MyPhone My32 Review - Lightweight Packs A Punch!

There's no shortage of smartphones here in the country. With local tech giants steamrolling in the market with offerings that boast capable hardware without the lofty price tags, choosing the device that suits you best is now a difficult thing to pull off. MyPhone has been bullish in building up its My family, and the company has been doing a pretty good job at it thus far. The My35 and the My36, anyone?

MyPhone My32 review

What we have right here is MyPhone's My32 – a lightweight contender in the budget spectrum, yet a capable go-getter in itself. Will it rise above the sea of smartphones that have been flooding the segment? We find out.

For the first part of our MyPhone My32 review (Unboxing and Build Quality): Click Here!

Display Quality

Display test

Display panels with HD resolution seem to be the standard now, and we're pleased to report that the My32 is part of it. Its 5-inch display comes with a 1280 x 720 display, which delivers crisp enough text and clear enough images. Color reproduction is also on point, but its brightness levels are kind of a mixed bag. Still, there's nothing to complain about sunlight legibility as you can put it to maximum on quick access. Another note, it only features a two-point multitouch, so good luck with multiple key presses.

Multitouch test

MyPhone took the liberty and added a screen film in the bundle so you don't have to worry about scratches and whatnot. Which, in this case, would also seem somewhat unnecessary as the My32 already comes protected with a layer of Gorilla Glass.

Audio Quality

The My32 features a single speaker on the back of the handset. Surprisingly, it’s really quite loud as opposed to other smartphones in range. It’s great for watching movies and video clips since it can easily fill up a small room. How its speakers perform however hugely differ from its DAC performance. Audio details are somewhat muddled, and volume levels are toned down quite a bit on a Sennheiser PX 80.

Battery Life

Battery test

Smartphones in the budget category thankfully feature batteries that can last you a while, and the My32 is no exception to that. Its 2000mAh can deliver a day’s worth of battery without any hitch, and its standby time can really go far. Geekbench yielded about 9 hours of screen time, so you’re safe if you plan on stepping it up a notch in multimedia and gaming.

Camera

Rear camera with flash

As to what we’ve expected from the My32 with regards to its price tag, its camera doesn’t really offer much. News as of late indicate that it features an unspecified 13MP Samsung sensor, but it’s all hype. Sure it’s usable when it comes to daily needs that can take decent shots in well lit places and some conditions, but you’ll be begging much if you’re planning to make it your daily driver. It may also require a lot of patience before you get the shot you wanted.

Furthermore, while its 5MP selfie camera seems to be a performer on paper, it doesn’t really stack up on its number. It’s acceptable, but no focus and mediocre low-light performance may not cut it for the selfie-savvy. It's also violetish in color and doesn't perform that well in low light.

Rear Camera Samples

Daylight shot

HDR (left), normal (right)

Good bokeh

Flash test

Selfie Camera Samples

Selfie sample

Performance

Here are some benchmark results for your convenience

Even at this time, The MediaTek MT6592M still delivers in terms of performance. It comes with a1.4GHz octa-core CPU, Mali 450 GPU, and 2GB of RAM, which, by today's standards, is still a speedy setup. We’re pleased with the 16GB internal storage, too, as most phones in this range still feature partitioned storage spaces, a paltry 4GB, or the standard 8GB.

Graphic-intensive games such as Need for Speed: Most Wanted, Chaos Rings III, Marvel Contest of Champions can run. There are stutters, yes, but they’re barely minimal so to speak.

Software

Coming from a vanilla faithful, the My32 is right where it’s at. It features Android 5.1 Lollipop, and it looks clean and modern. MyPhone didn’t do any heavy customizations in the user-interface and navigation, and all of the changes the company made are on aesthetics and an unfortunate bunch of bloatware.

The icons are still from days of old Android, but you can easily change it with a simple icon pack or a launcher switch. Bloatware, however, seem to be excessive, but it’s something that only takes a couple to uninstall. Retain the commonly used social media apps that you want, while nuke other apps that you’re not planning on using anytime soon.

Pros - Capable performance, Gorilla Glass equipped, lengthy battery life, loud, clear volume from its speaker, light weight, classy leather watch included, affordable price

Cons - Navigation buttons aren’t backlit, camera setup could be better, glossy plastic back panel is a fingerprint magnet, bloatware

Verdict

While the MyPhone My32 didn’t hit all the checkboxes, its price plays a huge part in the decision. If you’re looking for performance without the tradeoff in longevity, the My32 easily delivers. It’s available in a price that won’t break your bank. It feels easy in the pocket, both figuratively and literally.

On the other hand, if you're looking for a smartphone that comes with a beastly camera setup, you'll want to go higher and settle for the My35 or the My36 if you have the budget.

GIZ Rating: 3.5/5 Stars