Interface, Camera and Conclusion
Now we have a look at the phone’s interface. First of all, you won’t get any app drawer in the ZTE Blade V7 Lite. This is something that Google is looking into, which is to remove the app drawer altogether, but it’s still under KIV. Some of us find that having an app drawer is better, and some prefer without it – just to get that iOS feel.
Scrolling through the main screens is liquid smooth. Very responsive on touch. Even when you’re having lots of apps opened and running in the background, it still performs well without signs of lagging. I’m pretty impressed by that. In this case, maybe it’s due to the Android 6.0 OS managing the memory really well.
Camera Functions
Now for those who love taking photos. Meanwhile, here’s a little bit about the camera hardware:
- Front: 13-megapixel autofocus with LED flash
- Back: 8-megapixel with LED flash
- Features: Geo-tagging, touch focus, face detection, HDR, panorama
- Video: 720p @ 30fps
The camera has two types of functions, Auto and Pro. In Auto mode, the camera app will determine the best settings to take a photo depending on the environment. Too dark, ISO will be raised higher. Too bright, shutter speed will be faster. All will be done automatically. You get the idea.
In Pro mode, it will still shoot automatically if you don’t set anything manually. However, you can change any of the settings manually if you want to like setting the ISO, shutter speed, exposure, white balance and focus area. It also shows the horizontal line on screen. This can be disabled in the settings. What I like most is the ability to change the exposure area while staying on focus at a subject. This can be done by dragging the pink exposure sensor on the screen to any area to make it darker or brighter. Drag it to a dark area, it will increase the exposure. While dragging it to a bright area, will decrease the exposure.
Sample Photos
Here are some sample photos taken with the ZTE Blade V7 Lite:
As you can see, the colours are not that vibrant. It is a little bit washed out to me. The auto white balance couldn’t get the colours right. I’m seeing a slight blueish tinge in the outcome. But it can still get the focus right when shooting close-up photos. Good detail in the close-up photos too.
Now, try and click on the outdoor landscape photo(s) to enlarge it. And then take a look at the 4 corners of the photo. You will notice the photo shows a slight blurry out-of-focus at the 4 corners, while being in full focus in the middle. I don’t know why, but maybe it’s the lens or the camera sensor. ZTE may need to check this one out to resolve the matter.
The front camera however is not bad. The LED flash in-front works well in the dark. It helps a lot if you want to take a selfie in a low-light restaurant or club. Photo details from the front camera is not bad. That’s all I can say about the camera photo quality.
Conclusion
The ZTE Blade V7 Lite is a beautiful all-metal body slim phone that won’t break your bank. The overall user experience is fluid and sharp. Playing normal games is good, but maybe you should skip the 3D heavy types.
4G LTE connection is also good. Downloading an app is fast. The reception is good even when I’m in a lower ground level of a shopping mall.
The handling is what I love most. I love the feel of the phone in my hand. It’s slim and light. Sometimes I would even forget that I have a phone in my pocket.
The camera Pro mode is what I use all the time when I take any photos. I love to be able to customise the settings manually. And to change the settings is very quick and easy. The Auto mode is simpler. Just point and shoot. The photo quality however is a little bit washed out on the colours. But the noise level is quite low when shooting in dark areas.
In comparison with other entry level smartphones, the ZTE Blade V7 Lite performs better. Having 2GB of RAM helps a lot with the overall performance. The extra features like the fingerprint sensor placed this phone at a higher level than the others. Not many entry level phones comes with a fingerprint sensor you know.
So would the ZTE Blade V7 Lite worth your every penny? Yes…if you’re looking for a cheap slim all-metal body phone with a fingerprint sensor. The price is also very competitive. You can purchase the ZTE Blade V7 Lite at ZTE Concept Kiosk in Low Yat Plaza for only RM669.
More details can be found at www.ztedevices.com.my