After taking a break from releasing smartphones, CHERRY made a comeback by launching two new devices, which include the Aqua S11 Pro.
CHERRY‘s latest 4G phone have specs and features that’s similar to a lot of competing devices we’ve seen over the past few months. So the question is: is it worth checking out? Or are you better off with something else? Let’s find out in our CHERRY Aqua S11 Pro full review.
CHERRY Aqua S11 Pro Specs
- Android 13
- Dual SIM, Dual standby
- 6.7-inch FHD+ AMOLED display with 120Hz refresh rate
- MediaTek Helio G99 octa-core processor
- Mali G57 GPU
- 8GB RAM
- 256GB UFS 2.2 internal storage, expandable via microSD
- 16-megapixel front camera
- 64-megapixel + 2-megapixel (macro) + QVGA (depth sensor) rear cameras, LED flash
- Fingerprint scanner
- HSPA+, 4G LTE
- WiFi, WiFi hotspot
- Bluetooth 5.2
- NFC
- USB-C
- Colors: Black
- 5,000mAh non-removable battery, 33W fast charging
Design and Build Quality
Compared to most entry-level phones today, the CHERRY Aqua S11 Pro has a more “boring” design. You can look at it two ways: boring and unimaginative or clean and minimalistic. I’ll let you decide on that one.
The rear panel, like most budget phones, is made of plastic. It has a matte black finish, which stays clean from fingerprint smudges. Albeit, only time will tell if it stays this way.
There’s a camera island on the top left, with a barely noticeable camera bump. It has a glass-like surface, so it easily attracts dirt and smudges. It holds the three cameras and LED flash in an iPhone-like orientation.
The frame is flat, which improves the grip on this impressively thin and light device. Seriously, this is one of the most comfortable devices in this price range thanks to its dimensions and weight, despite its large screen size.
That said screen uses a fancy AMOLED panel, resulting in ultra-thin bezels all around. It even has a punch-hole cutout for the selfie camera for an increased screen-to-body ratio. There’s also a pre-applied screen protector here, which easily catches oil and sweat if you have sweaty hands that can be annoying to look at. I had to constantly wipe it off to make it look acceptable. To prevent this from happening, I would recommend to replace it with a better screen protector.
A noise-isolating microphone is located on top. On the bottom, it has the primary microphone, headphone jack, USB-C port, and loudspeaker.
The left side has the SIM tray for two nano SIMs and a microSD card slot. On the right, there are the volume controls and the lock/power switch that doubles as the fingerprint scanner. The physical buttons feel cheap and flimsy, especially the power button, so make sure you don’t abuse them and prevent any lint or dirt from clogging it.
I heard some creaks when I did a few light bend tests on this device, but that’s not surprising and not really a deal breaker considering its price point. So if you ever plan on owning one, make sure you take extra care of it and consider using the free clear case.
Display and Sound Quality
The CHERRY Aqua S11 Pro has a large 6.7-inch FHD+ AMOLED display with a high 120Hz refresh rate. You can adjust the color mode, temperature, and screen refresh rate with dynamic mode.
CHERRY has set the screen to Vivid color by default, which made everything look oversaturated. Fortunately, switching to Normal easily fixed it.
Display quality is decent for the price, but not the best for an AMOLED panel. It has acceptable colors and deep contrast. I just wish it had a brighter screen as it struggles with visibility when used outdoors.
As expected, it only got a single loudspeaker, which did provide a decent performance with loud volume and acceptable clarity.
What I really appreciate is that CHERRY still includes free earphones on a lot of their smartphones like this one, a practice that most brands have already stopped doing for years.
Hardware and Performance
The CHERRY Aqua S11 Pro is powered by the trusty MediaTek Helio G99 octa-core processor with a Mali G57 GPU, 8GB of RAM, and roomy 256GB of expandable storage.
CHERRY Aqua S11 Pro Benchmark Scores
Day to day performance is fine and something to be expected from an entry-level device. It gets the job done — whether you’re streaming content, compiling and editing TikTok videos, video calls, and more — but expect the occasional stutters and lags especially when multitasking.
My gaming experience with the Aqua S11 Pro has been fun. Most triple-A games are stable under Medium settings, but the device does warm up a little after 20 to 30 minutes of playing.
