I’ve been putting the latest JiaYu phone through its paces over the past few weeks, and have finally been able to put hands to keyboard to write up the full JiaYu G4 review!
- GizjiayuG4
Buy the Jiayu G4 here.
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If you have spent any amount of time on Gizchina in the pat 12 months, the chances are that you have heard of the JiaYu phone brand by now. This Chinese phone manufacturer from Shenzhen has been making phone for a couple of years, but only really grabbed our attention with last years JiaYu G3.
A year has passed and it looks like JiaYu have learned a lot from the G3 (although not from a marketing or speed of development sense) and are finally (finally,finally,finally) readying to replace the older flagship phone with the all new JiaYu G4!
About the JiaYu G4
The JiaYu G4 is a total redesign, nothing from the last generation G3 has been carried over to the new phone. That’s a pretty bold move for a small Chinese manufacturer! We already know now that JiaYu have a quad-core G3 ready to launch, and they could have easily launched that as their new range topper, but instead they decided to bring their loyal fans and customers an all new model! Pretty ambitious!
JiaYu’s G4 will eventually be available in a number of variants ranging from the 1GB RAM MT6589 model we have on test here, a 2GB RAM version, a Turbo model and even a thinner variant with smaller 1850mAh battery.
JiaYu’s intended market for the JiaYu G4 is China, where the dual-sim phone starts at a very reasonable 999 Yuan ($160), however they have started to work with international resellers to launch the phone across Europe and India.
For our review JiaYu kindly sent us the 1GB RAM MT6589 quad-core version with 3000mAh batter. Unfortunately as this is officially a launch phone it doesn’t have the added OTG and MHL features later phones are promised to receive.
JiaYu G4 Specifications
[komper pid=4,5 compareform=no]JiaYu G4 Unboxing video
The JiaYu G4 review
Design and quality – this does not feel like a $160 phone!
Before anyone gets their knickers in a twist, the JiaYu G4 IS a $160 (999 Yuan) phone. It was designed and developed as a Chinese product first and foremost and JiaYu have remained true to their intended price points. International customers will have to contend with import duties, tax, shipping fees and reseller profits, however the additional cost should be justified with better support and hopefully a larger developer base for the phone (and future models).
As you can all appreciate, I get to handle my fair share of Chinese phones. They range from fake versions of popular brands, obscure no-name models, right through to the larger brands we report on here at Gizchina.
My first thought when getting the JiaYu G4 in my hand for the first time was “Meizu”. I don’t mean that the G4 looks like a Meizu, it doesn’t it looks like a large Xiaomi, but the stealthy all black front, narrow bezels and surprisingly solid feel all remind me of Meizu’s high-quality MX range of phones.
In my hand the G4 feels like a really premium piece of kit, I would say it feels more solid that the Xiaomi Mi2 (possibly due to the extra size and weight) and it certainly feels better made than the UMi X2. However, it’s not that the X2 feels cheap, it’s that the JiaYu G4 feels like a phone that costs easily double the retail price.
So I’m completely over the moon with the G4 right? Well no, I do have a few niggles. The removable shell (white on the review phone here) is a little to easy to remove, if for example I use the phone with a rubber case I often found the back of the phone could be removed by slipping the rubber protector off!
Another issue in terms of the exterior is the lack of illuminated capacitive buttons on the chin of the G4. I’m use to not having a backlight (Xiaomi’s don’t have them) so for me it was a non issue and I enjoy looking at the all black front, but some potential customers won’t like this and I know some of you have already made your displeasure known about this.
My last niggle are the controls for the power switch and volume rocker. They are a little shallow, they don’t protrude from the body as much as I would like. Instead of a satisfying button press, it’s a bit of a vague feeling.
As you can see the “issues” aren’t deal breakers in the slightest, and really you could say I’m being a nit pick, but these are my personal observations with the phone.
Overall though I’m really impressed with the quality of the build and the materials. If you can live with the lack of backlit buttons, and the to easy to remove rear, then you will be rewarded with one of the best feeling smartphones on the market, and one which feels much better than it’s price tag would suggest.
Hardware and display – A top performing MTK phone!
Even if the JiaYu G4 wasn’t a great looking phone, most Android enthusiasts would find it hard to not seriously consider it due to its great hardware.
For the G4 JiaYu have decided to air on the side of caution rather than aim at pie in the sky ‘fantasy’ specs. The screen is a sensible 4.7-inch with a resolution of 1280 x 720, processor is a 1.2 Ghz quad-core Mediatek MT6589 with 1GB RAM (2GB in future models) and the thick body allows enough space for a 3000mAh battery.
The above hardware allows the JiaYu to offer blistering performance without having to much of an ill effect on battery life. In fact with my time with the G4 and with my bad habits (leaving WIFI, GPS, 3G on and the screen on close to it’s brightest) I managed to get well in to a second day of use on a single charge! Obviously your mileage will vary depending on your use (I’m not much of a gamer, but I do have emails pushed constantly and I use the camera a lot!).
It’s comes as no surprise that with a quad-core CPU, 1GB RAM and a 720 display, Anutu benchmarks are impressive. The G4 we have scores 13,224. What does come as a surprise though is that I didn’t feel the G4 lacking in the performance in any way even though my daily phone has a more powerful Snapdragon CPU, double the RAM and almost double the Anutu scores! It just goes to show that benchmarks aren’t everything!
At 4.7-inch the display is smaller than many flagship phones from rival companies, and 720HD is a little “last generation”, but in all honesty I don’t miss 1080 when going from one phone to another, and I prefer a smaller display at the moment anyway. What I can say about the OGS display on the JiaYu is that it is very bright, a far cry from those dull Zopo displays and brighter than the UMi X2.
Connectivity – good calls but slow GPS
Last years dual-core MT6577 phones had issues with the GPS not working, well the new quad-core MT6589 seems to be fine, however it can still take a good few minutes for the GPS to lock on, which is not quite the level some of you coming from Qualcomm and (dare I say) Apple chips, will be us to. Once locked on though GPS worked well and I was able to navigate around town and log my local jogging route without issue.
On the suggestion of a reader here I installed the useful MTK Uncle tool to see what bands the G4 is designed to work on. Strangely the details on from the tool don’t match up with what JiaYu has printed on the inside of the phoneâŚ. I can confirm the the G4 we have works fine on China Unicom (if anyone wants to fly me out to their home town to test it on local networks please let me know đ ) and the specs which JiaYu have given me (which I hope are correct) are GSM: 850/900/1800/1900 MHz, WCDMA: 2100Mhz.
Being a smartphone the JiaYu G4 comes with WIFI (820.22 b/g/n) and Bluetooth (2.0 +EDR). Both of which act as you would expect, however I did find that WIFI connection on the G4 isn’t as strong as the UMi X2 or Xiaomi Mi2.
Cameras – Good solid 13 mega-pixel camera.
If you had missed it, we took both the JiaYu G4 and UMi X2 to the Qingdao International Auto Show earlier this month to give the 13 mega-pixel rear cameras a bit of a showdown. The results were the G4 offered better natal colours, where as the X2 offered better focus and seemed a bit faster in use.
In my opinion the cameras we find on smartphones should now be able to happily replace a cheap point and shoot digital camera, and I can happily report that I would be more than happy to use the JiaYu G4 to capture on the spot ‘Kodak’ moments, a picture of the sunrise while sat in a traffic jam or a few photos while out with the mates.
If you are the type of person to take photos with your camera phone and then start zooming in on every pixel to compare focus you are going to be a little disappointed, and you should really go out and by a dedicated DSLR camera!
The G4 takes great useable photos, but there are better options out there. I would say the Newman N2 takes better photos, as does the Xiaomi Mi2 (8 mega-pixel), and the Nexus 4.
So as a still camera the JiaYu G4 is great, but what about capturing video? Well the below video should speak for itself, but if you don’t want to watch it I’ll sum it up like this: “JiaYu the G4 is pretty poor at capturing video! Get it sorted!”
JiaYu G4 Video sample
A 3 mega-pixel camera sits up front and acts fine as a Skype camera or when chatting using Wechat. If you are lucky I might take a photo of myself making a duck face later so that you can check out the quality (depending on the number of beers I consume).
Gaming and Media – Great performance as you would expect!
With a quad-core chip, 1GB RAM and 720p display the JiaYu G4 copes with gaming, web surfing, emails, video and other media very well. I don’t believe I managed to really push the hardware on the phone (again I’m not a huge gamer) and never experienced any lag of slow down.
For an idea of gaming on the JiaYu G4 take a look at the below video which has a little gaming action towards the end.
