Cherry-Mobile-Cosmos-One-Plus- Review

Cherry Mobile, one of the most leading smartphone manufacturer in the country, outs their new flagship device, the Cosmos One Plus.

The Cosmos One Plus packs some pretty boastful specifications, which aims to target consumers who are looking for an overall-performer device.

Does the Cherry Mobile Cosmos One Plus really got what it takes to entice people? Let’s figure that out in our full review.

Cherry Mobile Cosmos One Plus Specs

  • Android 4.4.2 Kitkat, Lollipop ready
  • Dual-SIM, Dual-Standby (microSIM)
  • 5.5″ Full HD LTPS IPS display, 1920 x 1080 resolution, 480ppi
  • 2GHz MediaTek MT6595M octa-core processor
  • 450MHz IMG Rogue G6200 GPU
  • 3GB RAM
  • 32GB internal storage
  • expandable via micro SD up to 64GB
  • 14-megapixel autofocus camera with Sony IMX 214 BSI sensor
  • 8-megapixel front-facing camera
  • Dual 4G LTE support 850/2100/1800MHz
  • WiFi a/b/g/n/ac
  • Bluetooth 4.1
  • GPS, A-GPS
  • Colors: Black, White
  • 2,700mAh removable battery

Video Review

Design

I liked where was Cherry Mobile going on the One Plus’ look. The device looks very minimalistic, yet it feels so industrial. The One Plus still all-embraced the use of plastic on this one, but everything was well assembled together, which made the device feels very solid, with no trace of flimsy-ness, that’s very familiar with smartphones that are built with plastic.

Taking a tour, we got the 5.5″ Full HD LTPS IPS display in the front, together with the earpiece, 8-megapixel front-facing camera, LED notification indicator, capcitive buttons and the ambient light and proximity sensors. Other sensors include Gravity sensor, E-compass and Gyroscope.Cherry Mobile Cosmos One Plus

The left side has the volume controls while at the right we got the nostalgic camera/shutter button and the lock/power switch.CM Cosmos One Plus CM Cosmos One Plus Sides

At the top we have the 3.5mm headphone jack together with the noise cancelling microphone, while at the bottom we have the microUSB port along with the primary built-in microphone. It’s also nice to note that, despite the plastic material, the sides along with the edges, has a metallic-silver trimming on it, giving a premium feel.One Plus ports, chargers Cherry Mobile Cosmos One Plus  Review-15

The back has the 14-megapixel autofocus camera with LED flash housed on a vertical metal outline. Lastly, the speaker grill below the branding. The back panel has this texturized finish for a more secure grip.Cherry Mobile Cosmos One Plus Back cover

Having the back panel steer clear from being constructed with glass or even metal has its pros. One, it weighs a bit nicer. Two, the back panel is removable. Popping-out the back shall reveal the two sim card slots, both are capable of receiving 4G networks, we also have a microSD card slot capable for up to 64GB of storage. There’s the 2700mAh battery and NFC technology in tow as well.Cherry Mobile Cosmos One Plus  SIM slots, microSD, battery

One initial impression I had with this device is its noticeable weight. Although, it’s really inevitable considering the masculinity of the hardware inside, plus, let’s not forget it’s a 5.5″ device, a size identical with the iPhone 6 Plus, which already falls to the phablet category.

The device is also a little curved at the back, adding not only some design touches, but also improving ergonomics.Cherry Mobile Cosmos One Plus  Review-9

The speaker’s performance have been fairly average. Althoguh, the sound output feels like it’s being hold back. It feels like the volume could get more higher, but it have been stomped internally. It has it perks though, the sound it delivers is well-balanced.

Smart Cover

There have been a  lot of manufacturers who have included a free SmartCover on their devices but they can’t just pull it off, unlike with the one that’s included on this one. The others just felt so flimsy and the cover would just not close fully, which made the phone looked hideous.Smart Cover Cherry Mobile Cosmos One Plus

But the story on the One Plus is different, the Smart Cover feels well-made, plus it comes with a hard-plastic, transparent case, which guards the device without hiding its beautiful looks.Smart Cover CM Cosmos One Plus Cherry Mobile Cosmos One Plus Smart Cover

It lacks functionality, though. Notifications are still shown from the drop-down menu. No quick-camera controls. All you have is the time, and swiping to the left is the music controls, other than that, there’s nothing.

