I have tested a lot of Chinese smartphones over the last few months and it is the Xiaomi/Redmi/Poco trio that wins in almost every test I do. [b][b]I wanted to try and find alternatives by looking for smartphones in the same price range with similar features. In the end I chose the Elephone U5 which is positioned as a competitor to the Redmi Note 9.[b][b]Elephone is not a new brand, the company was created in 2014 but it hasn't yet reached the popularity of other Chinese brands like Xiaomi or Huawei. [b][b][b][b]linkManufacturer web site:https://www.elephone.hk/[b]linkSite where I have bought the Elephone U5: https://s.zbanx.com/r/VEFDYxbiGGGY[b]
Structure of my tests
I test the phones according to a pre-established structure (see below) to provide you with as much information as possible. Unfortunately, this takes a long time. Some tests like network performance tests take several days and for photo tests I sometimes have to wait until the weather is suitable to take pictures in good conditions. I am therefore obliged to publish the tests step by step, so I invite you to come back if the test is not complete at the time of your visit.[b] How are my tests different from others on the web?
- I usually buy the devices with my own money, so price is just as important as you are! - I keep the devices for at least a few weeks (sometimes more) to see what they are worth in real conditions. - I answer (when possible) your questions to help you decide before you buy - no one pays me to do these reviews, so I'm completely neutral and independent... - My pages are not filled with ads
The list below shows the prices for the Elephone U5 from more than 50 sites around the world. If you are not satisfied with any price, you can subscribe to a price alert to be the first to be notified when the price drops.[b]
Nokia 2720 Noir - Téléphone à clapet 4G Dual SIM - Snapdragon 205 Dual-Core 1.1 GHz - RAM 512 Mo ...
helpThe above links are affiliate links from companies such as Amazon, Gearbest, Aliexpress,... If you appreciate my work, I would be grateful if you could purchase these products through these links. It costs you absolutely nothing but I get a small commission that allows me to buy the material I test. Thank you very much!
Timeline
10/11/2020 order the Elephone U5 on the official website[b][b]
Why this phone?
The Elephone U5 has been marketed at a price of less than €150 and offers a theoretical performance level equivalent to Redmi Note 9. These two elements make it a good candidate to be tested.[b][b]Beyond price and performance, there are other features that caught my attention. The Xiaomi is quite heavy and bulky, the Elephone is a little smaller and lighter and offers a higher screen occupancy. The Elephone is made of metal where the Redmi uses plastic.[b][b]The big weakness of the Redmi Note 9 is its colour treatment for photos. If the Elephone U5 obtains a better result, it will undoubtedly seduce those who will have been disappointed by Xiaomi.[b][b]
Unpacking
Not yet available / tested[b][b]
Length : 157 Width : 75.9 Thickness : 8.5 Weight : 180 Jack output : No USB Type : Type C Infrared port : No
First configuration
Not yet available / tested[b][b]
Finish
Not yet available / tested[b][b]
Specifications
[b]The information below comes from the Device Info HW application. The application provides detailed technical information about the tested phone.Not yet available / tested[b][b]
Not yet available / tested[b][b] [b]Top 10 - performance ranking based on Antutu 1. Poco F4 Gt - 853016 2. Realme Gt - 811858 3. Black Shark 4 Pro - 759986 4. Oppo Find X2 Pro - 605184 5. Oneplus 8t - 595000 6. Poco F3 - 589677 7. Xiaomi Mi 10t Pro - 581650 8. Oneplus 8 Pro - 579417 9. Xiaomi Mi 10 - 579114 10. Poco F2 Pro - 569559
Number of smartphones in the ranking:143 Position of this smartphone in the ranking:0/143
Note: this ranking only contains the phones I tested as well as a few others that I added for reference. [b]Gaming[b]To test the performance in game, I download the mobile PUBG game and evaluate the in-game experience, graphics level and depth of vision. This game is quite demanding and should help you evaluating the performance of a phone.Not yet available / tested[b][b]
Choose your country to check if your phone is compatible:
The frequencies displayed below will allow you to see if this phone is compatible with your operator or if you will be able to use it in the country where you are going on vacation.