JiaYu G4 hands on video
JiaYu G4 review – The Conclusion
I’m pretty sure you will all agree that I’m satisfied with the JiaYu G4, actually that’s not quite fair, I’m really very impressed! As a handset it is one of the best made and great feeling Chinese phones I have had the opportunity to review for a long time! I love the design, the all black front and super narrow bezels give a real premium feel to the phone.
Performance is spot on even with just 1GB RAM and the regular 1.2Ghz MT6589 quad-core processor. In fact I believe most users will be happy with this set-up and would suggest you go for this version of the phone now rather than wait the still unknown amount of time for the Turbo model with 2GB RAM (if you still want the updated phone when it comes out you can always sell this one).
Cameras are great for taking photos, just don’t leave home thinking you will be able to capture any useable video with it (unless an update fixes the constant refocusing!).
The only small issues which bother me is the easy to remove rear, weak WIFI and slow GPS, but this hasn’t detracted from the overall performance of the phone, and haven’t upset me while using the phone.
So yes I’m really happy with the phone and I believe that anyone choosing to buy a JiaYu G4 won’t be disappointed. As a final note before I sign off on this, I know many of you have asked “Which is better? JiaYu G4 or UMi X2?” I can’t really answer which is “better” as the X2 is a great phone too, but I can tell you now that the G4 is the phone I pick up in the morning and not the 5-inch UMi, but we’ll save that for the full UMi X2 review!
Yeah…Thanks Andi much appreciated
Did you get your G4 yet?
Yes and No. Its arrived UK despite two confirmed requests with Jiayumobile to change the shipping address to Spain (ive asked for a refund of the DHL charges…no response!) my daughter paid the ÂŁ10 import tax and has the phone since yesterday. Im in Spain till 19th June so she is charging it overnight and when she get around to it she’s going to give me a review of it compared to her beloved iPhone
Apparently it works but its in Chinese but ive helped her set it to English and nows shes ‘playing with it’!
That’s it now you have lost it đ
hmmm nice review but you missed one major major component, you said nothing about the call quality of this phone, hey remember this is a phone also!!!!
hey Andi
I asked you a while back if you were making any money from the Companies that make these phones that you review as it would be conflict of interest if you review a phone which that Company is advertising on your site. you said no. “your not making any money” well you are full of bullshit as your getting revenue from this Companies bye bye
First of all thx for the review Andi!
@Jake
If I could guess, I would say the author can keep the devices for writing reviews in favor of the manufacturers. That’s at least what I a friend says, who was writing a few reviews for Samsung on his blog đ
But maybe I am wrong in the case of Gizchina. Would be nice to read Andi’s comment on this, to see if his reviews are biased.
No you are completely wrong, I get no money at all from the manufacturers of these phones.
+1
thx for the answer. anyway, can you keep the phones after writing reviews?
Hi Andy, Could you please help. Whether MTK6589 has inbuilt modem for 3G frequencies or is it different with every phone? I need 900 +2100 MHZ phone. Jiayu g3s or 4 both are desrcibed as 2100 only. Would they infact also have 900 mhz as they are MTK6587??
Also does 3G speed ( e.g HSPA 21 ) is also related to MTK6589 chip regardless of phone brand?
Kindly do reply pleeease.
Hey ozi
Are you in Australia?
I’m in Sydney and just received my G4. I’m using it on the Optus network. The 3G connection is terrible (keeps dropping back to 2G or out completely). I think your comment has confirmed my problem – this phone only supports 2100. I have just discovered Optus uses 900/2100. I wish I had of checked this before ordering the phone. Any suggestions?
If you could show a side to side comparison of displays of Jiayu G4, XIaomi mi2 and Maybe a Galaxy Product or Htc one x, at maximum Brightness, on different angles, It would be great.
Would like to see more on the displays, in the future reviews. Instead of the usual Reading out Resolution.
Regards.
Added some side by side photos
hey andi u r the best gadget freal i have seen in recent time so i wnt ask u that if i wnt to choose between xiaomi mi2s or mi2a or should i wait for xiaomi mi3 so waiting for ur reply
Mi3 isn’t far off but will be really hard to buy. If you need a phone now get the M2s and enjoy it đ
No word on india launch yet by jiayu officials. btw umi promised real delivery today with photos. gonna love what 12,000 umi x2 customers reaction. đ
i am pretty sure they will ship G4 to India. Don’t they?
Hi Andi, Can suggest me which phone has better camera phone. I prefer camera should be better in my phone. So please suggest me at this time which has better camera?
Xiaomi đ
Hi andi, is it really a $160 phone. Pls see this http://www.jiayumobileshop.com/jiayu-mobile-phone.html?cat=22
Yes it is really a $160. I tried to make it pretty clear in the review that this is a China phone first and foremost and international prices will be higher… Also, the store you are linking to isn’t on the official list of distributors http://www.ejiayu.com/en/Shop.html
So jiayumobileshop.com isn’t an official distriibutor? I thought it was the main Jiayu website.
(I couldn’t access your link).
How much is WIFI weak?
WiFi is big problem for me
You can see the WIFI dropping down now and then hopefully an update will help
Great review Andi! đ
Thanks glad you liked it đ
Thanks andy!
So the buttons do feel bad, i’ve heard that before thanks for mentioning this. If this phone would have came out a month ago i would definalty have bought it. But i think i will be very happy with my choise to take the MI-2S.
When you wake up with duckface pictures on your phone you know you where pretty f*cked up last night. It might be better to keep them to yourself đ
Haha let’s see how bad they are, might pop them on Facebook đ
Hi Andi!
What do you think, which would be the better buy, the Newman N2 or the Jiayu G4?
Gizchina is the best!
N2 is older, but cheaper, Samsung CPU and has good updates, if they continue updating it that is. G4 looks much better, feels better made.
Great review Andi!
So looks like no WCDMA 850MHz? đ
Andi for which dull Zopo displays are you talking about. The crappie ones on zp950 or the new displays on zp980 / C2?
I have the zp950 and the display is a real crap.
the viewing angle is terribe etc.
Now I’m thinking to buy a zp980 or C2 but I am afraid about the display.
ZP950 was the one I meant, really really dull….
The zoo zp980 and the C2 is the same screen they say the view is 178° and is tech like iPhone screen!
I think the zopo has better screen v s G4 so don’t afraid
And how about the screen in Zopo ZP810 (The same as Hero H7500+, that you have recently reviewed)? Because i have the Hero H7500+ (but normally i prefer to say i have Zopo ZP810), and the screen is definitely great.
By the way, are you planning to review the Zopo ZP980/C2?
hey andi, nice work with the site. will be going to china this june and will be there for quite sometime. what places would i be able to find this phone? will they even sell it to me? lol
In Shenzhen there are a few JiaYu shops which will have stock.
What about Beijing?
I live in Beijing and I can’t find this one in any store, I tried almost every store in Zhongguancun. Maybe you can try buying online, like Taobao… however I think the best choice is to buy online from the official website shop.ejiayu….
If anyone knows about a physical store in Beijing, please, let me know!!
Great review Andi!
I only have 1 question, is the wifi good enough to use inside my home for example, u currently have a samsung galaxy gio running cyanogenmod 10.1 and the wifi is pretty bad, do u think the jiayu G4 would do fine?
Thanks
Yes it was fine in use at the home and coffee shop but just not as strong as the UMi X2 or Xiaomi
b\g only, not n ?
Andi, great review but somewhere i read it has Bluetooth 4.0 version. Correct me if im wrong. Also, does it support native/sim video call without third party applications?
I thought it had Bluetooth 4.0 too (which sounds better if you stream music via A2DP).
In fact I thought all MT6589 phones would have Bluetooth 4.0. I must have completely mis-understood MediaTek’s website.
Thanks for the review Andi. Apart from the camera and the band support mismatch between the printed specs and what came up in the tool you used, it looks like it will be next device….if they launch it soon.
Yo andi, i have a mate that works in hongkong and shanghai. Do you know if they sell the Jiayu G4 there for 999 yuan => $160 Dollar
Thanks Andi I knew it that the JIAYU G4 will support WCDMA 800/850/900/1900/2100, but thank you for the confirmation mate đ !!! Many many thanks
Thank Andi.
@Drftxs13, where’s your source? I need a phone with WCDMA 900 band. I think the international version will be equipped with WCDMA 900 band while China versions will come with the regular 850/2100 band. What do you think?
As I read it the only confirmed WCDMA freq is 2100MHz. MTK Uncle tool says others but many people from here have said that its not reliable.
There a rom available that claims to improve the GPS acquisition..
http://www.needrom.com/mobile/jiayu-g4/
Hopefully they will also develop one to improve the wifi and the video autofocus problems
If i loaded this rom would it preclude from future official jiayu rom updates?
