At first we would like to thank TP-LINK for offering me a sample of their Neffos C5L Smartphone for testing and reviewing.

 

About TP-LINK:

"TP-LINK is a global provider of SOHO networking products and No.1 market share holder in China, with products available in over 100 countries to tens of millions customers. Committed to powerful R&D, effective production and strict quality management, TP-LINK continues to provide awards-winning networking products in Wireless, ADSL, Routers, Switches, IP Cameras, Powerline Adapters, Print Servers, Media Converters and Network Adapters for Global end-users.

Based on the confidence of tens of millions of customers, TP-LINK is now growing to become one of the most competitive providers of networking products with aspirations of becoming one of the top 3 networking brands and striving for a larger global market share, while further advancing in the world of networking to better serve our most valued customers with a product that makes their lives easier."

Product Features:

 

Stunning Camera in 4.5" Smartphone

 

The Neffos C5L is equipped with an 8MP rear camera complimented by autofocus, allowing you to easily capture every moment in perfect detail. What's more, you could print the photos out in high quality to make a memorable album. The Neffos C5L comes with a 2MP front camera to capture the best of your beautiful self and share with friends and family through still pictures or via video chat.

 

Power to Get More Done, for Work or Fun

 

Powered by its 64-bit Qualcomm® Snapdragon™ 210 processor, the Neffos C5L is designed to provide an uncompromised mobile experience. Packed with 1 GB of RAM, 8 GB of ROM, and with 32 GB of expandable SD memory you have the space to manage and keep your files, apps, entertainment and memories close at hand.

 

Ultra-fast Experience

 

4G LTE technology provides you with mobile internet that keeps up with your pace of life. Revel in faster download speeds, stream seamless HD videos and say goodbye to dropped video calls for good. Enjoy all of this on the go, wherever you are.

 

Dual SIM Dual Standby

 

Dual SIM Dual Standby allows you to enjoy mobile on your own terms. Enjoy the complete mobile freedom of keeping separate work and personal numbers, subscribing to different mobile plans at the same time, and the ability to connect to network around the world.

 

The Advanced Version of Android

 

Combined with Google's Android 5.1, the Neffos C5L provides an unmitigated mobile experience. Make the most of your mobile with the advanced Android 5.1 that doesn't just look better, but also keeps your device safer.

 

Crafted for Exceptional Handling

 

The Neffos C5L's sleek curves make it as elegant on the outside as it is powerful on the inside. Designed to best fit your palm, the C5L makes it more comfortable to stay in touch, in style.

 

 

Product Specifications:

 

TP-LINK has made a very bold move recently by releasing products in a very competitive segment nowadays: smartphones; these intelligent devices come in a plethora of configurations, sizes and sport many different features. Here we would also like to remind that the Chinese smartphones have literally flooded the market, making it very hard for the consumer to choose a specific product because of so many choices…The new smartphone series from TP-LINK is called Neffos C5 and currently has three members: C5L (low-end segment), C5 (mainstream) and also C5 Max (mainstream-to-high-end). We will first take a look at the smallest version, C5L which is quite easy to fit in the pocket considering that we are dealing with a 4.5’’ display. The product is shipped inside a fully-sealed cardboard box:

 

 

 

The Neffos C5 line packaging comes with a purple background and on the top cover we will also get to see the model code name we are getting (in this case the C5L):

 

 

 

A seal can be observed on the back:

 

 

 

As with any smartphone, there is a sticker on the packaging which informs us on the full product code name, its serial but also the IMEI numbers for both slots; while the sample we have received is marked as TP601A, there are also other variants available. When attempting a firmware update from the TP-LINK Neffos website, make sure you select the file for your version, in order to avoid bricks!

 

 

 

On the bottom area of the packaging we will get to see a list of technical specifications; here we will learn of the SoC type, screen resolution, supported bands, number of megapixels for both cameras and more:

 

 

 

After lifting the top cover, we will get to see the main product sitting on the top layer:

 

 

 

The bottom layer holds the bundle:

 

 

 

First we would remind of the Quick Start Guide in multiple languages, but also a separate Declaration of Conformity leaflet:

 

 

 

 

Also, we do have the USB charge/data cable, the smartphone rechargeable battery but also an USB charger:

 

 

 

The charger holds the Neffos product logo on top:

 

 

 

On the other side we have the power rating, which reads on the output as 5V at 1A:

 

 

 

The rechargeable battery holds a design which we have also seen with the VKWorld VK2015 compact model:

 

 

 

On its back we will be able to see more specifications; its total capacity is rated as 2000mAh:

 

 

 

The C5L model presents itself with a rounded-corner design, fairly large screen bezels and a cool-looking white TP-LINK logo on the bottom section; the attached screen protector unfortunately does come printed so it must be removed in order to operate the smartphone properly:

 

 

 

The 4.5’’ screen does offer a FWVGA resolution (854x480), lower than we were used to but should be enough in order to keep costs down:

 

 

 

On the top area of the screen we’ve got the selfie 2MP front-facing camera, the proximity sensor but also the speaker:

 

 

 

