Wiko View 3 Review: The affordable smartphone turns out as an endurance champion

With the View 3, Wiko aims to bring the newest smartphone technology to the entry-level range. To do this, the French smartphone brand has equipped a Wiko smartphone that is sold in Germany for less than 200 Euros (~$223) with a triple camera for the first time.
Wiko promises a battery life of two full days for its View smartphone. Supposedly, this is made possible by a 4000 mAh battery for one and also by the 6.26-inch IPS display with a resolution of only 1520x720 pixels. The View 3 is run by a MediaTek octa-core SoC that is accompanied by 3 GB of RAM. Using standard microSD cards, the internal storage can be expanded from 64 GB up to a maximum of 320 GB.
The competitors of the Wiko smartphone include the Xiaomi Redmi Note 7, the Huawei Y7 2019, the ZTE Blade V10 Vita, the Sony Xperia L3, and the Nokia 4.2. Together with the Wiko View 3, the View 3 Pro and the Wiko View 3 Lite sibling models complete the View series of the French smartphone vendor.
Case - The View 3 with small bezels and a lot of display
The case of the Wiko View 3 is available in three color options. You can choose among blue (Anthracite Blue), gold (Blush Gold), and turquoise (Electric Bleen). Considering the price, the workmanship is on a solid level. Although Wiko specifies a glass back, we have some doubts if we look at the haptics and temperature behavior of the surface. The plastic frame and the plastic-like feel of the back will make users notice the affordable sales price. In addition, the flat back does not really contribute to a more comfortable grip.
On the other hand, the buttons for volume and standby show a good workmanship and posses a well-defined pressure point. The stability of the case also makes a decent impression.
Considering the price range, the bezels above and below the display of the View 3 turned out quite slim. Expressed in numbers, 80% of the front consists of the display, which is very satisfactory for an affordable smartphone.
Equipment - Wiko smartphone with only Widevine L3
The internal eMMC storage of our test unit has a capacity of 64 GB with only 52 GB still available to users in the state of delivery. You can also expand the storage of the dual-SIM smartphone by up to 256 GB via microSD, as long as you use only a single SIM card in the hybrid slot. However, the microSD card cannot be used as internal storage and the exFAT file system is also not supported.
The 4000 mAh battery can be charged using the micro-USB connection at the bottom of the entry-level smartphone that supports the USB 2.0 standard. You can also connect peripheral devices such as USB sticks via an OTG adapter to the USB port.
Wireless transfer of the display content to an external monitor via Miracast is also supported. However, you cannot watch video content in HD quality on Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, and other video-streaming services on the View 3, since the Widevine DRM level is only specified as L3.
Software - Stock Android 9 in the View 3
As the operating system, the French manufacturer has installed Android version 9, which is expanded with an in-house user interface. At the time of our test, the security patches (April 2019) are not really current anymore.
Compared to stock Android, the user interface of the manufacturer appears with only a few modifications. Similarly, there are hardly any third-party apps preinstalled on the Wiko View 3.
Communication and GPS - The Wiko View 3 with accurate GPS
Wiko has equipped its entry-level model with a hybrid slot with two slots for nano-SIM cards. The smartphone connects to the mobile internet via the LTE standard with both card slots. All the frequency bands that are relevant in Germany are supported by the View 3. For wireless communication, there is Bluetooth version 4.2. There is no chip for Near-Field-Communication (NFC).
The WLAN module can handle only the IEEE-802.11b/g/n standards and therefore communicates only in the 2.4-GHz frequency band, resulting in slow transfer rates of 70 Mb/s and 55 Mb/s in our WLAN test. However, the values we measured with our Linksys EA8500 reference router remain constant.
