Unihertz Luna Review: Unique design, average performance, and decent cameras
Unihertz Luna. Picture: Noel Campion.
Having reviewed several Unihertz phones over the years, I've always appreciated their uniqueness. However, their latest handset, the Unihertz Luna, seems too similar to the Nothing Phone to be considered truly innovative.
In terms of design, the Unihertz Luna is a large phone with a massive 6.81-inch display. It shares a striking resemblance to the iPhone, including flat edges, large rounded corners, and similar buttons and speaker grille. However, Luna's side rails, appear as polished aluminium and is notably thicker than the iPhone 14 Pro Max, measuring 10mm. A punch-hole cutout for the selfie camera is located in the top left corner. While the top and side bezels are relatively narrow, the bottom edge has a significantly larger chin.
The Luna's left buttons, although resembling the iPhone's volume controls, are customisable buttons that can be assigned to launch apps or perform specific functions with different presses. The right edge houses a volume rocker button and a power button doubling as a fingerprint sensor, which works fast and reliably. The top edge includes an IR blaster for universal remote control and a 3.5mm headphone jack that can also function as an aerial for the built-in FM radio receiver when using wired headphones.
On the bottom edge, you'll find the SIM tray, USB-C port, and a down-firing mono speaker grille. The back of the phone features a translucent cover, reminiscent of the Nothing Phone's design. The Unihertz logo is surrounded by a large LED ring, and there are four lines of LEDs that blend in with the back when turned off. The back also houses a triple camera setup on a chrome module, along with an LED flash.
The Luna sports a massive 6.81-inch display with a 2340 x 1080 resolution but the refresh rate is locked at 60Hz. The display is an IPS LCD panel and so viewing angles, contrast are adequate but not as good as you’d get from an OLED. The screen comes with a pre-installed screen protector, but it isn’t great as it reduces touch responsiveness and it isn’t as smooth to use when swiping as bare glass. I do appreciate it being included and it is easy to remove and replace with a better one.
The display is decent with good colour reproduction, but it doesn’t get super bright making it harder to see in direct sunlight.
Powered by a MediaTek MT6789 Octa-Core CPU with 8GB of RAM and 256GB of storage (no microSD), Luna's performance falls short of top-tier phones. Everyday tasks are manageable, although scrolling through social feeds may not feel as smooth due to the 60Hz display. Gaming on demanding titles is possible but not ideal, while more casual games perform adequately. The 5,000mAh battery provides ample power, lasting a full day even with heavy use. However, the included 18W power adaptor is not particularly fast.
Unihertz has a fairly stock version of Android 12 and the usual array of Google apps. One of the main software customisations comes in the form of the LED backlighting widget. The five lighting strips can light up independently with random lighting patterns for incoming calls, notifications, music visualisations and charging reminders. You can also set schedule blocks for bedtime hours that disable the LED lights.
You can choose from one of six LED lighting patterns, have it pick one at random, or design your own using RGB sliders.
While the lighting is very cool as a feature, I never used it past testing it because I found it annoying and distracting for listening to music or watching a video. It is useful for notifications, but others around you may get annoyed at the flashing coloured lights.
The Unihertz Luna has a triple rear camera setup with a 108MP main camera, a 20MP night vision camera, and a 2MP macro lens.
The main camera performs excellently in good lighting, capturing plenty of detail. While it allows for capturing images at 108MP resolution and RAW files, the resulting JPEG images at default settings tend to be better. The RAW files lack dynamic range and don't offer significant advantages over processed JPEGs. The RAW files are only 12MP, even if you use the Pro mode and there’s no way to capture a 180MP RAW image.
The black and white IR camera adds a unique touch, but the absence of a Night mode is disappointing. The 2MP macro camera provides better performance than most dedicated macro cameras but still falls short in terms of image quality and resolution.
The Unihertz Luna offers a design reminiscent of the iPhone but lacks true innovation. Its performance is satisfactory for everyday tasks, although gaming on demanding titles may not be optimal. The LED backlighting widget is a neat feature, but the camera system, while good in favourable lighting conditions, has limitations. Considering its price, the Luna is a decent phone with lots of good features and a massive screen.
Unihertz Luna - €280 Unihertz
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