Just a day after it officially launched the Neffos smartphone brand, TP-Link unveiled its latest Neffos series smartphones.
During its IFA 2016 trade show conference held in Berlin, Germany, TP-Link took the sheets off the Neffos X1 and Neffos X1 Max. With the price and technical specifications of the X1 and X1 Max, many believe that both handhelds can be serious contenders in the upper echelons of the mid-range smartphone market.
"The new Neffos X Series smartphones are the perfect combination of smart technology and stylish design," says Jeffrey Chao, TP-Link co-founder and chairman, in a press release dated Sept. 1, Thursday. "They bring unparalleled value to our customers by prioritizing features that help them stay closer to everything and everyone around them."
TP-Link reveals that the design for both models, which have the same metal unibody exterior, was based on rocks in streams. The X1 and X1 Max also have subtle curves at their backs, which, according to TP-Link, makes them easier to operate with one hand.
The manufacturer also highlights the X1 and X1 Max's superthin bezels, which are measured at 0.6 millimeters (0.024 inches). Hence, even with the phones' minimal length, TP-Link achieved a 76 percent screen-to-body ratio.
Both handhelds are fitted with a Mediatek Helio P10 octa-core processor with each core clocked at 1 GHz. The Neffos X1 can come with either 2 GB of RAM and 16 GB internal storage or 3 GB of RAM paired with 32 GB of internal storage. The X1 Max, being the bigger brother, will have 3 GB of RAM and 32 GB of internal storage as its lowest option and 4 GB RAM with 64 GB of on-board storage as the highest option. Both of them support storage expansions through microSD cards.
Similarities extend further to the front and rear cameras, which remain constant for both phones at 5 megapixels and 13 megapixels, respectively. The rear camera features a Sony sensor that comes with backside illumination, phase-detection auto-focus (PDAF) of just 0.2 seconds and 5P lens, along with an f/2.0 aperture lens that helps in low-light conditions.
The X1 and X1 Max also have dual-SIM slots and support for LTE bands. Both will ship with Android 6.0 Marshmallow installed.
The biggest difference lies in the displays. The X1 offers a 5-inch display at 720p (1,280 x 720) while the X1 Max sports a larger and denser one at 5.5 inches and 1080p (1,920 x 1,080). The X1 Max also has a 2.5D Corning Gorilla glass sitting on top of its touch display. Both models utilize in-cell technology with TDDI (touch and display driver integration) for better precision, image quality and longer battery life.
The X1 will have a 2,250 mAh battery pack while the X1 Max will have a bigger 3,000 mAh battery. With minimal difference between the phones, the prices are also not that far apart. TP-Link lists the X1 for (€199) ($222) and the X1 Max for €249 ($278). Both smartphones will roll out to retailers in the last quarter of 2016.
TP-Link, which is known for its computer networking products such as switches and routers, entered the smartphone market late last year. Its first commercial smartphone offerings, the Neffos C5 series, were released back in January and was followed up by the Neffos Y5 and Y5L in June.
