Cherry Mobile Cosmos One Review: A Deeper Look Into Cherry’s Limited Edition Phone

Cherry Mobile Cosmos One Review: A Deeper Look Into Cherry’s Limited Edition Phone

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We review Cherry Mobile’s limited edition phone

The Cherry Mobile Cosmos One generated plenty of buzz when it was initially announced by Cherry Mobile. Since the company said that the Cosmos One was going on sale for just one day (back in August 30), we were quite surprised to see a review unit land on our lap. Why send a review device when you’re not going to offer it again, right? It seems that the Cosmos One isn’t as limited as we originally thought, and Cherry Mobile execs confirmed that they were toying with the idea of offering the Cosmos One for sale again, since it did so well during its first run. Whatever their reasons, the Cosmos One is here now, and this is our review of it.

Cherry Mobile Cosmos One

  • 1.4Ghz MediaTek 6592m octa-core processor
  • Mali-450MP GPU
  • 1GB of RAM
  • 5.5-inch HD IPS display with Corning Gorilla Glass 2
  • 8GB of storage, expandable via microSD up to 64GB
  • 14-megapixel BSI main camera with flash
  • 8-megapixel front camera
  • Dual-SIM
  • 3G, HSPA+
  • WiFi, Bluetooth, Miracast, GPS, USB OTG
  • 2400mAh battery
  • Android KitKat 4.4

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A nicer looking Pulse

The Cherry Mobile Cosmos One’s specs are similar to another affordable octa-core smartphone that we reviewed a few weeks earlier, the Pulse. The Pulse used a faster 1.7GHz octa-core smartphone, while the Cosmos One has a slower 1.4GHz one, though  it has a bigger 5.5-inch HD display with better glass protection compared to the 5-inch one on the Pulse. The Cosmos One is more visually appealing as well – the device has a faux leather pattern that gives it a premium look, though the illusion disappears when you actually touch it. The Cosmos One is probably one of the few Cherry Mobile phones that have a hardware shutter key that’s located on the same side as the power key. While this allows you to take photos quickly and easily, it takes some getting used to, as you’ll mistakenly hit the shutter key in a vain attempt to try and unlock the device. A silver band surrounds the sides of the Cosmos One, giving it a visual oomph.

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One nice thing we liked was that the camera lens was smack dab in the center and was not protruding unlike other designs on the market. This means that whatever surface you lay the Cosmos One on, you can count on the camera lens not getting scratched by whatever surface you lay it on.

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The 5.5-inch HD display had generally good color reproduction as well as viewing angles but had a little trouble when exposed to direct sunlight. The Cosmos One’s display is protected by Corning’s Gorilla Glass 2, and while it’s not as tough as the 3, it’s more than enough to protect it from the rigors of daily use.

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Fast and fluid, though the Wireless connections have issues

While the Cosmos One use MediaTek’s slower 1.4GHz octa-core processor, it was still able to deliver solid performance, both in synthetic benchmarks and in real-world situations. The Cosmos One scored around 26331 points in AnTuTu 5, which is typical of the hardware configuration that it has. In actual use, the device was quick and responsive, with apps opening quickly. There’s almost zero lag during navigation and transitions, and playing demanding Android games like Dead Trigger 2 and Asphalt 8 had no issues whatsoever, even with the performance set on high.

There’s a little niggle though when it comes to the wireless suite of the Cosmos One. While it’s capable of both receiving and sending data via 3G, it seemed to continually disconnect from our PLDT MyDSL router that we used at home. While this could be fixed quickly by just shutting off and turning on WiFi on the phone, it’s a bit of a chore. To be fair, the Cosmos One did not exhibit this behaviour when connected to our Smart LTE portable router. We also noticed that the GPS of the Cosmos One was a bit weak, and lost signal in areas with tall buildings on both sides (like in Ayala Avenue).

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 Good camera for a phone its price

One thing that users are wary of when it comes to Cherry Mobile’s offerings is the generally less than stellar cameras that the firm uses. To be fair to Cherry Mobile, their camera modules had been steadily improving over the past few months, and the Cosmos One is no exception. Photos are generally good, with decent color reproduction and detail in the shots. It has quirky white balance issues though that shows up in artificially lite environs (which in all fairness is present in most the cameras of local brands), but it’s not too big of an issue. We’re hoping that Cherry Mobile continues this trend with their cameras in their future devices.

Finally, an octa-core smartphone you can use all day

If there’s one thing that people have started to associate with octa-core smartphones, is that the batteries that local brands pair with them aren’t up to the task of powering the smartphone all day. While the Cosmos One isn’t quite the all-day smartphone that we’re used to, it comes pretty close – it clocked in around 10 hours of useful battery life with moderate use. The Cosmos One’s more energy efficient 1.4Ghz MediaTek 6592m processor and 2400mAh battery allows it to go further than other devices with a full power 1.7GHz processor.

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Verdict: definitely worth the money, but will you be able to buy it again?

The Cosmos One has a nice blend of performance, camera and battery life. At around Php 6,999, it’s definitely cheaper than typical octa-core smartphones that are out in the market today. The question now is how will you buy one if you want one? There’s still no new offer for the Cosmos One a month after it initially went on sale, though again, Cherry Mobile has said that it’s open to offering the device back on the market if there’s enough demand for it. If they every do sell it again, we recommend that you grab one right away.

 

 

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