MyPhone Rio 2 Lite Review - NoypiGeeks

Due to the success of the1st gen Rio, MyPhone is really on the trails in strengthening the Rio brand’s footprint by releasing two new devices on this line up, the Rio 2 and Rio 2 Lite.

The Rio 2 Lite’s characteristics are not too far away from its bigger brother. Considering the trim on the price tag, there had been some few compromises on the spec sheet, in contrast to the actual MyPhone Rio 2.

MyPhone took it slowly but surely in introducing new products in the market. It’s been a long time since their last release. But is it the right strategy for this product line? Is the Rio 2 Lite competitive enough to match other devices on the low-end market? Let’s figure that out.

Video Review

MyPhone Rio 2 Lite Specs

  • Android 5.0 Lollipop
  • 4.7-inch IPS LCD (480×800 WVGA), 199ppi
  • 1.3GHz quad-core processor
  • 1GB RAM
  • 8GB internal storage
  • microSD support up to 64GB
  • 8-megapixel main camera, with autofocus and LED flash
  • 2-megapixel front camera
  • Wi-Fi 802.11n
  • Dual SIM with dual standby
  • 3G HSPA+
  • Bluetooth
  • GPS
  • 2120mAh battery

Design

MyPhone truly wanted to target the yuppies on the Rio line ever since. From the affordable price tag, up to the numerous colorful choices, it’s very clear. The device comes in Red, Black, White, and a Blue-green color for our review unit. However, these colors only apply to the handset’s back panel, which is also has a matte finish. I’m personally a big fan of devices painted in matte, as it doesn’t sustain much fingerprint marks, in contrast to the glossy ones. Thus, it always looks clean. Despite being offered in different colors , the front-end of the phone still remained painted in black on all variants.MyPhone Rio 2 Lite Specs

Given the cheap price tag, it’s not surprising that the MyPhone Rio 2 Lite is utterly constructed with plastic. Although the device doesn’t feel too flimsy, it’s not absolutely solid either. The Rio 2 Lite’s overall build quality feels to last for a long time, if given the right care. There’s also some noticeable weight on this one, but not too heavy to be alarmed about.

Taking a tour we got a 4.7″ display in front, with the earpiece, ambient light and proximity sensor, LED Notification indicator, 2-megapixel front-facing camera and the capacitive buttons.

Left side is empty, while the right has the lock/power switch and the volume controls. The buttons have a very discreet and thin profile. It looks good, although a bit less tactile.MyPhone Rio 2 Lite Design

At the top we have the 3.5mm headphone jack, the bottom has the miscroUSB port and the built-in microphone.Ports, Charger, Earphone - Rio 2 Lite

At the back we got an 8-megapixel camera with LED flash, some brandings, and the speakers. The speaker’s performance is pretty impressive. The volume is fairly loud, without distorting the quality. The speaker delivers a well-balanced sound. It’s perfect for any media consumption and gaming.MyPhone Rio 2 Lite Price

Popping-out the back panel reveals the two sim-card slots, and in case the 8GB onboard storage isn’t enough, there’s a microSD card slot (capable of up to 32GB) available. Underneath is the removable 2,120mAh power battery.MyPhone Rio 2 Lite Battery

Display

MyPhone Rio 2 Lite has a 4.7″ IPS display, with 480 x 800 resolution and 199 pixels-per-inch. With these humble figures, the screen quality is something to be expected. There’s not enough sharpness and if you look closely, pixels can be easily seen due to the low pixel count. But does it look bad? For most people, it’s probably not.MyPhone Rio 2 Lite Review

Viewing angles are also a bit uninspiring on this one. Glares and reflections are pretty visible at times, especially when the screen has a lot of blacks,i.e a low-light scene on a movie you’re watching. Outdoor visibility is a bit satisfying, though. The display blasts enough backlighting to fight against extreme outdoor light.MyPhone Rio 2 Lite budget Lollipop smartphone

But nevertheless, a marvelous display is something not to be expected in an entry-level device like this. For its price, the display’s performance is fine.  The 4.7″ size is pretty acceptable for ergonomic use, and the decent size on the keyboard can be easily typed on. Also, with a low resolution display, itmeans that it also helps to get the most out of the battery.

Performance

The device sports a 1.3GHz quad-core MediaTek processor (MT6582), with 1GB of RAM, and a Mali-400MP GPU. The processor that’s powering this phone might look a little frail, but considering the software optimizations and Android Lollipop, this chipset may suffice.

Day-to-day operations have been pretty smooth. Browsing through the home screen, through the apps’ Feeds like Facebook and Instagram have been a breeze. Although there have been some hiccups on opening applications at times, a waiting time of a second or two may occur, but only when the processor have been fully stretched.

Gaming experience has been very decent. I played Real Boxing and there were no visible frame drops, which relates to the device’s 64fps score on Nenamark 2.MyPhone Rio 2 Lite Benchmarks

This score have been possible because of its capable processor, and a low-resolution display. However, I have noticed an inferior visual quality on that particular game compared to other handsets.