Display

The CM One Plus packs some pretty wicked screen panel. We got a 5.5″ Full HD IPS display, with 1920 x 1080 resolution, and has 400 pixels-per-inch.Cherry Mobile Cosmos One Plus  Specs

Display performance is something to be expected. The display delivers all the colors right, contents and texts look sharp, thanks to the high pixel count. Viewing angles are also impressive, although sunlight legibility is a bit middling. You can sure use it outdoors, but it’s kinda hard to see in broad daylight.

Watching movies or any other media also feels promising, thanks to not only the display panel, but also with some of the features packed on the processor. MediaTek’s MiraCast and MiraVision are present, which gives any video content a 60 frames-per-second feel treatment, even if they’re only shot at 30fps.

Performance

The Cherry Mobile One Plus boasts a 2GHz MediaTek octa-core processor, with 3GB of RAM and a 450MHz IMG Rogue G6200 GPU. Now that’s a lot of numbers.

I can narrate all of the benchmarking tests I have ran, and the results would undoubtly go through the roof. But the important thing is, what this figures means? How the device do in day-to-day activities? Well, to answer that question, this device can do almost anything. From lifting heavy applications and games, multi-tasking is also unbelievable. Everything just feels smooth and fluid. Although, heating up is inevitable, but it only occurs in power-demanding games. Plus, the plastic material makes the heat more bearable, in contrast to the devices that are metal or glass built.

Also, multitasking on such spacious memory as 3GB of RAM is truly a joy. You can shift from different applications seamlessly, and go back from previous app from where exactly you left.

For a better perspective, check out some of these benchmark test results:Benchmarks - Cherry Mobile Cosmos One Plus

Software

We still got Android 4.4.2 under the hood with this one. The device also comes preinstalled with Cherry Mobile’s very own Wireless Updater, which may also carry a possible Android lollipop update in the future. During the course of this review, an update appeared on the said app carrying some performance improvements and bug fixesAndroid Kitkat, upgrade to Android 5.0 Lollipop

Despite the absence of Android Lollipop, the Android Kitkat is still smooth and snappy at best, which is what the software version is known for. Also with the help of the One Plus’ powerful hardware, browsing from the homescreen to opening applications are a breeze.

Although, Cherry Mobile had installed some home-made apps like the Cherry Fun Club, Cherry Play, Pinoy App Shop, plus other third-party apps like KakaoTalk and 100% Games! by Gameloft. All of these applications can’t be uninstalled. But thankfully, they don’t take up too much space.

Connectivity and Call Quality

One killer feature of the Cherry Mobile One Plus is its Dual LTE capability. Which means you can pop in  two LTE-capable sim cards on its dual-sim trays, and switch between networks depending on the available 4G signal in your current location, either from home or at work/school.

It’s no secret, 4G signal is still hard to come by in most places in our country. Although, I would like to give credit to these service providers for being eager in providing 4G service by upgrading their satellite at a stretch.

That having said, givien that a 4G signal is within reach, data connection have been screamin’ and very speedy. Check out  some of the speed test I have ran on this one. Remember, the scores still varies on the location you are in. On my school’s location (Cavite), this is the best scores it can get, but in some areas along the metro, a score of 40mbps to 50mbps or even higher are possible:Cosmos One Plus 4G LTE Speedtests

In our house, only 3G and H+ are available. Sad.

Call quality is something to be expected. No dropped-calls, and voice quality from the other line is clear, with enough volume and clarity. The party from the other line can also catch your voice with clarity, thanks to the CM One Plus’ noise-cancelling microphone.

The device also has NFC connectivity in tow. Near Field Communication allows for easy, and setup-free wireless connection. I was able to transfer files easily with an NFC capable smartphone. And also hassle free connect my wireless-capable camera to the One Plus, which served as an external viewfinder.

Camera

The device is jam-packed on its camera hardware. The Cherry Mobile Cosmos One Plus packs a 14-megapixel Sony IMX 214 BSI camera covered with Sapphire Lens and has an aperture of f/2.0. The front-facing camera also boasts an 8-megapixel sensor. Ain’t those figures too overwhelming? Also, let’s not forget the physical shutter button, which also doubles as a shortcut to open the camera app – something we rarely see on Android smartphones these days.

