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Gigaset GS180 Smartphone Review

Design made in Germany. Gigaset's GS185 is the first smartphone made in Germany after a very long time. Its more affordable cousin, the Gigaset GS180, is also designed in Germany. We took a closer look at the 149-Euro (~$174) smartphone equipped with Android 8.1, VoLTE, Dual-SIM, and a 5-inch display.
Unlike the Gigaset GS185 the GS180 features a 16:9 display.
Unlike the Gigaset GS185 the GS180 features a 16:9 display.

The Gigaset GS180 is very similar to the recently released Gigaset GS185 in many respects. For example, both smartphones support VoLTE, which is fairly uncommon for devices in this price range. However, unlike its 180-Euro (~$210)  cousin the GS180 features a 5-inch 16:9 instead of the former’s 18:9 display. Given its resolution of 1280x720 the pixel density is 294 dpi - typical for its class.

Both Gigaset smartphones come with a vanilla flavor of Google’s most recent version of Android preloaded, 8.1 (Oreo). A fingerprint reader is also included, which is rather uncommon for devices in the sub-200-dollar price range.

The main difference between the two siblings is their design. While the Gigaset GS185 features a polycarbonate unibody case with non-removable battery the GS180 has a removable rear cover and, accordingly, a user-replaceable 3,000 mAh battery. Internal memory is 16 GB on both models, and according to the manufacturer it can be expanded via a microSD card of up to 128 GB.

The device is powered by a MediaTek MTK6737 quad-core processor running at just 1.3 GHz. It is paired with an ARM Mali-T720 MP1 GPU running at 550 MHz and 2 GB of RAM. The Gigaset GS185’s CPU is slightly faster at 1.4 GHz.

Both smartphones feature the exact same 13 MP camera capable of FHD video recording. The only difference is that the GS180’s aperture is f/2.2. Its secondary front-facing camera is just 8 MP, whereas the GS185’s features a 13 MP shooter at the front as well.

At an MSRP of 149 Euros (~$174), the GS180 is exactly 30 Euros (~$35) cheaper than the GS185, and it sold for 149 Euros at the time of writing. Both, the LG K8 and Nokia 3, can already be had for 105 Euros (~$123), while the Samsung Galaxy J3 costs 120 Euros (~$140). In all fairness, we should add though that these phones were all released in 2017.

Gigaset GS180 (GS Series)
Processor
Mediatek MT6737 4 x 1.3 GHz, Cortex-A53
Graphics adapter
ARM Mali-T720 MP2, Core: 550 MHz
Memory
2048 MB 
Display
5.00 inch 16:9, 1280 x 720 pixel 294 PPI, capacitive, IPS, glossy: yes
Storage
16 GB eMMC Flash, 16 GB 
, 11.5 GB free
Connections
1 USB 2.0, Audio Connections: 3.5-mm audio, Card Reader: microSD, microSDHC, microSDXC (up to 128 GB), 1 Fingerprint Reader, Brightness Sensor, Sensors: accelorometer, gyroscope, proximity sensor
Networking
802.11a/b/g/n (a/b/g/n = Wi-Fi 4/), Bluetooth 4.1, GSM:850/900/1,800/1,900 MHz, UMTS: 800/850/900/1,900/2,100 MHz, LTE:800/1,800/2,100/2,600 MHz, Dual SIM, LTE, GPS
Size
height x width x depth (in mm): 9 x 143 x 72.2 ( = 0.35 x 5.63 x 2.84 in)
Battery
3000 mAh Lithium-Ion, removeable
Operating System
Android 8.1 Oreo
Camera
Primary Camera: 13 MPix autofocus, high dynamic range, LED flash
Secondary Camera: 8 MPix autofocus, high dynamic range, LED flash
Additional features
Speakers: Mono, USB cable, charger, stereo headset, 24 Months Warranty, IP52, SAR: 0,562 W/kg, fanless
Weight
150 g ( = 5.29 oz / 0.33 pounds), Power Supply: 52 g ( = 1.83 oz / 0.11 pounds)
Price
149 Euro
Note: The manufacturer may use components from different suppliers including display panels, drives or memory sticks with similar specifications.

 

Case

Unfortunately, the GS180’s case is not water- or dust-proof. The matte rear surface is slightly roughened and thus fingerprint resistant. In addition, the battery cover’s rough surface renders the phone pretty slip-proof on smooth table surfaces. The slots for the nano SIM and the microSD cards are located behind the battery cover, and all three can be accessed without removing the battery.

Volume rocker and power button can be found on the right-hand side, and we were positively surprised by the GS180’s low weight of just 137 g (4.83 oz). At just 148.5 x 70.8 x 8.2 mm (5.85 x 2.8 x 0.32 inches) it is also compact enough for one-handed use.