THX for your link because “weak WIFI and slow GPS” are a no go for me. But maybe further patches could help. đ
Thanks Andi! Great review. I’ve been waiting for this post for a while now and I’m happy to see that the phone is as good as I thought it would be. Keep up the good work Andi and I hope to see you Umi X2 review soon =]
X2 Review on the way đ
Hi Andi,
could you please compare it with iocen x7, Neo 0003 and Amoi 860w wich has huge battery it is interesting does it last longer than Jiayu G4?
And if you will read this could you find and compare present or upcoming phones wich would have LTE 4G, it is quit big chalenge to buy Pantech Vega Iron, I heard that Xiaomi M3 will have 4G, maybe Oppo 6 as well could you lead into any dirrection, to wait a bit or grab something, thanks for your work and answer.
I am wondering why you have never mentioned the Zopo C2.
It has a very good quality, nice design, excellent FHD display (for sure better than G4 and Umi X2) and it has regular updates. The only problem is, that the fw is a little buggy but I think they will bring an update soon.
Have the C2 in use now for about a week, using ZP980 FW, and it’s a great phone! Well built, all Apple users are quite jealous :).. Few glitches in FW, but OTA works fine and regular updates..
Too bad the battery is only 2000 mA, that could be improved..
The Iocean X7 offers more for a lower price tag?
Any idea what is the GPS chip?My guess is SIRF3.Which is little bit old.
I got confused by the supported band listing but realised they were using standards names instead of frequencies.
You can see the 3G Names/bands here;
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/UMTS_frequency_bands
so … WCDMA-IMT-2000 is Band “I”, which is 2100Mhz
Nice review, Andi. Keep up the good work….. Hope this phone and it’s advanced/turbo version launches soon in India, and they update the software to improve the wifi connectivity……….
So only 3G on Sim 1… is Sim 1 the normal or micro card?
Micro
Great Review Andy,i think the G4is better than i expected
Congrats on the work in the website, love it!
Thanks glad you like it:)
Andi,
Why did you give such strange names to the phones – Advanced, Youth, Turbo? đ
There are only TWO NAMES on Jiayu’s web-site – Standard Edition (1/4) and High Edition (2/32)!
Andi, many online retailers have listed the G4 with Bluetooth v4.0.. So is it possible only the production versions have it? Also, do you see the upcoming Turbo version having it & could the weak Wi-Fi be due to support for only b/g standards?
Andi, does the G4 come pre-rooted & can apps be moved to the SD card? Please reply!
Hi Andi!
Thanks for the detailed review, I’ve been waiting for this one.
Altough I have a question: I’m a bit confused by the pics and the video, does this phone come with the stock Android system, or does it have a mod Android with a special GUI made by the manufacturer? I personally prefer the stock version.
Thank you! đ
It’s LEWA ROM. It’s quite nice and very responsive.
Thank you! đ
Yeah…Thanks Andi much appreciated
Did you get your G4 yet?
Yes and No. Its arrived UK despite two confirmed requests with Jiayumobile to change the shipping address to Spain (ive asked for a refund of the DHL charges…no response!) my daughter paid the ÂŁ10 import tax and has the phone since yesterday. Im in Spain till 19th June so she is charging it overnight and when she get around to it she’s going to give me a review of it compared to her beloved iPhone
Apparently it works but its in Chinese but ive helped her set it to English and nows shes ‘playing with it’!
That’s it now you have lost it đ
hmmm nice review but you missed one major major component, you said nothing about the call quality of this phone, hey remember this is a phone also!!!!
hey Andi
I asked you a while back if you were making any money from the Companies that make these phones that you review as it would be conflict of interest if you review a phone which that Company is advertising on your site. you said no. “your not making any money” well you are full of bullshit as your getting revenue from this Companies bye bye
First of all thx for the review Andi!
@Jake
If I could guess, I would say the author can keep the devices for writing reviews in favor of the manufacturers. That’s at least what I a friend says, who was writing a few reviews for Samsung on his blog đ
But maybe I am wrong in the case of Gizchina. Would be nice to read Andi’s comment on this, to see if his reviews are biased.
No you are completely wrong, I get no money at all from the manufacturers of these phones.
+1
thx for the answer. anyway, can you keep the phones after writing reviews?
Hi Andy, Could you please help. Whether MTK6589 has inbuilt modem for 3G frequencies or is it different with every phone? I need 900 +2100 MHZ phone. Jiayu g3s or 4 both are desrcibed as 2100 only. Would they infact also have 900 mhz as they are MTK6587??
Also does 3G speed ( e.g HSPA 21 ) is also related to MTK6589 chip regardless of phone brand?
Kindly do reply pleeease.
Hey ozi
Are you in Australia?
I’m in Sydney and just received my G4. I’m using it on the Optus network. The 3G connection is terrible (keeps dropping back to 2G or out completely). I think your comment has confirmed my problem – this phone only supports 2100. I have just discovered Optus uses 900/2100. I wish I had of checked this before ordering the phone. Any suggestions?
If you could show a side to side comparison of displays of Jiayu G4, XIaomi mi2 and Maybe a Galaxy Product or Htc one x, at maximum Brightness, on different angles, It would be great.
Would like to see more on the displays, in the future reviews. Instead of the usual Reading out Resolution.
Regards.
Added some side by side photos
Andi, thanks for the great review!
Could you say how the G4 screen is compared with SGS3, especially on the sun light?
Hi Andy,
if it’s possible i would like to see too G4 SGS3 and UMI X2 side by side with display set at maximum brightness.
And could you please also make photography of one scene with all three phones for comparison?
Your article with photos from G4 and X2 was perfect, but i need to compare camera in this chinese phones with some phone which we have in Europe too.
Thank you very much for your great work.
When and where can i buy this phone?
hey andi u r the best gadget freal i have seen in recent time so i wnt ask u that if i wnt to choose between xiaomi mi2s or mi2a or should i wait for xiaomi mi3 so waiting for ur reply
Mi3 isn’t far off but will be really hard to buy. If you need a phone now get the M2s and enjoy it đ
No word on india launch yet by jiayu officials. btw umi promised real delivery today with photos. gonna love what 12,000 umi x2 customers reaction. đ
i am pretty sure they will ship G4 to India. Don’t they?
This hype for a mobile phone with almost half a year old specs. I still don’t get it. I know Jiayu is one of the accurate companies, but 720p, 13MP, 1GB and MT6589…we also know how it looks like since months.
If Apple or Samsung are presenting a phone with top specs and tell you it comes next month, then again next month but finally after 5 months the first phones are shipped while in the meanwhile phones with better specs has been already released. Customers will be furious.
Jiayu G6 seems better. Why would you buy a MT6589 with 1GB now, while phones with 2GB and maybe MT6589T aren’t really more expensive.
So the question is: Why don’t they just throw the Mt6589 away and concentrate on the MT6589T which probably don’t need changes with the other hardware components.
The problem here is marketing. If JiaYu were good at marketing they would have announced the quad-core G3s first, then the G4, G4 Turbo, G5 ETC Problem for them now is if they decide not tell us about the G7, G8 etc we will think they have disappeared and the hype will dry up.
Or indeed their G10 tablet !!
So Andi,
DId you manage to record in a very loud situation?
I would like to know how the microphone performs.
I would like to use this phone to record some video at the Rock Werchter festival.
I would like to know if it can handle the loud sound, or will it just only give a lot of noise/distortion, as my lg p970 does.
Hi Andi, Can suggest me which phone has better camera phone. I prefer camera should be better in my phone. So please suggest me at this time which has better camera?
Xiaomi đ
Hi andi, is it really a $160 phone. Pls see this http://www.jiayumobileshop.com/jiayu-mobile-phone.html?cat=22
Yes it is really a $160. I tried to make it pretty clear in the review that this is a China phone first and foremost and international prices will be higher… Also, the store you are linking to isn’t on the official list of distributors http://www.ejiayu.com/en/Shop.html
So jiayumobileshop.com isn’t an official distriibutor? I thought it was the main Jiayu website.
(I couldn’t access your link).
How much is WIFI weak?
WiFi is big problem for me
You can see the WIFI dropping down now and then hopefully an update will help
Hi Andi, thus Jiayu G4 both sim slots supports 3g(WCDMA: 2100Mhz)….?
No, they dont
So only one sim can use 3G?
Thankz for reply Andi.
Have two more queries.
Thus G4 sports corning gorilla glass 2…..???
Is jiayu G4 coming to India…..???
Andi, I just got myself a G4. I put my standard SIM in slot 2 (I don’t have a micro sim for slot 1). Slot 2 IS in fact picking up 3G. Is your statement wrong?
(And how do I disable the warning about no sim being detected in slot 1 when I switch the phone on?)
Hi Andy
I got my girl friend a G4 for her birthday and it worked fine at first, but now it won’t recognize the internet using SIM 2 the normal SIM.
