Consensus of 7 reviews (5 scored) from 5 independent publishers. Tom's Guide and Android Central (both Future plc); PC-Welt and Tech Advisor (both Foundry) count as one voice. How this is calculated.
consensus 84
Wired90
PC-Welt88
Tech Advisor88
Trusted Reviews84
Tom's Guide76
707580859095
Each dot is one review, adjusted for how that publication usually scores; the line is our consensus. The closer the dots sit to the line, the more the reviewers agree.
Where the reviewers agree
The telephoto camera is a highlight, giving good zoom detail for a budget phone. — Tom's Guide, Wired, Android Central, Phonandroid, Trusted Reviews
The display is a clear step up, brighter with 10-bit colour and a 120Hz AMOLED panel. — Tech Advisor, Tom's Guide, Wired, Android Central, PC-Welt, Trusted Reviews
Water resistance is only IP54, which reviewers see as limited. — Tech Advisor, Wired, PC-Welt, Trusted Reviews
Only a single speaker is fitted, so audio is weak without headphones. — Tech Advisor, Phonandroid, PC-Welt
Where they disagree
Wired calls performance a strength, while Tom's Guide finds processing underwhelming. — Wired, Tom's Guide
Tech Advisor and PC-Welt say the main camera is improved, while Tom's Guide says there is no main camera performance boost over the predecessor. — Tech Advisor, PC-Welt, Tom's Guide
Android Central finds the front camera and HDR need work, while Trusted Reviews praises the cameras overall. — Android Central, Trusted Reviews
Bottom line: Suits buyers wanting a cheap phone with a telephoto camera, a bright screen and long battery life. Trade-offs include limited water resistance, a single speaker, a modest charger in some markets, and mixed views on processing and camera gains over the predecessor.
Summarised with AI from the 7 reviews below — each one is linked in full.
Photos belong to the publications credited; each links to the full review.
Key specs
Released
May 2025
Launch price (USD)
$279
Launch price (UK)
£219
Launch price (Europe)
€249
Form factor
Standard
OS
Android
Display
6.8″
Main camera
50 MP
Telephoto lens
Yes
Battery
5,000 mAh
Wired charging
33 W
Chipset
MediaTek Dimensity 7300 Pro
Base storage
128 GB
Weight
185 g
Water resistance
IP54
Software updates
3 years
Sold in
US, UK, Europe
What the reviewers said
Tom's Guide US
4/5Jun 14, 2025
A cheap phone with a more premium design, telephoto camera and long battery life, but underwhelming processing and no real camera upgrade. Still a strong budget value.
Ultra affordable price for the feature set
More premium design with metal trim and sandstone finish
Good telephoto camera performance
Long battery endurance
Vibrant 120Hz AMOLED display
Underwhelming processing performance
No main camera performance boost over predecessor
Peak brightness only modestly better than predecessor
A well-equipped budget phone with a 2x telephoto camera, strong screen and good battery life, held back by a modest charger, single speaker and polarizing design.
Telephoto 2x camera on a budget phone
Large 6.77-inch AMOLED screen with accurate colors
Good battery life in PCMark and video streaming tests
A stylish, versatile budget phone that improves on its predecessor with better cameras, a brighter display and a faster chip for a small price increase.
Better main camera and two new auxiliary lenses
Brighter 10-bit display with peak 3000 nits
Slightly faster chip and added NFC
Modular accessories and distinctive design
Still very affordable for what it offers
Only IP54 rated, a step up from IP52 but limited
Single speaker only, no stereo audio
Essential Space may cost in the future
Software support still trails some rivals like Samsung
Verdicts, pros and cons are short summaries in our words of each publisher's review; scores are as the publisher gave them. Specs are taken from the reviews' spec boxes — where they differ, we show the value most of them give; price is the US launch price of the base model. Read the originals for the full picture.
