I went off-grid with this $200 Android phone, and the night vision superpowers came in clutch

1 day ago 3

ZDNET's key takeaways

This ruggedized smartphone has a huge battery, a massive 800-lumen flashlight, and a night vision camera.
The massive battery does make the handset weigh a hefty 2 pounds.
The display can be a bit washed out in bright sunlight.

Get more in-depth ZDNET tech coverage: Add us as a preferred Google source on Chrome and Chromium browsers.

I remember when smartphones started using the built-in flash as a flashlight -- it was quite revolutionary. While the flash is good enough for many situations, there are times when its power output capacity is somewhat limited, and something bigger would be welcomed.

Also: The best rugged phones you can buy

Enter the Blackview BV7300 -- a ruggedized smartphone with the biggest flashlight I've seen on a phone.

Let's talk hardware

The BV7300 features a 6.67-inch HD+ IPS display running at 720 by 1,604 resolution and a variable refresh rate that shifts between 60Hz and 90Hz depending on the content on the screen. To add extra ruggedness, the display is armored with a layer of Corning Gorilla Glass 5 for impact and scratch resistance.

It's a passable screen, with just enough color and contrast to vividly depict apps and text, but it looks a little washed out under direct sunlight. A boost in brightness (nits) would help the phone a lot.

Powering the smartphone is a 2GHz octa-core MediaTek Helio G81 chip backed by 6GB of RAM (with the ability to add a further 12GB using memory expansion, which I recommend doing), 256GB storage, and the ability to bump that up even further with a 2TB microSD card.

The BV7300 is big, thick, and weighs over two pounds!

Inside, there's a 15,000mAh battery (for comparison, the iPhone 16 Pro Max has a 4,685mAh battery) that can power the unit for 57 days on standby, up to 56 hours of call time, 28 hours of web browsing, and about 16 hours of video playback. Given the size of the battery, the smartphone supports fast charging up to 45W with the appropriate charger, making charging less of a headache.

Audio output is handled by a pair of 1712 box speakers that are nice and loud and have quite a decent range for a smartphone in this price range.

Also, I've never seen an Android phone that does everything that this one can (including night vision)

That's a very powerful battery, but it does add to the size and weight of the BV7300 -- it measures 8.15 x 8.11 x 1.46 inches and weighs a shade over two pounds!

And how can I forget that giant twin COB (Chip-on-Board) flashlight on the back with a combined 800 LED modules? One panel is a warm light, the other cold, and they can be turned on independently or together to offer a maximum of 800 lumens for up to 5.8 hours on a full charge.

The contents are housed in a rugged, water- and dust-resistant polymer-armored package rated IP68/IP69K and MIL-STD-810H. This is a tough unit that can handle most drops, tumbles, and unexpected encounters.

The BV7300 boasts an impressive array of cameras, including a 50-megapixel Samsung ISOCELL JN1 Quad Bayer main camera, a 20MP SONY IMX376 night vision, and a 32-megapixel front-facing camera. The night vision camera uses built-in infrared illuminators to flood the area with light that's invisible to the eye but picked up by the camera.

Also: This $400 Motorola has no business being this good (and it comes with a stylus)

From the shots I gathered, don't expect this phone to blow your mind. Notably, the two sensors exhibit a noticeable lack of detail and color inaccuracy, but not to the degree that portrays your subject in a totally different manner.

Night vision of the BV730 in action ... back to the creepy Santa!

The SIM card tray supports dual SIM cards or a combination of a SIM card and a microSD/TF card for expanded storage. In terms of security, the device features both a fingerprint sensor and facial recognition, minimizing the time spent entering your passcode.

ZDNET's buying advice

All in all, the Blackview BV7300 is an impressive package, all the more so when you check out the price and find that you can pick one up for $230. The size, weight, and crazy flashlight mean it's not for everyone, but for campers, explorers, and people who work outside, like mechanics and engineers, that light is a pretty neat feature.

Looking for the next best product? Get expert reviews and editor favorites with ZDNET Recommends.

Read Entire Article