We go hands-on with Kata’s newest phablet!

Today, we’ll be taking a look at the Kata’s follow-up to the M1, the M2. One of the things that we immediately noticed with the M2 is that the specs are a downgrade from the M1, which is unusual (newer iterations are usually upgrades), but actually makes sense, as we’ll explain in a bit.

Kata M2 specs

• 1.3GHz MediaTek MT6582 quad-core processor
• Mali-400 MP GPU
• 1GB of RAM
• 5.5-inch “super” HD IPS display, 720 x 1280 resolution
• 16GB of storage, expandable via micro SD up to 32GB
• 13-megapixel rear camera
• 5-megapixel front camera
• WiFi, Bluetooth, GPS
• Dual SIM
• 3G
• 2300mAh battery
• Android 4.4 KitKat
• 157 x 77 x 7.98 mm
• Php 7,999 (Php 6,999 during Kata’s Midnight sale)

Initial Impressions: a downgrade isn’t always a bad thing

First things first: yes, the Kata M2 sports relatively lower specs compared to the M1. The M1 had a 1.5GHz turbo-quad core processor, 2GB of RAM and a full HD display. Compared to the M2, it looks like the M1 would be a better buy, but in practice, that’s not really the case.

See, the problem with the M1 was that it suffered from lag, even with its rather beefy specs. The main culprit of all that lag was the 1.5GHz turbo quad-core processor paired with the full HD display. MediaTek’s turbo quad-core solution doesn’t do well in that particular hardware combination, unfortunately. The M2, while having a lower HD display and a (theoretically) slower 1.3GHz MT6582 processor doesn’t suffer from the problems that plagued the M1, which is good news all around, even though it sports just 1GB of RAM.

As far as looks go, the M2 is very sharp, and kind of looks like the love child of a BlackBerry Z3 and the OnePlus One. The display is framed by two white strips of plastic on the top and bottom of the device, which is accentuated by a mettalic side.

A tasteful thatch pattern adorns the back of the M2, which gives the device a somewhat rough texture, making it easier to hold in your hands. Both the volume rocker and the power button are located on the right side, while the 3.5mm jack and the USB port are on the top.

The M2’s initial performance tests are positive. The device scored 17739 in AnTuTu, which vindicates Kata’s decision to go with the downgraded hardware. Unfortunately, Kata also decided to trim down the battery of the M2 to just 2300mAh, which is a bit of a letdown.

Hopefully the lower hardware specs on the M2 mean that the device also sips less juice when in use, although only a full review will reveal if it’s up to the task.