A review of the Elephone S7

If you’ve been waiting for a Note 7 replacement that won’t catch fire, Elephone S7 has you covered.

Everything from the impressive design to the powerful hardware has been covered, and in some cases, it performs even better. Let’s take a look under the hood and see what makes it tick.

First Look of the S7

When we first pulled the Elephone S7 out of the box, we couldn’t help but notice the similarities between it and the Samsung S7. The main difference is that it comes in two different versions.

You’ve got a 5” version – the same as the S7, and a 5.5” version which puts it firmly in the phablet category. Generally, phones are condemned for appearing as little more than a copy of another brand. But given the problems that Samsung has had with its latest platform, we’re excited to see how they have improved the design.

Durability

If you were to pick up a Samsung phone today, what would be your biggest concern? Obviously, consumers are concerned about the fires that have been caused by them. Fortunately, Elephone found a creative approach to this problem.

The S7 is a fraction of an inch thicker than Samsung’s alternatives, allowing them to use proper hardware design that doesn’t risk producing the same level of heat as the Samsung.

Another added benefit is the fireproof shroud surrounding the interior. Is it necessary when no other phones beyond Samsung’s custom hardware have had fire problems? Probably not. But it certainly offers peace of mind for those who purchase it.

Now, most consumers are probably more concerned with issues that arise from dropping or scratching the face. The Elephone S7 is wrapped with a metal band that keeps things safe, even when accidents occur.

The curved glass face, as we’ve seen many times before, is going to be much more damage proof than the straight glass face. However, if you want to be extra cautious we’d still recommend picking up the inexpensive TPU cash that’s available.

Performance

When you’ve got an affordable phone that looks like a flagship, you want to make sure it performs like a flagship as well. The Phablet version of this phone uses the latest Helio X20 10-core CPU, putting it among the highest performers on the market.

Each core runs at a blazing 2 GHz, ensuring that even the most demanding apps run at top speed.

For RAM and memory, you’ve got two possible configurations. You can go for the more inexpensive 3GB RAM with 32GB of storage, or you can opt for 4GB of ram with 64GB of storage. Both are very impressive performers.

Even the 3GB version ran everything we could throw at it. How do you decide between the two? In our opinion, the 4GB version is for consumers who want their phone to last for several years.

There aren’t a lot of apps on the market that can take advantage of this much hardware, but a year down the road you’ll be happy you chose it.

Some consumers might not care about the internal memory but will care about the storage. In that case, there is no need to worry. The phone has a second SIM card slot, something that’s not particularly useful in North America.

However, the second SIM card slot can be used for an SD card up to 128GB. This should hold all the media you would want.

Design

One of our favorite things about this phone is the attractive design. The only word to describe it is sleek.

It’s smooth, gently curved, and simply one of the most attractive phones on the market. The phone demands respect from the moment you pick it up.

You could hand it to anyone, and they’d feel like they were holding a phone that cost many times its price. Both the front and the back are curved at a consistent angle, making the phone feel surprisingly thin and agile.

It’s almost a shame to put this phone in a case since it looks so attractive on its own.

Display

The Elephone S7 has a curved 5.5” display that runs at 1080p. It’s using IPS technology, giving you accurate and yet vibrant color reproduction.

Everything you view is simply crystal clear. If you’re a fan of the edge style displays, the gentle curves on this screen will certainly stand out to you. This gives the phone a bezel-less look, with your images expanding to the very edge of the body.

While this technology is common is premium phones, it’s great to see it used in such an affordable model.

Camera

If you’re a photo junkie, you’ll love the cameras built into the Elephone S7. Even the front camera, typically the worst performer, outpaces most competing phones on the market. It runs at 8MP, capable of taking print-ready shots with the touch of a button.

But the really impressive part of this phone comes from the rear camera. At 13MP, it’s among the best in the market. Images are crisp, clear and free from any noise.

Low light performance is still better than average, holding its own against many consumer point & shoot models on the market.

Who Should Buy the Elephone S7?

The Elephone S7 is the perfect phone for power users who want the best, but don’t want to pay for it. At this price point, we’re confident that you won’t find anything better.

For most people, the selling feature will be the incredible unibody design. We can honestly say that we haven’t reviewed a more attractive phone. It’s sleek, modern, and simply appealing. But the design isn’t all it has going for it.

As long as you spring for the 4GB model, you’ll be able to enjoy hardware so powerful that it will keep up with the latest games and apps for many years to come.

While this isn’t the cheapest phone we’ve reviewed, it’s still available at a fraction of the price of other flagships. In our opinion, you can’t go wrong with the Elephone S7. It’s available today for a limited time, so make sure you jump in while the stock is available.