Meet the Starmobile Diamond D3

Starmobile newest and greatest, the Diamond X1 has been getting all the love lately from the tech press. In fact, we were all so focused on their octa-core powerhouse, that we almost didn’t notice that the company unveiled another smartphone, the Diamond D3. Almost. Today, we’ll be unboxing the company’s newest member of their Diamond D series. What makes this new phone interesting is that it packs quite a hefty front facing camera, perfect for people who just can’t go a day without taking a selfie. 8-megapixels with BSI, autofocus and even an LED flash means that this smartphone will take taking selfies to another level, and it’s only priced at Php 7,990.

 Starmobile Diamond D3 specs:

•  1.3GHz Quad Core Mediatek MT6582 processor
• Mali 400MP graphics
• 1GB RAM
• 4GB internal memory expandable via MicroSD up to 32GB
• 5-inch qHD display,960 x 540 pixels, 220 ppi
• Asahi Dragontrail scratch resistant glass
• 12 megapixel rear facing camera with autofocus, BSI and LED flash
• 8 megapixel front facing camera with autofocus, BSI and LED flash
• HSPA+,  WiFi, WiFi hotspot, Bluetooth 4.0
• Dual SIM, Dual 3G, Dual Standby (both regular SIM slots)
• GPS, A-GPS
• 2,000 mAh battery
• Android 4.2 Jellybean
• SRP: P7,990

Packaging and contents

The Starmobile Diamond D3 comes in your typical Starmobile packaging.

Opening the box, you’ll see the bronze colored device wrapped in a soft cloth. The choice of color (which is officially coffee, according to Starmobile) is unique, to say the least, as there isn’t a lot of smartphones out there with has that color. If you’re not a fan of the color, you’ll have to wait a while – it’s the only color choice for now, though Starmobile has said that they will be coming out with a black version of the device soon.

The packaging also includes your typical accessories, which include the USB, power adaptor and headset.

Initial Impressions: Solid build with bright qHD display

Aside from the bronze color, the Diamond D3 has a nice, carbon fiber trim on the side of the phone, which is a refreshing change from its twin brother, the Diamond D1. Button placements is another thing where the Diamond D3 diverges from its siblings – the power/unlock button is on the left, while the volume rockers are placed on the right. As far as build quality is concerned, the Diamond D3 is pretty solidly built, and has quite some heft to it. The body is a bit on the thick side, though it’s not unmanageable.

The Diamond D3 has a nice and bright 5-inch qHD display which has good color reproduction. Navigation, as well as transitions and switching between the pre-installed apps are smooth and generally fluid. As far as Android overlays are concerned, you’ll be happy to know that the Diamond D3 is more or less running a stock build of Android, which should keep the amount of unwanted apps on it at a minimum.

As far as performance is concerned, the Diamond D3 managed to rack a score of 15,875 in AnTuTu, which isn’t bad, considering the hardware inside it.

That’s it for now. We’ll be posting the full review of the device later on in the week, along with test photos with the front facing camera.