No.1 S6i Review: Galaxy S6 clone with a great build


No.1 has been around for a while now, and is best known for its cloned phones. Not only have No.1 made lookalikes of Apple and Samsung phones, but they’ve also cloned the likes of Xiaomi. Today we’ll be talking about the No.1 S6i, which if you haven’t already guessed, is a Samsung Galaxy S6 clone.

Of course, this one costs a hell lot lesser than the original thing. But that doesn’t stop No.1 from trying to emulate the Galaxy S6 in almost all segments. How far does it go with that? Let us find out!

No.1 S6i Review: Specifications

  • 5.1-inch 1280 x 720p IPS display
  • 1.3GHz quad-core MediaTek MT6582 processor
  • 1GB RAM
  • 16GB ROM
  • 13 mega-pixel rear camera
  • 5 mega-pixel front camera
  • Android 5.0 Lollipop
  • Single SIM, GSM 850/900/1800/1900MHz, WCDMA 850/2100

No.1 S6i Review: Build and Design

No.1 S6i (17)

There’s not a lot to speak about the design, because you’re already clear in the mind as to how the S6i will look in the hands. The build quality is something worth talking about, however. No.1 have almost always been a clone maker, but have made a mark for themselves by including some proper, usable material in their devices. The No.1 M4 was a phone which was almost as well built as the original Mi 4, and the S6i does equally well. The phone is made with metal and glass all around it, and I’m sure no one you hand the phone to will be able to tell that it’s only a $119 phone!

The build quality in general is extremely impressive, and without doubt is the best part about the phone. There is, sometimes, an obvious lack of precision in the workmanship, but at a little over a hundred dollars, you can probably let that go.

No.1 S6i (11)

The phone fits very well in the hand, and can be used in one hand no problem. The edges are all covered in chamfered metal, with the front and rear covered in glass. Unfortunately, there doesn’t seem to be any anti-fingerprint oleophobic coating on the glass which makes the phone a dirt and fingerprint magnet.

No.1 S6i (4)

An IR blaster and a secondary mic sit on the top edge, while a micro USB port, 3.5mm headphone jack and a speaker grill sit on the bottom edge. Volume buttons can be found on the left, while the power button makes home on the right side with the SIM card tray (which, by the way, takes only nano SIM cards).

No.1 S6i (10)

The 13 mega-pixel camera of the S6i sits on the rear, protruding in pride. Next to it you find the the single LED flash and heartbeat sensor. You’re free to get worried about the amount of protrusion of the camera, but the S6i will always have the excuse of being a Galaxy S6 clone.

No.1 S6i (13)

All of the buttons on the edges feel really good and have a nice, tactile feedback to them. The home button however does lack the comforting feel, for there is a bit of a play in the unit I tested.

No.1 S6i Review: Display

No.1 S6i (16)

Gizchina News of the week


You’ll like the S6i display until you pit it against the original thing. Only the display from the original Galaxy S6 would probably be expensive than this entire phone plus worldwide shipping… so you need to know what to expect. I personally like the S6i’s display more than the one on the Ulefone Be Touch, which should tell you a little about the quality. Of course, it isn’t mind blowing or anything, but you probably won’t have any qualms using it.

Read Also:  MediaTek Dimensity 9400 Shines In Efficiency In New Benchmark Analysis

No.1 S6i (19)

The most impressive bit about the display are the viewing angles, and the fact that the colours are very true, i.e., neither are they washed out, nor over-saturated.

No.1 S6i Review: Performance

The phone only comes with the good ol’ MediaTek MT6582 quad-core processor, which I assume all of you have used at one point or another. This chip from Taiwan’s MediaTek has graced millions of smartphone motherboards, and the S6i is just another one of them.

The general UI responsiveness is in fact pretty good. This is the first MediaTek MT6582 phone I’ve used that runs Android 5.0 Lollipop, and I think the MT6582 does pretty well at handling the OS. Speaking of the OS, the S6i appears to be running what looks like a 1:1 clone of Samsung’s TouchWiz, sometimes also the bugs and stutters that come along with it.

