Starmobile Diamond V3 Initial Review: Quad-core, 5.3-inch, Android 4.1 Phablet

Starmobile Diamond V3 Initial Review: Quad-core, 5.3-inch, Android 4.1 Phablet

Meet the Starmobile Diamond V3!
Meet the Starmobile Diamond V3!

Starmobile Diamond V3

Starmobile revealed several of their new products during the latest episode of the Unbox Video Podcast (we’re uploading it Tuesday afternoon) and we were really blown away with what we saw. We’ll do hands-on and initial reviews for the 6 products we were able to play around with that night in the next few hours. We’ll kick things off with the Starmobile Diamond V3! This new phablet has a 5.3-inch display and runs on a Qualcomm quad-core Snapdragon processor. Check out the rest of the specifications below.

Starmobile Diamond V3 Spec Sheet

  • Quad Core Qualcomm 8225Q Processor
  • Adreno 203 GPU
  • 1GB RAM
  • 4GB Internal Storage, expandable up to 32GB via microSD
  • 5.3-inches Capacitive Touchscreen, 480×854 resolution
  • 12.0-megapixels rear-facing camera with autofocus, LED Flash, and BSI
  • 2.0-megapixels front-facing camera with BSI
  • Dual SIM Dual Standby
  • 3G, WiFi, WiFi Hotspot, Bluetooth, FM Radio, GPS/aGPS
  • 2,100mAH Battery
  • Android 4.1 Jelly Bean
  • Comes with free microSD Card (4GB) and Jelly Case

As you can see it’s a very competitive smartphone when it comes to internals. It can go toe-to-toe with the flagships of other brands. What we really need to find out though is the price. Starmobile said that it will sell for below Php10,000 (that’s a relief) and we will know the official SRP during their media event launch this Wednesday afternoon.

Hands-on: Very Fast, Slim

Glossy white plastic for the chassis
Glossy white plastic for the chassis

For the hardware part the Starmobile Diamond V3 follows the tried and tested glossy plastic route with a chrome band on the sides. Despite the 5.3-inch display, the device still manages to not look “too big” due to the slim form factor. The Diamond V3 measures in at just 9.9mm thick making it one of the thinnest local phablets in the market today. It’s also not that heavy at 189 grams.

Loving the red logo on white!
Loving the red logo on white!

The Starmobile Diamond V3 also introduces the new branding scheme by logo color of Starmobile. According to Katrina Tioseco, Starmobile Marketing Head, devices sporting the red Starmobile logo are quad-core devices. We’re kinda digging the red logo on glossy white back plate. Makes it look sleek and elegant even for a locally branded smartphone.

Display is respectable
Display is respectable

We were also happy and satisfied with the software performance despite the unit still being an engineering/test device. The quad-core processor effortlessly powers the 5.3-inch display and we rarely saw any lags or delays. Apps loaded quite fast and the basic animations and transitions were for the most part smooth.

Initial Verdict: This is what the first Diamond should have been

Based on our initial testing we daresay that this should have been the first Starmobile Diamond. There is minimal lag, the hardware looks fantastic, and the quad-core processor just powers it through with no issues. The 12.0-megapixel camera with BSI also has very good potential.

Pwede....
Pwede….

At this point we wait with bated breath for the official SRP. Hopefully it will be competitive (a.k.a. affordable hehe). We’ll give you guys more information about the Starmobile Diamond V3 when we’re able to spend more time with it during the official product announcement event this coming Wednesday!

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