April 8, 2014 at 19:22[Female look] Highscreen Thor review: masculinity and the power of eight cores
Numerous Android smartphone makers no longer seem to know how to surprise. So they are looking for all new advertising “chips” like eight cores in the processor. This was an advertisement, for example, in the notorious “Korean” - but after the euphoria about the number of cores, the secret about the 4 + 4 scheme was revealed. Another thing is that today the definition of “eight-core” is fully true: in Russia, the first Highscreen brand took this path. The novelty received a sonorous and truly courageous name - Highscreen Thor. Even those who are not familiar with Scandinavian mythology can hold associations with at least one (and the most attractive) hero from The Avengers.
I must confess that I was attracted not so much by the successful name of the smartphone as by the promising eight cores inside. What is more important - quantity or quality? I’ll try to figure it out, although some fans of the same Highscreen have announced that such a task the girl can’t do.
The box is not very attractive in appearance, as it is made from recycled materials. However, there is a peculiar contribution to the environment - this is a plus. On the box in the corporate style is the name of the smartphone, a diagram of the device itself “from the inside” and the promise of 128 GB of space in 4Sync cloud storage.
Inside - the smartphone itself and a standard set of related paraphernalia and accessories. Although no, not everything is so trite. The real “bonus” is the second white back cover. Thank you, we thought about the girls: for some reason, the white color of the case is especially close to us. At least any user, regardless of gender, will be able to somehow diversify the annoying appearance of the smartphone.
Very big and thin - these are my first impressions of Highscreen Thor. The Russian smartphone is not very comfortable in the hand: due to its size, probably for a girl such a device seems a little cumbersome. However, the dimensions are partially offset by a case thickness of 7.6 mm - like the same iPhone 5S. So you can’t call the heavy Highscreen Thor, but it’s also ideal for the female palm. Although women, after all, can be different ...
On the whole, the design of the “courageous” smartphone doesn’t quite correspond to its name: the case with smooth corners, smooth and streamlined lines are more likely associated with female forms. From a smartphone with that name and such aggressive advertising (about it a little later) you expect something more brutal. Well, that’s already, as they say, not for everybody.
All buttons and connectors are in place here: the power and volume keys are located on the sides, the necessary connectors are on the top and bottom. Quite convenient, since the smartphone is still not one of the most compact.
The back cover is made of rubberized plastic, which is pleasant to the touch and on which fingerprints are almost invisible. The white removable cover, on the other hand, is glossy and smooth. In the upper part of the back side, a camera lens is located in the center, which protrudes slightly on a flat surface of the lid. I had concerns that in this way the built-in lens can be scratched / broken / ruined quite easily if not handled very carefully. But I did not begin to check the reliability of such my theory.
When I turned on Highscreen Thor, I immediately noticed the picture quality. The 5-inch IPS screen from the Japanese manufacturer Sharp, with Full HD resolution, is responsible for the image. During the creation, OGS and Full Lamination technologies were used (spied in the instructions), hence the excellent color reproduction and the sufficient brightness of the screen. Previously, I “talked” with other Highscreen smartphones and I can confidently say that the best matrix among those ever installed in the brand’s models is used here. The image is very lively, the picture really seems to lie on the surface.
Only the presence of “fingers” and any dust particles on the screen is a bit upsetting - there is no so-called oleophobic coating. But for me this is not such a minus - there are always napkins in the bag.
What does a girl need from a smartphone? I will not let everyone down under one line, but there are still general “female” requirements. For example, the ability to seamlessly go online, upload photos and videos, and watch videos in high quality. The Highscreen Thor I tested on this one-two, but first things first.
In Highscreen Thor, as mentioned above, I was attracted to those same eight cores. Frankly, for me, as for most typical smartphone users, a large number of cores inside are equally high performance (many will disagree with me and will be right). In the case of Highscreen Thor, everything turned out just like this: as the “engine” here is the MediaTek MT6592, which showed almost 27,000 points in performance tests. However, the figure is equal to the performance of the Samsung Galaxy S4, which, as we recall, the processor operates on a 4 + 4 scheme. Plus 2 GB of RAM, 16 GB of internal and decent graphics accelerator Mali-450MP4.
What do all these numbers and names mean to me as a user? As I already wrote, surfing the Internet and watching high-quality video for Highscreen Thor was not a problem - everything flies.
