₦airaland Forum

you see when you are defending a brand that has no quality standard, lying comes easy and is inevitable

mogreen22:
The guy totally lost me there

stealing the andriod market is not a big deal, just produce quality smart phones and the market is all yours....am sure samsung and i phone users would agree, if Gionee is willing to give us quality smart phones which they are doing, then i say we give them the market...say amen if you agree.

mogreen22:
same thing i observed too. Gionee slowly but steadily stealing the naija android market

if the phone still dey hang, is 2gb not just a number then? please my infinix zero don ya were o!!! the phone hangs like crazy and they said i have to take it to infinix to unmount the firmware.....smh @ infinix

Orator2383:
@op is this a review or a Gionee promotional article. Infinix hot 2 is better. How can you say 2gb RAM is just number. Have smoked weeds. Useless review

So all these phone manufacturers would be fooling us with plenty megapixels and we go dey happy....God is watching you guys in 5D.

This is another review article by the techcabal team, read to find out what they had to say after using the P5w for some time.

BY BANKOLE OLUWAFEMI
GADGETS, MOBILEJANUARY 11, 2016
gioneep51

Coming off the overall positive experience of using the Gionee S Plus for a few weeks, I had high hopes for its lower end sibling — the Gionee P5w (hereafter know as the “P5”) was also released in December 2015.

I had to remind myself that the P5 is in fact a less capable device than the one I had just reviewed, and that I would need to reset my expectations, which is really hard to do. I would have preferred to have reviewed them the other way round, but it couldn’t be helped.

Nonetheless, I think I got a good sense for how this device stacks up in the general scheme of things. This will be a short review. First of, the Gionee P5’s specs.

Specs

SIM: Dual SIM
Display: 5.0 inch HD (720 x 1280) IPS
Battery: 2000mAh
Camera: 5 megapixel rear, 2 megapixel front
Memory: 1 GB RAM, 16 GB storage
Card slot: Micro SD, up to 32 GB
CPU: Quad Core 1.3 GHz
Connectivity: Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 4.0, 2G/3G
OS: Android 5.1 Lollipop, Amigo 3.1
Radio: Yes
Face unlock: Yes

First impressions


“Zen”, “pristine”, “spartan” are the adjectives that come to mind

The build and aesthetic of the Gionee P5 is very spartan, almost zen. If not for the rounded edges, camera lens and flash and the conspicuous Gionee emblem on the curved back, it would be completely featureless. The speaker grille is nigh invisible, unless you actually go searching for it.

This is where Gionee throws in a cool easter egg, by way of two extra battery covers. I got the cyan and white covers, but there’s also red and yellow variants. Be sure to look at the box before you buy to get your preferred hues. Who knows, might even come in handy, if you are the type to colour match your accessories to your outfit.

gioneep54
P5 in white

Gionee’s generosity with accessories means that in addition to the extra battery covers, there’s a protective screen film and phone case included in the retail box. There’s also a wipe cloth, which I am certain you will need. It turns out that the P5’s smooth plastic shell is a powerful fingerprint magnet.

The P5 feels sturdy, which is a requirement for budget-conscious buyers in the first place. Gionee knows that ain’t nobody in that demographic got time for a device that flies apart on contact with the pavement. And when you put it in it’s protective case, it begins to feel like an impervious Ninja Turtle…not the clunky kind, the sleek kind. I still wouldn’t drop it, if I were you. But if you insist on dropping it, try letting it fall on its back, not the screen, which at this price point is obviously not in Gorilla Glass territory.

Performance

The Gionee P5 is in many ways a smaller clone of the S Plus. In fact, they are the same in many respects. Unfortunately, I am afraid that opting to put just one gigabyte of RAM on this model has held the device back from realising any real potential it had. You remember that part about having to reset expectations? Yeah. If you use a comparable device like the Infinix Hot 2 et al, you won’t notice. But for people who’s used faster, the device lags a noticeable second and half more than the S Plus in many places. The screen feels just a titch less responsive.

