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UMi Super Euro Edition Smartphone Review

Limited edition. Only 999 UMi Super Euro Edition smartphones were supposedly released worldwide. The blue smartphone is thus pretty exclusive, although it doesn't differ much from the standard UMi Super. The smartphone from China is great in some areas, but some features are far from "super".

The UMi Super Euro Edition commemorates the European Soccer Championship which took place in July. Since UMi doesn't have an official license, the company mentions this fact just casually. UMi only produced 999 of the limited-edition smartphone and offered them to pre-registered users via a lottery.

Users who don't like the hype can also purchase the "normal" UMi Super - although the pretty blue is not an option then, only gold or silver. The smartphone offers quite a bit for the money (200 Euro/~$225): 32 GB of storage, 4 GB of RAM, fingerprint sensor, Full-HD display, and high-res cameras.    

But how "super" is the UMi Super really? To find out, we'll compare it to the Acer Liquid Zest Plus, the Lenovo ZUK Z2, the Honor 5X and the Blackview R7.

UMI Super Euro Edition (Super Series)
Processor
Mediatek Helio P10 MT6755 8 x 2 GHz, Cortex-A53
Graphics adapter
Memory
4 GB 
Display
5.50 inch 16:9, 1920 x 1080 pixel 401 PPI, kapazitiver Touchscreen, IPS, glossy: yes
Storage
32 GB eMMC Flash, 32 GB 
, 24.69 GB free
Connections
1 USB 2.0, Audio Connections: 3,5mm-Audiokombiport, Card Reader: microSD up to 128 GByte, 1 Fingerprint Reader, Brightness Sensor, Sensors: Proximity sensor, compass, position sensor, acceleration sensor
Networking
802.11a/b/g/n (a/b/g/n = Wi-Fi 4/), Bluetooth 4.1, GSM (850/​900/​1800/​1900), UMTS (850/​900/​1900/​2100), LTE (B1/​B3/​B7/​B20), Dual SIM, LTE, GPS
Size
height x width x depth (in mm): 8.5 x 151 x 77 ( = 0.33 x 5.94 x 3.03 in)
Battery
17.4 Wh, 4000 mAh Lithium-Ion
Operating System
Android 6.0 Marshmallow
Camera
Primary Camera: 13 MPix f/​2.0, AF, dual LED flash, 1080p videos
Secondary Camera: 5 MPix
Additional features
Speakers: Speaker at the bottom edge, Keyboard: Virtual keyboard, AC adapter, USB cable, SIM tool, FM radio, fanless
Weight
202 g ( = 7.13 oz / 0.45 pounds), Power Supply: 78 g ( = 2.75 oz / 0.17 pounds)
Price
200 Euro
Note: The manufacturer may use components from different suppliers including display panels, drives or memory sticks with similar specifications.

 

Case

The UMi Super is certainly no lightweight and tips our scales at 202 grams. The chassis is made out of aluminum with 2.5D glass up front and a blue back panel. The smartphone does look pretty good, but we don't like the slightly darker plastic inserts in the upper and lower portions of the back. This material and the different hue look anything but upscale.  

The build quality suffers in a few areas: some edges protrude, which is quite noticeable when running the finger across. The chassis itself is pretty sturdy, but pressure on the screen is visible on the display; same is true when pressing on the back. Torsional rigidity is great and twisting attempts aren't accompanied by creaking sounds. The overall build quality is decent.

Größenvergleich

154.3 mm / 6.07 inch 77.4 mm / 3.05 inch 9.8 mm / 0.3858 inch 175 g0.3858 lbs152 mm / 5.98 inch 78 mm / 3.07 inch 8.9 mm / 0.3504 inch 197 g0.4343 lbs151 mm / 5.94 inch 77 mm / 3.03 inch 8.5 mm / 0.3346 inch 202 g0.4453 lbs151.3 mm / 5.96 inch 76.3 mm / 3 inch 8.2 mm / 0.3228 inch 158 g0.3483 lbs141 mm / 5.55 inch 68.88 mm / 2.71 inch 8.45 mm / 0.3327 inch 149 g0.3285 lbs148 mm / 5.83 inch 105 mm / 4.13 inch 1 mm / 0.03937 inch 1.5 g0.00331 lbs

Connectivity

The USB C port at the bottom only runs at USB 2.0 speeds, but USB OTG is supported, so the user can connect external USB drives. 4 GB of RAM seem pretty generous, but this amount is not necessarily a rarity: other smartphones in this category - like the Lenovo ZUK Z2 or the Blackview R7 - also feature the same amount. 32 GB of storage is also not class-leading, as most competitors offer at least the same amount, if not more. Some upper-middle class smartphones aren't any more generous in this area, so the UMi Super is rather well-equipped for the price.  

FM Radio, Dual-SIM, fingerprint sensor and a microSD cardslot are on board as well. NFC is absent, however. Apps can't be transferred to the SD card, but the card can be formatted as internal storage if so desired.

Software

Android 6.0 is preinstalled and Android 7 supposedly will be released around Christmas time. The interface hasn't been tweaked much, so Android users should feel right at home. The settings menu contains some extra options, but otherwise this is a vanilla install.

