Phone review: Android One's budget-friendly Cherry Mobile One
Philstar.com got its hands on Cherry Mobile One, one of the phones marketed by Google’s Android One program. Google’s Caesar Sengupta has said that the Android One initiative is aiming to give Filipinos an affordable yet powerful handset. Priced at just below P5,000, Google has completed its first step in giving Pinoys an affordable phone.
But will the phone’s performance be enough?
Before reading the review, check out the hardware specs the phone has to offer. It’s value for money, considering the cheap price tag.
Specifications:
- Android 5.0 “Lollipop”
- Camera: 5MP front; 2MP rear
- ROM: 8GB; RAM: 1GB
- 4.5 inches
- 1.3GHz Quad Core
- Dual-SIM (microsim)
The phone itself is comfortable to hold and poses no problems to righties and lefties. The plastic body is solid enough but may be prone to scratches if you’re not too careful on attempting to open it. All the buttons you’ll ever need are on the right side where the power and volume buttons are. Again, controlling it with either hand isn’t difficult (even if you have small hands). A drop test on the Cherry Mobile One from 4-feet high resulted in no issues whatsoever, proving itself as solid-enough phone.
Take a look at the specs again. All that are nothing if the phone’s OS isn’t up to par. That’s where Android 5.0 aka “Lollipop” comes in. Lollipop works in complete sync with the Cherry Mobile One, from surfing the web to downloading and running apps. The phone is bundled with Google Play Store, YouTube and Google Chrome — essential for the budget-conscious smartphone user. Now switching between apps, playing games, browsing the web may result in lag on most low-end phones but the same can’t be said for the “One.” Fluid transition and a very responsive UI / touchscreen will make you accomplish more.
The 5MP camera shouldn’t be frowned upon. Why?
- Lollipop makes full use of the camera hardware’s performance and brings crispier images even on low light.
- It has an HDR mode, and though slower to process, hey, there’s still and HDR option!
- You have camera options including Panorama, Lens Blur, and Photo Sphere. Video-wise, it may be difficult to focus on objects in low light but the upside is, it’s decent enough to shoot in daylight and lets you take photos simultaneously (by pressing the screen).
Overall, the Cherry Mobile One is something every Juan can afford but could not afford to miss.
That's not all. Check out this video to see what the Cherry Mobile One is capable of. Enjoy!
