MyPhone-A618-TV-Duo-Review

It’s been two weeks now since we got our hands on the MyPhone A618 TV Duo so we’re now ready to share our thoughts about this capable budget android phone. The specs are nice and the mobile TV feature is very useful. But how does this little android phone stack up into everyday usage? Check it out below as we got it all covered in our MyPhone A618 TV Duo review.

MyPhone-Android-A618-TV-Duo

What’s in the box?

In the box MyPhone A618

The package includes the unit, charger, microUSB cable, earphones, (2) manuals, warranty card, CD, Pinoy Guide, and 4GB microSD card.

Design

When I first opened the box and saw the phone, the MyPhone A618 Duo doesn’t look cheap despite having a low price tag. It sports sexy curves all throughout its black colored body and has an elegant silver lining at the side which gives it a premium feel.

A618 TV by MyPhone Review

There are three capacitive touch buttons just under the display and they are the menu, home, and back panels. At the back, we can find the 3.2-megapixel camera lying at the top of the phone and the MyPhone logo is just beneath it.

MyPhone Android Phone Review

As always, the Philippine map is centered at the back cover and the speaker grill is positioned below it. At the top, the earphone port and charger port are located side by along with the wake-up button. The volume rocker is found on the left side of the phone.

Overall, the design of the phone is very elegant looking but it is a bit thick though so using a jelly case in it is not an option – at least for me. The build is solid and I bet that it will last even if it will suffer from several drops.

Display

MyPhone A618 TV Duo

The display of the MyPhone A618 TV Duo is not the best among its class. Obviously this was because of the low pixel resolution of 240×320 on its 3.14-inch Capacitive display. It is almost exactly the same as the Samsung Galaxy which sports the same resolution on the same screen size. The colors are vibrant but they are not that crisp. If you have a sharp eye or is accustomed on HD screens, you’ll notice it immediately. Otherwise, it’ll be just a normal screen display.

Performance, OS – Gingerbread

Although the latest android version now is Jelly Bean, Gingerbread is still very reliable and stable in its own right. It is compatible in most apps that are available in the Play Store and it can still enjoy most of them. However, it has an outdated UI but it can easily be addressed by using third party launchers and themes.

MyPhone A618 Specs

The animations and transitions are fairly smooth but there are occasional slowdowns which is acceptable for budget android phones. Actually, there are no frequent lags thanks to its 800MHz of processor and 256MB of RAM (214MB user usable). Maybe this is because of its light weight launcher because when I use other launchers like Launcher7, there are some occasional lags and they tend to be more often. I already filled the phone with apps and until now it is still snappy and the 3-5 second waiting time is very seldom.

Screenshot2Screenshot

Screenshot3Screenshot4 MyPhone

The only complaint I have is the limited internal storage. It comes preloaded with a 139MB usable space but as we all know, the apps and games quickly eats up the internal storage so choosing which apps to install is the best choice. This issue, though, is also present in all other entry-level android smartphones out there so this is not an isolated problem. In fact, even mid-range level phones suffer from small on-board storage too. However, a solid solution can be done by using Link2SD. But beware because this will only work if you’re device is rooted. I have already rooted the phone and installed Link2SD and it worked great for a while but it suddenly gave me the famous “low memory” memory problem. I don’t know what happened there but I will just reinstall it again, I guess. Anyway, let’s take the rooting part (read the benefits and disadvantages of rooting here)out of the context since not everybody is comfortable with it.

Dual-SIM and Dual Standby Goodness

Screenshot5 MyPhone

For busy people, this feature is a must. Keeping in touch on two different networks is such a hassle especially if you use two separate phones for it. In MyPhone A618 TV Duo, the integration of two networks is seamless and I’m really impressed. Being a single sim android phone user, I didn’t have a hard time adopting the dual-sim interface. In messaging, there are two ‘send’ buttons so that you can easily choose which network should be used in sending the SMS in just one click. The same thing goes with the dialer where there are two buttons for two networks. If you want to set which SIM takes over voice call, messaging, or mobile data, it can easily be done in the SIM management settings. Simple and easy!

Mobile TV – Your Favorite Shows on the Go!

Mobile TV MyPhone A618 Duo

The mobile TV feature is probably the real highlight of the MyPhone A618 Duo. I can watch my favourite television shows on the go and it is such a pleasure when I’m just slacking around and doing nothing. The clarity of the video depends on the signal though. The antenna is considerably long that’s why I have better viewing in it against other cheap mobile tv feature phones because it can get better reception. So far, I’m enjoying it and I managed to watch most of the tv channels at an acceptable quality.

There are a number of great features embedded in this app as well. While watching, you can either take a screen shot of the current show or record it in a video if you don’t feel like watching it immediately. After you’ve finished recording, the clip can be accessed through the gallery for viewing at your preferred time!

