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Highscreen boost 3 review. Bluetooth is a standard for secure wireless data transfer between different types of devices over short distances.

Case materials: metal, glass and plastic
Operating system: Google Android 5.1
Network: GSM/GPRS/EDGE, LTE CAT 4, Dual SIM
Processor: 8 cores, 64-bit, MediaTek MT6753
RAM: 2 GB
Storage Memory: 16 GB
Interfaces: Wi-Fi (b / g / n), Bluetooth 4.0, microUSB connector (USB 2.0) for charging / synchronization, 3.5 mm for a headset
Screen: capacitive, IPS 5 "" with a resolution of 1080x1920 pixels
Camera: 13/5 MP, flash
Navigation: GPS
Optional: accelerometer, proximity and light sensors, FM radio
Batteries: removable, lithium-ion (Li-Ion) with a capacity of 3000/6000 mAh
Dimensions: 141x71.4x9mm (141x71.4x13.9mm with 6000mAh battery)
Weight: 140/200 g
Price: 20,000 rubles (Q4 2015)

Contents of delivery

Smartphone
Headset
Network adapter
USB cable
Two batteries
Two lids

Introduction

I think that many readers of our resource, and not only ours, have already heard about the musical phone from Highscreen - Boost 3. Frankly, I don’t like it when companies promote certain devices as musical ones, because often there is nothing special about them , at best, a cheap music chip is used, which is installed in budget players. Before the presentation of Boost 3, the same thought was in my head: another marketing musical device.

During the presentation, they explained to us that the new product does indeed have a separate ESS9018K2M music chip, and the cost of just one of it is more than 10,000 rubles. Also in the "Boost" there is an amplifier ADA4897-2. In addition, to transmit high-quality sound, a special player program was developed with a direct output of the audio stream to the internal DAC, bypassing OS restrictions. The fact is that up to the current versions of Android 5.0 / 5.1 at the driver level, the system “out of the box” perceives only 16 bit / 44 kHz or 16 bit / 48 kHz, even including a regular resepler and DSP effects.

If you are interested in gadgets, you should remember that all Boosts were equipped with capacious batteries, the latest devices even had two batteries - smaller and larger. The Boost 3 smartphone is no exception: you will still find a 3000 mAh battery and a 6000 mAh battery in the box.

That is, the new "Boost" has two main features: DAC + amplifier and two capacious batteries.

Otherwise, we have an ordinary smartphone with a good IPS-screen matrix, good cameras and not the fastest processor from MediaTek. Price Highscreen Boost 3 at the end of November 2015 - 20,000 rubles.

Design, dimensions, controls

I won’t dwell on this section for a long time, since outwardly Highscreen Boost 3 was “sculpted”, as it seems to me, in haste. The smartphone looks like the manufacturer did not have time to come up with a design and released a mockup.

The device has a rectangular shape, dimensions - 141x71.4x9 mm when using a 3000 mAh battery and 141x71.4x13.9 mm with a 6000 mAh battery. The corners are sharp, the side edges are slightly sloping. The front panel is protected by glass (something like 2.5D, when the corners are slightly sloping) Corning Gorilla Glass 3. A thin glossy black frame runs along the perimeter. The rest of the case is semi-gloss gray plastic. As you understand, there are two design options for the back covers: for a “small” battery, the panel is flat, for a “large” one - in voluminous rectangles and squares. Initially, it was the other way around - the thin cover was embossed, which, it seems to me, was more appropriate.

During testing, no major scratches appeared on the glass. There is an oleophobic coating, it is of high quality: fingerprints are almost invisible, they are erased quickly, the finger glides over the surface like clockwork - a big plus. The case does not creak, does not play, despite my frequent changes of sim cards and batteries. Materials are non-marking.

Oddly enough, Boost 3, even with a 6000 mAh battery, fits well in the hand, apparently due to the fact that the case itself is quite compact. In the cold season, there will definitely be no problems with the placement of the Bust, but in the summer you just can’t put a 200-gram “brick” in your shorts pocket.

Top in the center are: an event indicator, light and proximity sensors, a speaker. The speaker is loud, the interlocutor is heard perfectly, intelligibility is good, there are no echoes and other extraneous sounds. Below the screen are bright touch buttons of standard Android 5.0. The glow duration is configurable.