Nonetheless, I didn’t encounter any catastrophic issues when I applied my usual tests. The map dutifully homed in on my exact location without fuss. No app install barrier to be seen. Subway Surfers gameplay was just okay, so the device wriggles by with a pass on performance. With the Gionee P5, you get a Ninja turtle build without the Ninja reflexes, I’m afraid.

UI/UX

When it comes to UI and UX, there’s practically no difference between the Gionee P5, and the Gionee S Plus. I made extensive UX notes in my S Plus review, all of which apply to the P5. Face unlock, extreme mode, the fake call function, super screenshots, smart gestures, the notifications centre and the control panel…it’s all the same down to a T.

As usual, the first thing I did was to swap the default Amigo 3.1 UI with a stock Android feel, using the Google Now Launcher. This is absolutely necessary not just for aesthetic purposes, but also if you want access native Google Now functions. There’s nothing more annoying than not being to say “Ok Google” right from your homescreen without having to launch a separate app.

The display

gioneep53
On the bright side, the P5’s screen is just as good as the S Plus’. Viewing angles and sunlight legibility are good. On the other hand, the screen didn’t feel as responsive as I would have liked…I’m guessing it’s that RAM deficiency at play, not the screen itself. The devil is in the details.

Battery

The Gionee P5 has a 2000mAh battery. Which as today’s power consumption demands go is pitifully small. Low end is not equal to low consumption. Between that 5 inch screen, Android background processes, notifications, music and phone calls, you’ll struggle to eke out a full day’s use from this battery. Maybe I shouldn’t have uninstalled the battery optimiser afterall. My advice is to buy a powerbank if you don’t want to be caught unawares. If you do get into a battery pinch, Gionee’s signature extreme mode should help you get by with the bare necessities (phone, contacts, messaging and clock) till you can find power.

Other notes

Frankly, the Gionee P5’s camera is forgettable. Five megapixels at the back, two in front. Take your selfies, but keep those filters handy..

The sound on the Gionee P5 is okay, but whoever designed the in-package earbuds decided to place the hands-free module so far away from where your mouth should be that it’s ridiculous.

The P5 seems to handle incoming sound alerts with music on better than the S Plus. Weird, but worth noting.

Pricing, availability and conclusion

The Gionee P5 is in many ways a smaller version of the Gionee S Plus. But it is smaller in some ways that make me wonder if it was intended to stand by itself. Unlike its “elder” sibling (they were both released in December 2015), the P5 won’t replace my iPhone as my primary device. But it could make a decent sidekick, a backup device that doubles as a wifi-hotspot and for those times when your primary device runs out of juice on the move.

By itself, the P5 is another entry-level device for first-time smartphone owners who are looking to test the waters with something sturdy and cheap. At NGN19,000, it looks like a bargain. I understand that it can be found at SLOT shops and will soon be available at other major retail outlets as well.

Pros

Great pricing
Sturdy build
Okay performance for price range and specs
Plays well with the Google Now Launcher
Generous accessories
Local support
Cons

Software updates at the discretion of OEM
Vestigial bloatware
1GB RAM might be responsible for slight lag
Should you buy this phone? It depends. New to smartphones? Yes. Have a high-powered device but need a sidekick? Sure. It can even serve as an interim replacement for your lost or stolen high-end device. But if you’re looking for something in the middle that can hold its own in any circumstance, you’re better off peeling off more cash out of your wallet to acquire the more capable S Plus model.

At the P5’s level, without anything extraordinary on display, to buy or not to buy usually comes down to a question of how much. This device’s biggest challenger is the Infinix Hot 2, which boasts of stock Android, via its Android One partnership with Google, and a 2GB variant. Except it costs at least NGN3,000 more than the Gionee P5. Up to you to decide how much 1GB of RAM is worth to you.

i think both phones appeal to different kinds of audience and as such shouldn't be made set to compete against each other

Akaolisa:
Between this phone and m5 mini, which one better pass?

are you kidding, all these posts on this tread don't count as complaints?...read the comment before yours brah

Xhaka:
Barely see someone complain of their Tecno phone

m5 mini is launching in less than 2 weeks, m5 plus in less than 2 months, already saving towards the m5 plus[quote author =warrenweste post=40820430]Gionee m5 mini and m5plus available? Where can I see the spec and price?[/quote]

the aim of this forum is not to win arguments and mislead people, it is to speak the truth, please be sure about what you are saying

kolexepana:
Its not, someone i know is always charging it every 2hrs

word, brother.....if they invest the salaries of those service centers staff and the cost of purchase of those buildings in making good quality devices, we won't be needing those service centres in the first place.