Do you think it would work with a micro SIM in slot 1? great reviews and website. it’s the reason I got her that the G4. thanks
Great review Andi! đ
Thanks glad you liked it đ
so still there’s no OTG and MHL for advance version ??
OTG seems to be confirmed in the new forthcoming batch (even Standard Edition).
So only G4 that belongs to the pre-sale does not have support for OTG?
Thanks andy!
So the buttons do feel bad, i’ve heard that before thanks for mentioning this. If this phone would have came out a month ago i would definalty have bought it. But i think i will be very happy with my choise to take the MI-2S.
When you wake up with duckface pictures on your phone you know you where pretty f*cked up last night. It might be better to keep them to yourself đ
Haha let’s see how bad they are, might pop them on Facebook đ
Hi Andi!
What do you think, which would be the better buy, the Newman N2 or the Jiayu G4?
Gizchina is the best!
N2 is older, but cheaper, Samsung CPU and has good updates, if they continue updating it that is. G4 looks much better, feels better made.
Great review Andi!
So looks like no WCDMA 850MHz? đ
Andi for which dull Zopo displays are you talking about. The crappie ones on zp950 or the new displays on zp980 / C2?
I have the zp950 and the display is a real crap.
the viewing angle is terribe etc.
Now I’m thinking to buy a zp980 or C2 but I am afraid about the display.
ZP950 was the one I meant, really really dull….
The zoo zp980 and the C2 is the same screen they say the view is 178° and is tech like iPhone screen!
I think the zopo has better screen v s G4 so don’t afraid
And how about the screen in Zopo ZP810 (The same as Hero H7500+, that you have recently reviewed)? Because i have the Hero H7500+ (but normally i prefer to say i have Zopo ZP810), and the screen is definitely great.
By the way, are you planning to review the Zopo ZP980/C2?
When we get 2gb ram model in India ?? And how we get ?? Please inform me I am watting since 6 months
hey andi, nice work with the site. will be going to china this june and will be there for quite sometime. what places would i be able to find this phone? will they even sell it to me? lol
In Shenzhen there are a few JiaYu shops which will have stock.
What about Beijing?
I live in Beijing and I can’t find this one in any store, I tried almost every store in Zhongguancun. Maybe you can try buying online, like Taobao… however I think the best choice is to buy online from the official website shop.ejiayu….
If anyone knows about a physical store in Beijing, please, let me know!!
Great review Andi!
I only have 1 question, is the wifi good enough to use inside my home for example, u currently have a samsung galaxy gio running cyanogenmod 10.1 and the wifi is pretty bad, do u think the jiayu G4 would do fine?
Thanks
Yes it was fine in use at the home and coffee shop but just not as strong as the UMi X2 or Xiaomi
bg only, not n ?
First off all great review Andy!
Maybe a bit off-topic, does anyone here except Andy off course have this phone? Some on-line webshopes say they send them out the past days or expecting stock any day now. Is this true? Is the G4 finally coming to town for consumers?
I got mine a couple of weeks ago. Ordered it from here: http://www.to2c.com/jiayu-g4.html with no problems!
Elias
Is it for Russian customers mainly?
Did you use Singapore Post with free shipping ?
The site has world-wide shipping. I live in Denmark. I payed extra for the DHL shipping, and the package arrived within 4 working days. Pretty impressive, if you ask me.
Ah Denmark, I have a friend who lives in Farum & another friend who lives in South Jylland. Might move there one day.
Did you pay import duty or escape ?
Great to hear!
Actually, after the order was placed, I contacted the seller asking what they could do to help me prevent a huge bill when importing to Denmark. The seller marked the package as $20 value, and I haven’t had to pay any import dutys.
Excellent.
When the phone arrived was it set to English or Danish (and did you specify at the time of ordering which language).
Was the phone rooted ?
Did it have additional chinese apps installed (or did they delete for you) ?
Did it come with the Google Play Store ?
The phone was set to English when it arrived, and I didn’t specify it at the time of ordering. The LewaOS that comes with the phone doesn’t include Danish language. Google Play was installed, and very few (about 2-3) Chinese apps, however, I just disable apps that I don’t use. The phone was rooted and from this site, you have the option to install ClockworkMod Recovery if you know what you’re doing (I haven’t tried it): http://www.needrom.com/mobile/jiayu-g4/
Thanks very much for your response. Clockwork Mod Recovery is something to do with installing customs roms (I think). I’ve never done any modding/tweaking I’d be a bit weary of doing it myself.
You’re very welcome đ Yes, ClockworkMod Recovery is a utility helping you to install custom roms and such things. No reason to do this though, as the JiaYu G4 rom is running really great. So I guess you’ll be just fine without it (I am!).
Excellent Elias…tak
Can somebody pliz confirm the bluetooth version? Also, does it support native/sim video call? Thanks
Ellias did you buy from that website before?
No, this is my first order from to2c.com.
I sent to2c.com an email 3 days ago, still yet to have a response….hmmmm
I make order last night from them when they confirmed that all is in stock….well see how they will respond….
Ellias are you feel really satisfied with your purchase G4? I Want to purchase from to2c.com but not to confident never hear of it… Are they ok?Did you buy all accessories…. thanks for your replay
Yes, very satisfied with the order from to2c.com. I had never heard of the site before either, so I took a chance… But it turned out great, quick delivery and fast and kind response from the costumer service. I only ordered the phone, no accessories. But the company added a european AC adapter in the package, because I ordered it to Denmark!
Hello, I was searching to find if to2c.com is realible. Did you made an order with them?
Mine been deliverd to the UK and seems to work OK
Brian if you buy a Jiayu or indeed another make, where do you think you will buy from, or do you aim to try them all ?
I would probably buy from Lightake but thats cos I just had a good experience with them and they seem to be honest on their web site…however I am sure there are other sites. I have bought before from Aliexpress with no problems but you need to really read the reviews for a number of products/suppliers until you get confidence. I have bought Chinese products on UK ebay and had problems as well….I always try and pay with Paypal but with Aliexpress you dont pay till you get the goods. A couple of years ago I bought a chinese phone on Ebay and after I had it for a month it slated so I sent it back..cost me ÂŁ15 but I got my money back..eventually. If you are uncomfortable with buying from China and want a Jiayu get it from Spain or Holland it will be more expensive but less risky..me I like the risks and saving a few bob
Could the same be true in buying a chinese phone via Amazon (kind of akin with Ebay) ?
Yes because many of the Amazon second party sellers are the same guys who sell on UK Ebay…They can ignore your emails just as much as the chinese sellers do..i had that with a cheap tablet I bought off Amazon UK and when I had my second problem they just kept ignoring me. Solved it myself in the end opened it up and changed the battery.
Would you say therefore buying direct from the chinese website is better than ebay/amazon ?
I have to admit Merimobiles have always answered my emails with 24 hr period, whereas some other sites haven’t bothered at all ?
I wouldnt like to say either was safer…. probably safer to buy via uk site but ive had problems and successes with both…… depends ..i do think the chinese retailers will tell you anything to get your money and the uk has probably better legal protection
Oh yeah I like risks……..that why I want to give these phones (and tablets) a chance to prove themselves đ
Andi, great review but somewhere i read it has Bluetooth 4.0 version. Correct me if im wrong. Also, does it support native/sim video call without third party applications?
I thought it had Bluetooth 4.0 too (which sounds better if you stream music via A2DP).
In fact I thought all MT6589 phones would have Bluetooth 4.0. I must have completely mis-understood MediaTek’s website.
Thanks for the review Andi. Apart from the camera and the band support mismatch between the printed specs and what came up in the tool you used, it looks like it will be next device….if they launch it soon.
Yo andi, i have a mate that works in hongkong and shanghai. Do you know if they sell the Jiayu G4 there for 999 yuan => $160 Dollar
Thanks Andi I knew it that the JIAYU G4 will support WCDMA 800/850/900/1900/2100, but thank you for the confirmation mate đ !!! Many many thanks
Thank Andi.
@Drftxs13, where’s your source? I need a phone with WCDMA 900 band. I think the international version will be equipped with WCDMA 900 band while China versions will come with the regular 850/2100 band. What do you think?
As I read it the only confirmed WCDMA freq is 2100MHz. MTK Uncle tool says others but many people from here have said that its not reliable.
There a rom available that claims to improve the GPS acquisition..
http://www.needrom.com/mobile/jiayu-g4/
Hopefully they will also develop one to improve the wifi and the video autofocus problems
If i loaded this rom would it preclude from future official jiayu rom updates?
THX for your link because “weak WIFI and slow GPS” are a no go for me. But maybe further patches could help. đ
Thanks Andi! Great review. I’ve been waiting for this post for a while now and I’m happy to see that the phone is as good as I thought it would be. Keep up the good work Andi and I hope to see you Umi X2 review soon =]
X2 Review on the way đ
Hi Andi,
could you please compare it with iocen x7, Neo 0003 and Amoi 860w wich has huge battery it is interesting does it last longer than Jiayu G4?
