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Gigaset ME Smartphone Review

Hot and wireless phone. Gigaset is coming from the world of DECT telephones and now wants to enter the smartphone market. The Gigaset ME is a successful first attempt thanks to the noble design and high-quality features.
Gigaset ME

For the original German review, see here.

Welcome to the smartphone market, Gigaset. One of the first devices from the Munich-based manufacturer is the Gigaset ME (but still “Made in China”). The smartphone is available in subtle black or white and does not want to reinvent the wheel at a first look but convinces with sophisticated features and a reasonable price of 469 Euros (~$512). The best way to get the device right now is Gigaset's own online shop; the big online shops currently do not list it (yet).

The 5-inch smartphone has to compete with other well-built devices in this price range like the Asus ZenFone 2 Deluxe, the Motorola Moto X Style and the Sony Xperia Z5 Compact.

Gigaset ME (ME Series)
Processor
Qualcomm Snapdragon 810 MSM8994 8 x 2 GHz, Cortex-A57/-A53
Graphics adapter
Memory
3 GB 
Display
5.00 inch 16:9, 1920 x 1080 pixel, capacitive touchscreen, IPS, glossy: yes
Storage
32 GB eMMC Flash, 32 GB 
, 21.77 GB free
Connections
1 USB 3.0 / 3.1 Gen1, 1 Infrared, Audio Connections: 3.5 mm headset port, Card Reader: microSD up to 128 GB, 1 Fingerprint Reader, Sensors: Position sensor, proximity sensor, light sensor (UV), compass, heart rate monitor
Networking
802.11 a/b/g/n/ac (a/b/g/n = Wi-Fi 4/ac = Wi-Fi 5/), Bluetooth 4.1, GPRS, EDGE, HSDPA, HSUPA, HSPA+, LTE-A, max. bandwidth (download/upload): 300Mbps/50Mbps (LTE), Dual SIM, LTE, GPS
Size
height x width x depth (in mm): 7.7 x 144.5 x 69.4 ( = 0.3 x 5.69 x 2.73 in)
Battery
13 Wh, 3000 mAh Lithium-Ion, Talk time 2G (according to manufacturer): 27 h, Talk time 3G (according to manufacturer): 26 h, Standby 2G (according to manufacturer): 361 h
Operating System
Android 5.1 Lollipop
Camera
Primary Camera: 16 MPix 16.0MP, AF, Dual-LED-flash, videos @2160p/30fps
Secondary Camera: 8 MPix Videos @1080p
Additional features
Speakers: 1, Keyboard: virtual keyboard, Headset, SIM-slot tool, flat ribbon charging cable, Power adaptor, Contact Push, Smart Remote, Security, Evernote, Amazon Kindle, 24 Months Warranty, fanless
Weight
160 g ( = 5.64 oz / 0.35 pounds), Power Supply: 47 g ( = 1.66 oz / 0.1 pounds)
Price
500 Euro
Note: The manufacturer may use components from different suppliers including display panels, drives or memory sticks with similar specifications.

 

Case

The Gigaset ME cannot really distinguish itself from the omnipresent iPhone design. Thanks to metal and glass, it looks very noble and the tactile feeling is very sophisticated. The chassis could provide better grip for our taste, because the smartphone is quite slippery. At just 7.7 millimeters, the Gigaset ME is a very slim smartphone and feels good in the hand with its rounded corners and the weight of 160 grams.

Another noteworthy aspect is the box, which is very noble with a magnetic catch and a folding mechanism. There is also a dedicated compartment for each accessory, which are also nicely designed.

