iOcean launched the MT6752 Rock earlier this year as a direct rival to the JiaYu S3, Ulefone Be Pro and Meizu m1 note. Find out how it really compares in our full iOcean MT6752 Rock Review.
I was quite lucky to try the iOcean MT6752 Rock before it was launched, in fact at the time I tried it it wasn’t even named. That early prototype had the same overall look as the production version, but not the same level of finish and detail the final model offers.
iOcean made some interesting design choices with the iOcean MT6752 Rock, one being to move the navigation controls from the chin of the phone to the screen, another to give the phone a ‘rock’ style finish on the rear, these might sound (and look) like odd choices but in the flesh it is quite refreshing when compared to the generic designs we have seen in the past.
iOcean MT6752 Rock Review – Design
Beauty is in the eye of the beholder, this is a very true statement. What one person may like another is going to hate. Generally phone makers edge on the side of caution in their phones to ensure they sell the maximum number, but this has let to dull and reused designs.
It is very refreshing to see iOcean aren’t afraid of making something out of the ordinary, but the design is one that doesn’t appeal to everyone. Personally the MT6752 Rock design has grown on me and I quite like the quirky design choices. I like the fact the front panel is silver rather than white or black, I like the very rounded corners and the ‘rock’ style finish, and I also like the fact I can hold the phone securely in landscape without worrying about hitting any buttons (although I do feel the chin is still far too big).
That’s not to say I love the design of the iOcean MT6752 Rock, I don’t, but I do enjoy it’s off the wall styling.
Other details I like about the phone are that iOcean have given the Rock a removable rear panel for a reason rather than out of habit (take note Meizu). Removing the rear of the phone (the shell wraps around the edges of the device) gives easy access to the 2300mAh battery, dual SIM cards slots and micro SD memory expansion port.
With the rear shell off we can also see the location of the antennas of the phone, with one particularly large antenna located right behind the chin of the phone partially explaining the size.
Place the rear back on and we see the 14 mega-pixel camera lens which protrudes slightly from the back, single LED flash, ‘iOcean’ logo and dual speakers, and yes they are actually dual speakers on the iOcean.
The sides of the Rock really swoop around to give a almost ‘pebble’ like design making it comfy to hold. If it were a pebble I’m sure it would make a great skipping stone for across a lake, but I wouldn’t suggest you try it.
A power button and volume rocker and located almost mid way down the right hand side of the iOcean. I believe the lower than average location of the buttons have been designed so that smaller hands can access them easier on the larger 5.5-inch device. For myself though it means I am holding the phone lower than usual making it more difficult to reach apps at the top of the screen when using one-handed.
Touring the last 3 sides of the phone we find a 3.5mm headphone jack at the top, USB in the base while the left hand side is free of any button, tray or control.
Across the front we have a silver faceplate which is encircled by a chrome bezel. The 5.5-inch display appears to have very narrow bezels, but turning the phone on we see that the screen as a couple of mm of black edge around it effectively increasing the bezel to quite a large size.
As already mentioned the large chin area has no buttons which means easy one-handed landscape operation (no fear of accidentally touching a button), however I generally only use my phone in landscape when watching a movie or gaming and in these cases 2 hands are usually more comfortable than one.
Above the large chin is the 5.5-inch FHD 1920 x 1080 display then above that the front facing 5 mega-pixel camera, receiver and various sensors.
There is no mention on the iOcean website as to which protective glass the iOcean MT6752 Rock uses but so far I have yet to scratch or damage the display, and iOcean boss John Li is confident enough to smash walnuts open with the phone without damaging it (see the video on the iOcean Facebook page).
So overall the design of the iOcean MT6752 Rock is very different in finish, but also quite similar in shape to the iPhone 6 Plus. It feels very well made, with a well manufactured body, and some odd design choices.
iOcean MT6752 Rock Review – Specifications and Performance
No matter how you feel about the look of the MT6752 Rock, the specifications of the phone are equal to many other mid-range flagship phones and with the use of the latest SoC tech from Mediatek it has some very desirable features.
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Specification highlights of the iOcean MT6752 Rock include a 5.5-inch full HD display, an octacore Mediatek MT6752 processor with 64 bit architecutre and native LTE support, plus Mali T760 GPU. There is 3GB RAM as standard! (as apposed to 2GB as standard on the Meizu and JiaYu S3), 16GB internal memory and room for an SD card. Bluetooth 4.0 , 2.4Ghz/5Ghz WIFI, 14 mega-pixel main camera, 5 mega-pixel front and dual speakers.
iOcean also gave the rock fast charging capabilities when used with a specific fast charger, and have promised an Android 5.0 Lollipop update is in the works!
