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! 👋😊

@@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:)

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

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

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

true!

Thank you, that's great to read! 😊

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

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! 🙏

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

@@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

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

@@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?

You're welcome!

Thank you!

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)

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!

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

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.

Many thanks ⭐

Thank you!! 🙏🙏✨ My intention was to tell people everything there is to know about the phone, as quickly as possible. Well, UKposts 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 🙄

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

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.

Thanks for watching! 🙏

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 🤗

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

Thanks a lot!

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

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

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. 😊

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.

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

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. 👌

@@annafilou Can't wait ur video

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

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!

Thank you! 🙏

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

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.

Can you download apps like amazon, zoom , audible etc

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.

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.

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

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. 👌

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.

@@annafilou very thanks,have a nice day ☺

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.

@@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.

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.

@@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.

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?).

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.

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.)

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!

@@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.

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.

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

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.

@@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?

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.)

​@@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.

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.

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.

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

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

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.

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

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

@@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

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).

@@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.

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

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

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.

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 ;)

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

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

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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

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.

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

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”.

@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.

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

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.

Seriously? 😂 Alright, even so, that leaves countless other mistakes

​@@annafilou I googled it when I heard it on the radio. I thought Fry on Futurama was just wrong.

It worked normally last time I tried it.

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.

Why? 😆

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.

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.

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.

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

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.

That’s great!

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.

@@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.

@@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.

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.