Exchange rates are mercilessly raising the prices of equipment in Russia. To say that everything has become more expensive is to say nothing. But in such situations, unexpected surprises happen. teXet calls iX-maxi an anti-crisis offer for fans of top-end smartphones. One glance at this device is enough to both indignation and interest. The device looks as if Tim Cook showed it yesterday, and Sir Jony Ive spoke in a white room about the notorious beauty and simplicity. The iX-maxi doesn't just look like the iPhone 6 - it's a real clone of it.
Technical characteristics of teXet iX-maxi
- Screen: 4.7", IPS, qHD 540x960, multi-touch up to 5 touches
- Processor: MediaTek MT6582 quad-core processor, 4x Cortex A7, 1.3 GHz
- Graphics accelerator: Mali-400MP2, 400 MHz
- operating system: Android OS 4.4.2
- RAM: 1 GB
- Built-in memory: 8 GB
- Memory card support: no
- Communication: GSM 850/900/1800/1900 MHz || UMTS 900/2100 MHz
- SIM: nanoSIM
- Wireless interfaces: Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n, Bluetooth 4.0
- Navigation: GPS
- Cameras: main - 8 MP (autofocus, flash); front - 2 MP
- Sensors: G-sensor
- Battery: 1600 mAh, non-removable
- Dimensions: 138x67x7 mm
- Weight: 127 grams
- Packaging, accessories
TeXet iX-maxi is packaged in a white box made of thick cardboard, on which images of the device are printed on the front and back. Bright pictogram icons are designed to tell about the main advantages of the smartphone. The main technical specifications are listed at the back in six languages. At the bottom of the box you can see a white ribbon, by pulling it you can pull out the inner box made of the same material.
Inside, the smartphone is placed on thick paper in a special bag. In the compartment underneath, the buyer will be able to find a warranty card, a paperclip for opening the compartment with a SIM card, a micro-USB cable, charger, a headset (not at all like Earpods) and an instruction manual.
Appearance
It is incredibly difficult to describe teXet iX-maxi, claiming originality. Music - Sir Jonathan Ive, lyrics - Tim Cook, performance - optimistic, anti-crisis. The device fits the description of an “iPhone clone.”
The front side differs from the original with a touch key<Домой>, there is no fingerprint sensor underneath.
The body of the device is made of aluminum; on the back it can be distinguished from the prototype by the inconspicuous inscription teXet and the absence of a logo with a bitten apple. Nobody bothers you to engrave the latter, or use the sticker that comes with all Apple devices. The back side is distinguished by radio-conductive plastic inserts. The camera block, like the iPhone 6, protrudes above the surface by the same 0.6 mm.
On the left side at the top there are volume keys, on the right there is a power key and a SIM card module - just like in the iPhone 6, nanoSIM.
The top end of the device is empty, and at the bottom there is a 3.5 mm audio output, a micro-USB port edged with two screws with a specific star-shaped slot, and a speaker grille with six holes.
The IX-maxi looks very decent, it can easily be confused with an Apple device, but it is not without its rough edges. The glass on the front panel here “covers” the device, but in the iPhone 6 it is flush and polished around the edges. The remaining details are quite consistent with the title of a clone.
Ergonomics
The IX-maxi fits perfectly in the hand. The dimensions of the device are selected so that it is comfortable to use the smartphone with one hand. Dimensions iX-maxi: 138x67x7 mm. The dimensions, by the way, surprisingly coincide with the iPhone 6, with an accuracy of up to a millimeter (138.1x67x7 mm). The clone weighs a little less - 127 grams versus 129.
The device is easy to use for both left- and right-handed people: the power and volume keys are located under the index fingers and thumbs.
Screen
teXet iX-maxi has a 4.7-inch display with an IPS matrix. The resolution is lower than that of the device from Cupertino - qHD 540x960, density - 234 ppi. The screen supports multi-touch technology (up to five simultaneous touches).
