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Introduction
The Cherry Mobile Flare S6 is an entry-level smartphone, priced at P3,999, which aims to attract money-saving consumers with high-quality images for the price range, nice battery life, and decent performance. In this review, we will find out what the low-cost device is capable of.
Key specs:
- 5.2-inch HD IPS LCD display, 1280 X 720 resolution, 282 ppi
- Android 7.0 “Nougat”, Cherry OS
- Dual-SIM, dual standby
- 1.3Ghz 64-bit MediaTek MT6737 quad-core processor
- Mali-T720 GPU
- 16GB internal storage
- Expandable microSD slot up to 64GB
- 2GB RAM
- 13-megapixel rear camera, auto-focus with Sony IMX135 and LED flash
- 13-megapixel front camera, fixed-focus with soft LED flash
- 1080p at 30fps of video recording
- Fingerprint scanner
- 4G LTE (Category 4)
- Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n
- Bluetooth 4.0
- GPS, with A-GPS
- USB-OTG capable
- USB Type-C connector
- 148 x 72.8 x 8.8 mm
- 108 grams
- 2,600 mAh non-removable battery
Unboxing
The Cherry Mobile Flare S6’s retail box is quite captivating, and once we open the phone out, we gain access to the usual basic components: a 5V/1.2A charger, a USB Type-C cable, a pair of earphones, and some paper compartments.
Display and build
Cherry Mobile uses a plastic back case, but luckily, it feels premium and durable. At first, we noticed that the Flare S6 is very light, at just 108 grams! It’s very comfortable and nice to hold. The 5.2-inch screen is also attractive for the price, as most of the devices were only 5-inch size. As we used the phone for almost one month, there’s no backlight bleeding or any issues around the borders. The sunlight visibility for outdoor use is average. It doesn’t much washed out and glare. Viewing angles is good, too.
The Flare S6 has dual-SIM slots and microSD slot that can be found behind the removable back cover. On the other hand, available interfaces such as the volume rockers, power button, 3.5 mm jack, speaker grille, micro USB port, and microphone are available.
Audio quality
As far as the speaker goes, the loudness is satisfactory for the price. It is sufficient for playing music in a small room under nice conditions. The bass can be slightly heard for some time, but the clarity of the voice performs very well. Better to use earphones or speakers for a more finer sound experience.
Software & UI
The pre-loaded Cherry OS in the Flare S6 is based on the Google’s Android 7.1 “Nougat” operating system. There’s an app drawer to look the applications, but also distributed on the home screen like some proprietary OS and can’t be deleted. Moreover, we cannot change the default launcher.
In a more positive note, Cherry Mobile confirmed that all of the smartphones under the Flare S6 family will be updated to Android 8.0 “Oreo” this early-2018, so kindly stay tuned for the official announcement for the exact date of receiving the latest Android version. The aforementioned default launcher has a nice optimization, though with some pre-loaded applications like Cherry Fun Club, App Cleaner, and CPlay.
The storage of 16GB is very reasonable for this kind of entry-level smartphone. It can be expanded up to 64GB via microSD card.
Performance
Cherry Mobile has equipped the Flare S6 with a MediaTek MT6737. It is considered as the entry-level chipset with four Cortex-A53 cores that runs up to 1.3Ghz. The graphics are controlled by the MediaTek’s Mali-T720. Thanks to its 64-bit architecture, the phone is capable to handle multitasking activities. Check out our benchmark scores below.
For gaming, the handset can run most of the games smoothly, but might reduce the settings at times when playing 3D or high graphics games, ‘coz it would stutter.
Camera
The main camera can shoot up to 13-megapixel quality images, and as a result, the photos look vivid with lots of details. The sensor can capture nicely even in low-light conditions but suffers in noise. Also, the flash is bright and the auto-focus is slower than we thought. Further, the selfie camera uses a 13-megapixel too that can take 1080p videos. The resulting images are okay and its applicable to upload it to our social media accounts.
Rear camera
Front camera
Connectivity
The Flare S6 offers WLAN module that supports 802.11 a/b/g/n standards. Its reception is quite stable, while the interruptions are not that frequent. Bluetooth uses the v4.1 for fast transferring of files. To locate where you are, the phone uses GPS, with A-GPS. Other onboard connectivity includes an FM Radio receiver, a full range of 2G/3G/4G bands with Category 4 that has theoretical 150 Mbps of download speed and 50 Mbps upload speed.
Battery Life
Its meager 2,600 mAh replaceable battery is surprisingly good and did provide enough runtime! It can manage around 8 to 9 hours via continuous internet usage. With the help of battery management system inside the phone, we could extend its battery juice.
The charger adapter only comes with a 1.2A, so it takes a quite long time before the battery is fully charged.
Verdict
The Cherry Mobile Flare S6 is by means a good phone. This is far one of the best (if not the best) Cherry Mobile smartphones ever. The craftsmanship, battery life, decent performance and the camera quality (both rear and front) are all great and acceptable for this incredible price tag. In a more favorable condition, there’s also a USB Type-C port, which is exceptionally rare in a low-end segment.
Unfortunately, shortcomings are unavoidable. With some lags when using the phone for a long time, slow charging and the UI must need to refine for a better user-friendly experience. Other than that, the Cherry Mobile Flare S6 delivers a worth-packing performance that makes it fun to use than costlier competitors.
Pros
- Build quality
- Nice display
- Dedicated microSD slot
- Picture quality from both rear and front cameras
- Decent battery life
- Fingerprint scanner
Cons
- Slow charging
- UI needs to revamped
- Stutter lags when using in prolong time