All of those features are packed in to the 154.7 x 76.9 x 8.2mm phone, slightly longer, and wider but thinner than the JiaYu S3.
With one of the most popular and sought after Mediatek processors and 3GB RAM purring away under the hood of the iOcean MT6752 Rock we really needn’t worry about the performance of the phone. Every application you could want to use on a daily basis runs smoothly and the fact we have 3GB RAM to play with means you can leave more apps running in the background for longer.
- Geekbench 3 Single-core Score: 806
- Geekbench 3 Multi-core Score: 3943
- GFXbench Manhattan: 379.8
- GFXbench 1080p Manhattan offscreen: 357.0
- GFXbench T-rex: 889.5
- GFXbench 1080p T-Rex offscreen: 856.0
- Antutu: 41634
- Antutu X: 37898
- Nenamark 2: 53.0fps
- Vellamo Metal: 1226
- Vellamo Multicore: 1774
- Vellamo Browser: 2421
- Quadrant: 19360
- 3D Mark Ice Storm Extreme: 3076
When it comes to benchmarks we get some pretty good scores from Antutu, GFX Bench etc, but we did notice that iOcean don’t seem to be getting the most from the MT6752 and 3GB RAM at the time of writing. Compared to the JiaYu S3 with only 3GB RAM for example the iOcean is a little down in the benchmarks. Does this affect real world and gaming performance though? No, not in the slightest, but we still hope to see future updates that get the best from what’s on offer.
Now many people really love Mediatek’s new processors for their LTE, 64bit and faster performance, but what I really love is the new and improved speed of GPS. In the past Mediatek phones had a bit of a bad reputation for GPS performance but the MT6732 and MT6752 (found in the iOcean) have helped improve things.
As well as great GPS performance, the sturdy plastic body of the iOcean MT6752 Rock also allows great WIFI signal strength without interference. The iOcean also supports WCDMA BAND1/2/8; FDD BAND3/7/20 which I tested on Vodafone in Europe with great LTE speed. Speaking of LTE support though, the iOcean Rock can support an LTE SIM in either of the SIM trays but only one SIM at a time. I.E you won’t be able to run dual LTE SIM in the phone.
The large chin on the phone might be the one item of the phone which upsets some people from a aesthetics point of view, but it was the fact that iOcean chose a relatively small 2300mAh battery that upset many other possible buyers. We are more used to 5.5-inch 1080 phones with 64bit chips and LTE boasting larger 3000mAh batteries, so it was a bit of a disappointment to see a small battery in the phone. The good news is that the battery does support fast charging, and as it is removable you can carry a spare with you. If neither of those solutions appeals to you then get used to giving your phone a top up in the evening or when you arrive at work the next morning. Running LTE, and WIFI all the time, few phone calls but lots of data use I got to around 10am the following day after a full charge, so not quite a day and a half. With video, gaming or music I would need to charge by the evening of the same day.
iOcean MT6752 Rock Review – Camera
After being surprised by the quality of the 13 mega-pixel Sony sensor on the JiaYu S3 I was excited to see what the 14 mega-pixel sensor of the iOcean MT6752 Rock would be capable of.
The iOcean MT6752 Rock certainly represents a step forward in photography capability when compared to previous iOcean models. Photos taken in bright sunny conditions are captured quickly and with good detail. You’re not going to find a camera that will taken on camera centric phones, but at this price point there are certainly worse camera options.
Like many smartphones it is when light is a premium that the iOcean MT6752 Rock has its work cut out. Without light a lot of noise creeps in to the images. With a little work though you can get some good night photos, but then it is the lens which lets the sensor down.
So not the worst camera on the market, but a long way from being one of the best, and when compared to the JiaYu S3, Meizu m1 note or even Xiaomi Redmi 2, the iOcean is lagging well behind.
iOcean MT6752 Rock Review – Conclusion
The iOcean MT6752 Rock is an odd phone with some odd design and specification choices. On the one hand we have a powerful chipset with 3GB RAM and wonderful 5.5-inch FHD display which equals any phone of similar specification, but then we have a small battery, and below average camera performance.
From a design point of view the Rock is an odd phone, but in a good way, however I’m afraid that with more regular looking devices on the market appealing to a larger audience iOcean may have gambled a little too much on the styling.
