Wiko View 2 Plus Smartphone Review
Wiko may be a relatively unknown smartphone manufacturer, but its devices are regulars in our offices. We now have the View 2 Plus in for review, which is currently one of the most expensive devices that the French manufacturer sells. At the time of writing, Wiko sells the View 2 Plus for 260 Euros (~$296) on its online shop, for which you will receive a lower midrange smartphone with 4 GB RAM, 64 GB of storage, a 4,000 mAh battery and a large display with an equally large notch.
We have chosen to compare the View 2 Plus against other comparably priced midrange smartphones. Our comparison devices include the Honor 7X, HTC Desire 12 Plus, the Samsung Galaxy A6 Plus and Wiko’s own View 2 Pro.
Case
Our dark grey test device looks rather dull at first glance. The View 2 Plus has a plastic feel to it, while its notch is too imposing for our liking. However, the back has a gradient finish that changes colour when it catches the light. Wiko currently sells the device in anthracite, which is the same colour as our test device, gold, and "supernova". The latter is the most visually exciting of the three colours and reminds us of the OUKITEL U23 that we recently reviewed or the Huawei Mate 20 Pro.
The View 2 Plus is 8.6 mm thick, which is thicker than all our comparison devices and 0.3 mm thicker than the View 2 Pro. However, our test device also has a smaller footprint than all but its sibling and fits well in our hands thanks to its rounded edges. The View 2 Plus is not particularly robust though, as applying pressure to the front of our test device causes waves on the display, while the area below the fingerprint sensor is also easy to depress with our fingers.
Connectivity
Wiko has equipped the View 2 Plus with 4 GB RAM and 64 GB of internal storage, which is on par with what we have come to expect from devices at this price. However, the device only has a microUSB port that operates at the now slower USB 2.0 standard. Our comparison devices are also equipped with the same port, but there are now plenty of other comparably priced smartphones that use USB Type-C instead.
However, the View 2 Plus has three card slots for two nano-SIMs and a microSD card, which is better than the hybrid SIM-card slot that other manufacturers implement in their devices. The device supports up to 256-GB microSD cards too should you run out of internal storage.
Software
The View 2 Plus ships with Android 8.1 Oreo, and Wiko has not announced whether it plans to update the device to Android 9 Pie or beyond. Additionally, our test device has outdated Android security patches installed, which were over four months old at the time of testing. This is disappointing and something that we hope Wiko will rectify.
The OS has been left untouched though, and our test unit has no preinstalled third-party apps, which is pleasing to see. Should you also buy the Wiko Elegant smart folio cover, you will need to download an additional app to customise what information the cover displays.
Communication & GPS
The View 2 Plus supports all major GSM and 3G frequencies, but it has limited LTE coverage. You should have no problem with connecting to an LTE network in Central Europe, but you will have to do without an LTE connection if you live or regularly travel elsewhere.
The device supports LTE Cat. 4 for up to 150 Mb/s download and 50 Mb/s upload speeds, which should be fast enough in daily use for most people. We experienced no reception issues during our tests in a built-up area too.
The View 2 Plus supports most modern Wi-Fi standards up to IEEE 802.11n and can connect to 2.4 GHz Wi-Fi networks. However, the device cannot connect to 5 GHz networks, nor can it take advantage of faster ac Wi-Fi, which are common shortcomings of devices at this price.
Our test device performed comparatively well in our iperf3 Client Wi-Fi tests, with the View 2 Plus finishing second in both comparison tables. The device averaged just over 50 Mb/s in both tests with our Linksys EA8500 reference router, but that is considerably slower than the class average and what the Galaxy A6 Plus (2018) achieved. The View 2 Plus should be quick enough for most Wi-Fi connections though.
| Networking | |
| iperf3 transmit AX12 | |
| Samsung Galaxy A6 Plus 2018 | |
| Wiko View 2 Plus | |
| Honor 7C | |
| Wiko View 2 Pro | |
| HTC Desire 12 Plus | |
| iperf3 receive AX12 | |
| Samsung Galaxy A6 Plus 2018 | |
| Wiko View 2 Plus | |
| Honor 7C | |
| HTC Desire 12 Plus | |
| Wiko View 2 Pro | |
The View 2 Plus uses GPS and A-GPS for location services. Our test device cannot locate us indoors, but it found a satellite fix with up to four metres accuracy when we tested it outside.
