Starmobile Navi Unboxing and Initial Review

Starmobile Navi… Unboxed!

Among all the handsets in Starmobile’s newest line-up, the Starmobile Navi stood out because it potentially offered fantastic value for money. Priced at just Php4,690, the Navi boasted of pretty competitive specifications including the ff: quad-core processor, 1GB RAM, Dual SIM, HSPA+ connectivity, and a 5.0 MP shooter. However we all know too well that the spec sheet is just half of the story and the proof of the pudding is in the eating. That’s why we were stoked when we finally got our hands on a review unit of the Navi.

Let’s kick things off with the unboxing as well as our initial impressions but we’ll definitely get to the full and comprehensive review next week. Here’s a quick look again on the specifications for everyone’s perusal.

Starmobile Navi Spec Sheet

1.2GHz Quad-core Processor Cortex A7
VideoCore IV GPU
1GB RAM
4GB Internal Storage, Expandable via micro SD Card
4.0-inches WVGA Display
5.0-megapixels primary camera with LED Flash and Auto Focus
VGA secondary camera
Dual SIM, Dual Standby
3G, HSPA+, WiFi, WiFi Hotspot, GLONASS, Bluetooth
Android Jelly Bean 4.2
1,500mAH Battery

Two things stick out: we’re not familiar with the VideoCore IV GPU and the 1,500mAh battery might be too small to power you through the day. We can confirm quality of both later on though in our tests.

Packaging and Unboxing

The Starmobile Navi comes in the usual clean, information-packed, and nice-looking box that Starmobile employs with most of their handsets. Up front we have the product shot with the major feature highlights (quad-core, GLONASS, and Jelly Bean). At the back we have the complete technical specifications. It’s nice to note that Starmobile now indicates what kind of SIM card you need. It actually says “SIM Slots: Regular and Regular”. Coolness.

We pulled out the inner compartment and we found the Starmobile Navi staring back at us. Since the unit we had was their final prototype it didn’t have all the bells and whistles yet like the plastics and the freebies. Underneath the phone was just the USB to micro USB cable and the wall charger. Note though that in the final unit there should be more stuff here like manuals, certificates, earphones, etc.

Two thumbs up so far when it comes to the packaging and unboxing experience. Looking forward to finding out though what are the freebies that come with the Navi when it ships commercially in December.

Hardware and Software Initial Impressions

The Starmobile Navi looks like any other budget friendly phone at the front. We have the 4.0-inch touchscreen display, front-facing camera, and capacitive buttons. Along the sides are the usual ports and buttons. It starts getting interesting though when you turn the phone around. It has a faux brushed metal finish, similar to what Lenovo loves using with their products.

In terms of build, the back tapers of steeply along both sides. It’s actually still quite comfortable to hold and we appreciate the effort in trying to be different so kudos to the manufacturer, hehe. This design also helps mask the thickness of the Navi. It feels much thinner than it actually is thanks to the almost immediate dual tapered sides of the back.

Notice how it tapers off from the center.

It's not the thinnest phone in the block.

The 4.0-inch display is a welcome size in this price level. It looks like 3.0-3.5-inch screens for sub Php5,000 smartphones are now a thing of the past. By the way when we turned it on we weren’t too thrilled about the resolution but that’s only because our eyes have been spoiled with the 400+ pixels per inch screens that we’ve seen in a lot of other devices lately, hehe. Noting the price though the WVGA resolution is already passable.

In terms of performance we found the initial experience with the Navi to be quite good. Transitions and animations were snappy and apps loaded in an acceptable amount of time. We saw some minor lag instances when we were popping in and out of apps (multi-tasking). We also weren’t able to test yet if the processor, RAM, and graphics can handle the more hardcore gaming titles. We’ll reserve that for the full review.

Over-all the Navi exceeded our expectations. Definitely merits a closer look and more abuse, hehe.