Hands-on: IPro Sense Avancer. Super slim Octa-Core smart phone with Dual-SIM

Being the slimmest has always been an obsession and the Chinese smart phone brands are currently in the forefront of making super thin devices. Now closer to home, a little known home grown brand called IPRO has an interesting super slim device of its own. Known as the IPRO Sense Avancer, it is packs an Octa-Core processor which supports dual-SIM cards in a super slim 6.8mm profile.

Priced at RM1,099, this is better than your average mid-spec device as it gets a Full HD 5.5″ display encased in a metallic body which looks somewhat similar to Huawei’s Ascend P6/P7 series. Powering the device is MediaTek’s 1.7GHz Octa-Core MT6592 processor with 2GB of RAM which is identical to Xiaomi’s Redmi Note. It also gets 16GB of storage where its available storage is partitioned to 5GB for system and 8.5GB for internal storage. If you need more, there’s an expandable microSD slot which supports up to 32GB.

In the hands, it feels quite weighted due to its better build materials. Build quality isn’t on par with the likes of Huawei but it is still adequately put together. With its flat edges, the Avancer feels like holding a solid rectangular block which is the same feeling when we are holding a Sony Xperia Z2. When placed side by side with the 6.5mm Huawei Ascend P7, the 0.3mm difference is hardly noticeable. Despite having a super slim body, the metal back cover is removable which gives you access to its replaceable 2,500mAh capacity battery and it has 2 sim slots with the first SIM being a mini-size while the secondary is in micro-SIM format.

Unlike most dual-sim devices, the IPro Sense Avancer is capable of using either SIM card slots for 3G connectivity, but only 1 slot at time. This is done through its settings where you can choose the default 3G SIM Card followed by switching the default Data Connection. While doing this, there will be a short offline time of about 10 seconds which is still convenient compared to switching the SIM cards physically at the back. It also gets NFC, support for USB OTG (On the go) and there’s an optional wireless charging solution that consists of a special cover and a wireless dock.

The interface is pretty bare bones in its vanilla Android UI which feels quite smooth. For taking pictures, it gets a 14MP main camera while the front gets a massive 8MP shooter. Out of the box, it initially ran with a listed Android 4.3.9 but later on after a few updates, it shows Android 4.2.2 Jelly Bean. While this isn’t a mainstream brand, it does respectably well on Antutu by achieving over 28,000 points, which is higher than the Redmi Note high-spec model.

Overall, it is quite an interesting device that packs decent specs in a super slim size. If you’re in the market for a capable dual-SIM smart phone with decent performance and a Full HD display, the IPro Sense Avancer is worth taking a look.

IPro Sense Avancer Hands-on Videos

IPro Sense Avancer Hands-on Photos

IPro Sense Avancer side by side comparison with Huawei Ascend P7