South African internet provider Rain has announced a new unlimited calling plan, plus something it calls the LoopPhone. Whether the handset is a rebadged model or something custom-specified, there’s little about it specifically online. A closer look at what Rain promises its mobile customers might offer some idea of how much value is contained in the device itself.
The LoopPhone, as far as we can find out, is probably sourced from Vivo or one of its subsidiary companies, like iQoo. The closest actual match is the Vivo V70 FE, though Rain has gone for a customised shell with a secondary rear display.
LoopPhone Loophole
Rain’s handset sports a 6.83in AMOLED display, a 120Hz refresh rate, and a claimed 5,000 nits of peak brightness. The only aspect that doesn’t align with the Vivo V70 FE is the brightness calculation, but that doesn’t mean the devices don’t come from the same factory. The 1,260 x 2,800 resolution matches up with the Chinese handset, too.
So does the RAM/storage combination of 8GB/128GB, which makes the LoopPhone a match for the lowest allocation of Vivo’s handset. Ditto the main 200MP camera sensor. Rain hasn’t said what the secondary camera, visible in images of the phone, is. It’s a relatively safe bet that it’s the V70 FE’s 8MP f/2.2 ultrawide backup. The sensor arrangement is the same, if you discount that Glance display.
Which is what Rain is calling the rear-mounted secondary display. This’ll function as “a live viewfinder and [let users] capture selfies using the 200MP main camera”. If the specs for Vivo’s phone hold, the front-facing camera is likely a 32MP job that… won’t perform badly for what it is.
Rain hasn’t said what processor is inside, but it’s probably the Dimensity 7360 Turbo, also found in the V70 FE. We’ll investigate whether this is accurate as soon as Rain sends us a LoopPhone to play with.
Other features of the LoopPhone include a 7,000mAh battery, 45W wired charging, an IP64 rating, as well as eSIM and 5G support. Of those, only the charge speed and waterproof rating differ from Vivo’s counterpart. The V70 FE sports 90W wired charging and an IP68/69 rating. Still, if Rain is giving this handset to its new mobile subscribers, there are probably concessions somewhere to keep it semi-affordable.
Rain’s LoopPhone has just launched in its new unlimited mobile contracts, which start at R600/m. Based on what we can see from the handset, subscribers aren’t getting a bad phone into the bargain. Vivo, the most likely source.
