It is so rare to find a review of a device that is being done much later after the user has used the device for awhile, it's a real pleasure to see this, thank you very much. I'm looking for a small e-book reader and this phone might be right up my alley. Saw on your calendar the entry for Naschmarkt and Wien Mitte, so greetings from Vienna to Vienna I guess:) Thanks again!

@annafilou

2 жыл бұрын

So glad to read this! I was debating whether to make this review after all, because the next models are already out, it's a lot of work to make the video and I was scared nobody would watch it. I don't live in Vienna anymore - greetings from Greece! 👋😊

@viennagamer1683

2 жыл бұрын

@@annafilou Reviews of long term tests are so rare, I really do appreciate it. There are just some quirks and little details that only become apparent after longer usage that nonetheless change the overall experience immensely and that after the initial first reviews no one ever talks about. Then you buy something after watching those first reviews and later notice things and wonder "why did no one ever mention that?" I see, have fun in Greece then:)

@cormoya

2 жыл бұрын

@@annafilou thank you for your world, its a great review

Just 8 minutes into the video I said to myself “forget Hisense A5” this the best phone review I ever watched. No dramatic intro or background music no quick scene cuts. Everything is going so smooth. I couldn’t help myself to stop eating my breakfast, paused the video and leaving this comment. This girl deserves a lot more subs so I just subscribed. Keep up the good work!

@annafilou

Жыл бұрын

Damn, this is the kindest comment ever! Thank you so much ❣️

@fightingfalcon5694

Жыл бұрын

@@annafilou I really do mean it! Will have a look at your channel later on.

@lasanguinaire4331

4 ай бұрын

true!

This was a very chill review. It's nice that you seem to know what you're talking about, but you don't flaunt it at all.

my mind is boggled around how genius and great this is. thank you for the video.

@annafilou

Жыл бұрын

Yeah, I wish more companies would make E-ink devices for consumers. You're welcome!

Excellent review!! Good job 👏

Great review as always.

incredibly thorough! thank you so much for doing this review a whole year later

@annafilou

3 жыл бұрын

I'm a bit embarrassed that I put it off for so long but it makes me happy to hear you appreciate the review nevertheless! 🙏

@federicogori9888

Жыл бұрын

@@annafilou will you do more reviews? how are you?

@danteerskine7678

Жыл бұрын

@@annafilou I don't get the point of using such devices like the Hisense e ink phones , when Android 10 already had a Bedtime mode, turning the screen to B&W

@annafilou

Жыл бұрын

@@federicogori9888 I'm good, thank you! Just way busier with work then I'd like.

@annafilou

Жыл бұрын

@@danteerskine7678 E-Ink is not just a regular screen in black and white. It's a lot more similar to a piece of paper, than an LCD or OLED. It uses ZERO battery to display a picture forever, and only uses energy to change what's displayed on the screen. In practical terms that means the screen is always "on" but the battery life is as good as if you never turned it on. Also, the visibility in sunlight is perfect. Compare looking at your phone in bright sunlight vs looking at a newspaper. So these devices are perfect for GPS navigation. They're also great for reading, since you're not looking at the screen. This got me thinking about making a video like "what's the deal with E-Ink screens?" Would that be helpful?

Such refreshing style of video, thank you for the thorough and very easily digestible content!

Such a great review… i like your reviewing style: down to earth, honest… thank you!!!

@annafilou

2 жыл бұрын

Thank you, that's great to read! 😊

Wow..excellent review, kudos !

Phenomenal review. Thank you!

Amazing runthrough, thank you

Great review 🙂👍

Hi thanks so much for this review! I would love a video dedicated to different types of minimalistic launchers for this phone. I am considering the A5pro as a light phone alternative, since they cost almost the same. Thank you

Thanks for this review! Incredibly informative.

@annafilou

2 жыл бұрын

You're welcome!

Awesome, loved the review. Keep up the great work 💙💜

@annafilou

2 жыл бұрын

Many thanks ⭐

Wow thanks amazing review!

Thank you, great Review.

Great review! Thank you!

Great review!!

Thank you for this review! Helped me a lot in getting a feel of the phone's features. Keep it up! :D

@annafilou

Жыл бұрын

Thank you!

Awesome review, thanks! If you did more reviews I think you would do very well, as you are great to watch, genuine and informative! PS. surprised to see Greek, Χαιρετίσματα Άννα!😄

@annafilou

Жыл бұрын

Haha thank you very much! I hope to make more reviews in the future as I genuinely enjoy it. Χαιρετίσματα επίσης 😁

I'd love this phone so much

I was looking up their music player when I saw this in the suggestions, this was a really well done review. I wish this was available in a global version. Speaking of less distracting launchers, I really like ratio launcher, though it can be considered more distracting than the one you shared, I like their functionality of bringing all chats onto the home screen and other features. Though it's free in my country I have read it's paid in Europe, so that can be a barrier.