If you are an iOcean fan and are looking for a flagship phone from them but the MT6752 Rock doesn’t quite hit the mark then keep your eyes out for news of the iOcean X9 which will have a alloy chassis, 5-inch display and the same MT6752 chipset and 3GB RAM!
[ iOcean.cc ]
Very poor performance from Mali T760 GPU MP2.
PowerVR G6430 which can be found in Zenfone 2 (SoC Z3560/3580) outperforms it by a wide margin.
I think iphone6 is better than Zenfone 2.
I would hope its better it costs nearly $400 more.
what is the sense of bringing out new 64bit phones with an old antic 32bit OS
antutu problem
That GPU is a letdown on that 1080p screen.
I have it on the Ecoo E04, not problems with it. Heavier games play smoothly but on a 720p maybe future games run smoother, dunno.
Depends what you are using it for. I don’t expect cutting edge performance from a sub $200 phone and I am not a big gamer. So for me it is just fine.
jiayu s3 has everybody crushed under 200$,that lcd is a win win
2G RAM，shit
typical jiayu hater :p
Unless you don’t like the design of the S3…
To me it looks like a cheap knockoff of an Mx4. Design is a big part of my decisions to buy a phone.
At this price range design is out of the questions as they are all plain boring/knockoffs, so the main selling point is value for money.
Looks like jiayu spend all the budget on the screen, camera an future Lollipop update(as I heard).
This what I’m getting from my investigation “cheap or gtfo” Muhammad yassir style.
Not even close to out of the question. There are plenty of phones at this price range that are both attractive and value for the money. Just look at the Iocean X7/8 and Inew V3 all very good looking phones for under $200.
Very poor performance from Mali T760 GPU MP2.
PowerVR G6430 which can be found in Zenfone 2 (SoC Z3560/3580) outperforms it by a wide margin.
I think iphone6 is better than Zenfone 2.
I would hope its better it costs nearly $400 more.
what is the sense of bringing out new 64bit phones with an old antic 32bit OS
antutu problem
That GPU is a letdown on that 1080p screen.
I have it on the Ecoo E04, not problems with it. Heavier games play smoothly but on a 720p maybe future games run smoother, dunno.
Depends what you are using it for. I don’t expect cutting edge performance from a sub $200 phone and I am not a big gamer. So for me it is just fine.
shit camera = GTFO NOW!
WOW you have shit in ur mouth?
hey , there sus or watever bro…
This is in BROAD daylight!
99.99% of chinese phones above $160 WILL get you the SAME RESULT in plently of light BUT what about the low-light photography?!
You see , THATS WHERE CAMERA PHONES ARE DECIDED UPON!
you see , THIS is why IUNI u2 , MEIZU MX4 cost EXPENSIVE as hell , cos they ABSOULUTELY DOMINATE LOWLIGHT CONDITIONS WITH THEIR LENS , FLASH AND SENSOR!
i hope that settles and justifies my original comment. The Iocean rock’s camera is NOT good enough to be on a 200$+ phone!
it’d be ok if it was around 150$ but THIS is OUTRAGEOUSLY ripping off loyal fans.
I’d rather not argue with you or anyone on this matter since i have been observing reviews and camera results for QUITE A WHILE now and i know a camera when its good!
I think if you use more caps-lock your arguments will become stronger.
Next to that, the camera seems to be less than other phones in that price class.
ya , sorry for the caps , BUT (again?) , he just posted pics and he din’t even realise he was gonna get rekt with such a weak counter argument :p
P.S also , i wanted to blurt out loud , about what really decides a phone’s camera for me… (low-light performance must be at least an 8.5/10 )
or something wrong with ur eyes ，look
jiayu s3 has everybody crushed under 200$,that lcd is a win win
2G RAM，shit
typical jiayu hater :p
Unless you don’t like the design of the S3…
To me it looks like a cheap knockoff of an Mx4. Design is a big part of my decisions to buy a phone.
At this price range design is out of the questions as they are all plain boring/knockoffs, so the main selling point is value for money.
Looks like jiayu spend all the budget on the screen, camera an future Lollipop update(as I heard).
This what I’m getting from my investigation “cheap or gtfo” Muhammad yassir style.
Not even close to out of the question. There are plenty of phones at this price range that are both attractive and value for the money. Just look at the Iocean X7/8 and Inew V3 all very good looking phones for under $200.
worst design ever
Glad I bought a Jiayu S3 advanced. The GPS is great with the M8 app, much faster and more stable lock than my G4S, just needs an update to 64 bit lollipop.
