Are you considering changing your smartphone into a basic flip phone? Read this Sunbeam F1 review to discover the features, and you can look for yourself the worth of it.
The flip phones may not be hype anymore, but it doesn’t mean you can’t find this type of phone. A basic flip phone like the Sunbeam F1 still has its own attractive points for a certain market.
Basic phones offer simplicity and more straightforward functionality if you’re compared to smartphones. They are suitable for those who prefer an easy-to-use communication device.
In the meantime, we provide the Sunbeam F1 review for you to make considerations before making decisions. This article contains all of the information, including the hardware and software of the product.
Page Contents:
Key Specs
Sunbeam F1 flip phone specifications:
| Weight | 132g |
| Dimensions | 109 x 57 x 21mm |
| OS | BasicOS |
| Screen size | 2.8-inch |
| Resolution | 320 x 240 |
| CPU | 1.2GHz Quad-core, MediaTek MT6739 |
| RAM | 1GB |
| Storage | 8GB |
| Battery | 1,400mAh, Removable |
| Camera | 2MP |
Design
Sunbeam F1 looks very ordinary. It has a typical traditional basic phone with 109 x 57 x 21mm and weights 132g. It feels very lightweight and easy to handle for all hand sizes. The curved body also feels compact, and it doesn’t take up so much space when we put it in the pocket.
There is a 2.8-inch display screen on the inside, and surprisingly, it already comes in touch-screen. This feature is sure to be one of the advantages for users. The keypad also feels nice with some shortcut keys such as the call key, message key, camera and contacts.
Moving to the outside, we noticed a 1.8-inch LCD screen to show us the date and time, caller ID, and battery level. It also features charging, a new message, and missed call LED.
Read also: Sunbeam F1 Flip Phone User Manual
Display
Two display screens are equipped on the Sunbeam F1 to support users’ activity. When you open the phone, you will notice a 2.8-inch screen with 320×240 display resolutions.
The display uses QVGA quality. It may not be the best quality, but it can still give users a bright and clear vision. As we said before, the main display features a touch-screen which is very convenient for users to operate the phone.
The external screen comes with a 1.8-inch display size. It is considered bigger than other flip phones. This screen is useful because you can see the date, time, and battery status here.
Camera
As a basic flip phone, the Sunbeam F1 has only one camera. It supports a 2MP rear camera. To be honest, we do not expect extravagance from this basic phone’s camera. It doesn’t have any notable features on the camera.
The camera quality is even below the bare minimum. Basically, it stays on its purpose to be a minimalist basic flip phone built for more practical use.
One thing we’re glad to see is the flashlight feature to help users take pictures in dark-light situations. Even though it is like a standard feature and you will most likely find it in other phones, it will be useful without realizing it.
Read also: NUU F4L Review: Flip Phone With Selfie Camera
Storage
The Sunbeam F1 is specifically designed only for simple activities such as texting and calling. We don’t need a huge storage for that. But, this phone is very generous by giving its users an 8GB of internal storage. However, the actual space can be much lower since there are system files and junk.
Therefore, the Sunbeam F1 allows you to put expandable internal storage into the phone slot card. You can add up to a 32GB microSD card. But, it doesn’t come for free. You need to buy the card separately. Besides, you can also clear phone caches regularly to save more space.
Performance
As its “brain”, the Sunbeam F1 uses a MediaTek MT6739 processor with a CPU clock speed up to 1.2GHz. This CPU is very common for basic phones. It is clear that this device doesn’t prioritize phone performance. Overall, the CPU performance is decent for daily tasks.
The Sunbeam F1 also features a 1GB RAM as their choice to support the phone running. If you are looking for a high-performance phone, it is definitely not the one. The phone struggles every time we do heavy tasks, let alone multitask.
Opening some apps back and forth will cause lags, and launching the apps will also cause delays. We think the specs don’t do any justice. With a certain price point, we expect something fancy from this phone – a 2GB RAM will be nice.
The Sunbeam F1 is not built for playing games. You won’t find any games to play, even the basic ones. On the other hand, this phone has good support while playing video and music. It won’t cause any lags.
As for the operating system, the Sunbeam F1 uses BasicOS. The BasicOS is another version of open-source Android 8.1, but with a simpler user interface. Unlike other phones today, this phone uses a list-style menu launch. We’re like seeing old-school phones.
Even though this phone uses an open-source Android, there are no Google services available. You won’t also find Email, Web Browser, and App Store features. After all, the Sunbeam F1 surely keeps its words to be a “pure” communication device.
This phone is provided by a few services such as Microsoft, the Weather Company, and Sunbeam’s private cloud for the clouds. This brand aims for a minimalist digital user, so they designed the phone with minimal apps to protect users’ privacy.
Connectivity
The Sunbeam F1 ensures its users stay connected. It supports 3G and 4G LTE connectivity. With the 4G LTE connection available, you can use the 4G VoLTE phone calls. This feature will give you crystal clear audio for voice calls.
On the other hand, you can also use Wi-Fi, but it is very limited since you can’t use it for web surfing. This device is also equipped with Bluetooth connectivity to send files wirelessly and connect with external devices.
Battery
The Sunbeam F1 depends on a small 1,400mAh battery to operate the phone. It is not as much as we thought. But for a phone that is designed for non-heavy activities, it’s quite okay. You don’t need that much energy.
This phone promise can last for over 1 day if you are in a poor signal area. However, if everything is good, the Sunbeam F1 can last up to 3 days. After all, it depends on your phone usage.
Instead of a non-removable battery, this phone uses a removable type of battery that you can remove easily. Every time your phone freezes or hangs, you can do quick troubleshooting by removing the battery from the back of your phone.
Is the Sunbeam F1 a good phone?
The Sunbeam F1 has a $195 price point, which is – in our opinion, very expensive. If you’re looking for a basic flip phone, there are still many options in the market that offer more features and functions. And, obviously with a lower price.
We know the Sunbeam F1 is designed for a digital minimalist or children who don’t need advanced features. But sadly, this phone lacks a lot of interesting parts. You won’t find web browsers or other entertainment apps.
In conclusion, from the Sunbeam F1 review, we’re not satisfied with this phone. However, in the end, it is up to you to decide.
Sunbeam F1 Pros:
- Touch-screen feature
- Digital minimalist
- Generous internal storage
Sunbeam F1 Cons:
- No web browsers
- No games available
- Expensive