We also took the device on a bike ride to compare its location accuracy against our reference navigation system, the Garmin Edge 520. Our test device performed well but deviated by 210 metres over the 5.44 km that our Garmin recorded us having cycled. The View 2 Plus is accurate enough for a device in its price range and even occasionally plotted us on the correct side of the road on which we were cycling, but it regularly took shortcuts to keep up with us as demonstrated by the screenshots below. Overall, the View 2 Plus is accurate enough for general navigation tasks, but not for those that require precise location data.
Telephone Functions & Call Quality
The phone app looks and functions just like the Google app. There is also a dark mode, which is a welcome addition.
The View 2 Plus has decent call quality with our call partner sounding clear and intelligible throughout our tests. By contrast, the microphone did a poor job at suppressing background noise and distorted when we spoke loudly. The microphone handles quieter voices better, but our call partner then struggled to hear us when we spoke more softly.
Cameras
The View 2 Plus has dual rear-facing cameras, the primary sensor of which is 12 MP. The main camera is supported by a 5 MP sensor that provides depth of field information to help create bokeh-effect photos. The 12 MP camera has an f/2.0 aperture that disappointed during our tests. Pictures lack detail and objects look blurry. Moreover, the sensor has a poor dynamic range and noticeably underexposes dark areas of scenes. These weaknesses are especially noticeable in low-light conditions, where photos are dominated by image noise and bright areas are overexposed, as demonstrated by the candle in scene 3. Perhaps predictably, the camera in the View 2 Plus cannot compete with the sensors in the Apple iPhone XS Max, OnePlus 5T or the Sony A77 camera. In short, the camera is good enough for occasionally taking photos, and if you rarely look at your photos closely.
The View 2 Plus can record videos in up to 1080p at 30 FPS. The 12 MP camera adjusts exposure quickly in changing lighting conditions, and the microphone records audio cleanly, but videos suffer from the same shortcomings as photos. Image noise is present in all the videos that we shot during testing, while colour reproduction is also underwhelming. Overall, the View 2 Plus takes videos that are passable for private use but do not set your expectations too high.
Wiko has also equipped the View 2 Plus with an 8 MP front-facing camera. The sensor struggles with image noise like the 12 MP rear-facing sensor does, but it does a better job at reproducing colours and capturing objects more sharply.
We also subjected the View 2 Plus to further camera tests under controlled lighting conditions. Our test device performed poorly during these tests too and generally reproduced colours too darkly compared to the ColorChecker Passport reference colour. Additionally, our test chart looks blurry, and colours are too washed-out for our liking. The chart is exposed well though, and the rear-facing camera captures the centre of the chart sharply, so it is not all bad.
Accessories & Warranty
The View 2 Plus comes with a charger, a USB cable, a pair of headphones, and a SIM tool. Wiko states on its website that it sells a Smart Folio cover and a hardcover for the View 2 Plus, but they were not available to purchase at the time of writing.
Input Devices & Operation
The touchscreen worked well during testing and reproduced our inputs quickly onscreen. The display also has a smooth finish on which we found it easy to perform multi-finger gestures and swiping movements. Wiko preinstalls Google Gboard as the default keyboard, which functions just like it does on other devices that we have tested.
Additionally, the power and volume buttons have long strokes with clear pressure points and worked flawlessly during our tests. They do feel cheap though, but that is to be expected from such an inexpensive device.
The View 2 Plus also has a fingerprint sensor, which Wiko has placed on the back of the device. The sensor worked reliably during testing, but our test device took longer to unlock than we would have liked.
Display
The View 2 Plus has a 5.93-inch IPS display that operates natively at 1512x720. The display is dominated by a significant notch, which may put off some potential buyers, although we got used to it quickly during testing. The display resolution is on par with most of our comparison devices, but the Galaxy A6 Plus (2018) has a higher-resolution 1080p AMOLED screen, on which content will look sharper and more vivid.
