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Welcome to the 2016 Telstra Signature Enhanced smartphone review. The Telstra Signature Enhanced is an entry level Android based smartphone release in June 2016 . It is usually free as part of a plan or can be purchased outright if you are on pre-paid. The Signature Enhanced is a rebranded LG X Screen phone which is good start if you wanted to rebrand a relative inexpensive Android smartphone. It's outright price for the Telstra Signature Enhanced recommended retail is $360.
In terms of construction the Telstra Signature Enhanced is very good. As an entry level phone (for 2016) all the panels feel tight although you can definitely tell that it's not a top end phone due to what seems like a metal frame but feels like plastic. The back is sealed and is a reflective glass (we think) so it feels and looks more stylish than it competitors. Regardless, no complains considering its price tag.
In terms of hardware the Telstra's Signature Enhanced specifications are entry level Android smart phone for 2016. The phone is equipped with a Quad core Snapdragon 410 CPU which is essentially the new breed of SOC 'System on a Chip' so it comes will all the network frequencies, Wi-Fi Bluetooth even camera processor all built in. So any phone with a Snapdragon 410 chip has the same capabilities and difference are due to the OS mods, screen, camera lens and design simply put. On the Signature enhanced there is only one thing that sands out is that is the shape of the screen. The top part of the screen is like a tab which essentially shows you the last 5 or so apps you ran. It is handy although in the scheme of things a gimmick but a useful one.
In terms of use the The Telstra Signature Enhanced is pretty good given its specifications. There wasn't noticeable lag, smooth interface, apps run quick enough and it's relative slowness can only be noticed after using a faster phone. The Signature Enhanced should also retain it's smoothness even after a few apps have been installed. It is highly customisable since it runs Android OS. No complains given it's price tag.
To sum up, the Telstra Signature Enhanced works really well but it is on the edge of the what we'd call a value for money entry level smartphone, a $300 price would probably be the sweet spot for this spec at the time of writing. However the recently updated entry level Samsung J1 is priced under $200 means the 'Enhanced' does have serious competition. (The J1 happens to be one of our favourite cheap smartphones although flawed by a relatively low resolution screen) We would probably buy a Telstra Signature Enhanced ahead of the J1? Probably due to the higher resolution screen and less 'OS enhancements' but we would also like to know exactly whether there is any hidden software as per US networks, Telstra have added to the Signature Enhanced before making the purchase decision. Regardless it's a good entry level smartphone choice in mid-2016.
Specifications
- Telstra Signature Enhanced (LG rebrand)
- Network
Quad-band GSM
3G - All Tri-band
4G - All Quad band
- Design
Touch screen
L142.6 W71.8 x D7.1 mm
Weight 120 grams
- Display
4.93 inch 720 x 1280 LCD
- Camera
13MP auto-focus LED Flash
2nd forward facing video call camera
8MP Video Camera
- Connectivity Wi-Fi, NFC, Bluetooth V4, USB-C
- CPU Quad core 1.2 GHz Snapdragon 410 integrated Adreno 306
- Memory
2Gig RAM
Up to 16 Gig for user
MicroSD expansion
- Features
A-GPS, Accelerometer, Nano-SIM
- Battery
Li-Po 2300 mAh battery
Up to 16 Days Standby
Up to 10 hours Talk Time
- Price history
Approx $360 AUD (outright May 2016 or free on plans)