@annafilou

Жыл бұрын

I've tried Ratio a few times but didn't like it. The unified chat experience doesn't work as expected either. It's too complicated IMO. And it's free here in Europe as well!

Great review, it's nice how you go into the details of pretty much everything! And yes, a video on minimalist launchers would be pretty cool! Personally I've been using Before Launcher for a while, but it's kinda buggy and I'd love to see what kind of alternatives there are out there. Also, just to let you know, this video doesn't show up on my feed for some reason. I guess there's some KZread bullshit going on?

@annafilou

3 жыл бұрын

Thank you!! 🙏🙏✨ My intention was to tell people everything there is to know about the phone, as quickly as possible. Well, KZread is pretty buggy so I'm not very surprised 😅 I also like Before Launcher, especially the notification vault feature! But noticed some bugs too and setting up folders is tedious 🙄

@VulkHead

3 жыл бұрын

Have you tried niagara launcher? It's pretty great, I don't know with eink though

@annafilou

3 жыл бұрын

I have! It's nice but not really my style. The subtle animations also wouldn't look great on the e-Ink screen. And using this phone I prefer the KISS launcher because it's so simple that it looks great on this screen and it allows me to find apps fast without having to scroll.

Good review. Thanks.

First of all, I love your coffee mug 😍 Great review, thanks so much for sharing! This is sooo cool

@annafilou

Жыл бұрын

I love this mug too! My parents got it before I was born. Now if it breaks I have no idea where to find a similar one. (Thankfully I have two!) And you're very welcome 🤗

Thank you so much. PD: Your voice is soooo relaxing, just amazing. Thanks again

@annafilou

Жыл бұрын

Aw, thank you! I wouldn't consider it relaxing at all, so I'm glad to hear you do.

Superb video :) One difference a5 vs a5 pro cc (and other subtypes) is speed mode, videos run just fine I am about to try to use it as main phone - I learned a lot here, thank you :) It is the so much more interesting take on a known and really longterm used device you showed here I would like to see more often... not the unpack or used one week...

@annafilou

Жыл бұрын

I get what you mean about the unpack-and-use-once videos! I don't have that many electronic devices to review tbh. My other devices aren't E-Ink. I was thinking of reviewing the Galaxy Z Flip3 (been using for 3 months) and the Whoop fitness band (been using for about 4 months)

Really helpful. Thanks

Thank you a lot for thise video! Keep it up, you seem like a fantastic youtuber and I'd love to see more of your opinions about minimal apps and how to build a useful and healthy digital environment. I feel like my smartphone has been ruining my life for a while and I really need to get to know more simple devices and apps that can enrich my life instead of inducing mindless scrolling for hours...

@annafilou

Жыл бұрын

Thank you! That's so nice to read 🙏 Being busy with work, I find it hard to make the time to make videos or to even try out new devices and apps. I love tech and have struggled (sometimes still struggle) to prevent it from sucking my life, but I don't want to go full digital minimalist either. My position is somewhere in the middle and I really like devices and software that respects my time and enriches my life. I hope to reflect that in my work as a digital designer too.

Thank you for the review. Just ordered one. Greetings from México :)

@annafilou

Жыл бұрын

Thank you! Greetings from Greece. Where did you order it from, if I might ask? Others might want to know

@fernando15693

Жыл бұрын

@@annafilou I ordered from aliexpress website. Knowing that it might have extra taxes once it arrives to my country, but I budgeted for that. :)

Hey, this review is amazing.

@annafilou

Жыл бұрын

Thanks a lot!

Such a good review. Thank you

@annafilou

Жыл бұрын

Thanks for watching! 🙏

Hi Anna, thank you for the video. Your video was so clear and detailed. As a reviewer you are excellent and should make more videos. Bravo!! BTW, I want to use this phone primarily as a Kindle. How well does the Kindle app work on this phone, in particular can one make notes whilst reading? Thank you in advance

@annafilou

Жыл бұрын

Thank you for the kind words Ken! I want to make more reviews but I'm short on time. Hopefully soon. The Hisense A5 makes for a great Kindle reader. The Kindle app works just as well as it does on any Android phone. Of course you can take notes normally. Note that since the screen is smaller than that of a dedicated Kindle, you need to turn pages more often but that's a minor inconvenience.

I would LOVE a launcher video from you! :)

Why don't you make any more reviews? You did a stellar job here!

