Hisense has launched the A7 – a big eink smartphone/ereader (actually bigger than many ereaders like the kindle paperwhite for example) with 5G connectivity.
[Note: This page will be updated once I get more information. Its a bit difficult because all the sources are in Chinese]
The Hisense A7 will have an Android 10 OS with 6GB RAM and 128GB internal storage. It will come in two colors- Obsidian Black and Moonlight Silver. It has a huge 4770 mAh battery with 18W fast charging.
The screen will be matte and stretches at 6.7 inches with 300PPI. The bezels are thinner compared to the previous models. There are two nano sim card slots and it will have USB-C with OTG and a 3.5mm headphone jack. The A7 will have a 16 MP camera with LED flash at the back and 5 MP one at the front for selfies.
The main noticeable differences between the A5 Pro and the A7 are:
- Battery – A5 Pro has 4000mAh while A7 has 4770mAh
- CPU – A5 Pro uses a T610 Octa-core Processor with 1.82GHz while A7 uses a T710 Octa-core processor with 4 A75 cores clocking at 2.0 GHz and another 4 A55 cores at 1.8 GHz
- Screen – A5 Pro had a 5.84″ eink screen with 287 PPI while the A7 is bigger at 6.7″ with 300 PPI. It will also be matte instead of glossy.
- Hisense also says that the software has been upgraded to perform better and faster
- and of course the upgrade from 4G to 5G.
Besides the hardware upgrades the software has also been updated. some of the changes include a new User Interface and 4 new display modes.
The A7 is up for order at CNY 1999 (305$) on JD.com and its selling like hotcakes. As of this writing there are currently 200+ reviews of it – all positive except for one nuetral (too big). It is also available on CECT.
There’s going to be another kind of release (maybe globally?) on 1 January 2021.
Hisense A7 CC 5G Color eInk Phone
Hisense will also unveiled a colored version – the A7CC which uses the second generation Kaleido Color e-paper. A cool new feature of this phone is the “Classic Mode” which will change the colored screen to a black and white one. It will be officially released and ready for order on 1 February 2021 priced at CNY 2399 (367$). Read this article for more details on and specifications of the Hisense A7 CC.
It is rumored that both these devices will be launched internationally, (there is no info yet on which countries they will be available in though). Hence to avoid the hassle of high shipping costs and tariff duties it’s probably best to wait for some time and see how it plays out rather than importing it now from China.
Video version:
Cameras are 16MP (back) and 5MP (front), as the product page.
Thank you for the info. Did you buy it?