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Prestigio MultiPhone 5500 DUO

Prestigio MultiPhone 5500 DUO Review – The 5500 is the largest phone in our test with its five-inch screen, and it feels even larger. With sizeable bezels all around the screen and a hefty weight it is not a compact phone. Yet it feels good in the hand thanks to a curved soft-touch back, and is well built too. A mildly creaking backplate apart, it’s a pretty solid phone.The backplate can be replaced incidentally, with four brightly coloured alternatives included in the box. It’s a nice touch.

Prestigio MultiPhone 5500 DUO, What else can it offer at its low-price point?

Booting up the phone reveals a shock in the form of a startup sound that blares out of the very loud speaker on the back. The bootscreen also displays ads for apps that are either pre-installed or optional installs on the device, such as a satnav trial. The screen has the lowest pixel density in our test, and though it is obviously inferior to that on the Moto G, we didn’t mind it so much in comparison to the others. It is set to maximum brightness by default and you’ll need to leave it there as that is only just about bright enough.

The vertical viewing angles are not so great, and the glass also has a grippy texture, but on the whole it was as we expected. The phone has dual-SIM slots located beneath the battery alongside a micro SD slot. That is needed as the phone has less than 2.5GB of available storage. There’s a number of extra apps pre-installed, and a bunch more that are optional, but otherwise the phone is largely stock Android 4.2. We had a firmware update to install when we first turned the phone on, but we wouldn’t expect OS updates at all.

The phone is no speed demon. Scrolling was mostly smooth, jittering only when something was happening in the background, and the 512MB of RAM does not help for multitasking. Prestigio’s keyboard is good. It has a dedicated number row and the size of the phone makes two-thumbed typing quite easy. The camera, on the other hand, was very responsive but produced pretty ordinary shots.

Screen

The pixel density of the MultiPhone’s screen is below 200ppi, which is an uncommon sight these days. As a result it is possible to see the jagged edges on text, which means it isn’t entirely comfortable to use for reading.

Performance

The processor is similar to that on the Kazam Trooper, and its results in benchmark tests were slightly worse. However, to the eye, it was better, with smoother and less laggy scrolling in general use.

Features

The phone can take two SIMs, both full sized, has a selection of alternative backplates and an impressively loud speaker. It is very lacking in both RAM and storage, though, so is very much an entry-level handset.

Value

The 5500 seems to be priced about right. The specs are unimpressive, but the build quality is above average for a budget phone. Performance is generally acceptable, so long as your needs are not too demanding.