Today Cherry takes the wraps off of multiple new devices that were detailed in early leaks last week. While we have an idea of the specs of the prices of the devices, nothing beats getting your hands on the new phones to see what they bring to the table. The Flare S5 Plus, for example, might not impress most people when you take a look at the spec sheet but once you get in your hands it feels like a different beast altogether. Oh, it’s also one of the first batches of phones from Cherry Mobile that was designed entirely in-house.
Cherry Mobile Flare S5 Plus specs
- 1.3GHz MT6753 octa-core processor
- 3GB of RAM
- 5.5-inch full HD IPS display, 1920 x 1080 resolution
- 32GB of expandable storage
- 16-megapixel rear camera with PDAF and LED flash
- 8-megapixel front camera
- Dual SIM
- 3G, LTE, 700MHz ready
- WiFi, Bluetooth, GPS, A-GPS, Fingerprint scanner, USB Type-C
- Android 6.0 Marshmallow
- 3000mAh battery
Initial Impressions: Feels like a high-end phone, though pricing is a little dicey
Despite being a pinoy-designed phone, the Flare S5 Plus borrows several design cues from more established, premium brands. The curve on the back for example, combined with the metal frame makes the phone feel a little like Samsung’s Galaxy S7, writ large. That feeling of deja vu extends to the front of the device, thanks to the physical home button that doubles as the fingerprint scanner and the two capacitive keys that flank it.
The phone uses a gloss black back that’s removable, a far cry from the glass black of the S7. The 16-megapixel rear camera on the rear protrudes a few mm from the body, which may lead to scratches if you lay the phone down on craggly surfaces. One you remove the back, you’ll see the removable 3000mAh battery, as well as the SIM cards and the microSD slot.
The frame of the phone is metal, which adds to the overall premium feel of the phone. The power and volume rocker is located on the left side. The 3.5mm jack and the USB Type-C port is located on top and bottom, respectively. Twin speaker grilles flank the USB Type-C port.
The screen of the Flare S5 Plus is a 5.5-inch full HD IPS panel. Colors are bright crisp and vibrant, with generous viewing angles.
Powering the Flare S5 Plus is MediaTek’s MT6753 octa-core processor, paired with 3GB of RAM and 32GB of expandable storage. There’s nothing special about the phone when it comes to performance since we’ve seen the same hardware combo before in other phones. What is new with the phone is that it uses a USB Type-C connector, and has 700MHz LTE capability to take advantage of Smart and Globe’s acquisition of the LTE band. That theoretically means the phone will have better performance in terms of LTE, but obviously we’ll have to take the phone out for a spin to see if does deliver.
The Flare S5 Plus is priced at Php 8,999.
