During the last Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, the Unihertz Luna was one of the smartphones that grabbed the headlines. Dubbed the ‘Nothing Phone clone (1)’, it promised to be an alternative for anyone who wanted a smartphone with an LED on the back… but in color. Will it be more than that? Let’s try to understand it in this review.
I tried the Unihertz Luna during the last two weeks, and in this review I give my opinion placing it in the price range between €250 and €300. There’s no getting around talking about the rear LEDs, but we’ve got to treat it like a ‘normal’ smartphone and see if it’s worth the money.
Main specifications of Unihertz Luna
- MediaTek Helio G99 processor
- 8GB of RAM
- 256 GB of UFS 2.2 storage
- 6.81-inch IPS LCD screen
- 2400 by 1080 pixel resolution
- 5000 mAh battery with 18 W charging
- Rear cameras: 108 MP (main) + 20 MP (night vision) + 2 MP (macro)
- Front camera: 32MP
- android 12
- Dual SIM
- Bluetooth 5.3
- nfc
- 3.5mm jack input
- FM Radio
- Dimensions: 168 x 76.8 x 10.4mm
- Weight: 298g
Unboxing Unihertz Luna
The Unihertz Luna provides a satisfying unboxing experience given the accessories we find in the box. In the header there is an area where we see the instruction manual, the tool to insert/remove the SIM card and a plastic film.
Below is the smartphone that curiously already comes with a transparent cover attached. This favors its design, since it does not affect its aesthetics at all. Below that area is a USB-C to USB-A cable and the 18W charger.
My opinion on the Unihertz Luna
Unihertz Moon Design
We can safely say that those who buy the Unihertz Luna will mostly be because they want a smartphone with this type of design. In terms of aesthetics, it is an affordable alternative to the Nothing Phone (1), since it offers rear lighting for less than €300.
This is achieved thanks to other cuts in the benefits of the terminal that we will talk about later. The highlight is obviously the fact that these lights are RGB (and not just white as in the case of the phone (1)).
This allows us to switch between the spectrum of colors for the most varied actions. From signaling incoming calls, notifications, adding music or charging reminders, these lights provide good user customization.
One point to note is that the brightness of the lights is not adaptive. And for my taste, this is too strong in some low-light situations. But for those who think “brighter is better”, it really is the ideal solution.
For the rest of the design, Unihertz Luna is based on the phone itself (1) and a very recent iPhone. The back is transparent like the Nothing, but the camera area is immediately reminiscent of one of Apple’s latest smartphones.
The screen is flat and we have a hole punched in the upper left corner. The margins are symmetrical, except for the lower part where we have a small chin. In the frame we have a 3.5 mm jack at the top, a speaker, the USB-C port and the SIM card slot at the bottom.
On the right side you will find an on/off button that accompanies the body and more pronounced volume buttons. On the left you have an interesting option, which are two programmable buttons. These can be programmed for single-tap, long-tap, or double-tap actions for shortcuts.
Construction of the Unihertz Moon
The build quality of the Unihertz Luna is quite satisfactory for the price. It looks more expensive than it is, although I would like to see a more pronounced on/off button. It is noticeable that there are some shadows around the punch-hole of the front camera, without being annoying.
How is the construction of the back of the device? Well, there’s no such thing as a premium phone feeling (1). But the truth is, for the asking price, Unihertz did a great job on their rear end with LEDs. And he even added color to it, which is interesting.
Unihertz Moon Screen
The Luna has a flat and wide screen of 6.81 inches, with reduced margins and only greater extension in the “chin”. It’s a good 6.81-inch IPS panel, with a resolution of 2340 by 1080 pixels.
For playing multimedia content, such as videos, or for playing games, it is a satisfactory panel. But this is one of the points where the device could be better. It’s not an AMOLED panel, although that’s not a must at this price. But it only has 60 Hz, something that makes navigation in the browser seem more ‘stuck’ at times, although inside it has a very satisfactory processor.
It should be noted that it can be used outdoors in terms of brightness, but we can say that this is not one of its strong points. In the image below you can see how it behaves in that field, with the sunset.
Audio Unihertz Luna
Well, and the audio of Unihertz Luna? For its price range, the sound reproduced by the lower speaker is of satisfactory quality, with some distortion typical of this price range at higher volumes.
But unfortunately for those who want to watch videos on their smartphone, that column at the bottom is the only one. So we can’t have a true stereo experience here. If this is not a problem, the sound reproduced by the lower speaker is satisfactory.
However, it ends up deserving of a positive note for bringing something that many users still appreciate. At the top of the terminal there is a 3.5 mm jack input, in case you want to connect wired headphones.
