Starmobile Diamond S1 Review: Style without Compromise?

Starmobile Diamond S1 Review: Style without Compromise?

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Starmobile Diamond S1 Full Review

The Starmobile Diamond S1 is one of the first devices from Starmobile’s newest line-up of smartphones that’s already available in stores. It actually didn’t get too much attention since most of the tech media and bloggers were focused on the new flagship, the Starmobile Muse. However after spending several days with the Starmobile Diamond S1 we can say without a doubt that it is one of the best offerings among Starmobile’s December line-up! It’s the most stylish and at the same time it’s jam-packed with power!

>>> SEE ALSO: Starmobile Muse Full Review

To get a better idea of the capabilities of the phone, check out the complete specifications below.

Starmobile Diamond S1 Spec Sheet

  • 1.3GHz Quad-core MediaTek 6582M Processor
  • Mali 400MP Graphics
  • 1GB RAM
  • 4GB Internal Storage, expandable via microSD up to 32GB
  • 5.0-inches qHD Display, 960 x 540 resolution 220 pixels per inch, OGS
  • Asahi Dragontrail Scratch Resistant Glass
  • Curved Edge Glass
  • 12.0-megapixels primary camera with BSI and LED Flash
  • 3.0-megapixels secondary camera with BSI
  • Dual 3G SIM, Dual Standby
  • 3G, HSPA+, WiFi, WiFi Hotspot, Bluetooth, GPS, FM Radio
  • Android 4.2 Jelly Bean
  • 2000mAh Li-Poly battery
  • SRP: Php8,990

As you can see it has very competitive specifications. The only point of concern for is the 4GB internal storage. We really think that at this point in time the minimum should already be 8GB. Anyway, let’s move on to the review!

Sleek, Razor-thin, and Curvy

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The Starmobile Diamond S1 is a gorgeous device. While the back is dominantly plastic, it feels much more solid and compact because of the thin body. The smooth matte finish and the tapered edges of the back plate not only gives it a slimmer profile but it masterfully puts the emphasis on the 5.0-inch curved edge glass display. When you hold the Diamond S1 you feel the glass more than the plastic.

As the name “curved edge glass display” implies, the edges of the screen of the Diamond S1 curve downwards. It’s a nice touch and gives more credibility to the claim of Starmobile that their Diamond S series of phones are “Stylish”. By the way, the glass is scratch resistant since they used Asahi Dragon Tail for it.

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If ever we have one criticism about the hardware design, it would be the power lock button. It’s too recessed! You really have to press down on it with effort. Other than that though we’re perfectly happy and satisfied with the industrial design of the Diamond S1.

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So yeah, two thumbs up to the nicest looking smartphone under Php9,000!

When qHD is better than Full HD?

The display resolution of the Starmobile Diamond S1 is 960 x 540 or qHD. We would have preferred for it to have been at least HD (1280 x 720) since we love watching HD content and it just feels better knowing your phone can do HD. However we’ll take qHD with these specifications over a quad-core smartphone with 1GB RAM and Full HD. As we’ve seen in some of our most recent reviews, 1GB RAM is not enough to ensure a smooth Full Android HD experience. Performance of basic functions is absolutely critical and we’re happy to report that the Diamond S1 delivers on that in spades!

Powerhouse Despite the Thin Frame

We were really surprised when we got the scores of the Starmobile Diamond S1 from our favorite Antutu Benchmark Test. It clocked in at over 17,000! Most quad-core devices are just at the 12,000-13,000 range while the turbo quad-core phones would hit 15,000-16,000.

*Antutu Benchmark is a third party application that measures performance of smartphones and gives them ratings for comparative purposes.

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So what does this number mean in non-techie real life usage?

For basic and core Android functions like messaging, calendars, and social networking, we rarely felt any lag whatsoever with the Starmobile Diamond S1. Transitions and animations were gracefully smooth despite having a live wallpaper in the background with a couple of active widgets on the home screen.

Follow me on Instagram and Twitter! @carloople
Follow me on Instagram and Twitter! @carloople

When it came to more complicated tasks like graphic intensive applications (aka hardcore games), the Starmobile Diamond S1 was able to deliver a great Zombie killing experience for us with Dead Trigger 2. Lag is unavoidable though when the zombies start filling the screen but it’s not the game breaking type of lag (something you can easily manage). Just make it a point to kill background apps when you’re playing games like Dead Trigger to ensure maximum performance.

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We only found one notable weakness and that’s with multi-tasking. At the end of the day 1GB RAM is just 1GB RAM, hehe. Switching in between apps can be laggy at times especially if you’re coming from RAM hungry ones like games.

Everything considered, the Starmobile Diamond S1 is a solid performer. The 1.3GHz Quad-core MediaTek 6582M Processor is definitely very impressive and we’re hard pressed to tell the difference between this one and the Turbo Quad-core Processor (also from MediaTek) used by more expensive smartphones.

Camera Takes Good Photos

The primary camera of the Starmobile Diamond S1 is a 12.0-megapixel shooter with LED flash and BSI. Starmobile has a solid track record with the quality of their optics and they didn’t disappoint us again with the one that was put in the Starmobile Diamond S1.

In good lighting, the camera takes excellent photos. With harsh lighting it starts to struggle especially with white washout. In dark environments it can manage but truth be told the only camera on a smartphone worth using in dark places to date is really the Nokia Lumia 1020, lol.

Anyway, sample shots for your reference below. Will upload full resolution in a while.

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Above average camera… check!

Battery Life is Surprisingly Good

Another surprise was the battery life. We were thinking that the quad-core processor would overwhelm the 2,000mAh battery but it turns out that’s not the case here. Our theory is that it takes less power for the qHD display and thus helps stretch the juice inside the battery.

Commercial: Please Download the Unbox App for Android on Google Play!
Commercial: Please Download the Unbox App for Android on Google Play!

In our daily use we were able to get an average of 9-10 hours with the Starmobile Diamond S1. That’s with 3G always on and a bunch of calls/texts with a lot of social networking (Instagram, FB, and Twitter). Note though that playing games will quickly kill the battery. We did a “marathon” session of Dead Trigger and it only lasted us 3-4 hours before going 0%.

Verdict: It’s An Awesome Holiday Buy!

Starmobile Diamond S1 Review

The Starmobile Diamond S1 delivers a lot of power in a beautifully crafted and slender form factor. There are barely any performance issues, the battery life is competitive, and the camera is good. For Php8,990 this is simply a great and practical buy.

Two thumbs up!

The Starmobile Diamond S1 is already available in the market for Php8,990. Visit the nearest Starmobile kiosk or store near you to get one. 🙂

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