iOcean are getting ready to start pre-sales for the iOcean X7, Neo are and UMi are expected to release their quad-core phones this month and the JiaYu G4 is just around the corner, so which quad-core MTK Chinese phone will you buy?
iOcean X7, JiaYu G4, UMI X2 and Neo N003, these are just some of the phones we have been waiting for and release dates are just a matter of weeks away for each phone. With this in mind, we go to think which of these great MTK phones would you buy?
UMi X2
The UMi X2 is priced at 1499 Yuan which is higher than the figures other manufacturers have been giving us, however the UMi X2 is an all singing all dancing flagship phone with all the features we have been itching to get our hands-on! JiaYu, Neo and iOcean all have phones with similar specs, but they have been keeping quiet on cost, and have only released pricing details for their entry-level ‘Youth’ models.
Why you should buy the UMi X2?
The UMi X2 has everything on offer and the price is very respectable too! A full-hd 1080 display measuring 5-inch, 2GB RAM, a quad-core MT6589 processor and 13 mega-pixel camera are the ingredients for a killer phone.
Why you shouldn’t buy the UMi X2?
It’s more expensive than the other phones here, and we expected Neo, JiaYu and iOcean’s premium models to fall in at lower prices than the X2. Of all the phones here it’s the least attractive (at least we think so) and with the number of people complaining of cracked UMi X1 displays, we worry just how well put together the X2 is going to be.
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- Umi X2 rear
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- Umi X2 front
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- Umi x2 and x1
iOcean X7
If everything goes according to plan, the iOcean X7 Youth will be available for pre-order from tomorrow (6th March) and at 999 Yuan ($160) it’s a feature packed bargain phone!
Why you should buy the iOcean X7
Both versions of the iOcean X7 feature a stylish Oppo Find 5 inspired body, 5-inch 1920 x 1080 full HD display, 1.2Ghz MTK6589 quad-core processor and Android 4.2 Jelly Bean. The Youth version packs just 1GB RAM, an 8 mega-pixel rear camera and 2000mAh battery while the Premium model has 2GB RAM, 13 mega-pixel rear camera and 3000mAh battery.
Why you should buy the iOcean X7?
In our opinion the X7 is the best looking phone of the bunch, especially in white, but black looks stunning too. At 999 Yuan ($160) the Youth model should be enough phone for most people, and we the premium version should only cost a little extra.
Why you shouldn’t buy the iOcean X7?
We still don’t known how much the top of the range version of the X7 will cost, and the Youth model with 2000mAh battery, may not be able to last a full day on a single charge with that full HD display. iOcean is also one of the smaller lesser known brands even here in China, so quality and support could be an issue.
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- iOcean x7 screen
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- iOcean X7 battery
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- iOcean X7 front
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- iOcean X7 1080HD
Neo N003
Neo have been quiet and keeping their cards much closer to their chest. We haven’t seen many leaked images of the N003, and hardware details have only just started to come to light.
Why you should buy the Neo N003?
Looking at what you get for the price, the Neo N003 is the cheapest phone here. It offers a 5-inch display, quad-core processor and 13 mega-pixel rear censor. The only differences between the youth model and premium version are the RAM and built-in storage. Both phones get a 3000mAh battery which should drive the 720HD display a great deal longer than the 1080HD panels on other phones.
Why you shouldn’t buy the Neo N003?
From a hardware perspective the only downgrade we can see is the 720HD display. We can’t comment on design as we still don’t know what the phone will look like, and quality issues seem to be null as current Neo phones seems to be well made bits of kit!
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- Neo N003 leaked photo
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- Neo N003 leaked render
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- Neo N003 leaked render
JiaYu G4
Not everyone is excited in the prospect of carrying around a 5-inch display, and not everyone feels 1080HD is appropriate for a mobile phone, this is where the JiaYu G4 comes in.
Why you should buy the JiaYu G4?
Great design, good specification, the option to upgrade the battery on the youth model to the 3000mAh unit from the premium, possibly the best battery life of all the phones here, great community and support, plus an English language site!
