After giving you guys an in-depth look of the Infinity and Spectrum, it’s time for us to shift the spotlight over to its pleather-backed sibling, the Cherry Mobile Omega Icon. Check out our full review after the jump.
The Cherry Mobile Omega Icon is one of the four latest additions to the growing Omega family and was launched alongside the Omega Aeon, Infinity, and Spectrum. In terms of pricing, the CM Omega Icon sits way below the Php15K Infinity and just slightly above the Omega Aeon.
Design and Construction
Despite of the impressive design of Omega Infinity, we still think that the Omega Icon is the most handsome of the four Omegas that CM released in recent times. And it’s not just because of its faux leather back cover, rather the combination of the little things like its two-tone (silver and black) paintjob, reassuring heft, the fact that it neither too big nor too small and its faint resemblance to the Google/LG Nexus 5 especially when viewed head on.
Much of the real estate at the front is occupied by the Icon’s 5-inch 720p display with a small room for a trio of capacitive keys at the bottom. The 5MP front-mounted camera sits above the display and is neighbored by the earpiece and the “selfie” flash.
The borders of the Omega Icon are painted in silver which creates a separation between the all black front and back panels. It house all the usual suspects which includes the volume rocker on the left, power on the right, as well as the USB and Audio ports at the top.
Apart from the rear camera and LED flash at the top and the speaker grill at the bottom, the pleather-covered back side of the Omega Icon is mostly barren. It does, however, hides the two SIM card slots, the lone Micro-SD card slot and the handset’s 2000mAh battery from plain sight.
Display and Multimedia
Like the Omega Spectrum, the Icon is equipped with a 5-inch HD IPS screen which equates to a respectable pixel density of 294ppi. In addition to that, it also sports an Asahi Dragon Trail glass which is laid on top of the display to prevent minor scratches.
It all sounds good on paper, but during our time with the handset we noticed that a few issues with the screen, one in particular is the vignetting (light fall-off), or Color Gradient if you will, around the edges of the display which is very noticeable when viewing contents with dark colors. Furthermore, some areas of the screen, especially round the edges are sometimes unresponsive to touch inputs.
Our woes extend to the audio department. Not only was sound distorted and lacked any hint of bass in it, the overall output was too soft for our liking that we often find ourselves cupping the backside just to get an audible sound out of its loudspeaker (if you can call it that).
OS, UI and Apps
Unlike with their other handsets, Cherry Mobile went for a more stock Android experience on the Omega Icon. Gone are the fancy customizations, funny looking icons, and stuff that you probably don’t need and just went for an almost Vanilla Android Jelly bean.
We say “almost Vanilla” since there’s still a few pre-installed third-party apps like the Start lockscreen app from Celtick, Kakao Talk and CM’s own apps store which, coincidentally, eats up some of the space on the handset’s modest 4GB internal storage. Other than that though, we think most Android users will appreciate the simplicity of the UI.
Performance and Benchmark
One of the many things that the Icon shares with the Aeon is the engine. Both devices are powered by a 1.2GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon 200 chipset and have 1GB of RAM to boot. Such configuration makes these phones an interesting proposition for frugal folks who want an extra oomph on the performance end.
Based on our usage, we felt that the Icon performed slightly better compared to its MediaTek counterparts. We didn’t encounter any issues when multi-tasking and we were able to play Dead Trigger 2 on it without too much hiccup.
AnTuTu: 15,693
Quadrant Standard: 8,034
Vellamo: 1698 (Browser) / 615 (Metal)
NenaMark2: 43.2fps
Camera
If you happen to have the CM Omega Icon inside your pocket on a bright and sunny day, you’re most likely to be satisfied with the quality of the pictures you’ll get out of its 13-megapixel rear camera. The images come up with nice contrast and the colors are decently reproduced.
[fancygallery id=”105″ album=”109″]
However, as the light slowly deteriorates, so does the quality of the image. The Icon’s 13MP snapper couldn’t quite compensate properly in poorly lit conditions and its accompanying LED flash doesn’t seem to help its cause either because it just doesn’t have enough pop to illuminate the subject.
The same can be said when recording videos. While it’s capable recording clips under broad daylight, we wouldn’t exactly recommend it for capturing videos indoors or when there’s insufficient amount of light.