Overall, the Rio Lite 2’s performance was really satisfying and I bet a lot of people would feel the same. To give you a bit more perspective, check out some of these benchmark tests results:

Antutu results MyPhone Rio 2 Lite ReviewSoftware

MyPhone may have followed the footprints of the Android One devices – MyPhone Uno and Cherry Mobile One – on this one. And unlike other malicious copycat-ing strategy, this one is something really applaudable. The well known characteristic of Android Ones is the lack of bloatwares and third-party apps, and leaving a stripped-down, memory-friendly Android Lollipop. Not only that it preserves your precious internal storage, but also improves the device’s overall performance, resulting into a buttery smooth user-experience.

That having said, we got Android Lollipop on the MyPhone Rio 2 Lite. These new rio devices are the first local smartphones to debut the latest version of Android, apart from the Android One devices.. And unlike a standard MyPhone device, I’m not seeing the third-party apps that they usually pre-install on their devices. Unfortunately, you’re still left with the native Google apps you usually see on Nexus Devices plus the AOSP apps. What does this mean? It means that there are two messaging apps, two camera apps, two galleries, etc. It would’ve been great if they just removed it altogether to prevent duplication.Android 5.0 Lollipop UI - Rio 2 Lite

User interface also looks and feels good to use. All of the beautiful aesthetics that Android Lollipop is known for is here. The design and operation gestures are here. From the beautiful and functional homescreen that has notifications with it, app drawer with quick-controls, and even the Lollipop keyboard, everything is elegantly incorporated.

Quick Launch gestures are also present. These shortcut gestures are being done while the display is off.  Double-tapping the display turns it on, so you could easily check the notifications displayed on the lockscreen without having to press the unlock button. Others immediately launches the dial pad, music player and the messaging app. Although, these feature lacks customization, which is kinda frustrating. The available apps and the gestures can’t be touched, thus, can’t be inter-changed.

Camera

The device sports an 8-megapixel primary camera and a 2-megapixel front-facing one. These camera sensors are something very competitive for its price tag.

The primary camera can produce excellent shots. It has some decent saturation which leads to impressive details, although the contrast is a bit overblown at times. Dynamic range is also a bit middling. But nevertheless, judging the sample shots below, the photos it can take are pretty sharp and has some decent depth-of-field, given that there’s a good natural lighting.

The front-facing camera can also produce some decent output. Considering that the lighting is great, it can produce excellent Instagram and Facebook-worthy selfies. Video calls are also seamless on this one, the camera is still fairly usable at low-light scenarios but don’t expect too much.

Check out these sample shots:MyPhone Rio 2 Lite Camera Camera samples - MyPhone Rio 2 Lite Rio 2 Lite outdoor pics Indoor camera shots MyPhone Rio 2 Lite Review-10 Review - MyPhone Rio 2 Lite camera

Rio 2 Lite is also capable of shooting 1080p videos. With built-in Electronic Image Stabilizer and has a time lapse option.

Connectivity

The device only has 3G, WiFi and Bluetooth as a mode of connectivity. No 4G.

In terms of connecting to the internet via either 3G or WiFi, everything is cherry pie. Although, There are times that I’ve experienced a glitch when I try to turn on the WiFi. The Wifi won’t just turn on, the sliding switch would just go back to OFF. However, I found a fix by turning on the WiFi hotspot first before switching the actual WiFi on.  Whilst there’s a fix, it’s still not tolerable and acceptable. Hopefully, there would be a software update to address this.

Battery

The battery performance of MyPhone Rio 2 Lite has been very impressive. The Rio 2 Lite’s 2,120mAh battery is a robust performer. The device lasted for a good 18 to 19 hours of casual use (messaging, phone calls, internet browsing), and screen-on time took almost 6 hours before the juice indicator turned red.MyPhone Rio 2 Lite Battery Life

The usage figures may really look very impressive, and this may account to, like I said earlier, the device’s low-resolution display, and also some software optimizations.

Verdict

MyPhone did an awesome job on crafting this one. The bubbly design, satisfactory processing performance, killer battery life, and of course, the Android Lollipop onboard makes this device a good choice if you’re looking for a device on this price range.MyPhone Rio 2 Lite Review, Specs, Price - NoypiGeeks

The display could have definitely been better. A different glass may have performed better to help avoid glares and reflections. Also, the WiFi glitch can be niggling to some. But all these are just minor annoyances, something that you can’t really complain about when on the low-end segment.

There may have been some flaws on the device’s overall facet, but considering its asking price of only Php4,599, it’s really hard to complain. If you’re willing to spend an extra grand, the MyPhone Rio 2 is priced at Php5,499, with a bigger and better display, better camera and larger battery capacity.

Pros

  • Snappy performance
  • Android 5.0 Lollipop
  • Long battery life
  • Decent Camera

Cons

  • Display could have been better
  • WiFi glitch/bug

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  1. Pahelp nmn po. Kakabili ko lang po ng rio2 last month then bigla n lang syang nd gumana. Pinatay ko lang ung phone bgo icharge then ng charge nmn sya, kaso after a while nwala n ung ilaw ng LED tpos hindi ko n sya mbuhay? What should i do? Is there any restart button or something?

  2. Thank goodness for your review! Just bought my Rio 2 Lite a few days ago and I thought I was the only one on the Wifi button issue. Decent phone, though I hope it’s getting a Lollipop 5.1 update soon.