Cherry Mobile Flare 2X Round-up: Specs, Initial Review and Hands-on

[this is a developing story. We will change and update this article from time to time]

Flare 2X

If you very loved your Flare 1 and you feel like a little bit outdated, and you did not satisfied with the specs of Flare 2.0 then you have a choice to have an upgrade to a newer one from Cherry Mobile, the Flare 2X.

The Cherry Mobile Flare 2X is a revamp of Cherry Mobile Flare 1 released last October of 2012. And undoubtedly a success of Cherry Mobile.

By the way, here's the round-up of specification:

Cherry Mobile Flare 2X*
Connectivity
Network	Dual SIM, Dual Standby (Slot 1 WCDMA/GSM, Slot 2 GSM) GSM/GPRS/EDGE 900/1800 WCDMA 900/2100 3G HSPA+
Wi-Fi	Yes, 802.11 b/g/n Wi-Fi direct, W-Fi Hotspot
Bluetooth	Yes, 2.1
Body
Slots	microUSB v2.0 / 3.5mm audio jack, microSD card slot
Display
Type	IPS WVGA Capacitive Display
Size	800 x 480, 4.0 inches (~240 dpi pixel density)
Screen	Two-point multi-touch screen
Performance and Usability
Operating System	Android 4.1 Jelly Bean
Processor/CPU	1GHz Quad Core ARMv7 MSM8225Q Qualcomm Snapdaragon processor
Graphics/GPU	Adreno 203
Battery	Removable Li-ion 1,500mAh battery
RAM	1 GB (843 MB usable)
Storage
Internal Storage/ROM	4GB (1.3 GB usable)
Expandable Memory	Yes, via MicroSD Card upto 32 GB
Camera
Back Camera	8 MP Camera w/Flash (16:9 and 720p HD video, recording, geo-tagging, auto/touch focus, face and smile detection, panorama and HDR supported)
Front Camera	VGA camera
Features Present
Sensors	Three-Axis Sensor Light Sensor Proximity Sensor
Other Features	FM Radio Support
Availability
Announced	September 20 2013
Status	Available
Available Color/s	Black and White
Price	Php. 4,499 SRP Php. 3,999.00 on Nov. 15-17
*Specs may subject to change, We can not guarantee that the information on this page is 100% correct

What's on the Box?
The box is a little bit matte, as what Cherry Mobile packaging does on thier retail packaging. Upon opening the box, you can see a micro USB 2.0 charger, the revamp charger, wired headset, user manual, warranty card and the Flare 2x itself

A whole packaging of Flare 2X

A premium design power brick

A foldable power brick/adapter

micro USB 2.0 power cable

Body and Built
The Flare 2X's design is a revamp also from the previous Flare.

A full of fingerprint back cover of Flare 2X

The matte finished is being replaced by the fingerprint and smudge prone polycabonate plastic. It is feel slippery and easily slides to your hands when you are not careful. This is a common issue among other device. And also, the camera is a little bit bump that is also prone to scratches that might affect the camera quality You might have you own protective case to protect it's back.

The Flare 2X's bezel are quite huge as you compare to the previous Flare, that occupies a little space and affects the handling of the device. On the top, you can see the sensors on the device together with it's VGA front camera. The Flare 2X's external speaker is a little bit wide and it is now located few millimeter away from the phone's top edge. The Flare 1 is most likely receiving a criticism about it's earpiece because it located at the edge of it's device, affecting some call experience to user. Expect a better call experience about this improvement.

FIRST THING FIRST:

KOYA, may touch bug po ba ito?

No touch bug.

Performance:

Speaking of performance, this device powered by 1GHz Quad Core ARMv7 MSM8225Q Qualcomm Snapdaragon processor which is the same with the Flare 2.0 that's optimized to consume less energy.