Designed for a specific target audience, Neffos C7 offers smartphone productivity and functionality without breaking the bank.
TP-Link is not a traditional brand that you associate with smartphones, but so is the case with more than a dozen other players trying to create a brand name within the Android OEM space.
The company, which is relatively more known for its wireless routers, have been operating within the smartphone segment since 2016. So, when TP-Link released its Neffos C7 earlier this year, it had in mind the precise target audience and what it offered in terms of value proposition.
Despite being a budget smartphone, Neffos C7 offers some great value for money.
It’s polycarbonate unibody, while simplistic and banal, provide a fantastic grip and feels firm and secure in the user’s hand. Neffos claims that its nanoscopic silver paste is what gives the device a metallic finish making it look sleeker.
It has a micro USB port at the bottom, an audio out port or the headphone jack at the top, the power button on the right side and the volume rocker right below it. The C7 is a slim and tiny device, measuring at just 7.0 mm in width and weighing 157 grams. The smartphone is available in only two colours – gold and grey – which might be a downer to some consumers.
TP-Link has done well to incorporate fingerprint support into the device as the smartphone is equipped with multiple sensors including ambient light and proximity sensor. It supports dual Nano SIM cards.
In terms of display, the 5.5-inch device has a IPS LCD capacitive HD touchscreen with a resolution of 720×1280 pixels at 267PPI, which is more than decent for an average user. Colours look slightly washed out, which could be a deal breaker for those who are accustomed to more vivid displays.
The camera is one of the key features in any smartphone these days and the Neffos C7 is equipped with a 13MP rear camera with autofocus and f/2.0 aperture. The rear camera is at the top left with the dual-LED flash right underneath. It features multiple customisation modes giving users various options to achieve the right shot in any situation. The image captured outdoors can look a little underexposed, but this can be easily adjusted by changing the white balance setting on the smartphone.
Neffos C7’s boasts an 8MP front-facing camera with 10-level real-time Beautify feature from Arcsoft, which gives the most natural enhancement of selfie images.
Under the hood, the device is powered by a 64-bit Octa Core ARM Cortex A53 processor and MediaTek MT6750 Chipset. The speed at which the device functions is proportionate to its 2GB RAM capacity. It comes with a built-in storage of 16GB but features an expandable slot where memory can be upgraded to 128GB with a microSD card.
In terms of software, Neffos C7 runs Android 7.0 Nougat operating system with a custom-built user interface. The NFUI is the mobile operating system that TP-Link has customised for Neffos. The interface has a clean and simple design and is ideal for smooth multitasking and fast application launching, considering the 2GB RAM.
The 3060mAh battery can ensure the device lasts for almost 6 to 8 hours based on the number of apps running in the background and the average use.
Priced at just under AED 500, the Neffos C7 is ideal for the budget-conscious consumer who is looking for smartphones that can help them achieve basic tasks.