And if you will read this could you find and compare present or upcoming phones wich would have LTE 4G, it is quit big chalenge to buy Pantech Vega Iron, I heard that Xiaomi M3 will have 4G, maybe Oppo 6 as well could you lead into any dirrection, to wait a bit or grab something, thanks for your work and answer.
I am wondering why you have never mentioned the Zopo C2.
It has a very good quality, nice design, excellent FHD display (for sure better than G4 and Umi X2) and it has regular updates. The only problem is, that the fw is a little buggy but I think they will bring an update soon.
Have the C2 in use now for about a week, using ZP980 FW, and it’s a great phone! Well built, all Apple users are quite jealous :).. Few glitches in FW, but OTA works fine and regular updates..
Too bad the battery is only 2000 mA, that could be improved..
The Iocean X7 offers more for a lower price tag?
Any idea what is the GPS chip?My guess is SIRF3.Which is little bit old.
I got confused by the supported band listing but realised they were using standards names instead of frequencies.
You can see the 3G Names/bands here;
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/UMTS_frequency_bands
so … WCDMA-IMT-2000 is Band “I”, which is 2100Mhz
Nice review, Andi. Keep up the good work….. Hope this phone and it’s advanced/turbo version launches soon in India, and they update the software to improve the wifi connectivity……….
Andi please post some links where i can buy the 2gb version.
All I can find are expensive one’s.
Great review Andi.
Detailed and honest as always.
Some news about Gizchina online shop đ
So only 3G on Sim 1… is Sim 1 the normal or micro card?
Micro
Great Review Andy,i think the G4is better than i expected
Congrats on the work in the website, love it!
Thanks glad you like it:)
Andi,
Why did you give such strange names to the phones – Advanced, Youth, Turbo? đ
There are only TWO NAMES on Jiayu’s web-site – Standard Edition (1/4) and High Edition (2/32)!
The BEST review all over internet! Tks Andi!
Waiting for my G4 be sent to Brazil.
Andi, many online retailers have listed the G4 with Bluetooth v4.0.. So is it possible only the production versions have it? Also, do you see the upcoming Turbo version having it & could the weak Wi-Fi be due to support for only b/g standards?
Andi, does the G4 come pre-rooted & can apps be moved to the SD card? Please reply!
Hi Andi!
Thanks for the detailed review, I’ve been waiting for this one.
Altough I have a question: I’m a bit confused by the pics and the video, does this phone come with the stock Android system, or does it have a mod Android with a special GUI made by the manufacturer? I personally prefer the stock version.
Thank you! đ
It’s LEWA ROM. It’s quite nice and very responsive.
Thank you! đ
Nice review Andi.
People often undervalue the importance of the performance of the loudspeaker in a smartphone. I currently own a Xperia U, and the poor performance of the loudspeaker anoys me. How is the loudspeaker in the G4?
Andi, thanks for the great review!
Could you say how the G4 screen is compared with SGS3, especially on the sun light?
Hi Andy,
if it’s possible i would like to see too G4 SGS3 and UMI X2 side by side with display set at maximum brightness.
And could you please also make photography of one scene with all three phones for comparison?
Your article with photos from G4 and X2 was perfect, but i need to compare camera in this chinese phones with some phone which we have in Europe too.
Thank you very much for your great work.
When and where can i buy this phone?
This hype for a mobile phone with almost half a year old specs. I still don’t get it. I know Jiayu is one of the accurate companies, but 720p, 13MP, 1GB and MT6589…we also know how it looks like since months.
If Apple or Samsung are presenting a phone with top specs and tell you it comes next month, then again next month but finally after 5 months the first phones are shipped while in the meanwhile phones with better specs has been already released. Customers will be furious.
Jiayu G6 seems better. Why would you buy a MT6589 with 1GB now, while phones with 2GB and maybe MT6589T aren’t really more expensive.
So the question is: Why don’t they just throw the Mt6589 away and concentrate on the MT6589T which probably don’t need changes with the other hardware components.
The problem here is marketing. If JiaYu were good at marketing they would have announced the quad-core G3s first, then the G4, G4 Turbo, G5 ETC Problem for them now is if they decide not tell us about the G7, G8 etc we will think they have disappeared and the hype will dry up.
Or indeed their G10 tablet !!
So Andi,
DId you manage to record in a very loud situation?
I would like to know how the microphone performs.
I would like to use this phone to record some video at the Rock Werchter festival.
I would like to know if it can handle the loud sound, or will it just only give a lot of noise/distortion, as my lg p970 does.
Hi Andi, thus Jiayu G4 both sim slots supports 3g(WCDMA: 2100Mhz)….?
No, they dont
So only one sim can use 3G?
Thankz for reply Andi.
Have two more queries.
Thus G4 sports corning gorilla glass 2…..???
Is jiayu G4 coming to India…..???
Andi, I just got myself a G4. I put my standard SIM in slot 2 (I don’t have a micro sim for slot 1). Slot 2 IS in fact picking up 3G. Is your statement wrong?
(And how do I disable the warning about no sim being detected in slot 1 when I switch the phone on?)
Hi Andy
I got my girl friend a G4 for her birthday and it worked fine at first, but now it won’t recognize the internet using SIM 2 the normal SIM.
Do you think it would work with a micro SIM in slot 1? great reviews and website. it’s the reason I got her that the G4. thanks
so still there’s no OTG and MHL for advance version ??
OTG seems to be confirmed in the new forthcoming batch (even Standard Edition).
So only G4 that belongs to the pre-sale does not have support for OTG?
When we get 2gb ram model in India ?? And how we get ?? Please inform me I am watting since 6 months
First off all great review Andy!
Maybe a bit off-topic, does anyone here except Andy off course have this phone? Some on-line webshopes say they send them out the past days or expecting stock any day now. Is this true? Is the G4 finally coming to town for consumers?
I got mine a couple of weeks ago. Ordered it from here: http://www.to2c.com/jiayu-g4.html with no problems!
Mine been deliverd to the UK and seems to work OK
Elias
Is it for Russian customers mainly?
Did you use Singapore Post with free shipping ?
Brian if you buy a Jiayu or indeed another make, where do you think you will buy from, or do you aim to try them all ?
The site has world-wide shipping. I live in Denmark. I payed extra for the DHL shipping, and the package arrived within 4 working days. Pretty impressive, if you ask me.
I would probably buy from Lightake but thats cos I just had a good experience with them and they seem to be honest on their web site…however I am sure there are other sites. I have bought before from Aliexpress with no problems but you need to really read the reviews for a number of products/suppliers until you get confidence. I have bought Chinese products on UK ebay and had problems as well….I always try and pay with Paypal but with Aliexpress you dont pay till you get the goods. A couple of years ago I bought a chinese phone on Ebay and after I had it for a month it slated so I sent it back..cost me ÂŁ15 but I got my money back..eventually. If you are uncomfortable with buying from China and want a Jiayu get it from Spain or Holland it will be more expensive but less risky..me I like the risks and saving a few bob
Ah Denmark, I have a friend who lives in Farum & another friend who lives in South Jylland. Might move there one day.
Did you pay import duty or escape ?
Could the same be true in buying a chinese phone via Amazon (kind of akin with Ebay) ?
Oh yeah I like risks……..that why I want to give these phones (and tablets) a chance to prove themselves đ
Can somebody pliz confirm the bluetooth version? Also, does it support native/sim video call? Thanks
Yes because many of the Amazon second party sellers are the same guys who sell on UK Ebay…They can ignore your emails just as much as the chinese sellers do..i had that with a cheap tablet I bought off Amazon UK and when I had my second problem they just kept ignoring me. Solved it myself in the end opened it up and changed the battery.
Would you say therefore buying direct from the chinese website is better than ebay/amazon ?
I have to admit Merimobiles have always answered my emails with 24 hr period, whereas some other sites haven’t bothered at all ?
I wouldnt like to say either was safer…. probably safer to buy via uk site but ive had problems and successes with both…… depends ..i do think the chinese retailers will tell you anything to get your money and the uk has probably better legal protection
Great to hear!
Actually, after the order was placed, I contacted the seller asking what they could do to help me prevent a huge bill when importing to Denmark. The seller marked the package as $20 value, and I haven’t had to pay any import dutys.
Ellias did you buy from that website before?
Excellent.
When the phone arrived was it set to English or Danish (and did you specify at the time of ordering which language).
Was the phone rooted ?
Did it have additional chinese apps installed (or did they delete for you) ?
Did it come with the Google Play Store ?
No, this is my first order from to2c.com.
