Cherry Mobile Cosmos X Review

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September 13, 2013

The Cherry Mobile Cosmos X has been out for a while. It is the most affordable smartphone in the Cherry Mobile Cosmos family. The 18 MP rear camera and the 8 MP front camera can be already found on some other local branded smartphones but there’s one thing that set this smartphone apart from other local brands, and that’s the HD Super AMOLED screen. If you’re a Samsung user, there’s a big probability that you’ve heard of this display. The HD Super AMOLED screen is present on the Samsung Galaxy S3 and the Samsung Galaxy Note 2. Since we already have a nice camera and a vivid display, why don’t you check out its quality and how the Cherry Mobile Cosmos X fares in my review?

Unboxing:

The Cherry Mobile Cosmos X’s body is made up of plastic. It’s incredibly thin and light. I didn’t expect that a quad-core smartphone from Cherry Mobile would be that thin and light but I was a little bit annoyed with the bump at the back to give way to the 18 Megapixel Rear camera of Cherry Mobile Cosmos X. The construction was pretty solid and nice. Actually, I dropped my Cherry Mobile Cosmos X on a concrete floor two times (Approximately at 3 feet) and I only got a dent and it is still working fine on me.

One thing that I like about the Cherry Mobile Cosmos X is that it includes a free back cover and a flip cover. (I got the black one and there’s a free red back cover). They included a flip cover that sticks to the back cover. So you’ll have to choose which back cover that you want to stick with the flip cover.

The display of the Cherry Mobile Cosmos X is one of its main strengths. The 4.7” display of the Cherry Mobile Cosmos X is a HD Super AMOLED which can be also found on the recent flagship Samsung devices. The colors on the HD Super AMOLED display is remarkable and the sunlight legibility was great. Actually, one of my favorite displays is the HD Super AMOLED. It is also protected by the Gorilla Glass 2, so you don’t have to worry about scratches. Actually, I have a video in where I had a scratch test with the Cherry Mobile Cosmos X.

The Cherry Mobile Cosmos X has all the connectivities that you need except NFC and LTE. Yep, the Cherry Mobile Cosmos X supports HSPA+. If you’re wondering why are there no local branded phones that supports LTE, it’s because the Quad-Core MT6589 processor doesn’t support it yet. But don’t worry, HSPA+ is already enough for mobile browsing :). Inside the Cherry Mobile Cosmos X is a 4 GB internal memory but you can only use a half of it that’s why it is recommended for you to buy a MicroSD card for your apps and games.

The Cherry Mobile Cosmos X might have a 4.7” HD Super AMOLED and a Quad-Core MediaTek processor but the phone packs only a 1800mAh juice inside. It’s quite disappointing and it only manage up to half a day on my average-heavy use. I strongly suggest that you bring a power bank or a charger with you especially when you’re into gaming or when your mobile data is always on. Don’t worry about the flower-like design speaker grill at the rear of the device because the audio quality of the phone fared well.

At the back, there’s the dual-sim card slot, you’ll find it strange at first because one of the slots is for the mini sim while the other one is for the micro sim. The 3G only supports one of those sim and that’s the mini sim. So if you’re planning on switching micro sim to your other phones, you must be aware that the micro sim card slot doesn’t support 3G/3.5G. But don’t worry, you could still fit in that mini sim on the micro sim as long as you have that jacket for the mini sim slot.

The Cherry Mobile Cosmos X doesn’t pack TV inside but it has FM radio. It’s very rare for a quad-core smartphone to have a TV inside it. Oh and before I forgot, the Cherry Mobile Cosmos X supports Miracast Wireless display. In order to do that you still need to have a receiver of the Miracast wireless display which is very rare to find.

All of the these Cosmos phones are running on Android 4.2. That’s why you have the ability to put widgets on the lock screen. Thanks to the 1.2 GHz Quad-Core MediaTek MTK6589 and 1 GB RAM inside the phone, I didn’t experience any lags or slowdowns. I like the Cherry Mobile Cosmos X because they only included a few apps that won’t be needed. There’s an OTA software update too so you don’t need to go to the Cherry Mobile Stores or kiosk just to have it updated.