The smarthphone lacks any bloatware, which we certainly appreciate - but useful tools are missing as well. Most of what we would wish for can either be downloaded for free or purchased inexpensively from the Google Play store. Some of the notifications are only in English - a German translation is not offered.

Communication and GPS

The UMi supports all German LTE bands - not a given when dealing with Chinese Smartphones. The OnePlus One, for example, had issues with Vodafone in the past. The UMi Super only offers four frequencies in each of the telephony systems (GMS, UMTS, and LTE), so it's not particularly well-suited for use on other continents. At least the smartphone supports LTE Cat. 6, which allows theoretical speeds of up to 200 MBit/sec. The reception quality in the city is decent with about 3/4 signal strength in buildings, but full bars outdoors when connected to Vodafone.

Either one or two Micro-SIM cards are required. One slot supports LTE, the other only GSM - but the user gets to decide which slot supports what speed. 

The smartphone can connect to 802.11 a/b/g/n, but the much faster 802.11 ac technology is not supported. The UMi Super does support the less crowded 5 GHz band, however. During our standardized WLAN test - conducted one meter from our reference router Linksys EA8500 - the smartphone proved its worth, as it had the highest transfer rates amongst its peers. We experienced somewhat sluggish real-world performance when loading web pages close to the router, but the performance didn't drop even through three walls and 10 meters / 33 feet away from router - and that despite the fact that the signal strength was down to 50 %.

Networking
iperf Server (receive) TCP 1 m
Lenovo ZUK Z2
Adreno 530, 820 MSM8996, 64 GB eMMC Flash
311 MBit/s +185%
UMI Super Euro Edition
Mali-T860 MP2, Helio P10 MT6755, 32 GB eMMC Flash
109 MBit/s
Blackview R7
Mali-T860 MP2, Helio P10 MT6755, 32 GB eMMC Flash
102 MBit/s -6%
Acer Liquid Zest Plus
Mali-T720 MP2, MT6735, 16 GB eMMC Flash
47.6 MBit/s -56%
iperf Client (transmit) TCP 1 m
Lenovo ZUK Z2
Adreno 530, 820 MSM8996, 64 GB eMMC Flash
154 MBit/s +43%
UMI Super Euro Edition
Mali-T860 MP2, Helio P10 MT6755, 32 GB eMMC Flash
108 MBit/s
Blackview R7
Mali-T860 MP2, Helio P10 MT6755, 32 GB eMMC Flash
79.4 MBit/s -26%
Acer Liquid Zest Plus
Mali-T720 MP2, MT6735, 16 GB eMMC Flash
50 MBit/s -54%
GPS - indoors
GPS - indoors
GPS - outdoors
GPS - outdoors

The GPS was unable to establish a connection inside. Outdoors, we had to wait a while but we were able to pinpoint our location with an accuracy of 7 meters / 23 feet - an acceptable result.

To conduct a more practical test, we take the UMi Super and the professional GPS Garmin Edge 500 on a bike ride. According to the Garmin Edge 500, we covered 12.17 - the UMi Super claims 11.96 km, for a difference of 200 m, which is totally acceptable. The UMi Super cuts a corner here or there and records a straight line instead of a curve. Generally, the accuracy is decent and good enough for normal use.

GPS Garmin Edge 500 – overview
GPS Garmin Edge 500 – overview
GPS Garmin Edge 500 – intersection
GPS Garmin Edge 500 – intersection
GPS Garmin Edge 500 – bridge
GPS Garmin Edge 500 – bridge
GPS UMi Super – overview
GPS UMi Super – overview
GPS UMi Super – intersection
GPS UMi Super – intersection
GPS UMi Super – bridge
GPS UMi Super – bridge

Telephone and Voice Quality

The UMi Super uses Google's standard telephony app. Android users will already be familiar with the functionality and new users won't have any issues, either.  

The sound quality on our end is decent: the smartphone gets decently loud and the our conversation partner came across loud and clear. The microphone on the other hand has a strange echo effect, so our voice sounds unnatural. We are able to understand our partner easily when using the speakerphone, although there's a fair amount of background noise. The echo effect was even more pronounced now. The sound quality is decent overall, but not comparable to a high-end smartphone.

Cameras

Front-facing camera
Front-facing camera

The rear-facing camera takes rather cool pictures. The 13 MP sensor is sourced from Panasonic and supported by two LED flashes. The resulting photos are strangely soft and bright areas bleed across the edges. Color fringing is an issue as well. The dynamic range from light to dark is not impressive, but the sharpness is decent. Low ambient light results in very grainy pictures.   

Videos can be recorded at 1080p at a decent quality. Just like before, bright sources of light drown out the edges of other objects and sometimes strange bright spots are the result.

The front-facing camera has a resolution of 5 MP. Photos are much warmer and selfies are very decent with clean edges. The sharpness is acceptable as well.

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

To analyze the picture quality further, we photograph a reference photo and the ColorChecker chart under controlled conditions. The result: some colors clearly don't match, some are too bright, some too dark. White is displayed as more of a beige than white.    

Text on colored backgrounds isn't very sharp and some areas look like soft focus was applied. The enlarged center of the photo is comparatively sharp, however.

