It might have been delayed for a couple of months, but the Cherry Mobile Taiji has been finally made available. We were able to get our hands on it to tests its capability. But before we head on to our full review, let us just tease you novel-lovers out there with our Cherry Mobile Taiji unboxing and first impressions.
As what most of you already know, the Cherry Mobile Taiji is a smartphone destined for the avid eBook readers. This bizarre device sports a secondary E-ink display on the back.
This black-and-white display is commonly used by other eBook tablet readers like the Amazon Kindle. Dubbed as “Electronic Paper” this kind of panel replicates a real printed paper, which makes for a good reading companion.
Cherry Mobile Taiji unboxing video
The Taiji’s primary asset is reflected the packaging itself. The actual box is wrapped in a cardboard case that lets you slide out the packaging itself as if you’re pulling it out of a bookshelf. Furthermore, opening the box replicates the experience you’ll get upon opening an actual book.
You just have to lift the flap to reveal a three-page graphic of the Cherry Mobile Taiji’s prominent features. The actual physical contents are situated on the last page. The handset is wrapped in plastic on both the front and back to secure both of the displays.
The package also includes the wall adapter, microUSB cable, in-ear headphones with extra ear-tips, and a packet with the quick user guide and the SIM-ejector tool.
The Cherry Mobile Taiji does feel economical when we first laid our hands on it. The band that wraps around the device has this metallic look but it still feels plastic-y. On the brighter side, it does make the phone feel lightweight.
Taking a look at the back, the E-ink display already has the “Taiji” named displayed on it despite the device still turned off. This does make sense since this display will only require power when it needs to change what’s projected in it. This also contributes to overall battery efficiency. If the Taiji is about to run out of charge, you can just use the E-ink panel to prolong the remaining juice.
Upon booting the device, we’re greeted with a stock Android interface just like most Cherry Mobile handsets. Navigating through the interface also feels smooth and buttery, but we’ll see how it holds up when we start installing applications.
Cherry Mobile Taiji Specs
- Android 5.1 Lollipop
- Dual SIM
- 5.2-inch FHD IPS display, 1920 x 1080 resolution, ~424ppi
- 4.2-inch E-INK qHD rear display, 960 x 540 resolution, ~262ppi
- 1.7GHz MediaTek octa-core processor
- 3GB RAM
- 8-megapixel front camera
- 13-megapixel rear camera, LED flash
- WiFi
- Bluetooth
- GPS, A-GPS
- 2500mAh battery
Well, that’s it for now. We’ll publish our full review once we’re done running all our tests with it. Stay tuned!