Cherry Mobile has become extremely active in the Smartphone development and manufacturing scene. Last year they have released a barrage of brand worthy budget smartphones with the
Cherry Mobile Titan and
Cherry Mobile Flare. This time they have a new flagship that is literally tempting the masses with their latest mobile powerhouse model called the Cherry Mobile Blaze.
Here's the Cherry Mobile Specs sheet to show you why:
- 1GHz Dual-core Mediatek Processor
- 512MB RAM
- 4GB Internal Storage, Expandable up to 32GB via MicroSD
- Dual SIM, Dual Standby
- 3G/WiFi/Bluetooth/Hotspot/GPS
- 4.7-inch FWVGA Capacitive Touch Screen
- 8.0-megapixel rear-facing camera with flash
- VGA front-facing camera
- Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich (upgradable to Jelly Bean Android 4.1)
- 1,500mAh Battery
- Price: Php6,499
Upon first glance one can't deny the fact that the Cherry Mobile Blaze has taken it's inspiration from the Samsung Galaxy S3. If in any case you were walking around with this in your hand, many people would most definitely think it is a
Samsung Galaxy S3 that you were holding, except that in this case you'd be running stock android and not the Touchwiz user interface that the Samsung Galaxy S3 is using. In terms of size Cherry Mobile's Blaze also rivals that of the Samsung Galaxy S3's (4.8" display) with their own 4.7" display. The only real physical difference that one would notice is that the Cherry Mobile Blaze is much thicker and heavier to hold. But side by side build quality is pretty much similar. What I found rather interesting though with the build was the placement of the USB Micro USB port and the Volume Rocker - Their placement is similar to that of the HTC One X where the Micro USB port is on the upper left side corner and the Volume rocker is on the right. I guess they wanted to avoid any patent lawsuits from Samsung by mixing the two up.
The Cherry Mobile Blaze's similarity with the Samsung Galaxy S3 however ends there as the internals of the Cherry Mobile Blaze is strikingly different. I personally would have preferred if they would have gone with at least 1GB RAM and having it run on Android Jelly Bean but with it running on stock Android Ice Cream Sandwich and with very little bloatware, the Cherry Mobile Blaze does fairly well in the navigation side. Launching of applications were rather smooth with minor delays which is most likely due to the minimal RAM capacity. It's 4GB internal storage might also be an issue for many but thankfully they have included provisions where a 32GB microSD card can be used for media and applications. I was also amazed that it has GPS Navigation built in and can be used with applications that provide offline turn by turn navigation as long as there is a GPS signal and isn't dependent on the Internet. A very good navigation software to use if your phone has GPS like The Cherry Mobile Blaze is the Google Play Application known as MapFactor, which works pretty much like your old school GPS Navigators as long as you download the offline maps prior of the country you are in. The Cherry Mobile Blaze does pretty well with this application, though locking on to a GPS signal may take some time but once it has a lock you'd be good to go.
Gaming isn't going to be a problem for the Cherry Mobile Blaze, but don't expect it to run full on 3D graphic intensive games. The 512RAM does have it's limitations as does the 1Ghz Dual Core Mediatek Processor. Running Games such as Temple Run and Fruit Ninja is going to be no problem though with the Cherry Mobile Blaze. The one game that I was surprised to have seen run well with the Cherry Mobile Blaze are Dead Trigger and Contract Killer Zombies 1 and 2, just forgive the slight lag from time to time. It's Antutu benchmark score roughly averages around 7,700 putting it's performance on par with some of the entry level to mid-ranged smartphones.
Web browsing is also quite pleasant with the large screen, which is of entry level quality though if you have this placed side by side with the high end models such as the HTC One X and Samsung Galaxy Note 2, though load time of web pages may be a bit delayed from time to time. Watching of youtube, videos and playing music is also quite good considering the internals.
Cherry Mobile has however some pre-loaded applications that shows their effort in providing added extras to the users but it still falls short in terms of quality of content, but I would give them an A+ for effort.
Pre-loaded are the Cherry Fun Club, Cherry Market, and CherryChat. The Cherry Fun Club is a news reader of sorts but the user interface is nothing short of ghastly. Cherry Market, on the other hand, offers free but a very limited number of apps (which is mostly casual games). CherryChat is their Internet messaging service.
The Cherry Mobile Blaze is equipped with an 8MP rear camera and a VGA front camera. This is where it excels over a lot of the other budget smartphones out there. However, having an 8MP shooter isn't a guarantee of great picture quality. In well lighted environments, the Cherry Mobile Blaze does surprisingly well, but in low light situations, you'll get to see grainy photos and overly exposed when there are background lightings. One thing that I do find commendable in terms of features is the fact that this smartphone is capable of handling two sim cards at a time with dual standby time. There are many such as myself who have to juggle between two phones on a daily basis, which the Cherry Mobile Blaze has resolved. Call quality is pretty good and signal hasn't been an issue.
Battery life is not something one should expect to be great but is good enough to last the day. This is because you're running a dual core cpu processor, dual sim, and possibly GPS and 3G services from time to time, not to mention occasional gaming, web-browsing, and listening to your favorite workout tracks - all in their 1,500 mAh battery.
Overall, the Cherry Mobile Blaze is quite an amazing device and is definitely the budget phone to beat with the price now starting at Php 6, 499. It is feature packed and is pretty much built well. The only issue I would have is that it looks exactly like the Samsung Galaxy S3 from the front and back. I would guess that they are riding on the popularity of Samsung's latest Galaxy Smartphone line. Considering the price of the Cherry Mobile Blaze this is definitely something to look into and if you are on a tight shoestring budget is the best choice to get. If you are also moving from the Samsung Galaxy Y or Android 2.3 smartphone units, this is definitely something to look into.
Till Next Time...
-Metz-