Networking | |
iperf3 transmit AX12 | |
Xiaomi Redmi Note 7 | |
Sony Xperia L3 | |
Wiko View 3 | |
Huawei Y7 2019 | |
ZTE Blade V10 Vita | |
Nokia 4.2 | |
iperf3 receive AX12 | |
Xiaomi Redmi Note 7 | |
Sony Xperia L3 | |
Wiko View 3 | |
Nokia 4.2 | |
Huawei Y7 2019 | |
ZTE Blade V10 Vita |
The Wiko View 3 can locate its position via the GPS, Beidou, GLONASS, and Galileo satellite systems. Outdoors, the location determination is fairly fast with an accuracy of about three meters. Even though the Wiko smartphone is also able to locate its position indoors, the satellite connection takes a very long time in the test.
In order to evaluate the locating accuracy of our test unit in practice, we record a route with both the Garmin Edge 500 bicycle computer and the Wiko smartphone in parallel. The difference in the distances measured by the View 3 and the professional navigation device at the end of the about 9-km long (~5.6 miles) test route is about 30 meters (98 ft). For a device of this price range, the deviations of the GPS module are small, and the locating capabilities are pleasing.
Telephone Functions and Voice Quality - Inconspicuous Wiko smartphone
We feel that both the understandability as well as the maximum volume are satisfactory during our test calls using the Vodafone network. We also didn't notice any conspicuous negative characteristics in terms of the quality of the built-in microphone, which our conversation partner described as "understandable." We do not find any options for calling using the WLAN network or VoLTE in the settings menu.
Cameras - The View 3 with a usable triple camera
As its cameras, the Wiko View 3 has an integrated triple camera system that includes a 13-MP and 120° wide angle lens and a depth lens with a resolution of 2 MP. The main Sony IMX 486 sensor has a resolution of 12 MP and pixel size of 1.25 μm.
The picture quality of the main camera module with phase detection autofocus is at a very decent level - at least in good light conditions. Compared to the Honor View 20 with its Sony IMX 586, the View 3 does not need to hide with our test pictures. However, recording the variable depth sharpness does not really work well with the Wiko smartphone.
The wide angle lens also delivers some usable results, but they often remind us of the over-saturation in reproductions of nature scenes that is typical for Samsung.
At the front there is the 8-MP selfie camera that has an f/2.0 aperture. Considering the price, the quality is good and quite suited for multimedia content and snapshots.
The 12-MP CMOS image sensor that was used can record videos with a maximum Full HD resolution at 30 FPS. If you use the front 8-MP lens, you can also record moving images in 1080p resolution.
Accessories and Warranty - The Wiko smartphone includes headphones
Input Devices and Operation - The View 3 with a bad oleophobic coating
The capacitive multi-touchscreen is able to recognize up to five touch points simultaneously. It has a smooth surface, but the grease-repellent coating (oleophobic coating) works less well in the View 3. The screen responds to input up to the corner areas precisely.
To unlock the Wiko smartphone, you can use biometric identification via fingerprint or face recognition. The active fingerprint sensor on the back of the case works fairly reliably with dry fingers but is not very fast. This is similar for the face unlock function: Even though it is slow, it does its work without any problems.
Display - An IPS panel with a 720p resolution in the View 3
The 6.26-inch LCD display in the 19:9 format has a resolution of 1520x720 pixels. With this, the pixel density of the View 3 remains significantly below the magical 300-ppi mark. In everyday operation, the low resolution is negatively noticeable, particularly with small writing.
With a pure white display background, the maximum brightness is 574 cd/m², which is a good value, considering the price. With the brightness sensor activated to control the display brightness, we measure a very similar brightness of 577 cd/m². In addition, we also evaluate the brightness of the panel with an even distribution of bright and dark areas in our test (APL50). Here, we measure a maximum brightness of 569 cd/m².