Removable battery cover
Removable battery cover
5-inch display with HD resolution
Fingerprint reader close to the main camera

Size Comparison

144.8 mm / 5.7 inch 72.1 mm / 2.84 inch 8.1 mm / 0.3189 inch 142 g0.3131 lbs143 mm / 5.63 inch 72.2 mm / 2.84 inch 9 mm / 0.3543 inch 150 g0.3307 lbs143 mm / 5.63 inch 71.4 mm / 2.81 inch 8.68 mm / 0.3417 inch 141 g0.3109 lbs143.2 mm / 5.64 inch 70.3 mm / 2.77 inch 8.2 mm / 0.3228 inch 148 g0.3263 lbs148 mm / 5.83 inch 105 mm / 4.13 inch 1 mm / 0.03937 inch 1.5 g0.00331 lbs

Connectivity

As already mentioned, the processor is a MediaTek’s MTK6737 - an entry-level SoC for Android smartphones that was first introduced in 2016. It has four 64-bit Cortex A53 cores running at 1.35 GHz. The GPU is an ARM Mali-T710 MP1 running at 550 MHz, and the SoC also features an LTE Cat. 4 modem, Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n, and a video decoder and encoder for 30 FPS FHD video.

Internal memory is just 16 GB, which is not uncommon for an entry-level smartphone. Fortunately, storage space can be expanded via microSD cards of up to 128 GB. In addition to the microSD card, the GS180 can also take two nano SIM cards simultaneously. It is charged via the Micro USB 2.0 port at the bottom of the device. This port can only be used for charging and data transfer, nothing else.

Software

Entry-level smartphones are mostly neglected in terms of operating system updates, but the Gigaset GS180 is different. It was the only device in our test group running Google’s most current version of Android, 8.1 Oreo.

Given that the operating system has remained largely unmodified save for two Gigaset apps, we expect a pretty long period of software updates. For some reason, Google Assistant was missing and had to be installed from the Play Store retroactively. Once installed it worked flawlessly.

Android-typical drop down menu
Android-typical drop down menu
SIM card settings
SIM card settings
The most important Google apps are preloaded
The most important Google apps are preloaded
The arrow hints at the installed applications
The arrow hints at the installed applications

Communication and GPS

The integrated Wi-Fi modem supports 802.11 a/b/g/n in the 2.4 and 5 GHz bands. At just 79.4 Mbps transfer rates when connected to our Linksys EA8500 reference router, the speeds were fairly low. Standing right next to a different router, an O2 HomeBox 2, RSSI read a comparatively low -32 dBm.

The phone supports LTE and VoLTE, although both are only supported on the first SIM card. The secondary SIM card can only access 3G/UMTS networks. Bluetooth 4.1 is included, NFC is not.

Networking
iperf3 transmit AX12
Gigaset GS180
Mali-T720 MP2, MT6737, 16 GB eMMC Flash
79.4 MBit/s
Nokia 3
Mali-T720, MT6737, 16 GB eMMC Flash
76.6 MBit/s -4%
Samsung Galaxy J3 2017
Mali-T720 MP2, Exynos 7570, 16 GB eMMC Flash
53.5 MBit/s -33%
LG K8 2017
Adreno 308, 425, 16 GB eMMC Flash
49.2 MBit/s -38%
iperf3 receive AX12
Average of class Smartphone
  (last 2 years)
376 MBit/s +282%
Gigaset GS180
Mali-T720 MP2, MT6737, 16 GB eMMC Flash
98.5 MBit/s
Nokia 3
Mali-T720, MT6737, 16 GB eMMC Flash
81.1 MBit/s -18%
LG K8 2017
Adreno 308, 425, 16 GB eMMC Flash
54.1 MBit/s -45%
Samsung Galaxy J3 2017
Mali-T720 MP2, Exynos 7570, 16 GB eMMC Flash
46.9 MBit/s -52%
GPS test indoors
GPS test indoors
GPS test outdoors
GPS test outdoors

Positioning worked fairly well by and large, particularly outdoors. Indoor positioning was not as painless, but at 6 m (~20 ft), accuracy was okay for a device in this price range.

We took the GS180 on our usual bicycle tour in order to compare its GPS accuracy to a professional Garmin Edge 500 GPS. At exactly 9.28 km (~5.77 mi) the recorded track length was identical on both units. However, the actual track differed significantly between the two.

GPS test Gigaset GS180
GPS test Gigaset GS180
GPS test Gigaset GS180
GPS test Gigaset GS180
GPS test Gigaset GS180
GPS test Gigaset GS180
GPS test Garmin Edge 500
GPS test Garmin Edge 500
GPS test Garmin Edge 500
GPS test Garmin Edge 500
GPS test Garmin Edge 500
GPS test Garmin Edge 500

Telephone and Call Quality

Contacts
Contacts
Phone app
Phone app

The GS180 features Google’s standard phone app, which supports not just favorites, but also a list of recent conversations. Call quality was good, and we did not have any trouble understanding our conversational partners both indoors and outdoors, even in the comparatively poor Telefónica network. The integrated mono speaker rattled somewhat, but it was powerful enough and did not impede call quality on speakerphone.

The GS180’s flexibility is worthy of praise for sure. It can take two nano SIM cards at the same time. The first SIM card can connect to fast 4G/LTE networks, including support for VoLTE, the second SIM card has to make do with the slower 3G or even 2G networks. In addition to two nano SIM cards, the phone can also take an extra microSD card for storage expansion.

Cameras

The Gigaset GS180’s main camera features a 13 MP sensor and an aperture of f/2.2. Low light conditions were a serious challenge for the camera despite support for automatic HDR in auto mode. The powerful LED flash was a positive surprise.