In a nutshell, the S6i is a decently powered phone for general productivity; if you plan to buy a phone for gaming and the likes, you probably want to look elsewhere. Also, it has just 1GB of RAM which is more than just a bit of a bottleneck performance wise.

No.1 S6i Review: Battery

According to the manufacturer, the phone ships with a 2,800mAh battery. While I’m not sure about the accuracy of that claim, what is certain is that the battery is non-removable. While I haven’t opened up the phone to check the actual capacity, experience says that it is something around a 2000-2200mAh cell sitting inside the pretty shell.

Nonetheless, what should matter to you is how long that works for regardless of the capacity. The phone will, on most days, last about 8-10 hours with average usage, and with heavy usage, you can expect the juice to dry up much sooner. The phone could do with a better battery life in my opinion.

No.1 S6i Review: Camera

No.1 S6i (9)

The S6i has a 13 mega-pixel camera, which is among the most impressive sensors you’ll see in its range. The camera is fast and snappy when it comes to taking pictures, but it does have a bit of a lag while rendering the image on the viewfinder.

Focus is touchy. It will take you more than just one attempt most times with tap to focus to get a sharp image with the focus on the main subject. But when you do achieve that, the result is pretty much well worth the pain on most occasions. The camera also performs pretty well indoors and in artificial light, which is pretty impressive for a clone.

No.1 S6i Review: Conclusion

No.1 S6i (1)

The No.1 S6i is a phone that’s built to impress. It’ll certainly surprise you right off the bat, and probably won’t disappoint you with the way it performs. The lack of an additional GB of RAM certainly hurts, and there’s no fixing that. On the other hand, for storage, I’ve heard that there is a microSD card slot that can be accessed if you somehow manage to take the rear off (not recommended).

The phone is a clone and demands to be pitted against other clones, which are few and far between lately. In the end, you’ll be paying a premium for the build quality more than anything else on the No.1 S6i.

You can find more about the No.1 S6i on the official No.1 website.

Disclaimer: We may be compensated by some of the companies whose products we talk about, but our articles and reviews are always our honest opinions. For more details, you can check out our editorial guidelines and learn about how we use affiliate links.

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94 Comments

  1. mf1gt3r
    June 2, 2015

    That isn’t well priced is it? $119? Would have cost nothing to throw in 2gb of ram in there.

    • June 2, 2015

      Yep. Certainly lacks a gig of RAM

      • King
        June 3, 2015

        Yash Garg Didn’t read anything about Phicomm Passion 660 before on Gizchina. It’s come to India via Amazon. Would you or someone on Gizchina give more information about this company/phone. Here’s a link for reference.

        http://gadgets.ndtv.com/mobiles/news/phicomm-passion-660-with-snapdragon-615-soc-launched-at-rs-10999-699265

        • Pip_X
          June 3, 2015

          Is this GizIndia?

          • Muhammad Yasir
            June 3, 2015

            i like u

          • Muhammad Yasir
            June 3, 2015

            i like u

          • King
            June 3, 2015

            Phicomm is a Chinese phone maker not Indian.they are just doing business in India.

          • King
            June 3, 2015

            Phicomm is a Chinese phone maker not Indian.they are just doing business in India.

          • balcobomber25
            June 4, 2015

            India is the second biggest market for Chinese phones in the world. Most of the phones that are sold in India are made in China or owned by Chinese corporations.

        • Muhammad Yasir
          June 3, 2015

          why dont u export to pakistan , please ?

        • Muhammad Yasir
          June 3, 2015

          why dont u export to pakistan , please ?

        • andi
          June 6, 2015

          Ain’t this a perfect world
          This kid is perfect in half knowledge.

          Kiddo should complete his projects and do his engineering.
          following China OEM and keeping up with tech deserves a degree on its own 😉

      • Muhammad Yasir
        June 3, 2015

        AND a 64 bit proc…
        u forgot 64 bit

        NEVER forget 64 bit!

        • June 3, 2015

          Hah, you’re right about that one.

      • Muhammad Yasir
        June 3, 2015

        AND a 64 bit proc…
        u forgot 64 bit

        NEVER forget 64 bit!