I tried the speed of work on my favorite applications, for example, the games "Frozen" and "Despicable Me." No brakes or freezes: minions run around, balls disappear. Of course, to complete the picture, Asphalt 8, Modern Combat 4 and others like them were launched - everything is in order. No, I couldn’t do without very small lags, but I have not yet met an absolutely perfect Android smartphone in this regard. Another point: I’m not used to monitoring the number of running and “hanging” games and applications at the same time. In other words, order is not my thing. In the case of Highscreen Thor, even this “jamb” of mine did not affect the speed of work.
This item was especially important for me. I like to take pictures of myself and everything around, but I don’t always have to carry extra burdens like a “DSLR”. Of course, I will not begin to compare a professional camera with a smartphone camera. But here to say a few words about the camera, which one way or another is always at hand.
So, in the Highscreen Thor two cameras are installed - a front camera of 5 megapixels and a main one of 13 megapixels. The fact that megapixels is not the parameter by which it is worth evaluating the quality of the camera, few know. Therefore, the treasured 13 megapixels on the price tag of the majority will cause only delight. However, not everything is so bad specifically with Highscreen Thor. In this case, the pictures are quite clear, without color distortion, the macro is also at a decent level. As a camera for “random” shots, the device proved to be very worthy.
Selfies with Highscreen Thor will also turn out to be a solid Quartet. You should not wait for portrait accuracy, but a 5-megapixel camera is useful for communicating in a video chat or for “photo-to-memory”.
For Android 4.3, refer to Highscreen Boost 2 SE, here we are satisfied with Android 4.2.2. There are no special improvements, even additional applications - from the usual MediaTek suite. Although there is one highlight from Highscreen - non-standard wallpapers, among which there is an excellent picture with native birches.
Of course, in the latest MediaTek processors, GPS problems are often encountered, so just in case, I also tested navigation. I can’t say that the best GPS receiver I’ve seen here is installed, but there are no outright failures. Confident communication with satellites has to wait for a “cold start” for about two minutes.
In conclusion, it is worth mentioning that Highscreen Thor runs on Android 4.2.2 and is equipped with a 2,000 mAh battery. The latter means that the work is enough for about a day. I had about 4-5 hours of charge with my running toys. The smartphone will last about the same if you watch video in HD.
Highscreen Thor costs 13,490 rubles - not a lot for a smartphone with such characteristics, but also a lot for a model not of the most famous brand. In general, Highscreen Thor met my expectations in terms of masculinity and power, with the exception of perhaps not too brutal appearance. Well, I still did not understand the question of quantity and quality: after all, in Highscreen Thor the quantity guarantees the same quality.
And finally, the promised bonus about advertising. The face of this Highscreen model was Nikita Dzhigurda - the quintessence of male energy in RuNet. Everything is logical, in my opinion.
I must confess that I was attracted not so much by the successful name of the smartphone as by the promising eight cores inside. What is more important - quantity or quality? I’ll try to figure it out, although some fans of the same Highscreen have announced that such a task the girl can’t do.
Equipment
The box is not very attractive in appearance, as it is made from recycled materials. However, there is a peculiar contribution to the environment - this is a plus. On the box in the corporate style is the name of the smartphone, a diagram of the device itself “from the inside” and the promise of 128 GB of space in 4Sync cloud storage.
Inside - the smartphone itself and a standard set of related paraphernalia and accessories. Although no, not everything is so trite. The real “bonus” is the second white back cover. Thank you, we thought about the girls: for some reason, the white color of the case is especially close to us. At least any user, regardless of gender, will be able to somehow diversify the annoying appearance of the smartphone.
Design
Very big and thin - these are my first impressions of Highscreen Thor. The Russian smartphone is not very comfortable in the hand: due to its size, probably for a girl such a device seems a little cumbersome. However, the dimensions are partially offset by a case thickness of 7.6 mm - like the same iPhone 5S. So you can’t call the heavy Highscreen Thor, but it’s also ideal for the female palm. Although women, after all, can be different ...
On the whole, the design of the “courageous” smartphone doesn’t quite correspond to its name: the case with smooth corners, smooth and streamlined lines are more likely associated with female forms. From a smartphone with that name and such aggressive advertising (about it a little later) you expect something more brutal. Well, that’s already, as they say, not for everybody.
All buttons and connectors are in place here: the power and volume keys are located on the sides, the necessary connectors are on the top and bottom. Quite convenient, since the smartphone is still not one of the most compact.
The back cover is made of rubberized plastic, which is pleasant to the touch and on which fingerprints are almost invisible. The white removable cover, on the other hand, is glossy and smooth. In the upper part of the back side, a camera lens is located in the center, which protrudes slightly on a flat surface of the lid. I had concerns that in this way the built-in lens can be scratched / broken / ruined quite easily if not handled very carefully. But I did not begin to check the reliability of such my theory.
