UMiDigi’s A1 Pro – Could This Just Be The Best Entry Level Phone Ever!?
You heard it right! UMiDigi are releasing their second phone of 2018 with a name identical to the super popular Xiaomi Mi A1… coincidence? I think not!
UMiDigi’s A1 Pro is facial recognition ready and features USB type-C fast charging proving, once and for all, that flagship features have well and truly trickled down into the reasonably priced phones category.
Powering the A1 Pro is the MediaTek’s latest mobile chip, the uber power efficient MT6739. This is packed into a lightweight 173 grams body and will also feature a SHARP made display panel.
What’s really special though is that UMiDigi A1 Pro comes with Android Oreo 8.1 straight out of the box. With security being a bigger concern than ever, the A1 Pro is off to a good start!
Further Reading: Budget Android Devices with Android 8.0 Oreo
We already know that the A1 Pro looks the part, but how much of a punch is it packing under the hood? Let’s find out.
View the latest UMiDigi A1 Pro deals..
The Good
- The Price Tag!
- Android 8.1
- 3GB RAM
- Awesome Display
- Lightweight (173g)
The Bad
- Budget Quad-core CPU
Design, Display & Build Quality
UMiDigi has done some sneaky maths and somehow managed to fit a 5.5-inch display inside the 5-inch form factor… what is this wizardry?
It’s actually the common phenomena (try saying that 3 times in a row) called 18:9 aspect ratio displays. Or put simply… taller and slimmer… but heck… wizardry sounds a hell of a lot more fun than maths!
Available in three decadently names colours (see below), the UMiDigi A1 Pro is packing a 5.5 inch SHARP made display with a healthy resolution of 1440×720. While it only has a PPI of 293, let’s not forget that this smartphone is competing in the super-budget Android Arena.
The Sharp made display panels that UMiDigi has been sourcing for the last few years always offer vivid colours and excellent viewing angles. So no complaints there.
In terms of build quality, we’re looking at a plastic back with a metal frame. This helps to keep the weight down but does lose a few points for premium materials. If you don’t need the 4G and you want a super-premium / super-budget smartphone? Check out the UHANS MX.
Screen Tech Specs: 5.5 inch (18:9) SHARP Made Display, 1440×720 resolution, 293 PPI, 2.5D
Colours Available: Icy Blue, Pitch Black, Moonlight Silver
Performance
As UMiDigi proudly announced in their epic style Youtube Video, the UMiDigi A1 Pro is the world’s first phone to include MediaTek’s newest mobile chip: the MediaTek MT6739.
This is essentially an update from the MT6735 which is a firm favourite amongst budget handsets. The improved MT6739 enables better camera and video quality whilst still being a solid performer easily handling light multitasking.
The A1 Pro opts for the rather budget feeling 16GB’s of storage but thankfully there’s an SD card slot available that’ll take cards up to 256GB. While that might be a bit overkill, a cheap 32GB card will help a lot.
Unusually the MediaTek MT6739 has been paired with a PowerVR graphics chip. We almost exclusively see the ARM Mali mobile GPU’s used in budget Android handsets. So we’ll have to wait for the results of our benchmarking tests on this one.
Finally, we see a very healthy 3GB’s of RAM inside the A1 Pro which is more than enough to help with multitasking and fast app switching.
CPU: MediaTek MT6739 – Quad-Core 1.5GHz
GPU: PowerVR IMG 8XE
RAM: 3GB
Storage: 16GB (expandable to 256GB)
Camera
UMiDigi continues to spoil us by adding a Samsung sensor to their budget phone… We’ll have the full camera test album uploaded and available soon, but for now, let’s see what features are available.
The rear camera has 13MP + 5MP with dual LED flash and comes packed with features like real-time filters, panorama and burst mode plus it can record video in 1080p or 720p both at 30 fps.
The 5MP selfie camera also has a selfie countdown so you’ll never be caught off guard again!
Both the rear and selfie cameras have facial recognition so you’ll be able to unlock your phone in 0.3 seconds flat.
Rear Camera:
- Samsung Sensor F2.0 (Bokeh)
- 13MP + 5MP
- Dual LED Flash
- Panorama, Burst Mode & Real Time Filters
- Facial Recognition
- Low light Enhancement
Front Camera (Selfie time):
- 5MP
- Facial Recognition
- f/2.4 Aperture
- Selfie Countdown
What’s in the box?
In your UMiDigi A1 Pro box, you’ll find a clear plastic case, SIM pin, wall plug, type-C USB cable and user guide.
UMiDigi A1 Pro – The Verdict
Overall, the A1 Pro is a solid start to UMiDigi’s 2018 smartphone range. Design-wise it’s really punching above its weight and I can’t wait to take it out into the field and test that Samsung sensor.
If you already own a budget device then the UMiDigi A1 Pro is an excellent upgrade that not only offers the improved security of Android 8.1 but also looks fantastic.
If you’re coming from a flagship to mid-range smartphones then you might find the A1 Pro performance a little underwhelming. It’s great fantastic smartphone for the light user who values great design.
Like what you see? Check out the best deals below…
Tech Specs & Connectivity
UK Network Coverage? Yes, the UMiDigi A1 Pro comes with full UK Support for all carriers.
 |
|
|---|---|
| Smartphone | UMiDigi A1 Pro |
| Screen Size | 5.5 Inch |
| Pixel Density | 293 |
| Screen Resolution | 720 x 1440 |
| Screen To Body Ratio | 85% |
| Screen technology | SHARP Made Display, 2.5D curved glass, 18:9 aspect ratio, Curved Edges |
| Thickness | 8.5mm |
| Weight | 173g |
| Material | Metal, Plastic |
| Colors Available | Black, Blue & Silver |
| Storage | 256 GB |
| Processor (CPU) | MediaTek MT6739 @ 1.5 GHz |
| Graphics (GPU) |
IMG PowerVR Series8XE
|
| RAM | 3 GB |
| Android Version | 8.1 Oreo |
| IP Rating (Water, dust) | NO |
| Micro-SD Card Tray | YES (max 256GB) |
| Notification LED | |
| Finger Print Sensor | YES – Rear Facing |
| Infrared | NO |
| USB Type | Type-C |
| 4G Bands | B12 (700MHz) / B20 (800MHz) / B5 (850MHz) / B8 (900MHz) / B3 (1800MHz) / B25 (1900MHz) / B1 (2100MHz) / B7 (2600MHz) / B40 (2300MHz) / B41 (2500MHz) |
| 3G Bands | B1 2100MHz / B8 900MHz / B5 850 MHz |
| 2G Bands | 1800MHz / 1900MHz / 850MHz / 900MHz |
| SIM Support | Dual Nano SIM |
| WiFi | 2.4GHz + 5GHz (a / b / g / n / ac) |
| GPS Tech | GPS, Glonass, Beidu, A-GPS |
| Bluetooth Version | 4.0 |
| NFC | NO |
| Sensors | Ambient light, E-compass, Gravity, GeoMagnetic, Acelerometer, Gyroscope, Proximity. |
| OTG | YES |
| Battery Size | 3150 mAh |
| Fast Charging | YES 2 Amp Charging |
Who’s up for a A1 Pro Oreo Party?? Is it the best entry level phone out there? Let me know in the comments below! : )
Nice! Any idea of release date?
HI! Its currently on sale on Gearbest at the moment! Thanks for getting in touch :-)
Hey Martin,
It takes 2 x Nano SIM cards : )