Signal 4G (before december 2020)[b]The ability to pick up the network correctly is an essential element for a phone but it is only very rarely measured. To measure a phone's ability to pick up the network, I perform a large number of measurements on the same cells to be able to compare phones under similar conditions. The signal is measured in dBm, a value of -90dBm indicates a worse signal than -70dBm. These measurements are therefore taken under real conditions and not in a laboratory, they are not scientific but give a good indication of performance. [b][b]Network signal sensitivity rating
Phone tested:
Average signal (dBm)
Number of measurements:
Xiaomi Mi 9t Pro
-88
1600
Xiaomi Redmi Note 5
-91.305
600
Xiaomi Mi 9 Lite
-93
788
Samsung Galaxy A70
-94.511
1975
Nokia 5.3
-94.98
531
Realme 6
-95.14
2301
Xiaomi Redmi Note 8 Pro
-95.922
1599
Xiaomi Mi A3
-95.95
1000
Huawei Y6 2019
-95.95
1199
Doogee S58 Pro
-96.22
856
Redmi 9a
-96.48
1000
Meizu Note 9
-96.68
937
Motorola G8 Power
-96.88
1032
Xiaomi Redmi Note 7
-97.01
1430
Redmi 9c
-97.04
1000
Umidigi S3 Pro
-97.13
1200
Xiaomi Redmi Note 8
-97.34
879
Samsung Galaxy A21s
-97.78
1000
Umidigi F1
-97.82
298
Ulefone Armor 7e
-98.7
1000
Xiaomi Mi Note 10 Lite
-99
1000
Honor 9x
-99.14
899
Xiaomi Redmi Note 9s
-99.4
1860
Poco F2 Pro
-99.8
1247
Xiaomi Redmi Note 9
-100.79
1785
Xiaomi Mi 10 Lite 5g
-100.88
1198
Poco X3
-101.19
821
Umidigi F2
-101.47
712
[b][b]Signal 4G (from December 2020)[b]I decided to change the methodology for measuring the network because I noticed that the configuration of the mobile network changes over time. This makes it more difficult to compare phones because the conditions are no longer exactly the same.[b][b]To overcome this problem, I set up a device that captures 24 hours a day about ten parameters from the mobile network (ex: cell id, rssi, rsrq, snr, frequency,...). I then place the phone next to the device for 24 to 48 hours taking the same measurements so that I can compare them. [b][b] Overview of the phones tested with this methodology[b][b]
Phone tested:
Measurements
Avg signal (reference)
Avg signal (phone)
Min/Max (reference)
Min/Max (phone)
Samsung Galaxy S10+
457
-93.06
-97.39
-89 / -98
-97 / -99
Xiaomi Mi 9t Pro
669
-93.69
-95.84
-90 / -95
-92 / -98
Poco F2 Pro
1438
-91.02
-94.99
-89 / -94
-94 / -96
Xiaomi Mi 10 Lite 5g
1645
-90.77
-95.02
- 88 / -98
-95 / -100
Poco X3
821
-94.89
-103.19
-91 / -97.7
-101 / -104
Umidigi Bison
2343
-92.71
-96.46
-90 / -99
-94 / -102
Oukitel C21
1101
-92.04
-94.99
-90 / -97
-92 / -95
Poco M3
1116
-92.09
-91.74
-88 / -98
-90 / -99
Xiaomi Mi 10t Pro
1071
-90.61
-94.03
-88 / -94
-94 / -96
Umidigi A9 Pro
981
-90.40
-94.01
-88 / -95
-93 / -95
Redmi Note 9t
1201
-92.149
-91.71
-90 / -97
-91 / -97
Xiaomi Redmi Note 10
999
-92.35
-93.99
-88 / -97
-92 / -98
Xiaomi Redmi Note 10 Pro
877
-89.72
-90.56
- 88 / -92
-89 / -95
Poco X3 Pro
1876
-91.45
-92.91
-90 / -94
-90 / -96
Poco F3
1382
-90.79
-94.2
-89 / -94
-93 / -98
Oneplus Nord N100
896
-91.23
-96.005
-88 / - 99
-96 / -99
Xiaomi Mi 11 Lite
2875
-91.36
-91.49
-87 / -96
-90 / -96
Samsung Galaxy A52
1427
-89.27
-93.39
-87 / -98
-92 / -96
Doogee S96 Pro
1259
-94.2
-91.21
-90 / -102
-88 / -95
Xiaomi Redmi Note 10s
957
-92.07
-97.62
-90 / -102
-96 / -102
