We unbox the Cherry Mobile Alpha Play!
Today we’re unboxing Cherry Mobile’s affordable Windows 8.1 tablet, the Alpha Play. The Alpha Play currently is one of the most affordable, full fledged Windows 8.1 tablet in the market today, bearing a paltry Php 7,999 price tag. We’ve been getting a lot of requests to unbox this little tablet, so here we go!
Cherry Mobile Alpha Play
- 1.33GHz quad-core Intel Z3735D quad-core processor
- Intel HD graphics
- 8-inch HD IPS full touchscreen
- 16GB of storage, expandable via microSD up to 64GB
- 5-megapixel BSI rear camera
- 2-megapixel front camera
- WiFi, Bluetooth
- 3500mAh battery
- Windows 8.1 OS
- Php 7,999
Packaging and contents
Cherry Mobile has gone to great lengths to differentiate their Alpha range of devices from their normal Android offerings. The Alpha Play is no different – it comes in a bright blue box that tells you exactly what to expect when you buy an Alpha Play, as well as the processor that powers it (hint: it’s an Intel).
Unlike Cherry Mobile’s Android offerings, it’s slim pickings when it comes to accessories – you get a USB adapter so you can plug in USB devices into the Alpha Play (through what looks to be a USB 3.0 port), as well as the adapter for the device and a user manual.
Initial Impressions: Full fledged Windows 8.1 machine
Before going further, let’s get this out of the way right now: the Alpha Play is a full-fledged Windows 8.1 machine, and not a neutered Windows RT one. That means you can install almost any program you want on it that normally goes on a Windows desktop or notebook (running it is another matter entirely). This is a boon for students and people who are looking for an affordable Windows tablet for reasons that we’ll go into later.
The Alpha Play is a pretty hefty device, which is not surprising considering that the back of the device is made out of metal. It’s also pretty thick too for a tablet. When oriented sideways, you’ll find all the ports are located on the right side of the device.
This includes the USB port (which requires the use of the included USB port adapter to be able to plug in USB devices), mini HDMI port, power socket and a 3.5mm jack. On the top of the Alpha Play lies the volume rocker, power key and a hardware Windows key.
As far as hardware goes, you’re not going to be blown away with the Alpha Play. With a 1.33GHz quad-core Intel Z3735D quad-core processor, 1GB of RAM and built-in Intel HD graphics, it’s not a gaming tablet (not by a long shot), which kind of relegates it to productivity and content consumption duties.
Its 16GB of memory also limits what you can do with it as well, though you can actually out in up to 64GB more through the microSD slot on the side.
One of the use cases we can see with the Alpha Play is that you can use it as a base for a Windows-based desktop. Just attach a low-cost HDMI capable monitor, pair up a wireless keyboard and mouse combo with it and you have yourself a mini-desktop. In our case, we paired up a Rapoo 8900p wireless keyboard and mouse combo (which only uses a single USB port), which we’re currently using to write this unboxing on the Alpha Play.
That’s it for this unboxing. If you guys have any requests on apps and programs to try on run the Alpha Play (aside from the usual ‘koya gagana ba DOTA jan”), let us know in the comments below.