Below is a microphone and microUSB, on top is a second microphone and a 3.5 mm audio output. In addition, on the top end now flaunts the inscription "highscreen" in gray on a red background. WITH reverse side- camera module, flash and speaker.

On the left side there is a volume rocker key, on the right side there is a power button, highlighted in red, and a multifunction button (launch applications by double pressing).

The lid comes off relatively easily. Below it is the battery, and above it is the microSIM1/microSIM2 and the memory card slot.

Boost 3 and Apple iPhone 5

Boost 3 and Nexus 5

Display

This device uses a 5-inch screen. The physical size is 62x110 mm, the frame on top is 14 mm, on the bottom is 17.5 mm, on the right and left are about 4.5 mm each. There is an anti-reflective coating, quite effective.

The resolution of the Boost 3 display from Highscreen is FullHD, that is, 1080x1920 pixels, the aspect ratio is 16:9, and the density is 440 pixels per inch. IPS OGS matrix without air gap. Below are the tests.

The maximum white brightness is 347 cd/m2, the maximum black brightness is 0.62 cd/m2, and the contrast ratio is 560:1.

Brightness Graph. The picture will look slightly darker than normal.

Gamma. A little floating, but generally within the normal range.

RGB levels. There is a lot of blue, especially at minimum and maximum brightness.

Temperature. Slightly "jumps" from slightly warm to cold.

CIE diagram. The triangle is slightly shifted to the left, which is not normal. Shades of gray will also be unnatural.

The viewing angles of the screen are maximum. At angles, the image may slightly violet and yellow.

Viewing angles

backlight

In the screen settings there is a MiraVision function. It is easy to adjust brightness, contrast, saturation, sharpness, color temperature and dynamic range. In the "Gesture Recognition" section, there is an item "double tap to unlock", gestures on the lock screen (for example, when you draw the letter "M" to launch messages).

Batteries

IN this device two replaceable batteries (lithium polymer) are used: 3000 mAh and 6000 mAh.

In my mode of operation (infrequent calls and mostly Wi-Fi and 4G), Boost 3 with a 3000 mAh battery "lives" from about 9 am until late at night (up to an hour or two). In this mode, I listen to music for about 2 hours, the screen glows for about 3-4 hours. Video playback is about 7-8 hours.

If you install a 6000 mAh battery, then feel free to multiply the test results obtained above by 2. That is, on average, the battery runs out in 2 days (active use of the device), video - 14 hours.

If we are talking about listening to music, then this can be neglected, since the 3000 mAh battery runs down by about 3-5% per hour at medium volume: the battery will run out faster in standby mode.

From a regular AC adapter, a battery with a smaller capacity is charged within 1.5 hours, with a larger capacity - within 3.5 hours.

Compared to Power Five, this model “lives” much longer - about 4 days, but it has other parameters and other purposes of use.

Communication options

The device works not only in 2G/3G networks (GSM 850/900/1800/1900 MHz, WCDMA 900/1900/2100 MHz), but also in 4G CAT 4 Band 3/7/8/20 both SIM cards. There is only one radio module, so if one sim card is in 4G, then the other will be in 2G.

There is no NFC chip, the rest is standard for any Android smartphone: GPS (no problem, satellites are detected quickly), Wi-Fi b/g/n, Bluetooth 4.0, USB 2.0 with OTG support.

Memory and memory card

Inside is 2 GB random access memory, usually free about 1200 MB. Built-in memory 16 GB, available about 12 GB. There is a card slot microSD memory, the maximum capacity is 128 GB (FAT32).

cameras

Traditionally, there are two camera modules: 13 MP (Samsung ISOCELL, F2.0 aperture) and 5 MP (F2.8 aperture). There is one LED flash.

The first impression of the frames was somewhat negative, because the image on the screen when photographing does not quite correspond to the real situation: a lot of noise, very contrast, it seems like a low-quality photo. However, the gallery shots look good.

I liked the quality of photos with Highscreen Boost 3. I think that it is worth making allowances for the fact that the device is “sharpened” not for taking photos. The white balance is almost always perfect, there is no “soap” around the edges, the detail is good, the noise is uniform, the “noise reduction” works correctly. Interestingly, the camera is not afraid to choose a shutter speed of 1/10-1/5 sec. It is advisable to wipe the peephole of the camera.