The secondary camera is equipped with a smaller 8 MP sensor. Compared with other smartphones in its class the front-facing shooter’s photo quality was somewhat decent, however the photos lacked sharpness and details towards the edges.

13 MP main camera
13 MP main camera
8 MP front-facing camera
8 MP front-facing camera

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 test every camera under normalized conditions in our lab by taking a photo of a reference card simulating different and difficult conditions for cameras, such as for example fine lines on colored backgrounds.

As it turns out, the GS180’s main camera did not do particularly well in our test. Text on a red background was slightly blurry, the lines had color fringes along their edges, the photo seemed unevenly illuminated, and last but not least colors were oversaturated. All things considered the results were right where we would have expected them to be for a smartphone at the Gigaset’s price point.

Accessories & Warranty

We found the usual suspects in the Gigaset’s box: a charger with USB port, a USB cable, a stereo headset (not in-ear), and a quick start guide in seven European languages (one of them being German). The standard warranty is 24 months. Please see our Guarantees, Return policies and Warranties FAQ for country-specific information.

Input Devices & Handling

Like most current Android smartphones the GS180 features the usual three virtual buttons at the bottom of the display: back, home, and multi-tasking. When tapping on the multi-tasking button, a small broom that can be used to close all running applications appeared on the screen.

Another feature quite typical for pure Android smartphones is Google’s GBoard keyboard application. By default, it is set to the system language chosen during initial setup, but it also supports various other additional layouts - among others exotic ones like Galician or non-Latin typeface such as Japanese.

The display was a mixed bag. On the one hand its response times to tap input were fairly fast. On the other, its outdoor usability was severely limited due to massive reflections. Text input in portrait mode turned out to be very precise and accurate.

Keyboard in portrait mode
Keyboard in portrait mode
Keyboard in landscape mode
Keyboard in landscape mode

Display

Subpixel geometry
Subpixel geometry

The 5-inch IPS display runs at a resolution of 1280x720 pixels. Unlike many other modern smartphones, among others the Gigaset GS185, its display ratio is 16:9 instead of 18:9.

522
cd/m²
477
cd/m²
497
cd/m²
519
cd/m²
478
cd/m²
525
cd/m²
517
cd/m²
504
cd/m²
549
cd/m²
Distribution of brightness
tested with X-Rite i1Pro 2
Maximum: 549 cd/m² (Nits) Average: 509.8 cd/m² Minimum: 19.13 cd/m²
Brightness Distribution: 87 %
Center on Battery: 478 cd/m²
Contrast: 531:1 (Black: 0.9 cd/m²)
ΔE Color 7.6 | 0.5-29.43 Ø5
ΔE Greyscale 9.3 | 0.57-98 Ø5.3
90% sRGB (Calman 2D)
Gamma: 1.98
Gigaset GS180
IPS, 1280x720, 5.00
Nokia 3
IPS, 1280x720, 5.00
Samsung Galaxy J3 2017
PLS, 1280x720, 5.00
LG K8 2017
IPS, 1280x720, 5.00
Screen
46%
49%
8%
Brightness middle
478
481
1%
502
5%
358
-25%
Brightness
510
469
-8%
494
-3%
351
-31%
Brightness Distribution
87
84
-3%
89
2%
93
7%
Black Level *
0.9
0.22
76%
0.35
61%
0.49
46%
Contrast
531
2186
312%
1434
170%
731
38%
Colorchecker dE 2000 *
7.6
8.1
-7%
4.6
39%
7.1
7%
Colorchecker dE 2000 max. *
13.9
15.4
-11%
8
42%
14.9
-7%
Greyscale dE 2000 *
9.3
8.5
9%
2.5
73%
6.5
30%
Gamma
1.98 111%
2.16 102%
2.29 96%
2.12 104%
CCT
8003 81%
9014 72%
6351 102%
8166 80%

* ... 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.

Its maximum brightness of 486 nits was acceptable for its price range, and maximum brightness remained unaffected by whether adaptive ambient light was enabled or disabled. In the real-world APL50 (Average Picture Level) test with evenly distributed bright and dark areas we were able to determine a maximum brightness of 478 nits in the middle as well as a black level of 0.9 nits.

In everyday use, colors were popping noticeably and the contrast ratio determined by us was okay for a device in this price range. sRGB color space coverage was also more than acceptable, and so were its DeltaE deviations for colors and grayscale as well as color temperature.

CalMAN grayscale (color space: sRGB)
CalMAN grayscale (color space: sRGB)
CalMAN saturation (color space: sRGB)
CalMAN saturation (color space: sRGB)
CalMAN color space (color space: sRGB)
CalMAN color space (color space: sRGB)
CalMAN color accuracy (color space: sRGB)
CalMAN color accuracy (color space: sRGB)

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
13.6 ms ... rise ↗ and fall ↘ combined↗ 6 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. » 29 % 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
25.6 ms ... rise ↗ and fall ↘ combined↗ 12 ms rise
↘ 13.6 ms fall
The screen shows relatively slow response rates in our tests and may be too slow for gamers.
In comparison, all tested devices range from 0.2 (minimum) to 636 (maximum) ms. » 30 % of all devices are better.
This means that the measured response time is better than the average of all tested devices (33.9 ms).