Thanks to the IPS matrix, the display has good viewing angles. It produces a decent picture: although the colors are a little faded, the white is truly white, without a shift into green, blue or yellow.
At minimum brightness, the picture on the display looks good, but when the backlight is turned up to maximum, the bright light hits the eyes unpleasantly, although you can get used to it. But still, dark images, despite IPS technology, at an angle of approximately 45 degrees or more become almost indistinguishable, unlike bright ones.
The brightness reserve is enough for reading in the sun. But still, during the test it was much more comfortable to use the minimum brightness setting. Plus, there is no light sensor, so the smartphone cannot automatically adjust the backlight to external conditions. The choice of brightness in this case is yours.
Interface
There is nothing unusual about the teXet iX-maxi interface. Of course, there is no iOS here, and the user is offered Android 4.4.2 OS. There is, one might say, no specific shell here, the only exception being the fully customizable teXet lock screen.
On the left there is a panel of unique widgets: RSS-Feed, bookmark of the partner site Activizm, weather, gallery, Facebook. Also, by clicking on<Плюс>, you can add YouTube, Twitter and Flickr widgets. It is possible to customize the lock screen, change the theme and general notification settings.
Unlocking the device is not that easy, but you can get used to it. Clicking on<Замок>, you can pull it in five various directions. Let's list the options (from left to right clockwise): Access to the camera, Contacts, Messages, Recent open applications, normal unlocking with access to the Desktop.
At the same time, if you linger on the selected menu item, another submenu opens. For example, by selecting a camera, you can immediately get to the photo or video gallery, and messages can be sent both via SMS and via email.
There are no unique applications here; the list of pre-installed programs can be called poor. The “teXet recommends” application and teXet Funbox, an application for SMS subscriptions, stand out.
The dialer and contacts interface is familiar to everyone who has ever picked up a smartphone with Android OS. The keyboard, however, too. All this is considered the standard for the most common OS in the world. Entering words by sliding your finger (Swype) is not possible here.
Let us note one more feature of the smartphone - there are no usual buttons here.<Назад>And<Меню>. Instead, one is used touch button, which is responsible for three functions at once: long press -<Меню>, short press -<Назад>, double -<Домой>. Triple-clicking opens a menu of recently launched programs. This cannot be said to be inconvenient; the solution was found to be quite simple and elegant.
The device in operation
The device has a quad-core MediaTek MT6582 processor with clock frequency 1.3 GHz. The Mali-400MP2 accelerator with a frequency of 400 MHz is responsible for the graphics. The iX-maxi has 1 GB of RAM and 8 GB of internal memory, of which only six are available to the user. Unfortunately, there is no microSD slot, just like in the original iPhone 6. By the way, the Apple device has a dual-core processor with a clock frequency of 1.4 gigahertz, so the Android iPhone has twice as many cores. Of course, in front of us is not flagship device, but, nevertheless, the power in it is quite solid.
The desktop screens scroll through quite quickly, but the animation still cannot be called perfectly smooth. In the browser, everything works very clearly and quickly, without any brakes.
Our favorite runner Minion Rush, aka Despicable Me, cannot boast of the wonders of optimization and periodically freezes, especially in places where the animation starts (jump, roll). In a word, playing it is problematic.
Asphalt 8 works great and looks pretty good too. No slowdowns were noticed, the graphics were very good.
Dead Trigger 2 is beyond praise. No slowdowns, just play. The quality of the graphics is, as always, quite good.
Life is good for Om Nom, the consumption of sweets is not overshadowed by anything.
Despite the qHD screen resolution and the not-record-breaking hardware power, the device displays video perfectly in Full HD: there are no problems, no image or sound lags. Moreover, this is relevant both for playing from the phone’s memory and for playing video from the Internet.
It was impossible not to try out the headset that came with it. Her appearance not cloned, these are not Earpods. The sound quality is so-so, the sound is flat and not very strong. This option can be used if you do not have normal headphones or a Bluetooth headset. For calls, a standard headset will be quite enough, but for listening to music - it’s unlikely. Plus, the headphones don’t fit very comfortably in the ears, and there are no replacement ear pads of other sizes included.