The selfie camera is good. It shoots quite well: the correct white balance, the exposure functions accurately. It is also important to wipe the peephole, otherwise you can get a blurry picture.

The main camera can record video in FullHD resolution from 16 to 30 frames per second, depending on the level of lighting. The quality is average, focusing is carried out by “touch”, the sound is clear. The front camera records 720p video at 30 fps, digital stabilization is used.

In the settings there is a "super-quality" mode. The device takes 6 frames and "sculpts" one of them. In theory, the quality should improve, and the resolution should increase, but the first condition is not met: the photos are simply obtained artificially a high resolution- interpolation. Maybe the firmware will fix it. Otherwise, everything is typical for any Android device.

Photo examples

An example of a video on the front camera during the day (3GP, 11 MB) >>>
An example of a video on the front camera at night (3GP, 11 MB) >>>

Performance

The Highscreen Boost 3 model uses a chipset from the Taiwanese company MediaTek - MT6753: 8 cores, 64 bits, ARM Cortex-A53, manufacturing process - 28 nm, core frequency - up to 1.5 GHz, graphics - MALI-T720. The main features of the chip are low cost and 4G anywhere in the world.

From the point of view of performance in games, the device "pulls" all modern games, but in many cases the settings will have to be set to average values. The MT6753 chip is, for example, in the Meizu M2 mini. In the review of the device, we realized that it is slower than the MT6752 (its minus is the truncated LTE frequencies).

As for the interface, it is lightning fast. Not a single lag, slowdown, no “freezes” of the shell and other unpleasant things. The smartphone in this regard is very pleasant to use: fast, smooth and bug-free. The gadget does not overheat even with heavy CPU load.

Performance Tests

Software platform

The device Highscreen Boost 2 runs on the Google Android operating system version 5.1. There is no proprietary shell. On this moment work is underway on the following firmware, which will correct some shortcomings in the system. Unfortunately, the review will be released before the test firmware is sent to me: the icons have been corrected in it and the camera software has been tinkered with. The firmware will be released soon. The sixth "android" was also promised.

Multimedia

This model uses a special player called Muz_On, which directly transmits the audio stream to the internal DAC, bypassing the limitations of the operating system. Android systems, which downsamples any signal with a sample rate above 48 kHz. The player is running as root.

Not so long ago we tested a musical Meizu Pro 5. I don't want to copy-paste the contents of the section about audio, I'll say briefly: you need to listen to the sound with your own ears. Whatever I say here, it will all be a super-subjective opinion. However, in order not to upset you with such a brief conclusion on the sound in a musical device, I will provide a link to those who understand the musical features in more detail.

There are also discussions of the device, and comparisons with the sound in the players. I will add that the ESS9018K2M from the manufacturer ESS Technology is used as a DAC (in the DAC, the signal-to-noise ratio is up to 114dB, the dynamic range is up to 123dB) and the ADA4897 amplifier. Briefly about the amplifier:

“This is a unity-gain-stable, high-speed amplifier with feedback low noise, rail-to-rail output voltage range (voltage swing to supply voltages) and 3 mA operating current. With a 1/f noise floor of 2.4 nV/√Hz at 10 Hz and a spurious-free dynamic range of -80 dBc at 2 MHz, the ADA4897-2 is ideal solution for various applications, including ultrasonic frequency amplifiers, low noise preamplifiers and high performance ADC drivers. These high-quality amplifiers are made possible by the use of innovative architecture and Analog Devices' patented silicon-germanium (SiGe) next-generation bipolar transistor technology.

The ADA4897-2 amplifier has a bandwidth of 230 MHz, a slew rate of 120 V/µs, and a settling time within 0.1% of 45 ns. The wide supply voltage range (3V to 10V) of the ADA4897-2/ADA4897-1 makes these amplifiers ideal candidates for systems that require high dynamic range, accuracy and high speed.”

What I can definitely appreciate is the volume. She is very tall. All the “ears” that I have on the test are “swaying”. I am sure that such a volume / power margin was made in order to “pump” high-impedance headphones. If we compare the sound quality of Boost 3 with Pro 5 from Meizu, then the difference, it seemed to me, is small or comparable. However, Pro 5 costs 40,000 rubles, and Boost costs half as much.

