Redmi Note 5A Prime Qualcomm Snapdragon 435, Qualcomm Adreno 505, 32 GB eMMC Flash
 
Umidigi A1 Pro Mediatek MT6739, PowerVR GE8100, 16 GB eMMC Flash

We conducted our browser benchmarks with Chrome 68, in which our test device finished bottom of our comparison table in two out of three benchmarks.

JetStream 1.1 - Total Score
Average of class Smartphone (66.1 - 104.3, n=2, last 2 years)
85.2 Points +537%
Umidigi A1 Pro (Chrome 66)
17.86 Points +33%
Huawei Y5 2018 (Chrome 67)
17.7 Points +32%
Xiaomi Redmi Note 5A Prime (Chrome 67)
17.55 Points +31%
Honor 7S (Chrome 67)
17.54 Points +31%
Average Mediatek MT6739 (13.4 - 18.5, n=14)
16.7 Points +25%
Gigaset GS100 (Chrome 68)
13.38 Points
Octane V2 - Total Score
Average of class Smartphone (4633 - 89112, n=202, last 2 years)
33355 Points +1494%
Xiaomi Redmi Note 5A Prime (Chrome 67)
3293 Points +57%
Umidigi A1 Pro (Chrome 66)
3191 Points +52%
Huawei Y5 2018 (Chrome 67)
3138 Points +50%
Honor 7S (Chrome 67)
3132 Points +50%
Average Mediatek MT6739 (2093 - 3386, n=15)
2945 Points +41%
Gigaset GS100 (Chrome 68)
2093 Points
Mozilla Kraken 1.1 - Total
Honor 7S (Chrome 67)
17852 ms * -12%
Huawei Y5 2018 (Chrome 67)
16492 ms * -3%
Average Mediatek MT6739 (13599 - 18154, n=16)
16427 ms * -3%
Gigaset GS100 (Chrome 68)
15962 ms *
Umidigi A1 Pro (Chrome 66)
15718 ms * +2%
Xiaomi Redmi Note 5A Prime (Chrome 67)
13586 ms * +15%
Average of class Smartphone (388 - 9999, n=165, last 2 years)
1658 ms * +90%

* ... smaller is better

Our test device can read our Toshiba Exceria Pro M501 reference microSD card, which not all budget smartphones can do. MicroSD card transfer speeds are on par with our comparison devices and well above the class average.

By contrast, our test device has considerably slower internal storage transfer speeds than the competition. The GS100 finished behind all our comparison devices in all AndroBench 3-5 internal storage benchmarks.

Gigaset GS100Honor 7SHuawei Y5 2018Xiaomi Redmi Note 5A PrimeUmidigi A1 ProAverage 8 GB eMMC FlashAverage of class Smartphone
AndroBench 3-5
94%
78%
158%
66%
-14%
2817%
Sequential Read 256KB
97.2
237.6
144%
245.3
152%
287.1
195%
269.2
177%
128.8 ?(38.1 - 289, n=51)
33%
1468 ?(215 - 4512, n=210, last 2 years)
1410%
Sequential Write 256KB
24
67.1
180%
47.8
99%
120.3
401%
44.4
85%
22.1 ?(6.22 - 54.8, n=51)
-8%
1078 ?(57.5 - 3678, n=210, last 2 years)
4392%
Random Read 4KB
17.6
39.69
126%
39
122%
47.87
172%
29.6
68%
18.1 ?(8 - 50.5, n=51)
3%
242 ?(22.2 - 543, n=210, last 2 years)
1275%
Random Write 4KB
6.2
13.24
114%
11.8
90%
17.15
177%
10.2
65%
5.35 ?(1.08 - 14, n=51)
-14%
266 ?(13 - 709, n=210, last 2 years)
4190%
Sequential Read 256KB SDCard
79.5 ?(Toshiba Exceria Pro M501)
80.1 ?(Toshiba Exceria Pro M501)
1%
81.7 ?(Toshiba Exceria Pro M501)
3%
84.4 ?(Toshiba Exceria Pro M501)
6%
81 ?(Toshiba Exceria Pro M501)
2%
43.1 ?(16.3 - 84.2, n=21)
-46%
Sequential Write 256KB SDCard
61 ?(Toshiba Exceria Pro M501)
61.9 ?(Toshiba Exceria Pro M501)
1%
62.3 ?(Toshiba Exceria Pro M501)
2%
60.2 ?(Toshiba Exceria Pro M501)
-1%
58.8 ?(Toshiba Exceria Pro M501)
-4%
29.1 ?(11.2 - 63.4, n=21)
-52%

Games

Complex games like Asphalt 9: Legends are often not compatible with the GS100, and even those that are compatible do not play particularly smoothly. Simpler games like Angry Birds and Temple Run are playable, but they take a while to load, and there are occasional micro-stutters. In short, the GS100 is powerful enough to handle light gaming, but you will need a faster smartphone if you want to play more-demanding games.

The positional sensor and touchscreen worked well throughout testing.