Camera
Results
Content:Often, such miracles of technology are equipped with ten slots for SIM cards and an analog TV tuner (and, as a result, an ugly retractable antenna). These cheap “substitutes” enjoy some kind of wild success among the lumpen public; however, very short-lived - almost every such device completely loses its functionality after six months.
Therefore, it’s nice to see devices on the market that, even if they try to resemble iPhones, are still more or less high-quality. It’s difficult to call teXet iX something completely “copied” from Apple products - the domestic manufacturer, for example, did not even try to somehow copy the iPhone software shell, leaving Android almost untouched. And the external similarity is not one hundred percent: the iX has a larger screen, and the main button at the bottom of the body looks different.
But the fact that this is a variation on a theme is quite obvious. Whether it is worthy is another question, which we will now try to figure out.
Equipment
- telephone
- battery
- USB cable
- network adapter
- headphones
- additional back panel
- documentation
Design
Externally, teXet iX TM-4772 looks good. Of course, such a visual “luxury” is a consequence of being “tailored” to Apple products; but in terms of the quality of execution of the case, this one, admittedly, is worthy. The device does not play or creak, the body is made of high-quality materials.
The smartphone comes with two back panels - black and gold. What is called, “matching the color of the handbag.” The black version looks more solid.
On the front side of the case you can find the earpiece, camera and main control key.
At the bottom end there are two grilles, behind which, obviously, a microphone is hidden.
There are no buttons or any sensors or connectors on the right.
But the top end pleases the eye with jacks for headphones and a charger/USB cable, as well as a button to turn the smartphone on/off.
On the left are the volume keys.
The back panel is enhanced by a camera with flash and another speaker.
Under the cover there is a place to install the battery, as well as two slots for SIM cards and one for microSD.
Display
As already noted, the teXet iX has a larger screen than the iPhone. Its diagonal is 4.5 inches, resolution is a decent 960 by 540 pixels. The feeling from the display is rather positive: 4.5 inches is enough to not look at the text even at arm's length; At the same time, in terms of the number of pixels per inch (245), the new product is only slightly short of the Retina level. The difference is noticeable to the eye, but there is no discomfort during everyday use.
The brightness and contrast were also impressive. Visibility in the sun is better than the vast majority of smartphones in a similar price range.
Performance
teXet iX uses the MT6572 system-on-chip from MTK. This platform is perhaps best solution for ultra-budget devices. The tested gadget cannot be classified as such (there are smartphones widely sold that are half the price), but I personally did not have any complaints about the performance - my copy worked stably, showed little slowdown in games and coped well with complex Internet pages.
Applications
The set of pre-installed programs is absolutely classic for teXet devices. In addition to basic and several additional applications, the manufacturer traditionally placed links to stores of rather useless Internet content in the menu. We will not consider each of them, but we will evaluate the range of programs more closely.
A basic, not “adorned” email client. If you use this type programs - feel free to set up your email account. The application is stable, clear and simple.
File Manager
Functional file manager. Indispensable if you need to find something in the smartphone’s memory, unlike standard program For a similar purpose, File Manager also shows hidden files.
FM radio
A regular radio receiver operating at standard FM frequencies. You must connect headphones before use.
A special version of the basic email client designed for use with Gmail account. By default, it is “attached” to the mailbox from which you registered the system itself when you first turned on your smartphone.
Under such an extremely simple name hides the client Google Now. The program is really useful - it displays information regarding traffic jams, weather in a timely manner, and at the same time gives a list of the most current updates on the sites you visit most often. If desired, you can customize a set of tooltips.
Hangouts
A multifunctional application that replaces an SMS client, Internet messenger and video conferencing program.
App store. The reviewed teXet iX supports almost the entire catalog, with the exception of only the most advanced games, as well as a small number of less popular programs.
A regular SMS and MMS client, simple and convenient. It receives/sends everything you need, is equipped with a message search, but does not have any particularly broad functionality.