153.9 mm / 6.06 inch 76.2 mm / 3 inch 10.6 mm / 0.4173 inch 177 g0.3902 lbs152.5 mm / 6 inch 77.2 mm / 3.04 inch 10.9 mm / 0.4291 inch 170 g0.3748 lbs144.5 mm / 5.69 inch 69.4 mm / 2.73 inch 7.7 mm / 0.3031 inch 160 g0.3527 lbs127 mm / 5 inch 65 mm / 2.56 inch 8.9 mm / 0.3504 inch 138 g0.3042 lbs148 mm / 5.83 inch 105 mm / 4.13 inch 1 mm / 0.03937 inch 1.5 g0.00331 lbs

Connectivity

The eMMC storage of the Gigaset ME is generously sized at 32 GB and you can also expand it by up to 128 GB via microSD-card. There is a USB Type-C port, where the connector can be attached in both directions, and an infrared port, so you can use the smartphone as a remote.

The Gigaset ME supports two SIM cards, but you cannot use a microSD-card when you use two SIMs. Both slots support LTE.

A fingerprint reader at the back provides comfortable unlocking; it works very reliably and even includes a heart-rate monitor.

Gigaset's customized user interface has a noble touch.
Gigaset's customized user interface has a noble touch.

Software

Gigaset uses the operating system Android 5.1.1 in a visually customized version. The design of the user interface is pretty restrained and usually uses dark backgrounds and soft fonts, but the control elements are sometimes a bit small.

There is some additional software preloaded like the app for Gigaset's own smart home product lineup Elements, Amazon Kindle as well as an app with a remote functionality to control external devices. You can launch a virus scan or remove rights for apps in the Security Center. The "Power Saver" offers settings to increase the battery runtime.

Communication & GPS 

The wireless features are very good and you get all the modern standards including very fast LTE Cat. 6. Gigaset does not give us any specific information about the supported frequencies of the Gigaset ME, but our review unit uses the same SoC as the HTC One M9, which can be used pretty much all over the world.

The Gigaset ME supports all current Wi-Fi standards up to the modern 802.11ac for both 2.4 as well as 5 GHz networks. Bluetooth 4.1 is available as well, just like Wireless Display and Wi-Fi MiMo. The signal quality, however, was pretty weak at a distance of 10 meters to the router and through two walls, and we sometimes lost it completely. We got the full signal close to the router.

Telephone & Voice Quality

Gigaset also slightly changed the design of the phone app, but this should not be a problem for Android users. New users will quickly get used to the three tabs "Favorites", "History" and "Contacts" as well. It is also possible to enter a name via search or just enter the number via the number pad.

We are not so convinced by the voice quality: The integrated speaker sounds very dull and our call partner also reported a very dull sound from the microphone. The speaker of the hands-free feature on the other hand sounds very clear, but we can also hear a clear noise in the voice.

Picture front camera
Picture front camera

Cameras & Multimedia

At the back is a 16 MP camera with an aperture of f/2.0 and a pixel size of 1.34 µm. It can either be triggered via touchscreen or the fingerprint scanner and is supported by a dual-LED flash. Some of the comparison devices have sensors with higher resolutions (Sony Xperia Z5 Compact: 23 MP), the Asus ZenFone 2 Deluxe on the other hand only comes with a 13 MP unit.

But not only is the number of pixels important. The pictures of the Gigaset ME convince at a first look, they look sharp and the colors are good. However, there are significant quality differences when you zoom in, compared to the camera of the iPhone 6S Plus, for example: Edges look much blurrier on the pictures of the Gigaset ME and it is not as sharp in general. Videos can be recorded in the 2K resolution, which is roughly four times the Full HD resolution (around twice as wide and high). The videos are sharp, but the autofocus is sometimes too slow.

The front camera takes pictures at 8 MP and the results are pretty sharp but a bit too dark.

Image Comparison

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

Scene 1Scene 2Scene 3
click to load images

Color Accuracy & Sharpness

Picture of the ColorChecker colors. We displayed the original color in the bottom half of every patch.
Picture of the ColorChecker colors. We displayed the original color in the bottom half of every patch.

We also evaluate the color accuracy and sharpness of the main camera under controlled lighting conditions. We take a picture of the X-Rite ColorChecker Passport. The colors are much darker and usually more saturated compared to the reference colors. Yellow tones appear strangely damped.

