UMI Iron Pro
UMI has unveiled a Pro version of its Iron Android phone, adding a fingerprint scanner and USB-C. Our review sample was shipped to us by Coolicool, which currently charges £122.39 with free shipping to the UK. That’s around the same price at which you can buy the original UMI Iron from Amazon UK; the new Iron Pro is also available at Amazon UK, but at the higher price of £129.99. We’ll look at some of the differences between the two below.
Design
Usually when you think of a Pro smartphone, you think of one that is either faster or has an upgraded screen or perhaps even a better camera over the original. The Iron Pro shows no advancement over the original Iron in this regard, and all that’s new is the addition of a USB-C port and a rear fingerprint scanner. Performance in our benchmarks was slightly improved over the Iron, as we’ll see below, but not because of any changes to the core hardware.
Actually, that USB-C port is more interesting than it sounds. Not only is USB-C faster but it’s reversible, allowing you to plug in a cable any way up. Plus, the MicroUSB port on our original UMI Iron was oddly rectangular, making it difficult to fully insert a Micro-USB cable, so we’re pleased that UMI has tackled this issue.
The fingerprint scanner is also cool, but we have the same issue with it as we do the EyePrint ID eye-recognition technology that’s also built into this phone – given that you can bypass it by entering a password or PIN, it’s only ever as secure as that lock code.
The fingerprint scanner is rear-mounted, which is a more convenient position than those that are built into the home button (the Iron Pro does not have a physical home button), and we like the fact that you can use the fingerprint scanner to wake the screen since no Smart Wake gestures are supported. If you were to use a pattern, PIN or eye-unlock feature, you would first need to tap the power button to wake the screen, and given that it’s placed on the phone’s left edge this could be an issue if you’re protecting the Pro in a flip case.
The UMI Iron Pro is otherwise identical to the Iron before it. For a budget phone it’s good-looking, and looks a little like a cross between an HTC, Samsung Galaxy and iPhone 6s Plus. As before it’s made entirely from metal and glass, complete with metal screws should you need to access and replace the otherwise non-removable battery.
UMI fits the same 5.5in full-HD IPS screen, which is bright, clear and vibrant, and keeps to the same dimensions and weight at 7.9mm thick and 148g. The pulse notification light remains at the Pro’s base, too, flashing various colours for different types of notifications, so you never miss a call or text.
One thing that has changed is the battery capacity, which makes sense given the identical weight, despite there being a new fingerprint scanner. Whereas previously the UMI Iron had a 3350mAh battery, on the box UMI now specifies only 3100- to 3300mAh.
Everything’s exactly where it was before, with the aforementioned volume rocker and power button at the phone’s top left edge, and a dual-SIM (or one SIM and one microSD card) slot-loading tray on the right edge. Even the heartrate scanner still sits to the left of the front camera, though this time it actually works.
A headphone jack is found on the UMI Iron Pro’s top edge, and on the rear a 13Mp camera protrudes slightly. This is protected with stainless steel, and paired with a dual-LED flash. At the front you’ll