Rugged Review: Blackview BV9900E ***

Off the usual beaten track we'll find the smaller, Chinese brands. 
In an effort to try to 'beat the market' by not paying through the nose, I decided to try Blackview BV9900E on for size. Size was perhaps an issue, but the software became the reason why I eventually concluded that living with this phone was too much of a hazzle.

Now. Blackview. They sure know what they're doing: Making phones at a low cost, but with really good specs. Probably taking a leaf out of Cat's or even Ulefone's book, they are very reasonably priced - and certainly can compare with the specs. 

Now, BV9900E boasts four cameras, ruggedness, and otherwise very fine specs - bar being 'limited' by only running Android 10. The Android version is certainly watered down, but - kind of - works. Or indicates that it could work. If there was a proper support. 
All fear of the Chinese filling the phone with all sorts of data mining software got replaced with a feeling that though very competent in the hardware, incompetence in the software department was at heart of the user experience. 

Blackview phones are delivered in cool, sturdy cardboard boxes with good chargers, headset, and a feeling of quality. The manual is next to useless, but I take it that's just the way of the world - you're supposed to know so much by yourself, and Google is just there, anyway...
I struggled with the 'gesture' navigation, as it's not supported in all apps - but that was changed rather easily. Stupid feature, but I suppose it's invented to accommodate the massive screens. Not exactly needed with the BV9900E.  

Screendumb from unboxing video - not in English, though.

Totally weirdly the phone insisted on formatting my SD card (anxiety enter: Is the implementation of spyware???), even though I only wanted to use it as a portable SD card. There's an option to integrate the SD in the phone's flash memory, which again seems a tad odd. But had I chosen that, I could understand the need for formatting - as a portable? Not so much. 
This triggered my first encounter with the support - polite, but useless, asking for many, many details, and one get the feeling they know exactly nothing about what they are supposed to help you with...

A format, installation of a 3rd party file sharing app, and uploading my pictures and music after backing it up did the trick. But man! That was just... weird?

As I mentioned, Blackview is quite well equipped, hardware-wise. The cameras are functioning very well, perhaps with a tendency to darken the pictures, but very decent for the price! Apparently it's a Sony sensor that does the magic - I find that it does an excellent job in both good and poorer light (no idea how many cameras are used in the app, though). 
A man of poor skill can make good photos, and adding e.g. Camera FV5 to the app list, you're very much in business and the hardware allows you to experiment and make good pictures. Very good!

The handling is fine and smooth, and as I never played a game (bar Wordfeud) on my phone and don't intend to start doing so, I have no idea of how the phone will perform. Probably very well, though!

Now. I mentioned the support being poor, but before we cross that bridge, I'm going to highlight the 'special features' of the phone. 
It has... A heart monitor?!?! Think of a sensor, using that green light you may recognize from pulse watches, and that's that. The app then throws off readings, when you hold your finger or wrist on the sensor. I have no idea, who asked for this? 
Especially as you *WILL* get better readings from a €20 pulse watch. If you want to watch your pulse. Which also makes little sense, unless you're suffering some sort of condition. And then you'll use better equipment, anyway. 

In addition to the heart monitor, the software suite has a series of levels, height measures, and other stuff you'd expect a craftsman may find useful. Which they really aren't, because they're not what you call accurate. But they are there, and indicates that this is good for craftsmen...

The phone is 14 mm thick. That's a lot, in case you wonder. What's weird, though, is that it doesn't feel *THAT* chunky: Rounded corners and a reasonably sized screen means, that not only will it fit your hand, but also probably land less awkwardly, if you drop it. That's very well thought through!

In addition the thickness means that the battery is not only big and having a lot of mHa. But the structure enables the battery to last - three days with moderate use is not out of the question. They've done a very good job here!

So. It's a tad chunky, setting it up is not exactly easy, but once you're up and running, you really can reap the benefits of the excellent hardware and well thought through design. Until.
Until you reach that point where you want to do things, which I consider basic:
- I have a very personalized ring tone, alarm clock tone, and even notifications sound. 
That is, of course, possible to set in this, watered down, version of Android 10. But then - for reasons unknown - the BV9900E will revert to default sound settings, approximately once per day. 
Again: Enter paranoia of it uploading all my personal data and then covering it's tracks by 'going back to standard'... I don't know. I take it it's lack of skill among the software team at Blackview. 
Again I opened a support case, again they required a lot of data - which I aptly provided and then got a non-answer in that the support simply stated 'That's not supported'. I have the fucking email.
Though the hardware overall seems quite sound, there are issues there, too: Playing sound files will leave a white noise 'after sound' for a few seconds. That I recall from Soundblaster Pro sound cards as often being down to either poor motherboard design, or poorly written drivers. Oh, well...

I mean: What the royal tittyfucking Christ and all His minions?

Being a Social Anthropologist I can totally see how Blackview in an effort to cut costs underpays everyone in China, and the eagerness to please within the support department is non-existent. 
But... What the fuck?

Having two contacts with support within three weeks, and not being helped in either eventually got to me: I set the BV9900E up for sale, cut my losses, and must acknowledge that it's actually a very good phone, hardware-wise, but very immature in the software department - and especially within the support department. In fact I still use 3,5 mm jack plug, which this phone doesn't have (I'd swap it for the heart monitor in...a...heartbeat!), so that was that...

I'm not really going to miss this phone, but am feeling a pang of regret that such fine hardware gets so poor software support...

Quickfire review of the BV9900E

Nice hardware, even nicer price, chunky design which weirdly enough is compensated for... by design. 
I *LIKE* this phone and it's ability to have battery left on the 3rd day, even though I've used the cameras quite a lot. It comes with a nice box, with screen protector from new, and even charger and cables. Nice touches, and you think you've beaten the market for <€200 - and then the software lets you down, horribly. If you're alright with a phone which can only use stock sounds, and don't mind losing the 3,5mm jack, along with not being paranoid about Chinese producers perhaps, perhaps not stealing... Well, what are they gonna steal anyway, that Google haven't already taken??

Then you'll love this!

Ease of living with a Blackview BV9900E on an everyday basis:

Wow. The Danish proverb about 'having to swallow camels' (meaning: Compromise on your ideals) really comes to mind here. Too many camels had to be swallowed - but like I said above: Are you inclined to just use stock setting, anyway, and actually focus on the features (such as good cameras), I think there's a professional standpoint for you. 
As for me? Too much of a hazzle.

3/6.

All the specs, I cannot be arsed to list: 

https://www.gsmarena.com/blackview_bv9900e-11558.php