Our test device achieved an average maximum luminosity of 493 cd/m² according to X-Rite i1Pro 2, which is only beaten by the Galaxy A6 Plus (2018) out of our comparison devices. The display is only 84% evenly lit though, which is lower than most of our comparison devices. Moreover, the brightness differences are noticeable too, which is disappointing.
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||
Brightness Distribution: 84 %
Contrast: 1677:1 (Black: 0.3 cd/m²)
ΔE Color 5.71 | 0.5-29.43 Ø4.91
ΔE Greyscale 5.8 | 0.5-98 Ø5.2
91.1% sRGB (Calman 2D)
Gamma: 2.775
| Wiko View 2 Plus IPS, 1512x720, 5.9" | Wiko View 2 Pro IPS, 1528x720, 6" | HTC Desire 12 Plus IPS, 1440x720, 6" | Samsung Galaxy A6 Plus 2018 Super AMOLED, 2220x1080, 6" | Honor 7C IPS, 1440x720, 6" | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Screen | -36% | -21% | 37% | -22% | |
| Brightness middle | 503 | 562 12% | 418 -17% | 519 3% | 392 -22% |
| Brightness | 493 | 541 10% | 414 -16% | 513 4% | 403 -18% |
| Brightness Distribution | 84 | 92 10% | 93 11% | 93 11% | 85 1% |
| Black Level * | 0.3 | 0.56 -87% | 0.7 -133% | 0.61 -103% | |
| Contrast | 1677 | 1004 -40% | 597 -64% | 643 -62% | |
| Colorchecker dE 2000 * | 5.71 | 7.9 -38% | 4.2 26% | 1.8 68% | 5.4 5% |
| Colorchecker dE 2000 max. * | 9.04 | 15.7 -74% | 8.3 8% | 3.6 60% | 9.7 -7% |
| Greyscale dE 2000 * | 5.8 | 10.4 -79% | 4.7 19% | 1.5 74% | 4.2 28% |
| Gamma | 2.775 79% | 2.02 109% | 2.27 97% | 2.06 107% | 2.59 85% |
| CCT | 7279 89% | 8834 74% | 7394 88% | 6462 101% | 6734 97% |
* ... smaller is better
Screen Flickering / PWM (Pulse-Width Modulation)
| Screen flickering / PWM detected | 9615 Hz | ≤ 15 % brightness setting |  |
The display backlight flickers at 9615 Hz (worst case, e.g., utilizing PWM) Flickering detected at a brightness setting of 15 % and below. There should be no flickering or PWM above this brightness setting. The frequency of 9615 Hz is quite high, so most users sensitive to PWM should not notice any flickering. In comparison: 53 % of all tested devices do not use PWM to dim the display. If PWM was detected, an average of 8705 (minimum: 5 - maximum: 343500) Hz was measured. | |||
However, the View 2 Plus has a class-leading 0.3 cd/m² black level, which helps the device achieve an excellent 1,677:1 contrast ratio. We also subjected our test device to further tests with a spectrophotometer and CalMAN analysis software, which demonstrated that grey tones suffer from a blue/violet tint. DeltaE deviations are also above the ideal value of 3, but few devices at this price get close to achieving that value, with the Galaxy A6 Plus (2018) being the only notable exception.
Display Response Times
| ↔ Response Time Black to White | ||
|---|---|---|
| 42 ms ... rise ↗ and fall ↘ combined | ↗ 21 ms rise |  |
| ↘ 21 ms fall | ||
| The screen shows slow response rates in our tests and will be unsatisfactory for gamers. In comparison, all tested devices range from 0.1 (minimum) to 240 (maximum) ms. » 98 % of all devices are better. This means that the measured response time is worse than the average of all tested devices (20.9 ms). | ||
| ↔ Response Time 50% Grey to 80% Grey | ||
| 68 ms ... rise ↗ and fall ↘ combined | ↗ 35 ms rise |  |
| ↘ 33 ms fall | ||
| The screen shows slow response rates in our tests and will be unsatisfactory for gamers. In comparison, all tested devices range from 0.165 (minimum) to 636 (maximum) ms. » 98 % of all devices are better. This means that the measured response time is worse than the average of all tested devices (32.8 ms). | ||
The View 2 Plus is usable outdoors thanks to its bright display. The screen will catch reflections in direct sunlight, but content remains readable.