As for hardware the youth version of the G4 will get 1GB RAM, 8GB of built-in memory and 1850mAh battery, while the premium will have 2GB RAM, 32GB of memory and 3000mAh battery. Both phones have the same 4.7-inch 720HD display, 13 mega-pixel camera and Xiaomi Mi2 styling.
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- JiaYu G4 screen
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- JiaYu G4 and G3
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- JiaYu G4 and G3 display
Neo N003 Vs iOcean X7 Vs UMi X2 Vs JiaYu G4
| UMi X2 | iOcean X7 | Neo N003 | JiaYu G4 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Processor | 1.2 Ghz quad-core Mediatek MT6589 | 1.2 Ghz quad-core Mediatek MT6589 | 1.2 Ghz quad-core Mediatek MT6589 | 1.2 Ghz quad-core Mediatek MT6589 |
| RAM | 2GB | Youth: 1GB Premium: 2GB | Youth: 1GB Premium: 2GB | Youth: 1GB Premium: 2GB |
| Memory | 32GB | Youth: 8GB Premium: 16GB | Youth: 8GB Premium: 32GB | Youth: 4GB Premium: 32GB |
| Screen | 5-inch | 5-inch | 5-inch | 4.7-inch |
| Resolution | 1920 x 1080 Full HD | 1920 x 1080 Full HD | 1280 x 720 | 1280 x 720 |
| Cameras | Front: Rear: 13 mega-pixel | Youth Front: Rear: 8 mega-pixel Premium Front: Rear: 13 mega-pixel | Front: 3 mega-pixel Rear: 13 mega-pixel | Front: Rear: 13 mega-pixel |
| Battery | 2500mAh | Youth: 2000mAh Premium: 3000mAh | 3000mAh | Youth: 1850mAh Premium: 3000mAh |
| Dual-sim | Yes | Yes | TBA | Yes |
| Youth model available | No | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Android version | Android 4.1 Jelly Bean | Android 4.2 Jelly Bean | TBA | Android 4.1 Jelly Bean |
| Price | 1499 Yuan ($240) | Youth: 999 Yuan ($160) Premium: 1399 Yuan ($224) Estimatted | Youth: TBA Premium: 999 Yuan ($160) Rumoured | Youth: 999 Yuan ($160) Premium: 1299 Yuan ($208) Estimated |
Which phone are you going to buy?
With such great specs and low pricing, it’s hard to know which phone to buy, but I have to say that we have moved away from lusting after the UMi X2, and are now beginning to eye up the Neo N003 and iOcean X7. Both phones are cheaper and have similar specs and if 1080HD isn’t a priority then the Neo N003 could be the best choice for you.
The G4 is still up there too, and will likely offer better battery life than the other phones due to the low-resolution and smaller screen, plus pricing is good too!
So what do you choose the full on hardware of the UMi X2, the combination of price, style and value of the iOcean X7, the lower resolution and lower cost of the N003, or the smaller form factor of the JiaYu G4?
[poll id="6"]
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I voted for UMI X2, as of now only this one has a shipping date in India, which is 15th March, jiayu does not have a release date, nor does the premium model of Iocean x7(though the x7 youth is getting released on 6th March) and Neo is not yet launched in India.
The winner will be JiaYu G4 because is the only which is not 5″ size.
One 4.7″ against 3×5″ will win.
And this will be also on their sales because too many 5″ models on the market and people not really prepared for such big size. Even the difference between 4.7″ and 5″ is very small.
The second will be one with 1080p.
The last will be the one with small battery.
Bet?
I’d go with either the NEO or the G4. Depends which is launched first I guess. I would have gone with the UMi if there weren’t so many build quality issues with the X1, and I intend to keep my phone for a little while, so I wouldn’t go against the odds I guess.
Ive preordered a G4 Premium on the Jiayu web site for the reasons stated above hope it comes soon and lives up to its hype..Thanks Gizchina for the reviews and news I probably would have stuck with my Samsung Wave without you.
Dude~ May I know how much u paid and how did u order if ur from Manchester? Do they provide international shipping?
