There’s a new contender in town
Cherry Mobile launched its own pop-up camera-equipped smartphone today with not one but two front cameras. The new Flare S8 Plus is the spearhead of the brand’s renewed focus in offering bang-for-the-buck phones.
With all of its specs, along with its Php 12,900 price, the Flare S8 Plus’ closest competitor is Huawei’s Y9 Prime 2019–a mid-range phone that also sports a pop-up front camera and also offers great value for money as well.
Cherry Mobile Flare S8 Plus Specs
- MediaTek Helio P70 octa-core processor
- Mali-G72 MP3 GPU
- 6GB of RAM
- 6.26-inch Full HD+ IPS LCD Display; 1080×2280 resolution
- 128GB of expandable storage
- Triple rear cameras: 16-megapixel f/1.6 main camera; 5-megapixel ultra-wide-angle camera; 2-megapixel depth sensor; with AI Scene Detection, PDAF, LED Flash
- Dual pop-up front cameras: 16-megapixel f/2.0 main camera; 2-megapixel depth sensor
- 4G, LTE
- WiFi, Bluetooth 5.0
- Side-mounted Fingerprint Scanner, Face Unlock, USB-C
- Android Pie 9.0
- 3250mAh Battery with 10w charging
Huawei Y9 Prime 2019 Specs
- HiSilicon Kirin 710 octa-core processor
- Mali-G51 MP4 GPU
- 4GB of RAM
- 6.59-inch Full HD+ IPS LCD Display; 1080×2340 resolution
- 128GB of expandable storage
- Triple rear cameras: 16-megapixel f/1.8 main camera with 6P lens; 8-megapixel f/2.4
- ultra-wide-angle camera; 2-megapixel depth sensor; with AI Scene Detection, PDAF, LED
- Flash
- 16-megapixel pop-up front camera
- 4G, LTE
- WiFi, Bluetooth v4.2
- Fingerprint Scanner, Face Unlock, USB-C
- Android Pie 9.0 with EMUI 9
- 4000mAh Battery
- Php 12,990
Newer processor means more muscle
The Flare S8 Plus’ Helio P70 processor offers more power compared to the Y9 Prime 2019’s Kirin 710F especially on the GPU side: the Helio P70 uses a newer Mali-G72 GPU compared to the Mali-G52 used on the Kirin 710F. In terms of benchmarks, the Helio P70 scores slightly higher than the Kirin 710F even if performance mode is enabled on the latter.
As for RAM and storage combo, the Flare S8 Plus offers more RAM at 6GB, though both phones have 128GB of expandable storage.
Notch-free, all-screen
Both phones offer a trendy notch-free, an all-screen display with a Full HD+ resolution. Their difference is with the size: the Y9 Prime 2019 offers a larger screen estate at 6.59-inches compared to the Flare S8 Plus’s 6.26-inch panel.
Because of their all-screen design, both phones utilize a pop-up solution for the front camera, though the Flare S8 Plus has an additional sensor on the pop-up module. The second camera is used primarily for depth sensing.
Both phones use 16-megapixel sensors for their front cameras.
Triple rear camera goodness
Both phones sport triple rear cameras and have their respective advantages. The Flare S8 Plus’ 16-megapixel main rear camera has a brighter f/1.6 aperture along with two additional sensors: a 5-megapixel depth sensor and a 2-megapixel “light-enhancing” sensor for low-light shooting. The Y9 Prime meanwhile has a 16-megapixel main camera paired with a high-resolution ultra-wide-angle camera at 8-megapixels and a 2-megapixel depth sensor. We will have to test and compare one another to see which one offers the better triple rear camera setup.
As for video recording, the Flare S8 Plus’ caps off at Full HD 30FPS recording, while you get a 60FPS option with the Y9 Prime 2019.
Bigger battery, but processor may be a factor
While both phones come with USB-C, the Y9 Prime 2019 takes the cake for having a bigger battery at 4000mAh compared to the 3250mAh of the Flare S8 Plus. Battery life may still vary, so we reserve our judgment until we have thoroughly tested the Flare S8 Plus.
Priced very close together
Huawei priced its Y9 Prime 2019 at just Php 12,990, while Cherry Mobile priced their Flare S8 Plus at Php 12,900, 90 pesos less to claim the title of the most affordable pop-up camera-equipped phone in the PH.
