user manual computer and technology

The are a lot of low cost mid-sized Android handsets being released in the local market. One of the latest offerings is the Starmobile Crystal. The Crystal has a 4.5-inch qHD (540 x 960) display and is powered by a dual core 1 GHz ARM-Cortex A9 processor, on a MediaTek MTK 6577 chipset. The phone also sports a 8 MP primary camera and  a 2MP front camera. The battery is a 1700 mAh unit.

The other specifications are typical for this class of phone with Android 4.0 for an operating system, dual SIM capability, 512 MB of RAM, 4 GB of storage expandable via a MicroSD slot, WiFi, HSPA, AGP and other features you find on Android smartphones. 

The Starmobile Crystal closest direct competition is probably the Cherry Mobile Flame. Both phones sport 4.5-inch displays. The Flame is powered by a Qualcomm S4 Play chipset, which the Crytsal has a more powerful MediaTek chipset. Mainly the PowerVR SGX531 graphics on th Crystal is probably better mated to the the qHD display, as against the Adreno 203 on the Flame.

While higher megapixels do not necessarily mean better image quality, the Crystal also has the advantage here with an 8 MP primary camera and  a 2MP front camera, as against a 5 MP primary camera and  a VGA front camera. You should not expect too much from the cameras of entry level phones.

The Cherry Mobile Flame has a slightly larger battery, an 1800 mAh unit as against the 1700 mAh unit on the Starmobile Crystal. Price is where the two vary a lot, with the Cherry Mobile Flame being priced at Php6,299, while the Starmobile Crystal is priced at Php7,990. Given the difference in their price points, both phones offer  good value for what they offer.

Other phones in the same price range are the Cloudfone Thrill 430x, and the Cherry Mobile Blaze and  Skyfire. 

The Cloudfone Thrill 430x will appeal to those who value the large battery and are willing to live with the bulk and weight (I fall in this camp).  I am not too fond of the Cherry Mobile Skyfire and Blaze because of smaller 1500 mAh batteries.  It is pretty though choosing between the Cherry Mobil Flame and Starmobile Crystal. 

Samsung has released a new handset in the Philippine market, the Samsung Galaxy Win i8552. The new offering is a mid-level dial SIM Android which I found selling for as low as Php14690 with an official warranty.

The new offering is interesting enough. It is powered by Qualcomms entry level quad core chipset, the S200. This humble chipset will be enough to push past 10000 AnTuTu benchmark points. Basically, fast enough for most people. The main issue for some will be that the Qualcomm S200 limits video capture to 720p.  For the money, it would have been nice to at least have a higher resolution qHD display. 

At almost 15K, this phone faces some stiff competition.

In terms of power, quickly coming to mind are the O+ 8.15 and the MyPhone A919i Duo. The O+ 8.15 which offers a 5-inch HD display (720 x 1280) and a more powerful quad core processor and also has dual sim capability for a lower Php12,990. The O+ 8.15 beats the Galaxy Win in every category at a lower price. The MyPhone A919i Duo which has similar internals to the O+ 8.15 but with less built in storage.

The closest direct competition for the Galaxy Win is probably the Php7,990 Cherry Mobile Skyfire 2.0 which has a 4.5-inch qHD (540 x 960) display and the same Qualcomm internals as the Galaxy Win.

For those looking for a ultra stylish handset at the price. the 6.5 mm thin Alcatel One Touch Idol Ultra sports a sharp 4.65-inch AMOLED HD (720 x 1280) display. This is certainly the most stylish phone available for P13,990.

The Galaxy Win is a nice enough phone. But in my opinion you do pay a premium price for the Samsung branding. Still, I think this phone will be a "Win" for Samsung. It will sell well. It looks like a Galaxy S III or S 4, has dual SIM capability and most importantly, for the typical consumer has Samsung branding.