Philips Xenium E172: the perfect second phone
Contents:
• Today, when almost every one of us has a smartphone, it is interesting to experience that long-forgotten feeling when you have a truly compact phone in your hands. You are not afraid to drop it because of its dimensions and you can easily reach any corner of the screen – the last time it was in the era of Nokia 3310 and Siemens A52.
• But today, these nostalgic feelings are evoked by another device – the new Philips Xenium E172 push-button phone. Why is it good in 2021 and who may need it – let's talk in a quick review.
Contents of delivery
• It is pretty standard for a push-button phone: in addition to the device itself, you will find a battery, charger, manual and warranty in the box. There are no surprises here, everything is done according to the necessary minimum.
• The phone turned out to be really compact, its dimensions are 123.3x 51.6x 14.9 mm, and the device weighs 123 g. In principle, such a phone will not interfere even in a jacket pocket, and even more so in a backpack – you can throw it into any compartment of your bag and safely forget until he calls.
Ergonomics
The case is made in two colors: black and red (the latter looks more like orange). Although the plastic looks not the most expensive, the phone is pleasant to the touch: it lies comfortably in the hand, does not try to slip out. The buttons are located close to each other, but this does not interfere with operation – the figurative connection from pressing is accurate, the clicks are pleasant, even the thin ring of the joystick for navigation is easy to use, despite its small size.
Screen
• By the standards of push-button phones, Philips Xenium E172 has a good screen: 2.4 inches with a resolution of 320x240, not the smallest, and the picture quality does not disappoint. You get used to the display and controls quickly: as long as you understand the functions and settings, muscle memory adapts and there will be no problems with use.
• In the settings, you can adjust the brightness of the backlight and set the desktop background. There are several simple pre-installed background options, as well as the ability to put an image from a map or camera.
Camera
The camera has a modest 0.3 megapixels, while the pictures are not bad (with a discount on the class and price of the device, of course). The camera does not have enough stars from the sky, but it gives a slightly better quality than its predecessor – the Xenium E169 model.
Functional features
On board there is a slot for a Micro SD card with a capacity of up to 16 GB. Songs, photos – for basic tasks it is enough. Under the back cover, next to the USB flash drive slot, there are two slots for SIM-cards. The thing is useful: it will help you save money while roaming, and you can choose different operators for different cases.
• Other nice features include a bright LED flashlight, Bluetooth 2.1 and FM radio, which, by the way, can work without a headset.
Autonomy
Last but not least is the battery: push-button phones have always been famous for good autonomy, especially compared to smartphones. Philips Xenium E172 does not break the tradition: a modest 1700 mAh battery is enough for the phone to live up to 25 days on a single charge. Not the last role in this is played by Xenium technology, which the manufacturer even put in the name of the model: this is an energy-saving technology that optimizes phone settings for maximum battery life. Therefore, even such a small battery capacity is enough with a margin. Charging the phone via Micro USB is a trifle, but it's nice: even if you have lost the charging cable, you probably have a bunch of other equipment at home that is charged through such a connector.
Conclusions
• As a result, the Philips Xenium E172 is perfect for anyone who needs a second phone. Not much is required from such a device: two SIM cards, good autonomy and compact dimensions. The E172 has it all – and the price of 2290 rubles makes this phone an even more interesting option.
