Blackview is one of the most known rugged smartphone vendors with thermal image sensor on the market and has delivered some of the best mobiles. The manufacturer usually brings two flagship devices to the market every year and now is the time to test the first one of 2020, the BV9900 Pro; its main selling point is the FLIR infrared camera sensor which was introduced in the BV9800 Pro at a surprising low price tag at just under $500. Which one is worth buying for you – Blackview BV9800 Pro vs BV9900?
Blackview BV9800 Pro vs BV9900 comparison chart
General
| BV9800 Pro | BV9900 | |
|---|---|---|
| Launch Date | January 24, 2020 (Official) | March 5, 2020 (Official) |
| Brand | Blackview | Blackview |
| Model | BV9800 Pro | BV9900 |
| Operating System | Android v9.0 (Pie) | Android v9.0 (Pie) |
| SIM Slot(s) | Dual SIM, GSM+GSM | Dual SIM, GSM+GSM, Dual VoLTE |
| SIM Size | SIM1: Nano | SIM1: Nano SIM2: Nano (Hybrid) |
| Network | 4G: Available (supports Indian bands), 3G: Available, 2G: Available | 4G: Available (supports Indian bands), 3G: Available, 2G: Available |
| Fingerprint Sensor | Yes | Yes |
| Quick Charging | Yes, Fast |
Key differences
| BV9800 Pro | BV9900 | |
| Display | 6.3″ (16 cm)1080×2340 px, 409 PPI | 5.84″ (14.83 cm)1080×2280 px, 432 PPI |
| Performance | Quad + Quad Core2 GHz + 2 GHz, 6 GB RAM | Dual + Hexa Core2.2 GHz + 2 GHz, 8 GB RAM |
| Storage | 128 GB256 GB (Expandable) | 256 GB2 TB (Expandable) |
| Camera | 48 MP + 5 MP (Primary)16 MP(Front) | 48 MP + 16 MP + 5 MP + 2 MP (Primary)16 MP(Front) |
| Battery | 6580 mAh | 4380 mAh |
| Best Prices | Rs. 35,500@AMAZONBUY Not available in any other store | Rs. 48,350@AMAZONBUY Not available in any other store |
Blackview BV9800 Pro vs BV9900 reviews
Build
BV9800 is a rugged smartphone with a metal frame, round reinforced edges and plenty of textured rubber/plastic to protect from shocks and improve grip. It adheres to IP68/IP69K and MIL-STD-810G certifications. BV9900 feels more compact, more solid and more utilitarian than its predecessor; as with the previous iteration, it adheres to IP68/IP69K and MIL-STD-810G certifications.
| Dimensions | Height: 168 mm Width: 81 mm Thickness: 14.8 mm | Height: 156.5 mm Width: 78.3 mm Thickness: 14.2 mm |
|---|---|---|
| Weight | 322 grams | 264 grams |
| Colours | Black, Orange | Black, Silver |
| Waterproof | Yes, Water resistant (up to 30 minutes in a depth of 1.5 meter), IP68, IP69K | Yes, Water resistant (up to 30 minutes in a depth of 1.5 meter), IP68, IP69K |
| Ruggedness | Dust proof |
Display
The BV9800 Pro weighs 322g and is up to 15mm thick. With a footprint of 169 x 81mm, putting it into your back pocket could be a tight fit. BV9900 has a smaller volume (78.3 x 15.65 x 14.2mm) and weighs less than the former Blackview flagship (264g vs 322g) while using the same material; metal frame for sturdiness, polycarbonate and TPU for improved grip as well as giving it a tidier, more professional finish.
| Screen Size | 6.3 ” (16 cm) | 5.84 ” (14.83 cm) |
|---|---|---|
| Screen Resolution | 1080 x 2340 pixels | 1080 x 2280 pixels |
| Aspect Ratio | 19.5:9 | 19:9 |
| Bezel-less display | Yes with waterdrop notch | Yes with waterdrop notch |
| Pixel Density | 409 ppi | 432 ppi |
| Display Type | IPS LCD | IPS LCD |
| Screen Protection | Corning Gorilla Glass v5 | |
| Touch Screen | Yes Capacitive Touchscreen, Multi-touch | Yes Capacitive Touchscreen, Multi-touch |
| Screen to Body Ratio (claimed by the brand) | 85 % | 83 % |
| Screen to Body Ratio (calculated) | 71.44 % | 69.12 % |
Camera – Blackview BV9800 Pro vs BV9900
There’s a 16-megapixel front facing camera shaped in BV9800 Pro as a raindrop and a 48-megapixel one at the back which is teamed up with the FLIR Lepton sensor and a 5-megapixel sensor to assist the former. In BV9900 Pro, 16-megapixel front facing Samsung selfie camera is positioned centrally on a 5.84-inch display with a 1080 x 2080 pixel resolution, covered with a Corning Gorilla 5 layer.