Dam5reey:
Lol
So cos Tecno employed Nigerians i should be using a crappy phone...

Sorry to disappoint you, its actually very complete...to the last mAh

kolexepana:
Nah, i don't believe 'em
They could tell you the battery is 6000mAh, but its not up to that

I don't work for Gionee, I am just another satisfied user who would rather talk about the topic at hand than discuss why Nigerian youths are unemployed besides incase you were away from this world, Gionee is an international brand, and have done very well for themselves, when you can buy data then do some research before arguing here, stay blessed

benigneOne:
Na why una no get sense. Company 0, promoters 0. So this is the best you can do to come back at someone who just trashed your company's after sales service. Lol

O ma Kpe mbe gionee, maybe in the next twenty years your name will be heard outside the shores of lagos.

Endtime phone

Love you too

benigneOne:
Na why una no get sense. Company 0, promoters 0. So this is the best you can do to come back at someone who just trashed your company's after sales service. Lol

O ma Kpe mbe gionee, maybe in the next twenty years your name will be heard outside the shores of lagos.

Endtime phone

40k

ps3o:
cost pls

The phone drops in less than 2 weeks, that I know for sure.

Iamtosignno:
Am also looking forward to the phone it can be drop anytime to now am just not sure about the phone innovation whether it will be release or not

Guy na phone you wan buy abi u dey job hunt

Orator2383:
These Gionee shills na wa for una. To be honest Gionee service center is the worst in the world even in India people cry over their wicked services. It will take Gionee years to put in place the kind of services Carl care rendered. They are all over Nigeria. They employ Nigerians. They have retail outlets they employ Nigeria too. Tell me what Gionee has done that worth my money? Tell me

i quite agree, mine fell face down yesterday and i was too scared to pick it up cos i thought the screen would have broken, but it didn't .....great build quality from gionee

Ryanxu:
Team GIONEE
very nice Splus

Well considering the price of this and the note 4 this is a better option

mogreen22:
Nice review. Been waiting for this, honestly i agree with virtually all what the op said but that camera on the phone is too notch Abeg, i still maintain it takes better dim pictures that my Note 4

I do and dey come in handy especially when you don't have time to go stage by stage but just need to get to a task faster

Gaffy02:
Not to sound like a hater but we all know this smart gestures nobody ever uses them. Its just a gimmick to sell phones

am sure you own one of those really outdated motorolla devices you got off someone at 1/3 the price....be there forming quality.

Xhaka:
I don't use substandard products like Gionee

am sure he is probably one of those people tecno has paid to argue mindlessly and mislead people...don't blame him

tomjerry123:
the same to you,have you use gionee smartphone?

TAKE 'EM TO CHURCH!!!!

Kamaye:
Dude it is either you are arguing blindly or deliberately trying to distort an established fact! Gionee can never lie about something as important as chipset, even if they do a credible website like GSM arena wouldn't. Any way you can prove your point by giving us a screen shot of the CPU and GPU from P5w.

it just shows they care about you, can't you just accept the kind gesture from Gionee and say a big THANK YOU?

Xhaka:
So any product that gives you 1 year warranty is of bad quality?

More screen shots from the Gionee S Plus

Found this article on techcabal and thought i should share..

To be honest, I wasn’t expecting much from this phone when I unboxed it. Afterall, it was yet another Android phone from yet another Chinese OEM. My approach to the device was pretty phlegmatic. I totally forgot it existed for about three days from when it arrived in the office. So you can imagine how surprised I was when in just one day of use, the Gionee S Plus replaced my iPhone 6 as my primary device.

