Wiko Power U20
RM429
Pros
- Ohsem long lasting battery
- Cheap and affordable
- Light for its size
- Large display
Cons
- Camera just okay
- Low on memory
- Fingerprint magnet
Wiko, that is one of the phone brands that are popular in other countries like France and Thailand but not much known here in Malaysia. That’s just too bad because Wiko has been making good entry to mid range Android phones for the last few year. I have reviewed the previous mid-range line like the View 3, which I think is good for those who are looking for a simple phone to use.
They have been quiet. But they are now prepared to unleash a phone that will interest those who are always outside and on the move. I have now, their new mid-range line up – Wiko Power U20. The new Wiko Power U20 is made to last you a good 4 days of battery life on a single charge. That is on paper. But I managed to stretch it up to a week on a single charge. Want to know more? Keep on reading.
First Look and Specifications
First of all, we take a look at the packaging. It came in a large brown box. At first I was thinking why is it such a big box. Then it dawned on me. The new Power U20 has a large 6.8″ display. If it doesn’t have thin bezels, it may in fact be known as a phablet. But thank God it is a full screen display. And holding the Power U20 feels okay in one hand.
In the box you can find the phone itself. Going in further reveals the charger brick, a micro USB cable, a handsfree earphone and some documentations. If you’re wondering why the Wiko Power U20 still using a micro USB port, try keeping in mind that this is a budget phone. Although it is a budget phone, it will be worth your money. There is also a clear silicone case included along with a tempered glass screen protector that you can apply to the display. This is very convenient in my opinion.
At the top of the large display you can see the waterdrop notch that houses the front facing camera. And right on top of the camera is the front ear piece for calls. Going around the back, the camera module sits at the top left area. This is basically the usual placement for rear main cameras. The Power U20 comes with a triple camera setup with AI. But we will go more into the camera performance later on.
On the right side of the phone, there are three types of side buttons. The top button is a quick access to Google Assistant. Right below it is the volume rocker buttons while on the lowest side is the power/standby button. You will notice that the power button has texture on it so that you can have a good grip while pressing the button. And it makes it easy to recognize which button you’re pressing without looking.
On the left side, there’s the SIM and MicroSD slot near the top area. And at the top, there’s the audio jack for attaching the hand-free kit or your wired headphone. This is always a welcome to have on a phone. And I always prefer to have an audio jack. Going around the bottom, there’s the micro USB port for charging and data transfer, a bottom firing speaker and a tiny mic hole.
The Power U20 has an all rounder plastic housing which feels okay. But because it has a shiny surface, be prepared for frequent wiping. It is definitely a fingerprint magnet. And shiny means slippery too. But fortunately, I don’t lose my grip. This is because the large display is actually more of a narrow type. The screen may be big bit it is rather narrow on the sides, making it easy to hold and grip the Power U20. So yes, it has a tall(er) screen than most mid-ranged phones out there.
Here is the specifications of the Wiko Power U20:
- SoC: MediaTek Helio G35 (12 nm), Octa-core 2.3 GHz Cortex-A53
- GPU: PowerVR GE8320 (680 MHz)
- OS: Android 11
- Memory: 3GB RAM, 32GB ROM, microSD up to 256GB (uses shared SIM slot)
- Display:
IPS LCD capacitive touchscreen, 16M color
6.82 inches
720 x 1640 pixels, 20.5:9 ratio (~254 ppi density) - Build: Plastic frame
- Battery: Non-removable Li-Po 6000 mAh
- Camera:
Triple 13 MP, (Main)
2 MP, (macro)
QVGA - Selfie Camera: 5 MP, f/2.2
- Sensors: Face ID, accelerometer, gyro, proximity, compass
- Colours: Slate Grey, Navy Blue, Mint
Performance and User Experience
Do you know what is the significance of this review’s title? Let me tell you about the main selling point of this new Wiko Power U20. First of all, the Power U20 is quite thin. Actually, it is basically the ideal thickness for most phones nowadays. But get this. Wiko have managed to squeeze in 6000mAh battery inside the Power U20. Yes, 6000! Now you’ll be thinking that the phone is heavy, right? Well, it’s not. Like I said before, the phone is taller than usual. Hence why they are able to fit in such large battery capacity.
