Yunicorn is the latest flagship launched by YU Televentures in India. This handset is powered by MediaTek Helio P10 64 bit octa core processor. The hardware is good but when it comes to gaming it is not that happening. Read the review to know more.
YU Yunicorn Unboxing
I did not get the box pack, but here is what you will get inside the box – the handset, user manual, data cable, SIM tray ejector pin, warranty card, travel charger and good quality earphone.
Design, Display and OS
The Yunicorn is using a metal body with a very good built quality and finishing. The 2.5D curved glass on the screen helps give a smoother experience. This handset looks exactly similar to the Meizu M3 Note, though there are minor differences (check video review).
Handset is comfortable to hold and operate. Wight with battery is 174 grams and dimensions are 75.28 x 153.22 x 8.33 (mm). Power and volume buttons is on the right. Audio jack and secondary mic is on the top. Dual SIM tray is on the left side. Primary Mic, micro USB port and speaker out vent is at the bottom.
This is a dual SIM handset with a hybrid slot – you can use two nano SIM’s or a nano SIM and a micro SD card.
There is LED notification and following sensors –light, proximity, accelerometer, magnetic and gyro.
Yunicorn sports a 5.5 inch screen with 2.5D curved glass supporting 1920 x 1080 (FHD) pixels resolution. Color reproduction, viewing angles and touch response are very good.
This smartphone is running AOS (Android On Steroids) OS based on Android Lollipop 5.1.1. This OS is closer to stock android and packed with unique features – it allows you to search and navigate faster.
Users can also swipe from left to right on the home screen and get list of useful options. For example you can select cab and then get Uber and Ola options, you can even book a cab from the same screen without having to install the Uber or Ola applications.
This handset also comes with health app powered by Lybra that gives you access to trusted doctors closer to your location. You can also ask question and get it answered by the doctors for free.
Memory and Storage
There is 4GB RAM and 32GB ROM + 128GB micro SD card is supported. On the first boot you will get around 24GB free internal storage space and 2.6GB free RAM. Apps are getting installed on the internal storage space and there is no option to move to SD card. OTG is supported.
Performance
Yunicorn is powered by MediaTek Helio P10 1.9GHz Octa Core processor with Mali T860 GPU. In general the performance is smooth and battery temperature is under control – max temp I encountered was 39 degrees. However when it comes to gaming the performance is not up to the mark. The games clearly lagged in high quality mode. In fact I found the same issue with Meizu M3 Note that is also using the Helio P10 chipset. It seems Helio P10 with a 1080p display is not performing as expected when it comes to gaming. Otherwise there is no other issues.
YU Yunicorn Benchmark
- Quadrant – 21523
- Antutu (64 bit) – 42348 | 3D score – 5713
- Nenamark 2 – 54.4fps
- Internal storage Speed – Read (182MB/s), Write (79MB/s)
- Multi Touch – 10 Point
Gaming
I tried two games Modern Combat 5 (MC5) and Asphalt 8. Now MC5 was lagging occasionally, at higher levels it will lag more. Asphalt 8 clearly lagged in high visual quality mode, game played well in medium visual quality mode. For much better experience play it in low visual quality mode.
Yunicorn Camera
There is a 13MP camera on the rear with PDAF and dual tone LED flash, the front camera is 5MP shooter. Rear camera can shoot FHD videos. Camera quality is above average. Do check the sample images and video at the end of this review. Some of the shot turned out really great.
Others features / issues
I did not find gesture options – on screen / off screen, there is no double tap to wake screen. No issues with 4G (works on both SIM slot), WiFi, GPS and Bluetooth. Network quality was really good, no issues. Sound (DTS) was loud and clear, in call sound was also good.
The finger print sensor on the front is fast and accurate. To unlock you need to press the button and keep the finger on the sensor to unlock. There are no dedicated buttons and hence on-screen navigation buttons will show up. The single button that is also the finger print sensor can be used to go to home screen all you need to do is press it.
Battery
A 4000 mAh non-removable battery powers up this handset. Battery life is very good you can expect 5 to 8 hours of non-stop moderate to heavy usage on a full charge. For my mixed moderate usage I got one and a half day backup.
YU Yunicorn Battery Performance (time / battery % drop / battery temperature).
- Running Benchmark app – 10 minutes / 3% / 36 degrees
- Played MC5 + Asphalt 8 – 19 minutes / 5% / 39 degrees
- FHD video playback with full brightness (WiFi /4G on) – 29minutes / 6% / 38 degrees
It took me 2 hours 10 minutes to charge the handset using wall charger from 29% to 100% (using fast charger). For 0% to 100% it will take 2 hours (30 to 45)minutes.
Verdict
YU Yunicorn, look wise and hardware wise is similar to Meizu M3 Note, and both these handsets are running different OS. Yunicorn is loaded with 4GB RAM and 32GB ROM in other words an upgraded version of Meizu M3 note.
It is a good handset but the Helio P10 chipset under performs when it comes to gaming. If you are more into gaming then avoid the MediaTek Helio P10 chipset specially used on handsets with 1080p resolution and over.
Meizu M3 Note with 3GB RAM + all other specs are the same, is price at Rs. 9,999 and Yunicorn is price at Rs. 12,999 with 4GB RAM other specs are same, performance is almost same – when you compare, you are paying 3K extra for 1GB extra RAM + the unique features added in AOS OS. It is a good upgrade from M3 Note, but there is a good difference when it comes to pricing, and it is going to increase after one month.
(Rating 4 out of 5)
YU Yunicorn will be available on Flipkart for Rs. 12,999. After one month the price will change to Rs. 13,499.
Image Gallery
YU Yunicorn video review
Yunicorn rear camera sample
Front camera sample