Poco M3 Pro
1247
-91.76
-102.97
-99 / -104
-88 / -98
Realme Gt
843
-96.49
-94.02
-93 / -101
- 92 / -96
F150 R2022
1002
-92.4
-105.1
-90 / -97
-98 / -110
Umidigi Bison Pro
936
-94.2
-104.98
-91 / -98
-95 / -105
Redmi 10
2141
-94.74
-100.92
-92 / -98
-99 / -101
Tcl 10 Pro
871
-93.43
-94.001
-92 / -96
-93 / -95
Poco M4 Pro
570
-93.71
-96.78
-91 / -98
-95 / -99
Google Pixel 5
1444
-91.02
-97.02
-90 / -94
-97 / -101
Xiaomi 11t
1576
-92.305
-92.003
-90 / -96
-92 / -93
Redmi Note 11
1223
-92.5
-91.32
-92/-97
-90 / -93
Black Shark 4 Pro
2383
-95.178
-95.42
-90 / -100
-93 / -101
Redmi Note 11 Pro
349
-95.33
-93
-89 / -101
-92 / -94
Poco M4 Pro 4g
1202
-90.85
-88.95
-87 / - 95
-88 / -98
Tcl 30 Se
567
-92.11
-92.85
-88 / -98
-99 / -93
Poco X4 Pro
562
-92.06
-94.01
-90 / -95
-95 / -93
Redmi Note 11 Pro Plus 5g
945
-93.5
-93.54
-91 / -97
-92 / -97
Poco F4 Gt
832
-95.02
-93.09
-90 / -99
-93 / -97
Oukitel Wp18
1351
-95.94
-92.92
-91 / -97
-92 / -97
[b][b][b][b]Download/Upload speed[b]To test the download speed, I have identified some 4G cells offering good performance where I test all my devices several times to see what download and upload speed they can achieve.[b]Top 10 - speed ranking in download 1. Samsung Galaxy S20 D:351Mbps U: 20Mbps 2. Poco X3 D:232Mbps U: 55Mbps 3. Xiaomi Mi 10 Lite 5g D:223Mbps U: 52Mbps 4. Poco F2 Pro D:207Mbps U: 53Mbps 5. Xiaomi Mi Note 10 Lite D:153Mbps U: 68Mbps 6. Xiaomi Mi A3 D:150Mbps U: 60Mbps 7. Xiaomi Redmi Note 9s D:150Mbps U: 60Mbps 8. Xiaomi Mi 8 Lite D:149Mbps U: 60Mbps 9. Samsung Galaxy A21s D:147Mbps U: 51Mbps 10. Huawei Y6 2019 D:145Mbps U: 61Mbps
Number of smartphones in the ranking:30 Position of this smartphone in the ranking:0/30
Note: the theoretical maximum speed of a telephone is often limited by the configuration of the mobile network and the congestion of the network at the time of the measurement. So maybe you could get a higher speed on another network [b][b]
Wifi performance
To test a phone's ability to receive the network properly, I take measurements near my router and then remotely (and always at the same place). This gives me an average in dBm where a value of -90 dBm indicates poorer performance than a value at -30 dBm.[b]
Wifi signal[b]Not yet available / tested[b][b][b]Top 10 - wifi sensitivity ranking 1. Poco F2 Pro -11dBm 2. Xiaomi Redmi Note 10 Pro -12dBm 3. Realme Gt -12dBm 4. Samsung Galaxy A21s -13dBm 5. Redmi Note 11 Pro -13dBm 6. Oneplus Nord N100 -15dBm 7. Poco X3 Pro -15dBm 8. Poco F3 -15dBm 9. Redmi Note 9t -15dBm 10. Black Shark 4 Pro -15dBm
Number of smartphones in the ranking:63 Position of this smartphone in the ranking:0/63
[b]Download/Upload speed[b]To test the speed in Wifi, I connect to my router in 2.4Ghz and 5Ghz (if available) and use the Ookla application to measure the speed.[b]Top 10 - wifi download speed ranking 1. Redmi Note 11 Pro Plus 5g 866Mbps 2. Poco F4 Gt 866Mbps 3. Black Shark 4 Pro 866Mbps 4. Poco M4 Pro 4g 433Mbps 5. Poco X4 Pro 433Mbps 6. Redmi Note 11 Pro 433Mbps 7. Poco F3 398Mbps 8. Oukitel Wp18 390Mbps 9. Poco X3 Pro 389Mbps 10. Xiaomi Redmi Note 10 Pro 367Mbps
Number of smartphones in the ranking:61 Position of this smartphone in the ranking:0/61