Our test device has good viewing angles too, although we noticed minor colour shifts at acute viewing angles. We did not notice any brightness or image distortion though, so the View 2 Plus should be readable from almost any angle in daily use.
Performance
The View 2 Plus is powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 450 SoC, which Qualcomm launched almost two years ago. The SoC is powerful enough for most daily tasks and the View 2 Plus gets more from it than our comparison devices. Our test device finished top of all our benchmark comparison tables, although it is consistently below average.
The Snapdragon 450 SoC integrates an Adreno 506 GPU that also performed well in GPU benchmarks like GFXBench 3.1. Its performance is no better than the Adreno 506 GPUs in our comparison devices though.
| PCMark for Android | |
| Work performance score (sort by value) | |
| Wiko View 2 Plus | |
| Wiko View 2 Pro | |
| HTC Desire 12 Plus | |
| Samsung Galaxy A6 Plus 2018 | |
| Honor 7C | |
| Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 450 (4836 - 6062, n=14) | |
| Work 2.0 performance score (sort by value) | |
| Wiko View 2 Plus | |
| Wiko View 2 Pro | |
| HTC Desire 12 Plus | |
| Samsung Galaxy A6 Plus 2018 | |
| Honor 7C | |
| Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 450 (4171 - 4759, n=14) | |
| AnTuTu v7 - Total Score (sort by value) | |
| Wiko View 2 Plus | |
| Wiko View 2 Pro | |
| HTC Desire 12 Plus | |
| Samsung Galaxy A6 Plus 2018 | |
| Honor 7C | |
| Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 450 (56497 - 73468, n=11) | |
| AnTuTu v6 - Total Score (sort by value) | |
| Wiko View 2 Plus | |
| Wiko View 2 Pro | |
| Samsung Galaxy A6 Plus 2018 | |
| Honor 7C | |
| Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 450 (54731 - 60077, n=10) | |
Our test device scored comparatively highly in browser benchmarks too. The View 2 Plus finished near or at the top of most browser benchmarks, but surprisingly finished bottom in our Mozilla Kraken 1.1 comparison table. The gaps between the devices are minor though. Our test device generally loaded websites quickly throughout testing too.
| JetStream 1.1 - Total Score | |
| Wiko View 2 Plus (Chrome 71) | |
| Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 450 (22 - 22.7, n=13) | |
| Honor 7C (Chrome 66) | |
| Wiko View 2 Pro (Chrome 67) | |
| Samsung Galaxy A6 Plus 2018 (Chrome 67) | |
| HTC Desire 12 Plus (Chrome 67) | |
| Octane V2 - Total Score | |
| Average of class Smartphone (2228 - 100368, n=209, last 2 years) | |
| Samsung Galaxy A6 Plus 2018 (Chrome 67) | |
| Wiko View 2 Plus (Chrome 71) | |
| Wiko View 2 Pro (Chrome 67) | |
| HTC Desire 12 Plus (Chrome 67) | |
| Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 450 (3470 - 4115, n=14) | |
| Honor 7C (Chrome 66) | |
| Mozilla Kraken 1.1 - Total | |
| HTC Desire 12 Plus (Chrome 67) | |
| Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 450 (11012 - 11863, n=14) | |
| Wiko View 2 Pro (Chrome 67) | |
| Samsung Galaxy A6 Plus 2018 (Chrome 67) | |
| Honor 7C (Chrome 66) | |
| Wiko View 2 Plus (Chrome 71) | |
| Average of class Smartphone (277 - 28190, n=167, last 2 years) | |
* ... smaller is better
The speed of the internal storage is at expected levels. The same applies to the microSD card reader too, which we tested with our Toshiba Exceria Pro M501 reference card. Overall, the View 2 Plus is on par with the average of smartphones that we have already tested.