We take a picture of our test chart to evaluate the sharpness and enlarge the center area: Here we can see the previously mentioned problems with the sharpness. The colors also tend to become paler towards the edges.

Input Devices & Handling

Gigaset does not use Google's standard keyboard but installs the popular alternative "SwiftKey". The keyboard actually offers many options, but purists will still favor Google's clearer lettering. The general typing experience was reliable. The touchscreen also worked well in the corners and peripheral areas. The control buttons at the lower display frame are implemented as software buttons, while the physical buttons are limited to the side of the smartphone: They feel sophisticated and have a well-defined pressure point.

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

Display

Subpixel array
Subpixel array

5-inches, IPS, Full HD – the display specifications of the Gigaset ME do not stand out from the masses, but everything is sharp and the subjective picture impression is good. At up to 471 cd/m², there are even brighter panels, but the luminance is easily sufficient for the majority of scenarios. The more realistic APL measurement in the center determined 450 cd/m² and is therefore slightly higher compared to the standard measurement.

471
cd/m²
447
cd/m²
461
cd/m²
465
cd/m²
445
cd/m²
455
cd/m²
466
cd/m²
453
cd/m²
438
cd/m²
Distribution of brightness
tested with X-Rite i1Pro 2
Maximum: 471 cd/m² (Nits) Average: 455.7 cd/m² Minimum: 4.9 cd/m²
Brightness Distribution: 93 %
Center on Battery: 445 cd/m²
Contrast: 1171:1 (Black: 0.38 cd/m²)
ΔE Color 4.29 | 0.5-29.43 Ø5
ΔE Greyscale 4.97 | 0.57-98 Ø5.3
Gamma: 2.57
Gigaset ME
Adreno 430, 810 MSM8994, 32 GB eMMC Flash
Sony Xperia Z5 Compact
Adreno 430, 810 MSM8994, 32 GB eMMC Flash
Motorola Moto X Style
Adreno 418, 808 MSM8992, 32 GB eMMC Flash
Asus Zenfone 2 Deluxe ZE551ML
PowerVR G6430, Z3580, 128 GB eMMC Flash
Screen
-22%
1%
-25%
Brightness middle
445
547
23%
538
21%
425
-4%
Brightness
456
532
17%
528
16%
395
-13%
Brightness Distribution
93
94
1%
92
-1%
88
-5%
Black Level *
0.38
0.54
-42%
0.66
-74%
0.5
-32%
Contrast
1171
1013
-13%
815
-30%
850
-27%
Colorchecker dE 2000 *
4.29
7.37
-72%
2.63
39%
7.05
-64%
Colorchecker dE 2000 max. *
7.89
Greyscale dE 2000 *
4.97
8.39
-69%
3.24
35%
6.38
-28%
Gamma
2.57 86%
2.28 96%
2.17 101%
1.63 135%
CCT
7625 85%
9074 72%
6906 94%
6776 96%
Color Space (Percent of sRGB)
99.9865

* ... smaller is better

The display of the Gigaset ME can actually convince in terms of black value as well as contrast ratio and surpasses the comparison devices: A contrast of 1171:1 is a result of the low black value at 0.38 cd/m². This means black surfaces are pretty dark and the colors are rich.

We use the software CalMAN and a spectrophotometer for a detailed analysis. The deviations compared to the reference color space sRGB are already surprisingly low ex-works, only a slight blue cast affects the picture a bit.

