We have another O Plus android phone here in our HQ and among all the recent O+ android they’ve sent us, this is the most promising. O+ 8.6 is a mid-range handset with an affordable price tag. It packs higher than usual specs and a gorgeous screen to complement its elegant design. Check it out after the jump.

512MB RAM phones are getting old, that’s why affordable android phones with 1GB of RAM are slowly popping out. Being one of the market leaders of high quality android gadgets in the Philippines, O Plus USA strives harder as they release the O+ 8.6 – giving Filipinos the chance to own a high-end like smartphone for a fraction of its competitors’ price.

Box-contents-of-O-Plus-8.6

The package is still the same as other O+ products. Having unboxed two more O Plus android phones lately, I have familiarized myself on how their products look. The included accessories are the same, but with several color differences. I think it’s actually the newer set the we’ll be seeing on future O+ products.

New-earphones-microUSB-O-Plus-8-6

The box is simple yet stylish and it knocks out other devices being sold in its price range. Under the device, we’ll see the free 4GB Sandisk microSD and warranty card. The charger, microUSB cable, and earphones are located down below. The microUSB cable and earphones received a major redesign as they now include some shades of red. There are also two more pairs of plastic earbuds so you can switch to whichever size fits you.

What I like about O Plus is they always make their package complete so that you can enjoy it from the get go. Other manufacturers don’t bother satisfying that, so I would like to commend them for doing it.

First Impressions

O Plus 8.6 Specs and Price Php7,995

The O+ 8.6 is thin and light, despite its fairly huge size. The form factor somehow reminds me of the Galaxy S3, but it’ll be immediately distinguished when you see it clearer as it only has capacitive buttons. It has rounded edges that make it comfortable to hold though sometimes it feels slippery as the back cover is so smooth. But fortunately, I have become accustomed to it and I haven’t dropped it yet.

I really find the design to be sexy and elegant at the same time. The capacitive buttons were responsive, though I wish it could have been on-screen buttons instead. The display size is just right for me and I don’t find any inconvenience when I switched from a 5-incher. In contrast, the O+8.52 gave me headaches when texting as I’m not used to small screens now. 4-inches is actually not that small but in my case, at least 4.5-inch is the sweet spot.

Back-of-O+-8.6

The screen is quite sharp as the qHD resolution (960×540) equates to a 245 pixel density. The colors are fine though at times I feel like it’s not that vivid when compared to the O Plus 8.12 and the contrast is on the low side. But still, that’s just simply a minor difference from a flagship and a mid-range phone. Viewing angles are on par with the 8.12 and its performance outdoors is admirable as I can see the content even with low to medium brightness.

The performance of the device is fast and considering its huge amount of RAM and Android 4.1.1 Jelly Bean, it handles multitasking easily. Switching between heavy apps such as Chrome, Games, and social networking apps like Facebook and Twitter is a no-brainer. When it comes to gaming, the O + 8.6 is a great performer as well. It seamlessly run all of our favorite games such as NBA 2k13, Temple Run Oz, etc.

It has a 5-megapixel camera at the back and it gives good enough images as the details of the photos are crisp. The shots were well detailed especially on good lighting conditions. As expected, night shots aren’t that impressive despite having an LED flash. However, if you’ll take photos near the subject, it might as well give a decent shot.

O-Plus-8.6-Specs-Price-Unboxing

The thing that’ll probably concern you if you’ll buy the O+ 8.6 android phone is its mediocre battery. However, with the help of O+’s built-in battery saving feature, it surprisingly worked well. I was able to get one full day on moderate usage with frequent calls, texts, some games, and around 2 hours of Wi-Fi. With constant usage of camera, calls, texts, and no data connectivity turned on, I managed to squeeze in almost two full days on light usage. I was actually worried that it won’t last me a day, but good thing it proved itself as a capable everyday smartphone. Also, if you’re a power user (I am, too), you might want to carry a power bank with you so you can play and surf all you want. I’ll get back on this on our review.

Battery-Life-O-Plus-8-6

O+ 8.6 Specs

  • Android 4.1.1 Jelly Bean
  • 4.5-inch qHD (960×540) IPS Display
  • MT6577 1GHz dual-core processor
  • PowerVR SGX 531
  • 1GB RAM
  • 4GB internal memory
  • 5-megapixel autofocus rear camera with LED flash
  • 720p HD video recording
  • VGA front camera
  • 3G, HSDPA, HSUPA
  • Wi-Fi, Wi-Fi hotspot
  • Bluetooth
  • microUSB v2.0
  • GPS, A-GPS
  • Air Shuffle
  • 1500mAh Li-Ion battery

I’ve been using the O+ 8.6 for several days now and so far I’m really loving it. It’s one of those few who impressed me performance and design-wise. We’ll use this as our primary phone for a few more weeks to give our verdict on our full review. If you’re interested in this android phone, you can get yours for as low as Php7,995 on authorized O+ stores and dealers nationwide.

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