Photo of the reference color chart
Photo of the reference color chart
Detail of the reference color chart
Detail of the reference color chart
Photo of the ColorChecker colors - the lower half shows the original color.
Photo of the ColorChecker colors - the lower half shows the original color.

Accessories and Warranty

UMi includes a charger, a cable, and a user manual, which outlines the important functions in a few European languages. There's also a SIM tool to remove the SIM card drawer.

UMi offers a few accessories on their homepage, although these are only available through the importers of the phone. A short search reveals that protective cases are available from third-party manufacturers within Europe as well. The original leather flip cover and velvety inside costs about 8 Euro (~$9); the plastic case costs the same amount.

The smartphone is covered by a 24-month warranty as long as the Super Euro was purchased from an authorized retailer. We recommend paying attention to the dealer's location, as sending the smartphone back to China or another European country can get quite expensive.

Input Devices and Operation

The virtual keyboard is Google's standard-issue keyboard - not a bad thing, since operation is precise and concise with plenty of extra functions. Users who want more can always download one of the many alternatives from the Google Play store.

The touchscreen is a disappointment: frequently the screen ignores our input - quite annoying when playing games like Angry Birds 2. When the screen decides to react to inputs, at least it is responsive even in the very corners.  

The user can either place the menu buttons on the home screen or use the touch buttons underneath the display. Of course, the sketchy response characteristics remain and the buttons don't always react to inputs. In addition, they aren't marked save for the home button, so we had to guess the location of the "back" button and "list view".

The lift side of the case houses a programmable button which can start an application, but can't be used to start the camera or for other functions. The physical buttons on the sides have a well-defined click point and are easy to locate.

The back is home to a fingerprint reader, which works reliably. Interestingly enough, the reader seemed to register our fingerprint quicker in standby mode than from the lock screen.

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

Display

Subpixel array
Subpixel array

The 5.5-inch Full-HD display is sourced from Sharp. With a maximum of 446 cd/m², the screen doesn't get quite as bright as the competitors. The practically more relevant APL50 test showed a maximum of only 368 cd/m². For unknown reasons, the maximum brightness is restricted to 416 cd/m² when the light sensor is activated. The brightness distribution is acceptable at 85 %, but we could make out differences when looking at larger colored areas.

384
cd/m²
416
cd/m²
446
cd/m²
388
cd/m²
418
cd/m²
440
cd/m²
378
cd/m²
406
cd/m²
418
cd/m²
Distribution of brightness
tested with X-Rite i1Pro 2
Maximum: 446 cd/m² (Nits) Average: 410.4 cd/m² Minimum: 15.96 cd/m²
Brightness Distribution: 85 %
Center on Battery: 418 cd/m²
Contrast: 1348:1 (Black: 0.31 cd/m²)
ΔE Color 4.4 | 0.5-29.43 Ø5
ΔE Greyscale 3.6 | 0.57-98 Ø5.3
Gamma: 2.36
UMI Super Euro Edition
IPS, 1920x1080, 5.50
Lenovo ZUK Z2
IPS, 1920x1080, 5.00
Acer Liquid Zest Plus
IPS, 1280x720, 5.50
Blackview R7
IPS, 1920x1080, 5.50
Honor 5X
IPS, 1920x1080, 5.50
Screen
-14%
-46%
-93%
-10%
Brightness middle
418
512
22%
414
-1%
552
32%
535
28%
Brightness
410
502
22%
420
2%
526
28%
521
27%
Brightness Distribution
85
84
-1%
94
11%
91
7%
85
0%
Black Level *
0.31
0.58
-87%
0.33
-6%
0.64
-106%
0.43
-39%
Contrast
1348
883
-34%
1255
-7%
863
-36%
1244
-8%
Colorchecker dE 2000 *
4.4
3.8
14%
8.1
-84%
11
-150%
4.88
-11%
Colorchecker dE 2000 max. *
6.5
11.2
-72%
13.8
-112%
20.8
-220%
8.66
-33%
Greyscale dE 2000 *
3.6
2.7
25%
9.6
-167%
14.3
-297%
5.2
-44%
Gamma
2.36 93%
2.09 105%
2 110%
2.21 100%
2.26 97%
CCT
6993 93%
6076 107%
7754 84%
12996 50%
7766 84%

* ... smaller is better

Not a great start - but the display redeems itself as far as the black value is concerned: 0,31 cd/m² is great and subsequently, dark areas are a true black. The contrast ratio is outstanding as well at 1348:1.  

The color deviations - we use the CalMan software and a spectrophotometer - are comparatively low. A bluish hue is visible when the phone is displaying lighter grays, but this color cast is not nearly as obvious at it is with some competitors.   

In addition, the user can adjust the color settings via profiles or also change aspects like sharpness, contrast, and color temperature.

CalMan ColorChecker
CalMan ColorChecker
CalMan Colorspace
CalMan Colorspace
CalMan Graylevels
CalMan Graylevels
CalMan Saturation
CalMan Saturation

Outdoor use is somewhat difficult, as the display is highly reflective and not bright enough in very bright conditions.  

Because of the IPS technology, the display content is visible even from very shallow angles. 