Some of the included apps that I like in the Cherry Mobile Cosmos X are the Compass, Mobo Player and Movie studio. The Mobo player can do a pop up play like feature. Yep, There’s a small window for your video and you can play videos even when you’re texting or browsing the web. And speaking of pop up player, I also noticed that the phone got some genes from the Samsung Galaxy phones. Why? Because the ringtones and the SFX were mostly came from the Samsung Galaxy. But thankfully, the Touchwiz UI wasn’t there.

The Cherry Mobile Cosmos X performed really well thanks to the 1.2 GHz Quad-Core MediaTek processor and the 1 GB RAM. I tried a lot of games like Gangstar: Vegas on medium-high settings and it was fast and smooth. I wasn’t able to maxed out the settings on some 3D-heavy games on the phone. But still, I believe that the phone can play almost all of the latest games on Android right now. In the Antutu benchmark, the Cherry Mobile Cosmos X fared pretty well. The Cosmos X got a score of 13448. Not bad for a Quad-Core MediaTek smartphone.

All of the Cherry Mobile Cosmos phones packs an 18 megapixel camera which are all interpolated1. The camera quality is a little bit disappointing at first, but after the first update of the Cherry Mobile Cosmos X, the image quality has improved. But I would still recommend you guys to use Camera360 or any other 3rd party camera app to have a more sharper and decent images.

One thing that I like in the Cherry Mobile Cosmos X is the presence of the camera button at the side. It can be also use as a shortcut to the camera app. The camera app wasn’t disappointing at all but sometimes, I experience some bugs and I have to exit the app. The camera app has the ability to shoot HDR, Panorama and Smile shots. Not bad, right? It can also do continuous shots. You can download some of the full resolution shots that I took using the Cherry Mobile Cosmos X here: http://www.4shared.com/zip/WgePZp2c/Cherry_Mobile_Cosmos_X_shots.html

I noticed that the shots tend to be darker especially when there’s no decent light. The LED flash doesn’t help that much when the environment is really dark. But whenever there’s a decent light the images are good and sharp. The Cherry Mobile Cosmos X can also shoot 1080p videos but I always prefer 720p video to save a lot memory. Here’s a sample video that I took using the Cherry Mobile Cosmos X.
I noticed that the Cherry Mobile Cosmos X doesn’t took too much time to focus on an object. I love the Megapixel count of the Cherry Mobile Cosmos X but still, I think the camera needs some improvements. But hey, every software updates improves the quality of the images. I love to use the camera especially when I’m taking pictures of our notes on the whiteboard. Gone are the days of going near to the whiteboard to take the photos of those formulas that can make my nose bleed.

All in all, the Cherry Mobile Cosmos X was a great device. I love it. I let my friends play with the Cherry Mobile Cosmos X and all of them didn’t realized that it’s a local branded phone. All of them thought that the phone was made by some international brand. We all agree on the same thing: It’s a thin and light device. Not only that the device thin and light, but the Cherry Mobile Cosmos X is a powerful smartphone. I also love the HD Super AMOLED of the Cosmos X but I was disappointed with its battery life and its camera. The Cherry Mobile Cosmos X is now available nationwide with a SRP of P9,999.

Cherry Mobile Cosmos X Total Score: 7.7 | Create infographics

FAQs

Q: Is it worth the price?
A: Hell yeah.

Q: Do I love the device?
A: Actually, this is my main phone right now.

Q: I have a cold hard P10,000 cash here. Should I get the Cosmos X?
A: Hell yes.

Q: PAPARAFFLE PO BA KOYA?
A: NOPE.

Thanks Cherry Mobile for the Cherry Mobile Cosmos X!

Search for jobs easier with Globe Mail20Plus

By

Jam Ancheta

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September 13, 2013

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Searching for a job is now much easier thanks to the partnership of Globe and Jobstreet. If you haven’t heard Jobstreet yet, It is one of the leading Internet Recruitment websites in the Asia-Pacific. For jobseekers, Globe is offering its prepaid subscribers unlimited access to JobStreet.com as a part of a mobile surfing bundle. With Globe’s Mail20Plus, you’ll now have unlimited access to Jobstreet.com and their mobile app. You’ll also have unlimited access to mobile sites of Facebook, Yahoo! Mail, and Gmail. Interested? Check it out after the break.