Outdoor usability was somewhat limited due to the display’s highly reflective nature, but it worked remarkably well indoors or in the dark. However, its ambient light sensor was rather slow, and by and large it went overboard and dimmed the display a bit too much for our taste. We recommend adjusting the brightness manually, especially when gaming.

Outdoors
Outdoors
Outdoors
Outdoors
Outdoors
Outdoors
Viewing angles
Viewing angles

Viewing angles were very wide thanks to IPS technology, and colors remained undistorted even at acute angles. However, the display darkened noticeably at extreme angles. Due to the comparatively low maximum brightness the display fell behind in bright ambient light conditions.

Performance

The Gigaset GS180 is powered by a 1.3 GHz MediaTek MTK6737 quad-core processor running at 1.3 GHz and 2 GB of RAM. In other words: it is adequately equipped for an entry-level smartphone. Accordingly, opening a new application with plenty of applications already running in the background took quite a while, and text input for example in Google Maps lagged somewhat behind.

AnTuTu v7 - Total Score (sort by value)
Gigaset GS180
33984 Points
LG K8 2017
32557 Points -4%
Average Mediatek MT6737 (33984 - 36005, n=2)
34995 Points +3%
PCMark for Android
Work performance score (sort by value)
Gigaset GS180
3247 Points
Nokia 3
3439 Points +6%
LG K8 2017
4673 Points +44%
Average Mediatek MT6737 (2415 - 3624, n=18)
3155 Points -3%
Average of class Smartphone (10884 - 19297, n=2, last 2 years)
15091 Points +365%
Work 2.0 performance score (sort by value)
Gigaset GS180
2385 Points
Nokia 3
2568 Points +8%
Samsung Galaxy J3 2017
3436 Points +44%
LG K8 2017
2986 Points +25%
Average Mediatek MT6737 (2313 - 2768, n=13)
2543 Points +7%
Average of class Smartphone (9101 - 12871, n=4, last 2 years)
10872 Points +356%
BaseMark OS II
Overall (sort by value)
Gigaset GS180
189 Points
Nokia 3
551 Points +192%
Samsung Galaxy J3 2017
704 Points +272%
LG K8 2017
371 Points +96%
Average Mediatek MT6737 (176 - 588, n=17)
391 Points +107%
Average of class Smartphone (411 - 11438, n=158, last 2 years)
5704 Points +2918%
System (sort by value)
Gigaset GS180
1020 Points
Nokia 3
1081 Points +6%
Samsung Galaxy J3 2017
1395 Points +37%
LG K8 2017
1191 Points +17%
Average Mediatek MT6737 (859 - 1394, n=17)
1073 Points +5%
Average of class Smartphone (2376 - 16475, n=158, last 2 years)
9621 Points +843%
Memory (sort by value)
Gigaset GS180
626 Points
Nokia 3
703 Points +12%
Samsung Galaxy J3 2017
1055 Points +69%
LG K8 2017
634 Points +1%
Average Mediatek MT6737 (419 - 942, n=17)
622 Points -1%
Average of class Smartphone (670 - 12306, n=158, last 2 years)
6230 Points +895%
Graphics (sort by value)
Gigaset GS180
209 Points
Nokia 3
211 Points +1%
Samsung Galaxy J3 2017
252 Points +21%
LG K8 2017
436 Points +109%
Average Mediatek MT6737 (176 - 384, n=17)
216 Points +3%
Average of class Smartphone (697 - 58651, n=158, last 2 years)
13900 Points +6551%
Web (sort by value)
Gigaset GS180
10 Points
Nokia 3
575 Points +5650%
Samsung Galaxy J3 2017
662 Points +6520%
LG K8 2017
616 Points +6060%
Average Mediatek MT6737 (9 - 703, n=17)
353 Points +3430%
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 GS180
531 Points
Nokia 3
556 Points +5%
Samsung Galaxy J3 2017
634 Points +19%
LG K8 2017
642 Points +21%
Average Mediatek MT6737 (450 - 581, n=11)
533 Points 0%
Average of class Smartphone (800 - 9574, n=90, last 2 years)
5063 Points +853%
64 Bit Multi-Core Score (sort by value)
Gigaset GS180
1413 Points
Nokia 3
1520 Points +8%
Samsung Galaxy J3 2017
1858 Points +31%
LG K8 2017
1737 Points +23%
Average Mediatek MT6737 (1252 - 1595, n=11)
1465 Points +4%
Average of class Smartphone (2630 - 26990, n=90, last 2 years)
13549 Points +859%
Compute RenderScript Score (sort by value)
Nokia 3
1045 Points
Samsung Galaxy J3 2017
1135 Points
LG K8 2017
1203 Points
Average Mediatek MT6737 (938 - 1065, n=7)
988 Points
Average of class Smartphone (2053 - 18432, n=70, last 2 years)
10590 Points
3DMark
1280x720 offscreen Ice Storm Unlimited Score (sort by value)
Gigaset GS180
3657 Points
Nokia 3
3665 Points 0%
Samsung Galaxy J3 2017
4381 Points +20%
LG K8 2017
2951 Points -19%
Average Mediatek MT6737 (3142 - 6843, n=17)
3861 Points +6%
1280x720 offscreen Ice Storm Unlimited Graphics Score (sort by value)
