Friday 1 October 2021

IMO Q4 Pro 2021 Smartphone review

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Over the past few years smartphones have very much become the norm and are now an integral part of daily, mainstream life.  In fact, as of August 2021 it is estimated that there are 53.58 million users of smartphones in the UK, making smartphones ever-present in the UK. 


As smartphones have become more popular over the years, usage in the UK has increased across all age ranges since 2012. Noticeably there has been a significant rise in the usage of smartphones for the over 55’s and under 16’s.


With smartphones being intertwined with daily life, the desire to make use of the technology they provide and open up your world to the advantages of smartphone use such as better communication and accessibility to applications and information is something that affects people of different backgrounds and walks of life. Whilst smartphones are more available than ever, many smartphone brands come with expensive price tags or costly contracts. This can alienate those with restricted budgets.


Being a family on a tight budget with a pre-teen who is keen to get in on the smartphone action to keep in touch with friends and be contactable as he increases his independence away from family, we need a smartphone without the high-price.


Thankfully there is a mobile phone company who wants to help make smartphones accessible - IMO Mobile.


IMO

Mobile brand IMO are introducing people to the world of affordable technology. IMO - which stands for ‘In My Opinion’ - has a simple yet important mission to help people connect with each other, efficiently and cost effectively, so everyone can get on and do the things they enjoy in life. 


We believe connectivity should enhance people’s lives, not take over or cost the Earth!


IMO Q4 Pro 2021 smartphone

Expanding their collection of affordable, quality smartphones is their latest smartphone the IMO Q4 Pro 2021 smartphone.

Providing high spec at a low price, the smartphone boasts an array of specs and features at an affordable price. 


Key specifications of the IMO Q4 Pro 2021 at a glance

🤑Pay as you go price: £64.99

💙Midnight blue colour

🛒Tesco mobile network

📶4G Network connectivity

📱Android 9.0 Go edition operating system

🔁 5.5” inch HD screen with edge-to-edge display

📷5MP front camera and dual rear camera of 8MP + 0.3MP

🎥 Full 1080HD video recording

💻Quad-core 1.4GHz CPU

🗃️Memory: 1GB RAM + 16GB ROM with MicroSD slot for expandable storage up to 64GB

🤳2500 mAh battery providing up to 12 hours talk time and 600 hours standby

🔐 IMO Face unlock security

✨Additional features: Wi-Fi, MP3, Bluetooth and FM Radio

Stylish smartphone

The IMO Q4 Pro 2021 smartphone is visually appealing thanks to the gorgeous, deep midnight blue colour and sleek design. It’s build quality is impressive especially considering the price tag and it feels durable. The sleek smartphone is designed with a large screen and no raised buttons, speaker and camera on the front, power and volume keys on the side of the phone, headset jack and usb port on the top of the phone, SIM card and Micro SD card slot under the back cover where the battery is located and 2 cameras with flash on the rear of the phone. The smartphone features a plastic body casing that offers durability and designed like phones of yesteryear it has a removable back. I have however noticed that even with light, careful use there is already a scratch on the lovely midnight blue back cover.


It is a good size (148.2mm x 71.1mm), being compact enough to fit in your pocket yet not too small. It feels comfortable to hold and using one hand it is comfortable to type with using your thumb. The smartphone is designed with a curved back which is comfortable to hold. It feels a tad chunkier than my own phone, a Huawei P30 Lite, with the IMO Q4 Pro 2021 being 10.2mm thick compared to my phone which is 7.40mm thick. 

Straightforward set-up

The smartphone came with a USB cable (but no power plug), battery and manual. As mentioned above it is designed with a removable back where the SIM card slot is located and where you place the removable battery. Having had a number of phones in the past with removable backs and batteries I found it quick and easy to take off the back. Helpfully there is a small gap between the screen and the case on the bottom right side corner where you can gently prise the back off. Inserting the Tesco Mobile SIM card and popping in the battery before securing the back on with a secure click was quick and simple. 


Being a lifelong user of Android devices it was very easy to set up the phone, being a simple matter of following the prompts to set up the phone’s settings as required. The phone came with a number of standard apps already installed and getting other apps is simple using the Google Play Store.

System

Running Android 9 Go edition operating system and quad core 1.4GHz processor, the smartphone is suited to keep up with daily demands such as making calls, texting, keeping up to date with social media etc. The 1GB system memory (RAM) could handle basic multitasking such as having a couple of apps running simultaneously or a couple of tabs open on Google; but if you are a serial multitasker or mobile gamer more it might push the RAM on this phone to its limits.


On occasion I have noticed that the processing speed is a little slow causing a small delay. The delay is less than a second, but can be noticeable on occasion such as when typing with speed. It is only a brief delay that is only really apparent if you showcase super speedy smartphone fingers and are used to devices that provide instant response to actions.


Screen and display

The Q4 Pro 2021 offers a 5.5 inch HD IPS screen with 18:9 widescreen ratio. With quality resolution (540 x 1132 dpi) and edge-to-edge display it is ideal for watching shows and tiktok as well as keeping track of your social media.


When using the phone apps look clear, the display is consistent when scrolling, and the edge-to-edge display is great for watching videos. 


When compared to another device side by side, in this case a Huawei P30 Lite new edition which is nearly five times more expensive than the IMO Q4 Pro 2021, there is a notable difference in screen quality. As you can see looking at a clip of a video of my son playing a favourite game, the colours displayed on the IMO smartphone are bright but lack depth and even though they are clear there is a lack of crispness and finer details. But watching on the IMO Q4 Pro 2021 without  comparing it to another device offers an enjoyable viewing experience and is impressive when you consider it is a fraction of the price compared to other smartphones on the market. 

