Kata M1 Quick Hands-on Impressions

Kata Digital may be one of the smaller budget phone brands here in the Philippines, but that isn’t stopping them from carving out a niche for themselves in the local market. I was able to bring home a review unit of their latest phone, the Kata M1, after I and a bunch of other bloggers met with their CEO David Chen a few days ago. The M1 may not be an octa-core beast like some of the country’s top brands are releasing, but it does sport some great specs for the money.

The Kata M1 features a massive 5.7 inch OGS IPS display. It has a resolution of 1080 x 1920, giving it a pixel density of 386ppi. Not only is the screen crisp, but it also has excellent color reproduction and viewing angles. I’ve seen OGS displays before, but this one takes the cake. The image sits right at the surface, as if it’s just floating there.

While the screen is absolutely gorgeous and positively the best feature of the Kata M1, I find the design to be a bit lacking. It features a glossy 2-tone color scheme, with the front sporting a black paint job and the back in white. The dual color scheme helps to achieve the illusion of slimness, because if it had been a single color, you would have been able to discern just how chunky the phone is.

The body accommodates a 4,000mAh battery, so the chunkiness is understandable. but it’s a shame they didn’t take some design cues from the i3. The i3 achieved a premium design and finish whereas the Kata M1 achieves neither. If looks are important to you, the M1 won’t be anywhere near the top of your list.

Rather than an octa-core SoC, the Kata M1 is equipped with last year’s 1.5GHz quad core MT6589T. It’s not the fastest chip available on our local budget phone brands, but it’s capable enough of handling today’s apps, not to mention the load from the Kata M1’s Full HD screen.

Overall, the Kata M1 is a great phone for the money, at least, if you get it at the introductory price of Php9,999. You’re getting a massive 5.7 inch Full HD screen for Php10k, not to mention massive 16GB storage and an equally massive 4,000mAh battery. It may not be the prettiest phone on the block, but it’s still quite the performer.

Interested in learning more about the Kata M1 before buying? I’ll be posting my full review on my personal in about a day or so. Stay tuned!

Kata M1 Specs

• 5.7″ True HD display (1080 x 1920 resolution, 386ppi)
• 1.5GHz quad core MediaTek MT6589T processor
• PowerVR SGX 544MP GPU
• Android 4.2.1 Jelly Bean
• 2GB RAM
• 16GB ROM
• 13mp rear-facing autofocus camera
• 5mp front camera
• 3.75G/HSPA+
• WiFi b/g/n
• Bluetooth 4.0
• GPS with A-GPS
• FM Radio
• Micro USB port
• 3.5mm headset port
• Introductory Price: Php9,999 (SRP Php11,999)