| Wiko View 2 Plus | Wiko View 2 Pro | HTC Desire 12 Plus | Samsung Galaxy A6 Plus 2018 | Honor 7C | Average 64 GB eMMC Flash | Average of class Smartphone | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| AndroBench 3-5 | -3% | -2% | 19% | -6% | 58% | 1539% | |
| Sequential Read 256KB | 272 | 265.4 -2% | 252.8 -7% | 298.8 10% | 297 9% | 274 ? 1% | 1887 ? 594% |
| Sequential Write 256KB | 199.7 | 194.3 -3% | 135.6 -32% | 88.5 -56% | 115 -42% | 176.2 ? -12% | 1474 ? 638% |
| Random Read 4KB | 70.6 | 65.6 -7% | 65.7 -7% | 72.9 3% | 30 -58% | 59.4 ? -16% | 279 ? 295% |
| Random Write 4KB | 6.6 | 6.72 2% | 9.16 39% | 16.1 144% | 10 52% | 32 ? 385% | 312 ? 4627% |
| Sequential Read 256KB SDCard | 83.6 ? | 82.3 ? -2% | 83.4 ? 0% | 83.4 ? 0% | 83.9 ? 0% | 77.4 ? -7% | |
| Sequential Write 256KB SDCard | 61.1 ? | 57.8 ? -5% | 59.9 ? -2% | 67.8 ? 11% | 62.6 ? 2% | 58.3 ? -5% |
Games
The Adreno 506 GPU supports many modern APIs, which futureproofs it somewhat. Our test device handled Arena of Valor at high graphics well, although the menus are jerky, and the app even crashed once. The accelerometer and the touchscreen worked reliably throughout testing too.
Emissions
Temperature
The View 2 Plus manages its surface temperatures well. Our test device hardly heats up even when we push it hard. The View 2 Plus reached a maximum of 25.2 °C at idle and 30.4 °C under load, which are impressively cool.
(+) The maximum temperature on the upper side is 30.4 °C / 87 F, compared to the average of 35.1 °C / 95 F, ranging from 21.9 to 63.7 °C for the class Smartphone.
(+) The bottom heats up to a maximum of 30.2 °C / 86 F, compared to the average of 33.9 °C / 93 F
(+) In idle usage, the average temperature for the upper side is 24.3 °C / 76 F, compared to the device average of 32.8 °C / 91 F.
Speakers
The View 2 Plus has a single speaker on the back case, which is not generally the best location for a speaker in our opinion as it is easy to obscure. The speaker is indented though, so you can at least feel it when holding the device, and it gives the speaker some room when the device is placed against a flat surface.
The speaker is loud enough to fill a medium-sized room, and the sound produced is decent. Our test device does not distort at high volumes and speech was reproduced clearly. However, the audio produced sounds tinny, which is reflected in the overly high-frequency spectrum. Overall, the speaker is good enough for occasional media playback. The 3.5 mm jack and Bluetooth reproduce audio cleanly too.
Wiko View 2 Plus audio analysis
(±) | speaker loudness is average but good (80.1 dB)
Bass 100 - 315 Hz
(-) | nearly no bass - on average 30.1% lower than median
(±) | linearity of bass is average (9.7% delta to prev. frequency)
Mids 400 - 2000 Hz
(±) | reduced mids - on average 5.3% lower than median
(±) | linearity of mids is average (8.2% delta to prev. frequency)
Highs 2 - 16 kHz
(+) | balanced highs - only 1.8% away from median
(+) | highs are linear (2.1% delta to prev. frequency)
Overall 100 - 16.000 Hz
(±) | linearity of overall sound is average (25.1% difference to median)
Compared to same class
» 58% of all tested devices in this class were better, 7% similar, 35% worse
» The best had a delta of 12%, average was 37%, worst was 134%
Compared to all devices tested
» 74% of all tested devices were better, 6% similar, 20% worse
» The best had a delta of 4%, average was 25%, worst was 134%
Wiko View 2 Pro audio analysis
(±) | speaker loudness is average but good (81.5 dB)
Bass 100 - 315 Hz
(-) | nearly no bass - on average 26.9% lower than median
(±) | linearity of bass is average (7.5% delta to prev. frequency)
Mids 400 - 2000 Hz
(+) | balanced mids - only 4.4% away from median
(+) | mids are linear (6.4% delta to prev. frequency)
Highs 2 - 16 kHz
(+) | balanced highs - only 4.8% away from median
(+) | highs are linear (2.5% delta to prev. frequency)
Overall 100 - 16.000 Hz
(±) | linearity of overall sound is average (23.1% difference to median)
Compared to same class
» 48% of all tested devices in this class were better, 7% similar, 45% worse
» The best had a delta of 12%, average was 37%, worst was 134%
Compared to all devices tested
» 66% of all tested devices were better, 6% similar, 29% worse
» The best had a delta of 4%, average was 25%, worst was 134%
Battery Life
Power Consumption
The power consumption of the View 2 Plus is typical of a device powered by a Snapdragon 450 SoC. Our test device’s minimum power consumption is slightly higher than our comparison devices, but its average power consumption at idle is also lower than all but the Galaxy A6 Plus (2018). The View 2 Plus is a comparatively power-hungry device under load though.
