Starmobile Muse Review: Starmobile’s Newest Flagship Put to the Test

Starmobile Muse Review: Starmobile’s Newest Flagship Put to the Test

Starmobile Muse Review e

Starmobile Muse Full Review

The Starmobile Muse is the new co-flagship of Starmobile together with the venerable Starmobile Knight. It’s bigger at 5.0-inches and now has a Full HD OGS display (441 pixels per inch) and it actually carries the same fantastic optics for both the front and rear cameras. The biggest difference with the camera set-up though is the presence of a front-facing LED flash.

We’ve been using the Starmobile Muse for well over two weeks now and we’d like to share with you guys this comprehensive and balanced review. Before anything let’s quickly go over the specifications again.

Starmobile Muse Spec Sheet

  • 1.5GHz Turbo Quad-core Processor, MediaTek
  • PowerVR SGX544MP Graphics
  • 1GB RAM
  • 16GB Internal Storage, not expandable
  • 5.0-inches Full HD OGS Display, 1920 x 1080 resolution, 441 pixels per inch
  • 18.0-megapixels primary camera with LED flash and BSI technology
  • 8.0-megapixels secondary camera with wide-angle lens, BSI, and LED flash
  • Dual SIM, Dual 3G Standby
  • 3G, WiFi, WiFi Hotspot, HSPA+, WiFi, Bluetooth, GPS
  • 2300 mAh Li-Ion non-removable battery
  • Android 4.2.2 Jelly Bean
  • Comes in Black and White
  • USB OTG Compatible
  • SRP: Php12,990

Now that we have that out of the way let’s jump right into the review!

Hardware Design and Build: Kinda Like the Starmobile Knight’s Big Brother

The Starmobile Muse has a lot of similarities with the design blueprint of the Starmobile Knight. First it features the same vertical elongated build that we first encountered with the Knight (kinda like the iPhone 5). The body is made from polycarbonate material and the back plate has a smooth matte finish which gives it better grip and style. The back plate is non-removable and comes in either black or white.

Looks really nice in white. Note the Dual LED Flash. Looks really nice in white. Note the Dual LED Flash.

Up front we have the 5.0-inch glass screen. While it generally looks like the front of your usual Android smartphone, there’s a major addition at the top of the display. Yes folks, there’s an LED flash there to support the front-facing camera. This device takes “selfie” to a whole new level, lol. At least you can now take selfies in dark places like bars.

LED flash up front. Whut. LED flash up front. Whut.

Along the sides we have the usual buttons and ports. At the bottom we have the micro USB to USB cable. Volume rocker is on the left while the power lock is situated on the right. At the top we have the standard audio jack and the dual SIM card tray (micro SIM and regular SIM) that you need to open with a pin.

Starmobile Muse Review b

Thanks to the form factor, the Starmobile Muse is comfortable to hold and use with one hand. The build is definitely great but what is even better is the display!

Display is Absolutely Stunning

The Starmobile Muse has a 5.0-inch Full HD OGS display. That’s 1920×1080 resolution or 441 pixels per inch! Images, videos, photos, and text all look superb! The One Glass Screen (OGS) technology also makes it feel like the icons are floating on the screen.

Very good display quality! Very good display quality!

We’re not too sure though if the manufacturer used scratch resistant glass like Corning Gorilla Glass or Asahi Dragon Trail. It might be a good idea to put a screen protector on it since it will protect the glass and it should help lessen fingerprint smudges.

Over-all the Starmobile Muse has a very good build. Definitely deserving to be a local flagship. Hopefully we get to see Starmobile start shipping devices with more aluminum and metal though. Starmobile Muse V2? Hehe.

Performance: Can 1GB RAM Cut it?

Starmobile Muse Review h

The first question we raised in our initial feature on the Starmobile Muse was if the 1GB RAM together with the Turbo Quad-core processor would be enough to handle the 5.0-inch Full HD display. After days of thorough testing we’ve come to the conclusion that while it can get the job done, it doesn’t do a very good one.

When we had several apps running in the background, the Muse felt a half-step slower. It’s not sluggish but there was a noticeable delay. It’s even more evident and pronounced for us since we were coming from just reviewing the Google Nexus 5, hehe. We also got the same issue when we were playing the more demanding hardcore games like Modern Combat 4 and Dead Trigger 2. While the Muse scored close to 15,000 on Antutu, it isn’t the smoothest Android experience we’ve gotten on a local Android flagship.

Starmobile Muse Review i

Starmobile Muse Review f

Starmobile Muse Review c

For less demanding tasks like browsing sites, social networking, and watching videos, we didn’t have any problem with the Muse. It was really just with the more demanding applications. Truth be told this is a bit of a letdown especially since this is packaged as the co-flagship of the Knight and it is priced at Php12,990.

Starmobile Apps

Starmobile Muse Review d

Interesting to note that Starmobile now has a suite of custom applications on the Muse. First we have the Starmobile Sync which lets you transfer your contacts from your old phone (regardless of brand) via Bluetooth to your new Starmobile Muse. There’s also the Starmobile App Store and the Starmobile Media Store (Ringtones and Wallpapers).

Good to see that Starmobile is investing more into software now. Hardware alone really can’t cut it in the very competitive local smartphone scene.

Camera: Still the Best in the Local Industry

We’re happy to report that the Starmobile Muse lives up to standard set by the Starmobile Knight and the Starmobile Diamond V7. The Backside illumination technology (BSI) really shines through here. Picture quality is great because of the balanced color reproduction and the high level of detail.

Here are some sample shots from the rear-facing camera (18MP BSI):

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IMG_20131211_025244

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The 8MP front-facing camera, as expected, also delivered. This is me (author) without shaving and sobrang sabog in the morning. Bwahaha! #sabogselfie

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Here’s another one with my wife (and me after shaving, lol).

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The front-flash is nice-to-have but not much of a game-changer. You won’t use it all the time but at least you can take selfies even in low light conditions.

Battery Life: Major Improvement!

Another big plus for the Starmobile Muse is the battery life. The 2,300mAh battery really does go the distance with this one! With mid-heavy usage (with 3G, Sync, 35-40% Brightness) we averaged around 9 hours of use before needing a charge. When we managed it better we went beyond 10 hours.

To those who don’t get this level of battery life always make sure you adjust Brightness and turn off GPS. Those are the two biggest battery killers.

Verdict: A Lot of Hits, One Major Miss

Starmobile Muse Review e

The Starmobile Muse could have been the best local branded smartphone under Php13,000 thanks to the display quality, battery life, form factor, and the camera. However the minor performance issues brought about by the 1GB RAM holds it back. We strongly recommend Starmobile to come up with a Muse V2 and just replace the 1GB RAM with 2GB. With that this phone could easily be a fantastic successor to the venerable Starmobile Knight.

The Starmobile Muse is now out in stores for Php12,990!

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