French-based Wiko launches 3 budget-friendly smartphones in Malaysia

UPDATE: The Highway Pure Swarovski does not support microSD cards and it has been updated to Android 5.0.2 out of the box.

Another smartphone manufacturer has entered our waters and they’re already claiming to be this and that. This isn’t just all talk as one of the three smartphones that they outed comes with some glowing credentials – literally.

So first, let’s formally introduce the brand first. Wiko Mobile is a Marseille (France) based smartphone maker that does most of their manufacturing out of China – as does everyone – but what makes them different is that there are reports that Shenzhen-based Tinno Mobile Technology has a (big) stake in Wiko.

Perception is key and since they’re selling in Europe, showing face has been working well. Most recently, the company claims to be France’s second largest smartphone seller; up one spot from 2013 when they had an 18% French market share.

But with appearances, accompanying specs have to be reasonable too. Make no mistake, these smartphones don’t carry amazing flagship specs but they do have a few tricks up their sleeves.

Highway Pure Swarovski

The first model is the most beautiful out of the bunch. As expected, you can find 16 Swarovski Zirconia stones on the device, making its volume rockers and power button extra shiny and textured.

Screen-wise there’s a 4.8-inch HD (1280 x 720) AMOLED display while its processor is a Quad-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 410 processor clocked to 1.2GHz. As well as 2GB of RAM and 32GB of internal storage that is expandable up to 64GB through microSD.

It’s camera sensors boast an 8-megapixel rear lens and 5-megapixel front lens. Out of the box, it runs Android Lollipop 5.0.2 Android 4.4.4 KitKat which we’re hopeful will run Lollipop in the near future. Its battery is rated at 2000 mAh.

Wiko’s single-nano SIM Highway Pure is claimed to be the “slimmest” 4G smartphone as it measures just 5.1mm thick and weighs just 98 grams; we’re not sure what the Vivo X5 Max (4.75mm thin) and OPPO R5 (4.85mm thin) have to say about that.

Fever

Next we have their glowing number that goes simply as “Fever”. This device comes with a larger 5.2-inch Full HD (1920 x 1080) IPS display protected by Corning Gorilla Glass 3. The screen tapers off at the edges thanks to the 2.5D glass and the sides are made with a metal frame.

Fever has an Octa-core MediaTek MT6753 processor at its heart and features 3GB of RAM and 32GB of internal storage. If you want to up the storage, there’s a microSD slot handy that can handle up to 64GBs of additional memory.

Its rear camera specs are a little better with a 13-megapixel shooter at the helm while the front gets the same 5-megapixel sensor with selfie flash. As talked about earlier, when in dimly lit situations this smartphone will glow thanks to its phosphorescent lines making it easy to locate in the dark and really cool too.

The battery that powers this dual-SIM 4G LTE smartphone is a 2900 mAh capacity lithium cell and it runs Android Lollipop 5.0.2 out of the box.

Lenny 2

The smallest and most affordable of the bunch is the LENNY2 and for the price of RM299, the specs easy out seat any feature phone. It’ll arrive with a 5-inch FWVGA (854 x 480) screen  and a Quad-core MediaTek 6580 processor clocked to 1.3GHz.

Together with the screen and chipset specifications, it’ll be coupled with 1GB of RAM and 8GB of expandable internal storage with a microSD slot (up to 64GB).

In terms of the camera sensors, you’ll find a 5-megapixel rear shutter with a 2-megapixel sensor up front. Surprisingly, given the price point, the device will be Dual-SIM (non-4G LTE) compatible and run 5.1 Android Lollipop.

Wiko’s Fever goes for RM799 while the Highway Pure will cost you a little more at RM999. All three devices will arrive with a free screen protector and back casing.