The phone was set to English when it arrived, and I didn’t specify it at the time of ordering. The LewaOS that comes with the phone doesn’t include Danish language. Google Play was installed, and very few (about 2-3) Chinese apps, however, I just disable apps that I don’t use. The phone was rooted and from this site, you have the option to install ClockworkMod Recovery if you know what you’re doing (I haven’t tried it): http://www.needrom.com/mobile/jiayu-g4/
Thanks very much for your response. Clockwork Mod Recovery is something to do with installing customs roms (I think). I’ve never done any modding/tweaking I’d be a bit weary of doing it myself.
You’re very welcome đ Yes, ClockworkMod Recovery is a utility helping you to install custom roms and such things. No reason to do this though, as the JiaYu G4 rom is running really great. So I guess you’ll be just fine without it (I am!).
Excellent Elias…tak
Ellias are you feel really satisfied with your purchase G4? I Want to purchase from to2c.com but not to confident never hear of it… Are they ok?Did you buy all accessories…. thanks for your replay
Yes, very satisfied with the order from to2c.com. I had never heard of the site before either, so I took a chance… But it turned out great, quick delivery and fast and kind response from the costumer service. I only ordered the phone, no accessories. But the company added a european AC adapter in the package, because I ordered it to Denmark!
I sent to2c.com an email 3 days ago, still yet to have a response….hmmmm
I make order last night from them when they confirmed that all is in stock….well see how they will respond….
Hello, I was searching to find if to2c.com is realible. Did you made an order with them?
Andi please post some links where i can buy the 2gb version.
All I can find are expensive one’s.
Great review Andi.
Detailed and honest as always.
Some news about Gizchina online shop đ
The BEST review all over internet! Tks Andi!
Waiting for my G4 be sent to Brazil.
Nice review Andi.
People often undervalue the importance of the performance of the loudspeaker in a smartphone. I currently own a Xperia U, and the poor performance of the loudspeaker anoys me. How is the loudspeaker in the G4?
If the Jiayu G6 launches at the same time as the Jiayu G4 turbo, would it be better to buy the G6 purely on the basis of its battery being 5000 mAh ?
Well, I don’t think many are a fan of the huge form factor the G6 brings along.
Thats true 5.7″ is too big
Well done Andi, liked the review and esp the pictures. Hopefully this’ll be my secondary phone soon.
Is it possible to buy the Jiayu G4 on Jiayu’s official web at 999 Yuans ?? Or do I have to pay 250 $ ??
Truly great review.
Hi Andy,
I usually do not leave the GPS on (to save battery). So it means if I turn on Google map (and GPS), it won’t be usable for first X minutes. So we need to know exactly how long does it take for the GPS to lock? Your description “a few minutes” is vague and looks scary (just like my LG Optimus Black)! Also, was it indoors or outdoors?
Since the chip has GLONASS, why is that not activated? It is supposed to lock much faster (especially in the Northern Hemisphere; which includes China, Russia, Europe, USA, Japan and Canada.)
BTW how’s the burst-mode camera function? How many shots at what speed, at max resolution?
The video is sharp but seems to refocus every few seconds…It may be due depth of field set to too shallow (as you point to a different distance, or if the subject moves away/closer, the camera has to refocus). If you have that as setting (or if you set the camera in a different mode) the result may be better. Hope you have given this feedback to your trusty source at Jiayu!
Thirdly what’s the loudness level (ring, and voice in speaker mode)?
I don’ think it has Glonass.
When I viewed a youtube GPS video using the “GPS Test” app, no sattelites with ids from 65 to 88 were visible.
P.S. Can you please make a separate video on GPS test, like the one you provided on Zopo zp980’s GPS test?
Thanks in advance!
If the Jiayu G6 launches at the same time as the Jiayu G4 turbo, would it be better to buy the G6 purely on the basis of its battery being 5000 mAh ?
Well, I don’t think many are a fan of the huge form factor the G6 brings along.
Thats true 5.7″ is too big
Well done Andi, liked the review and esp the pictures. Hopefully this’ll be my secondary phone soon.
Is it possible to buy the Jiayu G4 on Jiayu’s official web at 999 Yuans ?? Or do I have to pay 250 $ ??
Great Andi but can make a review for the new zopo ? I’m from Europe and the zopo can shipped from Italy fast and with any tax!
Thanks for the review. So the hope contiues for WCDMA 850/1800.
I meant WCDMA 850/1900 for US AT&T.
Truly great review.
Hi Andy,
I usually do not leave the GPS on (to save battery). So it means if I turn on Google map (and GPS), it won’t be usable for first X minutes. So we need to know exactly how long does it take for the GPS to lock? Your description “a few minutes” is vague and looks scary (just like my LG Optimus Black)! Also, was it indoors or outdoors?
Since the chip has GLONASS, why is that not activated? It is supposed to lock much faster (especially in the Northern Hemisphere; which includes China, Russia, Europe, USA, Japan and Canada.)
BTW how’s the burst-mode camera function? How many shots at what speed, at max resolution?
The video is sharp but seems to refocus every few seconds…It may be due depth of field set to too shallow (as you point to a different distance, or if the subject moves away/closer, the camera has to refocus). If you have that as setting (or if you set the camera in a different mode) the result may be better. Hope you have given this feedback to your trusty source at Jiayu!
Thirdly what’s the loudness level (ring, and voice in speaker mode)?
I don’ think it has Glonass.
When I viewed a youtube GPS video using the “GPS Test” app, no sattelites with ids from 65 to 88 were visible.
P.S. Can you please make a separate video on GPS test, like the one you provided on Zopo zp980’s GPS test?
Thanks in advance!
Great Andi but can make a review for the new zopo ? I’m from Europe and the zopo can shipped from Italy fast and with any tax!
Thanks for the review. So the hope contiues for WCDMA 850/1800.
Just got confirmation from PandaWill CS that the Bluetooth 4.0 & Wi-Fi b/g/n specs for the G4 they have listed was provided by JiaYu themselves. Hopefully these specs are true.
I meant WCDMA 850/1900 for US AT&T.
Just got confirmation from PandaWill CS that the Bluetooth 4.0 & Wi-Fi b/g/n specs for the G4 they have listed was provided by JiaYu themselves. Hopefully these specs are true.
No 4G LTE for Jiayu G4?
Just the name
there are not 4G Chinese mobiles?
When are they expected? 2014?
you’ll have to wait for the new MTK6590 chip.
The review was great Andy but what about its release date? When will the advanced model with 2gb ram and 32gb internal be released? By June or will it take till July? Any official statement from jiayu?
No 4G LTE for Jiayu G4?
Just the name
there are not 4G Chinese mobiles?
When are they expected? 2014?
you’ll have to wait for the new MTK6590 chip.
The review was great Andy but what about its release date? When will the advanced model with 2gb ram and 32gb internal be released? By June or will it take till July? Any official statement from jiayu?
Are together the most convenient and reliable seller?
Let us seek and then comunichiamolo between us.
Andi, you have no idea who it might be a good seller, or you can not contact someone who you know to propose an offer to the faithful of your site?
Hi Andy, what about led buttons? It’s a software or hardware problem? I hered blue leds for final version
Are together the most convenient and reliable seller?
Let us seek and then comunichiamolo between us.
Andi, you have no idea who it might be a good seller, or you can not contact someone who you know to propose an offer to the faithful of your site?
$160 where?? i dont find this price?
is always 250$
Hi Andy, what about led buttons? It’s a software or hardware problem? I hered blue leds for final version
Andi, do you still think the xioami m2 or 2s is the best chinese brand phone you can get or is in not worth the bump in price from the Jiayu G4? I’ve got a ZTE U9850 and am really disappointed by the bad battery life and slightly buggy ZTE android 4.0 firmware on there.
The xiaomi is still my choice, but anyone buying a G4 won’t be disapointed
Thanks very much for the tip.
$160 where?? i dont find this price?
is always 250$
What is the phone book capacity of Jiayu G4 (2GB model)? Some websites mention it as 500 contacts whereas other websites don’t mention anything. Given the huge memory of 2GB RAM and 32GB ROM, I think its phone book capacity must be at least 10,000 contacts. Will someone kindly clarify?
Andi, do you still think the xioami m2 or 2s is the best chinese brand phone you can get or is in not worth the bump in price from the Jiayu G4? I’ve got a ZTE U9850 and am really disappointed by the bad battery life and slightly buggy ZTE android 4.0 firmware on there.
The xiaomi is still my choice, but anyone buying a G4 won’t be disapointed
Thanks very much for the tip.
Will it get OTG later with software update, or the electronic circuits are missing, so its not possible to get OTG with this version?
As for the disappointing video capturing: is this something one can fix with alternative camera apps? Or is this caused by the camera’s internal firmware and is JiaYu the only one who can fix this?