After using this phone for a week, I believe that the Gionee S Plus doesn’t only get the job done, but actually punches way above its weight class. TL:DR? Buy the Gionee S Plus. Want to find out why? Keep reading.

First impressions

I already covered the generous contents of the retail package, the specs and my thoughts on the build quality in the unboxing post. I have to say that Gionee is really working hard here. They’ve managed to pack a decent amount of functionality and performance into very reasonable price point.

The problem with being a mid-range device is that, well, you are a mid-range device. Everything you do will likely be average. If you are used to high end devices, the Gionee S Plus won’t show you any tricks you haven’t seen. Average build. Average screen. Average camera. Average sound that gets better with the supplied earbuds.

But obviously, it is unfair to hold this phone up to unrealistic standards in the first place, considering how much it costs and its intended market. Where the Gionee S Plus proves its mettle is when you hold it up to devices at a similar price point.

The display

Save for the Infinix Hot Note 2, no other phone comes close to the S Plus’ 5.5 inch screen. The size alone gives it a decent amount of gravitas, and makes it at home on the desk beside your Galaxy Note or iPhone. It certainly will not look like you are holding a cheap phone.

However, the Gionee S Plus’ screen is not the best screen out there. Compared to the Mi4’s 441 ppi, the S Plus, which has five inches more screen real estate, tops out at a rather pixaemic 267 ppi. Not enough pixels to make it crystal sharp. But not so little that it’s noticeably annoying. You will only notice when you have been staring at text for a while.

As if to compensate for the low pixel density, the Gionee S Plus does have surprisingly great viewing angles, and is perfectly visible in direct sunlight, if you crank the brightness all the way up.

Performance

One of the first places where low to mid range Android devices are quick to show the cracks is performance. The phones are usable, otherwise they wouldn’t leave the shelves in the first place. But it’s a lot of little things that don’t quite work that makes your run-of-the-mill Android device annoying to use. Like when you try to use maps, play games, install a lot of apps or try to use a lot of apps at once.

It was refreshing to see that this was mostly not the case for the Gionee S Plus. The maps work as they should. No jumping around or location discrepancies. if you’ve ever tried to use maps on a low end droid, you’ll know how big a deal that is.

Very importantly, I have yet to hit the notorious app install barrier. You know, the one where the device announces that you cannot install any more apps because it has run out of memory after a few downloads? Haven’t encountered it yet.

Games play well, but are sometimes let down by the low pixel density of the screen
Games play well, but are sometimes let down by the low pixel density of the screen

Games are a great litmus test for a device’s performance. Once the Gionee S Plus passed my Subway Surfers test (a lot of devices in this category don’t), I felt confident throwing some more complex stuff at it. The phone handled Batman: Arkham Origins and Kiloo’s Stormblades with aplomb. The pre-installed Need For Speed demo also ran well. I haven’t found time to download a proper 3D First Person Shooter to push it to its limits, but my gut is telling me to manage my expectations and not try anything too fancy.

It’s not all silky smooth performance 100 percent of the time. You will start to notice split second lag when you have too many apps open. Apps have shut down on me a few times. But nothing catastrophic has happened in the week I’ve been using it. The Gionee S Plus passes the performance test.

UI/UX

Gionee Review
Left: Google Now Launcher. Right: Amigo OS

At the root of my disdain for non-stock Android software is the aesthetic. Petty? Yes. Argue with Cortana. But apart from the fact that OEM UI skins actually slow the device down, most of them are just fugly. I like the Gionee S Plus. But I don’t care for the Amigo OS skin.

So, once I got past the initial setup ritual, I hightailed it to the Play Store, downloaded and activated the Google Now Launcher. I wish I could give more credit to Gionee for the fact that this was even possible. Most OEMs block the Launcher from taking over.

Now, I have a UI that is as close to stock Android as I’ve ever seen on a non-stock Android device. It’s not a 100 percent, more like 90…but that’s fine. The remaining vestiges of native Gionee S Plus functionality are actually useful and mostly welcome.