The device is equipped with an FM radio.

Conclusion

There are no complaints about the quality of communication, the strength of the vibration signal is average.

Let me remind you that Highscreen Boost 3 is already available for purchase, the price is 20,000 rubles. I already see comments, they say, for such a piece of plastic - expensive! However, let's look at the prices: Meizu M2 Note with approximately the same parameters costs 16,000 rubles (PCT), but it does not have a music chip, which by itself costs Highscreen almost 10,000 rubles, and there is no additional 6000 mAh battery! In this case, it is worth considering Boost 3 not as a pass-through smartphone with two batteries, but as a smartphone with a powerful musical component. Don't forget about it.

Another example. gadget Highscreen Power Five will cost you 16,000 rubles, that is, only 4,000 rubles cheaper than Boost 3. Compare the features.

Therefore, the conclusions are very simple: if you understand the sound and its quality, then take a closer look at Boost 3, since for this money it will be extremely difficult to find a smartphone + player combine. If you are not interested in dealing with sound, and most importantly, just to make something rustle in your ears during a trip to the subway, then “Bust” is definitely not your companion. On the other hand, the model can be considered as a "survivable" device with a good screen and 4G.

pros

Sound!
Screen quality
Working hours
Smooth operation of the device

Minuses

Primitive appearance (subjective opinion)
Little chance of getting updates

The most recognizable Highscreen line is undoubtedly the Boost. From the very first model, which hit with a 4160 mAh battery (there were times!), It was she who became the hallmark of the brand. Not surprisingly, for the past five years, Highscreen has been regularly releasing new Boosts once a year. At the same time, the company alternates major updates (new design, new hardware, new features, new number in the name) with small changes, which is reminiscent of the approach of a well-known American corporation. Starting with Boost 3 (review), the device stands out not only with a huge battery, but also with high-quality audio stuffing. It is these two points that we will pay special attention to in the review of the device, but, of course, we will not forget about everything else.

Technical Features Highscreen Boost 3 SE/SE Pro:

Network: GSM/GPRS/EDGE (850/900/1800/1900 MHz), HSPA+ (900/2100 MHz), LTE (Band 3, 7, 8, 20)
Platform: Android 6.0 Marshmallow
Display: 5", 1920x1080 pixels, 441 ppi, IPS, OGS, 5-point multi-touch
Camera: 13 MP, autofocus, f/2.0, ISOCELL sensor, LED flash, video recording [email protected]
Front camera: 5 MP, f/2.8, video recording [email protected]
Processor: 8 cores, 1.3 GHz, 64 bits, MediaTek MT6753
Graphics chip: Mali-T720
RAM: 2/3 GB
Inner memory: 16/32 GB
Memory card: microSDHC
GPS, GLONASS
Bluetooth
WiFi (802.11b/g/n)
3.5mm headphone jack
microUSB
Dual SIM slots (not combo)
Led indicator
Batteries: removable, 3100 mAh (11.94 Wh) and 6900 mAh (26.22 Wh)
Dimensions: 141x71.4x9 mm with 3100 mAh, 141x71.4x13.9 mm with 6900 mAh
Weight: 168g with 3100mAh, 212g with 6900mAh

Video review

Equipment and design

Highscreen Boost 3 SE Pro comes in a fairly large box, all the contents of which are neatly arranged in cardboard boxes: a box with a second lid and a second battery, a box (more precisely, an envelope) with documentation, a box with a USB cable, a box with a charger (5 B, 2 A), battery box. Well, the smartphone itself, without a separate box. Highscreen still promises in the kit protective film, but the smartphone came to us for review without it.

Highscreen Boost 3 Pro SE is available in two colors: the most neutral black and catchy orange. I mean now the color of the 6900 mAh battery cover, the 3100 mAh battery cover is black in the first case, dark blue in the second. Boost 3 SE has the same colors. There are no external changes compared to the previous Boost, it's still the same rectangle with a red logo on the top end, backlit touch keys and a red stripe on the lock button. The cover of the large battery has a peculiar protector, the cover of the small battery is flat. At the bottom of the right side is the "Additional button". It can be assigned to launch any application double tap(including from sleep mode), in addition, it plays the role of a shutter button in the camera.

