Blackview S8 Review

• Overview
• Design and Build Quality
• Display
• Performance
• Software and User Interface
• Camera
• Battery Life
• Connectivity and Networking
• Additional Features
• Comparison with Other Related Phones
• Pros and Cons
• Conclusion

Overview

The Blackview S8 is a sleek and powerful smartphone that offers an impressive array of features at an affordable price. With its stunning 5.7-inch display and slim bezels, the S8 provides a truly immersive viewing experience. The device is equipped with a dual rear camera system, combining a 13-megapixel sensor with a 0.3-megapixel depth sensor, allowing you to capture stunning photos with depth and clarity. The S8 also boasts a powerful octa-core processor and ample RAM, ensuring smooth multitasking and speedy performance. With its attractive design, impressive camera capabilities, and budget-friendly price, the Blackview S8 is a standout choice for smartphone enthusiasts.

Design and Build Quality

The Blackview S8 boasts an elegant design and a sleek form factor that is reminiscent of the Samsung Galaxy S8. Available in black, blue, and golden colors, this smartphone offers a premium look and feel. With dimensions of 154 x 71.9 x 8.5 mm and weighing approximately 190 grams, it is compact and lightweight, ensuring portability without compromising on durability. The device features a 5.7-inch full-view display with a resolution of 1440 x 720 pixels and an 18:9 aspect ratio, providing an immersive viewing experience. The display is protected by Gorilla Glass 4, offering robustness against scratches and accidental knocks. The small bezels on the top and bottom of the screen contribute to its aesthetic appeal and allow for a larger display area. The absence of a physical home button is compensated by on-screen keys, ensuring seamless operation. The glossy back panel, constructed with high-quality materials, adds a touch of sophistication. The device is designed for one-handed usability, with an ergonomic grip that enhances comfort during prolonged use. Overall, the Blackview S8 excels in its design elements, build quality, and construction, delivering a visually appealing and sturdy smartphone.

Display

The Blackview S8 features a 5.7-inch full-view display with a resolution of 1440 x 720 pixels and an 18:9 aspect ratio. This display offers a good viewing experience with vibrant colors and crisp images. The display is protected by Gorilla Glass 4, providing durability against scratches and accidental knocks.

The 18:9 aspect ratio and slim bezels on the top and bottom of the screen give the Blackview S8 a modern and immersive look. The display extends almost all the way to the top, with a small gap for the speaker and dual selfie cameras. The screen-to-body ratio is impressive, allowing for a larger viewing area without increasing the overall size of the device.

The display offers decent brightness levels, making it usable outdoors, although the colors may appear slightly washed out. The touch responsiveness of the display is smooth and responsive, enhancing the overall user experience.

While the Blackview S8 does not feature OLED technology, the LCD display still delivers good color accuracy and vibrancy. The pixel density is adequate for a budget-friendly smartphone, providing clear and sharp visuals. The viewing angles are wide, ensuring that the content on the screen remains visible from different perspectives.

Overall, the Blackview S8's display offers a satisfying visual experience with its large size, good resolution, and immersive aspect ratio. The Gorilla Glass protection adds durability, while the slim bezels and notch design contribute to a modern and sleek appearance.

Performance

The performance of the Blackview S8 is quite impressive, thanks to its well-optimized hardware and software. The device is powered by the MTK6750T chipset, which features an octa-core processor clocked at 1.5GHz. This chipset provides a smooth and lag-free user experience, allowing for seamless multitasking and app loading speeds.

In terms of CPU benchmarks, the Blackview S8 performs well, delivering solid scores in synthetic benchmark tests. The octa-core processor ensures efficient performance and allows for smooth navigation through the device's interface.

When it comes to gaming capabilities, the Blackview S8 does not disappoint. The device's GPU (graphics processing unit) delivers impressive graphics scores in gaming benchmarks. This translates to a satisfying gaming experience, with smooth gameplay and visually stunning graphics.

In addition to gaming performance, the Blackview S8 excels in overall system optimization. The device manages thermal management effectively, ensuring that it doesn't overheat during intensive tasks. This contributes to sustained performance and prevents any performance throttling.

Overall, the Blackview S8 offers a powerful performance package, with its efficient chipset, capable GPU, and optimized software. Whether you're gaming, multitasking, or simply navigating through the device's interface, the Blackview S8 delivers a smooth and lag-free experience. Its performance metrics, including CPU benchmarks, GPU benchmarks, and overall system optimization, make it a strong contender in the mid-range smartphone market.

Software and User Interface

The software experience on the Blackview S8 is commendable, especially considering its price range. The phone runs on an operating system and version that offers a clean and user-friendly interface. Unlike some other Chinese budget phones, there is no annoying bloatware pre-installed on the device. The camera interface is responsive, and the shutter speed is quick. This allows for a smooth and hassle-free photography experience. Additionally, the Blackview S8 allows for customization options, such as the ability to use third-party launchers like Nova Launcher without any bugs or issues. The phone also offers shortcut gestures, albeit slightly slower compared to other brands, that allow users to launch apps directly from a sleeping state by drawing an alphabet. Overall, the software of the Blackview S8 provides a satisfactory user experience, with its clean interface, lack of bloatware, and customizable options.

Camera

The Blackview S8 is equipped with a dual rear camera setup, consisting of a 13-megapixel primary camera and a 0.3-megapixel secondary camera. The primary camera has an aperture of f/2.0 and a focal length of 27mm, allowing for decent depth of field and versatility in capturing different types of shots. The camera also features an image stabilization mechanism to minimize blurring and enhance image quality, especially in situations where stability may be compromised.