Go to JiaYu Mobile International site and you can order from them (about $250) plus shipping.
You know that JiayuMobileshop is not anything near a real reseller of the Jiayu? Its just shop from the hand of Antelife
This one? http://www.jiayumobileshop.com/jiayu-mobile-phone/jiayu-g4-mtk6589-quad-core-1g-ram-4-7-inch-hd-ips-retina-screen-android-4-1-13mp-camera-gyroscope-basic-smart-phone.html
I dunno if that’s really official site, since that’s the basic version and should be priced about $200 (give or take for international buyer). Other site offer you the advanced version for that price.
If the 5” phones have a smaller bezel then the 4.7” phones the size will be the same as last seasons 4.7” phones. More screen for the same size is a good thing in my opinion
Hahahah! That’s not official Jiayu. Good luck with ur order man. I hope they don’t con u. I’ll be waiting for my supplier in China to tell me if he has stock of Jiayu Premium version =]
I paid $100 for a voucher which was then reduced by 5$ for registering with the site and a further 5$ for preordering so i paid 90$ upfront via Paypal. I am supposed to be 44th on their preorder list and am supposed to get an email notifying when the phones are in stock. At this point I get to choose advanced/basic and white or black and pay the rest less the 100$ voucher. The UK shipping by snail mail is included free with options for DHL etc for a reasonable few bucks more. Lets hope the site which appears to be real is not a scam……there are all the other Jiaju phones there plus english support for them plus accessories plus links from their Facebook page so I am still hopefully optimistic despite the comments made below…watch this space
Sounds good! Good luck bro. I’ll try to find out more about that website and if it’s all good, i’ll pre-order there too =]
i will take the x7 i guess, if they have no problems with screen scratching, if not – i guess i will be okay with jiayu , which quality i quite trust.
JIAYU G4 und UMI X2 sind beide gut.sehr erwartet!!
I would probably go for Neo as it has Sony lens, HDMI output, USB OTG and Yamaha audio. The only concern is the build quality and community support.
From Neo bbs forum, it looks like the OS will be Android 4.2.
The best specs for Neo. USB OTG is a great feature!
Better audio is also great because from my experience the chinese smartphones have bad sound. And the first function for a smartphone is talking with another people.
4.2 (Miracast support), HDMI and Gorill glass are also very good.
Unfortunately even the Neo have the great specs it will not win. Maybe in the past they made some mistakes and people not forget.
@Andi, please, post if any of them have Dual Sim Active from this top.
And also, please, when you will receive info about the first MT6589 smartphone with DUal Sim Active publish an article just about this. Can be somethinf like:
“The first MT6589 with real Dual Sim Active support”
The competitors will understand (later) how important is Active for their sellings!
This looks like the best deal. It will be available in India for around Rs9000 – that’s Rs5000 less than the Umi x2. But I’ll hold off until there is a service center in Kolkata.
Can anyone say what languages those smartphone support? Chinese/English only?
I prefer to use phones without screen protectors – Gorilla glass is a must. The only phones that have it for sure are Umi X2 and Jiayu G4. If iOcean X7 came with Gorilla glass I would buy the premium version at a drop of a hat. All three of these companies are releasing phones in India so I’ll wait and see which is also opening service centers. No news about the Neo being released in India.
Neo is also using Gorilla glass
That’s good news. It is also going to be available in India.
Umi X2 Why???
1. CORNING GORILLA GLASS (The poll ends there for me !!!)
2. Launching in india hence the possibility for future service and support.
3. It has everything that i want with a mild compromise on battery, would have loved 3000mAh but 2500 would do for me…
though the only other temptation for me here is Jiyayu G4. Not a big difference between 4.7″ and 5″ and i also presume its gorilla glass and its sexy black with 3000mAh. But what’s putting me off of it is Not launching soon in india and gets way too expensive to order online
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None of these. I’ll take good quality branded phone from ZTE\Lenovo\Huawei (probably ZTE v987). Poor quality of phone and materials isn’t worth 100 dollars saved.