In terms of ergonomics, with a 3100 mAh battery, Boost 3 SE is a convenient, compact, lightweight smartphone that is very comfortable to hold. With a 6900 mAh battery, the device becomes thick and heavy, but how could it be without it?

The Highscreen Boost 3 SE Pro has a great screen. This is a 5" IPS-panel without an air gap (OGS), having a resolution of 1920x1080 pixels. A pixel density of 441 ppi provides excellent image clarity, and IPS technology provides the widest viewing angles and the absence of any noticeable inversions at any tilt. In addition, the screen can brag high max and low minimum brightness. Multi-touch five-point. The glass is coated with an oleophobic coating that provides a pleasant glide of your finger across the screen and ease of erasing fingerprints. The only complaint about the screen is that it turns red when tilted, like a simple Boost 3.

Software

Highscreen Boost 3 Pro SE is based on the Android 6.0 Marshmallow operating system. There is support for over-the-air updates, they are indeed released by the manufacturer. As with most Highscreen smartphones, the platform is given in almost pure form. Some icons have been changed here, a RAM clear button has been added to the multitasking menu (it is somehow crookedly placed, not on the side and not in the center), several applications have been added (File Manager, Software Update, FM radio and Zvooq, this is an online music service) and several functions in Settings (waking up the phone by drawing letters on the screen, MiraVision, RAM cleaner, battery percentage in the status bar). Nothing unusual, which is good - it's not often that small companies manage to do something good with the Android interface.

Camera

The Highscreen Boost 3 SE Pro features a 13MP ISOCELL camera with f/2.0 aperture. The camera is equipped with a single LED flash. It takes good photos, especially pleasing with its excellent detail and low noise. The camera is not inclined to distort colors (small errors can still happen), but due to the low dynamic range it often makes a gradient out of the sky. In conditions of low light, the quality of the pictures becomes noticeably worse. Photo examples:

Video is recorded in [email protected], the frame rate is maintained even in low light. There is high-quality digital stabilization. The sound is recorded quite quietly, you will either have to turn the volume up to the maximum, or speak loudly when shooting. The video sequence is decent during the day, and in the dark the smartphone shoots extremely weakly - you can’t even see what is visible in the photo. Focusing - only by touch.

Saved on the front camera Highscreen. The 5-megapixel module has a low aperture (f / 2.8), but despite this it takes very overexposed pictures. The viewing angle is wide, you can take pictures with friends without a selfie stick. The detail is subdued. Video from the front camera is written in [email protected], it probably doesn't matter to you.

Sound

As I said, starting with Boost 3, smartphones of the long-lived Highscreen series also stand out with good sound. The device has a HiSound audio path, which includes an ESS Saber ES9018K2M DAC and an ADA4897-2 amplifier. The filling was developed by well-known Russians in audiophile circles Mikhail Orlov (sanmigel) and Dmitry Gamza (gemzza). As a nice touch for music lovers, Highscreen has made smooth volume control. To assess the sound quality, I give the floor to Alexander Manichkin.

“Testing the sound part of the Boost 3 SE Pro was carried out in two stages. In addition to listening to the test songs directly on the smartphone, we also compared the sound of Boost 3 Pro SE with one of the best music phones to date - Meizu Pro 5, as well as with the main portable player in our test lab - Questyle QP1R. For listening, various headphones with an impedance from 16 to 250 ohms were used.

The sound of Boost 3 SE Pro pleased from the very first seconds of listening. No flaws in frequency response, wide dynamic range, excellent detail and sound clarity. Low frequencies are quite tight and detailed, but there is no excessive emphasis on bass. The mid-range sounds bright, I would even say that it is somewhat embellished. High frequencies are airy and transparent, but at the same time they are not fraught with excessive sharpness and shrillness and are reproduced softly. It is gratifying that in this model, Highscreen has implemented the ability to play tracks in lossless quality not only with a proprietary application, but also with any other software player, which allows you to use the more familiar Neutron or HibyMusic for listening.

Compare with Meizu Pro 5. Both smartphones use the Saber ES9018K2M chip from ESS Technologies as a DAC, so we found it worthwhile to compare them. The same hardware platform in digital-to-analog conversion is the reason why the sound character of both devices is very similar. I think that in a blind test it will be very difficult to distinguish them from each other. The most noticeable difference lies in the low-frequency range: the Boost 3 Pro SE has a more aggressive, assertive bass sound, the subbass vibrates piercingly, while the Meizu Pro 5 has a much more intelligent low-frequency range - the bass is not as attacking and assertive. The mids of both phones captivate with their brightness, and the highs softly and airy caress the ear.