@annafilou

Жыл бұрын

Thank you! 😭 I want to review the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip3, which I got last month. Also the Whoop fitness tracker that I got a couple of months ago. But there's no theme or strategy here, I just want to review whatever I have. And it's pretty time consuming so TBH I just don't prioritize it. Although it's enjoyable too. 😊

This is really interesting it’s my first time seeing this

@annafilou

2 жыл бұрын

It is! E-Ink devices on general are fascinating. The technology is already starting to get more widespread.

Gracias por la información. Muy detallada.

Thanks for the review, appreciate the honesty. PS. I have exactly the same coffee cups at home, I have a "tea" set too ☺️

@annafilou

Жыл бұрын

Ha! What a coincidence. And I appreciate the kind words.

pleasant voice indeed

Simple , clear narrative. Thanks Anna. Does Hisense series have anything with a note taking pen, please ?

@annafilou

3 жыл бұрын

Not as far as I'm aware. If you're looking for an e-Ink tablet with pen support though take a look at: - the Remarkable 2 (very expensive) - Onyx Boox Poke 3 - Xiaomi Moaan W7 The last two being more reasonably priced. I haven't tried them though!

Good Job!!

@annafilou

3 жыл бұрын

Thank you! 🙏

Thank you for this video❤️ if you buy -or find one with your friends- hiSense A7, please make video like this.

@annafilou

2 жыл бұрын

Haha I might! I was thinking about getting a model with a color screen. 🤔 But they have a tablet now too which might be more useful, so I might get that instead… In any case, I'll surely make a video. 👌

@misssomod194

2 жыл бұрын

@@annafilou Can't wait ur video

thank you

Excellent really helpful review- as a matter of interest if the screen protector is scratched can it be removed ?

@annafilou

Жыл бұрын

Yes, it can be removed. It's just a sticker. But it's a matte screen protector and those are kinda harder to find.

Wow, probably the best review Ive seen for this device. Thank you ! Some other reviewers mentioned Google Play Store & Services can be installed with some hooks. Does anyone know if this is possible ?

@annafilou

2 жыл бұрын

I suppose it's possible, like most things when it comes to software, but I haven't personally tried it. I suggest searching on xda developers. Personally, I like knowing that Google can't track me when I'm using the A5.

Thanks for this great review! Can I ask what the typing experience is like? I imagine that there's some lag, no?

@annafilou

2 жыл бұрын

There is a liiiittle bit of lag but it personally doesn't bother me!

I just got A5 Pro a few months ago. It works fine. In terms of E-reader function, Kindle Paperwhite 3 beats it. But after all it is a phone with much larger RAM and better SOC.

@divyabksunar1986

2 жыл бұрын

Can you download apps like amazon, zoom , audible etc

@annafilou

2 жыл бұрын

Sure. I use Kindle by Amazon and it works fine. As long as the apps don't depends on Google Play Services, they all work.

@annafilou

2 жыл бұрын

Well yeah, you can get a dedicated e-reader for cheaper if that's what you want. 😛 This is an e-Ink smartphone, can do way more than just read books.

Hello! Nice review, does it have Bluetooth? Did you test some scrolling pages (pdf files) remote controller? Did you use it with Osmand or anyother live gpx navigation app?

@annafilou

2 жыл бұрын

Thanks! Yes, of course it has Bluetooth. 😛 It doesn't have IR so you can't use it as a TV remote, if that's what you mean. I've used it with pretty much every major free GPS Navigation app, including OSMand, HERE and Google Maps, and it works perfectly. 👌

Hi Anna. I loved your review. I'm looking at purchasing the A5 pro and your video has definitely inspired me. One question. Is it possible to delete the pre-installed apps? My aim is to create a super minimalist smart light phone and wondered what your thoughts would be on achieving this with the Hisense.

@annafilou

9 ай бұрын

Thanks! Yes, you can delete *most* pre-installed apps. (I think you couldn't in the past? But I just checked and it’s possible now.) You can't delete the basics, like the Gallery though, as well as a couple of the Chinese-name apps (I don't know what they do). Since you’re going for a minimalist phone though, I image you’ll install a custom launcher, so you won't have to see the few apps that you cannot uninstall.

@WhereGascoyneGoes

9 ай бұрын

@@annafilou thank you for your reply. That’s good about installing a minimalist launcher, i noticed you touched on that at the end of the video. Great review, it was very help.

Отличный обзор. Благодарю! 👍

Thank you so much for this review! Do you know if any of the physical buttons can be mapped to turn the page in reading apps? I use the kindle app currently. I’ve been trying to figure that out before purchase the phone. I saw an option in settings for the e-ink button to “reverse the next page” - is that a translation error for turning the page maybe?

