I have tested many Android smartphones lately. But there is one feature that I think these devices are sorely lacking: UWB support.
UWB, or ultra-wideband, is a low-power, short-range radio technology that has been around for a few decades (it was called “pulse radio” for a while). UWB uses ultrafast signal pulses – up to a billion per second – sent over a wide swath of the radio spectrum (from 500 MHz to several gigahertz).
The main takeaways from the Blackview BV8900 Pro smartphone
- The Blackview BV8900 Pro, the world’s first rugged smartphone with UWB technology, is available for €255.
- Robust, powerful, with great autonomy and will stand the test of time.
- its network is limited to 4G, and it’s annoying.
This capability allows UWB to be used not only for applications such as tracking other UWB devices, but the technology is also resistant to interference issues that affect Wi-Fi and Bluetooth.
Probably the most well-known application of UWB is Apple’s AirTag, but it’s aimed at iPhone users. UWB support in the Android world is still weak, but it’s slowly improving. Here I am interested in the first rugged and Android smartphone in the world to integrate UWB.
The technical characteristics of the Blackview BV8900 Pro smartphone
- BONE : Doke OS 3.1, based on Android 13
- Screen : 6.5 inches, 1080×2408 FHD+, 405 pixels per inch, blue light certified, Corning Gorilla Glass 7
- RAM : 8 GB (+ 8 GB virtual RAM)
- ROMs: 256 GB
- Processor : MediaTek Helios P90, octa-core, 2.2 GHz
- Rear camera: 64 megapixels, 8 megapixels and 2 megapixels
- Front camera : 16 megapixels
- Battery : 10000mAh, with 33W fast charging
- SIM: Dual SIM card supported
- Biometrics: by fingerprint and facial recognition
- Resistance : waterproof and dustproof IP68, IP69K and MIL-STD-810H
- Colors: black, orange and green
On the surface, the BV8900 Pro resembles many other Blackview smartphones I’ve tested.
It’s a bulky smartphone wrapped in black rubber and has a tempered glass display. The rubber and the 10,000mAh battery add thickness to the device, but the trade-off is that the battery offers a battery life of around 13 hours for watching videos and more than a month on standby!
BV8900 Pro camera chart. Adrian Kingsley-Hughes/ZDNET
The device is designed for drops and abuse, immersion in water, dirt, dust, mud. And high or low temperatures don’t scare him. The device even has a tether loop to avoid losing it in the jungle or on the side of a storm-battered boat.
A reverse charging function
This smartphone has the capacity to survive many tests.
Even cold temperatures have no effect on the Blackview BV8900 Pro. Adrian Kingsley-Hughes/ZDNET
The smartphone also has a reverse charging function, which allows it to be used as a stand-alone battery and therefore recharge other devices.
The Helios P90 chip keeps this smartphone running smoothly, and it’s powerful enough to keep everything running smoothly without draining battery life. I haven’t had any slowdown issues while using it. The device has 8 GB of RAM and 8 GB of virtual memory.
Comes with a UWB location tag that you can attach to your keys
Rugged smartphones can, because they are wrapped in rubber, cause the processor to overheat and run slowly. But, here, the cooling system (made up of silicon and graphite heat sinks, and a network of copper cooling pipes) keeps the chip cool, even under heavy load.
On top of all that, the Blackview BV8900 Pro therefore integrates UWB, which, given the current state of UWB support on Android, doesn’t mean much… yet. Because I expect this situation to change in the coming months, when Google rolls out the competitor to Apple’s Find My network and UWB location tags for Android, which are similar to AirTags, proliferate.
Meanwhile, the BV8900 Pro comes with a UWB tracking tag that you can attach to your keys, your dog, or anything else you want to keep an eye on.
Blackview UWB tracking beacon. Adrian Kingsley-Hughes/ZDNET
ZDNET’s purchasing advice for the Blackview BV8900 Pro smartphone
The Blackview BV8900 Pro is currently available at a price of €255: it is a robust and affordable smartphone with a large capacity battery, and it is also a device whose use in the near future should make it even more interesting thanks to the integration of this UWB technology.
This is an excellent product, built to last.
To go further on UWB
Source: “ZDNet.com”