Summary
The Blackview BV9900 Pro is a really nice phone with some great features. It’s not as groundbreaking or mind-blowing, but it delivers on all the important things you want in your tech – including FLIR!
Pros
- Good performance
- Fantastic price
- Great camera sensor
- FLIR
Cons
- Still no 5G
- 128GB feels inadequate
- Still on Android 9
- Smaller battery capacity
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Table of Contents
Blackview BV9900 Pro Overview
Blackview has been one of the more consistent rugged smartphone vendors on the market and they’ve delivered some really good phones in a vertical that’s becoming increasingly crowded. Even Samsung stepped into this territory with their Xcover line, though it didn’t fare so well actually – surprising for such an established brand!
The 2020 model of the BV9900 Pro is just around the corner, and this time it comes with a surprising new feature: FLIR infrared camera sensor. This upgrade to last year’s model was introduced at an affordable price point; however, there are some other changes that make this device stand out from its predecessors such as increased resolution or shorter detection range (5 feet).
Design
As the BV9900 Pro returns to a simpler design, still influenced by what we call our 4+4 model (four short corners and four long edges), it loses some of its roundedness. This new handset feels more compact than before; as with previous iterations, it adheres to IP68/IP69K certifications for water resistance in addition to MIL-STD-810G standards which have not yet been confirmed if these were actually tested against them or if they carry relevant specifications.
The Blackview BV9900 Pro is smaller than its predecessor, the previous flagship model. But this time around it’s not just about size; weight has been significantly reduced with an aluminum frame for sturdiness and polycarbonate plastic in order to give users better grip while maintaining that professional finish that you’ll only find on high-end smartphones these days!
The screen is vibrant and clear, measuring 5.84 inches diagonally with a 1080 x 2080 resolution for high pixel density that provides an authentic viewing experience. The front-facing camera on the device features 16-megapixel Samsung sensors to capture your best selfie ever!
The Blackview BV9900 Pro is a beautifully designed phone with an edge that houses the SIM tray and USB port, which you can customize. The volume rocker sits on top of this area as well so it’s easy to find without looking for a button or scrolling down your screen all while being immersed in what else might be going on around you!
A device with four different sensors, all located at the back of this monitor is what you’ll find. The heart rate monitor can be found near a FLIR sensor and two 5MP cameras for depth perception as well!
Hardware
The BV9900 Pro swaps the P70 for an aP90 processor and upgrades system memory to 8GB. The storage capacity remains at 128 GB, but now supports UFS 2.1 which should translate into faster speeds when transferring files or apps between devices connected wirelessly. Bluetooth 5 also makes its debut instead of the 4 versions we’re accustomed to!
Elsewhere, the Sony sensor stays in place as does the Type-C connector. Wi-Fi 802.11ac is still here with 10W wireless charging capabilities and a 16MP selfie camera for your day’s worth of selfies needs! One big disappointment? You guessed it – battery life has decreased by almost a third from 6Amps down to 4,38Ahs which will leave you needing more outlets at home or on hand during busy days out exploring town.”
Performance
With a set of dedicated applications like Duraspeed, Smart Assist, and more onboard the BV9900 Pro can keep your phone running smoothly without any hiccups. The Mediatek device also features an optimized game mode that enables you to optimize performance while playing games or using other intensive apps in between other tasks!
The BV9900 Pro is a poor cousin of the Blackview 9800. Despite its thermal imaging capabilities, it doesn’t include a night camera like on other rugged smartphones from this company and there’s also an app to translate anything you see in real-time called “FLIR Translation.”
The device is up there with some of the fastest rugged smartphones we’ve tested to date, like Ulefone and Doogee’s P90 lot (from Mediatek) or lone Qualcomm Snapdragon 845-powered AGM X3. The storage delivers almost SATA speeds (at least on read), making it one reason why I encountered absolutely no lags during my session with this phone!
The competition
The Blackview BV9800 Pro is a powerful and affordable smartphone with FLIR, but the newest competitor has just taken over. The Aliexpress-exclusive BV9900 Pro can be yours for $450 USD—and we think that’s worth it!
The Cat S61 is a highly advanced rugged smartphone that was released in 2018. It has an older but still capable Qualcomm Snapdragon 660 paired with half the storage, indoor air quality monitor, and laser-assisted distance measuring tool to make this one of their best devices yet!
The S60 is a smartphone from FLIR that costs under $400. It was launched almost four years ago and will struggle to get any meaningful updates, having been released on Android 6.0 back in 2015 with 3GB of RAM and 32GB storage space for onboard apps- this would be what you’d expect at an entry-level price point though there are other models available if your needs change or grow bigger over time!
The FLIR-less version of the 9900 Pro, unsurprisingly exists called. It comes with 8GBs RAM and 256GB onboard storage which makes it an attractive alternative to both Doogee S95Pro or Ulefone Armor 7.
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Conclusion
It is surprising that the BV9900 Pro isn’t perfect, but we think it gets a 4 instead. Like its predecessor, this smartphone doesn’t have Android 10 or 5G connectivity yet again despite being on board with many significant improvements from generation to generation including increased storage capacity as well as improved battery life which was lowered by 15% for those who want more days out of their phone before needing to be charged up again!
The BV9900 Pro may not be the best phone on Earth, but it’s a damn good effort. The Mediatek P90 especially is an improvement from last year’s model and gives Blackview that extra half-point towards getting close to perfection with their semi-finalist version this upcoming fall season – one which will likely come equipped with Android 10 as well as 5G thanks again those Dimensity 820 series chipsets!
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