If you plan on playing for hours, it’s better to dial down the default settings set by the game.
| Game | Graphics Settings |
| Call of Duty: Mobile | • Graphics Quality: Medium • Frame Rate: Medium |
| Farlight84 | • Graphics Quality: Smooth • Frame Rate: High • Resolution: Medium |
| PUBG Mobile | • Graphics Quality: HD • Frame Rate: High |
| Genshin Impact | • Graphics Quality: Lowest (Default) |
| Mobile Legends: Bang Bang | • Graphics Quality: Ultra • Frame Rate: Super • HD Mode: On |
| Asphalt 9: Legends | • Visual Quality: High Quality • Frame Rate: 60 |
Software and User Interface
The CHERRY Aqua S11 Pro ships with the Android 13 operating system, which is disappointing in the era of Android 14 devices and when Android 15 just on the horizon. Good thing CHERRY uses an interface that’s very close to stock Android, which I really like.
Despite being dated, I admire its clean UI. There’s no bloatware in sight, unlike other interfaces that add their own apps on top of what already come with Android. That said, you only get one browser, gallery, messaging, and file manager from Google.
This gives you a lot of room to enjoy the 256GB of RAM, with only 20GB reserved for the system. Of course, there’s also an 8GB virtual RAM expansion feature, which is enabled by default. If you’re not a fan of extended RAM, you can easily switch it off in the settings.
I also like the app icons that work as widgets, which are placed by default on the home screen. Tap the Change Wallpaper icon and it doesn’t open an app and instead instantly changes the wallpaper. Cleanup Acceleration optimizes the memory in an instant, while the Flashlight icon turns on the flash in one simple click.
There’s a dedicated app called Cleaning Assistant that optimizes the system for acceleration, vibration dedusting that cleans the loudspeaker, and dead pixel detection. Children Space app is also here, and an app called Lenscase is a special camera app for Portrait Mode, Beauty Mode, Night Mode, and Pro Mode.
Despite its affordable price, the CHERRY Aqua S11 Pro managed to get an in-display fingerprint scanner, which worked fast and accurately during my tests. The face unlock was pretty seamless, too.
The camera app is usable and feature-packed, with Google Lens built in. CHERRY used Google Keyboard by default, which is the keyboard I always prefer as it’s very familiar and easy to use.
Cameras
The CHERRY Aqua S11 Pro has a 64-megapixel main camera, joined by a 2-megapixel macro lens and a QVGA depth sensor. I would’ve loved to see an ultra-wide lens here, but considering the price tag, it’s hard to complain. A decent 16-megapixel selfie camera is on the front.
Daylight shots from the main camera looked washed out with bad colors and contrast. Details are also uninspiring, but the dynamic range is surprisingly acceptable.
Low-light and indoor shots, oddly enough, looked better. Colors pop more and contrast has more characteristic. Details are also good enough.
Image processing from the selfie camera is quite bad. For some reason, it weirdly focuses on the background, instead of my face, in most of my sample shots. Even with portrait mode enabled, the foreground still look blurry.
Battery and Charging
The CHERRY Aqua S11 Pro has a 5,000mAh battery with 33W fast charging. The battery life is decent, but nothing stellar.
In PCMark’s battery loop test, it lasted for 12 hours and 37 minutes which is lower than the average score I get of about 14 hours. That’s a loop of different workloads with the WiFi and Bluetooth off and the screen brightness and volume at 50%.
I also looped a 1080p YouTube video, where the device lasted 11 hours and 7 minutes before the 100% dropped to zero. Again, that’s fairly decent, but nothing impressive.
The charging speed is, just like the battery life, quite decent too. A 15-minute charge managed to provide 29% of juice, while a full charge took about an hour and thirteen minutes. See the full test result below:
- 15mins: 0-29%
- 30mins: 58%
- 1hr: 91%
- 1hr 13mins: FULL
Verdict
CHERRY came back to the mobile scene doing what they know best: catering to the market looking for a budget-friendly device. The CHERRY Aqua S11 Pro was made for those who want to get the most out of their money. It has a fancy AMOLED screen, large RAM and storage, one of the better processors for the price, and a sleek and comfortable build that makes it a good daily driver.
Still, there are things that the device could’ve done better despite its affordable price. For one, the image processing could’ve been improved and the physical buttons feel cheap. Plus, while it may be too much to ask, a device shipping with Android 13 OS is quite disappointing, especially when you realize it may never be updated to a newer version in the future.
But if you’re on a tight budget but still want a good, all-around daily driver, you can’t go wrong with the CHERRY Aqua S11 Pro.
CHERRY Aqua S11 Pro pricing and availability in the Philippines
The CHERRY Aqua S11 Pro, in its sole 8GB/256GB option, is available in CHERRY physical stores and kiosks, CHERRY Shop website, Shopee, and Lazada for a price of Php7,999.
Pros
- Thin, light, comfortable build
- AMOLED panel
- Good performance for the price
- Large RAM and storage
- Earphones included
Cons
- Flimsy buttons
- Still on Android 13
- Image processing could be better