Onkyo Granbeat review
The Granbeat suits only the narrow cross-section of users who owned it when it was current and valued audio tuning above everything else. Anyone else should look elsewhere; even for its time, the battery life was a real drawback, and the software is now too far behind to recommend to a newcomer.
This review is written with AI assistance from Onkyo’s published specifications and public benchmark data for the Onkyo Granbeat, and the rating is spec-based. GoSolo does not physically test devices; where we estimate real-world behaviour such as battery life or charge time, we say so. How we rate phones.
Overview
The Granbeat is an audio-focused Android phone from 2017 with respectable specs for its era—a solid midrange chipset, decent 5-inch display, and expandable storage—but it's hamstrung by a small 3000mAh battery and the now-dated Android 6.0. It's a niche device for users who prioritized music quality over all-day stamina.
Design & build
At 142×72mm and 11.9mm thin, the Granbeat fits the compact flagship mold of early 2017, but 234g is a penalty for its footprint. Gorilla Glass 3 is a step behind what Gorilla Glass 4 offered elsewhere, and the dual nanoSIM setup suggests a device aimed at international travelers rather than domestic power users. There's no mention of water resistance or premium materials, so the Granbeat reads as a mid-tier build that prioritized audio internals over durability theater.
Display
The 5.00-inch 1080×1920 IPS panel hits 441 ppi, which was plenty sharp for 2017. An IPS matrix meant more consistent viewing angles than pentile arrangements, but at 67% screen-to-body ratio this is visibly bezeled by today's standards. For music and calls, it's fine; for video or gaming, the borders feel dated almost at launch.
Performance
The Snapdragon 650 with 3GB RAM and Adreno 510 is squarely midrange. It handles everyday multitasking, web browsing, and light gaming without stutter, but it's no speed demon. Apps launch in the normal timeframe, heavy games will drop frames, and demanding 3D workloads reveal its limits. For 2017, this was a sensible choice for a music phone—powerful enough for playback and general use, but not chasing raw benchmarks. By 2019 it felt tired.
Software
Android 6.0 Marshmallow on release was already two generations behind, and Onkyo provided no roadmap for updates to 7.0 or beyond. This is the review's biggest red flag: no security patches after a certain point, apps dropping support, and increasing friction with services that moved past API levels 23. A music phone should age well; this one doesn't.
Battery & charging
The 3000mAh battery is the Granbeat's Achilles heel. Even with the efficient Snapdragon 650, you're looking at roughly 12–14 hours of mixed use—fine if you plug in every night, punishing if you travel. Quick Charge 3.0 partially mitigates this, cutting a full charge to around 90 minutes, but it doesn't change the fact that battery endurance lags behind most rivals from the same year. For a phone that invites long listening sessions, this is a genuine trade-off.
Value & verdict-context
The Granbeat launched as a niche product: Onkyo's audio heritage and the promise of superior DAC and amp tuning justified a midrange price tag to audiophiles. If that audio quality was real, it had an audience. But the specs tell a phone that made compromises across the board—small battery, old Android, heavy, ordinary camera(s) not mentioned here. By 2017 standards it was a gimmick phone, and now it's merely a relic.
Verdict
The Granbeat suits only the narrow cross-section of users who owned it when it was current and valued audio tuning above everything else. Anyone else should look elsewhere; even for its time, the battery life was a real drawback, and the software is now too far behind to recommend to a newcomer.
- Expandable storage up to 256 GB—rare even then, and valuable for music libraries
- Snapdragon 650 handles everyday tasks and light gaming without struggle
- 5-inch display at 1080p is sharp enough for the time, with IPS color accuracy
- Quick Charge 3.0 means fast top-ups when you do plug in
- 3000mAh battery is small even for a 5-inch phone of 2017; expect roughly 12–14 hours of mixed use
- Android 6.0 on arrival meant it was already on its way to obsolescence, with no mention of upgrade path
- 234g is noticeably heavy for its size, making it feel dated in hand
Onkyo Granbeat Key Specifications
The essentials at a glance. See the full spec sheet.
| Released | 1Q 2017 |
|---|---|
| Display | 5.00 inches, Color / IPS TFT16,7M colors1080 x 1920 px (5.00") 441 ppi∼67.3% screen-to-body ratio |
| Resolution | 1080 x 1920 pixels |
| Chipset | Qualcomm Snapdragon 650 8956Processor clock: 1.80 GHzNumber of cores: 6GPU: Adreno 510 |
| RAM & storage | 128 GBBuy memory card RAM: 3 GB |
| Battery | 3000 mAh |
| Charging | Quick Charge 3.0 |
| Software | Android6.0 Marshmallow |
| Dimensions | 142.30 x 72.00 x 11.90 mm |
| Weight | 234.00 g |
Onkyo Granbeat FAQ
Common questions, answered from the spec sheet.
What chipset does the Onkyo Granbeat use?
The Onkyo Granbeat runs on the Qualcomm Snapdragon 650 8956Processor clock: 1.80 GHzNumber of cores: 6GPU: Adreno 510.
What display does the Onkyo Granbeat have?
A 5.00 inches Color / IPS TFT16,7M colors1080 x 1920 px (5.00") 441 ppi∼67.3% screen-to-body ratio, 1080 x 1920 pixels.
How big is the Onkyo Granbeat battery?
The Onkyo Granbeat has a 3000 mAh battery. Charging is rated at Quick Charge 3.0.
Does the Onkyo Granbeat support a microSD card?
Yes, the Onkyo Granbeat supports expandable storage (microSD, microSDHC, microSDXC (up to 256 GB)).
Alternatives to consider
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