As you would expect of any OEM, there is a bunch of pre-installed software on the device. Gionee likes to put a lot of useful accessories in the box. But I wish the stuff they crammed into the phone software itself was as useful. Regular people will not notice anything, and might even be glad of all the pre-installed apps running amok. But not me. After installing the Google Now Launcher, getting rid of bloatware is always the next thing I do.

I see how some people could be interested in performance enhancers and battery extension apps, but any savvy user knows that those things are too gimmicky to be actually useful. All those went into the trash, along with the game demos, theme store and a bunch of other things I don’t remember, but I’m sure were not that useful.

Unfortunately, it is impossible to totally rid yourself of bloatware on this device. A number of apps have been hardwired into the kernel of the OS, and there’s no option to uninstall them. Not without rooting the device. Since they mostly stay hidden away from sight and mind in the app drawer, they don’t bother me. If not for the pesky GStore which keeps showing up in the notifications pane asking me to update certain apps, I would actually not notice. Like most OEMs, Gionee feels obliged to create its own software ecosystem. At best, it feels like a half-hearted attempt. At worst, it is entirely negligible, with close to zero impact on how you use the device.

The Amigo OS is not one of the Gionee S Plus’ best things. But the device does have lots of other built-in UI/UX functionality that could prove useful. There is an array of smart gestures that do interesting things. For instance, smart brightness function uses the front-facing camera to detect that you are looking at the screen and prevents the screen from dimming and the lockscreen from kicking in, even if you haven’t touched the screen for a while. It also dynamically regulates the screen’s brightness to match lighting conditions.

Smart gestures
Smart gestures

An extension of the face detection tech allows you unlock the device with your face, and it works pretty well. Keep in mind that you will need to calibrate it for various lighting conditions for it to become foolproof. But on average, it generally took less than 3 seconds for the device to scan and recognise my face. If face unlock fails to authenticate, the phone reverts to whatever password method that was previously configured.

Left: Notifications centre. Right: Control centre.
Left: Notifications centre. Right: Control centre.

The control centre is accessed by swiping from the bottom up, which is a bit disorienting if you come from a stock Android mindset, but perfect if you are coming from iOS. I daresay Gionee’s control centre was inspired by iOS, because most of the buttons are in the same places.

Thankfully, the notification centre is where you would expect it to be (accessed by swiping from the top down), and works mostly like it should on Android as well.

There are three interesting functions that stuck out to me in the control centre. The first is a rather convincing fake call function. The call comes in, and if you answer it, there is a voice on the other end that asks if you can “please send the file”. Well played.

Fake call function: activating it starts a countdown timer which then triggers the call.
Fake call function: activating it starts a 15 second countdown timer which then triggers the call.

There is a nifty screenshot taker built into the control panel that allows you capture either your whole screen, or just the precise part of the screen that you want.

The third is something called “Extreme mode”. When this mode is enabled, all functions asides phone calls, messaging, contacts, and the clock will be turned off in exchange for an insane battery lifespan. At about 80 percent charge, the phone informed me that extreme mode would keep the phone alive for another 174 hours. That’s more than a week!

banner-9

One week is a long time to go without all the things that make a smartphone a smartphone, but what say you, shall we do this experiment? A more practical application of this function is when you are almost out of juice and you need your phone to stay on so you don’t miss critical incoming calls and messages before you reach a power outlet.

I don’t like how phone handles incoming notification audio alerts while music or other media is playing. Instead of a smooth cross-fade in which the music volume reduces temporarily to allow the alert register, the notification alert cuts out the music for a few seconds, causing a rather jarring effect. If you get a lot of notifications and play a lot of music, this can get very annoying. I haven’t found a setting that allows me manage this.

There are more native UI features than any one person can realistically assimilate into their normal everyday routine. But you can’t knock Gionee for effort here.

Battery

The Gionee S Plus has a slightly larger-than-average 3150mAh battery. But I was skeptical that a few hundred mAh would make a huge difference. The only objective way to tell will be to pit it against another device in its range. But I was glad when the S Plus gave me more than 12 hours of usage time from a full charge. If you don’t plan on watching videos all day, I daresay you can venture outside without a power bank. Not that you should, haha.