Battery Life
Qualcomm has proven time and again that their Snapdragon processors are both powerful and energy efficient, and the Snapdragon 200 at the heart of Omega Icon is no different.
During our video loop test, we got around 7 hours of mileage on a single full charge. This is quite a feat considering that the smartphone is only equipped with a 2000mAh battery pack.
Conclusion
The Cherry Mobile Omega Icon serves as a proof that budget smartphones can be both beautiful and, at the same time, powerful. We were impressed by how well the Snapdragon 200 performed in light-to-moderate tasks and the fact that the processor doesn’t take too much toll on the smartphone’s measly battery.
But as with any other budget handset out there, the OEM has to cut corners in order to keep the price down. Most of them opt for a more generic design, hence the crappy-looking devices we often see on the entry-level segment. However, in the case of the Omega Icon, Micromax gave it respectable look in exchange for a subpar display and appalling speaker. Well, it only goes to show that you can’t have it all.
Cherry Mobile Omega Icon specs:
5-inch HD IPS display, 294ppi
Asahi Dragontrail Glass
1.2GHz MSM8212 quad-core CPU
1GB RAM
4GB internal storage
up to 32GB via microSD
13 megapixel rear camera w/ flash
5 megapixel front camera w/ flash
Dual-SIM, Dual-Standby
HSPA+
WiFi b/g/n
Bluetooth 4.0
GPS
Android 4.3 Jellybean
What we liked about it:
* Great design
* Sturdy build
* Snappy performance
* Decent camera performance (well-lit and outdoors)
* Front-facing flash for selfie addicts
* Impressive battery life
What we didn’t like:
* Crappy display
* Poor sound output/quality
* Not compatible with all headset/earphones
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Zobel says:
This is virtually identical to the Spectrum. Mas mura pa ng >1K.
Zobel says:
Oh, Snapdragon pala to. I got 13640 Antutu score on my Spectrum. That went down to 12115 after upgrading to Kitkat.
Sanni says:
Pwede ba pag test ng audio samahan nyo lagi ng test ng me headphone o earphone maliban sa stock earphone kung maganda sound thanks po.
Saka pa banggit kung Rocket Player o Google Player ginamit, mas maganda kasi sound ng Rocket Player lalo sa bass kesa ibang mp3 player na available sa Playstore.
Lee17 says:
Try having your review unit replaced. I didn’t experience lost touches on the edges and the speaker quality is actually better and a lot louder than any local phone I’ve ever had.
Bd_md says:
I am a long-time reader of yugatech, and I frequent this site whenever I have free time to browse the net. However, I have to break my silence with this article, and seriously reconsider all reviews made by this site.
I own a CM Icon for more than a month now. I have no problems with the display and speaker. Vignetting? CRAPPY display? Poor audio? Unresponsive screen (edges)? Seriously guys, didn’t you even consider maybe your review unit is defective?
By the way, the screen is 1280×720, meaning it’s technically HD. I bought this phone given the specs for price point. Well-known brands cost much higher for HD screens. A bonus is the fine,leathery feel on the back of the phone, giving the user a good grip. Other specs are unremarkable.
For interested buyers out there, try searching for other reviews. This review does not give justice to the Omega Icon.
Earl says:
Agree aq jn s cnbi mo sir. Ung audio quality ng omega icon ko hnd naman distorted. Panalo din ung screen display dhl 294ppi. Cnubukan q dn gumamit ng headphones n Sony at Philips ok naman. Malakas ung bass. Jackpot tlg tong omega icon. Hoho!
Earl says:
http://www.qualcomm.com/media/documents/qualcomm-snapdragon-200-product-brief
Dto mo makikita kng ano ang ikinaganda ng snapdragon 200.
OFFICIAL TO AT HINDI IMBENTO. click nio ung site tpos download ung pdf file para may pag basehan kyo. Gumamit din aq ng Batteryguru application, (For Qualcomm chipset only) Review nio din yan.
http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=wdgN-P0QZSg
drew says:
sana pinakita yung front cam with flash in action.
Lalala says:
Hi..