I have the phone with me for just over 2 weeks now. And I’ve only fully charged it twice. Only twice! On paper, the standby time can last up to 4 days, given that you only use the phone for basic calls and texting. But I somehow managed to push it to one whole week on a single charge. Now that’s just ohsem. Imagine having to fully charge your phone on Monday, and continue using it until Sunday without plugging in the charger. That exactly what happened to me.
This is what I use the Power U20 for in that one week:
- Calls
- Texting on WhatsApp, Signal, Telegram
- Social media – Facebook and Twitter
- Camera (for testing)
- Web browsing
And then the following week I managed to deplete the battery a little faster when I added some game time and video binge on YouTube. But having said that, I still managed to push it to last up to 4 days on a single charge, just like it said on paper.
The usual game that I play is PUBG Mobile. But I can only obtain a low graphic setup on the Power U20. Battery drain while gaming took the biggest toll. It went down from 100% to 80% in 2 hours. But that is still commendable. Some higher end devices I used in the past would drop to 50% within that same time period. So the Wiko Power U20 easily wins in terms on battery endurance in my opinion.
Watching video does the same but it doesn’t drain out as fast. I usually spend about 40 minutes of watching YouTube videos a day so that doesn’t do much damage in draining out the battery. But still, I an amazed at the Power U20’s ability to retain its power for a long time.
In terms of overall performance, I think the Power U20 is average. It runs on MediaTek G35 SoC with 12nm processing. I’m pretty happy with MediaTek’s G series processors and it performs much better than the older P series. And I’m glad that this Wiko Power U20 is using the former. As for memory, it comes with 3GB of RAM and 32GB of internal space. This may not sound like much but it works well. You can expand the internal storage via microSD, so can have an ample storage when you need it. My only wish is that they use a 4GB of RAM on this one. But because this is targeted towards the low and mid-range market segment, I can accept the low memory space.
For the overall graphic performance, I would say it’s on the low side. Games like PUBG Mobile is still playable and in fact, performs as good as many mid-range phones out there. Screen responsiveness is good and with the large battery, you can be sure to push for longer game time.
Also good to note that the Wiko Power U20 comes with Android 11 out-of-the-box. That is good because they made the Power U20 future proof by using the latest public release OS. Most of the other brands doesn’t come with Android 11 especially at this price segment. You will have an edge over others with Wiko Power U20 here.
Camera
Camera is somehow not the main focus point for the Power U20. But at the same time, it managed to capture some decent Instagrammable photos along the way. The main shooter is a 13MP camera while the other two are macro setup and a low resolution QVGA setup respectively. It doesn’t sound good, but it’s good enough for normal daily shots.
Here are some examples:
Normal zoom 2x zoom Normal zoom AI portrait mode Portrait focus Texture Portrait focus Indoor AI portrait Indoor shots Normal zoom Indoor low light Selfie front camera AI portrait 
Food close up
With the Wiko Power U20, you can be sure to get some decent shots. It is not made for camera performance but at the same time, you won’t be disappointed at the results. At this price segment, you can’t really ask for too much.
Conclusion
The new Wiko Power U20 is an awesome device, depending on your usage. At only RM429 on Wiko’s official Shopee page, you’re getting a very reliable, long lasting companion with you everywhere you go. If you’re always outside and on the move, this is the phone for you. I would like to add this too – if you’re a food delivery rider and need an affordable device to power through the day and all the way into the night, this Power U20 is for you. You can be sure that it will help a lot in terms of endurance in the long run.
Keeping the phone plugged in to a powerbank all day is not a good idea. With Wiko Power U20, you don’t have to do that anymore. This will also preserve the battery life so that you can have a good and affordable long term investment in your hands. This is the Power U20’s biggest advantage. And you can start singing “I have the power” song every day.