Note: I have a 400Mbps line and a modem capable of delivering higher speed, but I can never be sure how much bandwidth is available when doing a test. [b]
GPS performance
[b]To test the quality of the GPS signal I use the Offline Maps application and I make the same train trip in pedestrian mode. Why? In pedestrian mode, the GPS does not artificially correct the signal to stick to the road, it has no markings, so you can see the actual position. I then use an application to measure the accuracy of the signal. Not yet available / tested[b][b][b]Top 10 - GPS accuracy ranking 1. Oukitel C21 1m 2. Redmi 9a 1m 3. Xiaomi Redmi Note 10s 1m 4. Doogee S96 Pro 1m 5. Xiaomi Redmi Note 9 1m 6. Umidigi Bison Pro 1m 7. Redmi 10 1m 8. Tcl 30 Se 1m 9. Poco M4 Pro 1m 10. Poco M4 Pro 4g 1m
Number of smartphones in the ranking:34 Position of this smartphone in the ranking:0/34
Note: An accuracy of 3 meters or less can easily be corrected by a good GPS application. Phone performance also plays a role in how fast your display updates, so good accuracy could be compromised by too slow a display. [b]
Battery range
Capacity : 4000 Fast charge : Yes W max : 10
Not yet available / tested[b][b]
Photo camera test
To test the quality of photos produced by a phone, I do a technical test (resolution, sharpness, chromatic aberration,...) in studio (identical conditions) to evaluate the technical part objectively. From the second half of 2020, I built my own laboratory to take completely objective technical measurements. I then take pictures in real conditions to see how the camera performs. I then evaluate these photos according to my criteria but I publish the photos so that you can evaluate the result according to your criteria.[b]
Hardware
Selfie / resolution : 24 Resolution : 48
Not yet available / tested[b][b]Default app[b]Not yet available / tested[b][b][b]
Photoquality
Photo test / studio[b]Not yet available / tested[b][b][b]Photo test / sunny[b]Not yet available / tested[b][b][b]Photo test / cloudy[b]Not yet available / tested[b][b][b]Test photo / night[b]Not yet available / tested[b][b][b]
Video quality
Stabilisation[b]Not yet available / tested[b][b]Video normale conditionsNot yet available / tested[b][b]Video low light[b]Not yet available / tested[b][b]
Audio quality
To test the quality of the phone's audio output, I connect the device's audio output to a measuring tool, then play sounds on all frequencies and measure the differences between the original sound and the sound produced by the phone. In this way I measure the phone's ability to correctly reproduce all sounds.[b] Frequency Response[b]This test is intended to test the device's ability to correctly reproduce all frequencies. The white line in the middle of the graph is the ideal situation and the other colors come from tests on different phones. A deviation from the reference line indicates a deviation from the ideal situation. To see good sound at all frequencies, it is therefore necessary to get as close as possible to the reference line. Not yet available / tested[b][b]Dynamic Range[b]This test is designed to test a phone's ability to play sounds at different volume levels. Here too, the phones must be as close as possible to the reference.Not yet available / tested[b][b]Noise Level[b]This test aims to identify