Inexpensive and with LTE. Highscreen Spider Smartphone Review

    In Russia, 4G networks are being built faster than the networks of the previous generation. There are no annual statistics yet, but in the first six months of 2014, the number of 4G base stations increased by 75%. The number of subscribers using LTE networks is also increasing, now there are more than 3 million of them. As a result, the number of LTE devices in the Russian market (and the demand for them) is growing. At the end of summer, the first low-cost LTE smartphone with a 4-core processor appeared in Russia - Highscreen Spider. A few months later, the model did not lose its relevance (counterarguments are accepted and welcomed), so today I will tell you more about it.



    Almost all new flagship smartphones support LTE, which can not be said about the segment of low-cost devices. In the price category of up to 8,000 rubles, there are only a few devices operating in 4G networks. Most of them have not the most advanced features (small screen, weak processor). In this regard, the Highscreen Spider, which received a good hardware platform, successfully stands out from other budget LTE smartphones.

    Specifications


    Operating system: Android 4.3
    Processor: Qualcomm Snapdragon 400, 4 cores, 1.2 GHz
    Graphics accelerator: Adreno 305
    Display: 5 inches, 1280x720, IPS, OGS
    RAM: 1 GB
    ROM: 8 GB
    Memory card : microSD / SDHC up to 32 GB
    Network: GSM / GPRS / EDGE (850/900/1800/1900 MHz); UMTS / HSPA (900/2100 MHz); LTE: 1/3/7/20
    Wireless: 802.11 a / b / g / n, Bluetooth 3.0 EDR
    Cameras: main 8 MP, front 2 MP.
    Navigation: GPS / GLONASS
    Battery: removable, lithium-ion, 2,000 mAh
    Dimensions: 145 × 71.5 × 8.95 mm
    Weight: 164 g
    Price: 7 990 rubles.

    Packaging and design


    In the original packaging from recycled cardboard, there is a standard set: the smartphone itself, a charger, a USB cable, a battery (2000 mAh capacity), headphones and various pieces of paper. I must say right away that the headphones are the most ordinary, without any claims to high-quality sound. They’ll go for telephone conversations, but it is better for music lovers to use music more seriously.





    Highscreen Spider is presented only in black. The smartphone case is made of plastic, at the back cover there is a soft-touch coating that is resistant to fingerprints and minor scratches. The device is assembled quite soundly: it does not creak when pressed, the buttons “go” smoothly, there are no gaps.





    Controls and various connectors are located as standard. Above is a headphone jack, below is a microUSB port and a hole for a talking microphone.









    Above the screen are a speaker, a front camera (2 megapixels), proximity sensors and light. Under the display are three buttons classic for Android smartphones.



    On the left side there is a “volume rocker”, on the right - the power off and lock button. At the bottom of the rear panel is the main speaker with two small protrusions at the edges. They provide a normal sound output, if the smartphone is put "on the back", the volume decreases slightly.





    Display


    Highscreen Spider is equipped with a 5-inch display with a resolution of 1280 × 720. The pixels "sit" quite tightly, the PPI is 294. The smartphone uses an IPS matrix (manufactured by AU Optronics Corp, Taiwan) using OGS technology. One Glass Solution - the absence of an air gap of the screen, due to which the screen has good color reproduction and wide viewing angles. The sensor supports five simultaneous touches.

    Hardware platform


    As previously noted, the Highscreen Spider is based on the Qualcomm Snapdragon 400 MSM8926 chipset with a 4-core Cortex A7 processor (1.2 GHz). The Adreno 305 chip is in the role of a graphics accelerator. The amount of RAM is 1 GB, and 8 GB for data storage. A significant part of the internal memory is occupied by system files, so the support for microSD memory cards is very useful. Alternatively, you can use the "cloud".



    For all owners of Highscreen Spider, the 4Sync cloud service provides 128 GB of free file storage. To take advantage of a pleasant gift, you just need to register a new account from this smartphone. In general, 4Sync is actually the most remarkable addition in the local Android 4.3, the rest of the system is presented “as is”, without any modifications.





    Video with a resolution of up to 720p also plays perfectly with software decoding. With 1080p, it’s not so straightforward: somewhere the hardware decoder copes, and somewhere there may be slowdowns.

    As for games, here Highscreen Spider did not upset. Games of the level of Angry Birds, Plants vs Zombies 2, Asphalt 8, Modern Combat 4 and Shadowgun: DeadZone are launched without lags, even with maximum brightness settings. But GTA: San Andreas freezes at maximum settings. What can I say - the game from Rockstar has high detail and is very demanding on resources. It was originally designed for more productive gadgets, which in the category of 7-10 thousand rubles have not yet been found.

    In AnTuTu Benchmark, the device scored about 17,000 points, which, in general, is very decent (again, for the price category “up to 8 thousand”).





    A 2000 mAh battery provides the smartphone with an average of two days of work without recharging. In a more saturated mode of use, you have to charge every day. 3D games discharge a smartphone in 3.5 hours, video in 5 hours, and music in 27 hours. By the way, in the Highscreen Spider, a useful utility Qualcomm BatteryGuru is already preinstalled , which optimizes power consumption in the background.

    Communication


    LTE-connection is quickly installed in all networks of the "Big Three". The difference in file transfer speed compared to 3G is very noticeable. Download speed reaches 25 Mbps, which is almost 2-3 times faster than on 3G connections in the same areas.



    In addition to the American GPS, Highscreen Spider still catches the satellites of the Russian GLONASS. In fact, this means a faster connection and more stable communication, the difference is especially noticeable where there are obstacles to receiving signals from satellites - high-rise areas, exits from tunnels and the like.

    Camera


    The resolution of the main camera is 8 megapixels, in daylight on the Highscreen Spider you can shoot good shots. The maximum video resolution when shooting is 1920 × 1080 pixels. The front camera resolution of 2 megapixels is enough for video chatting. Here are a few photos taken in different conditions: Download the original photos (10.3 Mb)







    Conclusion


    At the time of writing, the price of the Highscreen Spider is 7,990 rubles - for this money the smartphone received a high-quality stuffing, a good HD screen and current support for LTE in our time. Smartphones with similar characteristics have a price tag 2-3 thousand rubles higher, and this despite the fact that Spider appeared a few months ago. The only noticeable minus of the smartphone is one - not the latest version of Android 4.3. Also, the memory available to the user may seem small to some - to some extent, this freeze is compensated by the free cloud storage from 4Sync with a capacity of 128 GB, or the ability to buy a memory card. Otherwise, Highscreen Spider is a strong middling.


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