If you’re looking for a job then better download the Jobstreet Mobile app. The app is available for download on iTunes, Google Play, BlackBerry World, and Windows Phone Marketplace. If you are an iPhone user, there’s a “Jobs near me” that helps you find jobs at their preferred locations.

With this promo, it is now easier to find a job wherever you are as long as you have your smartphone or your tablet. There are other mobile surfing bundles from Globe that you might want to try like SOCIAL20 with unlimited access to Facebook and Twitter, and FUN20 with unlimited access to Facebook and YouTube, both available for only P20 valid for 1 day. Text MAIL20, SOCIAL20 or FUN20 to 8888 to register.

3 Tips to put your Old Tablet to Good Use

By

Jam Ancheta

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September 12, 2013

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(This is a Very Old Eken Tablet and still Upgradeable to JB)

Hey guys, NicDroid (Nico Guarte) here! Do you still have that unused old tablet in your closet? An extra tablet that is just lying around and just collects dust in your house? A tablet like the one pictured above? I have the Top three tips to put those unused tablets into a good use. Check it out after the break.

1. Use it as a HD Media Player and Retro Console

Your Apps are not compatible for most common games today or your tablet has a MIPS Processor but it can still play your favorite HD movies? You can still use it as a HD TV Player with a HDMI Cable (depending on what tablet, but It’s the usual Mini HDMI to HDMI Cable). Connect It to the TV plus add a USB Gamepad and connect it to the OTG-Enabled Port/OTG Cable (make sure that the old tablet is capable of that, If it’s not, you can always root and install USB Drivers). Download Some Famicom, GBA, SNES, N64 and Even Arcade Emulators, Configure it and voila!

2. Digital E-Book

If your tablet was born in the AGE OF RESISTIVE TOUCHSCREEN. I’m sure that the newer games will never be compatible to your tablet, I have one of those and I just use it as a Digital E-book reader full of fictions and music pieces.

3. Use it as a Portable Hotspot (Best for 2.3 and Higher)

If you have an old broadband stick, OTG-Enabled tablet (The USB Broadband must be compatible to the tablet) and Android 2.3 tablet or Higher, You can use the tablet as a portable hotspot by navigating to Settings>Tethering & Portable hotspot and tap “Set up Wi-Fi Hotspot” and set your password with an ironic name like “Free Wifi”. Make sure that the network is registered to Supersurf or something like that. For My Old Eken W70, It lasts up to 5 hours with 10 connections.

There you have it, This might help revive your aging tablet or make it useful again. Later Bros.

Note: This was written by Nico Guarte with a little edit by Jam Ancheta. Don’t forget to follow him on twitter @i_am_nicdroid and check out his blog at http://nicdroid.blogspot.com/

iPhone 5s: Apple’s next flagship

By

Jam Ancheta

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September 11, 2013

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Aside from the Apple iPhone 5c, the next flagship phone of Apple was also announced, the Apple iPhone 5s. So what can we expect on the new flagship phone of Apple? Well, first of all Phil Schiller of Apple dubbed it “perhaps the most forward thinking phone anyone has ever made.” The iPhone 5s will be available in Silver, Gold and Gray. It will be powered by a 64-bit A7 processor, 40x faster CPU performance and graphics are 56x faster. They also announced that with the new dual-LED flash, the skin tones looks way better on pictures. The camera has better optics too and it can record 120fps on 720p. There’s a M7 processor too that measures the accelerometer, compass, and gyroscope continuously in the device. A great feature for apps especially on fitness and health. The Apple iPhone 5s would also have a fingerprint sensor called Touch ID and it is built in the home button. The Apple iPhone 5s starts at $199 on contract. It is expected to arrive here in December 2013.