if the device under test is able to reproduce sounds without too much noise. A high score indicates a low parasite rate, a lower score indicates a higher presence of parasites.Not yet available / tested[b][b]Concert recording[b]The purpose of this test is to measure the recording quality of the phone when there is a lot of ambient noise. Since I don't have the opportunity to go to a concert every time I test a phone, I simulate the noise of a concert in a closed environment.Not yet available / tested[b][b]
Screen quality
To test the screen, I use a colorimetric probe that measures the color accuracy of a screen, as well as other parameters to see if a screen is able to correctly reproduce an image. I also test the brightness level to determine if the screen will be able to display an image in full sunlight.[b]
Screen size : 6.4 Resolution : 1080 x 2310 Ratio : 19.5:9 Type : TFT LCD % occupancy : 86
Colorimetry[b]Not yet available / tested[b][b][b]Top 10 - ranking of the best screens by colorimetry 1. Xiaomi Mi 10 Lite 5g dE = 0.73 2. Xiaomi Mi 10t Pro dE = 0.83 3. Redmi Note 11 dE = 0.91 4. Google Pixel 5 dE = 1.11 5. Realme Gt dE = 1.17 6. Xiaomi Mi 11 Lite dE = 1.19 7. Xiaomi Redmi Note 8 dE = 1.2 8. Xiaomi Redmi Note 10 dE = 1.23 9. Poco M4 Pro 4g dE = 1.31 10. Xiaomi Redmi Note 10 Pro dE = 1.31
Number of smartphones in the ranking:63 Position of this smartphone in the ranking:0/63
Note: the colorimetric difference is measured in dE. After three, the human eye will perceive a colorimetric difference, so the dE should be the lowest. The tests were all carried out with a colorimetric probe. [b]Brightness / Contrast[b]Not yet available / tested[b][b]Light Absorption/Reflection[b]The smartphone screen reflect light and sometimes turn them into a real mirror. This mirror effect makes it harder to read. [b][b]The absorption index below indicates the percentage of light absorbed by the screen. The readability of a screen is better when the absorption index is high.[b][b]
Phone tested:
% light absorption
Samsung Galaxy S10+
58
Xiaomi Mi 9T Pro
52
Honor 9x
65
Redmi Note 9s
55
Motorola G8 Power
60
Realme 6
54
Umidigi F2
48
Poco F2 Pro
52
Redmi Note 9
56
Xiaomi Mi Note 10 Lite
53
Samsung Galaxy S20
47
Samsung Galaxy A21s
53
The phones tested have an average absroption rate of54 %
Biometry
Not yet available / tested[b][b]
Operating system
[b]Not yet available / tested[b][b]
Encoutered bugs
Not yet available / tested[b][b]
Accessories Elephone U5
To better enjoy your experience with your smartphone, I offer links to all kinds of accessories that you might find useful
I assigned a score of 1 to 10 for each test that determines the strengths and weaknesses of a product. I am using 0 for criteria that have not (yet) been tested. A score of 1 to 3 indicates poor performance (and yes, it does), a score of 4 to 6 indicates average performance, a score of 7 to 8 indicates good performance, and a score of 9 and 10 indicates exceptional performance. . The score is calculated based on my measurements and when there are no measurements, it is a subjective opinion based on my experience.
The scores are not static, they change over time because the performance of new products changes and this must be taken into account.
