[Review] Wiko U Feel Lite – Does Wiko’s Workhorse Wonder Walk the Talk?

Newcomer Wiko’s U Feel Lite smartphone is attempting to make their mark in the local market with an array of budget oriented offerings along with French sensibilities in it’s design. Their entry level Wiko U Feel Lite offers quite a comprehensive array of goodies bundled with it that let you use the phone straight out of the box.

Out of the box, you get the phone itself along with a soft silicone casing, a screen protector, a pair of headphones, a two-pin USB charger with a cable and even a set of SIM card adaptors.

The two-pin USB plug isn’t usable without some gerrymandering to get it to fit local plugs but it is slim enough for transport in a pocket or backpack.

The SIM card adaptors come in extremely handy and they’ve bundled in one for nano, micro and standard SIM cards though the U Feel Lite itself sports dual micro SIM slots. The screen protector and the soft silicone casing are a nice touch, allowing you to use the phone immediately without fear of scratching it or wasting time hunting for them in third party accessory stores.

In terms of design, the U Feel Lite plays it safe with relatively mainstream aesthetics and a conservative design. The edges are rounded all around and the phone heavily relies on polycarbonate for the backplate and finish.

The base comes with a microUSB port for charging and docking duties while the right side of the phone comes with a volume rocker and power button whilst the top comes with a 3.5mm audio jack. The buttons do the job but feel rather plasticky.

The backplate of the phone can be levered off to reveal the nonremovable 2500mAh battery along with the dual micro SIM card slots and microSD card slot. There’s also a rear 8-MP camera with an LED flash. Unfortunately, the camera lens array juts out somewhat so leaving it flat on a table without protection or some amount of care would not be a good idea. Fortunately, the bundled phone casing solves this complication nicely.

Up front, the phone has a modest 5-inch HD display with 294ppi and a physical home button at the base that doubles as a fingerprinter reader. The top bezel of the touchscreen sports a 5-MP selfie camera with an f/2.4 lens. One quibble here is that the home button is recessed into the chassis and is not exactly clicky, meaning that you’ll have to press down harder than usual to activate it.

The overall design plays it safe and while it doesn’t break new ground, it is built in a sturdy fashion and does look better than what its modest RM569 price tag would indicate.