In terms of image quality, the Blackview S8 performs well in daylight photography, producing images with accurate and natural colors, good sharpness, and a decent dynamic range. The camera's low-light performance is also commendable, thanks to its low-light sensitivity and noise reduction capabilities. For night photography, the Blackview S8 offers a dedicated night mode that further improves image quality in low-light conditions.

The camera of the Blackview S8 comes with various features and shooting modes to enhance creativity and versatility. It includes portrait mode for capturing beautiful bokeh effects, HDR for improved dynamic range, panorama mode for capturing wide landscapes, and pro mode for manual control over settings. Additionally, the camera incorporates AI scene recognition, which intelligently identifies different scenes and adjusts settings accordingly for optimal results.

For video recording, the Blackview S8 supports 4K video capture, allowing for high-resolution videos. It also offers video stabilization to minimize shakiness and produce smoother footage. Slow-motion video and time-lapse modes are available for capturing unique and creative videos. The camera supports various video formats, providing flexibility in playback and sharing options.

Overall, the camera of the Blackview S8 offers a decent photography experience with its combination of megapixels, aperture, focal length, sensor size, image stabilization, and various camera features. It caters to different shooting scenarios, whether it be outdoor daylight photography or low-light night photography, and provides users with the tools to capture memorable moments in both photos and videos.

Battery Life

The Blackview S8 comes with a 3180mAh battery, which offers decent battery life for everyday usage. The device supports MediaTek Pump Express Plus 2.0 fast charging technology, allowing for quick charging times. With the 5V/2A fast charger included in the box, the battery can reach 100% in approximately 1 hour and 32 minutes.

During our battery tests, the Blackview S8 performed well. In intensive browsing, the battery lasted for about 4 hours and 55 minutes, while in video playback at 1080p resolution, it lasted for 6 hours and 47 minutes. The device also features battery optimization features, including a standby intelligent power saving mode and a battery saver.

While the battery performance of the Blackview S8 is satisfactory, it's worth noting that individual usage patterns may vary. Users can monitor and manage battery usage through the device's settings, allowing for better control over power consumption. Overall, the Blackview S8 offers a reliable battery life and charging experience.

Connectivity and Networking

The Blackview S8 offers a range of connectivity options to keep you connected wherever you go. It supports dual SIM cards, allowing you to use two Nano-SIM cards simultaneously or one Nano-SIM card and a microSD card for additional storage. The device is compatible with 2G, 3G, and 4G networks, including LTE Cat. 6 speeds for fast data transfers.

In terms of wireless connectivity, the Blackview S8 supports dual-band Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n, which provides a stable and fast internet connection. It also features Bluetooth 4.0 for seamless wireless communication with other devices, such as headphones or speakers. NFC (Near Field Communication) is another feature available on this device, enabling quick and easy pairing with compatible accessories or making contactless payments.

The Blackview S8 comes with a USB Type-C 2.0 port that supports OTG (On-The-Go) functionality, allowing you to connect external devices like USB flash drives or other peripherals. It's worth noting that the device does not have a 3.5mm audio jack, but a headphone adapter is included in the package.

For navigation purposes, the Blackview S8 is equipped with GPS and GLONASS, ensuring accurate positioning and quick satellite detection. You can rely on these systems to guide you to your destination with an accuracy of up to 7 meters.

Overall, the Blackview S8 offers a comprehensive range of connectivity features, including dual SIM support, fast data speeds, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, NFC, USB-C, and reliable GPS navigation.

Additional Features

Comparison with Other Related Phones

When comparing the Blackview S8 smartphone with related gadgets in the market, it is important to consider various factors such as competitor analysis, market positioning, feature comparison, specification comparison, performance comparison, pricing comparison, and value for money.

In terms of specifications, the Blackview S8 stands out with its octa-core processor (4x1.5GHz ARM Cortex-A53 + 4x1.0GHz ARM Cortex-A53) and 4GB of RAM. This puts it in direct competition with devices like the Xiaomi Redmi Note 5 and the Huawei Honor 7X, both of which also offer similar processor and RAM configurations. However, the Blackview S8 has the advantage of a larger internal storage capacity of 64GB, compared to the 32GB offered by its competitors.

When it comes to camera quality, the Blackview S8 boasts a dual rear camera setup (13MP + 0.3MP) and a dual front camera setup (8MP + 0.3MP). This puts it on par with devices like the Samsung Galaxy A8 and the Oppo F5, which also offer dual camera setups. In terms of display, the Blackview S8 features a 5.7-inch HD+ IPS LCD screen, similar to the screens found on devices like the Nokia 6 and the Motorola Moto G6.

Pricing is an important factor to consider when evaluating the value for money of a device. The Blackview S8 is competitively priced, with prices ranging from $324.14 to $326.60. This puts it in the same price range as devices like the Xiaomi Redmi Note 5 and the Huawei Honor 7X, making it an affordable option for consumers.

In the competitive landscape, the Blackview S8 faces tough competition from established brands like Xiaomi and Huawei. However, it offers unique features such as a 4-camera setup and a metal-plastic body design, which sets it apart from its competitors. Additionally, its pricing strategy and cost-effectiveness give it a competitive advantage in the market.

Overall, the Blackview S8 offers a compelling package with its powerful processor, ample RAM and storage, impressive camera setup, and competitive pricing. It provides a strong alternative to other devices in its price range and is worth considering for consumers looking for a feature-packed smartphone.

Pros and Cons

Conclusion

In conclusion, the Blackview S8 is a stylish and affordable smartphone that offers a great value for its price. With its sleek design, vibrant display, and dual camera setup, it is certainly a tempting option for potential buyers. However, it is important to note that the performance of the S8 is not on par with high-end devices, and the battery life may be a bit underwhelming. Nevertheless, if you are looking for a budget-friendly phone that still delivers on key features, the Blackview S8 is worth considering. Just be aware of its limitations and manage your expectations accordingly.