|
Brightness Distribution: 91 %
Center on Battery: 574 cd/m²
Contrast: 3021:1 (Black: 0.19 cd/m²)
ΔE Color 5.5 | 0.5-29.43 Ø4.89
ΔE Greyscale 5 | 0.5-98 Ø5.1
92.8% sRGB (Calman 2D)
Gamma: 2.1
Wiko View 3 IPS, 1520x720, 6.3" | Xiaomi Redmi Note 7 IPS, 2340x1080, 6.3" | ZTE Blade V10 Vita TFT-LCD, 1520x720, 6.3" | Nokia 4.2 IPS, 1520x720, 5.7" | Huawei Y7 2019 IPS, 1520x720, 6.3" | Sony Xperia L3 IPS, 1440x720, 5.7" | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Screen | 2% | 2% | -21% | -24% | 11% | |
Brightness middle | 574 | 541 -6% | 464 -19% | 445 -22% | 547 -5% | 533 -7% |
Brightness | 552 | 540 -2% | 452 -18% | 424 -23% | 543 -2% | 533 -3% |
Brightness Distribution | 91 | 91 0% | 92 1% | 91 0% | 94 3% | 89 -2% |
Black Level * | 0.19 | 0.33 -74% | 0.28 -47% | 0.26 -37% | 0.49 -158% | 0.25 -32% |
Contrast | 3021 | 1639 -46% | 1657 -45% | 1712 -43% | 1116 -63% | 2132 -29% |
Colorchecker dE 2000 * | 5.5 | 2.7 51% | 2.8 49% | 5.9 -7% | 4.5 18% | 2.8 49% |
Colorchecker dE 2000 max. * | 9.5 | 4.6 52% | 6.1 36% | 9.3 2% | 7.9 17% | 5.1 46% |
Greyscale dE 2000 * | 5 | 3.1 38% | 2 60% | 6.8 -36% | 5 -0% | 1.9 62% |
Gamma | 2.1 105% | 2.26 97% | 2.33 94% | 2.2 100% | 2.35 94% | 2.11 104% |
CCT | 7610 85% | 6853 95% | 6611 98% | 8443 77% | 7400 88% | 6149 106% |
* ... smaller is better
Screen Flickering / PWM (Pulse-Width Modulation)
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 8619 (minimum: 5 - maximum: 343500) Hz was measured. |
The combination of the display brightness and the black value of 0.19 cd/m² results in a very good contrast ratio of 1:3021 (APL-50: 0.34 cd/m², 1:1674). The display analysis with a photo spectrometer and the CalMAN software shows in parts significant deviations in the color (5.5) and grayscale (5.0) reproduction. In addition, the measured color temperature of 7610 Kelvin is too cool, resulting in a slight blue tint in practice.
Display Response Times
↔ Response Time Black to White | ||
---|---|---|
16.8 ms ... rise ↗ and fall ↘ combined | ↗ 6 ms rise | |
↘ 10.8 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. » 35 % of all devices are better. This means that the measured response time is better than the average of all tested devices (20.9 ms). | ||
↔ Response Time 50% Grey to 80% Grey | ||
49.2 ms ... rise ↗ and fall ↘ combined | ↗ 31.2 ms rise | |
↘ 18 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. » 84 % of all devices are better. This means that the measured response time is worse than the average of all tested devices (32.7 ms). |
Even on sunny days, the liquid crystal display offers sufficient brightness to read the screen content. However in direct sunlight, the reflective display makes it difficult to perfectly read the screen. In addition, the bad grease-repellent coating on the touchscreen is annoying.
As typical for an IPS panel, the viewing-angle stability is good, and there is only little brightness reduction from extreme viewing angles.
Performance - MediaTek Helio P22 MT6762 and 3 GB of RAM
The MediaTek Helio P22 MT6762 integrates eight ARM Cortex-A53 cores in two clusters. The four cores of the performance cluster offer a clock speed of up to 2 GHz, while the energy-efficient cluster in the View 3 runs at a maximum of 1.5 GHz. Thanks to their big.LITTLE configuration, all the cores can be used together. The integrated graphics card is a PowerVR GE8320k, which has a clock speed of 650 MHz.