Compared to smartphones, the sound of the Questyle QP1R is not as exciting. The mids seem to be covered with a gray veil, they sound dull and colorless in comparison with phones. High frequencies do not outperform the Boost 3 SE Pro in terms of brightness and analyticity, but they sound noticeably sharper. So much so that when compared with the Boost 3 Pro SE, there is an unpleasant impression that the sound of the Questyle QP1R cuts the ear. The only thing in which the player looks more convincing than the Boost 3 Pro is, perhaps, the low frequencies. They are more analytical and articulate. The Boost 3 Pro SE tends to have a more buzzy and boomy bass character compared to the player, but it's not so noticeable as to be considered a disadvantage. Rather, it is a feature of the nature of the sound.

As a result, Boost 3 SE Pro demonstrated great sound, which in terms of quality is not inferior to specialized Hi-Fi players. And although the smartphone does not have controls that would allow you to control music playback by touch, the rest of the Boost 3 Pro SE is quite capable of competing with other Hi-Fi devices. Given the cost of a smartphone, it seems to be an excellent alternative to a portable player. Even if someone is not satisfied with the Boost 3 SE Pro as a smartphone, it is worth it to purchase it as a personal player.

Performance and Benchmarks

The stuffing Highscreen Boost 3 SE Pro, which is responsible for performance, is much more ordinary than that which is responsible for the sound. We have seen the eight-core MediaTek MT6753 chipset with a frequency of 1.3 GHz and the Mali-T720 GPU in conjunction with 3 GB of RAM more than once, including on models with Full HD screens, so the behavior in games is more than predictable. So, in Unkilled and WoT Blitz! it is desirable to play with medium settings, but even then the frame rate will not be ideal; Hungry Shark World is unplayable due to lag; Asphalt 8 is going well, as is Dan the Man's pixelated 2D toy. There are no surprises in the benchmarks either:

In games, the smartphone, of course, heats up, but not so much as to become unpleasant in the hands. In addition, the processor resets the frequency over time (but it takes a long time, three AnTuTu runs did not notice this braking) in order to heat up less. Built-in memory 32 GB, there is a microSD slot. In the non-Pro edition, let me remind you, 2 GB of RAM and 16 GB of ROM.

Now for the most important thing, the battery. I didn't test the 3100 mAh battery (if you want maximum autonomy, you won't use it) and concentrated on the 6900 mAh battery. With it, I managed to achieve the following result: 2.5 days and 8.5 hours of screen on a single charge. If you break away from the smartphone more often, then it will be able to last 4-5 days without power supply. If you are interested in synthetic numbers, then here they are: 7 hours in Asphalt Extreme (brightness is about 70%, all wireless modules are on, sound is off, graphics settings are maximum), 14.5 hours in the video player (brightness is 100%, wireless modules are on, sound disabled, resolution - 1280x536). These are excellent results that few models can compete with (and almost none of the models with IPS screens). Boost is Boost.

And one more thing that I just have to say about the battery. The day I planned to take the photos was minus thirty degrees, and I was afraid that I would not be able to take enough pictures before the smartphone passed out. But the Highscreen Boost 3 SE Pro did not disappoint, calmly withstood a half-hour walk. He did not even go crazy built-in temperature sensors! Probably, here it is necessary to say thanks to the plastic case, which does not conduct heat very well, and the air gap between the cover and the filling of the smartphone, which occurs when using a 6900 mAh battery.

Russian 4G networks are supported (bands 3, 7, 8 and 20).

conclusions

Highscreen Boost 3 SE costs 14,990 rubles, Pro-version - 16,990 rubles. The smartphone fully confirmed its two main features - excellent autonomy and excellent audio component. In addition, its undoubted advantages include a high-quality screen, an ISOCELL camera and near-vanilla Android Marshmallow. You can complain about the behavior of the smartphone in games that is not the best for such a price.