| Off / Standby |   0.1 / 0.3 Watt |
| Idle |  0.8 / 1.5 / 2 Watt |
| Load |
3.2 / 4.7 Watt |
    
| |
Key:
min: ,
med: ,
max: Metrahit Energy | |
| Wiko View 2 Plus 4000 mAh | Wiko View 2 Pro 3000 mAh | HTC Desire 12 Plus 2965 mAh | Samsung Galaxy A6 Plus 2018 3500 mAh | Honor 7C 3000 mAh | Average Qualcomm Snapdragon 450 | Average of class Smartphone | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Power Consumption | -1% | -4% | 37% | 0% | -22% | -41% | |
| Idle Minimum * | 0.8 | 0.64 20% | 0.68 15% | 0.62 22% | 0.6 25% | 0.794 ? 1% | 0.885 ? -11% |
| Idle Average * | 1.5 | 2.07 -38% | 2.05 -37% | 0.96 36% | 2.16 -44% | 2.27 ? -51% | 1.451 ? 3% |
| Idle Maximum * | 2 | 2.13 -7% | 2.12 -6% | 0.99 50% | 2.24 -12% | 2.48 ? -24% | 1.608 ? 20% |
| Load Average * | 3.2 | 2.69 16% | 3 6% | 1.85 42% | 2.59 19% | 3.95 ? -23% | 6.55 ? -105% |
| Load Maximum * | 4.7 | 4.46 5% | 4.57 3% | 3.04 35% | 4.11 13% | 5.38 ? -14% | 9.92 ? -111% |
* ... smaller is better
Battery Life
The View 2 Plus has a 4,000 mAh battery, which is at least 500 mAh larger than the batteries in our comparison devices. Our test device lasted an impressive 14:43 hours in our Wi-Fi battery life test, which we conducted by setting the display to approximately 150 cd/m² and running a script that simulates the load required to render websites.
However, our test device only lasted 16 minutes longer than the View 2 Pro, despite having a 1,000 mAh larger battery. Overall though, the View 2 Plus has excellent battery life thanks to its large battery.
The included 10 W charger takes around two hours to recharge our test device fully.
| Wiko View 2 Plus 4000 mAh | Wiko View 2 Pro 3000 mAh | HTC Desire 12 Plus 2965 mAh | Samsung Galaxy A6 Plus 2018 3500 mAh | Honor 7C 3000 mAh | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Battery Runtime | -6% | -40% | -7% | -24% | |
| WiFi v1.3 | 913 | 857 -6% | 545 -40% | 848 -7% | 693 -24% |
| Reader / Idle | 1817 | ||||
| H.264 | 916 | ||||
| Load | 335 |
Pros
Cons
Verdict
The Wiko View 2 Plus is a well-rounded budget smartphone. The device has a modern design with an eye-catching back. Moreover, it has a large and bright display that impressed us with its low black value and excellent contrast ratio. Furthermore, the battery should last for well over a day, and the device gets the most from its low-end SoC.
The notch may be too imposing for some people though, and its screen is comparatively unevenly lit. Its other deficiencies, like its microUSB port and its underwhelming cameras, are common with smartphones at this price.
Wiko has done a good job with the View 2 Plus. The device has many things going for it and has few weaknesses.
In short, Wiko has done its homework and has created a budget midrange smartphone that will suit most people if you can get past its huge notch.
Wiko View 2 Plus
- 01/15/2019 v6 (old)
Florian Schmitt
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