    • Muhammad Yasir
      June 3, 2015

      Damn right it aint !
      it woulda cost a bit to up the ram and proc to 64 bits but an upward price anywhere b/w $125-140 woulda been sweet for a phone with mtk 6735/32 and 2 gb ram with all the rest staying SAME , esp the cam which is pretty good!

    • Muhammad Yasir
      June 3, 2015

      Damn right it aint !
      it woulda cost a bit to up the ram and proc to 64 bits but an upward price anywhere b/w $125-140 woulda been sweet for a phone with mtk 6735/32 and 2 gb ram with all the rest staying SAME , esp the cam which is pretty good!

  2. freank
    June 2, 2015

    this is a joke! if it had 2 GB Ram and mt6732 I would pay the extra, can someone find out why these Chinese manufacturers make such silly mistakes, if its just to get rid of old chips then the fone deserves to flop…

    • Muhammad Yasir
      June 3, 2015

      same question bro , they are REALLY making stupid ass mistakes and REALLY hurt their reputation and sales!
      GREAT CAM on this but lacks cpu and ram !

      SHAMEFUL BLUNDER !

    • Muhammad Yasir
      June 3, 2015

      same question bro , they are REALLY making stupid ass mistakes and REALLY hurt their reputation and sales!
      GREAT CAM on this but lacks cpu and ram !

      SHAMEFUL BLUNDER !

    • balcobomber25
      June 4, 2015

      The clone makers have always under-powered their devices most likely to save every last penny they could. A lot of clones end up getting a new back cover that says “Samsung” on it (sometimes even misspelled) and sold to tourists in foreign markets who think they are getting a great deal on the real thing.

    • balcobomber25
      June 4, 2015

      The clone makers have always under-powered their devices most likely to save every last penny they could. A lot of clones end up getting a new back cover that says “Samsung” on it (sometimes even misspelled) and sold to tourists in foreign markets who think they are getting a great deal on the real thing.

  3. mf1gt3r
    June 2, 2015

    That isn’t well priced is it? $119? Would have cost nothing to throw in 2gb of ram in there.

    • Yash Garg
      June 2, 2015

      Yep. Certainly lacks a gig of RAM

    • King
      June 3, 2015

      Yash Garg Didn’t read anything about Phicomm Passion 660 before on Gizchina. It’s come to India via Amazon. Would you or someone on Gizchina give more information about this company/phone. Here’s a link for reference.

      http://gadgets.ndtv.com/mobiles/news/phicomm-passion-660-with-snapdragon-615-soc-launched-at-rs-10999-699265

    • Guest
      June 3, 2015

      Is this GizIndia?

    • Guest
      June 3, 2015

      AND a 64 bit proc…
      u forgot 64 bit

      NEVER forget 64 bit!

    • Guest
      June 3, 2015

      i like u

    • Guest
      June 3, 2015

      why dont u export to pakistan , please ?

    • Yash Garg
      June 3, 2015

      Hah, you’re right about that one.

    • Guest
      June 3, 2015

      Damn right it aint !
      it woulda cost a bit to up the ram and proc to 64 bits but an upward price anywhere b/w $125-140 woulda been sweet for a phone with mtk 6735/32 and 2 gb ram with all the rest staying SAME , esp the cam which is pretty good!

    • King
      June 3, 2015

      Phicomm is a Chinese phone maker not Indian.they are just doing business in India.

    • balcobomber25
      June 4, 2015

      India is the second biggest market for Chinese phones in the world. Most of the phones that are sold in India are made in China or owned by Chinese corporations.

    • Guest
      June 6, 2015

      Ain’t this a perfect world
      This kid is perfect in half knowledge.

      Kiddo should complete his projects and do his engineering.
      following China OEM and keeping up with tech deserves a degree on its own 😉

  4. Guest
    June 2, 2015

    this is a joke! if it had 2 GB Ram and mt6732 I would pay the extra, can someone find out why these Chinese manufacturers make such silly mistakes, if its just to get rid of old chips then the fone deserves to flop…

    • Guest
      June 3, 2015

      same question bro , they are REALLY making stupid ass mistakes and REALLY hurt their reputation and sales!
      GREAT CAM on this but lacks cpu and ram !