CalMAN ColorChecker
CalMAN ColorChecker
CalMAN Colorspace
CalMAN Colorspace
CalMAN Grayscale
CalMAN Grayscale
CalMAN Saturation Sweeps
CalMAN Saturation Sweeps

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
28 ms ... rise ↗ and fall ↘ combined↗ 11 ms rise
↘ 17 ms fall
The screen shows relatively slow response rates in our tests and may be too slow for gamers.
In comparison, all tested devices range from 0.1 (minimum) to 240 (maximum) ms. » 67 % of all devices are better.
This means that the measured response time is worse than the average of all tested devices (21.6 ms).
       Response Time 50% Grey to 80% Grey
50 ms ... rise ↗ and fall ↘ combined↗ 26 ms rise
↘ 24 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. » 84 % of all devices are better.
This means that the measured response time is worse than the average of all tested devices (33.9 ms).

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 18100 (minimum: 5 - maximum: 3846000) Hz was measured.

The glossy surface and the decent luminance of the display contradict each other outdoors, but you can still ensure an acceptable visibility in brighter environments when you slightly adjust your position.

Thanks to the IPS technology, we do not have to speak a lot about the viewing angles: Everything is fine, even from very flat angles.

Outdoor use
Outdoor use
Viewing angles
Viewing angles

Performance

The Qualcomm Snapdragon 810 MSM8994 is an SoC that has been used for many high-end smartphones recently. The Xperia Z5 Compact is one of the comparison devices with the same SoC. It is therefore surprising that the Gigaset ME has a hard time to compete with Sony's smartphone. The case temperatures suggest that Gigaset has problems with the cooling and the chip throttles under load. 

All in all, you can use the Gigaset ME very smoothly, but the comparison devices are often even faster. There are also occasional hiccups in practice, which are not dramatic, but surprising considering the specs.

The microSD-slot supports cards up to 128 GB. We checked the performance with our reference card Toshiba Exceria SD-CX32UHS1 (up to 95 MB/s read, 60 MB/s write). Our review device managed read rates of up to 19.42 MB/s, which is rather disappointing when you consider the possible speeds. The write performance was also pretty poor (10.9 MB/s).