Meron po ba kayong ma-i-susuggest na compatible na battery (brand) na pede kong ipalit sa original battery nitong Omega ICON…
kasi parang feeling ko eh mejo mabilis malowbat yung battery ko eh.. tnx..
van says:
How to deal with incompatible earphones on this phone? My samsung headset is not working properly with this. Thanks
Bultokachi says:
i’ve heard nightmares about their after sales customer service, nakamura ka nga, but after a while wala din yung natipid mo hahaha
Tan lam says:
Saka pa banggit kung Rocket Player o Google Player ginamit, mas maganda kasi sound ng Rocket Player lalo sa bass kesa ibang mp3 player na available sa Playstore.
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alien says:
ilan ang po batterry capacity ??????????
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Pat says:
Bket ang bagal magdownload ng apps ng CM Icon ko? Is it because of the net? kasi kahit 7mb lang ung ido2wnload kong apps nag iintay ako ng mahigit 30mins e. ;3 pa help naman oh. :(( salamat
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Gracey says:
I am a new owner of a CM icon so far so good, but my only complain is the notification sound for text messages is sometimes with sound sometimes no sound. I am using the SMS pro and i am not in silent mode can u help me on that? Also, i notice that every time I the text msgs sent it vibrates all of the vibrates mode are turn off why is that? How to turn it off?
Thanks in advance for the help.
Ariel says:
Your CM icon do have front camera flash?
Baldo says:
Yes. We have the same problem about the notification issue.. And why the internal storage is only 1 gb not 4gb?
jona says:
ooh nga 1gb lang pero mdami nman apps ang ndadownload ko
Ariel says:
i buy it yesterday,but it can’t do multi-tasking :( and don’t have front camera flash -_- but in its specs it has? is it real?
zzzzzzzz says:
How can i change the default write storage sa omega icon ko kinalkal kona settings wla tlaga change default write disk…help plssss.
Tokwangpinoy_Magitin says:
help please. kakabili ko lng yesterday nito pero when i connected to wifi bakit ayaw mag play ng mga videos sa fb and ayaw din mag play ng mga videos sa youtube?? anoneng gegewen ke????
TokwangpinoyMagiting says:
help please. kakabili ko lng yesterday nito pero when i connected to wifi bakit ayaw mag play ng mga videos sa fb and ayaw din mag play ng mga videos sa youtube?? anoneng gegewen ke???? ?? ?? ?? ??
Axel says:
Ang problema ko kahit na blue yung bar sa wifi bar ko hindi ako maka connect kahit na walang securuty code yung wifi connection ko, minsan naman super bagal halos ayaw gumalaw ng dina download ko, pero yung ibang gudget ko maayos naman ang connection gamit ang parehas na wifi connection.
Cha says:
pano mo po na fix yung sa wifi ng omega.. experiencing same problem po kase
jhack torreon says:
my cm omega icon cant play videos on fb. hard reset, updated software, latest version sa fb. pro wla pa rin. pg click sa video babalik to homescreen. plz help me. tnx
joey says:
anung version ng cmoi mo? pag v10 yan update mo as v11 jellybean din
jona says:
2 days ko pa lang po nabili yung pero bakit naghahang agad.. 1gb lang nkalagay sa internal storage… is it because ba mdami ako apps kaya siya nag hahang??? need help thanks::)))
raqs says:
I just knew in Omega Spectrum, just don’t know how to use sim2 in texting and calling?
raqs says:
I just new in Omega Spectrum, just don’t know how to use sim2 in texting and calling?
iiyen says:
Anu po gagawin ko ..pag sinabi insufficient space sa message ?? Di po kasi ako makatanggap ng message
victor says:
Super duper sa ganda ng phone nato and so far walang problema.mabilis sa wifi at upraded to 18 version saken.so mataas ang memory.pang matagalan ang batery nya basta hindi hard gamer.good job cm.
rence says:
pano to maayos omega icon full yung signal niya sa globe nagagamit yung data pero hindi ako makapag call and text kahit makarecieve ng call at text . pero sa ibang network ok sya sa globe and tm lang ayaw. sinubukan ko din ibang sim ng globe/tm ganun pa din
Rena says:
panu po pala mag move ng apps to sd card sa omega icon pls help tnx