Storage

The smartphone comes with 16GB internal storage which is ample space for a few choice apps and storing favourite photos. If you are a fan of snapping photos, love to record videos or want to get all the popular apps and need to boost storage, the IMO Q4 Pro 2021 has a micro SD card slot that can accommodate additional storage up to 64GB. As microSD are great value for money and easily accessible, any lack of storage can be easily improved.


Battery life

The battery life is great and meets the power needs of daily usage with ease. As mentioned the smartphone has a removable battery compared to newer, modern smartphones that feature non-removable batteries. I think this is a big positive and useful feature that is helpful for extending the life of the phone when the battery stops holding charge which saves money on having to buy a new phone and helps the environment as it reduces the number of phones being thrown away.


Camera

The smartphone features a 5MP front camera for selfies and dual rear camera offering 8MP and 0.3MP. The IMO Q4 Pro 2021 camera is easy to operate and captures clear photos ideal for remembering fun times and uploading to social media. As well as basic camera function with or without flash, it offers extras such as HDR and beauty filter plus burst mode, night shot and panorama.

Whilst the IMO Q4 Pro 2021 smartphone’s camera stats are less megapixels than higher end smartphones on the market, the camera produces decent photos. Being of the age that my first phone did not have a camera and then my first one with camera as a teen was the LG Chocolate which had a camera with 1.3MP, I personally think the camera on this smartphone is a good basic camera for pre-teens/teens as a first phone and they would be lucky to have a phone with more megapixels than we had back in the day……kids these days don’t know they are born.


Whilst photographs are not as bright, defined and crisp as cameras boasting more megapixels, the camera produces lovely photographs especially outside. Depending on the level of light and camera setting used, at times colours tend to be subtle and soft, with a lack of finer details being captured in the photos but nonetheless they still look visually appealing…..and if all fails and the colour is not quite to your satisfaction there is always the option to filter the photos.

The smartphone’s camera is good at action shots managing to get a clear photo with no blur. Video also works well with action and the quality is good but it all depends on setting and level of light.

Even indoors with no natural light and very low, poor artificial light without using flash the camera captures decent photos. For teens who want to take lots of selfies or love to showcase their moves on TikTok, the quality of the camera and video could be improved by investing in a ring light.

As a smartphone user who has had phones with a lot less megapixels and believes it does not harm for a teens first phone not to have all the bells, whistles and megapixels, the only criticism I have about the camera is that on occasion there is a slight delay from pressing the button to take the photo and the camera capturing the shot.


Sound

The sound quality of phone calls, music, videos and apps is a good volume and sound. When creating videos, the sound quality is good and the expected volume. The headphone jack is useful for listening to music with headphones that are not bluetooth.

Additional features

The phone has a number of standard features such as 4G connectivity and bluetooth plus FM radio (requires headphones) to allow users to listen to music without using data or needing music downloaded. A really useful feature is IMO Face Unlock that uses facial recognition to unlock your phone instantly, providing an extra layer of security.

Summary 

The IMO Q4 Pro 2021 smartphone does what you expect from a smartphone to a good standard and quality. Whilst there are performance sacrifices such as speed and lower quality camera with this budget smartphone compared to high-end, flagship brands and models, it works well and is ideal for messaging, calls and accessing popular apps to watch YouTube and keep in the loop with social media. 


Whilst there are phones on the market which boast faster performance and superior cameras they cost significantly more money. I think the speed issue would not be all that noticeable if it was your primary device and in good light the camera can capture some lovely photographs. Being a fan of budget devices and always choosing to pick a phone that suits my budget even if it has lower specs than more expensive phones, I think this phone is an absolute bargain. I love that IMO Mobile are making phones that are accessible and affordable so that quality technology is available for those who can’t afford expensive mobile phone brands. It is a fantastic, reliable budget friendly entry level phone ideal for the younger generation, grandparents and those who are on a tight budget. 

Perfect phone for pre-teens

With the pre-teen spreading his wings, being more independent away from family with his friends and being a social butterfly wanting to keep in touch with mates, the time has come to get him his first mobile phone. 


As I was dreading this time where yet another teen essential was needed, one that often comes with an expensive price-tag, I was over the moon to learn about IMO Mobile who champion making technology such as smartphones affordable and accessible. The impressive and very affordable IMO Q4 Pro 2021 has answered my prayers. It is perfect for the younger generation getting their first smartphone, the smartphone offers high spec at a low price. 


Plus as this model is available from Tesco Mobile on Pay As You Go you can keep track of usage costs and not have unexpected large phone bills.


Pre-teen is happy to be the proud owner of a sleek and stylish smartphone that is packed full of features that keep him connected to friends and allows him to have the world at his fingertips and us parents are delighted that his first foray with mobile phones does not cost the earth.

5 comments:

  1. This sounds like quite a good phone - we are actually thinking about getting Jack a phone and this sounds perfect for him.

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  2. My son has just started secondary school, this sounds like it would make a great first phone for him.

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  3. This looks a bargain of a phone and seems to have all the added gadgets that anyone would need

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  4. This sounds like a good budget phone, these days they often cost so much so the price really surprised me for all it has to offer!

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  5. Sounds like a great first phone for a young person who wants to have the latest tech.

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