For whom is the Highscreen Boost 3 SE Pro a good buy? Firstly, for everyone who appreciates high-quality sound or just wants to try it. Secondly, it is a good long-liver that you can take with you on hikes (here frost resistance can come in handy, and good camera) or just use it, occasionally remembering the need to recharge.

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Highscreen has never been shy about experimenting, and in September 2015 they showed the Boost 3, the most musical smartphone ever, and the first to bypass Android's limitations in sound quality. While other manufacturers improved the sound software solutions from Dolby Digital and the like, Highscreen put a DAC and an amplifier on the headphones in Boost 3, which together cost the company more than half the cost of a smartphone. It's time to update the most audiophile smartphone, meet the Highscreen Boost 3 SE! We have been using the Boost 3 SE for almost 2 weeks and are ready to talk about all the advantages and disadvantages of the smartphone in this review.

Characteristics

OS: Android 6
Networks: GSM/GPRS/EDGE (850/900/1800/1900 MHz), WCDMA (900/2100 MHz), FDD-LTE (3/7/8/20) (2x micro-SIM)
Screen: 5 inch. (S-IPS/OGS/1920x1080/2.5D Gorilla Glass 3)
Processor: MediaTek MT6753 (8x1.3GHz, Cortex-A53, 28nm, 64bit, Mali-720 MP3)
RAM: 2GB (3GB Pro)
ROM: 16GB (32GB Pro)
microSDHC card slot: up to 128GB
Cameras: 13 Mpx (module: Samsung ISOCELL, PDAF, f/2.0, single color LED flash), max. video recording 1080p*30 (H264, stereo)/ 5 Mpx (front)
Interfaces: Wi-Fi 802.11b/g/n, Bluetooth 4.0, GLONASS/GPS, FM, USB-OTG, 3.5mm (for headphones)
Sensors: G-sensor, proximity sensor, ambient light sensor
Sound: HI-Sound, ESS9018K2M DAC and ADA4897-2 Amplifier (accessing sound directly to the DAC, bypassing Android OS restrictions)
Battery capacity: 3100 mAh and 6900 mAh (removable) Support fast charging
Dimensions (WxHxD): 141*71.4*9mm and 13.9mm
Weight: 168g
Complete set: two accumulators, two replaceable covers under accumulators, Charger 2A, USB cable, manual, warranty card

Equipment, design, assembly and ease of use

Boost 3 SE comes in a fairly large and heavy package, like for a smartphone. The packaging design immediately betrays the musical abilities of the smartphone, because “the power is in music” :) .
In the box, we are waiting for the smartphone itself, documentation, two batteries, the first for 3100 mAh, the second for 6900 mAh, two covers for a "large" and "small" battery, as well as a MicroUSB cable - USB for charging and synchronization and a 5 volt power supply 2 amps.
And what about the design package? And despite the fact that changing the battery and the cover, the appearance changes dramatically. Let's first look at the Boost 3 SE with a "small" battery.

The front part is completely covered with a protective 2.5D glass, which goes into a plastic frame, an oleophobic coating is present, three touch keys are clearly visible below the display, which can be illuminated, above the display there is a camera, a speaker grille, perfectly tinted proximity and light sensors, in the eyes they in general, they “rush”, as well as a bright and well-marked notification light. Changing the cover does not affect the appearance of the front of the smartphone.

If usually the back cover in smartphones is removed separately from the frame, then in Boost 3 SE the cover also performs the function of a frame. Boost 3 SE came to us in a color scheme with a blue cover for a “small” battery and orange for a “large” battery, but there is also a version with black covers. Plastic in both cases is Soft-Touch. On the back of the device there is a camera that protrudes a little, an LED flash, a huge but not conspicuous Highscreen logo and a ringing speaker grille at the bottom.
On the left side there is a lock key and a programmable key for launching applications, and on the right side there is a volume rocker, after all, when the keys are spaced on different sides, it is convenient. On the top end there is a 3.5 mm mini-jack, a noise reduction microphone and a company logo clearly visible in the red frame, and on the bottom end there is a MicroUSB connector and a microphone. By the way, why the charging connector went to the side will remain a mystery to everyone.