Outdoor use
Outdoor use
Viewing angles
Viewing angles

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
19 ms ... rise ↗ and fall ↘ combined↗ 9 ms rise
↘ 10 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. » 36 % 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
29 ms ... rise ↗ and fall ↘ combined↗ 12 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 0.2 (minimum) to 636 (maximum) ms. » 32 % of all devices are better.
This means that the measured response time is better 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 18110 (minimum: 5 - maximum: 3846000) Hz was measured.

Performance

A Mediatek Helio P10 MT6755 provides the processing power. This upper middle-class SoC has eight cores and operates at 2 GHz. The Blackview R7 utilizes the same SoC and offers similar performance. The Honor 5X can't keep up, while the Lenovo ZUK Z2 is a lot more powerful thanks to the high-end SoC. The menu is easy to navigate and apps load quickly - even with other applications running in the background.  

 The GPU - an ARM Mali-T860 MP2 - offers decent performance, but trails the GPU Lenovo uses for the ZUK Z2.

AnTuTu v6 - Total Score (sort by value)
UMI Super Euro Edition
50072 Points
Lenovo ZUK Z2
122513 Points +145%
Acer Liquid Zest Plus
30676 Points -39%
Blackview R7
50572 Points +1%
Honor 5X
37152 Points -26%
3DMark
1280x720 offscreen Ice Storm Unlimited Score (sort by value)
UMI Super Euro Edition
10791 Points
Lenovo ZUK Z2
29241 Points +171%
Acer Liquid Zest Plus
4944 Points -54%
Blackview R7
10762 Points 0%
Honor 5X
7852 Points -27%
1280x720 offscreen Ice Storm Unlimited Graphics Score (sort by value)
UMI Super Euro Edition
10567 Points
Lenovo ZUK Z2
32997 Points +212%
Acer Liquid Zest Plus
4333 Points -59%
Blackview R7
10334 Points -2%
Honor 5X
7764 Points -27%
1280x720 offscreen Ice Storm Unlimited Physics (sort by value)
UMI Super Euro Edition
11654 Points
Lenovo ZUK Z2
20910 Points +79%
Acer Liquid Zest Plus
9768 Points -16%
Blackview R7
12585 Points +8%
Honor 5X
8174 Points -30%
2560x1440 Sling Shot OpenGL ES 3.0 (sort by value)
UMI Super Euro Edition
595 Points
Lenovo ZUK Z2
3302 Points +455%
Acer Liquid Zest Plus
209 Points -65%
Blackview R7
590 Points -1%
Honor 5X
129 Points -78%
2560x1440 Sling Shot OpenGL ES 3.0 Graphics (sort by value)
UMI Super Euro Edition
523 Points
Lenovo ZUK Z2
4506 Points +762%
Acer Liquid Zest Plus
172 Points -67%
Blackview R7
518 Points -1%
Honor 5X
103 Points -80%
2560x1440 Sling Shot OpenGL ES 3.0 Physics (sort by value)
UMI Super Euro Edition
1144 Points
Lenovo ZUK Z2
1706 Points +49%
Acer Liquid Zest Plus
831 Points -27%
Blackview R7
1155 Points +1%
Honor 5X
1089 Points -5%
GFXBench (DX / GLBenchmark) 2.7
T-Rex Onscreen (sort by value)
UMI Super Euro Edition
18 fps
Lenovo ZUK Z2
60 fps +233%
Acer Liquid Zest Plus
8.4 fps -53%
Blackview R7
17 fps -6%
Honor 5X
14 fps -22%
1920x1080 T-Rex Offscreen (sort by value)
UMI Super Euro Edition
17 fps
Lenovo ZUK Z2
91 fps +435%
Acer Liquid Zest Plus
14 fps -18%
Blackview R7
17 fps 0%
Honor 5X
14 fps -18%
GFXBench 3.0
on screen Manhattan Onscreen OGL (sort by value)
UMI Super Euro Edition
7.5 fps
Lenovo ZUK Z2
43 fps +473%
Acer Liquid Zest Plus
3 fps -60%
Blackview R7
4.7 fps -37%
Honor 5X
5.9 fps -21%
1920x1080 1080p Manhattan Offscreen (sort by value)
UMI Super Euro Edition
7.1 fps
Lenovo ZUK Z2
44 fps +520%
Acer Liquid Zest Plus
6 fps -15%
Blackview R7
4.7 fps -34%
Honor 5X
5.4 fps -24%
GFXBench 3.1
on screen Manhattan ES 3.1 Onscreen (sort by value)
UMI Super Euro Edition
5.1 fps
Lenovo ZUK Z2
29 fps +469%
Acer Liquid Zest Plus
1.9 fps -63%
Blackview R7
2.5 fps -51%
1920x1080 Manhattan ES 3.1 Offscreen (sort by value)
UMI Super Euro Edition
4.7 fps
Lenovo ZUK Z2
30 fps +538%
Acer Liquid Zest Plus
4.4 fps -6%
Blackview R7
2.5 fps -47%
PCMark for Android - Work performance score (sort by value)
UMI Super Euro Edition
4596 Points
Lenovo ZUK Z2
6969 Points +52%
Acer Liquid Zest Plus
3813 Points -17%
Blackview R7
4364 Points -5%
Honor 5X
3794 Points -17%
BaseMark OS II
Overall (sort by value)
UMI Super Euro Edition
1043 Points
Lenovo ZUK Z2
2290 Points +120%
Acer Liquid Zest Plus
192 Points -82%
Blackview R7
338 Points -68%
Honor 5X
297 Points -72%
System (sort by value)
UMI Super Euro Edition
2187 Points
Lenovo ZUK Z2
2986 Points +37%
Acer Liquid Zest Plus
1090 Points -50%
Blackview R7
1971 Points -10%
Honor 5X
1378 Points -37%
Memory (sort by value)
UMI Super Euro Edition
1052 Points
Lenovo ZUK Z2
1983 Points +88%
Acer Liquid Zest Plus
450 Points -57%
Blackview R7
1030 Points -2%
Honor 5X
787 Points -25%
Graphics (sort by value)
UMI Super Euro Edition
666 Points
Lenovo ZUK Z2
4335 Points +551%
Acer Liquid Zest Plus
286 Points -57%
Blackview R7
655 Points -2%
Honor 5X
763 Points +15%
Web (sort by value)
UMI Super Euro Edition
771 Points
Lenovo ZUK Z2
1071 Points +39%
Acer Liquid Zest Plus
10 Points -99%
Blackview R7
10 Points -99%
Honor 5X
9 Points -99%
Geekbench 4.0
64 Bit Single-Core Score (sort by value)
UMI Super Euro Edition
727 Points
Acer Liquid Zest Plus
572 Points -21%
Blackview R7
728 Points 0%
64 Bit Multi-Core Score (sort by value)
UMI Super Euro Edition
2818 Points
Acer Liquid Zest Plus
1588 Points -44%
Blackview R7
2851 Points +1%
Compute RenderScript Score (sort by value)
UMI Super Euro Edition
1561 Points