@annafilou

3 жыл бұрын

I think the setting applies to the built-in reading applications, which are in Chinese so they're not usable for me… As far as I know, whether you'll be able to map the device buttons to turn the page depends on the specific application you're using. For example Instapaper (the read-it-later service) let's you do that, but the Kindle app doesn't (I think?).

@aaronraley

3 жыл бұрын

Follow up - I bought one: you can set the volume buttons to do page turns in the kindle. The eink button doesn’t work. You can also use the faster rendering modes and use infinite scroll, or pair a controller (like xbox or switch) and use those buttons to turn pages. My fave is the controller method.

Your review was really really really helpful to me. However, I have one question. Will you suggest this still? I just need a decent ebook reader which can also act like a music player during read time, and this is the only one I got in that category. And thank you once again for making this detailed review video

@annafilou

Жыл бұрын

I would totally suggest it. It still works just as well as it did when I first got it and I still use it from time to time over my standard smartphone. Personally I'd look into getting one of the newer models because they have a fingerprint sensor while the A5 doesn't. But if the A5 is cheaper and you're fine with the lack of a fingerprint sensor, go for it!

@sadiaafrin4825

Жыл бұрын

@@annafilou Thank you so so much ☺️ I guess I’ll be going for this model as already have smartphone and it’s gonna be just for music and book reading.

Great review ! Would you say the A5 is a better choice than the A5C ?

@annafilou

2 жыл бұрын

I think I would have preferred the color version, but it didn't exist when I bought the one I did. But it depends on what you want it for. If you want a minimal “detox” phone to combat phone addiction, then the monochrome one would be better. In all other cases, I'd take the color version. If you're gonna get one now though, it's best to get one of the next versions because the A5 doesn't have a fingerprint scanner.

Thanks for the review, very helpful. What keyboard are you using around 13:15? And have you found a way to connect the calendar app to a CalDAV account?

@annafilou

2 жыл бұрын

The keyboard is Fleksy. I find it very good for this type of screen because it's very forgiving. I haven't tried connecting a calendar but it seems people recommend an app called DAVx⁵ for that. It's a paid app in the Play Store so I'm not sure how you'd make it work without Play Services… Perhaps you can try contacting the developer.

@ae-ou9dl

2 жыл бұрын

@@annafilou Thanks, Fleksy looks good although a bit bloated for my taste, but can live with that.

@annafilou

2 жыл бұрын

Yeah, lately they've added a lot of (IMO) useless features but you can safely ignore them or turn them off in a lot of cases. You can also try finding an older APK through APKMirror or a similar site. The app used to be very minimalistic.

@ae-ou9dl

2 жыл бұрын

@@annafilou I'll try that out. In terms of minimalism, am looking for a way to make the UI primarily black and white; any icon set to recommend perhaps?

Hi ! thanks for the review, is really helpfull, at one moment you talked about whats'app, is it possible to have it on the hisense a5?thanks!

@annafilou

Жыл бұрын

Yes, WhatsApp can run without Google Play Services. I tried it and it works! (Sorry for taking a while to reply. I wasn’t using WhatsApp before.)

Hi great review! I’m considering buying it, I see they’re available on eBay unlocked for Google store. But I was just wondering is it possible to fully turn the device off or is it constantly on Lock Screen mode until the battery completely drains? It’d just be nice to know that I can turn my phone off if I ever needed to! Also I assume that the backlight can be turned off so that it wouldn’t be a problem at night? Thanks !

@annafilou

3 ай бұрын

Ah, yeah, of course you can turn it off. The screen will be “on” in a sense but it will only display a message reading “POWER OFF”. ;) And yes, the backlight can be turned off.

Hi friend, first of all, thank you so much for this review. I loved it! Your pleasant voice and the way you explain everything so well give me the satisfaction of knowing that I'm going to buy something good and well-recommended. I was looking for information about this phone because I also checked out the Light Phone, but I needed something with at least WhatsApp and Spotify, and I think this is the best option, even though this model is a few years old. It seems to have everything I was looking for, and my eyes can rest a little from so many screens with exaggerated lights. I have a question about WhatsApp. You mentioned that even when you set the option not to kill the application in the background to save battery, sometimes it still does it and you lose notifications. Have you been able to fix this in any way to not miss them? I hope you make more videos about this model or any newer ones if you have changed phones. They are a delight to watch. Thank you very much, and I hope you have a good day :)

@annafilou

11 ай бұрын

If you disable all background restrictions, apps should work fine! Thanks for the kind words. I still have the phone! It’s my secondary device and I mostly use it in summer months when I spend a lot of time outside in bright sunlight.

@Robin_NX

11 ай бұрын

@@annafilou very thanks,have a nice day ☺

Hi! Does this have a notes application? To write notes? I’ve been an iPhone user for years because I love the notes app on them but it makes my eyes tired, I’m looking something small like this for notes 🤩 Great video thank you!