Here is a fix: http://www.needrom.com/mobile/jiayu-g4/
Hello,,
The main reason tho change my old phone to a smartphone is to have all in one (phone, GPS, web browsing and photo cam). The problema is no smartphone with good quality in all specs and low price.
Anyone had tryed this fixs? Really improvements in GPS and Cam?
What is, in your opinion, the smartphone with quickçy GPS and better quality cam (low light conditions and visualization in PC screen).
Thanks for your opinions.
Not sure if this ‘fix’ works, as I neither have a G4 nor do I see ‘Video’ or ‘Focus’ on the ROM changelog.
Interestingly, the user at http://gathering.tweakers.net/forum/list_message/40468619#40468619 seems to have found a workaround, installing Snap Camera HDR v3.3.0 Beta 2 as camera app, and setting focus mode to infinite. So perhaps alternative applications can make a difference!
What is the phone book capacity of Jiayu G4 (2GB model)? Some websites mention it as 500 contacts whereas other websites don’t mention anything. Given the huge memory of 2GB RAM and 32GB ROM, I think its phone book capacity must be at least 10,000 contacts. Will someone kindly clarify?
Will it get OTG later with software update, or the electronic circuits are missing, so its not possible to get OTG with this version?
As for the disappointing video capturing: is this something one can fix with alternative camera apps? Or is this caused by the camera’s internal firmware and is JiaYu the only one who can fix this?
Here is a fix: http://www.needrom.com/mobile/jiayu-g4/
Hello,,
The main reason tho change my old phone to a smartphone is to have all in one (phone, GPS, web browsing and photo cam). The problema is no smartphone with good quality in all specs and low price.
Anyone had tryed this fixs? Really improvements in GPS and Cam?
What is, in your opinion, the smartphone with quickçy GPS and better quality cam (low light conditions and visualization in PC screen).
Thanks for your opinions.
Not sure if this ‘fix’ works, as I neither have a G4 nor do I see ‘Video’ or ‘Focus’ on the ROM changelog.
Interestingly, the user at http://gathering.tweakers.net/forum/list_message/40468619#40468619 seems to have found a workaround, installing Snap Camera HDR v3.3.0 Beta 2 as camera app, and setting focus mode to infinite. So perhaps alternative applications can make a difference!
Does anyone know if the Jiayu G4 supports microSDXC or microSDHC memory cards?
It supports SDHC. And, actually, as SDXC is but a name for SDHC cards with a different format to comply with Microsoft’s standards, it will work with SDXC cards too.
From a Linux / Android POV, if it supports SDHC and the driver supports SD 3.0, it supports SDXC cards.
Does anyone know if the Jiayu G4 supports microSDXC or microSDHC memory cards?
It supports SDHC. And, actually, as SDXC is but a name for SDHC cards with a different format to comply with Microsoft’s standards, it will work with SDXC cards too.
From a Linux / Android POV, if it supports SDHC and the driver supports SD 3.0, it supports SDXC cards.
Awesome review @Andi! I saw MobileUncle shows as Quad band WCDMA. Could you confirm if its true? It will be amazing if it is.
In a negative case, would you recommend any with 3G 850/1900 Bands? Which are the ones AT&T uses.
Thank you.
Awesome review @Andi! I saw MobileUncle shows as Quad band WCDMA. Could you confirm if its true? It will be amazing if it is.
In a negative case, would you recommend any with 3G 850/1900 Bands? Which are the ones AT&T uses.
Thank you.
Also, to those hoping for 850/1900, you can drop them. Unless there’s radical change (from previous Jiayu G2,G3,G3s,G4 normal) with the new Turbo version, 850/1900MHz will not be supported. Any seller claiming different is flat out lying or has been misinformed/copied false info. I hate to be the bearer of bad news, I just hate to see people get scammed. Cheers.
Sorry, to be clearer – I was referring to current and previous models released. The Jiayu G4 Turbo MAY have radios for 850/1900 (hoping), but that remains to be seen.
Hello andi
brother if i want to come to china where would i buy this phone the cheapest and original??..what are the rate of g4 and g3quad core in china ??
best reviews brother…
Shenzhen
Also, to those hoping for 850/1900, you can drop them. Unless there’s radical change (from previous Jiayu G2,G3,G3s,G4 normal) with the new Turbo version, 850/1900MHz will not be supported. Any seller claiming different is flat out lying or has been misinformed/copied false info. I hate to be the bearer of bad news, I just hate to see people get scammed. Cheers.
Sorry, to be clearer – I was referring to current and previous models released. The Jiayu G4 Turbo MAY have radios for 850/1900 (hoping), but that remains to be seen.
Hello andi
brother if i want to come to china where would i buy this phone the cheapest and original??..what are the rate of g4 and g3quad core in china ??
best reviews brother…
Shenzhen
Is that frame made of real metal?
What about dents, does it leaves marks on that frame after dropping it?
Is that frame made of real metal?
What about dents, does it leaves marks on that frame after dropping it?
Hi Andi, Where I can buy Jiayu for recomended website? Thx.
You find it on the Internet, there are many sites selling Jiayu phone, best to Jiayu’s official website to buy.
Such as Spemall . com , a great place to buy Jiayu Smartphones .
Hi Andi, Where I can buy Jiayu for recomended website? Thx.
You find it on the Internet, there are many sites selling Jiayu phone, best to Jiayu’s official website to buy.
Such as Spemall . com , a great place to buy Jiayu Smartphones .
Andi,
could you tell us if it is Dual Sim Dual-Stand-by or Active ?
JIAYU G4S Octa Core support Dual Sim Dual Standby .
Andi,
could you tell us if it is Dual Sim Dual-Stand-by or Active ?
JIAYU G4S Octa Core support Dual Sim Dual Standby .
Whether Jiayu G3T or this Jiayu G4, I love how the manufacturer takes so much details on making a great phone at affordable price.I’ve always been a loyal user. đ Ever since I bought my first Jiayu phone from merimobiles.com I never look back! đ
Whether Jiayu G3T or this Jiayu G4, I love how the manufacturer takes so much details on making a great phone at affordable price.I’ve always been a loyal user. đ Ever since I bought my first Jiayu phone from merimobiles.com I never look back! đ
Hello I want to ask, Im considering between Jiaju G4 1GB and 2GB ram versions. I like using my phone for all the stuff but gaming, I intend using considerable amount of apps and widgets running in the background (ICQ,FB, Email, WEATHER, few RSS) and simultaneously I want browse web or use gps navigation am I going to need spend more money on the 2GB version or 1GB ram will be more than enough for me? Second thing Im really happy about phone having 3000mAh battery, does the 2GB version with faster cpu negatively affect battery running time compared to its 1GB slower brother? Thanks for the help đ
If using GPS in the car as a proper navigational aid is important to you, then I would suggest you forget about the G4 all together. Sure, there are a few software fixes, including one on this site, which improve it, but they’re not good enough to turn the phone into a decent GPS. It’s only when you’ve tried and tested the GPS and compared it with another phone that you’ll realise how bad it is on the G4.
I have the 1GB ram 1.2 GHz G4 and its fine with lots of apps running simultaneuosly Ive never noticed any lag or buffering. As for the 3000mAh battery mine runs for a few days on a charge. it uses 3% overnight on standby. I cant comment on the 2gb using more but as I understand from the reviews ive read on here they both now have been upgraded to the same MTK6589T running at 1.5Ghz so if you buy one running at 1.2 then its older(ie a couple of weeks) stock. So if you dont do much gaming then its mainly about do you want to buy the advanced with 32GB RAm or buy a TF card elsewhere.
Hello I want to ask, Im considering between Jiaju G4 1GB and 2GB ram versions. I like using my phone for all the stuff but gaming, I intend using considerable amount of apps and widgets running in the background (ICQ,FB, Email, WEATHER, few RSS) and simultaneously I want browse web or use gps navigation am I going to need spend more money on the 2GB version or 1GB ram will be more than enough for me? Second thing Im really happy about phone having 3000mAh battery, does the 2GB version with faster cpu negatively affect battery running time compared to its 1GB slower brother? Thanks for the help đ
If using GPS in the car as a proper navigational aid is important to you, then I would suggest you forget about the G4 all together. Sure, there are a few software fixes, including one on this site, which improve it, but they’re not good enough to turn the phone into a decent GPS. It’s only when you’ve tried and tested the GPS and compared it with another phone that you’ll realise how bad it is on the G4.