In the benchmarks, the MediaTek CPU makes a good impression. The Wiko View 3 ranges at about the level of the Qualcomm Snapdragon 450 in the Huawei Y7 2019. The situation is similar in the graphics tests of the GFXBench benchmarks.
Subjectively, the system performance could still be optimized despite the low display resolution. The View 3 often shows smaller delays, and scrolling in the browser often appears to be stuttering. The speed of the flash storage is also relatively slow, so that apps and games need a fairly long time to load.
Compared to our low-budget competitors, the read and write access rates to our reference microSD card (Toshiba Exceria Pro M501; max. reading: 270 MB/s, writing: 150 MB/s) are within the average.
PCMark for Android | |
Work performance score (sort by value) | |
Wiko View 3 | |
Xiaomi Redmi Note 7 | |
ZTE Blade V10 Vita | |
Nokia 4.2 | |
Huawei Y7 2019 | |
Sony Xperia L3 | |
Average Mediatek Helio P22 MT6762 (4404 - 7465, n=18) | |
Work 2.0 performance score (sort by value) | |
Wiko View 3 | |
Xiaomi Redmi Note 7 | |
ZTE Blade V10 Vita | |
Nokia 4.2 | |
Huawei Y7 2019 | |
Sony Xperia L3 | |
Average Mediatek Helio P22 MT6762 (3805 - 5380, n=21) |
AnTuTu v7 - Total Score (sort by value) | |
Wiko View 3 | |
Xiaomi Redmi Note 7 | |
ZTE Blade V10 Vita | |
Nokia 4.2 | |
Huawei Y7 2019 | |
Sony Xperia L3 | |
Average Mediatek Helio P22 MT6762 (71347 - 88242, n=9) |
Jetstream 2 - Total Score | |
Average of class Smartphone (111.1 - 387, n=169, last 2 years) | |
Nokia 4.2 (Chrome 74) | |
ZTE Blade V10 Vita (Chrome 74) | |
Huawei Y7 2019 (Chrome 73.0.3683.90) | |
Sony Xperia L3 (Chrome 72) | |
Average Mediatek Helio P22 MT6762 (12.9 - 13.9, n=3) | |
Wiko View 3 (Chrome 75) |
Octane V2 - Total Score | |
Average of class Smartphone (2228 - 100368, n=206, last 2 years) | |
Xiaomi Redmi Note 7 (Chrome 72) | |
Nokia 4.2 (Chrome 74) | |
Sony Xperia L3 (Chrome 72) | |
Average Mediatek Helio P22 MT6762 (3312 - 4508, n=9) | |
Huawei Y7 2019 (Chrome 73.0.3683.90) | |
Wiko View 3 (Chrome 75) | |
ZTE Blade V10 Vita (Chrome 74) |
Mozilla Kraken 1.1 - Total | |
Wiko View 3 (Chrome 75) | |
Average Mediatek Helio P22 MT6762 (10846 - 12799, n=9) | |
ZTE Blade V10 Vita (Chrome 74) | |
Sony Xperia L3 (Chrome 72) | |
Huawei Y7 2019 (Chrome 73.0.3683.90) | |
Nokia 4.2 (Chrome 74) | |
Xiaomi Redmi Note 7 (Chrome 72) | |
Average of class Smartphone (277 - 28190, n=166, last 2 years) |
* ... smaller is better
Wiko View 3 | Xiaomi Redmi Note 7 | ZTE Blade V10 Vita | Nokia 4.2 | Huawei Y7 2019 | Sony Xperia L3 | Average 64 GB eMMC Flash | Average of class Smartphone | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
AndroBench 3-5 | 30% | -22% | -37% | 21% | -1% | 48% | 1376% | |
Sequential Read 256KB | 287.3 | 283.4 -1% | 95.6 -67% | 220.4 -23% | 305 6% | 290.9 1% | 274 ? -5% | 1936 ? 574% |
Sequential Write 256KB | 132.4 | 204.7 55% | 119.4 -10% | 18.17 -86% | 88.8 -33% | 87.5 -34% | 177 ? 34% | 1553 ? 1073% |
Random Read 4KB | 55.2 | 82.9 50% | 20.32 -63% | 17.51 -68% | 83.5 51% | 28.83 -48% | 59.7 ? 8% | 279 ? 405% |
Random Write 4KB | 8.98 | 16.06 79% | 9.99 11% | 4.31 -52% | 17.48 95% | 16.36 82% | 32.6 ? 263% | 319 ? 3452% |
Sequential Read 256KB SDCard | 81.7 ? | 83.2 ? 2% | 81.3 ? 0% | 86.7 ? 6% | 86.4 ? 6% | 80.9 ? -1% | 77.4 ? -5% | |
Sequential Write 256KB SDCard | 63.6 ? | 59.5 ? -6% | 61.1 ? -4% | 65.9 ? 4% | 65.8 ? 3% | 61.7 ? -3% | 58.3 ? -8% |