      SHAMEFUL BLUNDER !

    • balcobomber25
      June 4, 2015

      The clone makers have always under-powered their devices most likely to save every last penny they could. A lot of clones end up getting a new back cover that says “Samsung” on it (sometimes even misspelled) and sold to tourists in foreign markets who think they are getting a great deal on the real thing.

  5. Ed
    June 2, 2015

    What about the IR blaster? Mine doesn’t seem to be working… Maybe fake?

      • Muhammad Yasir
        June 3, 2015

        whats an ir blaster ?

        • Xalis
          June 3, 2015

          Like a light saber but for controlling your AC unit.

          • Muhammad Yasir
            June 4, 2015

            right. 😀
            now , honestly , what does it do in a smartphone?

            • Fred
              June 5, 2015

              Xalis answered the question. Just a IR remote 🙂

            • xals1997
              June 5, 2015

              You can turn on your TV with the smartphone

            • Muhammad Yasir
              June 5, 2015

              are u Xalis from the Past (year 1997) ??

          • fred
            June 5, 2015

            LOLLLLLLLLLL !

          • Muhammad Yasir
            June 5, 2015

            sorry man… i thought it was a sound device (“blaster”).
            thanks for your entertaining reply 🙂

        • Xalis
          June 3, 2015

          Like a light saber but for controlling your AC unit.

  6. Guest
    June 2, 2015

    What about the IR blaster? Mine doesn’t seem to be working… Maybe fake?

    • Guest
      June 3, 2015

      whats an ir blaster ?

    • Guest
      June 3, 2015

      Like a light saber but for controlling your AC unit.

    • Guest
      June 4, 2015

      right. 😀
      now , honestly , what does it do in a smartphone?

    • Guest
      June 5, 2015

      LOLLLLLLLLLL !

    • Guest
      June 5, 2015

      Xalis answered the question. Just a IR remote 🙂

    • xals1997
      June 5, 2015

      You can turn on your TV with the smartphone

    • Guest
      June 5, 2015

      are u Xalis from the Past (year 1997) ??

    • Guest
      June 5, 2015

      sorry man… i thought it was a sound device (“blaster”).
      thanks for your entertaining reply 🙂

  7. Marco Lancaster
    June 3, 2015

    S7yler managed to open the phone and found a microsd slot!
    Btw It’s not an easy task.

    http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-WPjP3L4bzMk/VWuT1JABhzI/AAAAAAAAKhk/qQt8FZ-WD98/s1600/fbb8eb-1433113029.jpg

    • MaxPower
      June 3, 2015

      Lol

    • Muhammad Yasir
      June 3, 2015

      hory shet ! wow!

    • Muhammad Yasir
      June 3, 2015

      so no micro sd originally ?!

      • Marco Lancaster
        June 3, 2015

        You have to disassemble it to find the slot lol

        • Sansa
          June 3, 2015

          I’m dumb, can please someone explain to me how come a phone would have a hidden microSD slot?!

          • balcobomber25
            June 4, 2015

            Most likely they got a great deal on that motherboard or already had it in stock with their suppliers. When designing the phone they couldn’t find a place to put the SD slot so they just left it abandoned. Wouldn’t be surprised if this happens a lot more than we think.

          • balcobomber25
            June 4, 2015

            Most likely they got a great deal on that motherboard or already had it in stock with their suppliers. When designing the phone they couldn’t find a place to put the SD slot so they just left it abandoned. Wouldn’t be surprised if this happens a lot more than we think.

          • Joshua
            May 8, 2016

            In a sense it looks like they are trying to take a cheap route. Different things about this phone show to be flaw after you have it for a while like me

        • Sansa
          June 3, 2015

          I’m dumb, can please someone explain to me how come a phone would have a hidden microSD slot?!

        • Muhammad Yasir
          June 4, 2015

          thats new 😀 !

      • Marco Lancaster
        June 3, 2015

        You have to disassemble it to find the slot lol

  8. Marco Lancaster
    June 3, 2015

    S7yler managed to open the phone and found a microsd slot!
    Btw It’s not an easy task.

    • MaxPower
      June 3, 2015

      Lol

    • Guest
      June 3, 2015

      hory shet ! wow!