Between the bottom TP-LINK logo and the screen we will be able to spot the Android Back, Home and Menu buttons, which are not LED-lighted; a chromed plastic frame surrounds the top layer:

 

 

 

The back smartphone cover features a “Pearl White” finishing (it is also available in Dark Grey):

 

 

 

Under the 8MP camera lens we will get to see the LED flash, but also the Neffos logo:

 

 

 

Further down we have the loudspeaker grill, which also features two white small feet so it won’t be obstructed when the smartphone sits on a surface:

 

 

 

The right side of the smartphone does come with the Power/Standby button, but also the Volume rocker:

 

 

 

 

A small space is left out in the bottom right corner which aids back cover removal:

 

 

 

The bottom area of the smartphone comes with a small microphone port:

 

 

 

The left side does not come with any interfaces:

 

 

 

On the top we do have the headphone jack, but also the USB port:

 

 

 

After removing the back cover, we will be able to expose the internals:

 

 

 

In the vicinity of the LED flash we do have the golden battery contacts available:

 

 

 

In order to supply the dual-SIM feature, Neffos C5L comes with two microSIM card slots and in the middle we do have a microSDHC card reader:

 

 

 

The loudspeaker port is protected with a mesh against dust or other debris:

 

 

 

As we have seen with the inFocus M560, TP-LINK has chosen to go with a custom launcher on their C5L the icons feature a custom design and are quite big, easy to identify on the screen; some widgets are also pre-installed and the Google applications are stored in a separate folder. No application drawer is present here!

 

 

 

First we will begin with the Themes application, which will help us modify the launcher appearance on-the-fly:

 

 

Then we have the Music application, which is a reskinned version versus the one we have seen with stock Android:

 

 

Camera application is much simplified and while it does resemble the one we have seen with the previously-tested smartphones, this one does not have an option to access advanced settings:

 

 

Scene options can be changed from the top icon area:

 

 

The lower area of the interface allows us to set some filters and also from here we will be able to change from shooting photos to recording movies:

 

 

The Gallery application has multiple tabs from where we can check out the Camera shots, Albums and can also organize Collections:

 

 

A healthy amount of Google applications comes pre-installed:

 

 

First we have the well-known Chrome browser which works as expected:

 

 

Gmail application is next, which associates itself automatically with the default Gmail account. We can always define more accounts later:

 

 

Google Maps is always handy when travelling:

 

 

If we are in the mood for watching the latest community-uploaded videos, we can use the Youtube application:

 

 

Google Drive can be used for storing important files in the cloud; these can be afterwards further shared with different other devices:

 

 

Play Music is another service pre-installed with this ROM:

 

 

Google Hangouts is one of Googles’ social applications:

 

 

Google Photos services can be used for uploading our favorite shots to the cloud, in order to easily access them afterwards:

 

 

Calendar is a well-known app which does not need any introduction:

 

 

Play Store is the place to go in order to download tons of free or paid applications, games and more:

 

 

A System Management application is also pre-installed with the ROM and is similar to what we have seen with Flyme or MIUI OSes:

 

 

Clock application allows us to set alarms, adjust the system clock, work with timers, use the stopwatch and so on:

 

 

An application for taking short notes is available for us to use:

 

 

A second application for managing email accounts is Mail:

 

 

Video Player is present on most Android ROMs and allows the user to playback video files present on the storage:

 

 

File Explorer was also designed to match the one we have also seen with other custom ROMs:

 

 

Next we would like to remind of the included Weather application:

 

 

The Tools area contains more useful applications:

 

 

FM Radio application can be properly used when a headset is used with the smartphone:

 

 

An easy to use flashlight application is also included:

 

 

The Recorder for recording short messages or audio effects is also present here:

 

 

Calculator is another usual application:

 

 

Downloads icon is just a shortcut to the actual downloads folder on the main storage:

 

 

System Update application will always inform us if a new version of the ROM is available and from here we can also start the flashing process:

 

 

Unlike many other manufacturers, TP-LINK has also included a Feedback application, which can be used in order to send out bugs we have discovered during use:

 

 

The Phone application assists us when making a phone call and from here we can also access the list of Contacts:

 

 

Messages application is the place to go when sending out SMS messages:

 

 

A separate Contacts application is also available:

 

 

One default Internet Browser application can be used if Chrome is not our cup-of-tea:

 

 

Next we will be navigating to the Settings application, which allows us alter system configuration:

 

 

Inside the WLAN area we can see the nearby WiFi networks listed and can connect to them given we have the correct credentials:

 

 

Bluetooth connectivity can be managed from the next menu:

 

 

A special menu was designed for the dual-SIM feature, where we can delegate specific services to different providers:

 

 

Data Usage menu is handy for monitoring traffic on both Mobile and Wi-Fi interfaces:

 

 

The More menu is the same as we have seen with MTK smartphones in the past:

 

 

A separate Mobile network settings menu will allow us to enable Data Roaming per each SIM, preferred network type, define APNs and more:

 

 

From the Display menu we can choose the desired Brightness levels, enable Adaptive brightness, set a Wallpaper, Sleep timer and so on:

 

 

Sound and Notification menu allows us to set volumes for different instances, choose if the smartphone should vibrate during an incoming call, work with Interruptions, define a ringtone and so on:

 

 

Storage area allows us to monitor the free space remaining on the internal memory; we can also attach a microSDHC card for supplementing the memory quantity:

 

 

Battery menu will show us the applications which use the most resources and we also have the option to display the percentage in the top right corner:

 

 

The Apps menu shows the currently installed applications and modules:

 

 

Location area allows us to work with the hardware GPS and adjust its accuracy:

 

 

Security menu comes with the usual options:

 

 

From the Accounts menu we can modify the existing or add new ones:

 

 

Language and Input menu allows us to select the interface language, enable the Spell checker, choose a different keyboard and so on:

 

 

Backup & Reset menu will allow us to backup the current settings to Google servers, but also restore the smartphone to factory settings if something goes south:

 

 

Date & Time menu needs no explanation:

 

 

Regular Accessibility menu is next:

 

 

More information about the product can be found inside the About phone menu:

 

 

The Neffos C5L smartphone from TP-LINK comes equipped with the Qualcomm MSM8909 SoC (Snapdragon 210) which is equipped with four ARM Cortex A7 cores at 1.1GHz, while the GPU side is taken care of the Adreno 304. This one has LTE FDD Cat4 support and the TP601A can work with FDD-LTE Bands 1,3,7,8, and 20. C5L also comes with 1GB of RAM (which can be insufficient in some situations, if running more applications at the same time) and 8GB of internal memory.

 

 

The Device tab informs us on the supported screen resolution, manufacturer, screen density, total RAM and usage but also total internal storage and usage:

 

 

The System tab will supply us more information regarding the board type, Android version, kernel, resolution, free memory and so on:

 

 

The Battery tab will show the current status; the battery sensor is working properly on this model:

 

 

 

The new Thermal tab will update us with the live temperatures in different areas:

 

 

The application also shows live data from the available sensors:

 

 

To test out the performances of the TP-LINK Neffos C5L smartphone in more detail, we have installed some freeware benchmark apps from the Google Play Store in the internal memory (did not transfer them to a 3rd party microSDHC card, in order not to influence the test results). Afterwards, the applications were ran one-by-one, and we recorded the final scores; the obtained results were also compared with the previously tested systems, in order to spot the performance differences.

 

AnTuTu

 

 

Basemark GUI

 

 

 

Quadrant

 

 

Vellamo

 

 

3DMark

 

 

Real Pi

 

PCMark

 

 

GeekBench 3

 

Optionally, we have extracted more info about the terminal and its modules thanks to the free CPU X application:

 

CPU

 

 

System

 

 

Network

 

 

Battery

 

 

Sensors

 

 

Features

 

 

Rear Camera

 

 

Front Camera

 

 

In order to drive the cost down of the product, TP-LINK has used a TN screen instead of IPS on the C5L and the inferior viewing angles can be spotted right away.

The 8MP back shooter is able to produce good quality shots in decent light conditions, which is a plus considering the low price point. However, we would not recommend it in lower light conditions, because of the less than accurate focus and the color reproduction will be less than ideal.

 

Of course, you can always check out the full-resolution, unaltered versions at this LINK.

Neffos C5L was mainly designed for people which do not want to spend a lot when purchasing a smartphone and its dimensions are ideal in a market which is flooded with phablets. The back shooter can produce good quality photos to be used online and the interface has been simplified so anyone can take a photo with ease. We are not talking about “another” MTK smartphone this time, but incorporates a Qualcomm Snapdragon 210 SoC along with 1GB of RAM and 8GB of internal memory; if this storage space is not enough for us, then we can supplement with up to 32GB via microSDHC cards.

 

Neffos C5L does also come with 4G LTE support, but make sure to check out the bands before purchase so they will fit with what your provider has to offer.

 

This smartphone can operate with dual-SIM, dual standby feature so we can use two different providers with ease; in order to fit the SIM cards into the slots, we need to have them in microSIM format.

 

C5L comes with an Android 5.1 ROM, which is not the most recent out there but we hope for an Android 6.0 update or newer as soon as possible.

 

Regarding this smartphone battery life, we are impressed to see what the combo between the Snapdragon 210 SoC and an optimized software can offer; this model can last quite a bit, as it can be seen from the Antutu Battery Test:

 

 

 

The hardware GPS is another component which surprised us positively, being much more responsive than the MTK counterparts and it can detect and connect to many more satellites; we have used it for tracking multiple times and the results were very good.

 

 

 

Negative aspects of the product or….cons as other people say: this model is equipped with a TN screen and this can be seen when looking at the inferior viewing angles. This mostly bothered us when we wanted to look on the screen while the smartphone was sitting on the table, half a meter from us. If we hold, however the smartphone in our hands, the viewing angles are noticeably better, even when holding the product in landscape mode.

 

A suggestion besides the upgrade to Android 6.0 would be for TP-LINK to include call recording inside the Phone application so it won’t be necessary to use any other 3rd party applications.

 

The TP-LINK Neffos C5L can be found online for about 99 Euros.

 

TP-LINK Neffos C5L Smartphone is Recommended For:

 

 

We would like to thank again to TP-LINK for making this review possible!