Program for viewing "pipe" video. There were no complaints in terms of stability or speed of operation - another thing is that a 4.5-inch screen is still not enough to view moving pictures.
Browser
Built-in application for web surfing. It's better not to use it - Google Chrome much faster, more stable and more functional.
Video player
The simplest program for playing video. If you are going to watch movies, it is better to turn to some more serious software from Google Play.
Gallery
A simple and intuitive application for viewing pictures. All images are automatically distributed into several folders (separate for photos, screenshots, album covers), and it is possible to sort by geotags. Comfortable.
Dictaphone
A useful application with a minimalist interface. The iOS voice recorder is a little more convenient, but in terms of functionality, it’s difficult to find fault with this program.
If you really want to find something on the Internet, but are too lazy to type text on the keyboard, this will help this application. It recognizes voice requests quite well; in the vast majority of cases, the program “understands” what they want from it.
File Manager
Nothing unexpected - a basic “explorer” for accessing multimedia files.
Downloads
This includes everything you download from the Internet using any browser. Comfortable.
Calendar
You can configure viewing by months and weeks. It is possible to “attach” planned events to specific hours of a specific day, and a search by event is provided.
Calculator
Stylish calculator with large buttons. Personally, I don’t see any point in replacing it with anything from Google Play - it copes with basic tasks.
Cards
Time-tested Google Maps. They work great - I especially liked that the smartphone finds GPS satellites in a matter of seconds.
Kiosk
With this application you can buy and view electronic versions of magazines. This is an unpromising occupation - a 4.5-inch screen is clearly not enough for comfortable reading.
Watch
Ordinary clock with alarm and stopwatch.
Connection
The smartphone is equipped with two SIM card slots that can work simultaneously. Communication is supported on the following frequencies: GSM (2G) 850/900/1800/1900, WCDMA (3G) 2100.
Opening hours
Long period battery life- another advantage of the gadget over cheaper analogues. The smartphone can last a day even with active use - for example, on business trips. If you take out the device only a few times a day to make calls, a 1600 mAh battery will be enough for three to four days.
Conclusion
In my opinion, iX is one of the most successful smartphones from teXet. It is designed with high quality, it is difficult to find fault with stability and performance, given the low cost of 5-6 thousand rubles.
There are, of course, others on the market great deals- for example, Explay Fresh with a 5-inch HD screen and a quad-core processor (about 6 thousand rubles) or with the latest Android 4.4 (about 6.5 thousand). But if you are looking for something that looks similar to Apple products, then it is much better to pay attention to teXet ix than to the so-called “Chinese iPhones”. Even if the latter are much cheaper.
© Varlamov Daniil, Test laboratory
Article publication date: April 29, 2014
The teXet company presented its new smartphone called iX-maxi. The new product is a classic, fairly inexpensive device with a large screen. The main feature of the iX-maxi is its appearance. The device is very similar to the iPhone 6.
teXet tried to recreate the appearance of the Apple 4.7-inch smartphone as accurately as possible. This applies not only to the diagonal of the display or the characteristic lines on the back surface of the gadget. The thickness of the new product is only 0.1 mm greater than that of the iPhone 6, and the weight is 2 grams less. Dimensions(138x67x7 mm) even allow you to use most cases designed for Apple smartphones.
As for technical characteristics, the iX-maxi is far behind the iPhone 6. The device from teXet is equipped with a 4.7-inch display with a resolution of 960 by 540 pixels, a MediaTek MT6582 processor with a clock frequency of 1.3 GHz, 1 GB of RAM and built-in storage 8 GB.
In addition, the iX-maxi has two cameras (main 8-megapixel and front 2-megapixel), GPS modules, Bluetooth 4.0, Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n and a 1600 mAh battery. It is also worth noting that the smartphone uses a Nano-SIM format SIM card.
According to preliminary data, teXet iX-maxi can be purchased for 12,000 rubles.
