Does it stay true to its name?
Starmobile added a new member to its budget UP series with the UP Xtreme. What makes this model different is with its display: with the UP Xtreme, you get a shatter-resistant Xtreme glass to protect the phone’s display from mishaps like accidental drops.
The UP Xtreme arrived at HQ last week, and after a week of using it, it’s time to give our full verdict on Starmobile’s latest budget phone.
Starmobile UP Xtreme specs
- 1.5GHz MediaTek MT6580 quad-core processor
- 1GB of RAM
- 5-inch HD LCD display, Xtreme shatter-resistant screen, 720 x 1280 resolution
- 16GB of expandable storage
- 8-megapixel rear camera with AF and LED flash
- 8-megapixel fixed focus front camera with LED flash
- Dual SIM
- 3G
- WiFi, Bluetooth, GPS, A-GPS
- 2300mAh battery
- Android Nougat 7.0
Heavier than usual for a good reason
While it looks like your generic entry-level smartphone, the UP Xtreme is heavier than usual, and there’s a reason why: A good portion of it is caused by the Xtreme glass used for the front, which is really sturdy and firm compared to the competition.
It is so hard, you can barely flex the front glass even when you do hard touch on its surface. As for its durability claims, the UP Xtreme lives up to its name. We tried banging the front glass onto wood and metal, and it emerged unscratched. The same can be said when it comes to drop tests: We tried dropping it on hard flooring from a height of 1.5 meters, and the UP Xtreme emerged unscathed.
The display is pretty decent
While you get a tough front glass protecting the display, the panel used for the UP Xtreme has its shortcomings. With its 5-inch HD LCD panel, the display appears to be washed out especially if you adjust the brightness level beyond 50%. That issue aside, the UP Xtreme’s display manages to render colors accurately. While we wished for a Full HD panel, you can’t really ask for more given its price point.