Legend

 
UMI Super Euro Edition Mediatek Helio P10 MT6755, ARM Mali-T860 MP2, 32 GB eMMC Flash
 
Lenovo ZUK Z2 Qualcomm Snapdragon 820 MSM8996, Qualcomm Adreno 530, 64 GB eMMC Flash
 
Acer Liquid Zest Plus Mediatek MT6735, ARM Mali-T720 MP2, 16 GB eMMC Flash
 
Blackview R7 Mediatek Helio P10 MT6755, ARM Mali-T860 MP2, 32 GB eMMC Flash
 
Honor 5X Qualcomm Snapdragon 616 MSM8939v2, Qualcomm Adreno 405, 16 GB eMMC Flash

During our surf-test, the hierarchy established in the previous segment holds true as well: the Lenovo ZUK Z2 leads both the Blackview R7 and the UMi Super, which end up in second place together. The UMi Super is pretty fast when browsing the web - at leaset as long as the connection is fast enough. That's not always the case, particularly not when connected to WLAN, as we've outlined in the corresponding section above.

Octane V2 - Total Score (sort by value)
UMI Super Euro Edition
4117 Points
Lenovo ZUK Z2
8436 Points +105%
Acer Liquid Zest Plus
2697 Points -34%
Blackview R7
3885 Points -6%
Honor 5X
3595 Points -13%
Mozilla Kraken 1.1 - Total (sort by value)
UMI Super Euro Edition
9410 ms *
Lenovo ZUK Z2
3290 ms * +65%
Acer Liquid Zest Plus
12910 ms * -37%
Blackview R7
9748 ms * -4%
Honor 5X
12510 ms * -33%
JetStream 1.1 - Total Score (sort by value)
UMI Super Euro Edition
26.21 Points
Lenovo ZUK Z2
51.7 Points +97%
Acer Liquid Zest Plus
18.03 Points -31%
Blackview R7
25.35 Points -3%
Honor 5X
21.92 Points -16%

* ... smaller is better

The UMi Super accesses the reference micro-SD card Toshiba Exceria Pro M401 in a rather leisurely manner, but it's still faster than many others. Internal flash storage access is quite fast, however and even beats out the ZUK Z2.

AndroBench 3-5
Sequential Read 256KB (sort by value)
UMI Super Euro Edition
257.8 MB/s
Lenovo ZUK Z2
239.4 MB/s -7%
Acer Liquid Zest Plus
178.6 MB/s -31%
Blackview R7
247.6 MB/s -4%
Honor 5X
144 MB/s -44%
Sequential Write 256KB (sort by value)
UMI Super Euro Edition
126.9 MB/s
Lenovo ZUK Z2
46.52 MB/s -63%
Acer Liquid Zest Plus
39.51 MB/s -69%
Blackview R7
122.7 MB/s -3%
Honor 5X
78 MB/s -39%
Random Read 4KB (sort by value)
UMI Super Euro Edition
28.17 MB/s
Lenovo ZUK Z2
21.27 MB/s -24%
Acer Liquid Zest Plus
20.25 MB/s -28%
Blackview R7
28.02 MB/s -1%
Honor 5X
17 MB/s -40%
Random Write 4KB (sort by value)
UMI Super Euro Edition
11.88 MB/s
Lenovo ZUK Z2
5.64 MB/s -53%
Acer Liquid Zest Plus
7.95 MB/s -33%
Blackview R7
11.4 MB/s -4%
Honor 5X
10 MB/s -16%
Sequential Read 256KB SDCard (sort by value)
UMI Super Euro Edition
36.22 MB/s
Acer Liquid Zest Plus
27.68 MB/s -24%
Blackview R7
15.56 MB/s -57%
Sequential Write 256KB SDCard (sort by value)
UMI Super Euro Edition
17.88 MB/s
Acer Liquid Zest Plus
16.17 MB/s -10%
Blackview R7
11.87 MB/s -34%