Screen
When I turned on Highscreen Thor, I immediately noticed the picture quality. The 5-inch IPS screen from the Japanese manufacturer Sharp, with Full HD resolution, is responsible for the image. During the creation, OGS and Full Lamination technologies were used (spied in the instructions), hence the excellent color reproduction and the sufficient brightness of the screen. Previously, I “talked” with other Highscreen smartphones and I can confidently say that the best matrix among those ever installed in the brand’s models is used here. The image is very lively, the picture really seems to lie on the surface.
Only the presence of “fingers” and any dust particles on the screen is a bit upsetting - there is no so-called oleophobic coating. But for me this is not such a minus - there are always napkins in the bag.
Performance
What does a girl need from a smartphone? I will not let everyone down under one line, but there are still general “female” requirements. For example, the ability to seamlessly go online, upload photos and videos, and watch videos in high quality. The Highscreen Thor I tested on this one-two, but first things first.
In Highscreen Thor, as mentioned above, I was attracted to those same eight cores. Frankly, for me, as for most typical smartphone users, a large number of cores inside are equally high performance (many will disagree with me and will be right). In the case of Highscreen Thor, everything turned out just like this: as the “engine” here is the MediaTek MT6592, which showed almost 27,000 points in performance tests. However, the figure is equal to the performance of the Samsung Galaxy S4, which, as we recall, the processor operates on a 4 + 4 scheme. Plus 2 GB of RAM, 16 GB of internal and decent graphics accelerator Mali-450MP4.
What do all these numbers and names mean to me as a user? As I already wrote, surfing the Internet and watching high-quality video for Highscreen Thor was not a problem - everything flies.
I tried the speed of work on my favorite applications, for example, the games "Frozen" and "Despicable Me." No brakes or freezes: minions run around, balls disappear. Of course, to complete the picture, Asphalt 8, Modern Combat 4 and others like them were launched - everything is in order. No, I couldn’t do without very small lags, but I have not yet met an absolutely perfect Android smartphone in this regard. Another point: I’m not used to monitoring the number of running and “hanging” games and applications at the same time. In other words, order is not my thing. In the case of Highscreen Thor, even this “jamb” of mine did not affect the speed of work.
Camera
This item was especially important for me. I like to take pictures of myself and everything around, but I don’t always have to carry extra burdens like a “DSLR”. Of course, I will not begin to compare a professional camera with a smartphone camera. But here to say a few words about the camera, which one way or another is always at hand.
So, in the Highscreen Thor two cameras are installed - a front camera of 5 megapixels and a main one of 13 megapixels. The fact that megapixels is not the parameter by which it is worth evaluating the quality of the camera, few know. Therefore, the treasured 13 megapixels on the price tag of the majority will cause only delight. However, not everything is so bad specifically with Highscreen Thor. In this case, the pictures are quite clear, without color distortion, the macro is also at a decent level. As a camera for “random” shots, the device proved to be very worthy.
Selfies with Highscreen Thor will also turn out to be a solid Quartet. You should not wait for portrait accuracy, but a 5-megapixel camera is useful for communicating in a video chat or for “photo-to-memory”.
System
For Android 4.3, refer to Highscreen Boost 2 SE, here we are satisfied with Android 4.2.2. There are no special improvements, even additional applications - from the usual MediaTek suite. Although there is one highlight from Highscreen - non-standard wallpapers, among which there is an excellent picture with native birches.
Of course, in the latest MediaTek processors, GPS problems are often encountered, so just in case, I also tested navigation. I can’t say that the best GPS receiver I’ve seen here is installed, but there are no outright failures. Confident communication with satellites has to wait for a “cold start” for about two minutes.
Eventually
In conclusion, it is worth mentioning that Highscreen Thor runs on Android 4.2.2 and is equipped with a 2,000 mAh battery. The latter means that the work is enough for about a day. I had about 4-5 hours of charge with my running toys. The smartphone will last about the same if you watch video in HD.
Highscreen Thor costs 13,490 rubles - not a lot for a smartphone with such characteristics, but also a lot for a model not of the most famous brand. In general, Highscreen Thor met my expectations in terms of masculinity and power, with the exception of perhaps not too brutal appearance. Well, I still did not understand the question of quantity and quality: after all, in Highscreen Thor the quantity guarantees the same quality.
And finally, the promised bonus about advertising. The face of this Highscreen model was Nikita Dzhigurda - the quintessence of male energy in RuNet. Everything is logical, in my opinion.