Temple Run
Temple Run
Angry Birds
Angry Birds

Emissions

Temperature

The GS100 is a relatively cool device even under sustained load. Surface temperatures on our test device reached a maximum of 31.1 °C at idle but had an average of 29.15 °C. Predictably, surface temperatures rise when the device operates under sustained load, but only to a maximum of 34.6 °C and an average of 31.3 °C.

Max. Load
 32.7 °C
91 F
28.9 °C
84 F
31.3 °C
88 F
 
 34.1 °C
93 F
29.1 °C
84 F
31.8 °C
89 F
 
 34.5 °C
94 F
28.5 °C
83 F
31.3 °C
88 F
 
Maximum: 34.5 °C = 94 F
Average: 31.4 °C = 89 F
29.4 °C
85 F
30.3 °C
87 F
32.4 °C
90 F
29.7 °C
85 F
30.3 °C
87 F
34.4 °C
94 F
29.7 °C
85 F
29.8 °C
86 F
34.6 °C
94 F
Maximum: 34.6 °C = 94 F
Average: 31.2 °C = 88 F
Power Supply (max.)  38.5 °C = 101 F | Room Temperature 21.9 °C = 71 F | Voltcraft IR-260
(+) The average temperature for the upper side under maximal load is 31.4 °C / 89 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 34.5 °C / 94 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 34.6 °C / 94 F, compared to the average of 33.8 °C / 93 F
(+) In idle usage, the average temperature for the upper side is 29.4 °C / 85 F, compared to the device average of 32.7 °C / 91 F.
Heat-map of the front of the device under sustained load
Heat-map of the front of the device under sustained load
Heat-map of the back of the device under sustained load
Heat-map of the back of the device under sustained load

Speakers

Pink Noise speaker test
Pink Noise speaker test

The GS100 has a small mono speaker on the rear of the device that reaches a maximum of 74.4 dB(A). The speaker is neither particularly loud nor high-pitched and is good enough for occasional audio playback; the experience is not a fun one though.

By contrast, audio output over the 3.5 mm jack and Bluetooth is clean. The connection is reliable in both instances too.

dB(A) 0102030405060708090Deep BassMiddle BassHigh BassLower RangeMidsHigher MidsLower HighsMid HighsUpper HighsSuper Highs2032.333.72525.638.93125.735.84027.436503747.76323.329.18021.423.410021.724.812519.921.116017.419.12001722.325016.429.131514.536.640014.246.350014.149.663012.655.880012.561.410001263.8125011.863.6160011.662.9200011.465.1250011.363.8315011.459.8400011.158.8500011.257.1630011.354.8800011.261.31000011.365.61250011.370.41600011.360.7SPL6767.167.365.824.174.4N19.520.221.617.80.630.6median 12median 58.8median 44.5median 41.8median 12.3median 52.5Delta4.513.622.82411.821.92534.127.63326.835.528.137.528.134.720.526.717.526.115.623.415.92614.422.213.722.912.226.411.127.310.134.710.137.29.346.58.851.88.553.38.155.28.3527.746.87.845.98.146.87.947.2851.58.253.38.354.78.248.88.245.38.334.147.363.620.7635.413.90.315.6median 8.3median 46.5median 10.5median 39.32.81110.223.7hearing rangehide median Pink NoiseGigaset GS100Huawei Y5 2018
Frequency diagram (checkboxes can be checked and unchecked to compare devices)
Gigaset GS100 audio analysis

(±) | speaker loudness is average but good (74.4 dB)
Bass 100 - 315 Hz
(-) | nearly no bass - on average 33.3% lower than median
(±) | linearity of bass is average (8.8% delta to prev. frequency)
Mids 400 - 2000 Hz
(±) | reduced mids - on average 5.9% lower than median
(±) | linearity of mids is average (8.1% delta to prev. frequency)
Highs 2 - 16 kHz
(+) | balanced highs - only 3% away from median
(+) | highs are linear (6.4% delta to prev. frequency)
Overall 100 - 16.000 Hz
(±) | linearity of overall sound is average (28.1% difference to median)
Compared to same class
» 68% of all tested devices in this class were better, 5% similar, 26% worse
» The best had a delta of 12%, average was 38%, worst was 134%
Compared to all devices tested
» 82% of all tested devices were better, 3% similar, 14% worse
» The best had a delta of 4%, average was 25%, worst was 134%

Huawei Y5 2018 audio analysis

(-) | not very loud speakers (63.6 dB)
Bass 100 - 315 Hz
(-) | nearly no bass - on average 21.8% lower than median
(+) | bass is linear (6.2% delta to prev. frequency)
Mids 400 - 2000 Hz
(±) | higher mids - on average 6% higher than median
(±) | linearity of mids is average (11.9% delta to prev. frequency)
Highs 2 - 16 kHz
(+) | balanced highs - only 3.4% away from median
(+) | highs are linear (5.9% delta to prev. frequency)
Overall 100 - 16.000 Hz
(±) | linearity of overall sound is average (27.8% difference to median)
Compared to same class
» 67% of all tested devices in this class were better, 5% similar, 27% worse
» The best had a delta of 12%, average was 38%, worst was 134%
Compared to all devices tested
» 82% of all tested devices were better, 3% similar, 15% worse
» The best had a delta of 4%, average was 25%, worst was 134%

Battery Life

Power Consumption

The GS100 is an economic device, particularly when compared to our comparison devices. Our test device needs a measurable amount of power when turned off, and it is less economical than other devices in standby. Generally, the GS100 is a power-efficient device that outshines the competition.