If you do find yourself outside without a powerbank, The Gionee S Plus does have the extremely useful Extreme Mode feature that can extend your phone’s life significantly. Compared to the battery saving modes on iPhone and Nexus devices, the feature set in the S Plus’ Extreme Mode is rather spartan. But in exchange, you gain practical phone immortality. By contrast, battery saving mode on iPhone can extend usage time by only a couple hours at best.

Camera

13 megapixels at the back, 5 at the front. By now, no one counts the megapixels. The Gionee S Plus’ camera is okay. But if you want to be an instagram star, this isn’t what the doctor recommended. If a great camera is that important to you, you should really just get a more expensive phone or a DSLR.

Support

There is a Lagos phone number on the Gionee S Plus warranty card, which suggests that they are serious about local support. Since Nokia’s decline, Tecno is probably the OEM with the best local support infrastructure in Nigeria. If Gionee intends to get serious about this market, its support strategy cannot be half-assed.

Accessories

There are a number of thoughtful accessories which have been bundled into the retail package. A transparent case for those who want to flaunt their phone, and a black matte flip case for those who are more concerned about function. The small screen window will automatically show you basic notifications, the clock and the weather when the case is shut. The flip case is also obviously the better choice if you want to avoid smudges and scratches, and get some insurance against accidental drops.

Conclusion

The Gionee S Plus, in my opinion has found the perfect middle ground that balances a mid-range budget with mid-range specs. In form and function, I’ve found this phone to be worth every kobo of its N40,000. Perhaps more.

Pros

Great performance for price range and specs
Plays well with the Google Now Launcher
Okay camera for the price range
Local support
Cons

Software updates at the discretion of OEM
Vestigial bloatware persists
The camera will win no awards
Should you buy this phone? Of course, what did you think? It’s a great upgrade from the ₦20-something thousand Infinix devices, if your budget isn’t in the high-end range just yet. If you are not too fussy about raw performance and a picture-perfect camera, this device manages to accomplish the same things that devices in the 70 – 100k range can.

Not many devices in the Nigerian market can compete with the Gionee S Plus considering its price tag. The comparatively priced Tecno Camon C8 has one gigabyte less RAM, less total extendable storage and a smaller battery. The Infinix Zero 2 matches up RAM-wise, but has an even smaller battery and screen than the Camon C8 and the S Plus. The Infinix Note 2 is the one device that can really challenge the S Plus with its half-inch larger screen and massive 4000 mAh battery, except that it falls short in the RAM department. If you would like, we could go into detailed comparisons later, but overall and in my opinion, the Gionee S Plus comes out ahead.

The set even looks like top gear uk

EgunMogaji:
I don't need rehash of international auto news as I live internationally so I hope focus is on Nigeria.

No offense but I can already tell that I won't like the show because it seems elitist and I'm not into that.

Now I'll watch a grassroots level show that relates to the average man on the street, covers car clubs, inventors, etc

But good luck anyways but I don't fit the demographics.

Love me some Omotola

Choose this cos i haven't heard of the umi

lofty900:
Its either I go for this phone or I go for umi Rome. I love phones with amoled screens

Bought the device for N39,000

darlingtonIIV:
How much is it in Nigeria currency

I can testify, i have the ink blue, selfies are amazing the device

onyekaez:
It's so sleek, I hear the picture quality is stellar.

You seem very informed, nice one

kessintona:
you can have a 3000 mah battery and still have poor battery life. for a phone to offer good battery life you need a chipset thats advanced and minimizes battery usage and a well optimized version of the android software on the phone. the gionee p5w has this which makes the 2000mah adequate

Yes it is, the graphics is good and you can play for longer cos of the battery

odinkaru:
means it will be great for graphic intensive games and movies right ?

nothing do you bro

Babanhajiya:
Dude you misunderstood my post, what I was saying is P5W's chipset MT6753 is superior to Hot2's MT6580, so technically P5W is better than Hot 2 1GB version. I still maintain my opinion that 2000mah battery is poor, the minimum for any 5" inch device should be at least 3000mah.