Today it is already difficult to surprise with the characteristics, each chip and screen diagonal are available from several manufacturers at once, if we add here a single Android platform, then we get similar solutions that differ little from each other in design. How to attract the attention of the buyer? Against the background of this monotony, killer features are well remembered. This is the approach used in the design of the new flagship Highscreen Ice 2.
Here, the second screen is called such a token. The YotaPhone made the biggest buzz in this regard, although to be honest, e-Lnk cases for popular models were available even before its release. Going back a little more, you might recall that a simple one-color display was installed on the outside of the clamshell phones. In fact, all these options are designed to increase information content and reduce access to the main display. But is it really so critical? In the case of YotaPhone, this is noticeably expensive, new flagship Highscreen ICE 2 fits well into the budget of similar models from competitors without a display.
Video review Highscreen ICE 2
Highscreen ICE 2 availability
At the time of testing, the average cost of Highscreen ICE 2, according to the Yandex.Market service, is 16,990 rubles.
Equipment
The smartphone comes in a compact package with an ice stylized look. There are several color options, they vary depending on the color of the device case. On the back of the box you will find detailed information on technical specifications and 128 GB of free cloud storage.
The package includes a high-quality red drip-type headset, Charger, micro USB cable, key clip, instructions and warranty card.
Of interest is the complete cable, its connector has a backlight zone. If not connected, it glows blue, when charging - red, after fully charged - blue. It is very convenient to look for the connector on the smartphone body at night, as well as remotely monitor the completion of charging.
Appearance
Highscreen ICE 2 received an attractive body and design that is noticeably different from its predecessors. Its dimensions are 67.6x136x8.7 mm and weighs 135 grams.
Several color options are available: white, chameleon and gray. We have the last one on tests. A special feature of the case was the coating protective glass not only the screen, but also the back cover. And in both cases it is Gorilla Glass 3, which is scratch resistant. It looks elegant.
A protruding plastic frame goes along the edges, here it is painted in dark gray. There is a small ledge at the top and bottom of it.
There are two mechanical buttons: the power button in the top center, the volume rocker on the right. Not very convenient location to access top button, you need to change the grip. Three more buttons are touch-sensitive, they are located under the screen. They have unusual markings, Home button round here. It changes its backlight depending on incoming events. They can be customized.
The body is non-separable. Access to the SIM compartments is by means of a slide-out slide; here you need a needle or a complete key clip. Another compartment on the right is the micro USB connector. At the top of the Highscreen ICE 2 there is an audio jack, at the bottom there is a micro USB.
The rear panel houses the main camera and LED flash unit. In the center, a little lower, there is a second display measuring 23 by 5 mm. It is used here to display notifications for the current time, weather, missed calls and messages.
A large Highscreen logo is placed along the central part. The speaker is displayed at the bottom. The location is not very good, it overlaps when placed in the hand.
The Highscreen ICE 2 phone fits well in the hand. The body is assembled perfectly, there are no complaints about the quality of the materials.
Screen
Highscreen Ice 2 has a 4.7-inch HD screen. The pixel density is 312 PPI. There is no air layer between the protective glass and the display. Excellent viewing angles and high maximum brightness. The screen quality is high. Color balance shifted towards warm tones.
The second screen is configured from the control menu. Here you can set the screen to turn on automatically depending on the intervals, turn on the list of applications for displaying notifications, and set the city for displaying the current weather.
Information is displayed as a creeping line.
Filling
The heart of Highscreen Ice 2 is the eight-core Mediatek MTK6592 processor with a frequency of 1700 MHz. The Mali-450MP4 core is responsible for the graphics. The filling copes with basic tasks, as well as complex games. On the smartphone screen, you can comfortably play not only casual games, but also GTA SA, Real Racing 3, Asphalt 8 and World of Tanks Blitz.
Onboard 2 GB random access memory and 16 GB for data storage. The memory can be expanded using a micro SD card.
Antutu
Vellamo
Antutu
Battery
Per autonomous work responds with a battery with a capacity of 2500 mAh. This is enough for a whole day of work without recharging. At maximum load, the charge goes away in 4 hours. It lasts about 6.5 hours to watch the video.
Camera
The main module for Highscreen Ice 2 is 13 megapixels. The standard MediaTek interface is used. The application starts up quickly. Shooting modes are available, including panorama and double-shot.
Selfie face camera.
It is possible to activate the shutter when detecting a smile. Autofocus is fast.
Software
Operating room installed google system Android 4.4.2 with minimal developer intervention. Here, only standard Google software and store support Google applications Play.