Geekbench 3
64 Bit Single-Core Score (sort by value)
Gigaset ME
966 Points
Motorola Moto X Style
1276 Points +32%
64 Bit Multi-Core Score (sort by value)
Gigaset ME
4452 Points
Motorola Moto X Style
3567 Points -20%
3DMark
2560x1440 Sling Shot Extreme (ES 3.1) (sort by value)
Gigaset ME
1093 Points
Sony Xperia Z5 Compact
1198 Points +10%
Motorola Moto X Style
517 Points -53%
2560x1440 Sling Shot Extreme (ES 3.1) Graphics (sort by value)
Gigaset ME
1027 Points
Sony Xperia Z5 Compact
1137 Points +11%
Motorola Moto X Style
440 Points -57%
2560x1440 Sling Shot Extreme (ES 3.1) Physics (sort by value)
Gigaset ME
1408 Points
Sony Xperia Z5 Compact
1472 Points +5%
Motorola Moto X Style
1345 Points -4%
1280x720 offscreen Ice Storm Unlimited Score (sort by value)
Gigaset ME
19445 Points
Sony Xperia Z5 Compact
26420 Points +36%
Motorola Moto X Style
19702 Points +1%
Asus Zenfone 2 Deluxe ZE551ML
20242 Points +4%
1280x720 offscreen Ice Storm Unlimited Graphics Score (sort by value)
Gigaset ME
25016 Points
Sony Xperia Z5 Compact
37319 Points +49%
Motorola Moto X Style
23321 Points -7%
Asus Zenfone 2 Deluxe ZE551ML
20006 Points -20%
1280x720 offscreen Ice Storm Unlimited Physics (sort by value)
Gigaset ME
10927 Points
Sony Xperia Z5 Compact
13065 Points +20%
Motorola Moto X Style
12767 Points +17%
Asus Zenfone 2 Deluxe ZE551ML
21115 Points +93%
GFXBench (DX / GLBenchmark) 2.7
T-Rex Onscreen (sort by value)
Gigaset ME
50 fps
Sony Xperia Z5 Compact
57 fps +14%
Motorola Moto X Style
24 fps -52%
Asus Zenfone 2 Deluxe ZE551ML
30 fps -40%
1920x1080 T-Rex Offscreen (sort by value)
Gigaset ME
51 fps
Sony Xperia Z5 Compact
56 fps +10%
Motorola Moto X Style
34 fps -33%
Asus Zenfone 2 Deluxe ZE551ML
30 fps -41%
GFXBench 3.0
on screen Manhattan Onscreen OGL (sort by value)
Gigaset ME
25 fps
Sony Xperia Z5 Compact
45 fps +80%
Motorola Moto X Style
9.3 fps -63%
Asus Zenfone 2 Deluxe ZE551ML
12 fps -52%
1920x1080 1080p Manhattan Offscreen (sort by value)
Gigaset ME
24 fps
Sony Xperia Z5 Compact
25 fps +4%
Motorola Moto X Style
15 fps -37%
Asus Zenfone 2 Deluxe ZE551ML
13 fps -46%
GFXBench 3.1
on screen Manhattan ES 3.1 Onscreen (sort by value)
Gigaset ME
18 fps
Sony Xperia Z5 Compact
38 fps +111%
Motorola Moto X Style
5.6 fps -69%
1920x1080 Manhattan ES 3.1 Offscreen (sort by value)
Gigaset ME
17 fps
Sony Xperia Z5 Compact
18 fps +6%
Motorola Moto X Style
9.9 fps -42%
GFXBench
on screen Car Chase Onscreen (sort by value)
Gigaset ME
5.7 fps
1920x1080 Car Chase Offscreen (sort by value)
Gigaset ME
4.5 fps
AnTuTu v6 - Total Score (sort by value)
Gigaset ME
54213 Points
Asus Zenfone 2 Deluxe ZE551ML
63188 Points +17%
BaseMark OS II
Overall (sort by value)
Gigaset ME
1571 Points
Sony Xperia Z5 Compact
1569 Points 0%
Motorola Moto X Style
1743 Points +11%
Asus Zenfone 2 Deluxe ZE551ML
1267 Points -19%
System (sort by value)
Gigaset ME
1422 Points
Sony Xperia Z5 Compact
2082 Points +46%
Motorola Moto X Style
2783 Points +96%
Asus Zenfone 2 Deluxe ZE551ML
1968 Points +38%
Memory (sort by value)
Gigaset ME
781 Points
Sony Xperia Z5 Compact
963 Points +23%
Motorola Moto X Style
1776 Points +127%
Asus Zenfone 2 Deluxe ZE551ML
1035 Points +33%
Graphics (sort by value)
Gigaset ME
4449 Points
Sony Xperia Z5 Compact
3094 Points -30%
Motorola Moto X Style
1918 Points -57%
Asus Zenfone 2 Deluxe ZE551ML
1411 Points -68%
Web (sort by value)
Gigaset ME
1233 Points
Sony Xperia Z5 Compact
976 Points -21%
Motorola Moto X Style
974 Points -21%
Asus Zenfone 2 Deluxe ZE551ML
896 Points -27%
PCMark for Android - Work performance score (sort by value)
Gigaset ME
4544 Points
Sony Xperia Z5 Compact
4084 Points -10%
Motorola Moto X Style
5859 Points +29%
AndroBench 3-5
Sequential Read 256KB (sort by value)
Gigaset ME
232 MB/s
Sony Xperia Z5 Compact
248.1 MB/s +7%
Motorola Moto X Style
246.9 MB/s +6%
Asus Zenfone 2 Deluxe ZE551ML
144.5 MB/s -38%
Sequential Write 256KB (sort by value)
Gigaset ME
131 MB/s
Sony Xperia Z5 Compact
88.9 MB/s -32%
Motorola Moto X Style
46.15 MB/s -65%
Asus Zenfone 2 Deluxe ZE551ML
90 MB/s -31%
Random Read 4KB (sort by value)
Gigaset ME
22 MB/s
Sony Xperia Z5 Compact
14.15 MB/s -36%
Motorola Moto X Style
26.97 MB/s +23%
Asus Zenfone 2 Deluxe ZE551ML
20.68 MB/s -6%
Random Write 4KB (sort by value)
Gigaset ME
15 MB/s
Sony Xperia Z5 Compact
7.81 MB/s -48%
Motorola Moto X Style
31.1 MB/s +107%
Asus Zenfone 2 Deluxe ZE551ML
8.48 MB/s -43%
Octane V2 - Total Score (sort by value)
Gigaset ME
7109 Points
Sony Xperia Z5 Compact
5691 Points -20%
Motorola Moto X Style
8065 Points +13%
Asus Zenfone 2 Deluxe ZE551ML
6379 Points -10%
Mozilla Kraken 1.1 - Total (sort by value)
Gigaset ME
7670 ms *
Sony Xperia Z5 Compact
4210 ms * +45%
Motorola Moto X Style
7325 ms * +4%
Asus Zenfone 2 Deluxe ZE551ML
6002 ms * +22%
JetStream 1.1 - Total Score (sort by value)
Gigaset ME
28.48 Points
Sony Xperia Z5 Compact
49 Points +72%
Motorola Moto X Style
45 Points +58%
Asus Zenfone 2 Deluxe ZE551ML
36.27 Points +27%

