We tested the Wiam Wolder Lite, the lightweight version of the flagship of this Spanish mobile brand. In this review we reveal if it is worth buying.
A Lite version with a lot to offer
At this stage of technological development, competition in any segment is fierce. Both high-end, mid-range and more affordable mobiles have to face a lot of different brands and smartphones. Therefore, when the mobile of a Spanish brand such as Wolder Wiam #65 Lite stands out, it must be analyzed.
To see what this device really has to offer, one of the most affordable that can be found today, we have prepared a complete review. He’s the younger brother of Wolder Wiam #65 we’ve already tried. The Lite model dilutes some of its features, although it is generally not too far from the firm’s flagship.
Opinions about the Wiam #65 Lite are based on what we have seen during the trial of this Spanish mobile. In each section you have to make a valuation based on the benefits, although without losing sight of the economic price: 159 Usd as a starting price on its website, although you can find it cheaper if you are looking well on the Internet.
One of the advantages of this smartphone, besides knowing that it has been designed in Spain, is that it competes directly against Chinese mobiles differing in close proximity. Both the after-sales service and the warranty will always have greater support if you can buy the mobile in a physical or online store based in our country. This is the case with the device at hand.
Stylish finishes
At first glance, the Wiam Wolder Lite looks like a much more expensive mobile than it really is. The metallic grey color of its back and 2.5D curved glass make it look at least like a mid-range smartphone. All finishes are elegant and discreet, without trying to draw attention with extravagances.
In the front area you have the usual: camera for selfies, notification light and touch buttons. In the last two sections you must necessarily make a couple of negative comments. First of all, the touch buttons are not backlit, so in the dark it becomes more complicated than normal to press them.
Otherwise, the physical volume and off buttons are well assembled, just like the tray to insert and remove the Micro SIM card and microSD (up to 128 GB), although being Dual SIM you can insert two phone cards if you want.
The fingerprint reader is in the back area, along with the camera, which unlike most devices, is located in the central area. The material used for the mobile body is plastic, except for the two metal elements on the top and bottom of the back cover. Both give it a premium touch.
Designed entirely in Spain, there are details that are worth reviewing. In addition to the aforementioned, there is the position of the speakers, located in the lower area. This trend has consolidated in 2016 and promises to continue in 2017.
Screen at the height of the circumstances
The display is 5 inches with IPS technology and 720p HD resolution. Currently, more and more mobiles of less than 200 euros already incorporate Full HD. This is not the case with this Spanish smartphone. However, during the analysis of the Wolder Wiam #65 Lite its panel has been shown to offer better warmth than you would expect, with fairly good sharpness from any viewing angle.
Perhaps a little more brightness could be required, making outdoor viewing and bright environments easier. However, it compensates for this stumble with a fairly vivid range of colors. You can also customize the color temperature from the settings.
The 2.5D curved edge glass improves not only the aesthetic look, but also makes it possible to speed up the edges of the screen a little more. If you didn’t have it, the body-screen ratio would be even worse, and wolder could have squeezed the screen size a little more.
In short, except for some of the most competitive Chinese devices, after the review we can say that the IPS panel of the Wiam #65 Lite offers everything that can be demanded for 160 euros. Unless you’re used to high-end mobiles, the user experience will be fully satisfying.
Software
Many smartphones are currently stuck in older versions of Android. 7.0 Nougat is now available, although not all manufacturers will update their terminals. At least, what you can ask for is that all devices have Android 6.0 Marshmallow, like the Wiam.
This version of Google’s operating system is one of the most popular users. It guarantees fluidity and usability, although depending on the mobile customization layer, this will be the performance. During the analysis of the Wolder Wiam #65 Lite we can say that we have had some problems with its software, although not too many being a mobile of less than 200 euros.
Optimizing phone resources is almost optimal. It’s clear that 2 GB of RAM, although enough, can fall short when you run multiple heavy applications. For example, we’ve experienced software freezes and crashes when updating multiple apps at once, but it’s not out of the ordinary.
Otherwise, switching between apps or even running multiple social networks and messaging apps simultaneously does not cause any slowdown.
So far the positive note. In the negative section you have to say several things: the customization layer lets you want in terms of user experience. An example: you can’t close all the apps at once as on the rest of mobiles, but you have to cut them down one at a time.
Another point that cannot be overlooked is the interface. If you like, for example, the Sony one, you’ll like this one. However, our opinion here is clear: the layer has an old look, with an application drawer that provides little and virtually no customization options.
Finally, there is a problem that we have suffered during the entire review of the Wiam #65 Lite, and that is that it does not finish disconnecting from the WiFi network automatically when you move away from the router. You may have left home ten minutes ago and the software still shows you connected to WiFi, which prevents your phone from accessing the 4G network. There is no choice but to disable it manually.
Enough power for the input range
Most likely, if you’re looking for a basic, inexpensive and simply well-functioning mobile, you’ve come up with this analysis in some way. Well, you’re probably just wondering if this smartphone gets caught with normal use. The answer is no.
There are no freezes, as we mentioned above, although there is some lag. With 2 GB of RAM and a Mediatek MT6736 processor at 1.25 GHz, it’s not that it has power to give and give away, but it doesn’t go through difficulties either. An example: you can play Asphalt 8: Airborne perfectly, one of the most graphicly demanding games. You won’t be able to do it with the graphics to the fullest, but you can enjoy in intermediate mode.
Who wants more? To illustrate numerically the power of this device we have subjected it to the benchmarks of rigor. They are tests that measure the ability of a mobile to respond to different situations more or less demanding for its resources. These are the results in AnTuTu, the most popular of all.