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May 29, 2023

Benco S1 Pro Review: Elegance within Budget

The Benco 'S' series has long been synonymous with budget friendly stylish phones. Welcoming the latest addition to this illustrious lineup, the Benco S1 Pro , we witness this tradition upheld once

The Benco 'S' series has long been synonymous with budget friendly stylish phones. Welcoming the latest addition to this illustrious lineup, the Benco S1 Pro, we witness this tradition upheld once again. It was released in July, 2023, in Bangladesh. In the following review, we delve into its real-world performance, key specs, pros, cons and price of Benco S1 Pro in Bangladesh.

The Benco S1 Pro, measuring 166.91 x 74.91 x 8.47mm, is a sleek device with a glass back. It supports dual Nano-SIMs. At first glance, it closely resembles its predecessor, the Benco S1. However, a closer look reveals a slightly modified camera module. The S1 Pro now boasts a third camera ring below the flash, unlike the S1's two sensors in one ring.

Its AG Matte Glass finish exudes a premium feel. This design could easily challenge many mid-range phones. The phone maintains a flat design, complemented by flat plastic frames. Notably, it's a tad slimmer than the S1, with a thickness of just 8.47mm and it weighs 204.5g. The phone comes in three different colors: Pearl White, Iceberg Blue, and Gemstone Black.

The right side of the device houses the volume rockers and a power button. The power button doubles as a fingerprint sensor. While functional, its response time isn't the quickest in its price range.

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On the opposite side, there's a unique triple slot. This slot can hold two nano-SIMs and a separate micro-SD card. The phone's base features a 3.5mm headphone jack, a microphone, a USB Type C port, and a speaker. However, potential users might find its size a bit challenging for one-handed use.

The Benco S1 Pro features a 6.8-inch IPS display with 1080 x 2460 pixel resolution. This upgrade from the S1 brings a sharper Full HD+ panel compared to the previous HD+ version.

Despite sharing a similar color profile with the Benco S1, the S1 Pro default display leans towards a cooler tone. Nevertheless, the display quality is impressive, providing an enjoyable experience for watching YouTube videos. Adequate brightness ensures usability even under sunlight.

Distinguishing itself from competitors, the Benco S1 Pro boasts slim bezels that contribute to a modern look.

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However, the display's 60Hz refresh rate falls short in terms of response speed and smoothness. Notably, other options in this price range, like the Poco M5, offer a faster 90Hz display for improved performance.

Benco introduces a new chipset, the Unisoc Tiger T616, crafted on a 12 nm processor in the S1 Pro. This chipset offers an Octa-Core CPU: 2 Cortex-A75 cores at 2000 MHz and 6 Cortex-A55 cores at 1800 MHz. It incorporates a Mali-G57 MP1 GPU and is paired with 8GB LPDDR5 RAM and 128GB UFS 2.2 storage.

For daily tasks, the Benco S1 Pro performs well, yet it struggles in gaming scenarios. When launching or switching apps, it exhibits decent speed but a noticeable animation lag might give the impression of slowness. The phone can feel faster if animations are disabled.

In the realm of gaming, it falls short. Comparable phones with better gaming capabilities are easily found in this price bracket. Testing PUBG Mobile on Smooth graphics and Ultra frame rate settings yielded an average frame rate of 25 fps, which is notably below the expected 40fps and even below 30fps. Evidently, the Benco S1 Pro isn't optimized for gaming.

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At the rear, the Benco S1 Pro offers a trio of lenses: a 64MP wide at f/1.89, a 2MP macro at f/2.4, and an unspecified AI camera. Video options include 1080p@30fps. Flipping to the front, a 16MP f/2.0 lens handles selfies and videos at 1080p@30fps.

The Benco S1 Pro builds on its predecessor, the S1, with a boosted 64 MP main sensor, while keeping the 2MP macro and AI sensors unchanged.

The main camera steps up its game, though details could be better. Colors play it safe, but a touch more saturation could enhance appeal. Exposure tends to waver. Strangely, default HDR is off, and turning it on doesn't help – detail drops and colors seem unnatural.

For portraits, the S1 Pro performs well under good lighting, focusing on subjects with commendable edge detection. However, the blur effect lacks conviction.

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Switching to the front camera, it's a 16MP affair, but details disappoint on zooming. HDR's absence leads to overexposed backgrounds, leaving selfie quality unimpressive.

Video capabilities offer 1080p at 30fps with the main camera. As expected in budget-friendly phones, video quality disappoints – lacking detail, plagued by noise even in daylight, and often struggling with focus.

The S1 Pro features a non-removable Li-Po 5000mAh battery with rapid 33W charging. Unlike the S1, the S1 Pro boasts quicker charging capabilities. It lasts over a day with 6 hours of screen usage, impressive for its price range. The 33W charger, along with the Type-C to Type-C cable, charges the S1 Pro to 60% in 30 minutes and full in 60 minutes, making it one of the swiftest-charging options in its price range.

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- Sleek, appealing design- Strong battery life- Up-to-date Android 13

- Moderate performance- 60 Hz screen refresh rate- Single speaker setup- Room for camera improvement.

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The Benco S1 Pro is officially available in Bangladesh. The phone’s price in Bangladesh is BDT 14,990 for the 6 GB by 128 GB version and BDT 15,990 for the 8 GB by 256 GB version

Undoubtedly, the Benco S1 Pro stands out with its unparalleled design and build quality within its price range. The display doesn't fall short either, with its respectable 60Hz FHD+ panel. Yet, it's worth noting that some competitors offer a 90 Hz screen in the same price bracket. Meanwhile, the 33W fast charging sets a remarkable pace among budget-friendly phones.

Nonetheless, its performance, software experience, and camera capabilities don't manage to leave a strong impression. While satisfactory, there's room for improvement.

To sum it up, the Benco S1 Pro brings welcomed advancements over its predecessor, the Benco S1, although its performance aspects could have received more attention. Overall, it presents a commendable package, albeit with untapped potential.

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