The photos it can take is great, unsurprisingly. It has the right colors thanks to the well-balanced saturation and contrast, given that the lighting is great. Although, I have noticed some strange noise on the photo when zoomed at 50%. But it can be said about any other handset too. The photos still look gorgeous nonetheless.Cherry Mobile Cosmos One Plus  camera Camera - Cherry Mobile Cosmos One Plus Cosmos One Plus  camera samples Photo samples -  Cosmos One Plus  Review Cherry Mobile Cosmos One Plus  Review-13

Shooting at low-light is also impressive on this one. Thanks to its aperture and high pixel count, the photos it can produce in this scenario are still pretty usable and instagram-worthy with no easily-visible noise and grains. Colors were also pretty accurate, although don’t expect some outstanding vibrancy.Cherry Mobile Cosmos One Plus  Review NG Cherry Mobile Cosmos One Plus  Review-22 CM Cosmos One Plus camera performance

The 8-megapixel front-facing camera is also a powerful shooter. You can take selfies even at low-light scenarios without a worry. Plus, video-chatting is enjoyable thanks to its clear front shooter.

The device is also capable of 1080p video recording. The camera application is filled with features like a Time Lapse option, and the ability to create a slow motion video at 60 frames-per-second at FHD quality. Electrical Image Stabilizer is also present, but don’t expect a well-ironed handheld shot as It doesn’t work any close with an actual Optical Image Stabilizer.

Battery

We got a 2700mAh power battery that’s powering this device. Yup, for a device with a large display and a powerful CPU, it looks really insufficient. For a device with such enormous hardware, a 3000mAh battery or larger could have been very ideal.

Nevertheless, the battery performance have still been pretty acceptable. The device was still able to last for up to almost 12hrs of casual use, with the 4G connection turned on most of the time. Screen on time lasted for almost 4hours.Battery life - Cherry Mobile Cosmos One Plus

Hardcore users might want to carry their chargers all of the time, or have an external battery pack so they could continue using their device throughout the day.

Verdict

By now, it’s no secret that the Cherry Mobile Cosmos One Plus is an overall-performer. Jack of all trades, even. The device almost got everything; powerful processor, beautiful display, capable camera and a fast and reliable wireless connection. It’s only in the battery department that this one really fell short.Cherry-Mobile-Cosmos-One-Plus-Review-NoypiGeeks

Although, there’s one challenge that’s the company is facing right now. And that’s the entry of international and well-known brands, who are now also offering devices that has a decent spec sheet in the same price range. We got the upcoming Asus Zenfone 2 for one, the crowd-favorite Xiaomi Mi 3, and many more. But all in all, the Cosmos One Plus offers a lot more than the competition.

If you want an incredibly powerful smartphone at a manageable price, the Cherry Cosmos One Plus is a pretty sweet buy at Php 13,999.

Pros

  • Solid build quality
  • Beautiful Full HD IPS display
  • Powerful octa-core processor
  • Dual 4G LTE and NFC connectivity
  • Impressive camera

Cons

  • Battery capacity
  • Longing for Android Lollipop
  • A bit pricey

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5 Comments

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  1. For those who can afford to buy expensive phones, you don’t need to say “sour” things on budget phones. Cherry Mobile and other locally branded phones are ISO-certified so they don’t really takes things for granted. It all depends on how you use your phone. I won’t argue with you about the quality and durability of your branded phones since I too believe in brands and have branded phones and gadgets as well.

    This particular phone, Cosmos One Plus is, AFAIK, great! Why, I have a hands on experience with this one — I am currently using it. Well, it’s far from being the best phone of course but it “busted” a lot of phones — both no names and branded ones — in terms of usability and performance.

    Peace! :-)

    1. idiot… have seen that specs? I bet you’re on of those idiots who thinks apple is always the best dumb prick!

  2. kahit na anong review ninyo sa cm, sa umpisa lang maganda yan. pag nagdownload na kayo ng mga apps, jan na magsisimula ang problema nyo. cm is such a waste of money para sa mga kawawang consumers, case in point, try visiting cm stores, lalu na ung service center nila sa sm north annex, nagkakagulo ang mga tao, kasi puro sira ang mga cm gadgets nila. cm is a piece of junk.

    1. Cympre service center ng cm yan alangan mn na Samsung gadget ang Nanjan. Use your common sense naman.