A follow-up model from the first exposure of the Korean car brand Hyundai who joined the smartphone marketplace when they introduced Hyundai Aero in January has been launched today. The Hyundai Aero Plus, a premium-looking 5.5-inch smartphone that is positioned for the Filipino gentleman.
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Design and Build
The first model, the Hyundai Aero, is already a good looking smartphone to start with. The only concern about the first device was marketing. We did not feel it so to speak. The successor, the Hyundai Aero Plus, is equally good-looking, better specs, high-quality materials, and priced just right given the specifications and premium build of the device.
All buttons are located on the right side of the device with the power button at the bottom of the volume rocker. On top is the 3.55mm audio jack and at the bottom is the microUSB port, the speaker grill, and the noise-cancelling mic.
On the left side is the hybrid dual SIM slot. The second slot can double as microSD support that can be loaded with up to 128GB additional storage.
Branding-wise, you will only identify the Hyundai Aero Plus when you flip it and reveal the back of the device. It has the Hyundai logo at the middle and the Aero branding at the bottom part.
The back has the massive 21MP shooter which is nicely aligned at the center following the dual LED flash and the round fingerprint sensor.
Right below the Aero branding is a port that connects with the wireless charging feature of the device.
Display, UI and Software
The Hyundai Aero Plus has a full HD display having 1920 x 1080 resolution. The screen is protected by Dragontrail tempered glass and it has 2.5D curved glass.
The device has Android 6.0 Marshmallow and it looks like a stock ROM which could be a good or bad. Good for people who like to customize the device, bad for people who wish that a customized UI is already in place.
The Aero Plus has a clear, bright and crisp display. But we noticed that it does not have the thinnest bezel and the space on top and at the bottom makes the device bigger to look at.
With the stock Android OS in place, you expect to have the space you need for your favorite apps. The 32G version has still 24G remaining space which is huge enough for your photos and videos.
Camera
The 21Megapixel shooter is promising but we have to skip this part right now because we were not able to test it thoroughly. By experience, devices with stock OS, even with a high megapixel camera, is not optimized well.
For those who shoot with RAW image, the Hyundai Aero Plus has this option in place.
Battery and Wireless Charging
The device has 3,000mAH non-removable battery. The good news: It is enabled for wireless charging and we were told that it will take three hours to fill that huge battery to a 100%. The bad news is that there is no quick charging feature.
The wireless charging accessories come free with the 4G/64G variant of the device. It is not available for sale if you opt for the lower version.
Pricing, Promo, and Availability
Hyundai Aero Plus 3G/32G version has an SRP of P13,990 while the 4G/64G version will be available for P15,990.
If you are buying Hyundai Tucson, Hyundai Pasong Tamo will give away 10 units of Aero Plus for the first 10 buyers of the SUV.
The Hyundai Aero Plus will start to be available through Lazada beginning December 7, 2016.