It’s official: The Apple iPhone 5c

By

Jam Ancheta

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September 11, 2013

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Yes folks, the Apple iPhone 5c is here. It was just announced a few moments ago at the Apple Keynote today at California. The Apple iPhone 5c will be available in different colors just like it’s brother, the iPod touch. The iPhone 5c will run on the latest iOS7. The specs include having a 4-inch Retina display, a hard-coated polycarbonate shell at the back, A6 processor, 8 Megapixel Camera and it has LTE. Basically, the iPhone 5c is just like the iPhone 5 with more lively colors. The unlocked iPhone 5c starts at $550. Well I guess we’re still looking at an expensive device. Damn. The design kinda reminds me of the Nokia Lumia. Expect the iPhone 5c this December 2013 in the Philippines.

JAM Online Weekly 09/08/13: Nokia Lumia 1520, Microsoft-Nokia, Android 4.4 Kitkat, & What to expect at Apple Keynote

By

Jam Ancheta

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September 10, 2013

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Last week, a Nokia Lumia 1520 press shot was leaked by +@evleaks and the GDR3 update for Windows Phone 8 is coming with it. Microsoft also made a headline last week when they announced that they acquired the Nokia mobile and services division. Google also announced that the next version of their Android operating system is Android 4.4 Kitkat and not Key Lime Pie. And who would forget the Apple keynote?, everyone is excited at Apple’s Keynote later tonight! Check out my expectations on the new iPhones. Oh and if you’re joining the Arc Mobile Prime 350 Giveaway, you might want to watch out for the codeword on the video. Why don’t you check out the video after the break.

Paying using Globe Rewards points experience

By

Jam Ancheta

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September 9, 2013

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I always use my Globe Rewards for redeeming Unlimited text promos whenever I’m out of prepaid load. But did you know that you can redeem your Globe Rewards on selected merchants? Yes, you can do that now. I blogged about Globe Rewards and their partner merchants before. Basically, you can use your Globe Rewards points to purchase items on selected merchants. I’ve been curious with this promo so I tried buying some stuff on Bench since Jam Online will be the next big fashion blog (Hehe, kidding!). Check out my experience after the break.

It’s very easy to earn Globe Rewards Points. You’ll earn a Globe Rewards Points for every load that you make if you’re a Globe Prepaid user. But if you’re on Globe Postpaid, you can still earn points based on your billed amount. It’s easy, right? Sometimes, you won’t realize that you already have a lot Globe Rewards Points that you can already use on selected merchants.

On a Saturday afternoon, I checked my Globe Rewards points (By sending “BAL” to 4438) and I didn’t realize that I got a lot of Rewards points so I decided to visit Bench at Cash & Carry Makati to buy a shirt and a pair of jeans and of course, check out how the Globe Rewards really works.

Since I have more than 2000 Globe Rewards points and I don’t want to spend all of that on Bench, I just bought a pants and a collared shirt for P1425. And no, there’s no need to open the calculator app to convert your Globe Rewards points. The conversion is 1 point = 1 peso. It’s easy to buy items using Globe rewards because every Bench stores has a signage that will guide you how to use your Globe Rewards points to pay for the items that you want to buy. I told them that I’ll use my Globe Rewards points and they pointed the Globe Rewards signage and they guided me how to pay them using Globe Rewards points.

Step 1: Text BAL to 4438 to check your points
Step 2: BUY(space)<10-digit no. of cashier>(space)<points needed> to 4438

After the SMS was sent, the cashier checked their phone and voila! It’s already finish. Didn’t expect that the transaction would be that fast. A week after that, I bought a belt at a different Bench store and just like my first experience, it was fast and easy.

Actually, I still have some remaining Globe Rewards points and I can still spend that on Globe’s services or use it on other selected merchants like Enchanted Kingdom, Ayala Cinemas, Wendy’s, Figaro, Rose Pharmacy, and Sunglass Hut, PAL, and Petron.

The more you use your Globe Prepaid/Postpaid or TM, the more points you earn. Why don’t you check your Globe Rewards point? Maybe you can treat us at Figaro :). Since I still have Globe Rewards points on my Globe Prepaid, I’m thinking of filling up our car using Globe Rewards points at Petron.

If you want to know more about it, visit http://rewards.globe.com.ph/ and to answer your FAQs. Check out this link: http://rewards.globe.com.ph/faq .