Gaming Performance

Simple games like Angry Birds 2 pose no problem for the review smartphone as far as the performance is concerned, although the unresponsive touchscreen can get in the way at times. Same is true for Asphalt 8 - we found it particularly annoying when we couldn't trigger the "Nitro Boost", since the touchscreen failed to recognize the input. The position sensor does work flawlessly, however. At high graphic settings we encountered visible stuttering, so lower settings are required for fluent gameplay.

Asphalt 8: Airborne
Asphalt 8: Airborne
Angry Birds 2
Angry Birds 2

Emissions

Temperature

Under load, the entire case gets warm - the front actually is almost too hot at 43.2 degrees C. The back also gets hot at up to 41.4 degrees C.   

At idle, the lower part on the front also heats up noticeably and reaches 39.1 degrees C; the back remains cool to the touch though.

Max. Load
 41.4 °C
107 F
43.2 °C
110 F
42.6 °C
109 F
 
 41.7 °C
107 F
42.3 °C
108 F
42.9 °C
109 F
 
 40.8 °C
105 F
41.3 °C
106 F
41.8 °C
107 F
 
Maximum: 43.2 °C = 110 F
Average: 42 °C = 108 F
39.2 °C
103 F
40.2 °C
104 F
41.4 °C
107 F
39.7 °C
103 F
40.4 °C
105 F
41 °C
106 F
39.7 °C
103 F
40.1 °C
104 F
41 °C
106 F
Maximum: 41.4 °C = 107 F
Average: 40.3 °C = 105 F
Power Supply (max.)  37.4 °C = 99 F | Room Temperature 21.9 °C = 71 F | Voltcraft IR-260
(-) The average temperature for the upper side under maximal load is 42 °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 43.2 °C / 110 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 41.4 °C / 107 F, compared to the average of 33.8 °C / 93 F
(±) In idle usage, the average temperature for the upper side is 36.1 °C / 97 F, compared to the device average of 32.7 °C / 91 F.
Heat front
Heat front
Heat back
Heat back

Speakers

The speaker on the bottom edge doesn't get very loud, but remains unobtrusive: compared to other smartphones, the highs are much less pronounced and even some lows are audible. Although the sound analysis shows subpar performance, subjectively the UMi Super doesn't ever get unpleasant and performs better than many other inexpensive smartphones.  

External audio devices connected via the 3.5 mm audio jack as well as Bluethooth worked very well with no hissing sounds or other issues.

dB(A) 0102030405060708090Deep BassMiddle BassHigh BassLower RangeMidsHigher MidsLower HighsMid HighsUpper HighsSuper Highs2031.635.32525.432.53125.331.84032.929.15033.634.26331.628.98028.428.21002726.412520.825.91602224.120021.323.225020.826.531521.232.740019.440.950019.551.763017.755.180017.963.9100017.867.4125017.368.6160017.465.6200016.768.4250017.267.2315018.269.2400017.974.9500017.667630017.763.9800017.866.11000017.963.11250018.151.61600018.247SPL3080.2N1.342.3median 17.9median 63.1Delta1.414.233.232.433.229.931.329.930.331.730.332.42632.446.639.446.629.836.229.826.428.626.425.725.425.727.821.327.838.823.338.842.922.542.949.222.449.253.121.353.159.618.459.663.617.563.666.817.566.867.817.267.872.516.872.571.817.371.871.617.471.672.516.672.576.617.376.676.817.676.874.217.674.272.917.772.974.217.474.273.617.773.671.417.971.462.218.162.248.618.148.685.329.885.361.61.361.6median 67.8median 17.7median 67.810.91.710.932.435.631.335.231.735.82627.639.436.236.234.228.627.725.425.121.32323.326.122.532.222.440.121.346.418.454.617.563.217.564.317.268.316.871.117.372.817.47216.673.117.37317.672.917.674.117.772.717.473.117.772.917.972.118.173.918.175.829.884.31.357.6median 17.7median 721.71224.323.124.324.322.32122.722.322.720.322.622.723.723.229.623.721.221.922.221.219.119.32019.117.617.118.517.620.120.12120.130.630.931.930.616.71616.516.718.218.317.318.217.817.618.317.81719.517.31719.529.216.419.527.13917.827.130.643.414.830.63850.915.73842.35616.442.345.66015.845.647.861.713.647.850.963.114.850.950.26312.650.252.264.711.252.252.86510.952.853.4669.753.452.4659.652.448.6619.748.64153.69.44134.147.69.434.129.743.79.429.761.774.426.161.712.828.50.812.8median 38median 50.9median 14.8median 3814.9173.314.934.139.435.734.134.432.132.434.432.729.727.532.728.635.927.528.631.937.935.431.934.131.429.734.129.326.529.229.325.525.825.325.527.925.724.127.935.628.62335.640.535.223.140.548.943.418.548.953.945.720.553.95748.518.75760.150.218.160.159.750.918.259.75750.319.15764.457.11764.471.362.717.371.374.765.917.474.775.767.517.575.776.267.217.376.279.169.617.279.181.171.917.281.180.170.617.280.176.567.317.676.574.665.117.774.66757.917.86757.547.11857.541.931.417.941.988.279.129.988.265.638.11.365.6median 64.4median 50.9median 17.9median 64.413.114.21.613.1hearing rangehide median Pink NoiseUMI Super Euro EditionLenovo ZUK Z2Acer Liquid Zest PlusBlackview R7Honor 5X
UMI Super Euro Edition audio analysis

