Meet the Cherry Mobile Sonic
When it comes to product releases Cherry Mobile is firing on all cylinders! After the back-to-back successful launches of the Cherry Mobile Omega HD and the Cherry Mobile Skyfire 2.0, they’re now focusing on their entry-level offerings. Priced at Php2,999, the Cherry Mobile Sonic is their newest budget Android smartphone. It has a 4-inch HVGA capacitive screen, 1GHz MediaTek MT6515 processor, and runs on Android 2.3 Gingerbread. We were able to get our hands on a unit and we’d like to share with you guys our unboxing as well as our initial impressions.
Before anything else let’s quickly go through the specs.
Cherry Mobile Sonic Spec Sheet
- 1GHz MediaTek MT6515 processor
- PowerVR SGX531 GPU
- 256MB RAM
- 512MB internal storage, expandable up to 32GB via microSD
- 4.0-inches HVGA (320×480) capacitive display, 144 pixels per inch
- 2.0-megapixels rear-facing fixed focus camera
- VGA front-facing camera
- 2G, Bluetooth 2.1, GPS/A-GPS, WiFi, WiFi Hotspot
- Dual SIM
- 1,200mAh Battery
- Android 2.3 Gingerbread
- Comes in Black and White
Not really groundbreaking but hey it costs only Php2,999, hehe.
Packaging: Usual Cherry Mobile Box
The Sonic came in the standard issue Cherry Mobile hard box. There’s the product shot at the front and the spec list at the back. Just like previous Cherry Mobile products we pushed the inner compartment out and we immediately were greeted by the Cherry Mobile Sonic wrapped in plastic. All the peripherals and accessories were in the bottom compartment. Here are a few photos:
No extra stuff inside like screen protectors or jelly cases. Just the earphones, micro USB to USB cable, wall charger, manuals/certificates, and the battery.
It kinda looks like a Lumia, hehe
With the screen turned off the phone actually looked a lot like a Nokia Lumia! The black front, 4-inch form factor, and the glossy plastic white back reminded us a lot of both the Nokia Lumia 720 and the 620. The device itself is relatively thin and kinda light as well. Not bad considering this is just Php2,999!
All the usual buttons, ports, and controls are on the sides of the phone: micro USB, audio jack, volume rocker, and power lock. At the back you’ll find the Sonic and Cherry Mobile branding and the 2MP camera. If you remove the backplate you’ll find the two SIM card and SD card slots.
Everything considered, the Cherry Mobile Sonic actually looks good. It’s actually more visually pleasing than a lot of other devices with more monstrous internals.
Software Check: Android Gingerbread Through and Through
Why manufacturers still ship Android 2.3 Gingerbread is just beyond me but that’s the OS version we get with the Cherry Mobile Sonic. Fortunately though the internals do a good job of keeping up with the archaic system demands of Gingerbread. We encountered slight lag with transitions but nothing of the sort that would make us say it totally sucks. The user interface though is very Gingerbread and that could be a major point of improvement.
Gingerbread is probably the biggest limitation of this device. Not all apps will play nice and work without issues. The good news though is that most core services should be okay like messaging, e-mail, social networking, web browsing, and media consumption.
Initial Verdict
If you can afford Php1,000 more, go for the Cherry Mobile Flare so that you have a dual-core processor and Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich. If you’re really on a tight budget though and can’t afford the extra Php1,000 then you can probably settle with this one. However we really think you should just get the Flare if it’s available.
For those looking for something just to give as a gift to their kids, friends, or people in the household this is a good entry-level offering though. 😛
Cherry Mobile Sonic on the Unbox Podcast
If you want to see the Cherry Mobile Sonic live on video, check the latest episode of the Unbox Video Podcast out. The full ep is embedded below for your viewing pleasure.