Main camera
| Camera Setup | Dual | Quad |
|---|---|---|
| Resolution | 48 MP Primary Camera 5 MP Camera | 48 MP Primary Camera 16 MP, Wide Angle, Ultra-Wide Angle Camera 5 MP, Depth Camera 2 MP Camera |
| Sensor | CMOS image sensor, Exmor-RS CMOS Sensor | Exmor-RS CMOS Sensor |
| Autofocus | Yes | Yes |
| Flash | Yes LED Flash | Yes LED Flash |
| Image Resolution | 8000 x 6000 Pixels | 8000 x 6000 Pixels |
| Settings | Exposure compensation, ISO control | Exposure compensation, ISO control |
| Shooting Modes | Continuos Shooting, High Dynamic Range mode (HDR) | Continuos Shooting, High Dynamic Range mode (HDR) |
| Camera Features | Digital Zoom, Auto Flash, Face detection, Touch to focus | Digital Zoom, Auto Flash, Face detection, Touch to focus |
| Video Recording | 3840×2160 @ 30 fps |
Front camera
| Camera Setup | Single | Single |
|---|---|---|
| Resolution | 16 MP f/2.0 Primary Camera | 16 MP f/2.0 Primary Camera |
| Sensor | PureCel | |
| Physical Aperture | F2.0 | F2.0 |
Battery
| Capacity | 6580 mAh | 4380 mAh |
|---|---|---|
| Type | Li-Polymer | Li-ion |
| User Replaceable | No | No |
| Standby time | Up to 840 Hours(2G) | Up to 528 Hours(2G) |
| Wireless Charging | Yes | Yes |
| Quick Charging | Yes Fast | |
| USB Type-C | Yes | Yes |
A Type-C connector can be found in BV9800 Pro at the bottom of smartphone with a fingerprint sensor, the SIM tray and the power button located on the right edge. On the opposite edge is a dedicated customisable button and the volume rocker. The IR sensor and the headphone socket – protected by a flap – are located at the top of the BV9800 phone.
In BV9900 Pro, on the right edge are the volume rocker, the power button and a separate fingerprint reader, the left edge contains the SIM tray and a customisable button. The bottom part houses the speaker grill and a covered Type-C USB port.
Storage and chip
The BV9900 Pro swaps the P70 for a P90 processor from Mediatek. The system memory is raised by a third to 8GB and while the storage capacity remains the same at 128GB, it is swapped for one supporting UFS 2.1, which should translate into a much faster storage subsystem. Similarly Bluetooth 5.0 makes a debut in lieu of Bluetooth 4.1.
BV9800 Pro is glued to it are 6GB of memory (low power DDR4) and 128GB onboard storage. Flagship models usually carry up to 8GB of RAM and 256GB memory. Elsewhere, you get a 6.3-inch 1080 x 2340 pixels IPS display with an oleophobic layer with a 6.58Ah battery, 802.11ac, Infrared, Push to Talk,, NFC and Bluetooth 4.1.In use and performance
| Chipset | MediaTek Helio P60 | MediaTek Helio P90 |
|---|---|---|
| Processor | Octa core (2 GHz, Quad core, Cortex A73 + 2 GHz, Quad core, Cortex A53) | Octa core (2.2 GHz, Dual core, Cortex A75 + 2 GHz, Hexa Core, Cortex A55) |
| Architecture | 64 bit | 64 bit |
| Graphics | Mali-G72 MP3 | PowerVR GM9446 |
| RAM | 6 GB | 8 GB |
Storage
| Internal Memory | 128 GB | 256 GB |
|---|---|---|
| Expandable Memory | Yes Up to 256 GB | Yes Up to 2 TB |
| USB OTG Support | Yes | Yes |
Network and connectivity
| SIM Size | SIM1: Nano | SIM1: Nano SIM2: Nano (Hybrid) |
|---|---|---|
| Network Support | 4G (supports Indian bands), 3G, 2G | 4G (supports Indian bands), 3G, 2G |
| VoLTE | Yes | |
| SIM 1 | 4G Bands:TD-LTE 2600(band 38) / 2300(band 40) / 2500(band 41) / 2100(band 34) / 1900(band 39) FD-LTE 2100(band 1) / 1800(band 3) / 2600(band 7) / 900(band 8) / 700(band 28) / 1900(band 2) / 1700(band 4) / 850(band 5) / 700(band 13) / 700(band 17) / 850(band 18) / 850(band 19) / 800(band 20) / 1900(band 25) / 850(band 26)3G Bands:UMTS 1900 / 2100 / 850 / 900 MHz2G Bands:GSM 1800 / 1900 / 850 / 900 MHz GPRS:AvailableEDGE:AvailableRead More.. | 4G Bands:TD-LTE 2600(band 38) / 2300(band 40) / 2500(band 41) / 2100(band 34) / 1900(band 39) FD-LTE 2100(band 1) / 1800(band 3) / 2600(band 7) / 900(band 8) / 700(band 28) / 1900(band 2) / 1700(band 4) / 850(band 5) / 700(band 13) / 700(band 17) / 850(band 18) / 850(band 19) / 800(band 20) / 1900(band 25) / 850(band 26)3G Bands:UMTS 1900 / 2100 / 850 / 900 MHz2G Bands:GSM 1800 / 1900 / 850 / 900 MHz GPRS:AvailableEDGE:AvailableRead More.. |