Games - Hardly any chance for fun in gaming with the PowerVR GE8320k
More-demanding 3D games from the Android Play Store such as PUBG Mobile can only be played with reduced graphics details. But even then, the reproduction is marred by drops in the frame rate. The Asphalt 9 Legends racing game that we tested cannot even be played with minimal graphics settings anywhere near smoothly.
Thanks to the well-functioning position sensor and the satisfactory accuracy of the display, the control and inputs succeed without any problems.
Emissions - A cool Wiko smartphone
Temperature
Our measurements of the surface temperatures are very low, and in everyday operation noticeable warming only occurs during load.
(+) The maximum temperature on the upper side is 30.1 °C / 86 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 29.8 °C / 86 F, compared to the average of 33.9 °C / 93 F
(+) In idle usage, the average temperature for the upper side is 26.8 °C / 80 F, compared to the device average of 32.8 °C / 91 F.
Speaker
In everyday usage, the mono speaker that is positioned at the bottom edge of the case already distorts at low volumes. As expected, the sound spectrum is dominated by sounds in the mid and high ranges that are not reproduced very linear. Bass frequencies are not audible.
The View 3 includes a 3.5-mm audio port, so that you can use headphones without any problems.
Wiko View 3 audio analysis
(+) | speakers can play relatively loud (87.8 dB)
Bass 100 - 315 Hz
(-) | nearly no bass - on average 30.4% lower than median
(±) | linearity of bass is average (12.7% delta to prev. frequency)
Mids 400 - 2000 Hz
(±) | higher mids - on average 7.7% higher than median
(+) | mids are linear (6.7% delta to prev. frequency)
Highs 2 - 16 kHz
(±) | higher highs - on average 6.9% higher than median
(+) | highs are linear (5.7% delta to prev. frequency)
Overall 100 - 16.000 Hz
(±) | linearity of overall sound is average (27.2% difference to median)
Compared to same class
» 68% of all tested devices in this class were better, 6% similar, 26% worse
» The best had a delta of 12%, average was 36%, worst was 134%
Compared to all devices tested
» 81% of all tested devices were better, 4% similar, 15% worse
» The best had a delta of 4%, average was 24%, worst was 134%
Xiaomi Redmi Note 7 audio analysis
(+) | speakers can play relatively loud (87.6 dB)
Bass 100 - 315 Hz
(-) | nearly no bass - on average 27.6% lower than median
(±) | linearity of bass is average (12% delta to prev. frequency)
Mids 400 - 2000 Hz
(+) | balanced mids - only 4.1% away from median
(+) | mids are linear (4.5% delta to prev. frequency)
Highs 2 - 16 kHz
(±) | higher highs - on average 5% higher than median
(+) | highs are linear (4.9% delta to prev. frequency)
Overall 100 - 16.000 Hz
(±) | linearity of overall sound is average (19.3% difference to median)
Compared to same class
» 23% of all tested devices in this class were better, 9% similar, 69% worse
» The best had a delta of 12%, average was 36%, worst was 134%
Compared to all devices tested
» 43% of all tested devices were better, 8% similar, 49% worse
» The best had a delta of 4%, average was 24%, worst was 134%
Battery Life - The View 3 is an endurance champion
Power Consumption
The power consumption of the View 3 is inconspicuous and remains in part significantly below that of the comparison devices.