It’s “poor quality” because you have used them all amirite?
Umi looks the easiest 5″ 1080p to hold, and I generally favor usability over form (unless it’s really really ugly), so yeah X2 for me.
Andym please notice that the NEO N003 will hjave 1080p 5″ instead of 720p 5.3″, please check in there official forum, It’s announced for more than a week now, and you guys forgot to update your sheet.
Andi, you also should put in that spreadsheet with all those phones, a WCDMA Bands like only 2100, 900/2100, 850/2100, 800/850/900/1700/1900/2100 and so on, cause there are different customers I mean their location, and they need to now which phone will fully work with their GSM Operator !!!
This is very important. I managed to get someone to post the bandmode page on a Micromax A116 (MTK6589 chip) that phone ONLY supported WCDMA on 2100mhz. You could not switch on the other bands!
So, unless you can use 2100mhz be wary with pre-orders until someone can confirm the bands supported.
This is strange as Neo sent me a personal message stating it would be a 1280 x 720 screen….
I think im going to get the Premiun Jiayu G4, however the iOcean looks great too.
What phone has the best support and quality? Since I am importing it to Europe, sending it back for repare will cost a lot of time and money. Which phone is the least likely to break?
It’s very simple for most people I believe. The big 5 inch screen is an easy dealbreaker. With it’s still awesome specs and looks, the Jiayu G4 will be the winner. Nice poll tho Andi
The Jiayu is 133.0 X 65.0 X 8.2mm
The Umi X2 is 135 x 68 x 8.9 mm
There’s really not that much difference in size. And the UMi X2 has rounded edges compared with the Jiayu G4 which may make it more comfortable to hold. I would go with either of these depending on the service in India. The Jiayu G4 has 20% more battery and has to power 38% less pixels so a single charge could last significantly longer.
the X2 dimension are supposed to be 141/70/8.9 according to that picture released on facebook (umi europe; which is not an official channel though). However, these dimensions too me sound way more likely (calculate the bare screen size…)
The dimensions are from the official umimbile.in website.
interesting! Would be nice if those dimensions are correct! (the facebook picture i mentioned earlier is even on the offical facebook.com/umimobile – well, let’s wait and see then
1080p is more than twice the pixel count of 720p actually.
You’re right – don’t know how I got that wrong. This means the Jiayu has 56% less pixels to power up so the battery should last even longer.
super poll andi . keep things happening this way. such huge sized items are not very pleasent phones though. jiayu is the best. all of them should come up with 4 inch versions also
iOcean from these 4, but in fact will wait for some higher end model, Snapdragon or Tegra4 like the Narudo Lando X02. It must be 1920×1080 this for sure (I have Jiayu G3 , great phone but the next one will be FHD). Most likely will also wait for one which has metal body. I like HTC One but I hope for something with lower price (don’t care about data mode I just use my phone for voice and WiFi which is plenty around here).
I voted for the jiayu g4!
Reasons why:
- UMi X2 Bad support as sad, much cracked windows on X1 and also ugly!
- iOcean X7 Awesome phone but I think the battery life is to small because of the 1080p screen what isn’t a must have for me!
- Neo N003 Ugly, bad support same as UMi X2
- JiaYu G4 Good looking(unfortunately much like an iPhone but still good looking) great flagship and not a 1080p screen which I like since I think it is unnecessary.
(also I would like to have dual-Sim)
Why didn’t you include the Narudo Lando X02? ^^ I would have picked that phone
hi andy. can you plz tell me is iocean is of gorilla glass, and shall i wait for it till its luanched or shall i go for umi x2
What do u think guys, can these websites be trusted?
http://www.pandawill.com/jiayu-g4-advanced-smart-phone-mtk6589-quad-core-2g-32g-47-inch-hd-ips-retina-screen-android-41-13mp-camera-gyroscope-p71208.html
http://www.dhgate.com/1pcs-jiayu-g4-advanced-smart-phone-mtk6589/p-ff8080813d2018a2013d30e00eb06800.html
Pandawill seems cheap and good but ive heard a few bad reviews about their website and I have no idea at all about DHGate. Now i’m just waiting on my supplier in China, but in the mean time I’m looking for a reliable place to buy Jiayu G4, just in case..
