Introduction
One of the most notable features in a smartphone today is the dual-camera setup, that can be found in many mid-range to high-end devices, like the iPhone 7 Plus and LG G6. But, how about the cheaper one? Luckily, Cherry Mobile released the Flare P1. It is now available in the market nationwide for only P3,999, making it the most affordable phone in the Philippines with two camera lens at the back.
Now, we got our review unit to know if this configuration will satisfy us. Let us look the key specs below before we proceed.
Cherry Mobile Flare P1 specs:
5.0-inch HD IPS LCD screen, 1280 X 720 resolution
Android 7.0 ‘Nougat’
1.3Ghz MediaTek MT6580 quad-core processor
Mali-T720 GPU
Dual 13-megapixel & 2-megapixel rear camera, autofocus with LED flash
5-megapixel selfie camera, LED flash
16GB ROM, expandable via microSD card up to 64GB
1GB RAM
Dual-SIM, Dual standby
Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, GPS, A-GPS
144.1 x 72.1 x 8.9 mm
180 grams
2,350 mAh non-removable battery
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Unboxing
Beginning with, you’ll get the following:
- Unit with sealed battery
- USB charger adapter
- USB charging cord
- Earphone
- Quick user guide
- Cherry Mobile Fun Club small brochure
Design and build
The Cherry Mobile Flare P1 doesn’t have a premium look, but considering the price, we never complained about it. The poly-carbonate aluminum build gives its sleek design with integrated metal bordering on the phone’s plastic body. It weighs 180 grams, a bit heavier but nothing less, it is good in one-handed operation.
Located at the top side are the usual charging port and the 3.5 mm jack, while at the bottom are the two speaker grills, however, the audio is only work on the left one; the right is for aesthetic purpose, though.
There is no anything on the left part meanwhile on the right side, we can found the power and volume buttons.
Software and UI
The Cherry Mobile Flare P1 runs on a stock Android v7.0 ‘Nougat’, loaded with some pre-loaded apps like the usual Cherry Fun Club, Cherry Play, Cherry Prepaid & eWarranty, and of course, the Google Applications. It is one of the few devices in the country to have a ‘Nougat’ version of Android out of the box, nice one Cherry Mobile!
At first boot, you’ll get 11GB of remaining storage for downloading apps, documents, songs and videos. The notification panel has been upgraded together with the Settings and Messenger app.
Camera
The two camera lens at the back is one of the highlights of the phone. The primary 13MP shooter and the other 2-megapixel for providing depth details. As a result, it gives sufficient details with almost lack of natural colors and contrast even in daylight scenes. All in all, average. Meanwhile, the ‘blur’ effect has no refocus, not that special on the phone, however, it provides satisfactorily results.
For samples, check the images below:
The front camera, on the other side, is accompanied by a 5-megapixel with single LED flash and wide angle lens. It also has HDR for adding brightness and dynamic range in an image.
Performance
The brain of the Flare P1 is on the MediaTek MT6580 chipset, clocked at 1.3Ghz, using Cortex-A53 processor. Expect a bit lag as it comes in 1GB only. It is not intended as a ‘performance’ phone, but rather as for shooting images only, hence, casual games and some not power-hungry apps can be use throughout the day.
Loudspeaker
The left speaker at the bottom is the only playable of the two. It produces sufficient loud with some distortion when it reached the maximum volume. Using a pair of earphone will give better results.
Battery
The Flare P1 uses a non-removable yet small 2,350 mAh capacity. As I play on the phone within the past weeks, I noticed that it can lasts a whole day with spending an hour of Facebook, watching music videos via YouTube, and posting in social media networks. There is no fast charging feature so you’ll have wait for almost 3 hours to fully charge the phone from 0 percent.
Verdict
No doubt, Cherry Mobile once again bring us a bang for the buck smartphone with some impressive features that are nice way to see. The dual camera feature which can be found in mid-range devices is a pioneer in terms of budget-friendly phone. However, at some point, the LTE is nowhere to be found, thus, you’ll need to add additional P2,000 if you want the big sibling, the Flare P1 Plus, which has LTE one and better performance.
Pros
- Stock Android
- Few bloatware apps
- 16GB storage
- Decent battery life
- Speaker
Cons
- Camera (both back and front) could be better
- No LTE support