Everything works quickly, without lags and freezes.
Results for Highscreen Ice 2
Highscreen Ice 2 made a good impression. For an adequate budget, the manufacturer offers a stylish design, high-quality IPS, an 8-core processor, 2 GB of RAM, a 13 megapixel camera. The second screen in the current version can hardly be called something unique and original, there are questions about its usability, the main one concerns the activation of the creeping line. As for the rest, it is difficult to single out the obvious disadvantages here. Highscreen Ice 2 wins the well-deserved Gold Award.
V recent times domestic manufacturers are trying more and more to please us with their new products, which are getting better and more unique from time to time. The company "Vobis-Computer", which owns the Highscreen brand, decided to compete with YotaPhone and released at the end of last year a flagship smartphone with two screens - Ice 2. But let's talk about everything in more detail.
Equipment
The smartphone comes in a small stylish package. Ice 2 box differs from the entire series of packaging devices Highscreen... Usually devices of this brand were placed in a gray-brown kraft cardboard box, but here everything matches the color of the device. The most interesting option, in my opinion, is Galaxy Blue... That's exactly what he got for today's testing.
- Smartphone;
- Charger;
- Micro-USB cable;
- Key (injector) to access the SIM card;
- Stereo headset.
- Instruction and warranty
It seems that there is nothing unusual in the list itself, but the quality of the accessories is high level I would say. I was pleased with the wired headset with a flat tangle-free cable. It is inexpensive and the sound is not the best, of course, but very much even nothing for the average user.
Appearance of the device and ergonomics
The most interesting thing about this smartphone is its appearance... At first glance, there is nothing unusual. The front side reminded me of the 4th generation iPhone, only with a touch key instead of the traditional "apple" button. And there are three buttons under the display, and they are all touch-sensitive. The screen has a diagonal of 4.7 inches. Above it is a speaker slot and a peephole. front camera... The back panel is glass (both the front and the back of this smartphone are equipped with Gorilla Glass 3).
In the upper left corner there is a camera and flash, but under them the most interesting thing is a small OLED display. It is monochrome and has just one line. The main purpose of this screen is to display current notifications, caller name, weather, as well as battery power and time.
The solution is quite interesting. I immediately remembered the good old clamshells with an external screen. True, the question immediately arises, does a smartphone need a screen on the back? If you think about it, then, of course, you can do without him, but his presence certainly does not interfere. In fact, it turned out to be such an interesting trick for the sake of a trick :)
Personally, most of the time I put my smartphone screen down and the presence of such a screen for me, if not huge, but a plus.
On the right side there is a volume rocker, above it there is a slot for a microSD memory card.
The power button is located at the top, where you can also connect headphones to a 3.5 mm audio jack.
The left side has two slots for SIM cards. Both slots can be opened using the supplied key.
Below is a microUSB connector and a microphone.
At first glance, the location of the power button (top middle) may not seem the most convenient, but it's just a matter of habit. The volume rocker is in its place, but I managed to get used to the rest after the first hour of the test.
All buttons have a minimum stroke, clear pressing. No unnecessary backlashes and grunts if you shake the device.
The dimensions of the smartphone are 138 x 67.6 x 8.7 mm, and the weight is 135 g.
Screen
The main screen is an IPS-matrix with a diagonal of 4.7 "inches and a resolution of 1280x720 pixels, without an air gap (OGS). Quite a good indicator for this price category... Very high brightness and color rendering. Viewing angles raises no objections, the picture is clear. There is a light sensor, so there will be no discomfort in any light.
There is a useful feature - waking up the phone with a double tap on the screen. I think it's very convenient: you don't need to reach for the power button.
The second screen measures 23x6 mm. To configure its work there is a separate item "Oled" in the menu. You can configure which notifications will appear on the screen, and how often it will be triggered: after 10 minutes, after 30, 60 or 120.
If you did not have time to see the notifications at a preselected interval, then you need to unlock your smartphone by pressing the phone's power button. If suddenly you do not need it, then you can turn off auto power on or turn off the additional display altogether. You can't make the screen work all the time.
Smartphone Highscreen Ice 2 Galaxy Blue running operating system Android 4.4.2, on which no add-ons were made, except for the second screen settings section. The home touch key below the screen can be customized. There are 7 blinking colors available, each of which can be associated with a specific notification.
The set of programs is completely standard, nothing new.
So much the better, you can install exactly the software you need.
The Android KitKat interface works quickly, all menu navigation is carried out without delays and brakes.
