It is quite rare that I get to say this about a budget gadget, but the Starmobile Astra is definitely a budget smartphone that does not feel and function like a cheap smartphone. The moment you get to handle one in person and once you get to browse through its application and widgets, you'd be amazed by how well built the Starmobile Astra is. The ICS Android Software and Starmobile Asta's Hardware have perfectly blended together to create one amazing user experience considering its spec sheet on paper.
The Starmobile Astra was really such a surprise for me as it was the first time I had encountered a budget smartphone that I would personally want to keep for myself. I discovered this the other day as I was shopping around the Mall of Asia with my mom and family to get her a new phone that would be pretty much of an upgrade from her old iPhone 3G. Since I have been able to review many of the budget phones that were released in the Philippine Market I naturally went and introduced it to my mom to see if she would like any of them. But as we were going around, a White Starmobile Astra was on display in one of the shops and it just caught my attention. I asked the store if they had a demo unit that we could play around with. I had first dibs and was shocked at how extremely fluid and smooth it operated. it practically functioned as quickly as my HTC ONE X in terms of browsing and Navigation. It also did pretty well when we played youtube video as it loaded them as quickly as it loaded on my HTC ONE X. What shocked me even more was that it was running on a dual core processor that is clocked at 1Ghz and 512MB of RAM. No lag whatsoever was noticeable and operation was buttery smooth. It even had an awesome touch koi live wallpaper that it was using as a default background and was functioning without a glitch. I had it compared to a Huawei model that was being sold as a higher end model compared to the Starmobile Astra and trust me the Starmobile Astra was out performing it in every single way.
Another factor that caught my attention too was that of the Camera. Mom was looking for something that she could use to take decent photos and the Starmobile Asta had an 8MP shooter which considering its price point of only Php 6,990 is quite a rare find. Though it doesn't use BSI tech that allows for photos to be exceptionally clear for low light situations, the Starmobile Astra does pretty well in good light conditions. The flash does help out a bit during low light shots though the grainy photo can be a downer if you are used to camera phones like the HTC ONE X and Nokia 920. But again you'd have to consider the pricing and be a bit forgiving of the fact.
We also got to discover that the model we got and I guess I can presume for all Starmobile Astra's, is that the ICS Android Software is already rooted and ready. It also has very little bloatware and has the most used applications such as Facebook, twitter, and even skype and viber pre-installed. This also helps in storage issues as you don't have to trouble yourself into downloading these fave applications. If space is a problem you can use a MicroSD card as it supports upto 32GB and you can even choose to have the MicroSD card as the default storage, thanks to it being pre-rooted.
Other plus factors about the Starmobile Astra - GPS support, dual sim card, and even mobile TV which shows pretty good channel reception as it has an extendible antennae. The 4.3" IPS screen is also beautiful to look at though it only has 240ppi this shouldn't be too much of a problem as it is of decent screen size. The design is also quite attractive though reminiscent of an old HTC model. I like the way it looks in both white and black and I have to admit it does standout as it got me interested on first glance. It really doesn't feel cheap when you hold it either.
Gaming is also pretty decent though, this is where one shouldn't expect too much from it. It can play Contract Killer Zombies One and Two pretty well but if you are planning to play Modern Combat and other very graphic intensive games then this isn't going to be something you'd want to use. This also brings me to another minor concern - battery life. Battery is only at 1,500mAh which should pretty much last a user a day of moderate use. Thankfully though the battery is accessible and you can grab a spare if it is available at the store where you are purchasing it.
Overall, I really like the Starmobile Astra. It really brings in a lot for something priced as little as Php 6,990. Every other phone that is at that price point would be put to shame when placed side by side with it. Even those that are of a higher price point would be threatened by it. Heck, if it can function as well as my HTC ONE X in terms of average use then this is something you should really consider buying if you want a budget smartphone that is full on specs and maximizes features for every scent you spent on it. It is sexy, extremely pleasant to use and is proudly pinoy(at least that is what I have been told-need to get that verified). Either way, you really can't go wrong with this unit, power user or not.
Till Next Time...
-Metz-