Am I the only one who thinks the JiaYu G4 looks a bit Iphone 5-ish, due to the camera and flash placement?
I think on balance, and with a need to get a day from the battery, the JiaYu G4 is the one i will order.
I’m leaning towards Neo. I’ve been using Neo n002m for a few months now, found no problem with its build quality. So if n003m is going to be cheaper than the rest and presumably of no lesser quality, then why not go with neo again.
Plus I really don’t see why people are so keen on getting a 1080p screen. Are you guys actually able to tell the difference between a Full HD screen and a HD screen on something 5 inch?
Nice review! I voted for Jiayu G4
1 – JiaYu G4
2 – iOcean X7
3 – UMi X2
4 – Neo N003
Jaiyu G4 Will Be my Option to buy it looks like the iphone look
Honestly it’s between the jiayu and the sheng, and the sheng wins out purely on the basis of device size. Honestly, 1080p is great, but not that great, and it comes down to size preference. The jiayu also has the advantage of a more active dev community, although both phones will undoubtedly get android 5.0.
What I like the neo though is that they bothered to put in some quality audio components,aswell as all kinds of outputs and connectivity which seems to not be the case of the sheng and jiayu.
I voted for UMi X2!! Although we had broken glasses with UMi X1, we have Gorilla glass 2 with X2 and also the camera too, the X2 has stated that it has f2.0 aperture camera which means more light can enter through and so better image quality! And also iocean though looks cool but they are too lazy in launching out their premium version of the phone!!
x7 seems cool but would like to know about the after sale service there in china, so plz let us know which of them give best service.
actually anybody received a quadcore( full powered like premium, not youth type) from any 0EM till now from above said brands or from other brands?
those cubot & umeox 6″ are ON SALE yet ? plz start a new thread on 6″ mobiles for big screen lovers. thank Q.
does the iocen x7 really has 8gb of internal storage? most of other sources say there are 4gb of storage in the youth version
I think it shld be 4Gb.
There is a Iocean X7 hands-on video on Youtube.
Thanks for posting
does anyone know any online stores i can go to to buy these phones???
Thanks
The Neo has Yamaha audio – is that the DAC? Because the folks at Xda were not impressed by the Yamaha DAC in the Samsung Galaxy S2. I have read that the Jiayu G3 has the Wolfson DAC which is second to none for audio. Any information on the audio for the Jiayu G4?
Wolfson is a very good dac but far from “second to none”. It’s still an impressive chip to have on phone though.
The only other good DAC I am aware of is Cirrus Logic which Apple uses when it’s not using the Wolfson DAC. It has better clarity than the Wolfson but not good 3D imaging.
Vivo also use it in the X1 and X1s
There’s also PCM179X series from TI and go google ESS Sabre, also the DAC chip is only one component in the whole scheme, the way how it’s implemented is also very important.
That said, unless you pair it with good IEM, you’re unlikely to hear major different between those DACs though.
If you are using the cheap IEM that come with the phone that will level the playing field. But no point in buying half decent ear phones if the phone audio chip is crap.
Andi,
I have another suggestion. Most of us are lost when it comes to buying these phones. Why not put up the official sites of the phone companies, or at least review and recommend a few online resellers?
Thanks!
I would appreciate that too
We used to have a forum here at Gizchina where members can talk about everything from phones to websites that are trusted when it comes to buying China phones.
It’s now gone coz I guess people weren’t active in the Gizchina forums anymore.. I for one loved to pay a visit and check out the latest stories in Gizchina and it’s forum.
I actually removed it during a server move, and as no one seemed to notice I didn’t reactivate it again
Hahahahah! I noticed. I checked it weekly even if I didnt post anything. When it was gone I guess it was due to inactivity coz the last few weeks that I checked, there has been no activity at all. It’s ok then I guess if people didn’t really fully utilize it. I’m koolbrader btw. In case u remember my username
I will appreciate that too. I will make things easy for us to order.
