It’s been a long time since I’ve used a “normal” sized phone every day, and I’m sure for many of you it will be the same. Large phones are popular, with their screens offering more room for text, photos, and video while including larger batteries for extended runtime.
Kogan has entered the fray with the Agora 6 Plus, a 5.5-inch model that promises no compromises despite its impressive spec sheet and modest AU$349 retail price.
The Kogan Agora 6 Plus bears a striking resemblance to the iPhone 6s Plus, so much so that it fits perfectly in the case I have for my own device. Of course, the buttons and camera don’t line up, but at a cursory glance, it’s easily mistaken for Apple’s finest.
To be honest, it’s a good thing. The front is an uncluttered piece of 2.5D glass flowing neatly into the side trim, and it looks every bit as polished sitting on a table as an iPhone 6s or Galaxy S7.
The sides and back of the Agora 6 Plus are mostly aluminium, with small plastic inserts at the top and bottom for wireless antennas.
The left side is home to the dual SIM and microSD tray (two SIMs or SIM+microSD if you’re wondering), the right houses the volume and power buttons.
The drilled speaker grill, microUSB, and microphone round out the bottom of the phone.
The build quality is solid, though the buttons on the right aren’t as firm feeling as those on more expensive handsets, and the cuts between the aluminium and plastic on the back are sharper than ideal. It’s pretty slippery too, so picking up a case is a good idea.
Powering it up, the display on the Agora 6 Plus is immediately impressive. The 5.5-inch Full HD display wonderfully crisp and bright, completely unashamed by the iPhone 6s Plus to the naked eye.
Of particular note is the performance when wearing polarised sunglasses. A lot of devices (Kogan’s other smartphones included) completely black out when held in landscape mode, an issue the Agora 6 Plus simply doesn’t have.
The glass has an oleophobic coating that does an excellent job of repelling fingerprints and grease, and the low reflectance made outdoor use a delight rather than a hassle. It really is a great display.
The Agora 6 Plus is powered by an octa-core Hello P10 processor (4x 1.2Ghz and 4x 2.0Ghz) with 3GB RAM and 32GB storage, running a relatively stock version of Android 6.0 with the May 2016 security patch.
While that is 2 months behind on the current Google patch, at least it’s not launching completely out of date. There are very few extra apps included, with a backup app, file manager, FM radio, and Kogan store app.
This combination means the Agora 6 Plus is super smooth in day-to-day operation, handling multitasking without a hiccup.
When setting up the Agora 6 Plus I loaded up my usual suite of applications including:
Email: Microsoft Outlook
Music: Apple Music, Pandora
Messaging: WhatsApp
Video: Stan, Netflix, MX Player Pro
Launcher: Nova Launcher Pro
Other: Dropbox, Photoshop, eBay, VPN
Launching and switching between apps is quick and smooth, and loading web pages over a strong 4G connection is fast.
The Agora 6 Plus had no problem recognizing my 200GB SanDisk microSD despite the specifications indicating support “up to 128GB”. The built-in 32GB offers plenty of room for loading apps and larger games, leaving the microSD to fill in with media storage.
The rear-mounted fingerprint scanner takes advantage of the native support in Android 6.0, and is nicely positioned when used in the hand. If you are unlocking your device while it’s laying on a table, you’ll either have to pick it up or enter your code.
Thanks to the inclusion of NFC the Agora 6 Plus is compatible with Android Pay and other banking apps with payment support. Features like NFC tend to go missing in cheaper devices, it’s really nice to see it included here.
The front includes a capacitive home key, oddly duplicating the Android onscreen keys, and a multi-colour notification light that glows elegantly across the bottom of the phone.
The camera has good specs for a phone this affordable, with 21 megapixels, two-tone flash, an f2.2 lens, and phase-detect autofocus.
In short, it’s ok. Nothing flash, just ok. Photos in good light have good detail and accurate white balance. Add in a contrasty scene or poor lighting, and it starts to fall apart.
On several occasions, the focusing was off, despite several attempts to set a focus point. It gets pretty noisy and mushy too. This is where phones like the iPhone and Galaxy continue to earn their stripes.
Focus didn’t quite get there
While the camera may not knock your socks off, it’s certainly passable for most users looking at pictures on their phone and posting on social media.
Battery life, however, has been a strong point. With a 2950mAh cell, the Agora 6 Plus was able to make it through a moderate-to-heavy day of usage without a top-up.
Typically I take my phone off charge at 6.30am, read the latest news for 20 mins for heading to work. I listen to Apple Music streaming over Bluetooth in the car for about 20 mins to and from work and spend the rest of the day checking emails, messages, web browsing, and taking the occasional picture. Some days I’ll also hotspot to my notebook too.
I got over 4 hours of screen-on time with periods of poor signal and some brief GPS usage. As you can see in the graph, the GPS (and associated Google Maps navigation) hit the battery pretty hard this particular day.
Aside from the camera, at no point in my week of testing did it feel like I was giving up anything from more expensive large-screen devices like iPhone 6s Plus or Nexus 6P. Watching videos, streaming music, browsing the web and tackling emails was every bit as easy.
I have no complaints about the call quality, and the speaker is loud and sounds decent.
This is easily the most premium Kogan phone to date. Its excellent screen, smooth performance, and modest price make the Kogan Agora 6 Plus a great choice if spending big money on a phone isn’t something you’re prepared to do.
The Kogan Agora 6 Plus retails for AU$349, and it is available from kogan.com.au
Source: Manufacturer supplied review sample
What I Like: Excellent display, solid battery life, smooth performance, quality feel, fingerprint scanner, NFC.
What Needs Improvement: Camera doesn’t excel.
