Cherry Mobile has is on a roll with their Flare series this month, releasing multiple products with nice specs and competitive price tags. Two of them even have five cameras, which are still uncommon in smartphones. So, for this comparison, we’ll look at the Flare S8 Plus and the Flare X3, and determine which device is for you.
| Cherry Mobile Flare S8 Plus | Cherry Mobile Flare X3 |
|---|---|
| 6.26-inch FHD+ (2340 x 1080) FullScreen Display, 412ppi | 6.18-inch FHD+ (2246 x 1080) TrueView 19:9 display, 403ppi |
| MediaTek Helio P70 2.1GHz octa-core CPU | MediaTek Helio P60 2.0GHz octa-core CPU |
| Mali-G72 MP3 GPU | Mali-G72 MP3 GPU |
| 6GB RAM | 6GB RAM |
| 128GB storage | 64GB storage |
| microSD up to 512GB | microSD up to 256GB (SIM 2 slot) |
| 16MP + 5MP + 2MP triple rear cameras | 12MP + 5MP + 2MP triple rear cameras |
| 16MP + 2MP pop-up front cameras | 20MP + 2MP dual front cameras |
| Dual-SIM | Dual-SIM |
| 4G LTE | 4G LTE |
| WiFi 802.11 b/g/n/ac | WiFi 802.11 b/g/n |
| Bluetooth 4.2 | Bluetooth 4.2 |
| GPS, A-GPS, GLONASS | GPS, A-GPS, GLONASS |
| USB Type-C | USB Type-C |
| 3.5mm audio jack | 3.5mm audio jack |
| Fingerprint scanner (side-mounted) | Fingerprint scanner (side-mounted) |
| Face Unlock | Face Unlock |
| Android 9 Pie | Android 9 Pie |
| 3,250mAh battery | 4,000mAh w/ fast charging |
Summary of advantages
Cherry Mobile Flare S8 Plus:
• Higher screen resolution with higher PPI count
• Higher-performing CPU
• Full-screen display
• Larger storage
• Higher rear main camera resolution
Cherry Mobile Flare X3:
• Higher front main camera resolution
• Larger battery with fast charging
• Lower price tag
It looks like the Flare S8 Plus has the most advantages but don’t count out the Flare X3 yet as it has features that are attractive to plenty of consumers. We’ll discuss that in a bit.
For the display, Flare S8 Plus has a slightly larger screen and higher resolution, however, the differences are not that significant and not that noticeable in day-to-day use. What’s you’ll mostly notice though is the full-screen display on the Flare S8 Plus, meaning it doesn’t have a notch for a more immersive viewing experience thanks to the elevating front camera mechanism. The Flare X3, on the other hand, aging notch design.
Storage-wise, the Flare S8 Plus again has the upper-hand, packing double the capacity than what the Flare X3 can offer. It also supports higher capacity microSD cards.
For the cameras, the two devices sport a total of five cameras – three at the back and two at the front. The Flare S8 Plus has a higher main rear camera resolution, while the Flare X3 has a higher main front camera resolution. Do note that these are just resolutions and doesn’t immediately reflect camera quality, but we’ll know once we have both units on hand.
MediaTek Helio chipsets power both devices. The Flare S8 Plus has the P70 while the Flare X3 has the P60. Both have the same GPU and RAM. We don’t have the S8 Plus on hand but based on the P70-powered Vivo V15 unit we reviewed, it scored 148,378, while the Flare X3 scored 125,366. The Flare S8 Plus has the advantage on paper.
Battery-wise, the Flare X3 is the clear winner at 4,000mAh with fast charging. We’re expecting it to last longer than the Flare S8 Plus especially when it comes to gaming time.
Lastly, the price, the Flare S8 Plus is at PHP 12,990, while the Flare X3 is almost PHP 3K cheaper at PHP 9,999.
So, which one to get?
If you want the newer chipset, larger storage, full-screen display, and pop-up camera, get the Flare S8 Plus. But if you’re a casual user with a limited budget and in need of a larger battery, the Flare X3 would be enough.
What do you guys think? Let us know your thoughts in the comments section below.
