ROM & UI (UMIZERO.V3.01)
The UMI
ZERO comes with a ROM based on 4.4.2 KitKat, the UI looks very stock (like
Vanilla Android) with only small optimizations and changes made by UMI. Inside
the settings I also found a Powersaving & Extreme Powersaving mode and the
brightness control support "economic brightness" that should save
some battery. I did not find any features like Off-screen gestures or double tap
to wake, that many other China phones today offers but I believe that the final
UMI ZERO ROM will have more features, and that the limited features on mine is
because of the beta ROM.
Performance
Inside the UMI ZERO we find the MTK6592T Octa Core chip-set, where T
stands for "Turbo". Normal Octa Core phones run with 1.7Ghz, while
the Turbo version runs with whole 2.0Ghz. While I used the phone, it was very
smooth in the UI and the overall performance was good. Regarding 3D gaming, it
also performed really good, and games like Modern Combat 5 ran smooth with the
highest graphic settings without any lag. In Antutu 5.1 the UMI ZERO scored
31200 points which is significant better than on other standard Octa Core
phones.
The 13 mega-pixel camera (20 mega-pixel interpolated) provides some
nice pictures, most pictures I shot with the UMI ZERO were sharp, with good
contrast/colors and with minimal noise or blur. The auto-focus is fast and
precise. I would definitely say that the camera is above the normal standard
that we find on many other china phones.
The GPS is fast on the UMI ZERO when your outside and have an open
sky. It only takes some few seconds to get locked on the satellites. I found
that the Voice & WiFi reception is pretty standard, not really better or
worse than on other phones.
Sound quality
I was pleasantly surprised by the good sound-quality (from the
ear-piece) when I spoke with people using the UMI ZERO. The sound is very loud
and clear, and it is easy to hear the part in the other end. Regarding the
speaker on the back, it was also good and loud and perfect for gaming, but when
the phone was laying top-down on a table, the back-speaker would be a little
blocked and the sound would because of that, then be a little lower.
Battery
During my test with the UMI
ZERO, I only experienced good battery-life. Inside it has a 2780mAh mah and
it can easily last a whole day or more with normal usage. And with the Extreme
Powersaving mode enabled I am sure it can last even longer. The Rapid Charger
feature is also a very nice thing, and is possible because the charger is on
2,4A. You could say that the rule is, that the charging time up to 80% is about
1 minute for 1%, so 20 minutes would charge the phone about 20%.
If you are looking for a stylish phone made of high-end materials
and with some good specifications, and the price is no problem. Then the UMI
ZERO would be a very good choice. In my opinion, the UMI ZERO delivers good
performance & build-quality above the normal standard on the market and
really worth the extra money.