They have the same GPS
Iocean M6752 has same GPS .
I hear about chargers problem of JiaYu S3 ，How about your.
shit camera = GTFO NOW!
WOW you have shit in ur mouth?
or something wrong with ur eyes ，look
hey , there sus or watever bro…
This is in BROAD daylight!
99.99% of chinese phones above $160 WILL get you the SAME RESULT in plently of light BUT what about the low-light photography?!
You see , THATS WHERE CAMERA PHONES ARE DECIDED UPON!
you see , THIS is why IUNI u2 , MEIZU MX4 cost EXPENSIVE as hell , cos they ABSOULUTELY DOMINATE LOWLIGHT CONDITIONS WITH THEIR LENS , FLASH AND SENSOR!
i hope that settles and justifies my original comment. The Iocean rock’s camera is NOT good enough to be on a 200$+ phone!
it’d be ok if it was around 150$ but THIS is OUTRAGEOUSLY ripping off loyal fans.
I’d rather not argue with you or anyone on this matter since i have been observing reviews and camera results for QUITE A WHILE now and i know a camera when its good!
I think if you use more caps-lock your arguments will become stronger.
Next to that, the camera seems to be less than other phones in that price class.
ya , sorry for the caps , BUT (again?) , he just posted pics and he din’t even realise he was gonna get rekt with such a weak counter argument :p
P.S also , i wanted to blurt out loud , about what really decides a phone’s camera for me… (low-light performance must be at least an 8.5/10 )
worst design ever
Glad I bought a Jiayu S3 advanced. The GPS is great with the M8 app, much faster and more stable lock than my G4S, just needs an update to 64 bit lollipop.
They have the same GPS
Iocean M6752 has same GPS .
I hear about chargers problem of JiaYu S3 ，How about your.
how good is headphone outpu?
how good is headphone outpu?
I like Iocean M6752 2A recharger.Some one said it can full charge in one and half hours.
great one
wow, depending on those pics, the camera looks great.
I love it and I have it! It is a great phone for the low price and it’s performance is good!
I like Iocean M6752 2A recharger.Some one said it can full charge in one and half hours.
great one
wow, depending on those pics, the camera looks great.
I love it and I have it! It is a great phone for the low price and it’s performance is good!
No GPS test?
No GPS test?
fYI despite what the official specs say, my 128gb microsd card works perfectly in my I ocean mt6752. It shows full capacity in the storage settings and I have 70+ gigs of music on there and it handles it perfectly.
I am very happy with this phone. Not so keen on the default launcher so am running a lollipop themed launcher whilst I await the official lollipop update.
I also note from iocean website that they are going to be making 3000mAh batteries available from the end of April.
I am genuinely so happy with it I am now selling my m8 – I simply can’t justify it’s cost.
….and another thing…..
The stock audio using nothing other than
the built in ‘Bes…’ sound enhancements is awful even with headphones.
However, I installed Cyanogenmod’s DSP manager and was able to tweak
the audio to be very very close to the audio I was getting from my HTC
M8 using the superior Harman Kardon mod.
Today I have successfully
installed the MaxxAudio mod found over at XDA (link below). This
improves the sound even further and works very well……the speaker’s
are still pretty crappy but who listens to music through a phone speaker
other than a 14 year old??
http://forum.xda-developers.com/android/general/maxx-audio-effects-mediatek-edition-t3044224
fYI despite what the official specs say, my 128gb microsd card works perfectly in my I ocean mt6752. It shows full capacity in the storage settings and I have 70+ gigs of music on there and it handles it perfectly.
I am very happy with this phone. Not so keen on the default launcher so am running a lollipop themed launcher whilst I await the official lollipop update.
I also note from iocean website that they are going to be making 3000mAh batteries available from the end of April.
I am genuinely so happy with it I am now selling my m8 – I simply can’t justify it’s cost.
….and another thing…..
The stock audio using nothing other than
the built in ‘Bes…’ sound enhancements is awful even with headphones.
However, I installed Cyanogenmod’s DSP manager and was able to tweak
the audio to be very very close to the audio I was getting from my HTC
M8 using the superior Harman Kardon mod.
Today I have successfully
installed the MaxxAudio mod found over at XDA (link below). This
improves the sound even further and works very well……the speaker’s
are still pretty crappy but who listens to music through a phone speaker
other than a 14 year old??
http://forum.xda-developers.com/android/general/maxx-audio-effects-mediatek-edition-t3044224