Legend

 
Gigaset ME Qualcomm Snapdragon 810 MSM8994, Qualcomm Adreno 430, 32 GB eMMC Flash
 
Sony Xperia Z5 Compact Qualcomm Snapdragon 810 MSM8994, Qualcomm Adreno 430, 32 GB eMMC Flash
 
Motorola Moto X Style Qualcomm Snapdragon 808 MSM8992, Qualcomm Adreno 418, 32 GB eMMC Flash
 
Asus Zenfone 2 Deluxe ZE551ML Intel Atom Z3580, PowerVR G6430, 128 GB eMMC Flash

* ... smaller is better

Games

Despite the throttling, you can also play fast titles like Asphalt 8 smoothly at the highest details, because the SoC is still powerful enough. Angry Birds 2 is no problem anyway. The controls via position sensor and touchscreen worked very well.

Asphalt 8: Airborne runs smoothly,...
Asphalt 8: Airborne runs smoothly,...
...Angry Birds 2 is therefore no problem.
...Angry Birds 2 is therefore no problem.

Emissions

Temperature

The Gigaset ME is a pretty hot device under load: We can measure up to 50.3 °C at the upper left front. This is too much, especially since the comparison devices are at least 9 degrees cooler. You can also feel the warming over the whole chassis surface. The temperatures are inconspicuous while idling.

Max. Load
 48.5 °C
119 F
46.1 °C
115 F
44.6 °C
112 F
 
 49.8 °C
122 F
46.9 °C
116 F
44.2 °C
112 F
 
 50.3 °C
123 F
46.5 °C
116 F
43 °C
109 F
 
Maximum: 50.3 °C = 123 F
Average: 46.7 °C = 116 F
44.2 °C
112 F
45.8 °C
114 F
46 °C
115 F
43.1 °C
110 F
45.5 °C
114 F
47.2 °C
117 F
31.3 °C
88 F
39.4 °C
103 F
45.8 °C
114 F
Maximum: 47.2 °C = 117 F
Average: 43.1 °C = 110 F
Power Supply (max.)  33.5 °C = 92 F | Room Temperature 22.9 °C = 73 F | Voltcraft IR-260
(-) The average temperature for the upper side under maximal load is 46.7 °C / 116 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 50.3 °C / 123 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 47.2 °C / 117 F, compared to the average of 33.8 °C / 93 F
(+) In idle usage, the average temperature for the upper side is 31.8 °C / 89 F, compared to the device average of 32.7 °C / 91 F.