Camera, Video Recording

The 3.2-megapixel camera is only of mediocre quality. It doesn’t produce lively colors and it makes the photos pale and boring. I’m not sure what causes this issue but I find most of the photos as washed out and far from the actual color. When used on an environment with good lighting (either outdoor or indoor), the camera was able to snatch good quality images which are upload-worthy. During low light conditions, the camera is not a good perk to depend on as it doesn’t have a built-in LED flash and the noise are very noticeable. But, it’s really not a bad thing because it’s just the norm on its class. Check out the sample photos below.

Unlike the photos, the video produced by MyPhone A618TV Duo is fairly nice. But just like before, it mainly depends on the lighting and overall visibility of the target. We’ve captured a sample video which can be found below (to be uploaded on the next few days).

Wi-Fi, Mobile Data Connectivity

The Wi-Fi connectivity of the MyPhone A618 TV Duo is on par in the smartphones. It can still receive Wi-Fi signal even I’m far away of the hotspot. It connects immediately and I didn’t have any problems with it.

wi-fi myphone a618 tv android

In terms of mobile data connectivity, I’m far from being pleased. It only supports EDGE connection which means that it can only surf at a very limited speed. The load time takes several seconds and it’s not my fancy to wait for it to connect. However, the connection speed mainly depends on the location so there are times that I can easily surf the web using mobile data. I’m a 3G junkie so it’s a big turn off for me. But, considering the price, I just forgot about it pretty quick and I just turned to Wi-Fi for internet access.

Gaming Experience

Although the A618 doesn’t have a powerful CPU, most of the games I tried worked smoothly. I have tried Angry Birds, Hill Climb Racing, Devil Ninja, Fruit Ninja, and Panda Run. Yes, these are just simple and resource friendly games but that is what we could all expect. Temple Run and Jetpack Joyride is not playable because of hardware limitations. However, there are a bunch of good games out there for MyPhone A618 TV Duo so don’t be sad.

myphone a618 games

In terms of apps, most of them worked well too. It can also handle Instagram so if you’re up into that craze, MyPhone A618 Duo can still give the enjoyment of this cool photo-centered app. Actually, the phone can do more if it’s rooted and if it has the cool tweaks. But as I’ve said earlier, others are not fond of modding.

Battery Life

The uptime of MyPhone A618 TV Duo is just average for an android phone. When used on some texting/calling, a few minutes of gaming, and a couple of hours of surfing, it can last for almost a day. If the mobile TV feature is used, of course, it can deplete the battery very fast. For simple usage, it can probably last for a day and a half.

MyPhone Pinoy App

MyPhone Pinoy AppMyPhone Pinoy App 2

Pinoy App MyPhonePinoy App MyPhone 2

Among all the preloaded apps, this one holds a special place in my heart. I love how MyPhone integrated Pinoy Trivias, History, Bugtong, Quotes and more! Our old folks over here liked it as well because it serves as some sort of a past time and what’s really nice about it is that it also gives a great deal of knowledge on the Filipino Culture at the same time. It’s such a refreshing way to remind us that we should all be proud of being Pinoy!

Verdict

The MyPhone A618 TV Duo is a very competitive android phone in its price category. For only  Php3,599, you’ll get all the basic android features plus the integration of mobile TV. With that, you can catch and enjoy the latest television shows on the go even if you’re on the road! Awesome, isn’t it? You just have to watch your battery when using as it eats a lot of juice.

MyPhone-A618-TV-Duo-Review

MyPhone A618 TV Duo Specs

  • Android 2.3.6 Gingerbread
  • 3.14-inch Capacitive touchscreen, 240×320 pixel resolution
  • 800MHz Single core processor
  • 256MB RAM
  • 139MB internal memory (expandable via microSD card)
  • Mobile TV
  • FM Radio
  • 3.2-megapixel camera
  • GPRS/EDGE
  • Wi-Fi, Wi-Fi hotspot
  • Bluetooth v2.0
  • microUSB v2.0
  • No GPS
  • 1200mAh battery

So is the MyPhone A618 TV Duo a good buy? Yes, definitely. This little android phone is a good way to keep up in style through its solid Android operating system and at the same time, keeping the entertainment level high. Needless to say, I would definitely recommend it to anyone who’s looking for an affordable android phone with TV. If you need more firepower and a mighty processor, then you might want to check out the dual-core MyPhone A898 Duo which is sold for Php7,499.

If you have any questions, please post it on the comments section below and I would be glad to help.

Join the Conversation

151 Comments

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

  1. 3g po ba ang data connection ng myphone a618?? at pag nag partition ba ako ng sd card mabobootloop sya ?? pa help nman

  2. pano po ba magbawas ng homescreen? kasi, umabot na po siya ng 5 screens eh wala naman po akong gusto ilagay dun… masyado po kasing nababanat yung wallpaper na nilalagay ko. thanks in advance. :)

  3. paano po ba mag unlock ng A618 tv dou? nakalimutan ko ang googgle account at password.

    help me pls. di ko magamit ang unit ko.

    thanks

  4. di ko magamit ung internet ng a618 q, ano ba dapat gawin??? gumagana naman sa wi-fi.