PS VITA TV: A Micro console that can play PS Vita Games

By

Jam Ancheta

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September 9, 2013

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UPDATE: List of PS Vita Games that can be played on the PS Vita TV

Okay. So we have a Sony Playstation Vita, a handheld console and the successor of the Playstation Portable and then there’s the Playstation 4, a next-gen console that is connected to the TV. And now, there’s a new member of the Playstation family lineup, the PS Vita TV. The Playstation Vita TV can play some of your favorite PS Vita games, PS1 and PSP games on your TV using a Dualshock 3 controller and yes, it’s ready to take on the OUYA and Apple TV because it also offers entertainment services and it can also do Remote play for your Playstation 4 that is on your wishlist. Freakin awesome right? Want to know more? Check it out after the break.

There are Japan specific apps that will be available on the PS Vita TV and there’s LiveTweet twitter client too. I believe the PlayStation Vita TV could help increase the sales of the PS Vita and its games. If you already have a PS Vita game cards, you can use it directly on the PlayStation Vita TV but not all PS Vita games would work on the PS Vita TV since some Vita games requires a touchpad and a touchscreen. Here’s a video of what we can expect from the Playstation Vita TV:

That’s a one good product from Sony! PS4 gamers would surely love this especially the remote play. I’m actually eyeing for one because I really want to play classic Playstation and PSP titles on our TV. Unfortunately, no word if this tiny console would arrive here in the Philippines. The PS Vita TV is pegged at $100 and you need to add $50 more for that DualShock 3 controller.

If you want to know the games that supports the Playstation Vita TV, check the list at this link: http://www.jp.playstation.com/psvitatv/game/psvitalist/

Source: Sony

IFA 2013 Round-up: Asus products, Sony Xperia Z1, and New Samsung products

By

Jam Ancheta

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September 6, 2013

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The first wave of IFA 2013 products were already announce courtesy of Asus, Sony and of course, Samsung. Asus products announced a bunch of new phablet, tablets and laptops. Asus got my attention with the re-announcement of the Asus Fonepad Note 6 while Sony wow-ed me with their 20.7 MP Camera packing Sony Xperia Z1. And not just that, the Sony Xperia Z1 combines the glass and aluminum in its construction. Gotta love that on the Sony Xperia Z1. Samsung has also announced the next generation of the Galaxy Note, the Samsung Galaxy Note 3 while there’s the refresh of the Galaxy Note 10.1 with Galaxy Note 10.1 2014. A new wearable device have been revealed by Samsung too, the Samsung Galaxy Gear smarwatch. Want to know more? Click on read more and watch my video.

Sony Xperia Z1 Announced: Best Android smartphone?

By

Jam Ancheta

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September 5, 2013

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So the Sony Xperia Z got a new and more powerful brother, the Sony Xperia Z1. So why did I say that the Sony Xperia Z1 is the best Android smartphone to date? Because the Sony Xperia Z1 runs on the latest and fastest 2.2GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon 800 Quad-Core processor, It’s water resistant and it has the best camera on an Android smartphone. Not only that, the Sony Xperia Z1 is now packed with a solid one-piece aluminum frame partnered with tempered glass on the front and the back. I’m a BIG fan of aluminum and glass designed smartphones. That’s why after I heard that the Sony Xperia Z1 would have that design, I immediately drooled over my laptop watching the live coverage of the press event. Why don’t you check out the specs after the break.

Sony has fitted a nice 20.7 Megapixel Camera that us dubbed as the best camera on an Android smartphone. That gave us more reasons to do a selfie. And speaking of cameras, Sony also announced the QX10 and QX100 camera lenses that allows you to mount these lenses to your smartphone and control them through the smartphone screen. I can sense that this is the next big thing in mobile photography.

Sony Xperia Z1 Specifications

2.2 GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon 800
5″ Triluminous Display with Bravia Engine
2 GB RAM
16 GB Internal memory with MicroSD Card Slot
20.7 MP Rear Camera with Exmor RS (1/2.3” sensor size)

2 MP Front Camera
LTE

Android 4.3

Dustproof and Water Resistant

No word on the price but I guess, it will fall around P32,000 at launch.

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