Power Consumption
Off / Standbydarklight 0.2 / 0.8 Watt
Idledarkmidlight 1.3 / 2.1 / 2.9 Watt
Load midlight 4.4 / 5.3 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.
Gigaset GS100
3000 mAh
Honor 7S
3020 mAh
Huawei Y5 2018
3020 mAh
Xiaomi Redmi Note 5A Prime
3080 mAh
Umidigi A1 Pro
3150 mAh
Average Mediatek MT6739
 
Average of class Smartphone
 
Power Consumption
-39%
-4%
-12%
-16%
-8%
5%
Idle Minimum *
1.3
2.5
-92%
1.3
-0%
1.8
-38%
1.8
-38%
1.522 ?(0.87 - 2.8, n=16)
-17%
0.894 ?(0.42 - 2.37, n=157, last 2 years)
31%
Idle Average *
2.1
3
-43%
1.7
19%
2.4
-14%
2.3
-10%
2.17 ?(1.6 - 3.5, n=16)
-3%
1.452 ?(0.69 - 4.26, n=157, last 2 years)
31%
Idle Maximum *
2.9
3.8
-31%
2.5
14%
2.9
-0%
3.2
-10%
2.86 ?(1.68 - 6.3, n=16)
1%
1.632 ?(0.79 - 4.45, n=157, last 2 years)
44%
Load Average *
4.4
5.4
-23%
5.5
-25%
4
9%
4.7
-7%
4.73 ?(2.8 - 7, n=16)
-8%
5.55 ?(2.4 - 16.5, n=157, last 2 years)
-26%
Load Maximum *
5.3
5.7
-8%
6.8
-28%
6.3
-19%
6
-13%
5.99 ?(3.5 - 11.9, n=16)
-13%
8.23 ?(4.32 - 20.8, n=157, last 2 years)
-55%

* ... smaller is better

Battery Life

The GS100 has a 3,000 mAh battery, which is on par with our comparison devices. Our test device has comparatively poor battery life, despite its impressively low power consumption. Our test device lasted just 8 h 52 m in our Wi-Fi battery life test, during which we run a script that simulates the load required to render websites. The Honor 7S lasted for 14 hours in the same test, for example, although it does not have a removable battery like the GS100. In theory, you could overcome the GS100’s relatively poor battery life by purchasing an additional battery or two. However, we could not find GS100 replacement batteries at the time of writing.

The included 7.5 W charger recharges our test device fully in under two hours.

Battery Runtime
WiFi Websurfing
8h 52min
Gigaset GS100
3000 mAh
Honor 7S
3020 mAh
Huawei Y5 2018
3020 mAh
Xiaomi Redmi Note 5A Prime
3080 mAh
Umidigi A1 Pro
3150 mAh
Battery Runtime
WiFi v1.3
532
840
58%
685
29%
647
22%
608
14%

Pros

+ removable battery
+ quick Wi-Fi
+ low power consumption
+ low surface temperatures

Cons

- the case could be more robust
- little memory
- front-facing camera takes dark photos
- strong blue tint to the display
- average performance
- short battery life

Verdict

In review: Gigaset GS100. Test device courtesy of Gigaset Germany.
In review: Gigaset GS100. Test device courtesy of Gigaset Germany.

The Gigaset GS100 is not a device for those who are looking for the best value for money, nor is it suited for performance junkies. So, for whom is the GS100 designed? The removable battery is worth mentioning, but it is not a unique selling point for devices at this price. Frustratingly, Gigaset does not currently sell replacement batteries on its website either. The fast Wi-Fi performance is impressive, but it cannot overcome our test device’s slow system performance.

Moreover, the lack of case rigidity, the cheap feel of the power button and the blue tint to the display are all valid reasons against buying the GS100. We may have forgiven these shortcomings had Gigaset priced the device at around 30 Euros (~$34) cheaper, but the GS100 is too expensive when compared to its competitors.

The Gigaset GS100 has hardly any advantages over the competition; the device has a removable battery, but it is too expensive and too slow to warrant a recommendation.

We would only recommend the GS100 to those who for consider 120 Euros (~$137) as the limit for a smartphone. There are still better smartphones at this price though with better battery life, cameras and performance. In short, the Gigaset GS100 struggles in the face of better-equipped competition.

Gigaset GS100 - 10/01/2018 v6(old)
Florian Wimmer

Chassis
65%
Keyboard
50 / 75 → 67%
Pointing Device
78%
Connectivity
34 / 60 → 57%
Weight
90%
Battery
91%
Display
79%
Games Performance
5 / 63 → 8%
Application Performance
22 / 70 → 31%
Temperature
93%
Noise
100%
Audio
46 / 91 → 50%
Camera
43%
Average
61%
72%
Smartphone - Weighted Average

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Florian Wimmer, 2018-10- 3 (Update: 2019-02-26)