Introduction
A few months ago, we reviewed the Neffos C5, and it’s a pretty average mid-range smartphone with many things more to improve. Right after we published the review, Neffos launched the C5 Max, the best one in the C5 series. We’ve been testing the C5 Max for quite some time, and it’s time for the full review.
The C5 Max looks exactly like the regular C5, it’s just bigger. The entire phone is made of plastic, and it’s not slippery at all. Just like the C5, there’s a “TP-LINK” logo below display, which I personally hope can be replaced with the “Neffos” logo.
One noticeable change is that even the phone back cover is removable, the battery isn’t. You’ll see that the battery is fully sealed, and the MicroSD card and two SIM slots are above the sealed battery. It’s better to have a removable battery if the back cover is removable in my opinion.
Bigger and Higher-Res Display
The C5 Max sports a 5.5-inch Full HD display, which has the pixel density of 400ppi, that’s similar to an iPhone 7 Plus. However, don’t expect it to have the same quality as an iPhone 7 Plus, its display is still not bad though. The display is pretty average with well-saturated colors, but it did a pretty great job on showing clear images.
A Better Chipset
Under the hood, the Neffos C5 Max is powered by a 1.3GHz octa-core MediaTek MT6753 processor with 2GB RAM. Obviously you have to put up a better chipset than the regular C5 as the C5 Max has a bigger and higher resolution display. Once again, the device performance is pretty average. There will be some hiccups here and there, but it handles well on performing simple tasks.
Same Software Experience
Software wise, it’s pretty similar to the one which I already covered in the C5 review. The same software experience means that the C5 Max doesn’t have an app drawer, and the menu button next to the recent apps button is still not my favorite.
There’s still a dedicated theme store which allows you to change the theme, as well as the “One key lock screen” feature. If you have a few folders in the homescreen, you just need to click on one folder and swipe left or right to navigate between folders.
Improved Camera
The C5 Max packs a 13MP rear camera with dual LED flash and a 5MP selfie shooter. The camera interface is easy to use, but not one of my favorite interfaces I’ve used so far.
Like its display and performance, the image quality generally is pretty average. Its dynamic range is low, and the color is a bit flat with low contrast and saturation, just like the C5. The color temperature is on the colder side, but you can edit the image using app like Snapseed.
Battery with Good Standby Time
Juicing up the device is a 3,045mAh non-removable battery. It has a pretty good standby time, and for sure you can get through a day of usage with the C5 Max.
Final Words
Pricing at RM699, the Neffos C5 Max is pretty much similar to the C5, it’s just got bigger. It is a pretty average mid-range device with a big display and good battery life. Well, this is the final review of the C5 series, by that we can conclude that the C5 series is just an experiment for the company. We just have to wait for the better one to arrive.
Yay
- Sharp display
- Battery with good standby time
Nay
- Software needs to improve
- Camera interface can be better