Speakers

Speaker measurements: Pink Noise
Speaker measurements: Pink Noise

Despite the two grilles at the bottom, only the left one covers a speaker. It still manages a decent maximum volume at almost 81 dB(A), but the sound is focused on the high tones, so music and movie playback is not very enjoyable. The sound is pretty good with the attached headset though.

Energy Management

Power Consumption

The idle consumption is average within the competition, but there are outliers under load, where up to 12.75 Watts is too high. The standby consumption is also too high at 0.3 Watts.

Power Consumption
Off / Standbydarklight 0.08 / 0.3 Watt
Idledarkmidlight 0.75 / 1.7 / 1.84 Watt
Load midlight 7.18 / 12.75 Watt
 color bar
Key: min: dark, med: mid, max: light        Gossen 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.

Battery Runtime

A 3,000 mAh battery is standard in this price range and for a 5-inch smartphone, and Gigaset also uses one for its smartphone. 12.9 Wh is the capacity, which is sufficient for 6:30 hours Wi-Fi surfing. The competition is on a similar level. However, the Gigaset ME does not last very long under load due to the enormous power consumption.

The smartphone is equipped with Qualcomm's Quick Charge technology and the manufacturer promises 9% battery charge in 5 minutes and 16% in 10 minutes. We can support this after three charging cycles.

Battery Runtime
WiFi Websurfing
6h 33min
Load (maximum brightness)
1h 23min
Gigaset ME
Adreno 430, 810 MSM8994, 32 GB eMMC Flash
Sony Xperia Z5 Compact
Adreno 430, 810 MSM8994, 32 GB eMMC Flash
Asus Zenfone 2 Deluxe ZE551ML
PowerVR G6430, Z3580, 128 GB eMMC Flash
Motorola Moto X Style
Adreno 418, 808 MSM8992, 32 GB eMMC Flash
Battery Runtime
102%
7%
83%
WiFi v1.3
393
440
12%
420
7%
400
2%
Load
83
242
192%
219
164%

Pros

+ nice and sturdy chassis
+ very thin
+ fingerprint scanner with heart-rate monitor
+ dual-SIM
+ microSD-slot
+ good software
+ great display
+ practical runtimes

Cons

- slippery chassis
- Wi-Fi signal could be improved
- mediocre voice quality
- poor camera sharpness
- very high temperatures
- very high power consumption under load

Verdict

In review: Gigaset ME. Test model courtesy of Gigaset Germany.
In review: Gigaset ME. Test model courtesy of Gigaset Germany.

Gigaset’s ME is a successful first attempt for the smartphone market, but there is still room for improvements. The device is not too expensive at 469 Euros (~$512). It offers high-end specs and even the support for two SIM-cards. The unpacking is also an enjoyable experience thanks to the nicely designed box. The smartphone has a nice design and a thin chassis.

The battery runtime is reasonable, the display convenient, and 32 GB storage with the possibility of additional storage via microSD-card are convincing arguments for the Gigaset ME.

The ME from the German manufacturer Gigaset is a worthy alternative to the established brands when you are looking for a nice smartphone. Good software and the noble design can compensate for some drawbacks. 

The chassis is a bit slippery and we can only recommend a grippy cover. The biggest issue is the temperature development of the device under load though, which likely causes a throttling of the core components as well. This means the Gigaset ME is not quite as powerful as other devices with the same SoC. You will also have to live with sharpness deficits for the camera pictures and the Wi-Fi signal isn't always very good.

Gigaset ME - 02/21/2016 v5(old)
Florian Wimmer

Chassis
92%
Keyboard
65 / 75 → 87%
Pointing Device
90%
Connectivity
41 / 60 → 68%
Weight
91%
Battery
89%
Display
87%
Games Performance
48 / 63 → 76%
Application Performance
48 / 70 → 69%
Temperature
75%
Noise
100%
Audio
63 / 91 → 69%
Camera
78%
Average
74%
85%
Smartphone - Weighted Average

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Florian Wimmer, 2016-02-27 (Update: 2018-05-15)