Balmuda, renowned for its high-end kitchen appliances, ventures into smartphones with the Balmuda Phone. Launched in Japan on 26th November 2021, this move marks a departure from their traditional offerings. However, the reception has been less than enthusiastic, with rumors swirling about its discontinuation shortly after release. Balmuda Phone is currently available in Bangladesh at a much lower price. If you are looking for a small smartphone, take a look at this review.
Key Specs and Features of Balmuda Phone
Design
The Balmuda Phone stands out with its unique design, drawing inspiration from past experimental devices like the Palm Pre and Microsoft Kin One.
It measures 13.7 mm in thickness, indicating its depth. With a width of 69 mm, it spans horizontally, and its height stands at 123 mm, representing its vertical dimension. Weighing only 138g and with a smaller footprint, it feels comfortable in the hand. Made of plastic, it provides a textured surface for better grip. However, some users may find it feels somewhat cheap compared to other materials.
Balmuda Phone features sloping curves instead of hard lines, giving it a distinct look. The rear of the phone houses a circular power button/fingerprint sensor on the left, a camera lens on the right, and a speaker grill and flash in between. A small LED indicator light adds a delightful touch, although it cannot be customized.
It has an official IPX4 rating, making it resistant to water splashes and sweat, but it`s not waterproof and cannot be submerged.
Display
The Balmuda Phone stands out in the crowded smartphone market with its compact and elegant design, addressing CEO Gen Terao`s concern about the trend towards larger, unwieldy devices. Sporting a sharp 4.9-inch 16:9 1080p display, it offers a compact form factor akin to the iPhone SE but with slightly larger screen real estate and narrower bezels, resulting in a shorter overall device.
The Full HD display, while crisp at 449 PPI, is an LCD panel, so users shouldn`t expect deep blacks or vibrant colors. Notably, the phone comes in two color options: black and white, with the black model having less noticeable bezels compared to the white model. Despite some bezel presence, the screen remains quite usable, featuring a punch-hole cutout for the front-facing camera.
Camera
The Balmuda Phone features a single 48-megapixel rear camera positioned in the top right corner, accompanied by a fingerprint sensor on the top left. For selfies, it offers an 8-megapixel camera housed in a hole-punch cutout at the top right of the screen. However, despite the high megapixel count, the camera`s performance is underwhelming, especially in well-lit environments where it struggles to deliver satisfactory results without HDR mode enabled. In dim lighting conditions, its performance further diminishes.
The camera lacks advanced customization settings, offering only preset modes like movie, photo, dish, portrait, and night sight. This limitation may disappoint users who prefer more control over their photography. While the Balmuda Phone provides basic camera functionality, it may not meet the expectations of users seeking excellent photo and video quality.
Performance and Hardware
The Balmuda Phone`s Qualcomm Snapdragon 765 processor delivers satisfactory performance but is not premium. While this chipset with its 2.3GHz single-core Kryo 475 Prime, 2.2GHz single-core Kryo 475 Gold, and 1.8GHz hexa-core Kryo 475 Silver CPU can handle everyday tasks adequately.
It occasionally experiences minor slowdowns when scrolling through web pages, watching videos, or gaming. Its Adreno 620 GPU offers acceptable graphics performance but may struggle with demanding games or applications.
With 6GB RAM coupled with 128GB storage, multitasking is manageable but not too smooth. Benchmark scores like the 3DMark WildLife score of 1517 and PCMark for Android Work 3.0 score of 8247 reflect its mid-range performance.
Software
The Balmuda Phone operates on Android 11, with regular updates, including security patches. Preloaded with carrier-specific apps, they don`t intrude on the user experience. Balmuda`s software enhancements add thoughtful touches to the Android interface.
Notably, the "Stripe" feature on the home screen provides customizable shortcuts accessed by swiping stripes set in the background. Users can tailor these stripes to their preferred grip or disable them altogether.
Balmuda`s suite of tools and widgets, including schedule, clock, notes, and calculator, are visually appealing and intuitive. For instance, the Scheduler app offers pinch-to-zoom functionality for easy navigation through daily, weekly, or monthly schedules, with integrated weather forecasts. The apps also facilitate user-friendly interfaces, complemented by charming sound notifications.
Battery and Charging
The Balmuda Phone offers a 2,500mAh battery that can last almost a day for average users, supporting activities like usual calling, web browsing, etc. However, power users engaging in navigation, photography, video watching, and frequent calls may find the battery dwindling faster.
Charging options include USB-C and wireless charging. With its low battery capacity, the phone caters well to regular usage but might require mindful power management for heavier tasks.
Pros and Cons of Balmuda Phone
Pros
- Unique, compact design inspired by experimental devices.
- Comfortable grip with sloping curves and textured plastic.
- IPX4 water resistance for protection against splashes.
- Sharp 4.9-inch Full HD display with punch-hole camera.
- Intuitive software features like customizable shortcuts.
Cons
- The plastic build feels somewhat cheap.
- Disappointing camera performance in various lighting.
- Limited camera settings and customization.
- Decent, but not high-end performance.
- Moderate batteries may not last all day for heavy users.
Price of Balmuda Phone in Bangladesh
The Balmuda is not officially available in Bangladesh. Officially the phone is available right now at JPY 78000 or BDT 56,986. The currency conversion rate here is JPY 1 = BDT 0.73. However, users can buy the phone unofficially in Bangladesh at around BDT 13,000.
Conclusion
The Balmuda Phone was an innovative creation for a notable kitchen appliance company. It offers a unique design but falls short in camera performance, battery, and overall hardware capabilities. While its compact design and intuitive software are commendable, its plastic build detracts from its appeal. Overall, those who are looking for a small smartphone for regular usage can consider it.
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