The Flare series from Cherry Mobile can be called one of the most affordable yet power-packed smartphones in the market right now. Succeeding the original Flare & the Flare 2.0, the CM Flare 2X comes improved with 1GB RAM & an 8MP camera on the back, but does it have what it takes to be a winner? Read on our quick review to find out.
After handling a plethora of massive smartphones, the Flare 2X feels small with its 4-inch display. Albeit the small size, it felt really comfortable and compact in the hands. While the rest of the phone feels solid, we can’t help but say that the plastic construction falls short compared to its predecessor’s matte finish material.
The 4-inch display on the Flare 2X works very well for a phone of this caliber. We can’t really expect much for the price, but we can say that colors are fairly saturated and that the pixels are not as distinguishable. Viewing angles won’t be so good as well if you view it from the top side.
Navigation through the UI & basic tasks were a breeze thanks to the quad-core CPU & the 1GB RAM. Don’t expect it to handle heavy tasks though as it starts to show slowdowns even at the thin beginning of multitasking. Benchmark scores can attest to that as well.
- Antutu - 11,356
- Quadrant – 3,781
- NenaMark 2 – 41.6
The front facing snapper on the device is really good and it works so smoothly. On the other hand, the 8 megapixel sensor paired with an LED flash on the back will get the job done if you just want to capture photos; the thing is, your picture won’t be worth a thousand words. Maybe just a hundred noisy ones that won’t be heard in the dark.
The Flare 2X’s 1,550mAh will get you through a whole day of moderate usage, no doubt about it. It does a lot better in standby too, lasting up to a couple of days.
Cherry Mobile Flare 2X specs:
4? WVGA (480 x 800) 3-point touch screen LCD, 233ppi
1.2GHz Qualcomm 8225Q quad-core CPU
Adreno 203 GPU
1GB RAM
8 megapixel AF camera w/ LED flash
VGA front-facing
3G, WiFi, GPS, Bluetooth
dual-SIM
4GB of internal storage
up to 32GB via microSD
1,550mAh battery
Android 4.1.2 Jellybean
Summary
If you’re truly stuck to a budget of Php4,499, then there really is no other choice. The Cherry Mobile Flare 2X gives a lot for the money and it’s really hard to complain on its shortcomings – the lack of power, bad viewing angles, the plastic build and the like – all of which are understandable compromises that had to be made. For the price, however, you’re getting a really well-balanced phone despite its flaws.
What we liked about it:
- Affordable
- Good speakers
- Feels good to hold
What we didn’t like about it:
- Cartoonish app icons
- Plastic build
- Bad viewing angle
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