I have the 1GB ram 1.2 GHz G4 and its fine with lots of apps running simultaneuosly Ive never noticed any lag or buffering. As for the 3000mAh battery mine runs for a few days on a charge. it uses 3% overnight on standby. I cant comment on the 2gb using more but as I understand from the reviews ive read on here they both now have been upgraded to the same MTK6589T running at 1.5Ghz so if you buy one running at 1.2 then its older(ie a couple of weeks) stock. So if you dont do much gaming then its mainly about do you want to buy the advanced with 32GB RAm or buy a TF card elsewhere.
Hi. I have a jiayu g4. Can you tell me how to amend and delete the contacts please?
Thanks
Ive had the same problem Sharon..dont think its a G4 problem but probably a Android 4.2 problem. Ive tried a number of contact management systems and whilst most seem to let you delete contacts from their copy of the contacts file the master contacts file seems unchanged and ‘deleted’ contacts seem to pop back up on restart. Anyone got any suggestions as to which App will allow you to edit the master contacts file in a permanent way? Im using the Full Screen User Id App at the moment but Im not overjoyed with it.
You can use Touchpal contacts to remove redundant system groups.
It’s available from Play-store
Hi. I have a jiayu g4. Can you tell me how to amend and delete the contacts please?
Thanks
Ive had the same problem Sharon..dont think its a G4 problem but probably a Android 4.2 problem. Ive tried a number of contact management systems and whilst most seem to let you delete contacts from their copy of the contacts file the master contacts file seems unchanged and ‘deleted’ contacts seem to pop back up on restart. Anyone got any suggestions as to which App will allow you to edit the master contacts file in a permanent way? Im using the Full Screen User Id App at the moment but Im not overjoyed with it.
You can use Touchpal contacts to remove redundant system groups.
It’s available from Play-store
Found that the gt99 had the same issue with mtk uncle. It would state several band wcdma850 900 that did not work. I could use this mode to disable all but the modes I needed to test. This because I did not verify the specification elsewhere. I have now learned not to trust tinydeal, even the dual core tablets bought from them were generic a13 single core. Wish that jiayu did build wcdma850 or 900 into their spec as gorilla glass would be awesome on a less than 5″ screen went with a tronsmart ts7 instead a good phone 720 screen, good camera 4.7″ gorilla glass
Found that the gt99 had the same issue with mtk uncle. It would state several band wcdma850 900 that did not work. I could use this mode to disable all but the modes I needed to test. This because I did not verify the specification elsewhere. I have now learned not to trust tinydeal, even the dual core tablets bought from them were generic a13 single core. Wish that jiayu did build wcdma850 or 900 into their spec as gorilla glass would be awesome on a less than 5″ screen went with a tronsmart ts7 instead a good phone 720 screen, good camera 4.7″ gorilla glass
what is that update you wrote about, that fixes the constant refocusing?
what is that update you wrote about, that fixes the constant refocusing?
Had my G4a for two weeks now. It was not rooted, which it needs for screen-recording. My 3000mah battery was ‘fortified’ with another battery for about 20USD. It is preferable to my Iocean X7 Elite, because it can be safely handled with just one hand.
Despite the 2-32gb memory, plus large mSD card, the limit seems to be about 360 apps, unrooted, including my small collection of texts (dictionaries, medical, etc). Rooted, I’m not sure what the limit might be.
The 1080 display of my rooted Iocean X7 almost replaces my Dell EPS-15 notebook, also 1080. It helps that I’m short-sighted, so the tiny text is easier to read on the 5″ screen. But the larger screen is dangerous to handle, one-handed, so I’ll be selling it.
Had my G4a for two weeks now. It was not rooted, which it needs for screen-recording. My 3000mah battery was ‘fortified’ with another battery for about 20USD. It is preferable to my Iocean X7 Elite, because it can be safely handled with just one hand.
Despite the 2-32gb memory, plus large mSD card, the limit seems to be about 360 apps, unrooted, including my small collection of texts (dictionaries, medical, etc). Rooted, I’m not sure what the limit might be.
The 1080 display of my rooted Iocean X7 almost replaces my Dell EPS-15 notebook, also 1080. It helps that I’m short-sighted, so the tiny text is easier to read on the 5″ screen. But the larger screen is dangerous to handle, one-handed, so I’ll be selling it.
Very good review! Im fall in love with this cellphone. But the only problem with Jiayu cellphones is find parts. I have a jiayu g3 which fell less than 1m high, unfortunately it broke the lcd and cracked the touch screen, but I can not find replacement parts at a good price…
Very good review! Im fall in love with this cellphone. But the only problem with Jiayu cellphones is find parts. I have a jiayu g3 which fell less than 1m high, unfortunately it broke the lcd and cracked the touch screen, but I can not find replacement parts at a good price…
Hi, Just trying to figure out a problem with the JY-G4 Android Version 4.2.1. (Well maybe its not a problem)
It was super simple to put in and activate the dual sim cards. They work perfectly.
But what I would like to do is for one sim to have one ringtone, and the other sim to have another selected ringtone. It seems as though you canât have two ringtones.
This would be good so that I could know exactly without picking up the phone if it is a potential customer (on one sim) or a friend (on the other sim).
Hi, Just trying to figure out a problem with the JY-G4 Android Version 4.2.1. (Well maybe its not a problem)
It was super simple to put in and activate the dual sim cards. They work perfectly.
But what I would like to do is for one sim to have one ringtone, and the other sim to have another selected ringtone. It seems as though you canât have two ringtones.
This would be good so that I could know exactly without picking up the phone if it is a potential customer (on one sim) or a friend (on the other sim).
Phone looks great just what I am looking for where can I buy one
I bought my first one from jiayumobiles.com but have just bought a second one for a friend from AliExpress as it was,at the time, the cheapest I could find. The price included free postage with Singapore Post which would have taken up to four weeks. It came within a week because I opted for EMS delivery and there was no import duty to pay as was the case with my first phone which came DHL.
I have to say that its a great phone and I am very pleased with mine, as is my friend who bought it for 200$ (MTK6589T thin white) from:
http://www.aliexpress.com/item/presell-original-JIAYU-G4-MTK6589-Quad-Core-1-2G-1GRAM-4GROM-3G-Android-4-1-4/750720628.html
This guy has a great track record with excellent feedback and we had no hastle buying from him but there are lots of vendors out there to choose from just make your mind up and make sure you are getting the model you want MTK6589 or 6589T…white /black…thick/thin because they are all different prices…and make sure you include your preferred delivery method in the price..note that anyone offering China Post cant send it as they wont take batteries anymore.
Phone looks great just what I am looking for where can I buy one
I bought my first one from jiayumobiles.com but have just bought a second one for a friend from AliExpress as it was,at the time, the cheapest I could find. The price included free postage with Singapore Post which would have taken up to four weeks. It came within a week because I opted for EMS delivery and there was no import duty to pay as was the case with my first phone which came DHL.
I have to say that its a great phone and I am very pleased with mine, as is my friend who bought it for 200$ (MTK6589T thin white) from:
http://www.aliexpress.com/item/presell-original-JIAYU-G4-MTK6589-Quad-Core-1-2G-1GRAM-4GROM-3G-Android-4-1-4/750720628.html
This guy has a great track record with excellent feedback and we had no hastle buying from him but there are lots of vendors out there to choose from just make your mind up and make sure you are getting the model you want MTK6589 or 6589T…white /black…thick/thin because they are all different prices…and make sure you include your preferred delivery method in the price..note that anyone offering China Post cant send it as they wont take batteries anymore.
I like the JiaYu and use one daily. I wnt my nexgt one to be bigger. I am looking for a ” octacore phone with high quality like JiaYu and stilll staying at a resonable price.
You can consider the JIAYU G4S Octa Core, high quality and smart functions, i know Spemall will have in stock in next Monday, I already ordered it .
I like the JiaYu and use one daily. I wnt my nexgt one to be bigger. I am looking for a ” octacore phone with high quality like JiaYu and stilll staying at a resonable price.
You can consider the JIAYU G4S Octa Core, high quality and smart functions, i know Spemall will have in stock in next Monday, I already ordered it .
Anybody knows where I can set up hide/show caller’s identity? This ‘menu’ is nowhere to be found, and its really frustrating!
Anybody knows where I can set up hide/show caller’s identity? This ‘menu’ is nowhere to be found, and its really frustrating!
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Something’s wrong with the template. I’m seeing this on top of article. “[templatic_contentbox type=âinfoâ title=âJiaYu G4 discount for GizChina readersâ] “.
Does anyone know where I can get Jiayu spares in China? I am in Shenzhen, sent the factory an email, no response. Does anyone on know where to buy parts for these phones on Huaqiang Road? I own a G4, need charger PCB. It seems they fail often. Thanks for any help.
Does anyone know where I can get Jiayu spares in China? I am in Shenzhen, sent the factory an email, no response. Does anyone on know where to buy parts for these phones on Huaqiang Road? I own a G4, need charger PCB. It seems they fail often. Thanks for any help.