Gigaset GS180
3235 Points
Nokia 3
3177 Points -2%
Samsung Galaxy J3 2017
3725 Points +15%
LG K8 2017
2546 Points -21%
Average Mediatek MT6737 (2706 - 6147, n=17)
3356 Points +4%
1280x720 offscreen Ice Storm Unlimited Physics (sort by value)
Gigaset GS180
5462 Points
Nokia 3
7925 Points +45%
Samsung Galaxy J3 2017
11426 Points +109%
LG K8 2017
6656 Points +22%
Average Mediatek MT6737 (5462 - 11340, n=17)
8181 Points +50%
2560x1440 Sling Shot OpenGL ES 3.0 (sort by value)
Gigaset GS180
96 Points
Nokia 3
152 Points +58%
Samsung Galaxy J3 2017
115 Points +20%
LG K8 2017
39 Points -59%
Average Mediatek MT6737 (68 - 164, n=14)
140 Points +46%
Average of class Smartphone (712 - 7285, n=52, last 2 years)
3495 Points +3541%
2560x1440 Sling Shot OpenGL ES 3.0 Graphics (sort by value)
Gigaset GS180
77 Points
Nokia 3
124 Points +61%
Samsung Galaxy J3 2017
92 Points +19%
LG K8 2017
31 Points -60%
Average Mediatek MT6737 (54 - 227, n=14)
121.2 Points +57%
Average of class Smartphone (618 - 9451, n=52, last 2 years)
3845 Points +4894%
2560x1440 Sling Shot OpenGL ES 3.0 Physics (sort by value)
Gigaset GS180
690 Points
Nokia 3
745 Points +8%
Samsung Galaxy J3 2017
925 Points +34%
LG K8 2017
622 Points -10%
Average Mediatek MT6737 (663 - 781, n=14)
738 Points +7%
Average of class Smartphone (1093 - 4525, n=52, last 2 years)
2989 Points +333%
2560x1440 Sling Shot Extreme (ES 3.1) (sort by value)
Gigaset GS180
94 Points
Nokia 3
106 Points +13%
Samsung Galaxy J3 2017
79 Points -16%
LG K8 2017
Points -100%
Average Mediatek MT6737 (75 - 265, n=15)
108.3 Points +15%
Average of class Smartphone (286 - 7890, n=102, last 2 years)
2665 Points +2735%
2560x1440 Sling Shot Extreme (ES 3.1) Graphics (sort by value)
Gigaset GS180
75 Points
Nokia 3
85 Points +13%
Samsung Galaxy J3 2017
63 Points -16%
LG K8 2017
Points -100%
Average Mediatek MT6737 (60 - 220, n=15)
87.3 Points +16%
Average of class Smartphone (240 - 9814, n=102, last 2 years)
2655 Points +3440%
2560x1440 Sling Shot Extreme (ES 3.1) Physics (sort by value)
Gigaset GS180
716 Points
Nokia 3
686 Points -4%
Samsung Galaxy J3 2017
923 Points +29%
LG K8 2017
Points -100%
Average Mediatek MT6737 (666 - 946, n=15)
749 Points +5%
Average of class Smartphone (858 - 4679, n=102, last 2 years)
3119 Points +336%
GFXBench (DX / GLBenchmark) 2.7
T-Rex Onscreen (sort by value)
Gigaset GS180
11 fps
Nokia 3
10 fps -9%
Samsung Galaxy J3 2017
11 fps 0%
LG K8 2017
6.4 fps -42%
Average Mediatek MT6737 (6 - 14, n=17)
10.4 fps -5%
Average of class Smartphone (22 - 165, n=178, last 2 years)
83 fps +655%
1920x1080 T-Rex Offscreen (sort by value)
Gigaset GS180
6 fps
Nokia 3
6 fps 0%
Samsung Galaxy J3 2017
6.8 fps +13%
LG K8 2017
3.4 fps -43%
Average Mediatek MT6737 (5.1 - 10, n=17)
6.11 fps +2%
Average of class Smartphone (19 - 791, n=178, last 2 years)
244 fps +3967%
GFXBench 3.0
on screen Manhattan Onscreen OGL (sort by value)
Gigaset GS180
5 fps
Nokia 3
4.5 fps -10%
Samsung Galaxy J3 2017
5.4 fps +8%
LG K8 2017
3.7 fps -26%
Average Mediatek MT6737 (2.1 - 8, n=17)
4.7 fps -6%
Average of class Smartphone (6.8 - 165, n=179, last 2 years)
71 fps +1320%
1920x1080 1080p Manhattan Offscreen (sort by value)
Gigaset GS180
2.3 fps
Nokia 3
2.2 fps -4%
Samsung Galaxy J3 2017
2.6 fps +13%
LG K8 2017
1.3 fps -43%
Average Mediatek MT6737 (1.6 - 4.5, n=17)
2.42 fps +5%
Average of class Smartphone (9.2 - 363, n=179, last 2 years)
138 fps +5900%
GFXBench 3.1
on screen Manhattan ES 3.1 Onscreen (sort by value)
Gigaset GS180
3.5 fps
Nokia 3
3.2 fps -9%
Samsung Galaxy J3 2017
3.8 fps +9%
LG K8 2017
fps -100%
Average Mediatek MT6737 (1.2 - 14, n=17)
3.92 fps +12%
Average of class Smartphone (3.7 - 158, n=179, last 2 years)
59.9 fps +1611%
1920x1080 Manhattan ES 3.1 Offscreen (sort by value)
Gigaset GS180
1.4 fps
Nokia 3
1.4 fps 0%
Samsung Galaxy J3 2017
1.7 fps +21%
LG K8 2017
fps -100%
Average Mediatek MT6737 (1.2 - 5.5, n=17)
1.629 fps +16%
Average of class Smartphone (6.2 - 279, n=179, last 2 years)
96.7 fps +6807%
GFXBench
on screen Car Chase Onscreen (sort by value)
LG K8 2017
fps
Average Mediatek MT6737
4 fps
Average of class Smartphone (5 - 117, n=179, last 2 years)
42.9 fps
1920x1080 Car Chase Offscreen (sort by value)
LG K8 2017
fps
Average Mediatek MT6737
1.8 fps
Average of class Smartphone (2.9 - 166, n=179, last 2 years)
58.6 fps

