Smartphone BQ BQ-6200L Aurora - advantages and disadvantages

The Russian company BQ is a well-known manufacturer of budget mobile electronics. The production of devices is carried out in China, due to this, it is possible to keep the final prices at a low level. To date, smartphones of this brand are not very popular, but the company does not give up and attracts attention with budget flagships.

In October 2018, the brand introduced the BQ-6200L Aurora camera phone. Four cameras, high performance and advanced functionality of the novelty can interest the buyer and play a decisive role when choosing a new smartphone. In addition, the first model of the Aurora BQ-6000L series, released at the beginning of 2018, was appreciated by users as a high-quality gadget with a wide range of features. Did BQ succeed in the second flagship?

Specifications

Design

The smartphone has a stylish design, corresponding to the level of the flagship. The thin elongated body is comfortable to hold in your hand, and the well-thought-out arrangement of the keys makes the operation comfortable. The phone is only available in glossy dark grey. This time, the manufacturer left no choice, while the previous Aurora was offered in gold and black.

Most of the front panel of the BQ-6200L is occupied by a screen framed by a thin bezel with bulges at the top and bottom. "Monobrow" contains a camera, sensors and a conversational speaker. This is already a somewhat boring design element of modern smartphones, so the device still loses to full-length novelties.

On the left side of the gadget are the power button and volume control. On the right side is a sliding tray for SIM-cards and a memory card. The bottom edge houses a stereo speaker, a microphone, and a Type-C connector.

The fingerprint scanner remains on the back. And in the upper left corner, the two rear cameras and the flash are deployed vertically, as opposed to the horizontal position on the BQ-6000L.

The non-removable back cover is made of tempered glass with rounded corners. Both sides of the phone are connected by a metal frame. Thanks to the reliability of the material, the smartphone looks practical.Due to the lack of an oleophobic coating, fingerprints will be visible on the dark surface of the back panel.

Device dimensions: 75.90x155x7.90 mm. The weight is 197 grams.

Display

The BQ-6200L is equipped with a 6.2-inch IPS touch screen. Full HD+ resolution with 1080×2246 pixels makes the picture rich and vibrant. The pixel density is 402 ppi, which ensures the integrity and clarity of the image. Brightness and color accuracy are maintained at an angle. The 19:9 widescreen aspect ratio is ideal for watching videos and playing games. True, when playing a 16:9 file, black bars appear on the sides of the display.

The ambient light sensor automatically adjusts the screen backlight for a more comfortable viewing experience. The image fades in the sun, but at maximum brightness everything is quite readable.

The top of the display is protected by Corning Gorilla glass third class with 2.5D effect. This coating is notable for its high resistance to scratches and drops.

Operating system

The BQ-6200L comes with Android Oreo 8.1 operating system. This version started in 2017 and is already a little outdated. It's not as exciting as Android Pie 9, which features significant changes and new options, such as gesture control and support for a notch screen.

In the eighth version, the user gets the opportunity to view videos from the YouTube resource in a miniature window and simultaneously use another service. The second notable innovation is that notifications are displayed on application icons in a timely manner. The developers have taken care of security. The system vigilantly monitors application activity and downloads of new programs.

CPU

The smartphone is equipped with a powerful MediaTek Helio P60 mid-range system with artificial intelligence. The eight-core processor is divided into two parts of 4 cores: productive and energy-efficient blocks. The clock frequency of each chip core is 2.0 GHz. When solving some problems, the entire system can participate in the process. Helio P60 independently redistributes power and monitors the load of components. With the help of artificial intelligence, the processor adapts to the preferences of the owner, increasing speed and efficiency.

The video chip with such characteristics looks too weak. Three cores running at 0.8 GHz are a little disappointing. It seems that in order to make the processor affordable, the manufacturer preferred to save on graphics. However, a smartphone equipped with the Helio P60 system is well suited for gaming. Despite the weak graphics capabilities, the BQ-6200L will handle many mobile toys, even if not at maximum settings.

Memory

The RAM in the phone is quite enough for successful multitasking and heavy applications. 4 Gb provide a smart smartphone response to switching between programs.

Built-in storage of 64 Gb allows you to do without a memory card. This space is enough to create capacious collections of music, applications and other files. If necessary, you can add a microSD memory card up to 256 Gb. Do not forget that the low quality of the storage device will negatively affect the operation and speed of the smartphone.

dual sim

BQ-6200L supports two SIM-cards, like most modern devices. The retractable design, which opens with a special key, contains slots for micro-SIM and nano-SIM.Instead of a second SIM card, you can install a memory card. Unfortunately, there is no separate memory slot, so you have to choose what is more important.

autonomy

The battery capacity is 3000 mAh. Thanks to this, a full charge of the smartphone is enough for the whole day with an average workload. Of course, with games and watching videos at high volume, the battery can be exhausted in 6 hours.