Any idea of what the sensors in the x7 and jiayu are ? Are they last-gen 8mp sensors or are they Exmor RS BSI-based sensors?
When other people waiting and confused which phone will they buy.
I buy star b94m quad core in aliexpress. Just 190$ free shipping and 10$ discount their from store.
They promise to send in 2-3 day
Very nice, man!
Just try a google search using “star b94m”. You will discover it is MT6577 dual core.
Good luck!
It’s called doing proper research. Have fun with your $190 MT6577 “quad-core” phone.
On Aliexpress they have screenshots with MT6589 chipset: http://www.aliexpress.com/store/product/6inch-N9880-MTK-6575-1Ghz-Android-4-0-3-WIFI-GPS-Dual-SIM-Dual-Camera/101226_612455127.html
This is why I wrote him “Good luck!”.
There is the unit link http://www.aliexpress.com/item/4-5inch-Star-Android-4-1-Quad-4-Core-B943-B94M-1G-RAM-MTK6589-GPS-Wifi/760066406.html
Seller have 100% reputation, and if 5 day they didnt shipping, my money will return ( not like other seller in aliexpress who set more than 2 week for shipping time)
And i think 180$ is very good deal for mtk 6899 and star is old brand name. Not a new company
Seller has 100% trusted rating because he only sold 10 items. Those 10 items could have easily been faked. If he had 1000 units sold then it would be a different matter. Star is an old and good brand but not a really well maintained or powerful phone. Phones like Jiayu, Umi and iOcean are a totally different league compared to Star. I doubt the seller is legit and even if he is legit, I doubt the phone is a good one but I seriously wish you all the best and hope u do get the phone. If u do, please comment back here n tell us how the phone is.
at least they dare to set 5 day processing time before shipping,at least if they didn’t shipping in 5 day, my money is back, and aliexpress will return my money without i ask to dispute.
not like my experience before, they say will send in 1 week, but set 1 month for processing time, and make me must dispute for get my money back after 2 week they didn’t shipped it.
i agree this is not better than jiayu g4 or umi x2, but there is a money there is a quality.
this phone is just 180$, and jiayu g4 or umi x2 is cost about 300$ and i don’t know when will available, maybe in next 3 to 6 month
can anyone give me a link to a trusted site where i can buy the x7?
secondly, is jiayumobileshop.com a trusted seller
does somebody know how to update jiayu g4 because i read i have to install a zip or something.
And does sombody know give it a program (pc) that alos to shar photos and so with pc ??
I don’t know why people are hesitating to tell us what is the most reliable store to buy from? Which is cheaper also.
can i insert memory card on neo noo3
is Neo N003 Will Sell In Indonesian?
Where can i find the Iocean X7 premium??
Jiayu G4 delayed to May 15th, due to camera issues.
Source: Pandawill
Andi, we need to update the comparison with Gorilla Glass and Bluetooth support too.
Most of these phones (at least UMI and iOCEAN come with Bluetooth 2.0!. Not going by flagship features (which bundle Bluetooth 4.0), I would at least expect 3.0. Again, that’s assuming how much it matters to users, but it would be good to publish.
Thanks for the article.
The Bluetooth versions are conflicting with different sites reporting different information. I’ve posted a query UMI X2′s Facebook page. Awaiting confirmation. Let’s see
Can we update or change the os
for how many months I can use Neo N003 smoothly??please answer me….
Before they come in India, their presence looks like Invisible Man, whatever they promise, more specifically UMI, all are false so far. They just upload photos, and ask how to make payment. Not a concrete / satisfactory result to anybody so far. Big questions on their ETHICS, and Governance. If they are not loyal even to those who have paid, what else one can expect from their product, or in terms of after Sales service. True, Everything that Glitters is not Gold.
But you might be incorrect with estimated G4 pricing. Everywhere i see 240-255 USD for flagman model.
Personally i’d go for Umi X2. Seem very nice device, but have to take a look on hands.