UMI Emax Specs and Performance

Since we tried out our first MT6752 device a few months ago, we’ve come to expect a lot from MediaTek’s mid-range octa SoC. The Emax does not disappoint; it delivers good performance, and it has a few things you usually don’t find in similarly priced phones.

• SoC: MediaTek MT6752, 28nm HPM
• CPU: Eight 64-bit Cortex-A53 cores clocked at up to 1.7GHz
• GPU: ARM Mali-T760 MP2 at up to 700MHz
• RAM: 2GB
• Storage: 16GB internal storage, microSD slot up to 64GB
• Display: 5.5-inch 1080p IPS panel
• OS: Android 4.4 (rooted, update to 5.0 available)
• Rear camera: 13-megapixel sensor
• Front facing camera: 5-megapixel sensor
• Battery: 3780mAh lithium ion, user-replaceable
• Dimensions: 152.3 x 76.5 x 7.9mm
• Weight: 148g
• WiFi and Bluetooth: 802.11b/g/n WiFi and Bluetooth 4.0
• Sensors: ambient light, direction, accelerometer, proximity, GPS
• SIM card: dual SIM (micro SIM), dual standby
• Network support:
• 2G: GSM 850/900/1800/1900MHz
• 3G: WCDMA 900/1900/2100MHz
• 4G: FDD-LTE 1800/2100/2600MHz (Make sure to check regional compatibility prior to making a purchase)

The spec is more or less standard for this type of advice, but the Emax stands out in the display and battery department. A 1080p panel in this price range is still a nice touch, although devices like the Meizu M2 Note and Lenovo K3 Note, which we recently reviewed, offer 1080p at the same price.

The 3780mAh battery is another good selling point. We’ve tested devices with almost the exact same hardware platform with 2600mAh and 2800mAh batteries, so the extra juice is definitely a welcome addition. Plus, it doesn’t add to the girth or weight. The Emax is almost exactly the same weight and thickness as the Lenovo K3 Note, although the latter has a removable back cover.

The UMI Emax is a fast device, but it's not as fast as some MT6752 phones we had a chance to test.

The biggest drawback of using the MT6752 on a 1080p device is that the GPU is simply not powerful enough to keep up with "big-core" processors used in flagship phones.

Overall, performance will not be an issue should you choose to get this device. It’s on a par with other devices based on MediaTek’s MT6752, and we’ve already concluded that this is pretty much the best price/performance chip out there today.

Bottom line – if you’re in the market for a sub-$200 phone, you can’t get faster hardware than the MT6752, and there’s really not much more to say.