Performance
The smartphone is built on the basis of an eight-core MediaTek processor MT6592 s clock frequency each core is 1.7 GHz. The graphics accelerator Mali-450 is responsible for the video. Paired with 2GB of RAM, the smartphone works very quickly. With "heavy" games, not everything is so simple, but pretty good, it all depends on the game. For example, Dead Trigger, Dead Trigger 2 and NFS MW did not cause any complaints, all the effects are in place and no slowdowns. But Asphalt 8 and GTS SA were lagging and there were some smoothness issues.
Video in Full format HD works fine on a smartphone. I was very pleased with the sound quality, both through the built-in speaker and when connecting headphones. The audio processor Wolfson is responsible for the sound in the device.
To store programs and videos, the smartphone has 16 GB of internal memory.
The characteristics have recently become standard for the middle class, but quite recently a top-level smartphone could not boast of such performance.
Antutu and Geekbench benchmarks:
The handset has 3G, Bluetooth 4.0, Wi-Fi and GPS wireless modules.
The 2500 mAh battery is enough for the whole day of active use. With measured work with the device, you can go without recharging for 2-3 days.
The battery discharge is non-linear - this means that up to about 70% it discharges relatively quickly, and then more slowly.
The smartphone has 2 cameras. The main one is 13 MP (Sony Exmor R) on the rear panel, and the front one with a resolution of 2 MP. The quality of the main camera is good, there are many modes, including panoramic shooting.
If there is a lack of light, you can use the built-in flash. Of course, you can find fault with the lack of noise reduction and the problem with focusing the camera on small objects. I hope this will be corrected in the next firmware. In general, the camera is not bad.
The device writes video in 3gp with FullHD resolution at 30 frames per second. The picture quality is decent and the sound is clear.
In video mode, there is a choice of Full HD mode. It turns out pretty good videos with high-quality sound.
Sample photos for the main camera:
Output
The device now costs about 17,000 rubles. For this money, you get a productive smartphone with good screen and a nice set of functions. Will the second screen the main reason for purchase Highscreen ice 2? Of course not, but it will definitely be interesting at first, only a few will be constantly using and specially watching notifications on this screen.
Among the advantages, it is worth noting the original appearance, ergonomic stylish design, excellent build quality, good camera, good bright screen and good sound.
There are practically no shortcomings, as for me. Well, unless there is still a Full HD display and LTE support for the full picture.
Smooth, mostly square, of the same weight. Choosing one among them is already so problematic that many simply leave the store with a headache from ripples in their eyes. But Highscreen Ice 2, an overview of which we offer you in this article, compares favorably with modern smartphones... There are several reasons for this.
The main "feature"
The smartphone, which is reviewed here, has one distinctive feature - the second screen. Not the same as that of the Russian YOTA gadget, but a small one on the back panel. But very much needed! The mini-display in scrolling text shows the most basic data that users so often need: time, date, battery charge, basic data from selected applications, notifications about missed calls and messages. Such a simple thing that many smartphones lacked so much! Now there is no need to constantly turn on the backlight on the phone in order to find out all this data.
A little about the company and the brand
Highscreen is a Russian-Chinese brand that has been actively developed relatively recently. In 2009 the company began to produce budget smartphones that have pleased many users around the world. Stable work and high-quality gadgets competed with eminent and well-known brands.
Screen
The screen diagonal of Highscreen Ice 2, the review of which will be of interest to all potential buyers, is only 4.7 inches. This is slightly less than the usual five for 2015. But the lack of these 0.3 inches is paid off by the presence of a second screen. It is located on the back cover, which is made of high-quality non-slip plastic covered with protective glass. The color rendition of the device is simply excellent, according to experts. All colors are rich, bright, but natural. No yellowness or undue acidity noted. Everything is pleasing to the eye. In addition, the viewing angles of the Highscreen Ice 2 Galaxy are extremely good: no darkening or color drops are observed.
Setting up Oled
This refers to the small rear screen. The user can independently choose which information and with what frequency will be shown on the display. By itself, it is small - 23 by 5 mm. But this is quite enough. Moreover, the smartphone does not "eat" the battery from this. That is, the second display is very ergonomic, even if the data transmission frequency is set to maximum. Highscreen Ice 2, reviews of which will be presented below, it is thanks to the second screen that it compares favorably with competitors in its price category.