Legend

 
Gigaset GS180 Mediatek MT6737, ARM Mali-T720 MP2, 16 GB eMMC Flash
 
Nokia 3 Mediatek MT6737, ARM Mali-T720, 16 GB eMMC Flash
 
Samsung Galaxy J3 2017 Samsung Exynos 7570 Quad, ARM Mali-T720 MP2, 16 GB eMMC Flash
 
LG K8 2017 Qualcomm Snapdragon 425 (MSM8917), Qualcomm Adreno 308, 16 GB eMMC Flash

Overall, the GS180’s performance was average. Browsing performance was sufficient for an Android smartphone in its price range. Websites took quite a while to load, and scrolling was not always smooth.

JetStream 1.1 - Total Score
Average of class Smartphone (66.1 - 414, n=3, last 2 years)
194.9 Points +1311%
Samsung Galaxy J3 2017 (Chrome 59)
17.17 Points +24%
LG K8 2017 (Chrome 57)
17.12 Points +24%
Average Mediatek MT6737 (11.6 - 21.9, n=17)
15.2 Points +10%
Nokia 3 (Chrome 59)
13.97 Points +1%
Gigaset GS180 (Chrome 67)
13.81 Points
Octane V2 - Total Score
Average of class Smartphone (4633 - 89112, n=202, last 2 years)
33525 Points +1282%
LG K8 2017 (Chrome 57)
3052 Points +26%
Samsung Galaxy J3 2017 (Chrome 59)
2921 Points +20%
Gigaset GS180 (Chrome 67)
2426 Points
Average Mediatek MT6737 (1730 - 3383, n=17)
2386 Points -2%
Nokia 3 (Chrome 59)
2269 Points -6%
Mozilla Kraken 1.1 - Total
Gigaset GS180 (Chrome 67)
19297 ms *
Average Mediatek MT6737 (10615 - 30114, n=17)
17043 ms * +12%
Nokia 3 (Chrome 59)
16759 ms * +13%
Samsung Galaxy J3 2017 (Chrome 59)
12791 ms * +34%
LG K8 2017 (Chrome 57)
10742 ms * +44%
Average of class Smartphone (388 - 9999, n=165, last 2 years)
1653 ms * +91%
WebXPRT 2015 - Overall
Samsung Galaxy J3 2017 (Chrome 59)
60 Points
Nokia 3 (Chrome 59)
49 Points
Average Mediatek MT6737 (35 - 49, n=6)
43.7 Points

* ... smaller is better

Internal store is limited to 16 GB - typical for its class. Considering the average size of modern apps that have grown in size quite dramatically over the past few years due to complex graphics 16 GB is nothing to write home about. On the plus side, the storage space can be expanded via microSD cards of up to 128 GB, and the phone can still take two nano SIM cards at the same time.

Gigaset GS180Nokia 3Samsung Galaxy J3 2017LG K8 2017Average 16 GB eMMC FlashAverage of class Smartphone
AndroBench 3-5
-8%
20%
91%
7%
1701%
Sequential Read 256KB
154.1
181
17%
177.7
15%
270.8
76%
164.5 ?(9.66 - 294, n=256)
7%
1467 ?(215 - 4512, n=210, last 2 years)
852%
Sequential Write 256KB
67.3
34
-49%
51
-24%
84.6
26%
43 ?(8.74 - 106.3, n=256)
-36%
1077 ?(57.5 - 3678, n=210, last 2 years)
1500%
Random Read 4KB
12.5
17.7
42%
24
92%
41.6
233%
21.7 ?(2.49 - 62.1, n=256)
74%
241 ?(22.2 - 543, n=210, last 2 years)
1828%
Random Write 4KB
9.73
5.5
-43%
9.5
-2%
12.5
28%
8.08 ?(0.49 - 44.9, n=256)
-17%
265 ?(13 - 709, n=210, last 2 years)
2624%
Sequential Read 256KB SDCard
64.3
70.3
78.6 ?(Toshiba Exceria Pro M401)
59.1 ?(8.1 - 87.7, n=137)
Sequential Write 256KB SDCard
62.9
59.6
52.2 ?(Toshiba Exceria Pro M401)
39.8 ?(6.38 - 65.8, n=137)

Gaming

The GPU is an ARM Mali-T720 MP1 running at 550 MHz. Accordingly, we expected modern games from Google’s Play Store such as “Dream League Soccer 2018” to run rather sluggishly on the Gigaset GS180’s GPU. Gaming is thus limited to simpler and less demanding titles such as “Angry Birds 2”.