| SIM 2 | 4G Bands:TD-LTE 2600(band 38) / 2300(band 40) / 2500(band 41) / 2100(band 34) / 1900(band 39) FD-LTE 2100(band 1) / 1800(band 3) / 2600(band 7) / 900(band 8) / 700(band 28) / 1900(band 2) / 1700(band 4) / 850(band 5) / 700(band 13) / 700(band 17) / 850(band 18) / 850(band 19) / 800(band 20) / 1900(band 25) / 850(band 26)3G Bands:UMTS 1900 / 2100 / 850 / 900 MHz2G Bands:GSM 1800 / 1900 / 850 / 900 MHz GPRS:AvailableEDGE:AvailableRead More.. | 4G Bands:TD-LTE 2600(band 38) / 2300(band 40) / 2500(band 41) / 2100(band 34) / 1900(band 39) FD-LTE 2100(band 1) / 1800(band 3) / 2600(band 7) / 900(band 8) / 700(band 28) / 1900(band 2) / 1700(band 4) / 850(band 5) / 700(band 13) / 700(band 17) / 850(band 18) / 850(band 19) / 800(band 20) / 1900(band 25) / 850(band 26)3G Bands:UMTS 1900 / 2100 / 850 / 900 MHz2G Bands:GSM 1800 / 1900 / 850 / 900 MHz GPRS:AvailableEDGE:AvailableRead More.. |
| Wi-Fi | Yes Wi-Fi 802.11, a/ac/b/g/n | Yes Wi-Fi 802.11, a/ac/b/g/n |
| Wi-Fi Features | Mobile Hotspot | Mobile Hotspot |
| Bluetooth | Yes v4.1 | Yes v5.0 |
| GPS | Yes with A-GPS, Glonass | Yes with A-GPS, Glonass |
| NFC | Yes | |
| USB Connectivity | Mass storage device, USB charging | Mass storage device, USB charging |
Multimedia
| FM Radio | Yes | Yes |
|---|---|---|
| Loudspeaker | Yes | Yes |
| Audio Jack | 3.5 mm | 3.5 mm |
Special features
| Fingerprint Sensor |  | |
|---|---|---|
| Fingerprint Sensor Position | Rear | Side |
| Heart Rate Monitor | | |
| Other Sensors | Light sensor, Proximity sensor, Accelerometer, Compass | Light sensor, Proximity sensor, Accelerometer, Barometer, Gyroscope |
Performance benchmark – Blackview BV9800 Pro vs BV9900
Blackview BV9800 Pro
- Geekbench: 301 (single core); 1447 (multi core); 1247 (compute)
- PCMark (Work 2.0): 8068
- Passmark: 9575
- Passmark CPU: 161068
- Androbench (sequential): 298.18 (sequential read); 243.53 (sequential write)
- Androbench (random): 104.93 (random read); 21.58 (random write)
- 3DMark Slingshot: 1401
- 3DMark Slingshot Extreme: 1277
- 3DMark IceStorm: 20019
- HWBot Prime: 5913
Blackview BV9900 Pro
- Geekbench: 398 (single core); 1434 (multi core)
- PCMark (Work 2.0): 9476
- Passmark: 5723
- Passmark CPU: 15189
- Androbench (sequential): 516 (sequential read); 196 (sequential write)
- Androbench (random): 151 (random read); 31 (random write)
- 3DMark Slingshot: 2011
- 3DMark Slingshot Extreme: 1189 (OGL) 1489 (Vulkan)
- HWBot Prime: 5406
Is there any better alternative?
There’s only three other widely available smartphones that come with embedded FLIR.
A FLIR-less version of the 9900 Pro, unsurprisingly exists called the BV9900. It comes with 8GB of RAM and 256GB onboard storage which makes it an attractive alternative to the likes of the Doogee S95 Pro or the Ulefone Armor 7.
The BV9800 Pro is the previous flagship from Blackview and we reviewed it in December 2019. Unsurprisingly, we gave it an Editor’s choice award as it delivered exceptional value for money. You can get it for as low as $450 from Aliexpress and it is still a worthy device if you wanted the cheapest FLIR smartphone. We still think that forking extra for the BV9900 Pro is well worth it.
Even older is the S60, the original FLIR smartphone which costs just under $400. Just bear in mind that it was launched almost four years ago and will struggle to get any meaningful updates having been launched on Android 6.0. It does have 3GB of RAM and 32GB onboard storage which is what you’d get on an entry level Android smartphone and yes, you have that FLIR camera as well.
The Cat S61 retails for about $660 and was launched in 2018. It has an older but still capable Qualcomm Snapdragon 660 with half the storage. It does however have an indoor air quality monitor as well as a laser-assisted distance measuring tool. Oh and it was the first rugged smartphone we reviewed that earned a well-deserved 5/5 stars.