Electronics company Newman are back from a hiatus and have released a new Android smartphone featuring a built-in finger-print scanner and YunOS.
Newman were once a popular manufacture of MP3 and PMP devices in China, but as the Android smartphone boom began they too jumped ship and launched a couple of Android devices. Their first new phones were exciting flagship devices, but as time drew on Newman found it hard to compete in a very crowded market and so went quiet.
We were beginning to believe that Newman had packed it all up and gone home, but that isn’t the case as they are back with the launch of a new smartphone, the Newman “button” phone.
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The name comes from the rear mounted fingerprint scanner which is pressed to activate like the model found on the Oppo N3. It’s a feature we have seen a lot of recently, but Newman have decided to place their scanner on right directly under the main camera. A perfect location for a right-handed user to scan their index finger but not so clever for the left-handed users.
Finger print location is about as innovative as the “button” gets. The overall design of the phone looks just like the latest Zopo phones which in turn look like the Huawei Honor 6 and 6+.
Specifications include a Snapdragon 615 processor, 2GB RAM, 16GB internal memory, 5 mega-pixel front camera and 13 mega-pixel rear with dual LED flash. A 5.5-inch FHD display takes up the front of the phone where you can interact with YunOS 3.0 based on Android. Obviously LTE is included and it’s good to see that the large 3060mAh battery has a fast charge option.
So with a standard spec, unoriginal design and odd fingerprint location is there anything to ‘wow’ about? Well the price is really very good and in China it will only cost 1199 Yuan, which equals around $193. Not a bad price!
I am right handed but I always hold the phone in my left hand and use my right hand to operate it. Anyway my left index finger naturally sits where the fingerprint scanner is on this phone, actually where the camera is so my problem would be with that because I would always be smudging the lens but the print scanner is in a great place for people who hold the phone in their left hand like I do. In fact I can’t find a way to place my right index where the scanner would be without risking muscular cramps in my finger, I can only place it there if I hold the phone in my right hand in landscape mode.
yea it better cost LESS tham 190$ for int’l users too !
Errrmm, it’s works well for both left and right handers. In fact better for left handed people.
How so? You have one? 😉
But I do understand what your mean, I air-hold the phone and could only imagine how to touch the scanner when holding it with my left hand.
Try to hold your phone in your right and and try to reach the place where the scanner would be. Really awkward right?
@Gizchina:disqus , did you hold it yourself? Could you post a photo of how to press the scanner?
Edit: or maybe as said below here; right-handed people hold their phone in their left hand…so they use their right hand to typ and operate the device.. ?
I don’t own one. I just held my phone in each hand and put my index finger where the scanner would be. It was easier left-handed and quite awkward right-handed.
I am right handed but I always hold the phone in my left hand and use my right hand to operate it. Anyway my left index finger naturally sits where the fingerprint scanner is on this phone, actually where the camera is so my problem would be with that because I would always be smudging the lens but the print scanner is in a great place for people who hold the phone in their left hand like I do. In fact I can’t find a way to place my right index where the scanner would be without risking muscular cramps in my finger, I can only place it there if I hold the phone in my right hand in landscape mode.
yea it better cost LESS tham 190$ for int’l users too !
Errrmm, it’s works well for both left and right handers. In fact better for left handed people.
How so? You have one? 😉
But I do understand what your mean, I air-hold the phone and could only imagine how to touch the scanner when holding it with my left hand.
Try to hold your phone in your right and and try to reach the place where the scanner would be. Really awkward right?
@Gizchina:disqus , did you hold it yourself? Could you post a photo of how to press the scanner?
Edit: or maybe as said below here; right-handed people hold their phone in their left hand…so they use their right hand to typ and operate the device.. ?
I don’t own one. I just held my phone in each hand and put my index finger where the scanner would be. It was easier left-handed and quite awkward right-handed.
I was about to burst out in laughter, until I saw the price. That’s killer! Right now though, you are better of getting an Elefone P6000 for $119,99 though…
I was about to burst out in laughter, until I saw the price. That’s killer! Right now though, you are better of getting an Elefone P6000 for $119,99 though…