Angry Birds 2
Angry Birds 2
Angry Birds 2
Angry Birds 2
Dream League Soccer
Dream League Soccer
Dream League Soccer
Dream League Soccer

Emissions

Temperature

Temperatures during daily use remained unobtrusive by and large. Under maximum load with CPU and GPU running our stress test for at least one hour the smartphone reached a maximum of 44.5 °C (~112 °F) at the top while large parts of its back remained below 40 °C (~104°F). The battery got slightly warm with many apps open at the same time.

Max. Load
 41.3 °C
106 F
41.4 °C
107 F
44.5 °C
112 F
 
 41.9 °C
107 F
41.9 °C
107 F
44.1 °C
111 F
 
 41.8 °C
107 F
42.4 °C
108 F
40.8 °C
105 F
 
Maximum: 44.5 °C = 112 F
Average: 42.2 °C = 108 F
36.7 °C
98 F
37.7 °C
100 F
39.4 °C
103 F
36.8 °C
98 F
38.3 °C
101 F
40.4 °C
105 F
37.3 °C
99 F
38.6 °C
101 F
40.9 °C
106 F
Maximum: 40.9 °C = 106 F
Average: 38.5 °C = 101 F
Power Supply (max.)  33.3 °C = 92 F | Room Temperature 21.5 °C = 71 F | Voltcraft IR-260
(-) The average temperature for the upper side under maximal load is 42.2 °C / 108 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 44.5 °C / 112 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 40.9 °C / 106 F, compared to the average of 33.8 °C / 93 F
(±) In idle usage, the average temperature for the upper side is 33.3 °C / 92 F, compared to the device average of 32.7 °C / 91 F.
Heatmap
Heatmap
Heatmap
Heatmap

Speakers

Pink noise
Pink noise

The single mono speaker is located at the back of the device. Its maximum volume was okay for a device in this price range, and we liked its overall sound quality: it did not rattle or emit noticeable amounts of static while listening to music.

The acoustic pattern was fairly linear between 500 Hz and 7 kHz, however, it lacked bass and low mids. Highs above 8 kHz are well represented, but that is pretty much where the speaker topped out.

Plugging the included headset into the phone’s 3.5 mm headphone jack resulted in decent sound quality and an acceptable level of static and noise for the phone’s price range.

dB(A) 0102030405060708090Deep BassMiddle BassHigh BassLower RangeMidsHigher MidsLower HighsMid HighsUpper HighsSuper Highs2035.244.62532.939.63137.239.44031.735.55039.633.76328.332.58027.332.610026.929.412526.731.21602435.720020.94525020.951.631519.555.140018.562.850017.566.463017.568.780015.774.3100015.873.7125016.673.9160015.873.7200015.474.5250015.572.831501678.2400015.878.350001677.4630016.378.1800016.382.21000016.277.21250016.470.81600016.459.3SPL28.688.4N1.175.4median 16.4median 73.7Delta2.210.927.330.527.327.730.827.726.929.226.934.233.534.226.229.226.223.527.823.525.730.525.725.429.525.432.523.732.522.723.822.726.322.726.332.122.232.140.922.540.949.722.149.758.521.358.565.119.365.17019.77070.71970.769.518.369.569.416.269.470.715.970.772.215.572.274.515.774.580.715.480.780.515.280.571.915.271.970.515.270.569.915.169.958.615.158.646.11546.186.529.686.560.21.360.2median 69.4median 18.3median 69.412.93.612.9hearing rangehide median Pink NoiseGigaset GS180Nokia 3
Frequency diagram (checkboxes can be checked and unchecked to compare devices)
Gigaset GS180 audio analysis

(+) | speakers can play relatively loud (88.4 dB)
Bass 100 - 315 Hz
(-) | nearly no bass - on average 32.3% lower than median
(±) | linearity of bass is average (8.4% delta to prev. frequency)
Mids 400 - 2000 Hz
(+) | balanced mids - only 3.1% away from median
(+) | mids are linear (4.6% delta to prev. frequency)
Highs 2 - 16 kHz
(+) | balanced highs - only 4.3% away from median
(+) | highs are linear (4.5% delta to prev. frequency)
Overall 100 - 16.000 Hz
(±) | linearity of overall sound is average (19.8% difference to median)
Compared to same class
» 24% of all tested devices in this class were better, 8% similar, 68% worse
» The best had a delta of 12%, average was 38%, worst was 134%
Compared to all devices tested
» 45% of all tested devices were better, 7% similar, 48% worse
» The best had a delta of 4%, average was 25%, worst was 134%