(±) | speaker loudness is average but good (80.2 dB)
Bass 100 - 315 Hz
(-) | nearly no bass - on average 36.6% lower than median
(+) | bass is linear (5.3% delta to prev. frequency)
Mids 400 - 2000 Hz
(±) | reduced mids - on average 7.5% lower than median
(±) | linearity of mids is average (11.5% delta to prev. frequency)
Highs 2 - 16 kHz
(+) | balanced highs - only 4.3% away from median
(±) | linearity of highs is average (7.9% delta to prev. frequency)
Overall 100 - 16.000 Hz
(-) | overall sound is not linear (33.2% difference to median)
Compared to same class
» 80% of all tested devices in this class were better, 1% similar, 18% worse
» The best had a delta of 12%, average was 38%, worst was 134%
Compared to all devices tested
» 91% of all tested devices were better, 1% similar, 8% worse
» The best had a delta of 4%, average was 25%, worst was 134%

Lenovo ZUK Z2 audio analysis

(+) | speakers can play relatively loud (85.3 dB)
Bass 100 - 315 Hz
(-) | nearly no bass - on average 28.2% lower than median
(±) | linearity of bass is average (9.3% delta to prev. frequency)
Mids 400 - 2000 Hz
(+) | balanced mids - only 3.8% away from median
(+) | mids are linear (5.3% delta to prev. frequency)
Highs 2 - 16 kHz
(±) | higher highs - on average 6.5% higher than median
(+) | highs are linear (3.5% delta to prev. frequency)
Overall 100 - 16.000 Hz
(±) | linearity of overall sound is average (23.4% difference to median)
Compared to same class
» 46% of all tested devices in this class were better, 9% similar, 46% worse
» The best had a delta of 12%, average was 38%, worst was 134%
Compared to all devices tested
» 65% of all tested devices were better, 7% similar, 28% worse
» The best had a delta of 4%, average was 25%, worst was 134%

Acer Liquid Zest Plus audio analysis

(+) | speakers can play relatively loud (84.3 dB)
Bass 100 - 315 Hz
(-) | nearly no bass - on average 39.9% lower than median
(±) | linearity of bass is average (8.6% delta to prev. frequency)
Mids 400 - 2000 Hz
(±) | reduced mids - on average 5% lower than median
(+) | mids are linear (6.5% delta to prev. frequency)
Highs 2 - 16 kHz
(+) | balanced highs - only 1% away from median
(+) | highs are linear (1.1% delta to prev. frequency)
Overall 100 - 16.000 Hz
(±) | linearity of overall sound is average (23.5% difference to median)
Compared to same class
» 46% of all tested devices in this class were better, 9% similar, 45% worse
» The best had a delta of 12%, average was 38%, worst was 134%
Compared to all devices tested
» 65% of all tested devices were better, 7% similar, 28% worse
» The best had a delta of 4%, average was 25%, worst was 134%

Blackview R7 audio analysis

(±) | speaker loudness is average but good (74.4 dB)
Bass 100 - 315 Hz
(-) | nearly no bass - on average 30.5% lower than median
(-) | bass is not linear (15.5% delta to prev. frequency)
Mids 400 - 2000 Hz
(±) | reduced mids - on average 9.8% lower than median
(-) | mids are not linear (15.2% delta to prev. frequency)
Highs 2 - 16 kHz
(±) | higher highs - on average 11.7% higher than median
(+) | highs are linear (6.2% delta to prev. frequency)
Overall 100 - 16.000 Hz
(-) | overall sound is not linear (44.4% difference to median)
Compared to same class
» 84% of all tested devices in this class were better, 0% similar, 15% worse
» The best had a delta of 12%, average was 38%, worst was 134%
Compared to all devices tested
» 95% of all tested devices were better, 0% similar, 5% worse
» The best had a delta of 4%, average was 25%, worst was 134%

Honor 5X audio analysis

(+) | speakers can play relatively loud (88.2 dB)
Bass 100 - 315 Hz
(-) | nearly no bass - on average 25.7% lower than median
(±) | linearity of bass is average (11.5% delta to prev. frequency)
Mids 400 - 2000 Hz
(±) | higher mids - on average 6.5% higher than median
(±) | linearity of mids is average (7.5% delta to prev. frequency)
Highs 2 - 16 kHz
(±) | higher highs - on average 12% higher than median
(+) | highs are linear (6% delta to prev. frequency)
Overall 100 - 16.000 Hz
(±) | linearity of overall sound is average (29.7% difference to median)
Compared to same class
» 73% of all tested devices in this class were better, 4% similar, 23% worse
» The best had a delta of 12%, average was 38%, worst was 134%
Compared to all devices tested
» 85% of all tested devices were better, 3% similar, 12% worse
» The best had a delta of 4%, average was 25%, worst was 134%

Frequenzdiagramm im Vergleich (Checkboxen oben an-/abwählbar!)

