Blackview BV8800 review

introduction

Yes, it’s a Blackview review, the first of its kind on our site! The manufacturer has gained ground in several markets and its phones have finally arrived in our office as well. Blackview manufactures rugged and affordable smartphones; some of them even have cool features like thermal cameras or night vision cameras. And today we’re going to explore such a device – the Blackview BV8800 with a night vision camera and an extraordinarily large 8,380mAh battery.

So, Blackview seems to be very similar to Ulefone, right? In fact, the Blackview BV8800 we have for this review is as robust as the (Power) Armor Ulefones and has both IP69K water resistance and drop resistance to concrete from a distance of 1.5m.

The BV8800 offers a 6.58 “90Hz Full HD display and works with MediaTek’s Helio G96 chipset. Of course, its most interesting aspects under its ruggedized body are the battery and camera departments.

This Blackview BV8800 model weighs 367 grams and it is not because of the thick plastic and metal shielding. The large internal battery has a capacity of 8,380 mAh, which should give this phone days, if not weeks, of battery life.

And then there’s the quad-camera on the back with a 50MP primary, an 8MP ultrawide, a 2MP depth sensor and the showstopper: a 20MP Night Vision camera with IR emitters. The last piece will help you see and capture what’s in the dark, and we’re not talking about night mode here, but true night vision like those available on security cameras or dedicated NV goggles.

Hence, the BV8800 is a sturdy midrange with a sturdy battery and a night vision camera. It’s a one-of-a-kind piece of equipment that’s for sure, so let’s scroll through its specs and start this review.

Blackview BV8800 specifications at a glance:

• Body: 176.2×83.5×17.7 mm, 367 g; metal structure reinforced with upper and lower part in rubber, back in plastic; IP68 / IP69K dust / water resistant (up to 1.5m for 30 minutes), drop resistance to concrete up to 1.5m, MIL-STD-810H compliant.
• Screen: 6.58 “IPS LCD, 90Hz, 480 nit, 1080x2408px resolution, 20.07: 9 aspect ratio, 401ppi.
• Chipset: Mediatek MT6781 Helio G96 (12 nm): Octa-core (2×2.05 GHz Cortex-A76 and 6×2.0 GHz Cortex-A55); Mali-G57 MC2.
• Memory: 128GB 8GB RAM; UFS 2.1.
• Operating system / software: Android 11, Doke OS 3.0.
• Rear camera: Wide (main): 50 MP, f / 1.8, PDAF; Ultra wide angle: 8 MP, f / 2.2, 117˚; Macro: 2 MP; Night vision: 20 MP, f / 1.8, (IR camera), 2 IR emitters.
• Front Camera: 16 MP, f / 2.0, (wide angle).
• Video capture: Rear camera: 1440p @ 30fps; Front camera: 1080p @ 30fps.
• Battery: 8380 mAh; Fast charging 33W, 31% in 30 min, 100% in 90 min (advertised), Reverse charging.
• Various: Fingerprint reader (side mounted); NFC; FM Radio.

While the Blackview BV8800 is a midrange, we can spot two glaring omissions right away: there is no microSD expansion slot and a 3.5mm jack. We think they are essential for this type of rugged smartphone and would certainly have increased the perceived value of the BV8800.

And this is all. The rest feels like a solid package for a solid device. So, let’s get this thing out of its box, shall we?

Unpack the Blackview BV8800

The Blackview BV8800 arrives in a fairly large box that holds the phone itself, a 33W USB-PD power supply, and a USB-C cable.

The phone has a pre-applied screen protector – it’s not glass, but one of these thin films that get stained in no time. And even if it’s not our cup of tea, we appreciate having it.