Index
Review: Good battery, nice spec, unimpressive software
Chinese smartphone maker UMI has been around for a few years, and some westerners may be familiar with the company’s ultrathin Zero handset, or some of its fancy accessories, like stylish headphones.
However, the company’s latest budget phablet is not designed for fashion enthusiasts or audiophiles. The UMI Emax is going after the geek market, with a good price/performance ratio, 1080p screen, and the fact that it ships rooted.
If you checked out some of our previous reviews of MediaTek-based phones, you’ll notice a recurring spec pattern: MT6752 octa-core processor, 2GB of RAM, 16GB of storage, 5.5-inch screen. The phone is available for $159 via GeekBuying. So what makes the Emax different?
Well, for starters the phone ships with an oversized battery that can keep it going for two days. It’s also rooted out of the box, and UMI has another trick up its sleeve, sort of. It’s called Rootjoy, and it should enable users to install stock Android 5.0 Lollipop, MIUI6, EMUI, HTC OS, and a few other ROMs.
It sounds like there are a few neat features to differentiate the UMI Emax from the rest of the field, so let’s take a closer look.