Energy Management

Power Consumption

During idle, the UMi Super is quite frugal with 2.07 watts maximum and an average of 1.94 watts. Under load, the power draw is comparatively high with an average of 5.88 watts and a maximum of 7.67 watts.

Power Consumption
Off / Standbydarklight 0.02 / 0.34 Watt
Idledarkmidlight 0.84 / 1.94 / 2.07 Watt
Load midlight 5.88 / 7.67 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.
UMI Super Euro Edition
4000 mAh
Lenovo ZUK Z2
3500 mAh
Acer Liquid Zest Plus
5000 mAh
Blackview R7
3000 mAh
Honor 5X
3000 mAh
Power Consumption
-8%
15%
-53%
2%
Idle Minimum *
0.84
1.31
-56%
0.83
1%
1.83
-118%
0.87
-4%
Idle Average *
1.94
2.03
-5%
2.06
-6%
3.21
-65%
2.08
-7%
Idle Maximum *
2.07
2.08
-0%
2.08
-0%
3.45
-67%
2.22
-7%
Load Average *
5.88
5.45
7%
3.53
40%
5.67
4%
5.26
11%
Load Maximum *
7.67
6.75
12%
4.49
41%
9.16
-19%
6.34
17%

* ... smaller is better

Battery Life

Thanks to the large battery with a capacity of 4000 mAH, the review smartphone is capable of good run times: during the practically relevant WLAN test, the UMi Super lasted for 10 hours and 38 minutes - enough for surfing the entire day and then some. Based on our experience, the UMi Super lasts for about two days of average use before needing to be recharged.   

The smartphone supports quick charge and UMi promises a charge of up to 75 % after 30 minutes. That doesn't sound quite realistic and our tests can't confirm the manufacturer's claim. 110 minutes for a full charge are still a good time, however.

Battery Runtime
Idle (without WLAN, min brightness)
20h 54min
WiFi Websurfing
10h 38min
UMI Super Euro Edition
4000 mAh
Lenovo ZUK Z2
3500 mAh
Acer Liquid Zest Plus
5000 mAh
Blackview R7
3000 mAh
Honor 5X
3000 mAh
Battery Runtime
-14%
28%
-35%
-8%
Reader / Idle
1254
1053
-16%
WiFi v1.3
638
546
-14%
815
28%
412
-35%
643
1%
H.264
602
Load
144

Pros

+ sturdy metal case
+ long-lasting battery
+ good price-to-value ratio
+ dual-SIM support
+ current software & no bloatware
+ GPS reasonably accurate
+ display is vivid with lots of contrast
+ good performance
+ decent speaker

Cons

- build quality not always top notch
- touchscreen is inaccurate
- warranty support might be an issue
- display is not that bright
- microphone afflicted with a metallic-sounding echo
- pretty heavy
- fingerprint reader is not that reliable
- case gets hot under load

Verdict

In Review: UMi Super Euro Edition. Test model courtesy of UMi.
In Review: UMi Super Euro Edition. Test model courtesy of UMi.

The UMi Super is above-average in some and average in other areas - but also has some traits which are simply not acceptable for a device which gets used on a daily basis. The blue color is bold and looks good - but since this is a limited edition, not too many users will be able to buy the UMi Super Euro Edition. Most users will have to make do with either silver or gold. Nonetheless: 200 Euro (~$225) for a smartphone with a metal case and a generous amount of RAM - that's pretty amazing. The fact that the update to Android 7 has been announced already, the software without useless changes and the absence of bloatware speak well for the manufacturer.

Communicating with the smartphone works well for the most part. The cameras are not exactly high-end, but still produce decent photos. The display isn't overly bright, but it's easy to configure and features high color accuracy as well as a very good contrast ratio. The performance is more than adequate, the speaker sound pleasant enough and the battery life is actually quite impressive.

The big drawback is the touchscreen, which is not accurate at all and makes operating the smartphone a lot harder than it should be. Who wants to work with a phone which will not accept inputs reliably? The case gets hot as well, the microphone is far from impressive and more demanding games stutter. 

All things considered, the UMi Super is a well-equipped smartphone with minor build quality issues. The biggest problem is the touchscreen, which really can make working with the smartphone a miserable experience. 

One of the biggest competitors is the much more powerful Lenovo ZUK Z2

UMI Super Euro Edition - 09/29/2016 v5.1(old)
Florian Wimmer

Chassis
80%
Keyboard
67 / 75 → 89%
Pointing Device
67%
Connectivity
41 / 60 → 69%
Weight
88%
Battery
93%
Display
86%
Games Performance
25 / 63 → 39%
Application Performance
45 / 70 → 64%
Temperature
80%
Noise
100%
Audio
56 / 91 → 62%
Camera
67%
Average
69%
77%
Smartphone - Weighted Average

Pricecompare

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Florian Wimmer, 2016-10- 9 (Update: 2018-05-15)