Elephone U5
Finish quality
0.00
6.00
Battery performance
0.00
8.00
CPU performance
0.00
6.5
GPU performance
0.00
6.5
Screen quality
0.00
7.00
Photo quality
0.00
5.00
Video quality
0.00
5.00
Wi-Fi performance
0.00
7.00
Mobile download speed
0.00
5.00
Mobile network sensitivity
0.00
6.00
Frequency coverage
0.00
7.00
Audio quality
0.00
6.00
GPS performance
0.00
6.00
Operating system
0.00
8.00
Overall score
0
89
Global ranking 1. Black Shark 4 Pro 114 / 140 2. Realme Gt 112.5 / 140 3. Poco F2 Pro 111.5 / 140 4. Poco F3 111.5 / 140 5. Samsung Galaxy S20 111 / 140 6. Poco F4 Gt 110.5 / 140 7. Google Pixel 5 109.6 / 140 8. Poco X3 Pro 107.5 / 140 9. Xiaomi 11t 107 / 140 10. Samsung Galaxy S10+ 107 / 140 11. Redmi Note 11 Pro Plus 5g 106.5 / 140 12. Xiaomi Mi 9t Pro 106 / 140 13. Xiaomi Redmi Note 10 Pro 105.5 / 140 14. Xiaomi Mi 11 Lite 104 / 140 15. Tcl 10 Pro 104 / 140 16. Samsung Galaxy A52 104 / 140 17. Redmi Note 11 Pro 103 / 140 18. Poco X4 Pro 102.5 / 140 19. Xiaomi Redmi Note 10s 102 / 140 20. Poco M4 Pro 4g 102 / 140 21. Poco M4 Pro 101.5 / 140 22. Xiaomi Mi Note 10 Lite 101 / 140 23. Xiaomi Mi 10 Lite 5g 101 / 140 24. Poco X3 101 / 140 25. Redmi Note 11 101 / 140 26. Xiaomi Redmi Note 10 101 / 140 27. Redmi Note 9t 100.5 / 140 28. Xiaomi Redmi Note 8 Pro 100 / 140 29. Poco M3 Pro 98 / 140 30. Xiaomi Redmi Note 9s 98 / 140 31. Doogee S96 Pro 98 / 140 32. Xiaomi Mi 9 Lite 98 / 140 33. Redmi 10 97.5 / 140 34. Xiaomi Redmi Note 8 97 / 140 35. Umidigi Bison Pro 95 / 140 36. F150 R2022 95 / 140 37. Poco M3 94.5 / 140 38. Xiaomi Redmi Note 7 94 / 140 39. Realme 6 93 / 140 40. Tcl 30 Se 92 / 140 41. Umidigi Bison 92 / 140 42. Umidigi A9 Pro 92 / 140 43. Oukitel C21 89.5 / 140 44. Nokia 5.3 89 / 140 45. Xiaomi Mi A3 89 / 140 46. Motorola G8 Power 89 / 140 47. Xiaomi Redmi Note 9 89 / 140 48. Oneplus Nord N100 88.5 / 140 49. Honor 9x 88 / 140 50. Meizu Note 9 86 / 140 51. Xiaomi Mi 8 Lite 86 / 140 52. Xiaomi Redmi Note 5 85 / 140 53. Umidigi S3 Pro 83 / 140 54. Samsung Galaxy A21s 82 / 140 55. Umidigi F2 82 / 140 56. Oukitel Wp18 81 / 140 57. Redmi 9a 81 / 140 58. Redmi 9c 80 / 140 59. Ulefone Armor 7e 80 / 140 60. Doogee S58 Pro 78.5 / 140 61. Honor 8x 78 / 140 62. Umidigi F1 77 / 140 63. Huawei Y6 2019 74 / 140 64. Xiaomi Mi 10t Pro 57 / 70 65. Elephone U5 0 / 0
Test / Review conclusion
[b]Not yet available / tested[b][b]Strengths[b]Not yet available / tested[b][b][b]Weaknesses[b]Not yet available / tested[b][b][b]Alternatives to this product[b][b]Not yet available / tested[b][b]
Laurent Willen Instead of watching nonsense on TV or YouTube, I spend my time in the evenings testing products and sharing my passion for technology, travel and photography.
I run this site in my own name and completely independently, no one pays me to do so.
I have more than 20 years of experience in the digital world, I have managed and developed many high traffic websites in companies in Belgium such as Mobistar, Microsoft, Immoweb, BrusselsAirlines, Proximus, Orange,...
This blog is not my main activity, I receive more than 2000 emails per year that I have to answer in my free time. To be able to continue to help you, you can support me by purchasing your products through my links. It costs you absolutely nothing and it keeps me going.
Common Questions / Answers: - I'm a freelance blogger, I don't work for Amazon, Aliexpress, Gearbest, ... so I can't help you with your orders. - I do not write sponsored articles. - you can unsubscribe from alerts using the unsubscribe link in each email.
test
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Laurent Willen