Design
All users unanimously come to the conclusion that the Highscreen Ice 2 smartphone, the review of which is useful to study before buying, looks very unusual and beautiful. The rear (third generation Corning) protects the smartphone from damage if used carelessly. For example, when you fall. By the way, not many firms use Corning Gorilla Glass for the back cover. The front glass is also made of this material. The color scheme is presented in four shades: blue (noble dark), white, gray and black. The speaker is located at the bottom of the rear panel, in the middle. This ensures that the sound is even and loud enough. The main camera is located in the upper left corner, which is also very convenient. The brand name is printed on the entire back panel. And since it is rather big in itself, it looks very beautiful and stylish. Smartphone Highscreen Ice 2 really looks very different from its competitors.
CPU
But he is far from perfect. The manufacturers have installed a somewhat outdated eight-core MediaTek MT6592 processor with a clock frequency of 1.7 Hz on the device. By the way, she smoothes out such an unpleasant moment. Due to the high frequency, the gadget works perfectly. All modern demanding games and applications work quickly and without lags. It is noteworthy that the Highscreen Ice 2 Galaxy smartphone performed well when multitasking. Applications, even in the background, work stably without causing discomfort to the user. And all the necessary notifications can be seen on the second display if desired.
Device memory
The Highscreen Ice 2 phone has 2 GB of RAM. This is already a standard figure for 2015. Modern applications and games require more and more RAM, so it is really necessary to have it. And here the Russian-Chinese smartphone did not disappoint. Even games that are very demanding in terms of settings work without any problems. And apps too. Although some still have to be manually "downplayed" by the settings. Built-in storage of information in a smartphone 16 GB. And this is also a standard indicator. For those who lack the declared 16 GB (of which about 14 GB are available), a memory card slot will help. More precisely, the slot is double - it can be used either for an SD card or for a second SIM card. At the discretion of the user.
External camera
Here, too, everything is quite standard and expected - 13 megapixels. The camera itself is slightly recessed in back cover, but the metal edging protrudes above it so that the pictures do not turn out to be overexposed. Next to the camera is a noise suppressor and a speaker. Everything together works great. Pictures are obtained in high definition, without unnecessary noise and distortion. Of course, you cannot compare with flagship cameras, since the Highscreen Ice 2 has a poor matrix. But the pictures are still of high quality and beautiful. Autofocus works smoothly, without braking or freezing, there are enough shooting modes with a head. Those who need more effects should pay attention to photo editors.
Front-camera
But it is too small - 2 megapixels. Highscreen Ice 2 Blue, like any other in this series, does not allow you to take the clearest selfies. But for communication via video communication, this is enough. And with a firm hand and the right lighting and selfies are good enough for 2 megapixels. Photo editors can give blurry photos a special charm. And by the way, the standard settings are enough for this.
Communication standards
Well, here it is also not very modern - there is no support for 4G and LTE. All previous ones are supported without problems. Of course, the new communication standards are not yet working everywhere in Russia, but this moment is not far off, so the lack of 4G can be considered a serious disadvantage for Highscreen Ice 2 (Gray, Blue, White or Black). This will not be enough in a year or two.
Battery
Its capacity is 2500 mAh. In general, a good result considering that there are still two screens. Albeit one and very ergonomic. With such a processor and the maximum brightness of the screen, the battery is quite enough. It is noteworthy that when the Internet is always on ( wireless wifi or built-in 3G) and the average workload of the phone is enough for the whole day. This means that you will not have to rush in search of an outlet if something happens. Well, for those who play games constantly, we can advise you to purchase an external drive, which will always be at hand.
Equipment
Many modern manufacturers have begun to save a lot on this. But Highscreen Ice 2, reviews of which will help you make the right choice, compares favorably today. So, the branded box contains:
- Detailed instructions in several languages (including Russian).
- A clip to open the memory card and sim card slot.
- Stereo headset (more on it below).
- Charger (the "plug" itself).
- USB cable (aka the wire to the "plug").
- Smartphone.
The box itself is made of thick cardboard, which depicts a model in an icy haze (Ice, after all). It looks impressive and presentable.
About the headset
Most often, users save on it. But not Highscreen. This is a really high-quality headset that you don't want to change for another. It fits comfortably in the ear, provides good sound... And with the right one in the media player, it turns out very good music player... And this is also very important for many users. Replacement earbuds are available separately for the headset.
After the debut of Yota Phone 2 with two screens, another Russian brand, Highscreen, joined the development of a smartphone with an additional display. A notification screen on the back is provided for information, as was the case with the good old clamshells.