Communication and navigation

BQ-6200L supports the GSM cellular standard with frequency bands: 900, 1800 and 1900. High-speed 3G and 4G LTE technologies are used for Internet access. It is also possible to communicate via the VoLTE network, but in Russia this type of connection is launched only in a few of the largest cities. In addition, the smartphone recognizes Wi-Fi of the modern standard 802.11ac at a frequency of 5 GHz, which ensures high data transfer speed.

To exchange files between devices, Bluetooth version 4 is used, which is characterized by an increased speed of sending and receiving information and improved security.

The smartphone supports GPS satellite navigation, location search is carried out with a slight delay of 10 - 15 seconds.

Unlock

To protect personal information in the smartphone from strangers, two reliable systems are provided: a fingerprint scanner and 3D Face Unlock. When using an optical sensor, multiple fingerprints can be stored in the phone's memory to allow access to loved ones.

The presence of a well-thought-out face scanner on a budget flagship is quite surprising. With the help of artificial intelligence, the system adapts to changes in appearance and easily recognizes the owner with updated features, such as a beard or glasses.Infrared illumination allows you to unlock your phone even in the dark.

Interface

On the home screen, there is a search bar in the Yandex system at the top. Below are the icons of the main applications. To open the full list of installed programs, swipe up on the arrow. The BQ-6200L has quite a few applications installed by default, including those from Yandex-service and other partners.

The smartphone has only one shutter left. It is called from above and contains shortcut buttons and notifications with detailed text explanations. At the bottom of the screen are three touch buttons standard for the Android system: "back", "start" and "search".

The corners of the screen next to the notch are still unused by anything other than communication signals, a clock, and a battery indicator.

USB host

The remarkable USB-host option for electronic devices is quite common, however, mainly in the more expensive segment. This feature allows you to connect an external device, such as a Flash card or card reader, to your smartphone. You can even connect a keyboard or mouse for easy control. True, the necessary adapters are not included in the kit, so they will have to be purchased separately.

Since USB OTG is implemented on the BQ-6200L via the Type-C connector, power-consuming devices cannot be connected. However, even in a limited form, the option is useful and will reduce the time during data exchange, eliminating the need for an intermediate link - a computer. It is worth noting that when using USB OTG, the smartphone will be discharged a little faster.

Camera

The manufacturer paid special attention to the quality of photographs. Artificial intelligence with autofocus will help the camera to correctly identify the subjects of the frame for proper selection of settings.In addition, the phone offers a wide range of modes and options to enhance your shots.

The rear camera module consists of two lenses with resolutions of 16 megapixels and 5 megapixels. Thanks to this, the photos are beautiful with different depth of field. The LED flash helps you take clear pictures in low light. True, at night it does not cope, and the photos become somewhat blurry.

Sample photo during the day:

How to photograph at night:

The front camera with a resolution of 16 megapixels allows you to take photos with a bokeh effect. When shooting in portrait mode, you can adjust the blur and see how the frame changes in real time.

Both cameras take rich detailed pictures and can compete with cameras "soap dishes". The smartphone also supports shooting video and creating FaceMoji based on the owner's facial expressions.

Sound and music

A smartphone is well suited for listening to music. The stereo speaker sounds quite loud, and the 3.5 mm jack adapter allows you to connect headphones. True, the sound through the adapter can be distorted and deteriorate. The growing popularity of Bluetooth headsets makes it possible for manufacturers to abandon the standard connector, so you will have to put up with such an inconvenience or choose good wireless headphones.

Equipment

The compact box in black color looks strictly and stylishly. The kit includes:

• Smartphone;
• Protective glass to be pasted by yourself;
• Mains power adapter;
• USB charging cable - Type-C. Cord length is within one meter;
• Clip for the SIM card tray;
• USB Type-C adapter to 3.5 mm headphone jack;
• Documentation.

Price

The retail price is 15,990 rubles.The "stuffing" and design of the smartphone are consistent with this price tag. You can buy the device only in one place, but soon the sales network will expand.

Advantages and disadvantages

• Camera with artificial intelligence;
• Dual rear camera;
• Unlocking the owner on the face 3D Face Unlock;
• 4G LTE support;
• USB host;
• Supports dual band Wi-Fi network.

• No 3.5mm headphone jack;
• No oleophobic coating;
• Weak video chip;
• There is no separate slot for a memory card;
• Not full screen
• No protection against water and dust;
• No NFC.

Outcome

BQ-6200L is the flagship in the middle price segment. A powerful processor, an AI-powered camera, and a crisp display in a stylish glass body are an interesting and worthy choice. If the shortcomings highlighted above do not bother, then the phone can be safely purchased. However, this is far from the best smartphone, you can find more thoughtful devices with balanced hardware and advanced functionality at a similar price.