Off / Standby | ![]() ![]() |
Idle | ![]() ![]() ![]() |
Load |
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Key:
min: ![]() ![]() ![]() |
Wiko View 3 4000 mAh | Xiaomi Redmi Note 7 4000 mAh | ZTE Blade V10 Vita 3200 mAh | Nokia 4.2 3000 mAh | Huawei Y7 2019 4000 mAh | Sony Xperia L3 3300 mAh | Average Mediatek Helio P22 MT6762 | Average of class Smartphone | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Power Consumption | -59% | -35% | -21% | -10% | -4% | -11% | -83% | |
Idle Minimum * | 0.67 | 0.61 9% | 0.69 -3% | 0.74 -10% | 0.51 24% | 0.57 15% | 0.669 ? -0% | 0.875 ? -31% |
Idle Average * | 1.73 | 1.95 -13% | 2.03 -17% | 1.9 -10% | 1.7 2% | 1.5 13% | 1.577 ? 9% | 1.459 ? 16% |
Idle Maximum * | 1.79 | 2.03 -13% | 2.06 -15% | 2.21 -23% | 1.85 -3% | 1.51 16% | 1.851 ? -3% | 1.607 ? 10% |
Load Average * | 2.18 | 4.56 -109% | 3.55 -63% | 3.04 -39% | 3.17 -45% | 3.09 -42% | 2.91 ? -33% | 6.77 ? -211% |
Load Maximum * | 3.43 | 9.15 -167% | 6.15 -79% | 4.15 -21% | 4.44 -29% | 4.15 -21% | 4.41 ? -29% | 10.2 ? -197% |
* ... smaller is better
Battery Life
At more than 16.5 hours, the 4000 mAh battery of the Wiko smartphone lasts for a very long time in our WLAN surf test with adjusted brightness. After being completely discharged, the View can be recharged back up to 100% relatively quickly (2.5 h), thanks to fast charging using the 10-watt charger.
Wiko View 3 4000 mAh | Xiaomi Redmi Note 7 4000 mAh | ZTE Blade V10 Vita 3200 mAh | Nokia 4.2 3000 mAh | Huawei Y7 2019 4000 mAh | Sony Xperia L3 3300 mAh | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Battery Runtime | ||||||
WiFi v1.3 | 995 | 768 -23% | 644 -35% | 696 -30% | 1113 12% | 641 -36% |
Pros
Cons
Verdict - Too many negatives with plenty of positives
Wiko has done a lot of things right with its View 3 entry-level smartphone. Despite the affordable price, the design is modern, the bezels turned out relatively slim, and the workmanship is satisfactory. In addition, it offers solid cameras that turn out surprisingly good in parts, and it has a very long battery life combined with proven equipment features such as a status LED and a 3.5 mm audio port.
Those who are looking for an affordable smartphone with a modern design and long battery life and are willing to live with some compromises might be happy with the Wiko View 3.
On the other hand, the Wiko View 3 also fails in some areas that play an important role in everyday operation. While you still might be able to live with the really bad speaker and the low resolution of the otherwise good IPS panel – although the Redmi series from Xiaomi has had usable 1080p panels for years even in the price range below 200 Euros (~$223) – it might be much harder to live with the low system performance of the Helio P22. With the compromise of a 720p display in 2019, users should be able to expect a better performance in everyday use, particularly since the View 3 runs with an almost unmodified vanilla Android OS. We reduced our performance evaluation slightly because of this.
Wiko View 3
- 07/27/2019 v6 (old)
Marcus Herbrich