@annafilou

Жыл бұрын

Yes, it does! But you can download any notes app you want. You don't have to depend on the built-in one.

They might have a DAC if its got higher quality audio through the jack regardless of the inbuilt speaker vs jack audio. I'm really interested in something like the light phone or this phone or like the pine phone.

@annafilou

Жыл бұрын

Interesting! I'm clueless when it comes to audio.

@disaszterful

Жыл бұрын

@@annafilou eh... I'm no engineer but I used to mess around with DJ toys and stuff and have chosen phones with DACs over the years, use a couple DACs on my computers... Its just like an amp for extra quality/volume if you use heavy reference headphones instead of crappy hurr durr look at my air pods for audio lol... Even some cheap phones have DACs on board sometimes... Especially some of the stuff from LG... And its night and day if you're using decent headphones

This was a great and incredibly informative review of a phone I am considering picking up soon. My current phone, a Moto G5 I picked up new old stock a few years ago is starting to struggle more with my day-to-day use and I think I would be okay with an e-Ink display. Neat how you have a similar selection of sideloaded apps, I use F-Droid, Aurora, KISS Launcher and OsmAnd~ and a half functional call recorder on my current phone. The Tencent location services are worrying though, as Tencent is a rather infamous large and evil Chinese company. The aggressive killing of background apps even with this disabled seems concerning, but it shouldn't be as broken as the Hammer Iron 4 phone I've considered switching to before. Otherwise the firewall feature seems great, my previous Huawei phone had this too, great for blocking adverts and increasing security. With the gestures navigation, is it possible to open the recent apps screen? This is the square button in the navigation bar and usually activated by swiping further and maybe shortly holding.

@annafilou

24 күн бұрын

Isn‘t Google just as evil as Tencent though? Either way, some large corporation gets my data-either Google or Tencent. Feels the same from my personal POV… I so wish for a smartphone that *works* without *any* reliance on big tech. Would be awesome if you can point me to any relevant projects if you know of any. Heads up, the Hisense A5 is pretty outdated by today’s standards. Hisense has newer models with fingerprint sensors and some even with color E-Ink displays. The A5 still works fine though. And yes, you can open the recents view via the gesture navigation as in other phones.

@WyvernDotRed

23 күн бұрын

@@annafilou thanks for taking the time to reply in such detail. While I dislike either and avoid them where this does not cause major inconvenience, I do consider Tencent as slightly worse than Google. There is the PinePhone for running a mobile Linux distro, but I personally don't feel confident switching to that nor want to deal with the limited software selection. Otherwise I've heard of the Volla phone having a fully de-googled Android fork, along with their hardware also working with mobile Linux. It's also possible to root an existing phone and install a different OS like LineageOS on it, but I have not explored this as I rather have my phone just work. Since I've more thoroughly examined Hisense's range of e-ink phones, of which the newer A5 Pro CC Colour seems like the one that'd work for me. It has Android 10, USB-C, a fingerprint reader and a colour e-ink display that still refreshes quickly (the non-pro version is sluggish by comparison). The problem with the newer models is that they are also too large for my taste and get significantly more expensive. I'm not afraid to buy an older phone as my current phone is from 2017, still runs Android 7, yet works reliably after side-loading alternatives to most included G-apps. Good to know, I asked as I saw another review mention that you can't go to the recent apps, this is evidently false unless changed in a newer release. And I will probably be able to change some of the gesture behaviour with SystemUI tuner, which can let you change some hidden settings. I am still somewhat worried of things they might have changed, but overall it seems to resemble my previous Huawei phone so it probably works fine.

Thanks for this video. I want to know if slack, microsoft outlook, wattpad works on this phone

@annafilou

3 жыл бұрын

Anything that doesn't rely on Google Services (e.g. apps that use Google location services like Life360) should work without an issue!

Great video, do you still carry the a5?

@annafilou

4 ай бұрын

Yes, and it still works as it used to. I don’t use it very often though.

Can you do banking on it ? Banking apps work? Also do you still use it as a smartphone replacement, does WhatsApp work, video calls etc. thanks for the review

@annafilou

4 ай бұрын

Yes, I still use it. Banking apps generally do NOT work because they rely on Google Play services which this phone does not have. WhatsApp and pretty much every typical app that's not a banking app works. Keep in mind that if a bank's application does not work, you could probably do everything you need to via the bank's website (but it depends on the bank).

@azhar6857

4 ай бұрын

@@annafilou thanks for that Anna. Just happen to see that all Hisense phones as of recently, their entire lineup provides google play out of the box, which is good to have I bet.