Highscreen Ice 2 is interesting not only for the additional display: the entire front and rear panels are covered with Corning Gorilla Glass 3, and music lovers will definitely appreciate the presence of the Wolfson Microelectronics audio chip.
Specifications and performance
Highscreen Ice 2 is powered by an 8-core MediaTek MT6592 processor. Eight MT6592 cores are based on the Cortex-A7 architecture and all of them "work" at a frequency of 1.7 GHz. The graphics adapter is Mali 450MP with a clock frequency of 700 MHz, which allows you to play videos with Ultra HD resolution. The amount of RAM is 2 GB, and the internal memory is 16 GB, it is traditionally expanded by means of a micro SD memory card. If we talk about performance, then it is approximately the same as that of Samsung Galaxy S4. Everything works smoothly, modern games can be played at maximum settings without fear of braking. By default, 4.4 KitKat is installed on the smartphone.
Design
The tempered glass, which covers the back and front of the device, looks much more interesting than plastic and even aluminum. The body is monolithic and perfectly assembled. The material on the side faces imitates aluminum. But this is only outwardly, the side faces seem to be metal, as soon as you take the device in your hands, it becomes clear that it is made of plastic.
The Home button is interestingly designed; it is equipped with an LED that changes color depending on the battery charge level.
Screen
The Ice 2 display has a resolution of 1280 × 720 pixels. Given the cost of the device, I would like to see Full resolution HD. Nevertheless, if we compare the Highscreen Ice 2 screen with classmates, then it shows itself well: the image clarity is at a height, and the anti-reflective coating minimizes glare in the sun.
Camera
The main 13-megapixel camera is based on the Sony IMX214 sensor with BlueGlass optics. There are no complaints about the Sony sensor: excellent color reproduction and adequate performance in low light.
The front 2-megapixel camera is enough for Skype communication.
conclusions
Highscreen Ice 2 is a rather specific device. Its main problem is the cost of 17 thousand rubles. Are you ready to pay such an amount for a smartphone of a Russian brand with far from top-end characteristics? Well-known foreign competitors offer more profitable alternatives, however, they do not have an additional display on the back.
Highscreen Ice 2 video review
The Ice 2 display shows 1280x720 pixels and is an IPS-matrix with no air gap. Taking into account the cost of a smartphone, many users would like to see Full HD resolution in such a Highscreen, but technological realities are making their own adjustments. Oddly enough, in smartphones with a diagonal of 4.6 inches and above, the resolution of 1920x1080 only offers Htc one M7 and a few Vertu smartphones. Neither the Xperia Z3 Compact nor the iPhone 6 fit the cherished 1080p into compact smartphones did not bother.
Therefore, the Ice 2 display should be considered in comparison with its “classmates”. In this regard, it shows itself well: the clarity of the picture is at a height, the anti-reflective coating and the aforementioned absence of an air gap minimize the amount of glare on a sunny day, and the brightness level roughly corresponds to the same HTC One M7. The viewing angles are great, the picture only darkens slightly when the tilt of the smartphone approaches the limit values.
Unusual is the obvious shift of the picture towards warm shades, and some users will be upset by the multitouch indicators - the display supports only 5 simultaneous touches.
Iron
Highscreen Ice 2 is based on MediaTek MT6592 chip. "People's eight-core" was introduced back in November 2013: it became a high-profile event in the mobile industry, after which Qualcomm "strained" and even released an anti-advertising video with criticism of its competitor and the eight-core in general.
The guys from California really had a reason to get nervous - already at the start MT6592 was on a par with the Snapdragon 600 APQ8064T. Previously, mobile eight-core processors used big.LITTLE technology, when 4 economical cores were used in low load mode, and in power-intensive applications they were replaced by a quartet of productive cores. MT6592 was one of the first mobile processors, capable of using all 8 cores at once in operation. But sensible optimization for such a number of threads in Android has not yet happened, so the muscular MediaTek chip has become "good" and settled in smartphones of the middle price segment.
The eight MT6592 cores are based on the economical Cortex-A7 architecture and operate at 1.7 GHz. The video accelerator is a quad-core Mali 450MP operating at 700 MHz - a mediocre solution in terms of gaming performance. But the video accelerator received hardware support for video playback up to Ultra HD resolution in H265 format.
The chip does not support work in 4G networks - the corresponding modification with the MT6595 index was released by MediaTek only in mid-2014, and it is still not widely used by smartphone manufacturers.
Smartphones running MT6592 are roughly equivalent in terms of performance to Samsung Galaxy S4, Xiaomi Mi2S or LG Nexus 4.