Nokia 3 audio analysis

(+) | speakers can play relatively loud (86.5 dB)
Bass 100 - 315 Hz
(-) | nearly no bass - on average 39.4% lower than median
(±) | linearity of bass is average (11.6% delta to prev. frequency)
Mids 400 - 2000 Hz
(+) | balanced mids - only 4.8% away from median
(±) | linearity of mids is average (8% delta to prev. frequency)
Highs 2 - 16 kHz
(±) | higher highs - on average 5% higher than median
(+) | highs are linear (5.8% delta to prev. frequency)
Overall 100 - 16.000 Hz
(±) | linearity of overall sound is average (29% difference to median)
Compared to same class
» 72% of all tested devices in this class were better, 4% similar, 25% worse
» The best had a delta of 12%, average was 38%, worst was 134%
Compared to all devices tested
» 84% of all tested devices were better, 3% similar, 13% worse
» The best had a delta of 4%, average was 25%, worst was 134%

Battery Life

Power Consumption

Unfortunately, power consumption was not on comparable levels with the Nokia 3 and LG K8 (2017), neither when idle nor under load. The phone also lacks any form of rapid charging technology and thus took around 130 minutes to charge from near empty to 100%.

Power Consumption
Off / Standbydarklight 0.01 / 0.06 Watt
Idledarkmidlight 0.75 / 1.88 / 1.92 Watt
Load midlight 4.35 / 5.02 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 GS180
3000 mAh
Nokia 3
2630 mAh
Samsung Galaxy J3 2017
2400 mAh
LG K8 2017
2500 mAh
Average Mediatek MT6737
 
Average of class Smartphone
 
Power Consumption
23%
6%
18%
-5%
-15%
Idle Minimum *
0.75
0.67
11%
0.82
-9%
0.65
13%
0.869 ?(0.54 - 2.2, n=16)
-16%
0.891 ?(0.42 - 2.37, n=157, last 2 years)
-19%
Idle Average *
1.88
1.35
28%
1.94
-3%
1.6
15%
1.987 ?(1.35 - 3.4, n=16)
-6%
1.448 ?(0.69 - 4.26, n=157, last 2 years)
23%
Idle Maximum *
1.92
1.39
28%
2.06
-7%
1.62
16%
2.11 ?(1.39 - 3.5, n=16)
-10%
1.63 ?(0.79 - 4.45, n=157, last 2 years)
15%
Load Average *
4.35
3.1
29%
3.31
24%
2.97
32%
4.14 ?(2.18 - 6.51, n=16)
5%
5.57 ?(2.4 - 16.5, n=157, last 2 years)
-28%
Load Maximum *
5.02
4.02
20%
3.89
23%
4.34
14%
4.94 ?(3.61 - 6.96, n=16)
2%
8.27 ?(4.32 - 20.8, n=157, last 2 years)
-65%

* ... smaller is better

Battery Life

The battery is certainly one of the device’s weak points. While it is user replaceable, its capacity is fairly small at just 3,000 mAh. In our tests, the GS180 lasted for no more than 500 minutes. Translated into real life this means that the phone needs to be charged every single day. If you are looking for a phone with long battery life the GS185 with its 4,000 mAh battery might be worth a closer look.

Battery Runtime
WiFi Websurfing
8h 20min
Gigaset GS180
3000 mAh
Nokia 3
2630 mAh
Samsung Galaxy J3 2017
2400 mAh
LG K8 2017
2500 mAh
Battery Runtime
WiFi v1.3
500
552
10%
722
44%
594
19%

Pros

+ decent call quality and VoLTE
+ two nano-SIM and one microSD card simultaneously
+ clean Android OS
+ fingerprint reader

Cons

- poor battery life
- reflective display
- slow ambient light sensor
- slow processor
- inaccurate GPS

Verdict

Gigaset GS180. Review unit courtesy of Gigaset Germany.
Gigaset GS180. Review unit courtesy of Gigaset Germany.

The Gigaset GS180 shares some of its features with the more expensive Gigaset GS185: an up-to-date vanilla version of Android 8.1, 16 GB of storage space, dual SIM, VoLTE, and a fingerprint reader. In addition, its battery is replaceable. That is a lot of phone for 149 Euros (~$174).

The Gigaset GS180 shares some of its features with the more expensive GS185. If you can afford to spend another 30 Euros (~$35), we suggest buying the latter.

Nevertheless, we suggest buying the GS185 instead if you can afford to spend another 30 Euros (~$35). It has a bigger battery, a faster processor, and a better front-facing camera. Unfortunately, its display is also highly reflective and its ambient light sensor is just as slow.

Gigaset GS180 - 07/04/2018 v6(old)
Thomas Meyer

Chassis
79%
Keyboard
64 / 75 → 85%
Pointing Device
78%
Connectivity
37 / 60 → 61%
Weight
92%
Battery
91%
Display
78%
Games Performance
6 / 63 → 9%
Application Performance
23 / 70 → 33%
Temperature
85%
Noise
100%
Audio
64 / 91 → 70%
Camera
51%
Average
65%
75%
Smartphone - Weighted Average

Pricecompare

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Thomas Meyer, 2018-07-13 (Update: 2019-03- 9)