I think i like it

Hi Anna, I'm wondering if you use your phone less than you would with a standard phone? Would it help one to be less distracted one's phone, especially in social situations, since the display is simpler?

@annafilou

2 жыл бұрын

Yes and no. I used it less for things I typically do with my regular smartphone (mindless Instagram scrolling LOL) but more for reading ebooks and articles ;)

How did u get this icon pack it looks clean

Thanks for the wonderful and honest review of this phone. Would like to confirm that this phone doesnt support Google Play Services natively right? It is because I bought Hisense a5 Pro CC few days back from AliExpress and after several days of trying to sideload the apk apps I normally use, mostly google apps (keep notes, gmail, maps, gboard, calendar, calculator) most of them doesnt work well. Im well informed by the seller that the A5 Pro CC doenst have Google Play Services natively instead offer A5 if I wanted Google Play as advised. Sorry, quite long intro/story. Then saw this video saying NO Google Play Services. I'm now confused.

@annafilou

2 жыл бұрын

The Hisense A5 does NOT natively support Google Play services. It's possible to flash a custom ROM (firmware) that includes Play Services though (I haven't done that). I've come across stores that sell this modded version of the A5, so that's probably what the seller meant. Still, keep in mind that that's not supported or endorsed by the manufacturer and it's not official firmware.

Hi Anna! Does this model allow you to download apps like spotify, amazon, whatsapp, gmail and signal?

@annafilou

2 жыл бұрын

I don't have WhatsApp (but it should work) and I guess that the Gmail app *might* require Google Play Services to run (which the A5 doesn't have) because it's made by Google. The other apps should work. You can still use another email client (I use FairEmail) and add your Gmail account though, so no worries.

Videos/Video Podcasts: Since I listen to a lot of podcast style youtube videos or videos where I just glance at the screen occasionally for visual reference of what they are talking about while doing something else I’m found having the ability to ‘play’ videos on my Boox Nova Air C surprisingly convenient, for all that said device isn’t exactly pocketable so not very portable for listening on the move and when carrying other things, so I’ll be looking for something smaller like the Hisense in future. Although that being said I do not recommend watching said videos on eink, or at least the Nova, aside from the occasional reference glance at the screen for context, because that seems to be a one way ticket to a headache as your eyes and brain strain themselves trying to make sense of things. Also Boox eink colour and fast settings plus ghosting during videos as things are stretched to the max doesn’t make for a good colour experience with videos, the colours are better for stationary and plainer things in my experience so looking to try grey scale instead next time plus unlike the Nova the next device wouldn’t need to be able to fit pdf or show potentially important colour coding in study materials, so don’t really need colour this time. - Thanks for the long term review! Keep coming back to your video both intentionally and unintentionally when searching for various things. XD So thanks again for sharing this amazing long term review!

@annafilou

Жыл бұрын

Haha thanks, that's nice to hear! Maybe you can try a KZread client like NewPipe that allows you to play the audio in the background, if you mostly want to listen to the videos.

@moony2703

Жыл бұрын

@@annafilou oh? I hadn’t heard of them before so thanks!

I really wanted this phone, but the only place I can buy it is on Aliexpress, and the taxes in my country make it too expensive.. would love to own a "kindle phone"

This might be my solution for mitigating night-time phone browsing. I always listen to KZread videos when I sleep, and I’m thinking the Vanced client would work on this, since it uses a third-party replacement/client for Google Play Services anyway.

@annafilou

Жыл бұрын

Possibly! I use Newpipe which doesn't require Play Services. Note that you can still use this phone at night, since it has a backlight (or front light? Since it's E-Ink). The monochrome display kinda naturally discourages excessive use though.

I solved the micro b port issue by buying a cheap magnetic adapter, I just keep it plugged into phone all the time, it hardly sticks out. USB C would allow faster charging, but who needs that if battery rarely drops under 50%. Slower charging is good for batteries life, according to AIDA64, I am still getting 4160 out of advertised 4000 mAh. If I want color I can always mirror the screen to TV or to computer through cable, using developer options and adb... This phone can run 1080p video on an external screen no problem. I think front light failed on my phone, when I try to turn it on, it just blinks for a second and goes off. But I also haven't updated the OS in a while, maybe that has something to do with it? Dropped phone once from front suit pocket, and it survived. Not having NFC on basic model might be a thing to mention in such review.

@annafilou

3 жыл бұрын

Indeed! I never use NFC so I literally forgot it exists 😂 But yes, this phone doesn't have NFC, for anyone wondering.

@dennisbek9090

2 жыл бұрын

@@annafilou Even if it has nfc how are you going to use it if there is no Google pay?