The domestic company teXet released to the market copy of iPhone 6 called iX-maxi, thereby apparently deciding to follow in the footsteps of Chinese companies that quite successfully use design elements, and sometimes make outright copies, of well-known brands.
The smartphone looks very similar to the iPhone 6; the device is equipped with a 4.7-inch display with a resolution of 540 x 960 pixels; whether there is a protective glass, and what kind it is, is unfortunately unknown. The device runs on a MediaTek MT6582 processor with a clock frequency of 1.3 GHz and has a Mali-400MP graphics accelerator. RAM 1GB, built-in 8GB. Front camera 2, and the main one is 8-megapixel, which protrudes slightly above the level of the device’s body.
The smartphone supports all necessary wireless interfaces: Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n, Bluetooth 4.0, GPS, and FM radio. SIM card format is Nano-SIM. The battery capacity is 1600 mAh, which should provide up to 5 hours of talk time and up to 325 hours of standby time. But there is no LTE support in the smartphone. The overall dimensions of the smartphone are: 138x67x7 mm, and weight is 127 grams.
Thanks to its dimensions, which exactly replicate those of the iPhone 6, all accessories should be in place, so you can easily try on a variety of cases for the iPhone 6 on the teXet iX-maxi.
The smartphone will retail at a price of about 12,000 rubles.
During a crisis, when everything has become more expensive, unexpected surprises happen. Yes, manufacturer mobile devices, the Texet company, called its brainchild, the iX-maxi smartphone, an anti-crisis offer for fans of expensive gadgets. One glance at this device is enough both to be indignant and to become interested. The smartphone looks as if Tim Cook showed it to us a couple of months ago. Let's meet another copy of the iPhone 6!
Specifications and productivity
- 4.7-inch screen with a resolution of 540x960 pixels;
- quad-core MediaTek MT6582 processor, 4x Cortex A7 clocked at 1.3 GHz;
- graphics accelerator: Mali-400MP2, 400 MHz;
- operating system Android versions 4.4.2;
- 1 GB RAM and 8 GB internal memory;
- no memory card support;
- non-removable battery with a capacity of 1600 mAh.
Of course, this is far from a flagship, but it has quite solid power. The desktop screens turn smoothly and quickly, and everything in the browser also works without any lags. The games are doing well, for example, Walking Dead: Season 2 looks and plays great. This also applies to Asphalt 8.
Design
As already written above, this is a clone. The body of the smartphone is made of aluminum; on the back, instead of a logo with a bitten apple, there is a modest and inconspicuous inscription Texet. If you wish, you can use the sticker that comes with all Apple gadgets. The iX-maxi looks decent and can easily be confused with an Apple device. The only let down was the unpolished glass around the edges.
Texet iX-maxi fits perfectly in the hand. Its size allows it to be used with one hand.
Screen
The Texet iX-maxi has a 4.7-inch diagonal screen with a resolution of 540x960 pixels, which is significantly smaller than the iPhone. The display understands up to five simultaneous touches. Thanks to the IPS matrix, it has decent viewing angles. It produces a decent picture, although the colors are not very rich. There is enough brightness, but sunlight creates unpleasant glare.
Camera
Fans of frequent photography will appreciate the ability to launch the camera from the lock screen. The camera uses an eight-megapixel photosensor. The application adjusts exposure and white balance, and also has a continuous shooting function - up to 100 shots. Autofocus is accurate and fast in good light, but predictably slow and inaccurate in the dark. In fact, initially you don’t expect high-quality photos from this smartphone, however, the photos turn out to be quite clear and bright.
The 2 megapixel front camera is not equipped with autofocus, but it is capable of taking decent selfies.
Results
Texet iX-maxi can easily be confused with new iPhone 6. On the one hand, this looks interesting, but on the other, it is repulsive, because many people associate this approach to design with cheap Chinese fakes. The price of Texet iX-maxi is 12,000 rubles. And if you put aside all this similarity with the iPhone 6, the device turned out to be very good for its money.
Video review of Texet iX-maxi