    • Guest
      June 3, 2015

      so no micro sd originally ?!

    • Marco Lancaster
      June 3, 2015

      You have to disassemble it to find the slot lol

    • Sansa
      June 3, 2015

      I’m dumb, can please someone explain to me how come a phone would have a hidden microSD slot?!

    • balcobomber25
      June 4, 2015

      Most likely they got a great deal on that motherboard or already had it in stock with their suppliers. When designing the phone they couldn’t find a place to put the SD slot so they just left it abandoned. Wouldn’t be surprised if this happens a lot more than we think.

    • Guest
      June 4, 2015

      thats new 😀 !

    • Guest
      May 8, 2016

      In a sense it looks like they are trying to take a cheap route. Different things about this phone show to be flaw after you have it for a while like me

  9. Muhammad Yasir
    June 3, 2015

    so a camera that performs MUCH BETTER THAN MOST BAD-ASS FLAGSHIPS in low light !!
    WOW! just WOW!

    but (and please don’t mind my language as im much compelled) why wont these FUCKERS suit up their clones with an IMPRESSIVE 64 bit processors ?! even if its just a 6732 ?!
    The processors are CHEAP and will be a GREAT SELLING POINT for these phones!

    a clone that ACTUALLY is phenomenal in the camera department , is unfortunately armed with a 32 bit crap proc :/

    when will u get common sense , china men -_- ?

  10. andi
    June 3, 2015

    Looks like ANDI sends all crappy fones to India for review.
    Mr. four eyes is happy to review the crapy clones for all the tiny dollars eh??
    look he even posted piks in Thongs along with his “pedicured” feet.

  11. andi
    June 3, 2015

    Looks like ANDI sends all crappy fones to India for review.
    Mr. four eyes is happy to review the crapy clones for all the tiny dollars eh??
    look he even posted piks in Thongs along with his “pedicured” feet.

    • balcobomber25
      June 4, 2015

      Umm….

  12. Guest
    June 3, 2015

    so a camera that performs MUCH BETTER THAN MOST BAD-ASS FLAGSHIPS in low light !!
    WOW! just WOW!

    but (and please don’t mind my language as im much compelled) why wont these FUCKERS suit up their clones with an IMPRESSIVE 64 bit processors ?! even if its just a 6732 ?!
    The processors are CHEAP and will be a GREAT SELLING POINT for these phones!

    a clone that ACTUALLY is phenomenal in the camera department , is unfortunately armed with a 32 bit crap proc :/

    when will u get common sense , china men -_- ?

  13. Guest
    June 3, 2015

    Looks like ANDI sends all crappy fones to India for review.
    Mr. four eyes is happy to review the crapy clones for all the tiny dollars eh??
    look he even posted piks in Thongs along with his “pedicured” feet.

    • balcobomber25
      June 4, 2015

      Umm….

  14. trapchan
    June 3, 2015

    didn’t they usually provide several version of clones with varying specs on aliexpress

    • balcobomber25
      June 4, 2015

      Aliexpress has hundreds of clones but it can be very risky buying some of them, a lot of the times the specs advertised dont match what is inside the phone. If you really want clone phones stick to the established brands like No.1.

  15. trapchan
    June 3, 2015

    didn’t they usually provide several version of clones with varying specs on aliexpress

  16. trapchan
    June 3, 2015

    didn’t they usually provide several version of clones with varying specs on aliexpress

    • balcobomber25
      June 4, 2015

      Aliexpress has hundreds of clones but it can be very risky buying some of them, a lot of the times the specs advertised dont match what is inside the phone. If you really want clone phones stick to the established brands like No.1.

  17. balcobomber25
    June 4, 2015

    If they had given this a better SoC and 2GB of RAM it would be a respectable phone in it’s own right even given the fact its a clone.

  18. balcobomber25
    June 4, 2015

    If they had given this a better SoC and 2GB of RAM it would be a respectable phone in it’s own right even given the fact its a clone.

  19. balcobomber25
    June 4, 2015

    If they had given this a better SoC and 2GB of RAM it would be a respectable phone in it’s own right even given the fact its a clone.