@annafilou

2 жыл бұрын

Dennis, NFC isn't a Google Pay thing. It's a communication protocol used for many things. Think of it like Bluetooth (although it does different things): Headphones use Bluetooth, but Bluetooth isn't limited to use with headphones only :) Search for NFC tags for a few use case examples.

Would you say the A5 pro is worth getting over the A5? Assuming I would use it as just an ereader.

@annafilou

3 жыл бұрын

Depends on what you value. The A5 Pro isn't much more expensive than the A5 so it might be worth it for you. Considering you will just use it as an e-reader, then the only differences would be the fingerprint scanner and USB-C type port that the A5 Pro has. For example, if you no longer keep around micro USB cables, or if you find the thought of unlocking it with a PIN instead of your fingerprint, then it's worth it.

I inherited the identical coffee cup from my grandmother who must have had it for decades! Where'd you get it?!

@annafilou

11 ай бұрын

I don’t know! I got it from my parents who must have gotten it before I was born! It’s my favorite cup! I got excited to hear there are more! I’ve seen another one in the wild in Greece (where I’m from too). Thanks to Google Lens, I just now identified it as a “Churchill Staffordshire Earthenware Mug”. Somebody sells it on Etsy and notes: “Vintage from before 2000”.

@anthonyreed480

11 ай бұрын

@Anna Ha! Well I'm in Sydney, Australia, but my grandparents were from Ireland and may have picked it up in the UK before they came here 🤔 funny that pre-2000 is basically vintage now, which makes me feel old 😄 Great review by the way. Love the coffee and chat vibe.

For background apps being turned off/frozen despite setting them to not freeze, my Boox settings includes a part where it turns things off/freezes things after [7] days or whatever you set it to. I haven’t had my Boox long enough to see if this setting will kick in for apps I’ve set to leave unfrozen in the background if I don’t use them for awhile but I’m assuming they will Freeze once that seven days of no use rolls around. So maybe this phone has something similar in the Freeze settings?

@annafilou

Жыл бұрын

If you go to an app’s page, there is an option to turn OFF “limit background activity”, “battery optimization”, and an option to turn ON, “put in memory clean up whitelist”. The first two are on by default in the last one off.

Hi, Can you tell me where to buy a Hisense A5 or A5 pro CC - Best Regards, François

@annafilou

10 ай бұрын

Sorry, I don't know. I bought it many years ago from cect-shop.com BUT they no longer sell retail. :(

I just want an affordable EInk reader with: 1. access to kindle, pdf reader and spotify 2. bluetooth or 3.5 mm jack for audio 3. physical page turn button there... a business idea. I tried to make it DIY and it is hard and expensive for a hobbyist to do alone.

@annafilou

2 жыл бұрын

So what's stopping you from getting this phone? You don't have to use it as a phone and it does everything you want. 😛 (You can use the volume keys as a physical page turn button in virtually all reading apps.)

@vitaminc2161

2 жыл бұрын

​@@annafilou it is very tempting. I agree with you. But for me the deal breaker is the size, which is too small, and the price, which is too high. For the same price I can get the latest Kindle Oasis.

@annafilou

2 жыл бұрын

Hmmm true. I'm pretty sure there are some small (~ 8-inch) E-Ink Android tablets that fit your requirements. Although I guess you've done for research so then again maybe not.

How did u get these theme mine doesnt look like that

how;s the experience like to text on this? seeing that most of the time e-ink screens would need time to respond to your input and update the message accordingly - is it tolerable or it is just downright unworkable?

@annafilou

11 ай бұрын

It's totally fine. Obviously a bit slower than on an LCD and I wouldn't really try the swiping method to type. I use a keyboard called Fleksy (it's free) which was originally made for blind people so it's very forgiving. In short, you can text on it just fine, no complaints and I've done it a lot.

the aurora store does not exist anymore, are there any alternatives to this?

Hello, I want to get my hands on a device like this, or any other versions of it, but i cant buy any. Do you have any tipps where to buy any of them, or how to get a used one or something ?

@KecskeHarcos65

Жыл бұрын

The cert shop does not work for me, i cant go to checkout

@annafilou

Жыл бұрын

Yeah, sadly they stopped selling in retail a couple of months ago. Now they only do wholesale. I don't know where else you can buy it. ☹️ Your best shot is probably to Google it.

Great. Any idea if this phone supports Indian band..

@annafilou

3 жыл бұрын

No idea, but I assumed India uses the same bands we do in Europe. You can find network comparability information on any website that sells the phone; then you can check which bands you use in India and see if they're supported. It'd bet money that they are, for what it's worth.

Hi. Thanks for the great video. What about WhatsApp?

@annafilou

24 күн бұрын

It worked normally last time I tried it.

Were can i buy this?

nice video miss... can u install text chat like telegram or whatsapp in your phone?

