Cherry Mobile Flare 3 Hands-on, First Impressions: Cherry Mobile Has Changed the Game, Again

Cherry Mobile Flare 3 Hands-on, First Impressions: Cherry Mobile Has Changed the Game, Again

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We go hands-on with Cherry Mobile’s recently announced Flare 3!

When Cherry Mobile’s event today began, the brand asked the attendees what kind of specs they expected from a phone that cost around Php 3,999. A quad-core processor? Sure. 1GB of RAM? Probably not. 5-inch, IPS OGS display with scratch resistant glass? In your dreams – that’s what we thought anyway. But then Cherry Mobile officially announced the Flare 3 bearing all of those specs and more, at a price of Php 3,999 – severely undercutting their main rival’s offering, the Rio, by around Php 1,000. So what does Php 3,999 get you? Well, for starters, you get a game changing budget smartphone.

Cherry Mobile Flare 3 specs

  • 1.3GHz quad-core MediaTek MTK 6582 processor
  • Mali-400MP GPU
  • 1GB of RAM
  • 5-inch qHD IPS OGS scratch resistant display
  • 8GB of storage, expandable via microSD up to 64GB
  • 8-megapixel BSI rear camera
  • 3-megapixel front camera
  • WiFi, Bluetooth 3.0, GPS, A-GPS
  • Dual-SIM
  • HSPA+
  • 1980mAh battery
  • Android 4.4 KitKat
  • Php 3,999

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Initial impressions: colorful, solid and powerful smartphone at an unbeatable price

Cherry Mobile’s budget handsets have been raising the bar as far as build quality is concerned, and that continues with the Flare 3. While the Flare 3 firmly sits on the budget category and features a mainly plastic body – it doesn’t feel like a cheap smartphone. It’s a bit too plasticky for us though, especially with its bright blue gloss plastic finish, but thankfully there are several color options available, including a black one that looks to have a matte back. We noticed that the Flare 3 is a bit on the light side, but that may or may not be an issue for you. YMMV, but personally we like a phone with a bit of heft to it so it doesn’t feel like a toy.

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The design of the Flare 3 isn’t going to win any awards, but it’s not terrible either. The Flare 3 utilizes rounded edges and corners that improve your purchase on the device when you’re holding it. You’ll find the power button and the volume rocker on the right side of the device, with the 3.5mm jack resting on the top, while the USB port is located on the bottom. Surprisingly enough, Cherry Mobile has decided not to interpolate the 8-megapixel camera of the Flare 3.

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Surprisingly enough, the Flare 3 uses a 5-inch qHD IPS OGS display with a scratch resistant layer on top. This is unheard of in this particular price segment, which should make a lot of prospective buyers happy. The display of the Flare 3 is nice and bright, with vivid colors, thanks to the OGS panel.

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Because of the hardware combination inside the Flare 3, it was almost guaranteed to get a high score in AnTuTu. At 17045 points, it’s one of the most powerful devices in its price bracket, and as a result navigation was smooth and fast, without any lag whatsoever. We’re just a bit worried about the 1980mAh battery on the device, though hopefully the addition of KitKat will smooth out any battery issues down the line. 

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The Flare 3 is definitely one of the most sulit smartphones you can buy today. At just Php 3,999, it absolutely demolishes the competition as far as specifications are concerned. There’s still a question of overall longevity and how the device actually does when it’s constantly being used, but right now it seems like Cherry Mobile has changed the local smartphone landscape. Again.

 

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