With a 3100 mAh battery, Boost 3 SE is quite compact smartphone with a slightly even strict appearance and its character, in fact, it only gives out a “large” battery and a cover for it. One has only to put a big orange cover, as this smartphone begins to attract a lot of attention. More than once I heard questions like “is it shockproof?”, To which you can safely answer “no, the power is in the music”, but let’s get back to the appearance. It’s clear that all the elements remained in their places, only the camera stopped sticking out, but it turned out to be well hidden in the case , well, the cover gives more angularity and the thickness becomes indecently large - 13.9 mm, but do not forget that a 6900 mAh battery is hiding under it, and this is commendable.

Under the cover is, of course, a removable battery, two slots for MicroSIM and one for MicroSD.
There are no complaints about ergonomics with a “small” battery, Boost 3 SE fits well in the hand and does not feel slippery. With a "large" battery, the smartphone becomes thicker, heavier and. of course, it’s more inconvenient, but this is a fee for 6900 mAh under the “hood”. What is poorly located is the main speaker, if we put our device with the screen up, then it is very muffled.

You can find fault with the assembly, when squeezing a soft crack is heard on the sides, but this is treated, just don’t squeeze the smartphone. I would like to note one more unpleasant moment: the large orange cover does not get dirty very quickly, but if it is smeared, then you will have to scrub the dirt for a long time.

Display

Boost 3 SE is the flagship of Highscreen and therefore it received a flagship matrix: five inches, resolution 1920x1080, pixel density is 440 ppi, individual pixels cannot be seen with the naked eye. The color temperature is a little warm, the image is moderately contrasting, the colors are saturated. And if you don’t like something, then you can customize the display for yourself using a wonderful tool in the settings called MiraVision.
The viewing angles vertically and horizontally are maximum. The backlight is uniform and there are no obvious highlights. The automatic brightness control does not work correctly, choosing a brightness level above a comfortable level in a dark room.

Sound

Usually I write about the sound almost in the last turn, but in this review I raised this topic to the top. Boost 3 SE is equipped with a HI SOUND audio path that combines the top-end ESS9018K2M DAC and the powerful ADA4897-2 amplifier. And I already feel that some of the readers of this review thought about what this means, and only audiophiles were sincerely delighted with such a “stuffing”. For ordinary users, I will say briefly: Boost 3 SE can rock any headphones that only you will have to meet.

For those more advanced in the musical theme, I will tell you my observations. The first thing I want to draw your attention to is that from version 6 of the "green robot" the sampling rate was limited to 16 bit / 44.1 kHz and now you can listen to music High Quality on absolutely any player.

As for the sound quality, it very much depends on the quality of the headphones. In headphones for 200 rubles, for example, Boost 3 SE plays about the same as any other smartphone with a good DAC, only much louder. But truly this smartphone is revealed with good headphones with an impedance above 32 ohms, and at the same time has a good volume margin.

The sound, in fact, is clear and it is with Boost 3 SE and quality headphones you can easily hear the difference between FLAC and MP3, and sometimes even what you simply could not hear before. The sound is voluminous, the frequencies are not pulled up and not overloaded with all sorts of “improvers”, as a result, we get the sound like this. how it was intended.

The Boost 3 SE is arguably the clearest and loudest headphone sound of any smartphone on the market and can beat most hi-fi players.

Of the pleasant things, it is worth noting 50 steps for adjusting the volume, you can adjust the volume exactly as you want. Absolutely omnivorous to audio files music player. And for the future, we were promised advanced settings for controlling the DAC.

The main speaker gives, of course, a very loud sound, but I can’t call it high-quality. Feeling a lack low frequencies, and sometimes at maximum volume it even starts to “wheeze”.

Speaker: clear sound, but a bit quiet, on a busy street sometimes lacks volume.

Camera

The main camera is a 13 megapixel module with autofocus and LED flash. To be honest, the camera has ambivalent feelings, on the one hand, you can get a really good picture, on the other hand, the automation constantly selects strange parameters for the photo and the pictures are obtained either with an incomprehensible white balance, or crossed, etc. Although the enabled HDR mode often solves the problem.

Shot with HDR

Snapshot without HDR

The camera app looks very simple. The number of modes is small by today's standards: panorama, retouching, saturated, PIP mode (shooting with two cameras at once) and HDR, which saves.

Sample pictures:

The front camera has a resolution of 5.0 megapixels and you can even get a good selfie on it, but only with sufficient lighting, which is very rare indoors, and is ideal for video calls.