Unihertz Luna Performance
Luna performs well in the tasks that we all need to do on a smartphone every day. The MediaTek Helio G99 processor (the same as the Galaxy A24 or the POCO M5) provides this performance, accompanied by 8 GB of RAM and 256 GB of storage.
The fact that it only has a 60Hz refresh rate makes the smartphone not feel as fast in certain actions as devices with a higher refresh rate panel. This is felt more when browsing online or on social networks.
This ends up not affecting the general experience with the computer, where I never noticed slowness or delay in the most varied tasks. Even playing my beloved Pokémon GO it behaved quite well.
Luna Unihertz interface
The interface was one of the details that I liked the most about this Uhinertz Luna. It is that we have an experience very similar to that of pure Android, with some sporadic customizations made by the brand. One very positive point is that I didn’t notice bad translations, like other devices I’ve tested in the past.
Another positive point is that it comes with very few applications installed from the factory. In addition to the usual Google ones, unnecessary applications on the computer can be counted on the fingers of one hand.
My assessment in this field would be even higher if the smartphone had not arrived with Android 12. Now it remains to be seen how long it will take to receive the latest Android 13.
Unihertz Luna cameras
The Unihertz Luna’s main camera is 108 MP and provides decent images and videos when used in good light settings. Portrait mode is available, providing photos that will satisfy you in these conditions.
But when you start shooting in less light, you’ll start to see the natural grain. Also, we have a night vision camera that might be interesting for someone looking for something like that in particular.
And the truth is that this allows us to capture images in total darkness. But chances are, most users would gladly trade this camera for an ultra-wide camera that the kit doesn’t include. The third camera is a macro sensor for taking closer pictures of objects.
The front camera also stands out, which will help you take the occasional selfie for social networks and make video calls without any complaints. In this one I only noticed the absence of a portrait mode that blurred the background.
Unihertz Moon Battery
The battery is something Unihertz feels like a fish in the water about, or doesn’t sell some of the smartphones with the biggest batteries on the market. And in the field of autonomy, this Luna certainly impresses.
The phone has a 5000 mAh battery, which can easily last for a day and a half to two days of light to moderate use. Of course, if you make more intensive use of the smartphone, you have a battery for a whole day, no problem.
What makes the smartphone not score higher in this field is the fact that the charge is only 18 W. This makes the Unihertz Luna take two hours longer to charge. But this shouldn’t be a big problem as most users will charge it overnight.
Quality/price of the Unihertz Luna
If we talk about price-quality, surely you will find better alternatives in this price range. The Unihertz Luna was made with the person in mind who wants a flashy kit with rear lights, but doesn’t want to pay a lot for it.
And from that point of view, it turns out to be a good experience. Its design makes the Luna stand out from any smartphone in this price range, and that has to be taken into account. But it comes with compromises in screen refresh rate, the weight and thickness of the device, and the fact that it only has one speaker.
Conclusion on the Unihertz Moon
If you are looking for an eye-catching smartphone and want to spend less than €300, the Unihertz Luna is for you. The backlighting, in this case RGB, is noticeable and can be useful in some situations. But is all this festival of lights worth it?
The autonomy of the smartphone is very good, but with a 5000 mAh battery added to these lights, the smartphone is thick and weighs 298 grams. We have a 3.5mm jack input, but perhaps stereo speakers would be preferable.
The main camera is decent in good light conditions, and users looking for a camera with night vision have a good option here. But probably most users would prefer an ultra-wide one.
As I mentioned above, the screen is extensive and generally has good color reproduction. But the fact that it has a 60 Hz refresh rate seems unacceptable at this point in the championship. But without a doubt this is an interesting alternative for those who want a more affordable Nothing Phone (1).
LED pattern: RGB on the back
Processor: MediaTek Helio G99
Battery: 5000mAh
Screen: 6.81 inches
It is a difficult smartphone to recommend for the average user. I would recommend it to anyone who wants a smartphone with RGB LEDs on the back and doesn’t want to spend more than €300. With non-RGB LEDs on the back, the Nothing Phone (1) is still a better option, but it’s also around $100-150 more.
| design | 4 |
| Construction | 4 |
| Screen | 3 |
| Audio | 3 |
| Performance | 3 |
| Interface | 4 |
| Camera | 3 |
| Battery | 4.5 |
| value for money | 3 |
| Punctuation | 3.5 – Good |
Strengths of the Unihertz Luna
- multicolor backlight
- Design that makes you stand out from the ‘crowd’
- Good battery life
- 3.5mm jack input
- camera with night vision
- Affordable alternative to Nothing Phone (1)
Points to improve Unihertz Luna
- It is a heavy (298 grams) and thick smartphone
- It does not have an ultra-wide camera.
- it only has one speaker
- The screen is only 60 Hz