@annafilou

2 жыл бұрын

Yes, I use Telegram myself. I don't have WhatsApp but if it works without Google Play Services (and I guess it does) it should work fine.

@basar6056

2 жыл бұрын

@@annafilou thanks a lot for your information. its very usefull for me.

Does it have a DAC? Some sites say yes others no

@annafilou

8 ай бұрын

I don't know how to check whether it does. I had to Google what DAC is just now

What about keyboard? Usefull? Thz

After the first two words I was expecting a daily dose of Internet :)

@fiddley

3 жыл бұрын

Also that was a very thorough review! Thanks!

This was an excellent review. Any thoughts about the bigger one, the A7?

@annafilou

Жыл бұрын

I haven't used it! I'd love to get one of the more recent models, maybe one with color, in the future. If I do, I'll surely make a review.

Looking at this phone but I'm in the US and was warned we might have limited to no networks that are compatible with this. Are you in the US? Large city? Any network issues?

@annafilou

Жыл бұрын

I'm in Europe and it works fine here. I've never been to the US so can't tell. :( No connectivity issues in the EU though. Works great.

Is it possible to install Uber and Google Maps in this paper phone? I'm inclined to buy it, but I need Uber and Google Maps. I live in São Paulo. We really need this apps here.

@annafilou

Жыл бұрын

Google Maps yes, I use it all the time. I don't have Uber here so I don't know about that… various apps that need to use your location rely on Google location services which are not available on phones without Google play services, like this one. I'm honestly surprised that Google Maps works.

Hey. Would this phone work with "active" QR codes? For example on my bus and train system we use these kind of moving "active" QR codes rather than static.

@annafilou

Жыл бұрын

I'm not sure what you mean by active QR nor by whether the phone "works" with them. (How can a phone work or not work with QR codes?) If you're talking about the ability to use an image on your lock screen, you need to change that image, it cannot change by itself.

@northernswedenstories1028

Жыл бұрын

@@annafilou most QR codes are passive images. There are many QR codes today in transportation services for example which use QR codes that are in motion to avoid people screenshotting and sharing tickets.

@WyvernDotRed

Ай бұрын

@@northernswedenstories1028 if it's a QR code that refreshes every few seconds, no reason it wouldn't work. You would have to keep the related app open of course, but the e-ink display can show it normally, with some flashing on refreshes.

Do you still use it? How has it held up? :)

@annafilou

8 ай бұрын

I do! Mostly as a holiday phone, when there's a lot of sun and it's hard to see regular screens. Also as a GPS navigator in the same situations. It's held up perfectly. It works just as well as it used to. No updates though (expected).

Watched this around 10 times i reckn

@annafilou

Жыл бұрын

Why? 😆

Does the Hisense A5 E-ink phone still work in 2021? This means running the play store and most of the apps that you want! I'm personally most interested to use apps such as Quizlet and Anki on this phone plus reading apps as well as audible? On which Android is running now?

@annafilou

2 жыл бұрын

Sorry but did you not watch the video at all? This phone doesn't have any Google Play Services, including the Play Store. It's Chinese. Apparently you can root it and install Play Services, but I haven't done that and don't intend to. The phone still works in 2021 and I can't imagine why it wouldn't support Anki or Quizlet. You'd just have to download them outside the Play Store.

Great to see you enjoy your phone, but hisense actually provide Google certification registration services if you buys directly from them (and have to asked them for it), at a cost about 200 yuan roughly 30 dollars and probably wait a days or two. Though, many people who use it prefers the open sourced android(without Google), for security or privacy reasons. Though usually without Google service is actually a plus, when you get use to it. Actually I recommend people not to get Google services. Hisense actually mades industrial blast/explosive resistant phones for people who work in mines and candy factory which are dangerous environments.

@annafilou

Жыл бұрын

They made a Google version too? Are you sure? I haven't looked into it recently to be honest (so maybe something changed in the meantime) but in the past I remember some sites selling a version with Google services, but it wasn't actually official from Hisense. Rather they'd install custom firmware themselves. And don't be mistaken-the fact that this phone does not have Google services doesn't mean it's using the open source version of Android. Far from it! It's actually heavily customized, both for the Chinese market and to work well with the e-ink screen. I certainly don't feel very secure with all the Chinese preinstalled apps.

All the A5s sold in eBay are said to include Google Play.

@annafilou

24 күн бұрын

That’s great!

I wonder if there is custom ROM for this phone. You could use microG if for some reason you really want to use Google's stuff.

@annafilou

Жыл бұрын

I think there is a custom ROM with Play Services but honestly I'm kinda scared to flash it. The process isn't well documented and if something goes wrong I'll be on my own, since this isn't a very popular device.