CECT P168+ Review: Hardware

Earlier I posted some first impressions and initial review of the CECT P168+ phone. This review will cover more aspects of the phone and impressions after using the phone as my primary phone for months. This is part one of my review. Other parts will be posted after I finish writing them.

The CECT P168+ as an iPhone Clone:

The original model of the line, the P168, was typically labeled as an iPhone clone. Many owners of the P168 (and later versions) typically don't like this label and prefer that people consider the phone on in its own right.

In my opinion, the P168+ is rightfully labeled an iPhone clone, at least when it was first released. Early models of the P168 even had an Apple logo on the back while all models, including the latest P158C+, borrows many graphics and interface layout designs from the iPhone and MacOS X.

With that said, the phone should be judged on its terms. At the same time it's worth noting differences, downfalls, and strengths when compared to the iPhone as many people who consider this phone (as well as others like it) due to the fact that it's similar to the iPhone.

Models:

There are a variety of models available of the P168. The one I own and will be reviewing is the 168+, the model that succeeds the original. The latest model is the P168C+, which is actually very different in its hardware and interface. This review will be most useful for those who own or want to buy the P168, P168+, or any of the small variations of the two.

Hardware / Body:

I gave my impressions of the hardware in my earlier article. The intent of this article is to update and expand on my impressions of the phone after owning and using it for a few months.

The screen is 240x320, which is okay although low resolution by today's standards. For those who are wondering, the iPhone uses a resolution of 320x480. While it is noticeable lower resolution than the iPhone, it does it's job fairly well and you don't feel that the resolution is hampering your ability to use the phone. The phone's blacks are somewhat to be desired, is reflective and probably due to light-leek and poor craftsmanship. The screen is plastic (opposed to glass) and is in vein of older-style touch screens. The screen is designed to use a stylus. While fingers can be used with the touch screen, it requires a little extra force or the use of your nail.

The body is made of cheap plastic. Overall it feels fairly durable, but has a cheap feel to it. It is a cheap Chinese phone however, so this is somewhat expected.

The sound performance is mixed. The headset quality isn't that great. I tend to have more difficulty making out making out some things that my Chinese friend says in English opposed to my previous phones (an old Blackberry and a Nokia 1100). The speaker phone however is fairly good and can also be used for music. It is very loud however. Sometimes I wish I could turn the speaker phone down. The ear buds that come with the phone are horrible and unfortunately if you want to use any other ones you'll need to buy an adapter.

The camera's quality is poor as well. Granted, I am used to an SLR when taking pictures, but the P168's quality tends to be out of focus and slow (shutter-speed). My phone's maximum resolution is VGA (640x480). Many sellers claim that the P168 has a 2mp camera, but from what I can tell, many do not. The worst part is that my phone even says it has a 2mp camera on the back. The camera can be used as a webcam with Windows as well, although I haven't tried this. I haven't had any luck getting the webcam to work with Mac OS or Linux however.

The Phone has Bluetooth as well. This is probably one of the strengths of the phone. Bluetooth has worked very well with my BT headset and interfacing as a storage device with my computers. Unlike some phones sold today in-store, the Bluetooth isn't limited.

Many sellers like to say the CECT P168+ is a Quad-band phone. It is not! The phone is Tri-Band. The sticker in the phone even labels it as so. If you go and configure the phone in Engineering mode you can set it to use four bands, but reports say it only supports three bands. The bands it supports include either 850/1800/1900 or 900/1800/1900. If you like in America get a phone that supports 850. If you like anywhere else, 900 is probably what you want. The phone is unlocked, so it'll support any SIM card you stick in it, just make sure it supports the band that your provider uses. Also, if you have two SIM cards you can put both of them in your phone and switch between them.

The P168 uses Trans-flash cards for memory. Most come with 256mb cards. From what I have read you should be able to use up to 2gb cards without problems. The TF cards (along with the SIM) are what hold most of your information. With the exception of phone numbers which can be stored on the SIM, backgrounds, ring tones, and messages will be stored to the card.

End of Hardware Review

This concludes my review of the Hardware. I will write up and publish my review on the software and experiences using the phone for a long period of time shortly.